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Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls
Pitched as Gone Girl meets Thirteen Reasons Why
June barely has time to mourn the death of her best friend Delia, before Delia's ex-boyfriend convinces her Delia was murdered, and June is swept into a tangle of lies, deceit, and conspiracy.
June barely has time to mourn the death of her best friend Delia, before Delia's ex-boyfriend convinces her Delia was murdered, and June is swept into a tangle of lies, deceit, and conspiracy.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2015
982 people are currently reading
32177 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Weingarten
9 books478 followersLynn Weingarten is a New York Times bestselling author living in Brooklyn. Her fifth young adult novel, BAD GIRLS WITH PERFECT FACES, was released in the US on Halloween 2017. It will be out in the UK on January 11th, 2018.
Her previous books include SUICIDE NOTES FROM BEAUTIFUL GIRLS (a NY Times bestseller, a YALSA Teens’ Top Ten book for 2016, one of Vanity Fair’s list of Best Books for July, and on The Guardian’s list of 5 of the Best in Young Adult Fiction), and WHEREVER NINA LIES (an ALA Top Ten Popular Paperback for Young Adults, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, a YALSA Teen’s Top Ten Nominee and a Sequoyah Book Award Nominee)
In the past, Lynn edited books and developed ideas for Alloy Entertainment. She is currently Creative Director of Dovetail Fiction, a new sister company from the book packager Working Partners.
She can be found on Twitter and Instagram as @lynnweingarten
Her previous books include SUICIDE NOTES FROM BEAUTIFUL GIRLS (a NY Times bestseller, a YALSA Teens’ Top Ten book for 2016, one of Vanity Fair’s list of Best Books for July, and on The Guardian’s list of 5 of the Best in Young Adult Fiction), and WHEREVER NINA LIES (an ALA Top Ten Popular Paperback for Young Adults, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, a YALSA Teen’s Top Ten Nominee and a Sequoyah Book Award Nominee)
In the past, Lynn edited books and developed ideas for Alloy Entertainment. She is currently Creative Director of Dovetail Fiction, a new sister company from the book packager Working Partners.
She can be found on Twitter and Instagram as @lynnweingarten
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June 16, 2015
Delia knew something someone didn’t want her to know, that’s for damn sure. And she threatened to tell. So whose secret was it? And what were they willing to do to make her keep it?
Lovely cover, intriguing title, nothing new or special for the most part, until a cheap twist comes flying in towards the end.
This book was all kinds of messy. Typical bitchy high-school drama that tries to follow in the footsteps of Gone Girl, but ends up being laughably cheesy, rather than an interesting psychological thriller. Plus, it seems like a mistake to market this as "Gone Girl meets Thirteen Reasons Why" when that makes it really easy to see the "twist" coming.
I've read multiple variations of the "girl commits suicide but - oh my - it might not really be a suicide and now the best friend must solve this murder case without consulting the police" story. Do they ever work? Not that I can remember. Mostly because I have little patience for stupid people and there's something inherently stupid about finding evidence that someone might have been murdered and launching your own investigation.
This one, however, is particularly sensational. June and Delia used to be friends but "something happened". June gets a voice mail from Delia the day of her alleged suicide, and then Delia's ex-boyfriend turns up and announces that she didn't kill herself. So June throws herself into a private investigation that gets more and more unbelievable as it progresses.
The plot goes a little crazy - from drugs to cheating to pregnancy to abortion to rape - and June's characterization is a little off. Her first discovery is that *gasp* Delia is involved with a drug dealer. June's initial reaction implies that she is terrified and clueless at the thought of drugs (I mean, like, marijuana's that herb they put in tacos, right?) Then, all of a sudden, she's infiltrating the drug dealer's lair (okay, going to his house, but remember - this is a dramatic book).
Some people were surprised by the ending, but I think so much gives it away. There's too many clues in the marketing, for a start. And not only is it easy to guess, but I think it weakens the story even further. Delia's somewhat complex character dissolves into just one more cliche.
Disappointing.
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Lovely cover, intriguing title, nothing new or special for the most part, until a cheap twist comes flying in towards the end.
This book was all kinds of messy. Typical bitchy high-school drama that tries to follow in the footsteps of Gone Girl, but ends up being laughably cheesy, rather than an interesting psychological thriller. Plus, it seems like a mistake to market this as "Gone Girl meets Thirteen Reasons Why" when that makes it really easy to see the "twist" coming.
I've read multiple variations of the "girl commits suicide but - oh my - it might not really be a suicide and now the best friend must solve this murder case without consulting the police" story. Do they ever work? Not that I can remember. Mostly because I have little patience for stupid people and there's something inherently stupid about finding evidence that someone might have been murdered and launching your own investigation.
This one, however, is particularly sensational. June and Delia used to be friends but "something happened". June gets a voice mail from Delia the day of her alleged suicide, and then Delia's ex-boyfriend turns up and announces that she didn't kill herself. So June throws herself into a private investigation that gets more and more unbelievable as it progresses.
The plot goes a little crazy - from drugs to cheating to pregnancy to abortion to rape - and June's characterization is a little off. Her first discovery is that *gasp* Delia is involved with a drug dealer. June's initial reaction implies that she is terrified and clueless at the thought of drugs (I mean, like, marijuana's that herb they put in tacos, right?) Then, all of a sudden, she's infiltrating the drug dealer's lair (okay, going to his house, but remember - this is a dramatic book).
Some people were surprised by the ending, but I think so much gives it away. There's too many clues in the marketing, for a start. And not only is it easy to guess, but I think it weakens the story even further. Delia's somewhat complex character dissolves into just one more cliche.
Disappointing.
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December 9, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“Pitched as Gone Girl meets Thirteen Reasons Why”
Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls was one of the pop-up recommendations on my library homepage. I had heard zilch about this book before requesting it and only did so because I liked the title. (Deep, I know.) Then I saw that sales pitch contained in the blurb and had the following reaction . . .
However, since I have no ability to not read a book once it is downloaded, I had no choice but to grin and bear it. And you know what? This was kinda like Gone Girl. Now if I were Jay Asher I’d probably want to kick someone’s ass for trivializing my suicide book (as contrived as I found it to be), but if you’re looking for YA with some mindf*&^ery this one might be a winner.
“Having secrets together makes you real friends. Secrets tie you together.”
Delia had plenty of secrets. Secrets about her boyfriend and her stepfather and her best friend June and maybe even June’s boyfriend. But all of those secrets died along with Delia . . .
Or did they?
June and Delia had drifted apart, as friends sometimes do. When June hears that Delia committed suicide she feels guilty for not answering Delia’s call. Guilt soon morphs into suspicion when she listens to the voice mail left by Delia right before her death and after she meets Delia’s ex-boyfriend. Did Delia really kill herself or was she murdered?
I was a little concerned when I guessed a potential major plot point at the 5% mark and then had it confirmed by 20% . . .
I also figured something more than that had to be up because there was too much book left and since I had read . . . . some another book (not Gone Girl) which shall remain nameless in order to avoid spoilage . . . . it was pretty easy to figure out the second twist in the story as well. Buuuuuuuuut, even though I saw most of the things coming, I didn’t see them all . . .
and I never wanted to stop turning pages. I would obviously ruin the fun if I told anything about the twists and turns the story took. All I’ll say is (a) I read a poopton of mystery/thrillers so when it comes to guessing what’s going to happen next I’m fairly good at it and (b) a lot can be forgiven if the author sticks thelanding ending. I seriously dug the end of this one.
“Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for a person is to shield them from that which will not help them. Make the decision and then carry the burden yourself, bear that weight so that they don’t have to.”
“Pitched as Gone Girl meets Thirteen Reasons Why”
Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls was one of the pop-up recommendations on my library homepage. I had heard zilch about this book before requesting it and only did so because I liked the title. (Deep, I know.) Then I saw that sales pitch contained in the blurb and had the following reaction . . .
However, since I have no ability to not read a book once it is downloaded, I had no choice but to grin and bear it. And you know what? This was kinda like Gone Girl. Now if I were Jay Asher I’d probably want to kick someone’s ass for trivializing my suicide book (as contrived as I found it to be), but if you’re looking for YA with some mindf*&^ery this one might be a winner.
“Having secrets together makes you real friends. Secrets tie you together.”
