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The Good Daughter
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January 2018 Group Read: The Good Daughter, by Karin Slaughter
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Dec 29, 2017 02:37AM
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Didn't like this book
I started it yesterday. I am liking it!
Excited to start this!
I really loved this book and after reading my first Karin Slaughter book only a couple of years ago she has become one of my favorite authors and The Good Daughter was one of my favorite reads of 2017. I hope everyone enjoys it. Here's a few questions to start things off.Slaughter has a rather unflinching approach to violence. What do you think of her approach, particularly in the early scenes of Good Daughter?
The Quinn family all have very distinctive personalities. What were your first impressions of the characters? Did you find it changing over time?
What did you think of the depiction of Pikeville and the small town life? How does someone like Rusty Quinn fit in there?
Looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts!
I am reading The Long Breath first, since it is the prequel
Correction. The title is The Last Breath
I am starting this book today. It will be my first Karin Slaughter book, so I am excited to get into it.
aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "I started it yesterday. I am liking it!"I’m on Chapter 6 and really loving the story so far!
I didn't realize it had a prequel!!!!I stumbled upon Karin Slaughter and now I am totally in love. the only series I read so far is Grant county and I loved it. I actually listened to audiobook up to Beyond Reach. that one for some reason doesn't have an audio version. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this one too start!!
Just started this one today. I didn’t realize it had a prequel, but so far I’m not invested enough to stop and read the prequel first. Tad wrote: "Slaughter has a rather unflinching approach to violence. What do you think of her approach, particularly in the early scenes of Good Daughter?"
I’ve really enjoyed her Will Trent series and don’t remember them being nearly this gory. It was off-putting, and I generally tolerate gore pretty well.
I likely wouldn’t have picked this up if I’d known it was about a school shooting because I generally find fictional depictions of actual violent events/trends...distasteful? Unseemly? Glorifying? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about it doesn’t sit right with me. I’m going to keep reading, and I guess I’ll see how it goes.
I started reading this today as well. I only read about 100 pages as it is my work book. I am leaving it there so that I can finish up my home book. I am not usually squeamish, but the scenes in the first couple of pages of the book were pretty gruesome. I am past the school shooting, but I think there is more there than meets the eye and will continue on reading. I thought there was a bit of humor in the first 100 pages too. This seemed to help me with some of the violence.
I agree that the descriptions of the violence are brutal. Personally, I don't think she lingers over the details unnecessarily. I think she uses the brutality in part to drive home the emotional devastation and scars that result. I find myself going through an emotional catharsis by the end of one of her books.
The brutality is educational for those who have never experienced this level of violence. For others such as myself it is cathartic, like Tad said.Although I do not often speak of what enduring a violent scene is like, I have frequently had to hold down my temper at the ignorance of people. Some folks think a prayer and lighting a candle is all that is needed, and then it’s over. Some think PTSD is a just a women’s magazine fad or something undeserving people do to get on government benefits. Others yell at you to stop because it is so sad and it is ruining their day, even after they asked you to tell what happened.
One of my past therapists refused to allow me to talk about it because it hurt her to hear it. You can see how books written the way KS writes are so popular with those of us who ‘been there, done that’ and so we are hungry for validation.
Please note many victims of violence do NOT want to discuss it, ever, too. We are all different. Personally, I adore KS novels because she tells it like it is. For me, that is so cool.
I’ve finished this one and have mixed feelings. I like a lot about Slaughter: she writes women well and diversely, her books are interesting and different enough that they’re not run of th Emil thrillers, and she does a great job with pacing over the course of the series. With this book, though, I felt like she tried to cram too much into a single book: (view spoiler).How did folks feel about (view spoiler).
Overall this wasn’t bad, but I think I’ll stick to the Will Trent series and give her standalones a pass in the future.
I think the author needed - and wanted - a motherly character in that role of support - so Slaughter used a Lenore to fill it to get in another type of mother into the story. Slaughter could have created a girlfriend or friendly neighbor, but instead she fulfilled, I think, a secret agenda of including every possible type of character who could fulfill the role of possessing maternal feelings. Potentiality for mothering was the underlying theme of the book, I think. All kinds of motherly nurturing and lack of motherly nurturing were demonstrated.
