Book Review: Pretty Girls

Title: Pretty Girls

Author: Karin Slaughter

Publisher: William Morrow

Year: 2016

Pages: 575

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Rating: 4 stars

One sentence summary: Two sisters seek to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of a young girl and the murder of a husband, events decades apart but connected through family ties.

A full synopsis of this book can be found on Goodreads.

Spoiler Level: Low

This book was shocking, gruesome, and sad. Amid the twists and turns of the mystery are interesting family dynamics, haunting memories, and moments tinged with nostalgia. Despite the length of the book, I read it almost entirely in one sitting because of how gripped I was. The story follows two sisters, Claire and Lydia, as they seek to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Julia Carroll and the murder of Paul Scott, events that happened decades apart but that may be connected. Claire is a rich and snobby housewife and Lydia is a recovering drug addict who has been estranged from her family for years. I didn't like either character at first, I think because they were so harsh - on each other, on themselves, and on the world around them. But as time went on I grew to appreciate their brutal honestly, depth of feeling, and overall complexity. These women seemed very real. Exploring their psyches and their tenuous relationship with each other was just as important as the mystery itself. That said, there came a point when the plot completely took over. When the big twist kicked in, the character development came to a bit of a still and was replaced with non-stop action, which I very much enjoyed. There were a lot of disturbing moments, including detailed depictions of torture and rape. Scenes of violence against women are very graphic, and while I was able to handle it (though I won't deny some of them turned my stomach), it may be too much for some. The only problem I had with the plot was the pacing, as it seemed a bit uneven at times, a little too long in places, but I was always completely engaged regardless. Slaughter is a very good writer, not only in the way she handles her twists and reveals and character development, but in the way she elicts emotion. I almost teared up in some chapters, particularly when Claire watches her husband die and then in the chapters from Sam's perspective. Sam's chapters were my favourite - watching a father deal with his daughter's disappearance by writing letters to her in his journal was heart-wrenching. I wouldn't call Slaughter's writing style poetic as it is pretty straightforward, but she often manages to paint vivid pictures and create a haunting tone, maybe just through the sheer power of the memories she explores. This is a great mystery thriller if you don't mind unlikeable characters and can handle graphic scenes of violence.