Delia had plenty of secrets. Secrets about her boyfriend and her stepfather and her best friend June and maybe even June’s boyfriend. But all of those secrets died along with Delia . . .
Or did they?
June and Delia had drifted apart, as friends sometimes do. When June hears that Delia committed suicide she feels guilty for not answering Delia’s call. Guilt soon morphs into suspicion when she listens to the voice mail left by Delia right before her death and after she meets Delia’s ex-boyfriend. Did Delia really kill herself or was she murdered?
I was a little concerned when I guessed a potential major plot point at the 5% mark and then had it confirmed by 20% . . .
I also figured something more than that had to be up because there was too much book left and since I had read . . . . some another book (not Gone Girl) which shall remain nameless in order to avoid spoilage . . . . it was pretty easy to figure out the second twist in the story as well. Buuuuuuuuut, even though I saw most of the things coming, I didn’t see them all . . .
and I never wanted to stop turning pages. I would obviously ruin the fun if I told anything about the twists and turns the story took. All I’ll say is (a) I read a poopton of mystery/thrillers so when it comes to guessing what’s going to happen next I’m fairly good at it and (b) a lot can be forgiven if the author sticks the
“Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for a person is to shield them from that which will not help them. Make the decision and then carry the burden yourself, bear that weight so that they don’t have to.”
October 30, 2020
i don't know how to review this book. i want to give it one star and five stars at the same time. i can't think
second read:
definitely four stars; review to come
second read:
definitely four stars; review to come
July 30, 2015
Honestly, I don't even know what to say about this book. I really liked for the first hundred pages and then it all went to hell.
I don't even know what I just read, I can't process it. This book went all over the place and took twists and turns into places that just didn't work. I feel like the author started off with a great story and then she kept adding more and more drivel that ruined it.
I gave it 2 stars because I did finish the book and because I liked the writing style but not the story itself. Maybe it works for other people but for me it just fell flat.
I don't even know what I just read, I can't process it. This book went all over the place and took twists and turns into places that just didn't work. I feel like the author started off with a great story and then she kept adding more and more drivel that ruined it.
I gave it 2 stars because I did finish the book and because I liked the writing style but not the story itself. Maybe it works for other people but for me it just fell flat.
June 17, 2015
1.5 stars?
First off, I am 100% on board with mindfuckery. I love it. Like an all caps, flailing sort of love. This...this was disappointing.
Well, the first 40% of the book was good. I was definitely intrigued at the murder/mystery/conspiracy vibe I was getting. Then there was a maybe cheating boyfriend/maybe shitty BFF plot line and I sort of lost my taste for it.
When the truth came out, it was enough to keep me going; however, I loathe not getting concrete answers when mindfuckery is a major theme. I got to the end of the story and still wasn't sure exactly what happened. The switch between present day 1st person and past tense 3rd person was jarring and kept me from getting into the rhythm of the story.
June and Delia are odd together as friends. Their friendship seems toxic, not supportive. There are a few other characters that had potential, but were never given dimension.
Overall, it was a captivating premise with an execution that fell flat. I know a lot of people will enjoy this, but it just wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
First off, I am 100% on board with mindfuckery. I love it. Like an all caps, flailing sort of love. This...this was disappointing.
Well, the first 40% of the book was good. I was definitely intrigued at the murder/mystery/conspiracy vibe I was getting. Then there was a maybe cheating boyfriend/maybe shitty BFF plot line and I sort of lost my taste for it.
When the truth came out, it was enough to keep me going; however, I loathe not getting concrete answers when mindfuckery is a major theme. I got to the end of the story and still wasn't sure exactly what happened. The switch between present day 1st person and past tense 3rd person was jarring and kept me from getting into the rhythm of the story.
June and Delia are odd together as friends. Their friendship seems toxic, not supportive. There are a few other characters that had potential, but were never given dimension.
Overall, it was a captivating premise with an execution that fell flat. I know a lot of people will enjoy this, but it just wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
January 6, 2018
I think this was a big ole pile of nope. So many trigger warnings, rape, drug abuse, clearly suicide, I'm glad I waited til I was in a good headspace to read this cause if not I'd be having some serious problems right now.
November 26, 2015
"Our hearts are pounding,
And I can't tell whose is whose,
her palms on my face,
her lips on mine,
her heart inside my chest."
Lately I've been craving this new type of books. Books about women and their relationship with each other. Books about the intense, sometimes twisted and hypnotizing friendship women have with each other. I love the way girls love each other recklessly and wild.
Unconstrained and passionately.
Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls is about a consuming, intense friendship between two girls gone wrong.
June's former best friend, Delia, commits suicide and leaves June confused and sad. Something about the suicide of her former best friend doesn't sit her right and she starts to search for the truth.
"Delia would explain to June that finding a best friend is like finding a true love: when you meet yours, you just know."
Melancholic.
That's the feeling I got from reading the book. Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls has something hypnotizing about it. The toxic friendship between these girls had me in its power.
The characters are interesting and multi-layered. Delia is an enigma, an untamed girl who makes bad choices. Through the flash backs you get the know her better and I caught myself wanting to connect with her.
Let's be honest: a slightly crazy person with not entirely good intentions makes a more interesting story than a 'nice' person.
I'm always fascinated when I read books about crazy minds.
Delia is selfish, slightly insane, but I liked her. I loved the way she was described. The way you got little glimpses of her softer side.
The ending is very unexpected and leaves you wanting more!
Overall: a great psychological thriller about girls and their relationship with each other.
October 7, 2017
I honestly was so confused the whole time... after reading I don’t even know what happened.
July 17, 2015
“However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship.”
----Albert Einstein
Lynn Weingarten, an American YA author, pens a gripping as well as an emotional tale, Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls , about two friends layered with enough mystery to keep the readers engaged till the very end, in a way, the author shades light into teenage friendships, trust issues among them, teenage trauma and suicide and mysterious death into her plot.
Synopsis:
Gone Girl meets 13 Reasons Why in this stylish, sexy, and atmospheric story about friendship packed with twists and turns that will leave you breathless.
They say Delia burned herself to death in her stepfather's shed. They say it was suicide.
But June doesn't believe it.
June and Delia used to be closer than anything. Best friends in that way that comes before everyone else-before guys, before family. It was like being in love, but more. They had a billion secrets, tying them together like thin silk cords.
But one night a year ago, everything changed. June, Delia, and June's boyfriend Ryan were just having a little fun. Their good time got out of hand. And in the cold blue light of morning, June knew only this-things would never be the same again.
And now, a year later, Delia is dead. June is certain she was murdered. And she owes it to her to find out the truth...which is far more complicated than she ever could have imagined.
Delia and June, two high school teenagers were best friends forever and their bond was stronger than blood, but that was a year ago, when everything was perfect between them, June existing in her emotional and caring shell with her boyfriend, Ryan, whereas Delia leading her wild, vulnerable and rough life with drugs, lovers, etc. But due to a stroke of bad luck, things become so weak and mistrusting between June and Delia which took them to a point when they never talked to one another anymore. One year later, when Delia's death of burning herself to death, is announced on the PA system and when on Delia's memorial service, Delia's then boyfriend claimed that it was not a suicide rather it was a murder, it leads June to start an investigation to find out the reasons behind Delia's possible murder. Or it was very possible that June's own judgement and emotions were deluding her mind from accepting Delia's death as a suicide.
The writing style is okay not that good in fact. The narrative is also fine and sometimes it is engaging enough to keep the readers hooked on to the story. The prose is articulate with enough twists and turns to keep the readers on their toes. The pacing is steady and there goes the flaw which made the story not a memorable one- the plot which kept on going up and down and there never is a steady moment to make the readers sway with the story-telling.
The plot is quite inconsistent, with the first half of the mystery being quite simple and nothing so unraveling, while the second half being filled with lots of twists and turns that confuses the readers a lot. Moreover, the climax did not suit the story, at least that's what I feel about it, I mean climax can be shown in a complicated manner but the character that the author incorporated into the minds of the readers while narrating the story lose it's charm in the end.
The characterization is not that strong, with June being the main character, who is very naive and an emotional wreck, but at times, she acted brave and so coolly among things which scared her, although there is no consistent transformation in June's character to comprehend with her sudden change of demeanor. Other than that, she is caring and determined teenager to get to the bottom of the truth.
