Cover Image: Girl A

Girl A

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

What a page turner, this you won’t want to put down in 2021! A powerful yet devastating dark read! Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

One of the best books I have read this year. The writer has a way of painting the story in a very understated way, not for shocks, but the subject matter and the way it is plotting utterly urges you to read more. A very interesting story indeed, and I would have liked to see the main character confront a person in particular, but I won't spoil it for you. Well worth your time!

I read this through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Girl A tells the story through the eyes of Girl A - one of a family of children rescued from a house of horrors after she manages to run away and sound the alarm. The unique style of writing is what makes this book stand out from the rest - the characters are well drawn through their dialogue and actions as the truth gradually unfolds. Central to the book is the relationship of Girl A with her sister Evie which is beautifully portrayed, This is the kind of book you can re read and get more out of it each time as the author gives you plenty to think about. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

Was this review helpful?

My only regret is that I had to carry doing my usual things while I was reading it!

Girl A is being published in January 2021 and is being marketed as "the biggest fiction debut of 2021", which is quite a statement if you think about it.

I was sceptical at the beginning. But wow! Girl A IS a unputdownable read.

The writing is beautiful in my opinion, the storyline is disturbing, dark and sickening throughout especially when Lex recounts having her period for the first time, or going to school early to wash herself because they were forbidden to wash freely, or the abuses she and her siblings had to suffer.

I really liked the way the storyline moved back and forth between present and past. The now gave me time to recover from the flashbacks, while the flashbacks helped me to understand the now. To really put things in focus.

I would definitely recommend this, especially - but not exclusively - for fans of psychological thrillers.

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC of this book from #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsUk and Abigail Dean in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A gripping, heartbraking and in places a gut wrenching read. The powerful story of the Gracie family. The children who were saved from this abhorrent House of Horrors. A dark, edgy and harrowing insight into the lives of these children. How their futures were moulded by what they had been through. How each in their own ways move on and try to learn to forgive. This is a difficult read in places but I just had to keep on reading. I was rooting for the Gracie children and this book will stay in my thoughts long after I have turned the last page.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I’ve been so looking forward to this book and it certainly was the stylishly dark debut I was expecting but unfortunately it fell flat for me because I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Without that emotional pull, this story of child abuse and neglect didn’t ring true for me and the disturbing events didn’t affect me as much as I had expected them too. The narrative felt confusing to begin with so the unexpected things that happened didn’t have maximum impact.
A book that some will love but not me unfortunately.

Was this review helpful?

'Girl A' is such a compulsive read - once picked up it was very difficult to put down again. This is partly because the plot unfolds so smoothly and partly because every character is fully realised. Lex's voice (or 'Girl A') is clear even as her life changes drastically, as she veers between trauma and success, the present and the past. Abigail Dean deftly presents complex characters, digging into the shades of grey that all people are made of. Nobody comes away completely clean, but even the villains of the piece are presented as fallible, vulnerable - ultimately human. The book's darkest moments are horrifying, and stay in the mind long after the book is closed. 'Girl A' absolutely lives up to the hype, and is well deserving of its advance praise.

Was this review helpful?

Girl A. The one who escaped.
Lex doesn't want to think about the horrors she endured in her family home. She is a successful woman now and would like nothing more than to forget about what she went through at the hands of her parents. But when her mother dies in prison, Lex is forced to confront her past.

I've heard so many good things about this book, so I was looking forward to reading it.
This is a well-written book with an ending that offers a little surprise that I didn't see coming, but on the whole, I don't really understand what the fuss around this book was about, and I'm sorry to say that it wasn't to my liking.
The story revolves around events that are quite often explored, therefore I didn't find that it stood out amongst similar books.
I found that nothing much was happening during the whole story, there was no suspense, so marketing the book as a thriller seems inappropriate.
Also, the story lacked an explanation for the binding and chaining, and as it was the only thing that pushed me forward, I was disappointed.
I was deliberating between 1 and 2 stars, but because I considered ditching the book a few times, I had to settle on 1.

Was this review helpful?

This is a deeply compelling, dark, intense and totally engrossing read. At the age of fifteen Lex escapes her parents’ house, a home where she and her siblings have suffered parental abuse for years. They have been imprisoned, neglected and starved. Years later Lex is a successful lawyer in New York. When her mother dies in prison she is forced to return to the UK to deal with her estate and reconnect with her sisters and brothers who have all had very different lives.

