Book Review: Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry, Fountaindale Public Library

Good Girls Don’t Die

by Christina Henry

Published: 2023

Genre: Thrillers and suspense; Horror

Call Number: FICTION HENRY

Formats Available at Fountaindale: Paperback and eBook via Libby or Boundless

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Synopsis

Three women, Celia, Allie and Maggie, find themselves suddenly trapped in lives and stories they each know are not their own and must fight their way out in the new dark fantasy from the author of Near the Bone.

Review

I’m not usually a big fan of psychological thrillers with women in peril and danger lurking around every corner. They’re just not my style. So, when I heard about the book Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry, I thought it wouldn’t be for me. But after a month of going back and forth, I decided to see if I liked it. I didn’t like it. I loved it. The premise of the book is three stories with different female characters, each in a perilous situation.

Celia’s Forgotten Life

First, there is Celia. One day, Celia is unexpectedly standing in a strange kitchen with her daughter asking about school lunch. Seems pretty ordinary. The problem is Celia doesn’t have a daughter. Or a husband, who also makes an appearance shortly after. Apparently, she also owns a restaurant and has an enemy, Mrs. Corrigan. Is she going crazy? Celia feels like she is being watched. Then she starts finding clues that make her realize that might be the case. And when she finds Mrs. Corrigan mutilated in her restaurant’s dumpster, she knows for certain that she, too, is in danger. But from whom?

Allie and the Cabin

The next story follows Allie. Allie and her friends, Madison and Cam, were supposed to have a girls’ weekend at the beach, but somehow, her friends’ boyfriends talked them into going to a cabin in the woods. But the “old” family cabin seems really odd. There are no locks on the doors, the lumber smells freshly cut and there is little to no decoration. In addition, the sky doesn’t seem as bright as it should, even with the sun shining. And what is up with Madison’s boyfriend, Steve, who is even more arrogant than usual? There is also the problem of the maniac who shows up to kill them.

Maggie and the Maze

Finally, we meet Maggie. Maggie wakes up in a room filled with other women, and everyone has a number on their clothes. They are told they will be competing in a maze with dangerous obstacles. They are instructed not to ask questions or talk unless spoken to (someone breaks the rules, which doesn’t end well for them). They are also told if they refuse to compete in the maze or they don’t survive the maze, someone they love will die. Maggie wants to know what’s going on and how she got here. Is her insane ex-husband Noah behind this? She will have to survive to find out. But the maze is not her only threat; her fellow competitors are, too.

Final Thoughts

This book has a fresh take on three different tropes. A woman wakes up with amnesia, and someone is after her. Partying teens in a secluded cabin with a killer picking them off. And finally, a survive-or-die competition reminiscent of Battle Royale and Squid Game. These women want to know who is doing this to them and why. And they want to fight back.

Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry was an entertaining read that I did not want to put down, and it kept me guessing until the end. Unexpected, for sure. The characters are sympathetic, and the stories move quickly. As the cover says, it is a delicious thriller! Do not miss this!

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