Delia is a dark character and surprisingly her flaws made her look so perfect through the pages of the book. Yes, although her much-hyped death shies like a true-crime thriller, but there is so much confusion among the characters that at times, this confusion and teasing with the twists fail to excite the readers. Not a single character is portrayed with depth, thus leaving the readers minds with lots of unanswered questions behind the dark secrets that everyone seems to with-hold among themselves.
The mystery is good, and nicely depicted and keeps the readers on their edges till the very climax. There is bit of chemistry and lots of dark elements and the story revolves between the past and the present, where the present is narrated in first person POV with the past being narrated in the third person POV, and the way they swayed from one time period to another is strikingly done by the author. So that makes the readers to fall into the "keep-on-guessing-mode" till the entire length of the novel. And yeah it is a bit of a Gone Girl type story.
Verdict: I wouldn't recommend it too strongly but if you enjoy a nice thriller based on friendships, then this book perfectly fits the bill.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publishers for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book.
----Albert Einstein
Lynn Weingarten, an American YA author, pens a gripping as well as an emotional tale, Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls , about two friends layered with enough mystery to keep the readers engaged till the very end, in a way, the author shades light into teenage friendships, trust issues among them, teenage trauma and suicide and mysterious death into her plot.
Synopsis:
Gone Girl meets 13 Reasons Why in this stylish, sexy, and atmospheric story about friendship packed with twists and turns that will leave you breathless.
They say Delia burned herself to death in her stepfather's shed. They say it was suicide.
But June doesn't believe it.
June and Delia used to be closer than anything. Best friends in that way that comes before everyone else-before guys, before family. It was like being in love, but more. They had a billion secrets, tying them together like thin silk cords.
But one night a year ago, everything changed. June, Delia, and June's boyfriend Ryan were just having a little fun. Their good time got out of hand. And in the cold blue light of morning, June knew only this-things would never be the same again.
And now, a year later, Delia is dead. June is certain she was murdered. And she owes it to her to find out the truth...which is far more complicated than she ever could have imagined.
Delia and June, two high school teenagers were best friends forever and their bond was stronger than blood, but that was a year ago, when everything was perfect between them, June existing in her emotional and caring shell with her boyfriend, Ryan, whereas Delia leading her wild, vulnerable and rough life with drugs, lovers, etc. But due to a stroke of bad luck, things become so weak and mistrusting between June and Delia which took them to a point when they never talked to one another anymore. One year later, when Delia's death of burning herself to death, is announced on the PA system and when on Delia's memorial service, Delia's then boyfriend claimed that it was not a suicide rather it was a murder, it leads June to start an investigation to find out the reasons behind Delia's possible murder. Or it was very possible that June's own judgement and emotions were deluding her mind from accepting Delia's death as a suicide.
The writing style is okay not that good in fact. The narrative is also fine and sometimes it is engaging enough to keep the readers hooked on to the story. The prose is articulate with enough twists and turns to keep the readers on their toes. The pacing is steady and there goes the flaw which made the story not a memorable one- the plot which kept on going up and down and there never is a steady moment to make the readers sway with the story-telling.
The plot is quite inconsistent, with the first half of the mystery being quite simple and nothing so unraveling, while the second half being filled with lots of twists and turns that confuses the readers a lot. Moreover, the climax did not suit the story, at least that's what I feel about it, I mean climax can be shown in a complicated manner but the character that the author incorporated into the minds of the readers while narrating the story lose it's charm in the end.
The characterization is not that strong, with June being the main character, who is very naive and an emotional wreck, but at times, she acted brave and so coolly among things which scared her, although there is no consistent transformation in June's character to comprehend with her sudden change of demeanor. Other than that, she is caring and determined teenager to get to the bottom of the truth.
Delia is a dark character and surprisingly her flaws made her look so perfect through the pages of the book. Yes, although her much-hyped death shies like a true-crime thriller, but there is so much confusion among the characters that at times, this confusion and teasing with the twists fail to excite the readers. Not a single character is portrayed with depth, thus leaving the readers minds with lots of unanswered questions behind the dark secrets that everyone seems to with-hold among themselves.
The mystery is good, and nicely depicted and keeps the readers on their edges till the very climax. There is bit of chemistry and lots of dark elements and the story revolves between the past and the present, where the present is narrated in first person POV with the past being narrated in the third person POV, and the way they swayed from one time period to another is strikingly done by the author. So that makes the readers to fall into the "keep-on-guessing-mode" till the entire length of the novel. And yeah it is a bit of a Gone Girl type story.
Verdict: I wouldn't recommend it too strongly but if you enjoy a nice thriller based on friendships, then this book perfectly fits the bill.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publishers for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book.
June 14, 2015
I have just finished this novel and all I can say is what the holy heck? The whole thing was addictively brilliant but THAT ENDING OH MY! I am not entirely sure what I'm feeling right now but that was powerful powerful stuff.
June's best friend has committed suicide. They had drifted apart in the months leading up to the tragedy and June is struggling with survivor guilt. However things are strange - and lead her to believe that perhaps this is not as straightforward as it seems. Did Delia really kill herself? Or did someone help her along the way...
Ok so basically what you have here is a brilliantly complex but eminently readable mystery story, with a central character at the heart of it who is enigmatic, superbly drawn, difficult to get a handle on and so deeply fascinating that I will never forget her. Secondly you have a beautifully written and emotionally resonant story of one girl and her search for the truth.
This book WILL mess with your head, in the best way, as the twists and turns and "oh my gosh" moments come thick and fast - but never ever does the author allow this to detract from the character driven heart of this story which is one of deep seated friendships and the things that both drive us apart and keep us together. It is a tale of psychological depth which is also a heart stopping thrill ride of the highest order.
About 3/4 of the way through my head was almost exploding as June gets shock after shock, Lynn Weingarten puts the pressure on in a gorgeously written style that hits you BAM, right in the guts. I had no idea where this was going ultimately, as we headed into THAT finish, I was agog, I could not turn the pages fast enough.
A powerhouse of a novel that will leave you speechless.
Highly Recommended
Happy Reading Folks!
June's best friend has committed suicide. They had drifted apart in the months leading up to the tragedy and June is struggling with survivor guilt. However things are strange - and lead her to believe that perhaps this is not as straightforward as it seems. Did Delia really kill herself? Or did someone help her along the way...
Ok so basically what you have here is a brilliantly complex but eminently readable mystery story, with a central character at the heart of it who is enigmatic, superbly drawn, difficult to get a handle on and so deeply fascinating that I will never forget her. Secondly you have a beautifully written and emotionally resonant story of one girl and her search for the truth.
This book WILL mess with your head, in the best way, as the twists and turns and "oh my gosh" moments come thick and fast - but never ever does the author allow this to detract from the character driven heart of this story which is one of deep seated friendships and the things that both drive us apart and keep us together. It is a tale of psychological depth which is also a heart stopping thrill ride of the highest order.
About 3/4 of the way through my head was almost exploding as June gets shock after shock, Lynn Weingarten puts the pressure on in a gorgeously written style that hits you BAM, right in the guts. I had no idea where this was going ultimately, as we headed into THAT finish, I was agog, I could not turn the pages fast enough.
A powerhouse of a novel that will leave you speechless.
Highly Recommended
Happy Reading Folks!
August 29, 2021
Rating 2
This book really let me down. The synopsis sounded promising but the story, writing, and characters were lacking. There was no 'wow' factor and the story itself felt very predictable. I was going to write a full review but can't bring myself to waste anymore time.
Would I recommend?
Honestly, no. This story is slow, the main character is unlikeable, and the ending was predicable from chapter one.
This book really let me down. The synopsis sounded promising but the story, writing, and characters were lacking. There was no 'wow' factor and the story itself felt very predictable. I was going to write a full review but can't bring myself to waste anymore time.
Would I recommend?
Honestly, no. This story is slow, the main character is unlikeable, and the ending was predicable from chapter one.
July 7, 2015
I have mixed feelings about Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls. On the one hand it's an exciting thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. On the other hand, in the last 50% the book becomes weird and insane and it was like a whole different book.
June and Delia are former best friends and haven't spoken in over a year because of "something" that happened. June receives a voicemail on the day that Delia supposedly kills herself but then Delia's boyfriend arrives and says he doesn't believe it. June feels guilty that she didn't answer her phone and so launches her own investigation into what really happened because the police aren't willing to help.
