Member Reviews
This was a decent read. 3.5 stars. It was a pretty good mystery and was well written, but I wish I liked the characters more. I didn’t care about them that much, so the storyline wasn’t as compelling to me.
This was a pretty run-of-the-mill YA mystery/thriller. It took a bit to really get going and seemed there was dragging dialogue in the first third of the story. It picks up and ends up being a satisfying who-dun-it. The main character was reasonably likeable and the romance was pretty well done. The villain was especially villainous- really someone with no conscience, which was fine, if maybe a little unrealistic. Anyone who really enjoys this genre will probably have a decent time reading this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.
This book was fine. It wants to be a commentary on the wealthy and what they get away with, but for me, it falls short of the mark. It's supposed to be a mystery to discover who killed Addie's sister, but for me, I found the answer to be blindingly obvious from the first pages. It was a quick read but there wasn't enough substance to it to pack a punch.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @PenguinTeen for the ARC. Wow, this book left me speechless. I could not put it down. Addie is certain she knows who murdered her sister after a night at the town fair. After a year, Addie suspicion of who killed her sister is actually found dead in the same ravine as her sister, leaves her with no other suspect. Addie has to find out who killed her sister before she is next.
Overall, I thought this was a good book for a teen. I thought the characters were likeable and relatable. My only gripe is that I would have liked to see more of the story unfolding rather than reading a lot of dialogue about what happened from the antagonists POV. Thank you to #PenguinTeen, M.K. Pagano, & #NetGalley for the #EarlyARC copy!
I really wanted to like this. I just feel the writing was very amateur and the characters one dimensional. I felt it hopped all over the place and had a hard time focusing on anything. Thank you for the copy.
The mystery itself wasn't bad at all. For me, it wasn't that predictable. My guess for the bad guy was close to who it ended up being, but I am glad that I didn't figure it out. The plot made sense, but I didn't really get attached to any of the characters. They were quite bland to be honest. None of them had distinct personalities, or even a personality at all. Each of them had one thing that they liked but it was not in depth. For example, the main character, Addie, likes math so much that she plans to major in it, but she doesn't use math to help solve the mystery?? I don't know how math could have been used that much but I think that it would have been interesting to see her use math for forensics or something like that. Some of the characters didn't have any defining features besides their relationship to the main character and I didn't really like that
SPOILERS BELOW
Kendall did it all and that makes sense, my guess was Marion the entire book, but I don't like how she got away with everything because of money. It wasn't very interesting for the same way out to be used for every single plot point. The first time it was used it made sense, but I got bored of that being used all the time.
"Girls Who Burn" by M.K. Pagano is a standout choice for thriller fans of gripping young adult fiction. This is a great debut novel that shocks with its intense, page-turning suspense. The story follows a group of friends who find themselves entangled in a web of mystery, drama, danger, and, of course, murder! This book is packed with tension, and it delivers a rollercoaster of emotions and unexpected twists.
"Girls Who Burn" is a page-turner that doesn’t disappoint. Im behind on reviews, but thank you, @penguinteen, @mk_pagano, and @netgalley, for this eARC!
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Overall I thought this was a good. It has a mix of thriller and romance which I love. I would definitely recommend this to romance readers who are trying to get into the thriller genre.
Girls Who Burn is a YA mystery-thriller, and to be honest, I didn't care much for it.
I found the main characters annoying, and the plot to be a bit dull. If you like reading a spoiled rich kids and what they'll do to keep their inheritance, then maybe this one is for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an advance copy in exchange for sharing my opinions. All opinions in this review are my own.
This was the perfect enemies-to-lovers thriller! Very interesting characters and interpersonal relationships, excellent plot twists, and great atmosphere! I loved it!
This book was everything! Enemies to lovers romance, mystery, murder. I loved it from page 1! The writing was so good.
Girls Who Burn hooked me pretty early in and didn't let go till the very end. A double who-dun-nit that had my guesses flip flopping like a fish out of water and a swoon-worthy enemies to lovers back drop that had me feeling all the feels though I wish the enemies portion had been stretched a little longer. A story pulled back layer by layer where every character on the page not only has a means for murder, but a motive and spoiler alert: I failed to figure it out in spectacular fashion. By the end my nerves were shot and my nails were to the quick so of course I recommend it!
Sorry I'm late on review. This book was a very good read. The twists were shocking at the end. I'm looking forward forward adding the hardcover to my collection and read over and over again. Thank so much for review copy
I love how this book has it all... first love, loss of friendship, grief while incorporating suspense. I have never read this author before but I will be picking up whatever they write next!
I’ve been reading more mysteries/thrillers this year, and I liked the dark, threatening house contrasted with the graceful ballerina on the cover.
Fiona was found dead at the bottom of a ravine near her house last summer. Although her death was ruled an accident, Addie believes her sister was murdered by Thatcher, a member of the wealthy Montgomery family and someone they grew up with. Addie and her family are still grieving (she’s a mess) but guilt and blame weigh heavily on her shoulders. She said hurtful things when she and Fiona fought that night. Even worse, while Fiona was dying at the bottom of the ravine, Addie was drinking and cheating on her boyfriend by spending the night with Seth, her childhood nemesis/crush and Thatcher’s cousin. Now, a year later, Thatcher’s body is found in the same ravine.
This may be the first mystery/thriller I’ve read where by the 50% mark I still didn’t have a solid suspect. Every time I but a bullseye on someone, some new tidbit would prove me wrong. And I loved it. The author skillfully leaves a trail of crumbs throughout the novel as she draws you into this world of greed, corruption, and strong family bonds. There are some seriously loathsome characters in the novel. Even Addie isn’t the most loveable character. I admired her determination to find out what really happened to Fiona, but I also disliked her selfishness and the way she treats Seth most of the time. By the end of the book she learns some hard lessons and self realizations. But she and Seth make a pretty good investigative team as they learn that people aren’t exactly what they seem and uncover layers upon layers of secrets.
Girls Who Burn is a fast-paced novel filled with clever twists. This is the author’s debut, and she’s easily made my list of authors to watch. Recommended for fans of super twisty mysteries, complex family dynamics, and shades of the enemies to lovers trope.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this one! It was a lot of fun and such a nice break from the fantasy I'd been reading. I love a story you can get lost in and this is exactly what this did!
I am late finishing my review for this lovely novel due to my life falling apart, but at least it isn't as bad as poor Addie's summer in this novel! I loved this. These are all relatable flawed characters in a small town. People are dying and people are grieving. I wanted the best for these kids. More like this please.
MK Pagano packs a lot in here - first love, loss of friendship, grief and suspense. With an array of characters, this novel kept me guessing right up until the very end. I look forward to seeing what she writes next!
"Girls Who Burn" by MK Pagano is a fierce and evocative novel that delves into themes of resilience and transformation with a compelling narrative. Its powerful storytelling and strong, multidimensional characters make it an unforgettable read.