Thoughts on : Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
Audio narration : Kathleen Early
Genre : Thriller
Series : Stand alone
About the Book :
Sisters. Strangers. Survivors.
More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that’s cruelly ripped open when Claire’s husband is killed.
The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.
My Thoughts :
Pretty Girls was my first time reading Karin Slaughter, and I have to say, I was completely unprepared for the experience. I liked it, but it was, I believe, the most difficult thriller I’ve ever read.
If I were to describe Pretty Girls with one word, it would be violent. Of course, reading a thriller or a mystery novel, you usually expect at least a murder or two, which is rarely, let’s say, pleasant. And while I’m usually not one to shy away from horror novels and violent books, this one made me extremely uncomfortable and anxious.
The violence against women is this book is hard. So, so hard. The crimes are of the cruelest kind and vividly illustrated. I can’t think of another author right now that is so merciless in her descriptions. Part of me wanted to put the book down, but the story was making me so anxious that I couldn’t. I needed to see it through.
Just to give you an idea : this is a 19 hours audiobook that I completed within 3 days. Yup. Like I said, I needed to reach the conclusion, and fast.
I still don’t know how the violence of this book makes me feel. Was it spectacle, or did it serve a purpose? How much is too much? Or is discomfort sometimes necessary to fully explore difficult topics? I’m really not sure. I’m still thinking it over.
What I do know though, is that violence aside, I really enjoyed this book. Everything else was on point. It was one of the most gripping thrillers I’ve read this year. I wasn’t bored one moment, and even when I saw the twists coming, I didn’t mind. Claire and Lydia were interesting characters, and their complex dynamic made the story all the more compelling.
I also really appreciated the author’s writing. The way she described her characters thoughts and actions allowed me to connect with them and believe in the choices or decisions they made.
Overall, Pretty Girls was an addictive read, and seeing how the violence of some of its scenes truly unsettled me, I’m curious to see how I’ll react to the author’s other books. I have The Good Daughter on audio; I heard it’s just as good and has one of the best beginning for a thriller. I’m really looking forward to it!
I listened to one of her books and the narrator’s fake southern accent was so bad it took me out of the story. I’ve heard so many good things about her books, though, I need to try another. I’ll keep in mind the violence when I pick one up.
Oh! I understand that, though for me it’s usually the French accents that get to me. Hope you enjoy her other books more 🙂