The novel examines the variety of ways in which the children have dealt with trauma and despite outward resilience they are all damaged in some way. Whilst the subject matter is bleak it is handled very sensitively and there is no gratuitous content. Lex is a riveting narrator and it is through her thoughts and emotions that you understand the stories of all the characters and how they have survived.

Girl A is a very assured debut novel. It is beautifully written and the atmosphere created, especially in the ‘house of horrors’, is sinister and claustrophobic. It is a powerful and moving story which, although harrowing in parts, offers some themes of redemption and hope. I just hope that I haven’t interpreted the ending correctly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Abigail Dean has effectuated that rare achievement of writing a debut novel as powerful and essential as Harper Lee did with “To Kill a Mockingbird”. There has been lots of hype and positive early reviews of “Girl A” and I can safely say that it lives up to all expectations. Deeply unsettling, but beautifully written, everyone will be talking about this novel in 2021.

In a house on the edge of the moors, the Gracie children are subject to neglect and abuse at the hands of their extremely religious parents. When Lex manages to escape, the children are saved. Known as Girl A, Lex and the Gracie children’s story becomes infamous. After their mother dies in prison, Lex is forced to face her past as executor of her mother’s will. Through this process she will come to grips with her haunted past, reconnect with her siblings and face the future in a new light...

I had read so many positive reviews and author quotes about “Girl A” that I had really high expectations for Dean’s debut. With these high expectations, I also had a fear that it wouldn’t live up to them. I had no reason to worry at all, because this novel will define 2021 and many years to come. It is haunting, painful, shocking and nail-bitingly gripping. However, it is also beautiful, poetic, cathartic and affecting. Dean has managed to take a dark, unsettling and emotionally raw subject and create a novel that feels in part suspenseful thriller and in other ways a very human and moving drama about overcoming tragedy. I found the blend between present day events and the past horrors the Gracie children faced to be executed perfectly. Dean’s writing style is both poetic and shockingly punchy. There is clout in what she writes and she unfolds her narrative with a precision and skill that makes it seem like this is her tenth or twentieth book, rather than her debut. I particularly enjoyed the style of the novel, where each chapter is entitled after one of the Gracie siblings. The chapters are relatively long and I am normally a reader who enjoys short, snappy chapters that end with a cliffhanger, but this style really works here. Each chapter is written from Lex (Girl A’s) perspective, but they primarily focus on her present day interaction with and memories of the brother or sister that it is titled after. I found that this really helped to not only delve into the complexities of the past and the horrors each child suffered collectively and singularly, but also how life had unfolded after surviving such tragedy. There is a very authentic feel to the post-abuse years of each if the Gracie children - there is a mixture of pain, success, suffering, love and abuse of another kind. What is clear is that moving on from their past isn’t easy, but each sibling has tried to in their own way. As such, there is a blend of tragedy and empowerment in their adult lives, which makes this such an emotional and affecting read. I also found that the longer chapters helped to build slow-burning tension in a way that created genuine gasp out loud moments. The big twist in the narrative hit me like a sucker-punch and I never saw it coming. I have never been moved to tears by a book before and I am not ashamed to say as a fully-grown, 33 year old man, that as the revelations of this story’s crescendo came to light, I cried (and not just a little bit!). I cannot stress enough how powerful, shocking and immensely moving this novel and Dean’s storytelling is.

There are a number of other aspects that also made “Girl A” such an excellent read. One that I particularly loved was the almost otherworldly sense of place that Dean created around the town of Hollowfield and the house at 11 Moor Woods Road. In the historical scenes it is described by the media as a house of horrors and the degradation, rot and suffering are almost tangible whilst reading. In the present day scenes, the house retains an almost omnipresent, ghostly presence in all of the siblings’ lives. It is a place of pain and memories that are wished to be forgotten, but for Lex her and her siblings’ inheritance of the bricks and mortar of their abuse is an opportunity to turn a broken and tortured past into a positive and supportive future for others. As the narrative progresses the house moves from the shadows of its former horrors and into the light of a future worth remembering. In a way, this reflects Lex’s own journey throughout the narrative, where by confronting and facing up to the full extent of her past she is finally able to transcend the shackles of it and move to a future that won’t be defined by it.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as to what makes “Girl A” a must-read. I genuinely believe that everyone will be talking about this novel for many years to come. If there is one book you read in 2021, make sure it is Abigail Dean’s exceptional debut. I can’t wait to read her next novel already!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc of this book!
I have been dying to read this book for months but thought I would wait until nearer the publication date and as it's out next month, I thought I would give in!
Have seen this book alot on Twitter and Instagram but I honestly didnt know much about the story, just that I knew I had to read it!
This book is utterly heartbreaking. Girl A is the storyteller in this book of her story of escape from the famous 'House of Horrors'
The story is so sad and emotional and I felt so sorry for Lex and the way she was treated.
The twist near the end literally made me cry out loud, was expecting it and broke my heart.
This book is a must read when it comes out January 2021 but be prepared for an emotional ride!