Hi! I haven’t gotten very far in to the book but so far I really like it. Definitely don’t fall asleep reading this one
I finished this in early January and I, like others, have mixed feelings about the book. I found myself “taking breaks” and reading another book at the same time because I realized it was having an effect on me that wasn’t positive. It actually affected my moods. Yet, of course, that says something about the ability of the writer.
I was able to get into the story even though it was so weird (to me) that the sisters referred to their parents by their first names.
I have always felt that KS writes in more of a masculine tone because of the unflinching violence in the things of hers that I have read so far, and also how often she doesn’t hold back with violence towards women. She isn’t the only one with this ability/ tendency these days but I feel it is becoming one of her defining qualities as a writer.
I know a lot of writers who will soften things and cater to a specific audience. This novel can appeal to all kinds, but you have to be able to see beyond the violence.
I didn’t realize this was about a shooting in a small town either, but as someone who grew up in a small town; I identified with that very well.
The different personalities in the book were well done and interesting. There were some strong, confident characters. It seems most of them were strong except for Kelly. It made her seem even more vulnerable. That worked for the story when I was worried things were too overbalanced with strong types.
I can't see this book mentioned without thinking of a scene near the start, all I'll say is eyelids! Sickening
Rhian wrote: "I can't see this book mentioned without thinking of a scene near the start, all I'll say is eyelids! Sickening"I’m pretty sure that’s the one scene I’ll remember most clearly. That and (view spoiler).
my review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...I enjoyed the book, but not my favorite book by this author
Yes Summer that was shocking! I love gruesome but the eyelids thing was awful
All Done! And.. Holy Crap! I still can't get over the beginning of this book. Pretty sure its burned into my brain forever. 😲😱
Summer wrote: "I’ve finished this one and have mixed feelings. I like a lot about Slaughter: she writes women well and diversely, her books are interesting and different enough that they’re not run of th Emil thr..."Summer wrote: "I’ve finished this one and have mixed feelings. I like a lot about Slaughter: she writes women well and diversely, her books are interesting and different enough that they’re not run of th Emil thr..."
I agree about Lenore, that back story seemed a bit forced and it was like she wanted a Trans character and just came up with quick back story.
I enjoyed the story over all and liked all the characters.
I enjoyed the pace and the relationship between the main characters in the story. Nice twist at the end, didn't see that coming at all. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a great mystery/thriller.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the characters, particularly the Quinns; how they related to one another and how as you learned more about each of them how it changed your view of their relationships. Rusty was actually the hardest to pin down and it really took a long time to get a handle on him. In the end, I thought he was great.
Wow! I finished this earlier today and thought it was terrific. Definitely not for the squeamish. I actually think of this as more of a family drama than a thriller. The relationships between the main characters were more compelling to me than the crimes. This will not be my last Karin Slaughter book.
I´m starting this book a few days ago, and its absorvente two sisters , two characters diferentes, and a lot of questions.
Just finished this book. I loved it. Slaughter’s description of the crime in her novel brings the violence and terror experienced by the victims right in your face.I read a lot of mysteries and it can sometimes be easy to just brush aside the crime and focus on who did it. This book shows the affect the crime had on the Quinn sisters. I also like the fact Slaughter makes her characters flawed. No one is perfect. I found myself caring just as much about the sisters as I was in trying to figure out what had actually happened at the farmhouse and the school.
Mabelle wrote: "Just finished this book. I loved it. Slaughter’s description of the crime in her novel brings the violence and terror experienced by the victims right in your face.I read a lot of mysteries and it ..."Completely agree!
Mabelle—Nice way of putting that! I had it in my head to say something like that, it just never came out cohesively. Beautifully said. :)
I read this book back in September, so I don't remember many of the details. Having finished the Grant County series, much of the Will Trent series, plus Cop Town, I was not shocked by the violence in The Good Daughter. My overall impression was that it was quite powerful. The two women - daughters, sisters - they went through a lot together and separately. I felt a whole range of emotions as I read that book, much more so than any of the other Slaughter books, even Cop Town. Yes, the violence and pain is terrible, but there is also strength and determination. I don't reread a lot of books because there are so many I have yet to read, but this is one I would definitely read again.
This is my first Slaugter's book and I started it a week ago. I'm liking it as it is full of suspense and very powerful.
Just finished this book last nite. Very powerful! The author did an excellent job of drawing powerful/dynamic/flawed characters (The Quinn sisters). I felt a lot of emotions while reading this book.
I finished this morning and loved it. I found that when she was switching characters I wanted to know what was happening with the other characters.
