Good Girls Lie

Great!!!!!

I loved this book. Because I went to a private school similar to this one. Scaled down by a great deal, but just as twisted. Especially years later. To write this well, she must’ve gone to one of ‘Those Schools’. Thank you J.T.!

Another great read from J.T. Ellison! I can’t wait for the next one!

This book was entertaining, but entertaining in the way the TV show Gossip Girl was entertaining, somewhat superficially interesting. It was bit flat in terms of character development and a plodding writing style that tried to be clever by shifting the point of view from one character to another. This technique came off as something a beginning creative writing student might have been successful with in a workshop, but for this novel, it gave the narrative a disjointed feel and made the plot twist all the more awkward. The story had a good start and there was an attempt to build tension, but few, of any of the characters were very likable — they all came across as victims and nobody seemed very proactive; things just happened to them and they reacted according to the script. About halfway through l, I was ready to be done with the book already but I dutifully kept reading looking for some semblance of narrative satisfaction.. The story was an amalgamation of The Talented Mr. Ripley and Freaking Friday, with a twinge of Mean Girls, and a light dose of School Ties. At the hands of a better writer, there could have been some great potential, but beyond the interesting atmosphere, there is little to recommend. There really isn’t a hero in this story, just a motley assortment of flat characters and and a plot that really doesn’t have anyone worth rooting for; just a collection of sad, passive victims. Personally, I’d rewrite the book as a dark comedy such as the film Assassination of a High School President.

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison is a riveting novel of suspense. The Good School is a prestigious prep for young ladies that resides in Marchburg, Virginia. This boarding school is for the intelligent daughters of the rich and powerful. They will receive a superior education that will get them into an Ivy league school and prepare them for a brilliant and influential future. But not everything is at it seems at this school. A new student arrives from Oxford, England who causes quite a stir. One student ends up dead and the truth must be uncovered. J.T. Ellison’s writing drew me into this engaging story. I enjoyed the author’s descriptive writing which allowed me to visualize the scenes. Virginia sounded beautiful in the fall. I thought the characters were thought out and developed. There are alternate points-of-view which I liked (Ash, Becca Curtis, and Dean Westhaven for example). It allows readers to view the events from different perspectives plus it keeps the tension up. Details are revealed a little at a time to keep readers guessing. Good Girls Lie is packed with secrets and deceptions. I kept trying to guess what is true and what is false. I just loved the fabulous twist. I thought the creepy aspects enhanced the story. There is a great ending where all the loose ends are wrapped up. Good Girls Lie has tradition, secret societies, hazing, deceits, clandestine relationships, jealousy and murder. As you can tell, I enjoyed reading this thrilling suspense tale. Good Girls Lie is a book that will keep you riveted until you finish the very last word.

Favorite character: Kate Wood She is the one sane mind in a sea of doubt, anxiety, and mental illness. I love her stoic determination to unearth the truth, never once succumbing to the gaslighting and losing focus. Kate Wood is relatively a minor character in the amount of time dedicated to her scenes in the novel, but a significant character based on the impact she has on the story. What I Loved About Good Girls Lie The delightful intensity of being inside so many minds set me in the right mood to enjoy the story as it unfolded. By the end, I felt like I was gaslighted along with the characters. Moving from mind to mind kept me in an unsettled state and made guessing the who, the why, and then what will happen next tricky. Up to the last page, I wasn’t sure who did it, and even now, I’m not entirely sure. This uncertainty is fascinating to me as it allows me to draw my unique conclusion to go with the ending. Seeing the story unfold through several characters’ minds is also inherently unreliable, but that is an excellent technique for a psychological thriller. Nothing is scarier than knowing what is in someone else’s head, though at times, I found that my reading slowed down as a result. So, I found the pace to be fast at some points and slow at others, like a natural ebb and flow. The bits of real boarding school elements intrigue me. I find the whole idea of boarding school to wrapped in mystique due to its exclusivity, and this portrayal enhances my perception. The students, though born to wealth and knowing all the privileges that provides, still have to deal with the same issues as public-school students. They experience bullying, questioning sexuality, pregnancy, and drug and alcohol use and abuse. It’s just wrapped up in a more mysterious package since the secret societies are a big part of these problems. The character development is based on the unreliability of the narration, so I was never sure that I had a handle on any one character. I realized that as much as I knew, I didn’t really know anything. I loved that I found the characters well-developed but unreliably so. How intriguing!!! To Read or not to read. If you love intense psychological thrillers, this should be your next read. It will leave you guessing till the last page and maybe even beyond. It is so good! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.