REVIEW: Throwaway Girls

Throwaway Girls by, Andrea Contos

*ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review* I INHALED Throwaway Girls and am giving it my first 5-star review of 2020. Caroline is my favorite kind of protagonist. Her tenacity and dedication drive this novel and give it the perfect sense of urgency and mystery. I also loved the inclusion of the second POV. I seriously went back and forth multiple times on who I thought the second POV belonged to and my goodness my heart was just constantly aching for that girl. Contos does an excellent job exposing the idea of the "throwaway" girls whose cases often go un-investigated because these girls are deemed "high risk" because of their home environments, or for being POC or "white trash". This idea is juxtaposed against Madison's high profile missing person case in a way that feels authentic, while still sensitive. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a binge-able mystery that will absolutely tug on your heart. While the atrocities committed and investigated in Throwaway Girls are absolutely heinous, I do appreciate how Contos doesn't go into explicit details for shock factor. The reader is able to get that gut sinking emotion at the acts without having to actually read them in gory detail. The mystery here kept me guessing and hoping until the very last page. The ending felt well earned and authentic, even if tragic and sad. Full of twists and turns, it was impossible to predict every reveal, yet each felt earned. I cannot wait to have a physical copy of this book to read and re-read. Adding Andrea Contos to my list of authors on auto-buy.

REVIEW: Burn Our Bodies Down

Burn Our Bodies Down by, Rory Power

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I finished "Burn Our Bodies Down" within a 24 hour period. 'Wilder Girls' had been one of my favorite books last year, and I was slightly nervous that Burn Our Bodies Down wouldn't be as good, but I was wrong to worry.

The whole time I was reading, I was trying to solve the key mystery at the center of the story. I wasn't sure if it

was going to be something realistic, fantasy, or science fiction. The fact that I wasn't sure which path it would take was something unique and totally new. I generally pride myself on being able to at least solve 90% of the mystery before it's revealed, but honestly, I barely got half of it in Burn Our Bodies Down. I absolutely loved the pacing of this book. The whole thing takes place in the span of only a few days, and that's definitely something you feel in the short, quick chapters. I never forget the short amount of time Margot has been in Phalene, and how that time frame really plays with her emotions - both good and bad.

I was so close to thinking of this as a 5-star book, and for so many, I think it will be! What took the one star off for me was the quick turnaround at the end of the novel. I understood the timeframe and the reasons why Margot and her grandmother did what they did, but I would have loved to have dwelled on Margot a bit more at the end. Margot's story is messy, just like she is, and that's what makes her such a strong protagonist. I would have loved the legal situation at the end to have been a bit messier as well. It all seemed to wrap up a bit too neatly for a mystery that was decades in the making, but maybe that's just me being super picky!

Overall, I'm going to strongly recommend this one!!