A Disappointing Thriller Riddled with Predictability and Problematic Undertones
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
“The Good Girl” is arguably one of the most disappointing books I’ve encountered, and there’s a lot to dissect here. While some readers have rated it highly, giving it four stars, my experience was drastically different. I do understand why some might enjoy it, as there are moments that aren’t entirely dreadful, but the majority of issues stem from the book’s final chapter.
To be clear: this story offers no satisfying or redeeming qualities. The plot summary essentially reveals the entire narrative. Mia meets a stranger at a bar who then kidnaps her. That’s the crux of the book. The narrative is divided into two timelines: Mia’s initial encounter and abduction by Colin, and her life after being rescued and returning home. From the outset, we know the outcome—Mia survives and goes home—erasing any potential suspense. The supposed mystery around her kidnapping, filled with dodgy characters and questionable backgrounds, fails to distract from the predictability. I anticipated the twist early on.
The kidnapping chapters are narrated in third-person omniscient, focusing on Colin, the kidnapper. Since Mia and Colin are strangers, it’s hard to sympathize with Mia’s plight initially. Colin’s indifference towards her makes it challenging for the reader to care as well. Even as their relationship evolves, Mia remains a one-dimensional character, since we learn about her alongside Colin. Her development of Stockholm Syndrome is unsettling and creepy, likely intentional, but the perspective through Colin’s eyes amplifies the discomfort. To the author’s credit, Colin is a well-crafted character, if not a deep one. He sees himself as a victim, providing his side of the story, yet remains the clear villain. The resemblance to Joe from “You” is unmistakable.
As mentioned, the plot’s revelation early on makes for an insufferably slow story. I wasn’t invested in Colin and Mia’s survival in the woods because their fate was already known. The detective’s search for them lacked tension for the same reason. The final chapter’s “twist” was unsurprising, filled with clichés and mystery tropes, and introduced additional plot holes ignored for dramatic effect.
The most significant issues, however, emerge in the final chapter. Early in the story, subtle but troubling lines hint at the author’s problematic views. Descriptions of an “ethnic” area being safer because it’s “nearly half-white” and derogatory comments about predominantly African American neighborhoods were concerning but initially shrugged off.
The author’s biases become glaring in the last chapter. Mia describes a bar as a “hole in the wall,” covered in graffiti, noting she was “the only one who was white.” The repeated emphasis on the racial makeup of the bar’s patrons is troubling. The introduction of the only Black character, a Somali villain depicted in a highly offensive manner, is particularly appalling. Describing him with comparisons to dangerous animals and using terms like “rubbery” skin and “anthracite eyes” is not only dehumanizing but also racist. The insistence on emphasizing his blackness to convey menace is deeply problematic.
Additionally, the book perpetuates the notion that women’s ultimate purpose is motherhood and includes a heavy-handed anti-abortion message. The subplot where the daughter is raped and the parents refuse abortion is handled in a morally prescriptive manner. Given my previous experiences with this author’s lackluster works, I have no qualms about declaring this the last book I will read from them.