Review: The Girl I Used To Be by April Henry

Title: The Girl I Used To Be

Author: April Henry

Published by: Henry Holt and Company

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Summary: Fourteen years ago, a three-year-old girl was the only survivor at a horrific murder scene. Now she’s determined to search for the truth—and the killer is even more determined to stop her.

When Olivia’s mother was murdered and her father disappeared, everyone suspected her father had done it. Fast-forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia’s father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there’s a killer still at large. Can Olivia uncover the truth before the killer tracks her down? ( Synopsis from Goodreads )

My Thoughts: I liked this little YA Thriller. It was a lot of fun, it was fast, and it kept me turning the pages. For the thriller purists out there, this one would probably be a little ho-hum, but for teens just getting into the thriller genre, this would be a lot of fun to read.

I was really interested in the premise of the story, a girl whose parents were murdered before she ever really knew them. A girl who has always grown up with the knowledge that her dad killed her mom, but then that all changes. It was interesting seeing her discover who her parents really were and the life she missed out on. I also liked how she was able to come back to town without anyone knowing it was her. The premise of The Girl I Used To Be was probably my favorite part.

It was super fast-paced too. The chapters weren't very long and the book wasn't very long, which meant that I flew through it in no time.

I do think it could have been a little longer though. It could have used more time to build up the story, the suspense, the reveal. For example, it could have thrown in some false leads or something fun. 

It did lack a little bit of the shock and surprise that comes from reading a really good thriller. This was like Thriller-Lite.

I also wasn't shocked by the bad guy reveal. You could kind of see it coming.

I really did enjoy this YA Thriller. It was fun and fast. As an introduction to thrillers for younger readers, I think it did a good job.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.8/5

A Fun Little Mystery