The characters are one of the impressive areas of the book. There are complexities in their lives that makes them more interesting to read about. We are introduced to a new set of characters in the second half of the book who I found to also be intriguing. There are flashbacks throughout the book so that we can learn more of Delia and June's friendship before they drifted apart and this was a useful way to get to know a character who is dead.
I really enjoyed this initial mystery of what actually happened to Delia. Did she really kill herself? Or was it someone in the bad crowd she was involved with? I liked that there were various conspiracies and suspects and that it could have been any one of them. Then things get insane half way through when the twist happens. I think it's a bit of a faux pas for the marketing to compare the book to Gone Girl. I can't say too much without spoiling the twist but I saw it coming.
The ending is very abrupt and it's one of those endings that you have to figure out for yourself. Things aren't completely resolved or explained and so you have to make your own conclusions. Maybe it makes me a lazy reader but in this type of book (one full of many twists and turns) I like to have some proper answers at the end. The ending is so abrupt that I'm not even really sure what actually happened.
I still mostly enjoyed this book as I love thrillers and conspiracies and this really did keep me on the edge of my seat. I read it in one day. The ending is just a little disappointing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.
June and Delia are former best friends and haven't spoken in over a year because of "something" that happened. June receives a voicemail on the day that Delia supposedly kills herself but then Delia's boyfriend arrives and says he doesn't believe it. June feels guilty that she didn't answer her phone and so launches her own investigation into what really happened because the police aren't willing to help.
The characters are one of the impressive areas of the book. There are complexities in their lives that makes them more interesting to read about. We are introduced to a new set of characters in the second half of the book who I found to also be intriguing. There are flashbacks throughout the book so that we can learn more of Delia and June's friendship before they drifted apart and this was a useful way to get to know a character who is dead.
I really enjoyed this initial mystery of what actually happened to Delia. Did she really kill herself? Or was it someone in the bad crowd she was involved with? I liked that there were various conspiracies and suspects and that it could have been any one of them. Then things get insane half way through when the twist happens. I think it's a bit of a faux pas for the marketing to compare the book to Gone Girl. I can't say too much without spoiling the twist but I saw it coming.
The ending is very abrupt and it's one of those endings that you have to figure out for yourself. Things aren't completely resolved or explained and so you have to make your own conclusions. Maybe it makes me a lazy reader but in this type of book (one full of many twists and turns) I like to have some proper answers at the end. The ending is so abrupt that I'm not even really sure what actually happened.
I still mostly enjoyed this book as I love thrillers and conspiracies and this really did keep me on the edge of my seat. I read it in one day. The ending is just a little disappointing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.
June 6, 2018
1 star for plot itself and being well written.
1 star for it being engrossing and keeping my attention.
1 star for overall not feeling like it was a total waste of my time.
trigger warnings!!! suicide, rape, and addiction.
Also, it has HEAVY language. Just an FYI for those of you who may not like that.
I'll just start off by stating that I think that the book had a quite promising plot.
The idea of the book was very intriguing, but in the end, the book fell short of my
expectations.
Character Developement wasn't horrible, but i found every character in this book to be extremely unlikeable.
The story follows two friends who had a falling out, one of them supposedly commits suicide and the other begins to investigate said suicide with doubts. June doesn't believe her friend Delia, who was terrified of fire, committed suicide by burning herself alive, so she begins to look further into the suicide and things soon begin to reveal themselves to her.
This book was very engrossing, i never had to "force" myself to pick it up. However, it was very predictable and I knew who not to trust from the very first page...no matter how "promising" the book tried to portray them as.
I found June to be too gullible and annoying. I found Delia to be extremely dark and creepy.
Ryan was just blah, as was every other supportive character in this book.
Also, I still don't quite understand the relationship between the two main characters. It was just weird.
The ending disappointed me and frankly, pissed me off. My mood was ruined the minute I finished the last paragraph.
Overall, it wasn't terrible... however it did mess me up a little inside and now I'm unsure if I ever want to read another book by this author or not.
Ughhhh, I'm going to go lull this book over in my brain for awhile.
1 star for it being engrossing and keeping my attention.
1 star for overall not feeling like it was a total waste of my time.
trigger warnings!!! suicide, rape, and addiction.
Also, it has HEAVY language. Just an FYI for those of you who may not like that.
I'll just start off by stating that I think that the book had a quite promising plot.
The idea of the book was very intriguing, but in the end, the book fell short of my
expectations.
Character Developement wasn't horrible, but i found every character in this book to be extremely unlikeable.
The story follows two friends who had a falling out, one of them supposedly commits suicide and the other begins to investigate said suicide with doubts. June doesn't believe her friend Delia, who was terrified of fire, committed suicide by burning herself alive, so she begins to look further into the suicide and things soon begin to reveal themselves to her.
This book was very engrossing, i never had to "force" myself to pick it up. However, it was very predictable and I knew who not to trust from the very first page...no matter how "promising" the book tried to portray them as.
I found June to be too gullible and annoying. I found Delia to be extremely dark and creepy.
Ryan was just blah, as was every other supportive character in this book.
Also, I still don't quite understand the relationship between the two main characters. It was just weird.
The ending disappointed me and frankly, pissed me off. My mood was ruined the minute I finished the last paragraph.
Overall, it wasn't terrible... however it did mess me up a little inside and now I'm unsure if I ever want to read another book by this author or not.
Ughhhh, I'm going to go lull this book over in my brain for awhile.
September 16, 2020
I read this book for Diversity in All Forms. If you would like to participate in the discussion here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I enjoyed this book. The author did a really good job of putting in a ton a twists. There were a lot of moments (the middle, 90% and end) that I was like... "wait, what?" I need to re-read that. "No way. Did that really just happen?" etc. If you are looking for a book that keeps you on your toes I suggest this one.
"They say Delia burned herself to death in her stepfather’s shed. They say it was suicide.
But June doesn’t believe it.
June and Delia used to be closer than anything. Best friends in that way that comes before everyone else—before guys, before family. It was like being in love, but more. They had a billion secrets, binding them together like thin silk cords.
But one night a year ago, everything changed. June, Delia, and June’s boyfriend Ryan were just having a little fun. Their good time got out of hand. And in the cold blue light of morning, June knew only this—things would never be the same again.
And now, a year later, Delia is dead. June is certain she was murdered. And she owes it to her to find out the truth…which is far more complicated than she ever could have imagined."
I enjoyed this book. The author did a really good job of putting in a ton a twists. There were a lot of moments (the middle, 90% and end) that I was like... "wait, what?" I need to re-read that. "No way. Did that really just happen?" etc. If you are looking for a book that keeps you on your toes I suggest this one.
"They say Delia burned herself to death in her stepfather’s shed. They say it was suicide.
But June doesn’t believe it.
June and Delia used to be closer than anything. Best friends in that way that comes before everyone else—before guys, before family. It was like being in love, but more. They had a billion secrets, binding them together like thin silk cords.
But one night a year ago, everything changed. June, Delia, and June’s boyfriend Ryan were just having a little fun. Their good time got out of hand. And in the cold blue light of morning, June knew only this—things would never be the same again.
And now, a year later, Delia is dead. June is certain she was murdered. And she owes it to her to find out the truth…which is far more complicated than she ever could have imagined."
September 8, 2015
Although this is classified as YA, I personally think anyone can read this. I am middle aged and I loved this book. Its definitely a WOW what happened there....
This is jam packed with an emotional read, two friends, Delia and June. Both are so very different in character. Whilst Delia comes across wild and out of control at times, June comes across as more mild. I think Delia brings confidence to June, until......
Delia leaves a suicide note.
This is where action starts to happen. June knows the fear Delia has of a fire so, why would she commit suicide where fire is involved? It doesn't add up.
Then, she gets to know that Delia's boyfriend feels she was killed and not that Delia took her own life.
The hunt is on..
I feel so differently about this story compared to some reviews I have read, I liked this book, I liked it a lot. It kept me thinking, it kept my attention and I thought the author did a fantastic job with the plot.
It didn't appear messy or confusing, I followed it very well and the ending was a surprise to me that I didn't expect, which is another plus for me.
