Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review.
Genre: Young Adult/ Mystery & Thriller
Release Date: September 1 2020
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis:
Caroline Lawson is three months away from freedom, otherwise known as graduation day. That's when she'll finally escape her rigid prep school and the parents who thought they could convert her to being straight.
Until then, Caroline is keeping her head down, pretending to be the perfect student even though she is crushed by her family and heartbroken over the girlfriend who left for California.
But when her best friend Madison disappears, Caroline feels compelled to get involved in the investigation. She has her own reasons not to trust the police, and she owes Madison — big time.
Suddenly Caroline realizes how little she knew of what her friend was up to. Caroline has some uncomfortable secrets about the hours before Madison disappeared, but they're nothing compared to the secrets Madison has been hiding. And why does Mr. McCormack, their teacher, seem to know so much about them?
It's only when Caroline discovers other missing girls that she begins to close in on the truth. Unlike Madison, the other girls are from the wrong side of the tracks. Unlike Madison's, their disappearances haven't received much attention. Caroline is determined to find out what happened to them and why no one seems to notice. But as every new discovery leads Caroline closer to the connection between these girls and Madison, she faces an unsettling truth.
There's only one common denominator between the disappearances: Caroline herself.
Sarah's Review:
Really a 3.5 out of 5
"It's never the people who reap the benefits who want to change how the world works."
I had a hard time connecting with Caroline as a character, and most of the time I was reading the book I found her rather unlikeable. At times I felt like there was too much going on in the story, and was worried that there would be too many loose ends. It was also rather unbelievable, as a lot of thrillers are, but Throwaway Girls was almost too much.
In this case though, the good outweighed the bad. Overall, I really liked the story, and the writing style. I think it brought up important social issues. It really highlighted the class system in the US. It also showed LGBTQ+ representation, and talked about conversion therapy for minors, which is still legal in 30 states. I think dropping true facts into books like this are super helpful for readers.
The ending of the book had me turning pages so fast! I could not get enough. I loved the ending, and never saw the twist coming. This is definitely a young adult thriller, but if you like that genre this is a great book to choose!
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