GIRL I USED TO BE

April Henry is one of my favorite authors and for good reason! Her thrillers are the best and they always keep me guessing until the very end. Very well written as usual.

Olivia had lost her mother as a kid. According to the police, her father had killed her mother and ran away. But after fourteen years, new evidence point to the fact that her father was killed on the same day. Now, Olivia wants justice for her parents being taken away from her in such a young age. With a new identity, she returns to her old town. Will she be able to identify​ the killer before the killer identifies her? The Girl I Used to Be is the first book I’ve read by author April Henry. When starting any new books by an author I’ve never read before my expectations going into it are somewhat natural but this time, I really love it. The book starts off with a bang, with the cops knocking on Olivia Reinhart’s door, telling her that her father has also been dead all along, and not the person to blame like everyone thought. It pulls you right into the story, and Henry’s writing keeps you gripped. Olivia/ Ariel was a great narrator, each world filled with pain and strength and the ability to love and be loved that was taken from her. Henry really makes you feel for her. Every new chapter held a new piece of evidence, a thrilling build up to the very end where the truth becomes revealed. There was never a dull moment, that’s for sure. I’m looking forward to reading more books from the author that’s for sure!

So this was definitely a good book I loved reading about her struggle to find her parents killer, and to discover who she waned to be. Ariel(Olivia) has had a difficult life never really having a family after her grandmother died and she was put into foster care. She's living a mostly calm life when the police show up telling her father, he man she spent 14 years believing killer her mother, is dead and actually believed to be another victim instead of the killer himself. I wish it had been longer because this was to good in the amount of pages it had .

Definitely has been my favorite book I have read by her so far! (Even though they all have been so look good) I love all the plot twist that comes in the end of reading her books and how the story plays out.

It was a nice break away from my usual genre reads. A YA mystery of a girl uncovering her past and murder of her parents. I did fall asleep at two points during this novel – and its short- so that had me questioning why. It’s by no means boring or had me wanting to abandon it. I think it might be the frank and dry style of the narrative. Characters aren’t painted colourfully with quirks and foibles. It’s all very realistic, and as such, wasn’t as engaging as it should be. Ariel/Olivia is a great protagonist. She’s independent and an intelligent thinker. I liked how she took the initiative to sleuth out facts and piece together a story. It felt very organic. Ariel/Olivia also had a few moments of damsel in distress, like screen sirens of old, toppling over uneven ground and turning an ankle – hasn’t that been done to death by now? Some problems I had revolve around her amnesia, recovering memories through hypnotism is such over-used tool in this genre I wasn’t at all impressed. ‘The Girl I Used To Be’ also suffers what many in this genre do – how characters are mysteriously compelled to over-share to let the reader garner facts of the case. It’s a bit of a cop out. A clever author will find much more imaginative and fantastic ways to uncover truths. Duncan, (Ariel/Olivia’s love interest) does not really get developed. He kind of appears, there’s instant attraction… and that’s about it. I feel a missed opportunity to add more to the plot, or in the least an attention grabbing arc would have added a lot to this book. It wasn’t until very close to the reveal that I pieced together the story, so it is definitely not predictable. We are given many characters as possible suspects, and logical scenarios to show their guilt/innocence. The mystery part of this novel is well done, even if it lacks some sophistication. I was grabbed in the last quarter as the action and tension heated up, though I’ve read better, so I can’t give it more than an average rating. April Henry can construct a great landscape and doesn’t let much through to spoil the ending, and while I recommend this book, it’s definitely aimed for a younger crowd. A seasoned reader, especially in a mystery genre, may not get much from ‘The Girl I Used To Be.’ It’s short and easy enough to complete in a day if so inclined. I liked it, a nice break from my usual reads.

Great book. Got me hooked by the first three pages, if you're a person who enjoys mysteries then this book is reccom. to you! I let some of my friends read it and they were stunned--amazed by the plot and didn't see the person who did /it/ coming. Five stars. This author is absolutely amazing. Her books are fantastic!

A well laid out book..every chapter is carefully planned an informative..easy to follow...

Loved the way this story unfolded, offering a great balance of character reveal and plot development with good twists!

She enjoyed reading it.

el libro es para mi hi hija y le está gustando mucho, dehecho me ha dicho que le compre mas libro de April Henry. Me llegó en dos días desde que hice el pedido.

it was a gift