The Good Daughter

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*

──∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗── Extra