The Good Daughter

My first Karin Slaughter book didn't turn out like I expected.

With all the hype about this book, I was very looking forward to read it. What I wanted from this book was:

-A fast paced story with a good character development. -A good mystery to keep me reading. -Likable characters. -Good turns and twists in the story.

However, what I got was a slow story that mainly focused in the family relationships. The mystery wasn't mysterious enough. The shooting in the school and Kelly's scenes were interesting, but unfortunately they weren't the main focus of this book. Also, I didn't quite like the characters, well, except maybe Samantha. She was the reason that I finished the book.

By other side, there weren't many twists in the story as I hoped. I won't denied that there was a twist almost at the end that changed everything. But it wasn't shocking at all.

I don't hate the book, but I can't say I enjoyed it either. It was good, but not that good.

I won this book through GoodReads and I thank to publishers for providing me this copy. My review isn't influenced by this fact.

“I've got to figure out before I die whether I want to be happy or I want to be right.”

Before I get into this review, I do just want to give a disclaimer that there are triggering subjects and scenes in this book that go into graphic detail so maybe check out the trigger warnings beforehand.

Now into the review...

I have been wanting to read some of Karin Slaughter's books for so long. She has always been an author that has been hyped up when it comes to Thriller and Mystery books. I am so happy to say that I was not left disappointed.

The Good Daughter, from the very moment it started, had me hooked by its twisted and eerie atmosphere. When I'm reading from this genre, I want to be left feeling unsettled and this did that so perfectly.

I didn't want to put this down because I felt sucked into the whirlpool that had so many questions that needed answers. The mystery? The plot twists? This was everything I was wanting it to be. I can't express how many times I went out to my family and uttered the words “Karin Slaughter? What a writer!”

Usually, when books jump between two timelines it can become quite confusing and difficult to follow but the way it was written in this book was executed so well and left me wanting to read more from both timelines.

I can see myself revisiting this book in the future and I am so excited to read more by this author!

This book was pointless. I thought it was going to be an investigative legal story but it was just a miss mash retelling of events over and over. The potential legal story was just a small tiny part of the story. I listened to the audiobook that felt like this: 4 hours of horrible incident told several times, 10 hours of whining boring interpersonal relationship, 2 hours legal story.

Um thriller excepcional que me deixou nervoso na expectativa pela leitura literalmente do primeiro capítulo ao último. Acredito que a melhor parte do livro todo, no geralzão, foi ver a história das personagens se desenrolando (se enrolando muitas vezes) e acontecendo junto do crime que conduz os acontecimentos - às vezes até mais. A importância que a autora deu pra construção das personagens é uma coisa que faz total diferença na narrativa. Os diálogos, as interações, as motivações de cada um existem no ponto certo. Sem falar nas cenas que me deixaram literalmente tonto e sem ação em alguns momentos. Maravilhoso!

How The Good Daughter is my first book by Karin Slaughter is beyond me. A Father raises two daughters who each go their own way as young adults. A childhood tragedy marks them for life. The daughters inherit intelligent genes from their mother which contributes to their adult challenges. Only after the father suffers a heart attack so the girls get back together as adults and solve the real mystery of their childhood tragedy which eventually brings back the bond they had before the childhood tragedy. This book was a very good read. The characters were vivid and colorful. The plot peels the story back in unexpected ways. I got involved with each of the characters as they each went through a transformation. I will be reading more by this author.

Read for Winterween 2022: book that gives you thrills and chills

I really did enjoy this book because ms. karin knows how to write. there were some parts that were slow and a bit more “boring” which is why it isn't a full 5 star from me. i also never guess twists and i guessed one of them like halfway through so that hindered my enjoyment a little bit but the other twist had me by the THROAT

Holy hell, this book is everything!! If you're unsure about whether or not to read it, just do it but be warned it is not for the faint hearted. It's brutal.

I love Karin Slaughter and I love everything she has written, but this is a whole new level even for her. It moves away from her Grant County/Atlanta series which has a certain feel and construct and has it's own multi layered, deep, complex, hard to pin point genre. It's got crime, suspense, action, legal, family drama, just everything!!

Slaughter has always been good with characters, and it's no different with this book. I love Sam and Charlie's interactions, their lightning quick dialogue, their familiar sisterly banter - you feel so connected to them by the end of the book.

I won't get into the plot or subject matter, as previously mentioned, it's brutal. If you've read Slaughter before you know she pulls no punches, but this is harsh even for a seasoned reader. It is just unbelievable how much these characters go through and still have the strength to carry on, live and love. It certainly makes you think.