I would certainly read more from this author and say, read this for yourself, because I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the plot.
**Thank you to Egmont Publishing via Net Galley for my copy**
May 21, 2023
3.0 ✰s
What I liked most about this book was the cover… and that says a lot.
What I liked most about this book was the cover… and that says a lot.
August 18, 2017
1 star
This book was just so messed up. Like, probably the most messed up book I've ever read.
In a mere 300 pages, it goes from the basic high school party life messed up to straight up murdering people messed up. Every time I thought it couldn't get worse, I was wrong. The main character is lied to so many times by the end of the book it's hard for even the reader to keep everything straight. It honestly took me a little while to sort everything out.
The worst thing about this book is that there is no resolution. It just keeps going downhill. And keeps going. And going. And the ending? It's the worst of all.
The largest problem lies within the other main character, Delia. She's so manipulative and wild that she doesn't just drag herself down to the pits of hell (I'm not even kidding this is the only way to describe it), she also drags everyone else with her. Especially those who mean well. And not only that, she claims to do it out of love.
Really, I honestly can't believe that some people can read this book and not think, "this is not okay in the slightest."
This book was just so messed up. Like, probably the most messed up book I've ever read.
In a mere 300 pages, it goes from the basic high school party life messed up to straight up murdering people messed up. Every time I thought it couldn't get worse, I was wrong. The main character is lied to so many times by the end of the book it's hard for even the reader to keep everything straight. It honestly took me a little while to sort everything out.
The worst thing about this book is that there is no resolution. It just keeps going downhill. And keeps going. And going. And the ending? It's the worst of all.
The largest problem lies within the other main character, Delia. She's so manipulative and wild that she doesn't just drag herself down to the pits of hell (I'm not even kidding this is the only way to describe it), she also drags everyone else with her. Especially those who mean well. And not only that, she claims to do it out of love.
Really, I honestly can't believe that some people can read this book and not think, "this is not okay in the slightest."
did-not-finish
July 17, 2015The no.1 reason I DNFed this book was Delia. June and Delia's friendship seems so toxic to me and Delia just seems like a horrible person and I JUST COULDN'T do it.
I ended up skimming till the end to see how the mystery unravelled and that's when things really got interesting but not interesting enough to make me want to read the entire book.
I am slightly let down by the book given how much I adored Wherever Nina Lies but Delia is SO NOT WORTH IT. She is actually kind of terrifying...
I ended up skimming till the end to see how the mystery unravelled and that's when things really got interesting but not interesting enough to make me want to read the entire book.
I am slightly let down by the book given how much I adored Wherever Nina Lies but Delia is SO NOT WORTH IT. She is actually kind of terrifying...
October 15, 2017
Strap yourselves in ladies, gentlemen, and all in between: Mama Alex gonna rant about this poor excuse for a book. Review/rant to come.
Where do I start? Seriously, where do I start? Where do I begin with this MESS of a novel?
*Hyperventilates* We'll start at the "plot," if you can call it that.
One day, June discovers that her ex-BFF is dead, through the LAMEST and most EMOTIONLESS speech I have ever read in my life. Her principal is like: "Delia is very very dead. We are very very sad."
At this point, which is about two pages in, I realized something. The writing style SUCKS. I compared writing to eating peanut butter. Some styles are smooth and creamy, WHILE OTHERS TASTE LIKE YOU'RE CHEWING ON THE BONES OF THE FALLEN WITH THE HORRID CHUNKY PEANUT BUTTER OF DOOM! There were too many awkward pauses to count, and I'm like: "FIND ME THE NEAREST FIREPLACE TO HOP INTO!" I felt no emotion at any given moment in this book. NONE. ZILCH. ZIP. The writing was so empty, and was so...BAD...even I could do better than this.
"Our eyes meet. She is inside me, in my body, in my heart," (pg. 315)
Like, WHAT IS THIS CRAP?! If I gave you no context, you would think this is some kinky scene, but no, this is supposed to be an emotional moment. This was also the moment where I slammed my head against the book in pure rage.
So yada yada, June wants to find out who killed Delia, because she refuses to believe that the girl killed herself. But turns out LE GASP, she's actually NOT dead! SURPRISE! Then the plot goes down the crapper and all hope is lost. The end.
What? You wanted more?
Let me go over a quick, brief character breakdown.
June, our protagonist, the person who this story is being told by 90% of the time, IS A USELESS POTTED PLANT! She had no discernable personality, and could be replaced by a 9x13 cooking pan.
Delia, is a creepy, slightly controlling, sociopathic, girl. You will soon find out way.
Jeremiah, I swear...I honestly forgot about that this guy EXISTED halfway through the book. And when he DOES appear again, he accuses June HERSELF of murdering Delia. At that point, I was just so done and was like: "Jeremiah, I swear to god, GO AWAY." He contributed basically NOTHING to the plot, just like Krista and Tigger. And what was the point of him dying?! I could care less about him, but still, it added NOTHING to the story.
Sebastian, June's love interest was just ugh. At no point was I shipping the two. At no point did I care about his existence. At no point did I enjoy this book.
I'll just skip the rest, because they're all irrelevant. Let's face it: There was no characterization. There was no character to June or anyone, anyway.
I would love to point out this one thing on the book jacket's inner flap at the end of the synopsis.
"Sexy, dark, and atmospheric, Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls will keep you guessing until the very last page."
*Raises hand* I have many questions.
One...DA F*** WAS SEXY ABOUT THIS?! NOTHING ABOUT THIS WAS SEXY! THE HALF-BAKED ROMANCES- no, those never even reached the oven...THE UNBAKED ROMANCES WERE NOT SEXY! That totally surprising kiss that Delia unleashed upon June was not sexy. That second-to-last page about young Delia wanting to pinch June's, and I quote, "little tiny raisin boobs," was NOT sexy, and that ENTIRE PAGE dedicated to Delia's: "She wasn't supposed to leave me," was not S-E-X-Y!
Two, I was not guessing until the last page, there was nothing to guess. There were two overarching plots (I use that term loosely) in this novel (I use that term loosely too) UNO: Find out who murdered Delia and DOS: ...er...get revenge on Delia's stepfather by MURDERING HIM.
Did I mention that they murdered a guy? No, well...they did. ...*pops confetti* QUALITY LITERATURE, EVERYONE! Yeah, I'm not kidding, they straight-up injected Delia's stepfather with a blood sugar lowering drug, and KILLED him. This disturbed me, but OH NO! It gets WORSE! You see, June, our flat, static, and stupid main character, brings up her concern for murdering a dude. This is the first wise decision that this girl had made throughout the entire book.
But then...*TAKES DEEP BREATH* I shall use a roleplay to explain.
June: WTF WE JUST KILLED A GUY!
Delia: He deserved it.
June: ALSO JEREMIAH IS DEAD!
Delia: We were protecting you!
June: Your stepfather didn't actually try to rape you, right?
Delia: ...
June: Hello?
Delia: ...
June: WHY DID YOU BRING ME THERE WITH YOU TO KILL HIM?!
*insert sad violin*
Delia: BECAUSE I NEEDED YOU THERE!
In the course of one line, everything turns all mushy and sad, because Delia tried to kill herself but the thought of June kept her alive- SCREW THAT, YOU ARE MURDERERS, STOP AVOIDING THE QUESTION! Then they both start crying and all sins are washed away in their ocean of tears. Cue a love confession, and that's the end of the present. Cue a flashback with Creepy Delia being a thirsty 5th grade or whatever.
And the last page made no sense. I can't decipher it. I won't even try. I was not on the edge of my seat, I was on the edge of suicide myself from torturing myself with this horrid thing.
Final point I'd like to bring up. Why is this titled: "Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls?" If I recall, there was only one suicide note and one girl. I think that smoking match on the cover is me in all of my wrath after wasting my time with this.
Where do I start? Seriously, where do I start? Where do I begin with this MESS of a novel?
*Hyperventilates* We'll start at the "plot," if you can call it that.
One day, June discovers that her ex-BFF is dead, through the LAMEST and most EMOTIONLESS speech I have ever read in my life. Her principal is like: "Delia is very very dead. We are very very sad."
