Jen's Review
by Liz Coley
March 19, 2013
Katherine Tegen Books
352 pages, Hardcover
I love psychological
thrillers. Seriously, like, ever since I read Mara
Dyer, I've been dying to get my hands on another creepy, mind-boggling
read that will make my brain go, "Wuuuut..". Yes, Pretty Girl- 13 is a psychological thriller,
but less in the paranormal way, more in the contemporary way. Liz Coley's Pretty Girl- 13 is a unique read that deals
with concepts I have never stumbled upon until now. While this captivating read
wasn't the best, I definitely don't regret reading it.
One of the many
reasons that I enjoyed this book so much was because of the fascinating concept
of multiple personalities. Now, I'm not sure if this is an actual thing (that would be cool and freaky if it
was!), but it was so interesting to read about. It's as if this idea physically
pulled me into the story and tied me down in a chair until I was knowledgeable
in the topic.
At first, I was on the
fence about this idea because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to
understand the real Angie, but Coley is
able to make it work. The main character, Angie, has to deal with this
multiple-personality disorder that she never knew about until after she
returned from her abduction.
I loved watching Angie's character grow as she
began to slowly recollect and understand herself and her past. As a reader, I
didn't particularly dislike or favor Angie, but I appreciated
her and what she had to go through.
The downfall of this
novel for me was the plot-pacing. The first half was absolutely riveting; I
gripped my Kindle like no other and had to
know who her kidnapper was, what exactly happened to her, etc. However, the
last half just dragged on… And on... And ON. I don't even know how the book
managed to keep going for 40%, since nothing really actually happened. There is
a bit of a plot-shift, which caused me to lose interest after that. The last
10% picked up again, but the actual ending was a bit disappointing. My thoughts
exactly: "That's… that's IT?"
So what's my overall
thought? Pretty Girl- 13 is a
better-than-decent read, for sure. It held my attention from the beginning, and
although it dropped a bit towards the middle, the concept and main protagonist
were a treat to learn about. If you're in for a read that is enthralling and
haunting at the same time, I recommend you check out this uniquely different
thriller!
3.5 Teacups for Pretty Girl- 13!
*Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy!*
Posts
I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Jen! I've seen quite a few mixed reviews around for this one, so I'm on the fence about it, and considering I wasn't a big fan of Mara Dyer, I'm not sure if this is for me. Still, despite the pacing issues, I'm REALLY curious to read a book centered around multiple personalities, so I'll probably give this a shot after all. Wonderful review, dear! :)
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm glad you loved this one so much, Jen! I totally get what you feel when you're saying when Angie was done so well :) Her personalities were really entertaining but at the same time kind of depressing >.<
ReplyDeleteGreat review as always!
Wow this sounds like an interesting read. I keep seeing this book all over Twitter and on Upcoming Release posts. Is this a one off or the beginning of a series?
ReplyDeleteMultiple personalities is definitely a thing. I am really interested in seeing how the author will pull it off too. I have seen several reviews on this and I definitely want to check it. I am glad you enjoyed it, overall, although I have heard the same thing about the pacing before. Thanks for the honest thoughts. Great review :)
ReplyDeleteI've read a few thrillers but the latest one I didn't really enjoy too much... So I am on the lookout!
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity that the second half of the book fell flat for you and never peeked your interest again and that the ending was disappointing. I always like an ending that really shocks the reader and I feel like that's a quality a book in the thriller genre should have more so than some of the others.
I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to give it over three stars though! Wonderful review, Jen! :)
Another fantastic review, Jen! I haven't heard of this one before but it sounds amazing. I love psychological thrillers! I need to read more, I have only read a couple so this seems like the perfect one to read.
ReplyDeleteMultiple personalities?! Woah, that's freaky. I'm so intrigued. It is a pity that the second half of the book let you down. It is very annoying when that happens especially when the first half is so good. What a shame!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts :) I'm glad you enjoyed it overall despite its flaws!
We are review twins today! You liked this one a touch better than I did, but I think my downfall was having watched a certain TV show religiously and that made the plot more predictable than other people have found it. I was also surprised at how well we got to know Angie, I was worries about that too. Fabulous review, Jen!
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, I have never read a single psychological thriller ever in my life! Pretty Girl 13 sounds great. Thank you so much for the introduction to the genre!
ReplyDeleteI am currently hosting my very first Blogoversary Giveaway. Please feel free to join -> http://mariusreads.blogspot.com/2013/03/blogoversary-giveaway-int.html
~ Marius @ Forever YA
I think multiple personalities is definitely thing in reality. It sure is interesting, right? :) I don't know nearly enough about it, but it's already the main reason why I want to read this so badly. I haven't stumbled across many good psychological thrillers lately, but I definitely plan to give this one a shot. I'm glad you liked it, Jen! Fab review. :)
ReplyDeleteOoh, a psychological thriller book! I haven't read too many of these, although I love them like no other. I think I'll have to give this one a try, despite such a slow ending. (Strange, isn't it normally the other way around?) I love how you were able to get to know Angie despite the fact that she had this cool multiple personality disorder. I'm also really excited to see how the author was able to handle that so well. =)
ReplyDeleteLovely review as always, Jen! <3
I can't imagine having multiple personalities. It would suck, IMO because you'd be basically sharing a body with other people. Life is already too short to have it cut even more like that. This does sound like an interesting story. I'd want to know about the kidnapping. Wonderful review Jen. :)
ReplyDeleteWhoa, I didn't really realize what this book was about until this review, but now you've got my complete attention! Not only is it a psychological thriller book, but the fact that she has a multiple-personality disorder makes it so much more intriguing. Although the second half of the book sounds a bit disappointing, it sounds like an overal good book. Great review, I can't wait to pick this one up!
ReplyDelete