Good Girls Lie: A Novel – A Sharp Psychological Thriller About Murder in a Prestigious Prep School
J.T. Ellison's pulse-pounding new psychological thriller examines the tenuous bonds of friendship, the power of lies and the desperate lengths people will go to in order to protect their secrets.
Goode girls don't lie...
Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond.
But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.
In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder.
When a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.
But look closely...because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.
Don't miss It's One of Us, the next page-turning thriller from New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison!
Goode girls don't lie...
Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond.
But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.
In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder.
When a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.
But look closely...because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.
Don't miss It's One of Us, the next page-turning thriller from New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison!
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Community Reviews
So, I finished this book almost a week ago, and I’m still having trouble determining my thoughts.
Let me start by saying that I love boarding school mystery thrillers. For me, that was the main appeal of this book. Before Good Girls Lie, I've had minimal interest in reading a book by J.T. Ellison. I'm not sure what it is, but I've been hesitant to read her books.
Now, after reading a book by her, I'm somehow simultaneously underwhelmed and satisfied? I don't even know what I'm saying at this point. As the old video of ”David After Dentist” would say, ”Is this real life?”
I found myself loosely interested in the story as I was reading or listening to the book, so I usually would think that I wasn't enjoying the story. Except, I found myself regularly thinking about the story when I wasn't reading.
I'm still out of touch with my feelings for this book, so I'm just going slap on a four-star rating and to try to keep the mystery alive within this review.
If you’ve read this book, what were your thoughts about the ending? Did you think it was farfetched? Also, did you love the epilogue as much as I did?
Hands down, the epilogue was my favorite part. I found that it was short and just the right ending.
Let me start by saying that I love boarding school mystery thrillers. For me, that was the main appeal of this book. Before Good Girls Lie, I've had minimal interest in reading a book by J.T. Ellison. I'm not sure what it is, but I've been hesitant to read her books.
Now, after reading a book by her, I'm somehow simultaneously underwhelmed and satisfied? I don't even know what I'm saying at this point. As the old video of ”David After Dentist” would say, ”Is this real life?”
I found myself loosely interested in the story as I was reading or listening to the book, so I usually would think that I wasn't enjoying the story. Except, I found myself regularly thinking about the story when I wasn't reading.
I'm still out of touch with my feelings for this book, so I'm just going slap on a four-star rating and to try to keep the mystery alive within this review.
If you’ve read this book, what were your thoughts about the ending? Did you think it was farfetched? Also, did you love the epilogue as much as I did?
Hands down, the epilogue was my favorite part. I found that it was short and just the right ending.
Creepy, disturbing, all girl boarding school sets the stage for this suspenseful thriller. The book pulls you in right away with an unforgettable death scene. Told in flashbacks leading up to this scene, the death reveals all the mysterious things going on at The Goode School where children of the elite and wealthy attend. Beneath the beautiful old buildings and the VA mountains, lurks something much more sinister and evil. The school has a maze of underground tunnels, hidden staircases and secret societies that are the perfect setting for this story.
Ash Carlise, a new student, has traveled all the way from England to attend the exclusive The Goode School. She quickly becomes the target of most girls. She is pretty and bright but what has she gotten herself really into? I loved the writing style, the short chapters and there was even a twist or two I didn't see coming.
Ash Carlise, a new student, has traveled all the way from England to attend the exclusive The Goode School. She quickly becomes the target of most girls. She is pretty and bright but what has she gotten herself really into? I loved the writing style, the short chapters and there was even a twist or two I didn't see coming.
Quality of Writing: 6/10
Pace: 7/10
Plot Development: 5/10
Characters: 5/10
Enjoyability: 8/10
Insightfulness: 2/10
Ease of Reading: 6/10
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I got this Advanced Reader Copy a while ago from NetGalley, and I will admit it took me a while to get into the book. I put it down for some time, but picked it up again today, and was immediately sucked in. I don't know what changed, but it was like a Twilight book. The writing had problems, but the book was definitely a page turner.
For one, the plot is very convoluted. You have to pay attention to a lot of details, and things get mixed up very easily.
Two, the characters are a little shaky. Especially Becca Curtis. She plays way too many roles/personalities. Also, the book had too many points of view.
There was a lot of extra, random drama that was just there for effect, and it didn't add anything to the story.
Something I did like was how casually the author included the LGBTQ+ community without it being the main focus of the story. It threw me off at first, because I didn't expect it, but it was nice to see the representation.
Overall, the book was interesting, but not something I would highly recommend. You definitely have to be able to remember details in order to get through it.
Pace: 7/10
Plot Development: 5/10
Characters: 5/10
Enjoyability: 8/10
Insightfulness: 2/10
Ease of Reading: 6/10
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I got this Advanced Reader Copy a while ago from NetGalley, and I will admit it took me a while to get into the book. I put it down for some time, but picked it up again today, and was immediately sucked in. I don't know what changed, but it was like a Twilight book. The writing had problems, but the book was definitely a page turner.
For one, the plot is very convoluted. You have to pay attention to a lot of details, and things get mixed up very easily.
Two, the characters are a little shaky. Especially Becca Curtis. She plays way too many roles/personalities. Also, the book had too many points of view.
There was a lot of extra, random drama that was just there for effect, and it didn't add anything to the story.
Something I did like was how casually the author included the LGBTQ+ community without it being the main focus of the story. It threw me off at first, because I didn't expect it, but it was nice to see the representation.
Overall, the book was interesting, but not something I would highly recommend. You definitely have to be able to remember details in order to get through it.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat! Definitely an original thriller that I'm glad I picked up. Didn't see the ending coming but it really tied it all together great. I feel like it took awhile to pick up and seemed to drag at points but overall a great read. Thank you net galley!
Well this was fun. I liked it.
Only a couple things bothered me, but it's fine.
Private schools sound awful btw's, but so are public schools.
School in general is awful.
Only a couple things bothered me, but it's fine.
Private schools sound awful btw's, but so are public schools.
School in general is awful.
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