At this point, which is about two pages in, I realized something. The writing style SUCKS. I compared writing to eating peanut butter. Some styles are smooth and creamy, WHILE OTHERS TASTE LIKE YOU'RE CHEWING ON THE BONES OF THE FALLEN WITH THE HORRID CHUNKY PEANUT BUTTER OF DOOM! There were too many awkward pauses to count, and I'm like: "FIND ME THE NEAREST FIREPLACE TO HOP INTO!" I felt no emotion at any given moment in this book. NONE. ZILCH. ZIP. The writing was so empty, and was so...BAD...even I could do better than this.
"Our eyes meet. She is inside me, in my body, in my heart," (pg. 315)
Like, WHAT IS THIS CRAP?! If I gave you no context, you would think this is some kinky scene, but no, this is supposed to be an emotional moment. This was also the moment where I slammed my head against the book in pure rage.
So yada yada, June wants to find out who killed Delia, because she refuses to believe that the girl killed herself. But turns out LE GASP, she's actually NOT dead! SURPRISE! Then the plot goes down the crapper and all hope is lost. The end.
What? You wanted more?
Let me go over a quick, brief character breakdown.
June, our protagonist, the person who this story is being told by 90% of the time, IS A USELESS POTTED PLANT! She had no discernable personality, and could be replaced by a 9x13 cooking pan.
Delia, is a creepy, slightly controlling, sociopathic, girl. You will soon find out way.
Jeremiah, I swear...I honestly forgot about that this guy EXISTED halfway through the book. And when he DOES appear again, he accuses June HERSELF of murdering Delia. At that point, I was just so done and was like: "Jeremiah, I swear to god, GO AWAY." He contributed basically NOTHING to the plot, just like Krista and Tigger. And what was the point of him dying?! I could care less about him, but still, it added NOTHING to the story.
Sebastian, June's love interest was just ugh. At no point was I shipping the two. At no point did I care about his existence. At no point did I enjoy this book.
I'll just skip the rest, because they're all irrelevant. Let's face it: There was no characterization. There was no character to June or anyone, anyway.
I would love to point out this one thing on the book jacket's inner flap at the end of the synopsis.
"Sexy, dark, and atmospheric, Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls will keep you guessing until the very last page."
*Raises hand* I have many questions.
One...DA F*** WAS SEXY ABOUT THIS?! NOTHING ABOUT THIS WAS SEXY! THE HALF-BAKED ROMANCES- no, those never even reached the oven...THE UNBAKED ROMANCES WERE NOT SEXY! That totally surprising kiss that Delia unleashed upon June was not sexy. That second-to-last page about young Delia wanting to pinch June's, and I quote, "little tiny raisin boobs," was NOT sexy, and that ENTIRE PAGE dedicated to Delia's: "She wasn't supposed to leave me," was not S-E-X-Y!
Two, I was not guessing until the last page, there was nothing to guess. There were two overarching plots (I use that term loosely) in this novel (I use that term loosely too) UNO: Find out who murdered Delia and DOS: ...er...get revenge on Delia's stepfather by MURDERING HIM.
Did I mention that they murdered a guy? No, well...they did. ...*pops confetti* QUALITY LITERATURE, EVERYONE! Yeah, I'm not kidding, they straight-up injected Delia's stepfather with a blood sugar lowering drug, and KILLED him. This disturbed me, but OH NO! It gets WORSE! You see, June, our flat, static, and stupid main character, brings up her concern for murdering a dude. This is the first wise decision that this girl had made throughout the entire book.
But then...*TAKES DEEP BREATH* I shall use a roleplay to explain.
June: WTF WE JUST KILLED A GUY!
Delia: He deserved it.
June: ALSO JEREMIAH IS DEAD!
Delia: We were protecting you!
June: Your stepfather didn't actually try to rape you, right?
Delia: ...
June: Hello?
Delia: ...
June: WHY DID YOU BRING ME THERE WITH YOU TO KILL HIM?!
*insert sad violin*
Delia: BECAUSE I NEEDED YOU THERE!
In the course of one line, everything turns all mushy and sad, because Delia tried to kill herself but the thought of June kept her alive- SCREW THAT, YOU ARE MURDERERS, STOP AVOIDING THE QUESTION! Then they both start crying and all sins are washed away in their ocean of tears. Cue a love confession, and that's the end of the present. Cue a flashback with Creepy Delia being a thirsty 5th grade or whatever.
And the last page made no sense. I can't decipher it. I won't even try. I was not on the edge of my seat, I was on the edge of suicide myself from torturing myself with this horrid thing.
Final point I'd like to bring up. Why is this titled: "Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls?" If I recall, there was only one suicide note and one girl. I think that smoking match on the cover is me in all of my wrath after wasting my time with this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2016
Trigger Warnings: Suicide and Rape
One word to describe this would be Disappointing.
This has a solid premise for a young adult book involving suicide. Someone's best friend supposedly kills herself, through burning herself. But her friend June is shocked by her death and believes it to be not her doing.
June was an okay character and for the most part I liked her, than the book went down hill and so did her character for me. Her "best friend" Delia is obnoxious! Not only is she a character full of tropes but her lines are usually offensive and concerning. She does a great job at portraying unhealthy relationships with everyone she meets.
Those quotes basically explain the girls relationship. They truthfully brings out the absolute worst in one another. Not only does Delia drag June along like a puppy but gets her in serious trouble.
Like is she okayyy????????
Not only was this a disappointment, the first quarter was decent. I mean I read this in a day! But this went in a direction that was just not good. Like this book is full of bad relationships, drugs and smoking, and sex. With trying to be a dark book talking about suicide, it was not that.
One word to describe this would be Disappointing.
This has a solid premise for a young adult book involving suicide. Someone's best friend supposedly kills herself, through burning herself. But her friend June is shocked by her death and believes it to be not her doing.
June was an okay character and for the most part I liked her, than the book went down hill and so did her character for me. Her "best friend" Delia is obnoxious! Not only is she a character full of tropes but her lines are usually offensive and concerning. She does a great job at portraying unhealthy relationships with everyone she meets.
Just this is a quote from Delia involving abortion,
"I sure as hell would kill that baby though"
Which her buddy responds with,
"It wouldn't be a baby yet... I mean not at first... It would be goo"
Those quotes basically explain the girls relationship. They truthfully brings out the absolute worst in one another. Not only does Delia drag June along like a puppy but gets her in serious trouble.
"Junnie opens and closes her sweet mouth like a fish. I want to shove my fingers in there, to stick therm all the way down her throat until I reach her heart"
Not only was this a disappointment, the first quarter was decent. I mean I read this in a day! But this went in a direction that was just not good. Like this book is full of bad relationships, drugs and smoking, and sex. With trying to be a dark book talking about suicide, it was not that.
Read
February 29, 2024What in the actual what did I just read
Idek how to rate this like I think I need to process what just happened
Idek how to rate this like I think I need to process what just happened
March 10, 2021
‘Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls’ by Lynn Weingarten is a taut thriller about a Svengali teen relationship. The plot is not beyond belief to me because, *blush*, I read a lot of news media and I watch movies besides spending my time reading books. I know there have been a few girl friendships in real life where affection and teen friendship spun up into madness.
In some ways, the novel reminded me of the movie ‘Heavenly Creatures’ which is based on a true story. https://youtu.be/kJ2yZjnPwQc and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavenl...
There also was the true crime story of two twelve-year-old girls who tried to kill one of their best friends in a bizarre ritual : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender...
Now that I probably have you interested to some degree, I feel reluctant to write of the plot of ‘Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls’ in too much detail. But I’ll spill it a little.
I recognized that the main narrator, June, was in a Svengali relationship with her best friend Delia after a few chapters, although that fact is not explicitly mentioned at all. I could tell Delia was the Svengali, and maybe a psychopath.
The two girls met in the sixth grade and they each immediately felt the other was their soul mate. Some of Delia’s past, revealed in flashbacks strategically remembered by June, show that Delia has been an outlaw kid who colors outside the lines for a long time. She uses people when there is an opportunity to do so as if they were chess pieces to amuse herself since she was only eleven years old. She seems fearless. Her mother remarried, and Delia despises her stepfather, a university professor. She hears him abuse her mother. She despises her mother for being weak-willed. However, she doesn’t have a master plan or goals until an incident occurs when she is a junior in high school.
