Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I’m not sure about you all, but January was rough. It felt like it was never-ending. It didn’t help that we go slammed with snow too. I’ve been surviving off of large mugs of tea, hot cocoa with tons of marshmallows, and plenty of good books. I debated not reviewing this one but, after the end, I decided I needed to talk about this. I heard a lot of good things about Karin Slaughter so I had to see for myself. With that being said, let’s talk about Pretty Girls.

Content Warning: Discussions and Depictions of Sexual Assault, Disturbing Imagery, Strong Language, Discussions and Depictions of Substance Abuse, Graphic Violence, Torture, Discussions of Misogyny, Self-Harm, Suicide, Sexual Content

Twenty-four years ago, Julia Carroll disappeared while on a late night walk through her college campus. Her disappearance shattered her family. Her father became obsessed with solving her case, even though it cost him his health. Her mother tried desperately to move on, and her sisters stopped talking to each other. Claire married a millionaire and Lydia made a life for herself after recovering from her addiction. They are forced to face the past when Claire’s husband, Paul, is killed in a robbery gone wrong. Whne the sisters reunite, they begin to realize that Paul’s death and Julia’s disappearance are somehow connected. As they work together to solve these seemingly random cases, they discover an ugly truth that will change their lives forever.

Recently, I have been hesitant to pick up any crime thrillers. It seems as though the market is saturated with books that follow the formula of “these people had seemingly perfect lives but something strange happened and now everyone is being weird about it.” Like I said in the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I was going to review this because I didn’t think Karin Slaughter could stand out. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. Pretty Girls is an intense, tragic, and twisted tale of revenge and reconciliation. It is a book that faces many grotesque horrors head on, but does not do so in a salacious manner. I appreciated the fact that this book does not rely on ambiguity or coincidence to move the plot along. Slaughter masterfully crafts a mystery that, while not enjoyable to solve, is satisfying to resolve. There’s so much palpable emotion between the two main characters, Lydia and Claire. They felt real and capable. They used logic and strength to solve their problems, but they showcased plenty of flaws that readers can find relatable. Nothing in this book felt too unrealistic, which is what I appreciated the most. I am going to recommend this book if you enjoy crime thrillers, but I implore you to heed my content warnings. This was a great read, but it was upsetting at times. Karin Slaughter, though, handles the subject matter better than most. With that being said, this one has my stamp of approval and I would be interested in reading other Karin Slaughter books in the future.

Picture from @sweetenerobert from Pinterest