Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins, a Review

Reckless Girls Review: Back-of-Book Description

Instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller
Indie Next Pick and LibraryReads Pick

“A literary pina colada.” –-EW
“A high-octane thriller.” ––New York Times Book Review (Staff Pick)

 

ONE ISLAND
Beautiful, wild, and strange―Meroe Island is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. It’s the perfect destination for the most adventurous traveler to escape everything… except the truth.

SIX VISITORS

Six stunning twentysomethings are about to embark on a blissful, free-spirited journey―one filled with sun-drenched days and intoxicating nights. But as it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in, sending them on a dangerous spiral of discovery.

 

COUNTLESS SECRETS

When one person goes missing and another turns up dead, the remaining friends wonder what dark currents lie beneath this impenetrable paradise―and who else will be swept under its secluded chaos. With its island gothic sensibility, sexy suspense, and spine-tingling reimagining of an Agatha Christie classic, Reckless Girls will wreck you.

Reckless Girls Review: My Thoughts

This book was an option on Book of the Month a while back. (If you’re not familiar with that, check out my thoughts on Book of the Month here.) I had seen this author’s name before with many positive reviews so I figured it was a safe bet for an enjoyable read.

Well, I was right! Reckless Girls was very enjoyable!

I knew it took place on a beach, so it seemed like a good summer read. (I am very behind on posting this – I think it was early August when I read it). And that was correct, too – it was a great “beach read” summer hit.

It’s written in a style that is from the main character’s POV during the “present” times and then there are little flashbacks that alternate between the main character and the two girls she meets. Each flashback gives you just a little bit more information to wonder what the heck is really going on.

The main character is instantly relatable. Right away you like her and her boyfriend. But as the story unfolds you start to question the characters, their motives, and if you really like them or not. All the characters throughout the book are interesting with their own set of quirks and actions that keep you guessing.

The setting was really cool and well written. It was easy to picture the beach as well as the boat and the sea weather. There was action and suspense and the setting definitely helped to play a role.

The dialogue between characters was great – everything felt natural and well written. For a thriller where I was absolutely absorbed into the story, I still found a few quotes that stood out.

Favorite Quotes from Reckless Girls:

“I hitched on to [his] dream because coming up with my own felt impossible.”

“There will always be a before and an after, and you have to learn to live in the after.”

“Dreams were for people who had choices, opportunities. I didn’t believe I had any of those things.”

“…I’m filled with the same weird thrill of horror and amazement as when you peer over the edge of a cliff and think, What if I jumped right now? The relief that you didn’t do it mixed with the giddy awfulness of knowing you could.”

“In friendships or relationships, usually one person is the cat—guarded, a little standoffish—someone where you have to work for it. And then the other person is the golden retriever. Loves immediately and completely.”

Reckless Girls Review: In Conclusion

I loved this book! Couldn’t put it down. I read it in under a week, which during a busy summer is really saying something. Reckless Girls gets 4.75 stars from me. It was a terrific page-turner, the only downside is some sort of implausible, “would that really happen” bits. But honestly, they were minor and it is fiction after all.

I would recommend this to any lover of suspense or thriller. It sort of fits the mold of your average popular ones right now (think Tarryn Fisher, Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewel, etc) then you will definitely like this. I actually think it’s better, to be honest. But check it out and let me know what you think. 🙂

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