June, Delia’s best friend, is oblivious of how far Delia can go when she has reason to do so. June is a follower. Everything Delia does beguiles and enchants June. June is an innocent despite her alcoholic mother and her occasionally scary life at home. June is conventional and kind without much insight into Evil or darker motives.
Both girls share feelings of depression, and of not fitting in. June is afraid of anyone finding out about her mother’s alcoholism - except for Delia. She can tell Delia anything! June spends many comfortable years going over to Delia’s house after school. They are inseparable - until Ryan asks June out for a date. June is thrilled! Delia has boyfriends too, like Jeremiah, but she does not seem as thrilled with them as June is with Ryan. Then Delia makes a play for Ryan. June cannot forgive her friend. She stops seeing Delia.
Then in home room, it’s announced Delia is dead from a horrible fire! Delia had left a voice message before the fire on June’s cell which she had not bothered to answer. What could have happened! Everyone believes it was suicide. That cannot be! Delia hated fires!
There is a puzzle here. June begins to ask around the high school if the kids knew what Delia had been doing, who were her friends, what parties had she attended. June needs to know what happened to her best friend!
I have noticed many on Goodreads who have read this YA thriller are disappointed in the novel. Some think it too unrealistic - they don’t believe in what I know is a Svengali relationship can actually exist. I suspect they never heard of that. Others hate the ending because it is a trick ending.
The book has its faults, but I think it was a very satisfying YA Gone Girl clone except for that full-stop mysterious ending! It put the brakes on too suddenly! It wasn’t simply too baffling. It was too bewildering.
In some ways, the novel reminded me of the movie ‘Heavenly Creatures’ which is based on a true story. https://youtu.be/kJ2yZjnPwQc and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavenl...
There also was the true crime story of two twelve-year-old girls who tried to kill one of their best friends in a bizarre ritual : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender...
Now that I probably have you interested to some degree, I feel reluctant to write of the plot of ‘Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls’ in too much detail. But I’ll spill it a little.
I recognized that the main narrator, June, was in a Svengali relationship with her best friend Delia after a few chapters, although that fact is not explicitly mentioned at all. I could tell Delia was the Svengali, and maybe a psychopath.
The two girls met in the sixth grade and they each immediately felt the other was their soul mate. Some of Delia’s past, revealed in flashbacks strategically remembered by June, show that Delia has been an outlaw kid who colors outside the lines for a long time. She uses people when there is an opportunity to do so as if they were chess pieces to amuse herself since she was only eleven years old. She seems fearless. Her mother remarried, and Delia despises her stepfather, a university professor. She hears him abuse her mother. She despises her mother for being weak-willed. However, she doesn’t have a master plan or goals until an incident occurs when she is a junior in high school.
June, Delia’s best friend, is oblivious of how far Delia can go when she has reason to do so. June is a follower. Everything Delia does beguiles and enchants June. June is an innocent despite her alcoholic mother and her occasionally scary life at home. June is conventional and kind without much insight into Evil or darker motives.
Both girls share feelings of depression, and of not fitting in. June is afraid of anyone finding out about her mother’s alcoholism - except for Delia. She can tell Delia anything! June spends many comfortable years going over to Delia’s house after school. They are inseparable - until Ryan asks June out for a date. June is thrilled! Delia has boyfriends too, like Jeremiah, but she does not seem as thrilled with them as June is with Ryan. Then Delia makes a play for Ryan. June cannot forgive her friend. She stops seeing Delia.
Then in home room, it’s announced Delia is dead from a horrible fire! Delia had left a voice message before the fire on June’s cell which she had not bothered to answer. What could have happened! Everyone believes it was suicide. That cannot be! Delia hated fires!
There is a puzzle here. June begins to ask around the high school if the kids knew what Delia had been doing, who were her friends, what parties had she attended. June needs to know what happened to her best friend!
I have noticed many on Goodreads who have read this YA thriller are disappointed in the novel. Some think it too unrealistic - they don’t believe in what I know is a Svengali relationship can actually exist. I suspect they never heard of that. Others hate the ending because it is a trick ending.
The book has its faults, but I think it was a very satisfying YA Gone Girl clone except for that full-stop mysterious ending! It put the brakes on too suddenly! It wasn’t simply too baffling. It was too bewildering.
July 24, 2015
Contains so many of my favorite elements, including a toxic homoerotic friendship and some good old-fashioned revenge questing, as well as some really lovely writing. Compelling enough to read in one shot, too. Too much of the subplot stuff was left too open for me - somewhere just shy of open to interpretation and into an area of less-than-satisfying in a way that retroactively colored the book for me into something a little less successful than I anticipated finding it - but I enjoyed it a lot nevertheless, and the ending had me thinking about the book for days.
August 21, 2017
Alice sent me this book, so I expected there to be a lot of crying like there was in All The Bright Places, Looking for Alaska, and Whores on the Hill. Fortunately (or not?), Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls is of a completely different kind. Trigger warnings: suicide, rape.
June has barely spoken to her best friend, Delia, for the past year. Delia was a wildfire, the kind of girl everyone wanted but no one could touch, and June used to know her better than anyone. She’s shocked to learn of Delia’s suicide, but after a little investigation into her former best friend’s life, she starts to wonder if Delia’s death was far more sinister.
This book is a mess from beginning to end. The first half is a tiresome murder mystery that I’ve read in a dozen other YA thrillers, where June does increasingly dangerous and nonsensical things trying to find Delia’s murderer. I hadn’t heard anything about the novel ahead of time, so the twist in the middle came as a surprise and made things more interesting for a while, but it wasn’t enough to save it. The ending is vague, which is a narrative device I don’t care for. I like my books with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
I’m not fond of the writing style; June’s narrative voice is sloppy and rambling, and there are a lot of irritating tics (an abundance of “the thing is”–just say what the thing is, no preamble necessary). Delia’s flashbacks are, if possible, even worse. She over-emphasizes everything (italics overkill), and her emotions are always in high gear, making it hard to take her seriously. I spent half the novel wondering why two characters had the same last name, only to discover it was a typo. I’m not very forgiving of mistakes in books from major publishers. If I can catch it as a casual reader (or as casual as reading ever gets for me), then a paid editor should have no trouble. In this instance, it could have really made a difference to the plot.
I’m hugely driven by character novels, and I couldn’t find a single one to get attached to. June is so vapid she’s practically a blank slate; I’m not sure I could say a single thing about her character outside her relationship with Delia. Delia is a parody of the manic pixie dream girl only bitchier, and I’ve never cared much for that kind of character. I’ve seen too many people self-destruct to be drawn to it in fiction, and it is never beautiful, only tragic. I strongly dislike the suggestion that Delia may have been lying about her rape accusation, as though women don’t have enough trouble with credibility, and the novel doesn’t handle that subplot well at all. Then there’s Sebastian with his creepy serial killer stare, which would be fine except he’s meant to be a love interest. Pass. They’re flat versions of teenagers, who drink too much, make bad choices, and destroy everything around them, and there’s nothing in them that feels even a little bit real.
Probably the only thing I can say about Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls is that it takes an interesting look at relationships between girls. June and Delia’s friendship is the most vivid thing in the novel which, unfortunately, isn’t saying a lot because it isn’t that well-developed. Delia claims to barely exist when June isn’t there, and Delia makes things brighter for June, but even from Delia’s perspective, I can’t tell to what extent they’re only using each other. The story would have benefited more from a closer look at their relationship rather than striving for shock value. Shock doesn’t have any value in fiction, at least not for me; we’ve seen it all on TV before.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
June has barely spoken to her best friend, Delia, for the past year. Delia was a wildfire, the kind of girl everyone wanted but no one could touch, and June used to know her better than anyone. She’s shocked to learn of Delia’s suicide, but after a little investigation into her former best friend’s life, she starts to wonder if Delia’s death was far more sinister.
This book is a mess from beginning to end. The first half is a tiresome murder mystery that I’ve read in a dozen other YA thrillers, where June does increasingly dangerous and nonsensical things trying to find Delia’s murderer. I hadn’t heard anything about the novel ahead of time, so the twist in the middle came as a surprise and made things more interesting for a while, but it wasn’t enough to save it. The ending is vague, which is a narrative device I don’t care for. I like my books with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
I’m not fond of the writing style; June’s narrative voice is sloppy and rambling, and there are a lot of irritating tics (an abundance of “the thing is”–just say what the thing is, no preamble necessary). Delia’s flashbacks are, if possible, even worse. She over-emphasizes everything (italics overkill), and her emotions are always in high gear, making it hard to take her seriously. I spent half the novel wondering why two characters had the same last name, only to discover it was a typo. I’m not very forgiving of mistakes in books from major publishers. If I can catch it as a casual reader (or as casual as reading ever gets for me), then a paid editor should have no trouble. In this instance, it could have really made a difference to the plot.
