ARC Review: Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten

Tuesday 7 July 2015


Title: Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls

Author: Lynn Weingarten

Release Date: July 2nd, 2015

Standalone

Rating:

Goodreads | Book Depository





I have mixed feelings about Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls. On the one hand it's an exciting thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. On the other hand, in the last 50% the book becomes weird and insane and it was like a whole different book.

June and Delia are former best friends and haven't spoken in over a year because of "something" that happened. June receives a voicemail on the day that Delia supposedly kills herself but then Delia's boyfriend arrives and says he doesn't believe it. June feels guilty that she didn't answer her phone and so launches her own investigation into what really happened because the police aren't willing to help.

The characters are one of the impressive areas of the book. There are complexities in their lives that makes them more interesting to read about. We are introduced to a new set of characters in the second half of the book who I found to also be intriguing. There are flashbacks throughout the book so that we can learn more of Delia and June's friendship before they drifted apart and this was a useful way to get to know a character who is dead.

I really enjoyed this initial mystery of what actually happened to Delia. Did she really kill herself? Or was it someone in the bad crowd she was involved with? I liked that there were various conspiracies and suspects and that it could have been any one of them. Then things get insane half way through when the twist happens. I think it's a bit of a faux pas for the marketing to compare the book to Gone Girl. I can't say too much without spoiling the twist but I saw it coming.

The ending is very abrupt and it's one of those endings that you have to figure out for yourself. Things aren't completely resolved or explained and so you have to make your own conclusions. Maybe it makes me a lazy reader but in this type of book (one full of many twists and turns) I like to have some proper answers at the end. The ending is so abrupt that I'm not even really sure what actually happened.

I still mostly enjoyed this book as I love thrillers and conspiracies and this really did keep me on the edge of my seat. I read it in one day. The ending is just a little disappointing.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.

8 comments:

  1. Hey great review, this book seems really interesting! I really love your blog and have nominated you for the Extraordinary Means Book Tag! See the rules here: http://lessrealitymorebooks.blogspot.ie/2015/07/extraordinary-means-book-tag-i-was_7.html

    Sinead @ Less Reality More Books

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    1. Aw thank you! This looks like a fun tag! :)

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  2. I, too, like endings with answers. It drives me nuts to not know what happened and to not have closure!

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    1. Glad I'm not the only one! It can be so frustrating. I like plot points to be wrapped up! Especially in a standalone.

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  3. Hmm, it's a shame that this one didn't end the way you hoped it to! I do like open endings but it really depends on the situation - but abrupt ending? Hmm, no thanks

    Thanks for the helpful review! <33

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    1. I like open endings in some cases but exactly, abrupt is just frustrating! Especially in a standalone where there's not even another book to figure things out.

      Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  4. I felt exactly the same! I loved the first 50% then I felt that the book completely lost the plot. I honestly felt so stupid trying to work out the ending and it gave me a headache.

    Lauren @ myexpandingbookshelf.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one! I felt that way too. I kept reading it like ".. wait, what?" Such a confusing ending!

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