Review: Pretty Girls
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I decided to give another chance to Karin Slaughter's work after being let down by The Good Daughter. Unfortunately, what I encountered in Pretty Girls was, once again, a story with a disproportionate emphasis on graphic violence and a cast of unlikeable people.
The narrative centres on Claire and Juliet, two sisters whose lives are intertwined with the sinister mystery surrounding the disappearance of their sister Emily. Although the story was intriguing, it was poorly carried out, largely due to how unlikeable the leading characters were. It was hard to care about Claire and Juliet's troubles because they both came off as self-centred and unreliable. I simply wasn't able to become engaged with their tales.
There was one aspect which really put me off, and I've seen the exact same thing in The Good Daughter, but I won't spoil it for you. It felt gratuitous, as though the violence was there to shock rather than add any real depth to the story. I am definitely not easily socked or impressed by graphic violence. The issue with this was that I wished the author would have explored the psychological impact of trauma and emotion, instead of the narrative being more focused on delivering shock value.
The pace of several scenes felt a little too slow and there were times when I was bored and almost annoyed, wishing the story would simply go on.
To top it off, the resolution was a letdown. It felt clichéd and lacking in the complexity I’d hoped for. Thrillers thrive on clever twists and intricate plotting, but this felt predictable, further dampening my interest.
I have to admit, this might be the end of my exploration of Karin Slaughter's work.
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