I’m hugely driven by character novels, and I couldn’t find a single one to get attached to. June is so vapid she’s practically a blank slate; I’m not sure I could say a single thing about her character outside her relationship with Delia. Delia is a parody of the manic pixie dream girl only bitchier, and I’ve never cared much for that kind of character. I’ve seen too many people self-destruct to be drawn to it in fiction, and it is never beautiful, only tragic. I strongly dislike the suggestion that Delia may have been lying about her rape accusation, as though women don’t have enough trouble with credibility, and the novel doesn’t handle that subplot well at all. Then there’s Sebastian with his creepy serial killer stare, which would be fine except he’s meant to be a love interest. Pass. They’re flat versions of teenagers, who drink too much, make bad choices, and destroy everything around them, and there’s nothing in them that feels even a little bit real.
Probably the only thing I can say about Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls is that it takes an interesting look at relationships between girls. June and Delia’s friendship is the most vivid thing in the novel which, unfortunately, isn’t saying a lot because it isn’t that well-developed. Delia claims to barely exist when June isn’t there, and Delia makes things brighter for June, but even from Delia’s perspective, I can’t tell to what extent they’re only using each other. The story would have benefited more from a closer look at their relationship rather than striving for shock value. Shock doesn’t have any value in fiction, at least not for me; we’ve seen it all on TV before.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
April 26, 2015
I almost don't want to review this book because it was so awesome and I think the reason why I was so blown away with this book because I knew very little about this book going into it.
This book is awesome. It keeps you guessing from the first page until the last about what has actually happened and whether Delia actually committed suicide or not. I found myself absolutely hooked and the ending absolutely blew me away.
This books is compared to Gone girl and thirteen reasons why but having read both I actually think this book is far far superior.
This book is awesome. It keeps you guessing from the first page until the last about what has actually happened and whether Delia actually committed suicide or not. I found myself absolutely hooked and the ending absolutely blew me away.
This books is compared to Gone girl and thirteen reasons why but having read both I actually think this book is far far superior.
January 22, 2016
What did I just read...?
April 19, 2024
Absolutely LOVED this I am determined to read more by this author. I had such a fun time with this one it re-sparked my love for YA and I cant believe I waited so long to read it
April 5, 2017
3.5 stars. Cheesy in places and not particularly new, but definitely an enjoyable, psychological read.
TO START WITH: THE BAD
It's cliche. I think we've all read plenty of books with slightly naive leads and evil opposite characters. Anyone who's read YA suspense of this type will know the approximate direction the plot is headed. This didn't affect my enjoyment of the book, especially since I read this before becoming tired of the cliche, but YA suspense veterans, be warned.
Another complaint: June's character has moments of development and interest, but she comes across a little too naive for my taste. She develops out of this to some degree, but not to my satisfaction, sadly.
AND NOW: THE GOOD
While June was a little annoying, the complexity of Delia's character definitely stands out here. She's an interesting, morally ambiguous character - not all black or all white. In fact, many readers will view her in different ways.
The pacing is a little off, but in a way, it actually contributes to the atmosphere of the book. There's a constant sense that something is wrong, that disaster waits at every turn. The plotting feels haphazard, but I got the sense that it was purposeful. Whether or not this was a choice on the author's part, it worked well for me.
Admittedly, the first half is a little slow, but the twists come so fast you're left reeling. I liked the balance between action and character development.
While this isn't a YA suspense standout like Dangerous Girls or Genuine Fraud, it's certainly a well-done novel.
TO START WITH: THE BAD
It's cliche. I think we've all read plenty of books with slightly naive leads and evil opposite characters. Anyone who's read YA suspense of this type will know the approximate direction the plot is headed. This didn't affect my enjoyment of the book, especially since I read this before becoming tired of the cliche, but YA suspense veterans, be warned.
Another complaint: June's character has moments of development and interest, but she comes across a little too naive for my taste. She develops out of this to some degree, but not to my satisfaction, sadly.
AND NOW: THE GOOD
While June was a little annoying, the complexity of Delia's character definitely stands out here. She's an interesting, morally ambiguous character - not all black or all white. In fact, many readers will view her in different ways.
The pacing is a little off, but in a way, it actually contributes to the atmosphere of the book. There's a constant sense that something is wrong, that disaster waits at every turn. The plotting feels haphazard, but I got the sense that it was purposeful. Whether or not this was a choice on the author's part, it worked well for me.
Admittedly, the first half is a little slow, but the twists come so fast you're left reeling. I liked the balance between action and character development.
While this isn't a YA suspense standout like Dangerous Girls or Genuine Fraud, it's certainly a well-done novel.
June 26, 2018
I was a little hesitant going into this one because I’ve heard such mixed reviews but I ended up enjoying it despite having one or two issues. I didn’t really feel any connection to any of the characters but the twists and turns of the story kept me interested and invested in the story. Where it lost me a bit was towards the end, it got a little but unbelievable and it ruined my enjoyment a bit.
September 25, 2015
2.5 stars
Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls sets out to do what Gone Girl once did and shock us all, but falls short of that while still managing some entertainment throughout.
The problem is more that too much is given away for that shock and awe to happen. It doesn’t exactly help that in the book’s description is “pitched as Gone Girl meets Thirteen Reasons Why.” The twists are given away right there, so with these books in mind, the reader can anticipate what happens. This aside - the story was still entertaining and succeeded in giving thrills at times.
This book is about a girl named June who learns that her former best friend committed suicide. The two haven’t spoken in a year, but June can’t help but wonder why Delia, her old friend, would do this. It doesn’t help that June ignored a call from Delia the day before she died. If June had picked up, would her former friend still be here? Why exactly did Delia try to call June anyway? Is there something more to Delia’s death than anyone realizes? June starts looking at her friend’s death as a murder and begins her own investigation of sorts. The story is full of flashbacks to Delia and June’s friendship and eventually fills us in as to why the two stopped being friends in the first place. We are also slowly enlightened as to what exactly happened to Delia. There are twists that are supposed to be shocking, but for the reasons I stated earlier that did not happen for me. Also, I wish there was a bit more to the explanation in the very end. I really enjoyed Delia in the book and wish there was a bit more on her character, as well.
Overall, Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls is a very intriguing concept that if described differently in the synopsis, could have felt better executed. I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery thriller in the young adult genre. This one wasn’t my favorite, but it is still enjoyable.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via edelweiss.
Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls sets out to do what Gone Girl once did and shock us all, but falls short of that while still managing some entertainment throughout.
The problem is more that too much is given away for that shock and awe to happen. It doesn’t exactly help that in the book’s description is “pitched as Gone Girl meets Thirteen Reasons Why.” The twists are given away right there, so with these books in mind, the reader can anticipate what happens. This aside - the story was still entertaining and succeeded in giving thrills at times.
This book is about a girl named June who learns that her former best friend committed suicide. The two haven’t spoken in a year, but June can’t help but wonder why Delia, her old friend, would do this. It doesn’t help that June ignored a call from Delia the day before she died. If June had picked up, would her former friend still be here? Why exactly did Delia try to call June anyway? Is there something more to Delia’s death than anyone realizes? June starts looking at her friend’s death as a murder and begins her own investigation of sorts. The story is full of flashbacks to Delia and June’s friendship and eventually fills us in as to why the two stopped being friends in the first place. We are also slowly enlightened as to what exactly happened to Delia. There are twists that are supposed to be shocking, but for the reasons I stated earlier that did not happen for me. Also, I wish there was a bit more to the explanation in the very end. I really enjoyed Delia in the book and wish there was a bit more on her character, as well.
Overall, Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls is a very intriguing concept that if described differently in the synopsis, could have felt better executed. I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery thriller in the young adult genre. This one wasn’t my favorite, but it is still enjoyable.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via edelweiss.
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