Hi! Thanks for reading I Rant About Books.
I feel like I haven't been reading as much lately, but I did finish reading A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
This post will be about my opinions on all three of the books in the AGGGTM series by Holly Jackson:
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Good Girl, Bad Blood
As Good as Dead
Five years ago, Andie Bell, a girl in Pippa's village, was murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh, but the body was never found. Pippa suspects it wasn't an open and shut case, and chooses to make a study of it for her final year project at school.
I will be discussing the book series as a whole, not examining each individual novel. I will review based on my criteria for a good book:
Plot
Character
Setting
Writing Style
I am going to give each criterion a rating from 0 - 10 based on my opinions, then add them up in the end. Here I go!!
Plot: 9/10
Being mystery books, it's in their nature to have brilliant plots. From reading about Pip's determination to prove Sal Singh innocent, to finding a missing Jamie Reynolds, and to being stalked herself, this trilogy did not leave much room for boredom.
And the first book delivered; the clues, for the most part, all tied together in the end, the killer was revealed, and the story ended happily. Suffice to say, it could have been a great stand-alone.
However, the second one is by far, in my opinion, the best book in the series, and that's all because of its stellar plot. Good Girl, Bad Blood explores the clues and little secrets that did not amount to anything in the first book, and makes them very significant in the second. So significant, in fact, that they are keystones to the resolution of the second novel. Even better than that, this book is a lot more of an emotional rollercoaster than its predecessor. By the last twenty pages of this novel, I was literally sobbing, gushing out tears. I had not cried in weeks, at least, so I know the ending took me by surprise.
So, if the second book is my favourite, what about the third? Well, the thing about the third is that Pip's personality has pretty much 180'd since the first book. I'll get into that more in character, but it really changes up what I thought the book would be like. Instead of seeking justice for someone else, Pip is focused on making sure her life stays intact. The major plot point is making sure nothing bad happens to Pip, from the start to the very end. It is not about solving a mystery, which is definitely a more compelling subject to read about.
Character: 5/10
I do not have much to say here; the most important aspect was plot. However, I do want to state that I thought the characters were all quite 1-D. They were not as complex as I would have liked; not at all. Pippa Fitz-Amobi was the only character I truly had a grasp of, and that's because the novels are all from her perspective. Ravi was a simp for her, her parents were just goofy and nice, and her brother was just annoying until he wasn't. Cara, although being described as like a sister, barely did anything except trust Pip, and her sister, Naomi, was just a plot point. However, Pip's relationship with all of her friends and family is still very adorable.
Setting: 7/10
Average setting. Small Town + Murder = Basic Teen Mystery
Nothing bad about it though, just boring and overused.
Writing Style: 9/10
I love how Holly Jackson uses Pip's research in her writing. Simply including her first person narrative in Capstone Project Logs makes a big difference in my appreciation for her writing skills. As well, the diagrams and pictures scattered throughout the trilogy make for a more compelling read. As for the author's actual writing, I really loved it. Since Pip is quite a unique protagonist, I did not know what to expect. However, I really found myself hooked. Even during interviews, when I did not know Pip's thoughts, each character's personality really shone through.
Overall, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder receives a 30/40! I really recommend reading this series if you enjoy teen mystery.
Thank you for reading this post!! As always, you can contact me anywhere.(Including @lara_murakami on Instagram.)
Love, Lara
I'll be sure to read this! I like your rating style Lara.Keep Reading...