REVIEW: Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten
Hello, everyone! It has been a while since the last time I posted a review on the books I have read. I was so busy with studies, life and all for the passed four months. My life has been hectic until last Tuesday (the day I finished my finals), though I have never stopped reading. I did post short reviews on the books I have read on my Goodreads account, if you are interested, you can search my name "Amanda Ooi" in GR.
Anyway, back to the main topic! First things first, I apologise for not uploading any 'self-taken' photo on the book. I didn't have the hard copy of this book as I read it on my Kindle.
How did I come upon reading Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls (SNBG)?
This is my first time reading Lynn Weingarten’s book. I have never heard of this author. Last year, I discovered this book in one of the local chain bookstores, instantly attracted to its beautiful cover, read the synopsis and a few pages of the book, and I was intrigued by the story. So, it automatically got into my to-be-read list, but I was put off by the rating on SNBG in Goodreads (3.94/5) until recently, when I run out of books to read + am in the mood for some thriller after reading ‘Murder on Orient Express’ by Agatha Christie (SO GOOD!!!).
What is this book about?
I will try my best to keep this spoiler-free. SNBG is about what happens to June after her ex-bestfriend, Delia dies. She investigates Delia’s murder, in turn, discovers Delia’s life after their friendship ended and then, something happens. This ‘something’ is a major plot twist. I really can’t say anything further than this. Then again, I can tell you that, the reason why June decides to take the matters into her own hands, is because she is certain that Delia was murdered, instead of committing suicide. June knows Delia is full of life and about her inner-fear; she just know Delia will not kill herself, especially, in this method. Since no one trusts her belief, she started to find out the truth on her own.
As I mentioned above, they were both best-friends. Their friendship was strong and things were perfect between them until June gets together with Ryan and Delia decides to get involve with drugs and sex. Don't misunderstand me. June isn't the kind of person who abandons her friend after she gets into a relationship. There was an incident and this triggers all the mistrusting between June and Delia, and eventually, it breaks the friendship.
What other book will be an equivalence to SNBG?
I would say “Secrets in The Attic” by V.C. Andrews. They are both quite similar, but not identical. Both books present a stronger-than-blood friendship and one of the characters is in a harder situation than the other. If you have read this book, perhaps, you may be able to guess how the story goes in SNBG.
What is the setting of SNBG?
This is one f*cked-up story, the one that has dark and depressing elements, and its setting is in a small town, full of lies, twist, deceit and conspiracy, revolving around a bunch of high school kids.
How is the writing style?
The writing style is okay, not particularly good, but easy to read. The story is engaging enough, keeping me on hook with lots of twists and turns. At some point, I was quite confused by the changes. I even thought some of the twists are unnecessary. But I still think it's alright, I enjoy reading it anyway. The story is narrated in a first person POV in the present setting, with a mix of a third person POV in the past.
What do I think about the characters?
June is a very plain character. Since Delia is the 'spotlight', the characterisation of Delia is way stronger. June is 'close to boring' and naive, yet her bravery is astonishing. She is, sometimes, reckless and at some point, all she does is "trust, trust and trust Delia". In contrary, Delia definitely over shines June. She is the wild one, filled with dark secrets and one who leads a crazy life. I find myself not liking any characters in particular and this leads to my next point.
What difficulties do I face when I am reading SNBG?
I find it hard to construct the characters in my mind due to the lack of description on the characters. Delia was okay for me, but not the rest. The other characters are vaguely described and they are not portrayed in depth enough.
Do I like the book?
Despite all the ratings and reviews I've seen on Goodreads, I find this book very nice to read! I like the story. I know it gets a little bit weird during the second part of the book, but I think I can deal with it.
What are my thoughts after reading SNBG?
The moment I finish reading the book, all I could thought about was "What in the hell just happened? WHY?". I read the last scene over and over again. I just can't believe the story ends in such direction. Don't get me wrong, I like the ending. It doesn't sum up perfectly as it leaves you space to imagine or explain to yourself about why does the story happen this way.
Rating: ★★★★★
