Good Girls Lie

by J T Ellison

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

When the publisher offered me an eArc, I was happy to accept as I found the synopsis intriguing. After reading the first couple of pages, I was optimistic for the book. However, I found that it was not as engaging as I hoped it would be and I found myself putting it aside on several occasions.

I found the pacing slow for a thriller. Based on how the story started out, I was looking forward to a fast-paced thriller. Unfortunately, after the exciting start, the story fizzled out, and it was not until I was at about forty percent into the story that the pace picked up and things became interesting.

The story, which was set in a prestigious boarding school, was riddled with lies, murder and secrets. It had its share of twists, but it did not have the expected shock factor as I had my suspicions prior to the revelations. As, a result, the story failed to deliver nail biting feeling one would expect from a thriller. However, despite this, I felt compelled to continue reading, as I was curious to know how the story would end. The ending thrilled me as it delivered the perfect reward/punishment. The level of angst was what one would expect from teenage girls who feel the need to fit in with their peers.

The characters, except for the narrator, failed to wow me. I felt no connection to them and frankly, I did not care what happened to them. They all deserved whatever was served to them. The narrator proved unreliable and her actions and words added to the complexity of the story. I had my doubts about her and as the story progressed, my uncertainties increased. She struck me as being someone smart but diabolical. I enjoyed getting to know her.

Conclusion / Recommendation
Overall, Good Girls Lie was an interesting story, which highlighted the ins and outs of life in an all-female boarding school for the rich. Although it did not deliver as expected, I still had a good time with the story. I believe that this book would appeal to fans of young adult mystery.