Book Reviews

Review: Girls Who Burn by M.K. Pagano

Are you looking for a twisty thriller this summer? In the summer I end up falling either into thrillers or romances. And Girls Who Burn kept me guessing. We love a good investigation and this delivers! Keep reading this book review of Girls Who Burn for my full thoughts.

Summary

The summer before her senior year, Addie hurled the worst words she could think of at her sister—and hours later, Fiona was found dead at the bottom of a ravine. The police ruled her death an accident, but Addie has never bought it. Her ballet-prodigy sister didn’t slip and fall; she was pushed.

Addie’s number one suspect: Thatcher Montgomery, the rich boy down the street who always had a thing for Fiona. No one believes her—least of all Thatcher’s cousin Seth, Addie’s childhood rival and the boy she’s always loved to hate. Arguing with Seth is easy; living with her own questionable choices involving Seth the night Fiona died . . . much harder.

But when one year later Thatcher is found dead at the bottom of the same ravine, Addie is forced to admit she was wrong. To catch the real killer, she’ll have to seek help from the only one she can trust—the boy she was with during both murders. As Addie and Seth dodge corrupt police and his even more corrupt family, Addie will have to decide if her growing bond with Seth is stronger than familial ties, and if their link will keep her safe—or turn her into the next victim.

Review

Girls Who Burn begins with last words which cut. With flying daggers we wish we could take back. Addie is desperately trying to figure out what happened to her sister. But in her investigation she’ll figure out that she didn’t know her like she thought. That, even in death, her sister will is still a mystery. Addie’s search explores the questions of what happened and what if. Girls Who Burn examines our motivations. It asks us what we would do for our dreams and what we would do to those who stand in our way.

Secrets always have a way of coming out. And once you pull on one, the rest collapse like a house of cards. Throughout Girls Who Burn Addie discovers the truth behind these illusions of who we appear to be. All the lies and makeup to cover up our naked ambitions and hurt. While the suspense had moments where it ebbed and flowed, I was fully immersed again by the end. Girls Who Burn is a solid thriller committed to examining power and poisons in a community.

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Find Girls Who Burn on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.

Discussion

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