Crime Thriller: The Girl I Used To Be

The Girl I Used To Be
by April Henry
Christy Ottaviano Books
Henry Holt and Company, LLC
2016
240 pages
ISBN: 9781627793322

Available May 3, 2016

Editorial Reviews

 

"A must-have for YA mystery-thriller collections."-School Library Journal

“The author's expertise at plotting a murder mystery and knowledge of police procedure are evident.” ―Publishers Weekly on The Point Last Seen Series

“Fast-moving and well-constructed . . . A quick, thrilling read that doesn't skimp on characterization.” ―Kirkus Reviews on The Point Last Seen Series

“A psychological mystery wrapped in a thriller with a smart and resourceful heroine. Great read!” ―Alexandra Sokoloff, screenwriter and bestselling thriller author of The Harrowing on The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

“A thrill-packed story with twists and turns you'll never see coming. Hop on board for an adrenaline fueled ride!” ―CJ Lyons, New York Times–bestselling author of Blind Faith on The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

“The reader must wait with bated breath to see when and if the characters will uncover the truth as the suspense builds to a fever pitch near the end of the book” ―VOYA on The Night She Disappeared

“Fans of intense page-turners . . . will love this one.” ―School Library Journal on The Night She Disappeared

“It's a riveting story. . . . Each chapter is a surprise, and the tension builds steadily until the inevitable climactic face off.” ―Publishers Weekly on The Night She Disappeared

My Review:

April Henry is the go to storyteller  for YA crime novels, and The Girl I Used To Be  solidifies her position. Seventeen year old Ariel Benson was raised in foster care after her father murdered her mother and then  disappeared. For several years, her grandmother keeps Ariel until the older lady has a heart attack and dies. A knock at the door one day rocks Ariel's world; her father's remains have turned up near where her mother was murdered and judging from the appearance, he was probably killed the same day as her mother. Now Ariel has two murdered parents and the killer is still on the loose.

Ariel (Olivia) travels to Medford, Oregon, to her father's funeral. She doesn't tell anyone her real name and spies on the funeral guests hoping  to get a vibe on her parents' possible killer. Olivia decides to rent her grandmother's house and stick around town hoping to solve the questions of who and why?

Cute guy and ex-neighbor Duncan suspects Olivia is Ariel and proves it when he sees a scar she's had since childhood. She begs him not to tell anyone who she is, and he offers to help her find the killer. Duncan says that no one will suspect anything if he asks questions; he's lived in Medford his whole life, while Olivia is an outsider who will raise suspicions. The two will need to work fast to discover the killer before he can kill again.

There are twists and turns and a pretty good whodunit. Mystery and crime readers will want to read The Girl I Used To Be.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.