The Good Daughter | GoodReads
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4.25/5 ⭐️'s: Riveting, Violent, Rollercoaster Thriller
“Nothing ever truly faded. Time only dulled the edges.”
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
I was not expecting to cry (twice!) in my first book of the year as I usually avoid sad and depressing books. This book is neither, and yet it will likely elicit a tear or two. It's a murder mystery told in a nonlinear narrative by two sisters who experience a violent crime against their family.
Lots of violence. The beginning will knock your socks off, and the death of Gamma (the girls' mother) is tragic and heart wrenching. Although she's not in the story very long, she is a strong, beautifully written female like all the women in this book. The characters are defined perfectly and I felt so much I *almost* cried ... in the first chapter! Can't remember being that emotionally involved in a book—that early—maybe ever.
The 528 pages were over in a flash, I couldn't put it down. This was my first Karin Slaughter book, and not my last.
Strong candidate for one of the most exciting, thrilling, gasp-worthy intros of any book I've read. (Or is it only because the most recent books are remembered best?)
Reminds me of Gillian Flynn's Dark Places and Gone Girl.
Minor Quibble:
I'm literally crying. It's so powerful! Then ... *record scratch* "Woah." Lots of coincidences start piling up. Everything ties together! Really!?! What are the odds!? Eye roll inducing, but also forgivable, because hey, who doesn't like a good wrap up at the end?
Marginally ridiculous at times, countered by ridiculously good overall—a story of survival.
Favorite Quotes:
"If she allowed herself the luxury of sadness now, she would become paralyzed."
"'... people always obsess about lies—damn lies—but no one really understands that the real danger is the truth.' She looked up at the white casket. 'The truth can rot you from the inside, it doesn't leave room for anything else.'"
“Picture me with my ground teeth stalking joy–fully armed too as it’s a highly dangerous quest.”
–Flannery O’Connor
Actual photo of me, the favorite daughter out of three.