As a final note, I started this on audio and wouldn't recommend it (at least the US version I had). The narrator has the pacing and intonation off and her narration speed is too slow and not consistent, so if you increase the speed it's hard to follow. I think this book needs to be read in physical format to really get into it, at least it was for me.

I have some seriously mixed feelings about this book.

It opens with the big event that from the description of the book and reviews I read before buying it, was the mysterious day the whole book is about. It was strange to me to give us such intense details about the first half the day, then switch to the present and act like we don't know anything about the terrible day, and what happened. Obviously we didn't know everything, but I felt we knew enough that all the mystery surrounding that day was a bit much.
After the intensely exciting description of the terrible day, the book went downhill for me. Even the second terrible day in the present, somehow fell flat in my mind. Maybe I've read too many books and watched too many films about that type of situation, but I felt it could have been written in a more captivating way.
After that, even though things were slowly being revealed to us, I couldn't take it anymore. The conversations and characters' actions felt long and drawn out, it felt like watching a movie in slow motion. Other reviews had noted that the story goes slowly so I had prepared for that but it was too slow for me. Eventually I gave up.
However, the reason I am giving this book 4 stars and not 2 or 3 is because, out of curiosity, I found a thread that discussed the ending and I was shocked. I skipped ahead to about the last 2 chapters of the book, and I have to say that the story concludes in a satisfying and surprising, though heartbreaking (which was to be expected) way.

All in all I think if I'd had the patience I would've rated this book a confident 4 stars or maybe even 5, but the story was way too slow for me, though the ending was great.

Karin Slaughter's The Good Daughter is an intense and deeply emotional thriller that blends dark crime with the complexities of family relationships. The story revolves around two sisters, Sam and Charlie, whose lives are shattered by a horrific act of violence in their childhood. Decades later, another tragedy—a school shooting—forces them to confront their past, their estranged relationship, and long-buried secrets.

What truly makes this book stand out is the depth of the characters. The bond between the sisters and their father, Rusty, is raw, messy, and unforgettable. Their interactions feel painfully real, making you invested in their journey even when the plot slows down. The portrayal of Sam as a disabled character is handled thoughtfully—she's smart, capable, and her struggles are a natural part of the story. The twists are clever, and the tension keeps you hooked, even when the action takes a backseat to conversation.

This book isn't just about crime—it's about trauma, survival, and the complicated ties that bind families together. It's dark and heart-breaking, but also leaves room for hope and redemption.

First off, wow! Karin Slaughter has an uncanny ability to describe the depravity of certain areas of small towns and accurately depict the types of people you might find living there. The way people talk, act, and carry themselves was spot on. I grew up in a town that was not far off from the one depicted in the book. They are the kind of places where bullying is a fierce, never-ending, daily occurrence. They are the kinds of places where you have to spend the last few minutes of class each day plotting out which bike route would be the safest way to get home. They are the kinds of places where you need a steady head, a strong will, and a huge heart to soldier on. Before I get to the review, I really just wanted to shine a quick light of hope and offer a big hug to those out there who suffer or have suffered from merciless bullying or harm in the past. I know all too well what it feels like. Don't ever let them get to you because we've got your back, always.

** “This above all: to thine ownself be true.” *

Whew! Okay, that was heavy. Now, let's get to the book. This was so good. I mean, so, so, so good. It has a story that winds between two periods of time, has two captivating mysteries, a complex family dynamic, and a pulse-pounding finale. Not only that, it's written in a way that is so incredibly fierce and descriptive. It pulls no punches, and we get to see a variety of ways characters handle the cards they are dealt, for better or for worse.

// A vicious attack takes place at a family's home in a small town that haunts them for years to come. //

This one was really hard for me to put down. I found myself thinking about it throughout the day, going over plot points and trying to figure out what was going to happen. I had a few things right, but that ending sent me reeling. Well, you know what? It was actually the last several chapters. I was utterly captivated. Like, phone on silent, pretend I'm not here kind of immersion. It's been quite a while since I've audibly gasped at some of the conversations that went down towards the end.

// “Sometimes, your world turns upside down, and you need somebody to show you how to walk on your hands before you can find your feet again.” //

I really do not want to talk about the plot at all. I have quite a bit to say about each and every character and would like to go into detail, but it's best to go in without knowing much. But what I will say is that I enjoyed the snark, the banter between the characters, the nods to some literary and TV classics, and some of the off-kilter humor. This is a book that is going to swirl around in my head for quite awhile, I think.

This book definitely has some dark moments, so you might want to check trigger warnings*

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