Title: The Girl I Used to Be Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Release Date: May 3rd 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary, Suspense
Part Of A Series?: Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: The publisher via NetGalley
Part Of A Series?: Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: The publisher via NetGalley
Synopsis: When Olivia's mother was killed, everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia's father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there's a killer still at large. It's up to Olivia to uncover who that may be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?
I love murders that keep me on the edge of my seat, like REALLY REALLY love them. I mean, what's the point of writing a book about a murder that isn't even convincing?
Olivia Reinhart used to be someone else. Now, she's an emancipated minor living by herself, working a minimum wag job. She used to be Ariel Benson, the girl who's father killed her mother, then abandoned her and ran away. She was the sad little girl that nobody wanted, that nobody bothered with.
Until now.
The book starts off with a bang, with the cops knocking on Olivia Reinhart's door, telling her that her father has also been dead all along, and not the person to blame like everyone thought. It pulls you right in to the story, and Henry's writing keeps you gripped. Olivia/ Ariel was a great narrator, each world filled with pain and strength and the ability to love and be loved that was taken from her. Henry really makes you feel for her.
I loved all of the secondary characters, all of the people from her parent's past. Actually, I loved the idea of them, but none of them were fully explored. As she found out a little more about each one of them, and each chapter ended with a version of "Did they murder my parents?" I felt like I knew more about them, and their possible motivations, but the ending was so abrupt, it ruined the whole everyone-could-have-murdered-my-parents thing the book had going.
A book with a brilliant 90%, and a ending that let me down, but one that I would still recommend!
QUOTES:
"It's crazy to think someone you once loved, who once loved you, could stab you and keep stabbing you. Even after you were dead.
I'm not going to forgive. Someone murdered my parents and left them underneath the cold sky and thought they got away with it. They were wrong."
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I write mysteries and thrillers. I live in Portland, Oregon with my family.
If you've read one of my books, I would love to hear from you. Hearing from readers makes me eager to keep writing.
When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.
My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I'm very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written 13 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have gotten starred reviews, been picked for Booksense, translated into six languages, been named to state reading lists, and short-listed for the Oregon Book Award.
I also review YA literature and mysteries and thrillers for the Oregonian, and have written articles for both The Writer and Writers Digest.
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