Was this review helpful?

Girl A has an interesting premise and has been getting a lot of good advance reviews but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

All the characters in this novel are very underdeveloped which makes it hard to warm to them - even given the horrors they experienced. They come across as cold and unattached with little to no discussion of how they have managed to cope after their experiences. It almost reads as more scientific findings than a story that is meant to provoke emotion. As a result, I didn't feel any connection to - or have any interest in - the characters and felt that the overall story was pointless.

The style of writing is also rather odd, jumping between the past and present without any clear definition between the two. At times this even happens within the same paragraph which can be confusing. Perhaps a further edit of the book could fix this.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

Lex Gracie aka Girl A is the narrator of a storyline detailing the lives of herself and her many siblings, subjected to neglect and abuse at the hands of their parents in their family home at 11 Moors Woods Road. It begins with a description of the photograph taken of the children immediately after their escape from this house of horrors, an image that can never be erased from the mind of Girl A, for obvious reasons. Lex, responsible for the eventual collapse of the house of horrors is now a lawyer in New York and is back in England following the death of their mother who has spent the remainder of her life incarcerated in Northwood prison. Deborah Gracie has left this notorious house to the siblings and as executor of the will it’s up to Lex to reunite with them individually and decide what they should do with a building that holds haunting memories for all concerned. The idea that the house should be turned into a community centre is favoured by Lex but will the other siblings agree?

Lex is the ideal narrator as executor of the will and instigator of their escape but having been separated from her siblings ever since, each one individually adopted, these are painful reunions for her to endure. Each chapter is dedicated to a sibling as more and more details of the past are revealed, giving the reader an added insight into the lives they are leading now. How do you survive such an ordeal and what will you need to accomplish in order take yourself as far away from those horrors as you possibly can? Everyone constructs their own safety nets, designed to minimise further potential hurt and to enable an existence of sorts which is exactly what Lex and her siblings are doing, some with more success than others. They all display signs of their trauma, each one coping with their survival in their own unique way which makes them fascinating, complex subjects. I read of their individual experiences and perspectives of that time in their lives with a sickening dread, appalled and horrified at all they have endured and the amount of psychological damage inflicted upon them. Each story is heartbreaking and poignant in its own right but it is Lex and her relationship with Dr K, the psychologist assigned to her in the aftermath of her ordeal and still a presence to this very day that I found especially riveting.

Naturally this is a dark,intense, mainly bleak and unforgiving storyline that delivers a powerful punch to the solar plexus time and time again. I don’t normally shy away from the more grittier type of storylines and you can’t get more harrowing, disturbing and traumatising than those featuring child abuse. However, I struggled with this, not because of the writing style, which I cannot fault, but because the notion that after escaping the house of horrors, the lives of the Gracie siblings are still in turmoil just makes you want to cry and rage against the injustice of it all. Obviously, living through that kind of trauma will shape your future self and the life that you will lead so to my mind Lex and her siblings are forever imprisoned by their childhood experiences. Physical wounds can heal and geographically they all might be elsewhere in the world but at least part of their minds are buried in the rooms of 11 Moors Woods Road. In my opinion Girl A is an impressive debut about survival and the accumulated cost to the future self that goes hand in hand following a prolonged period of abuse, turning it into a deeply moving read.

I’m a fast reader and I did read Girl A from cover to cover in one sitting despite my ongoing reservations. In hindsight maybe if I’d rationed myself to a chapter a day (they are long chapters) I would have found the unpalatable more palatable if that makes sense. Undeniably anyone who reads this will feel the blunt impact of what these children suffered at the hands of their parents, although the writing is by no means overly gratuitous. Just be mindful that although this particular house of horrors is fictional, it still has a basis in reality. You can never come to the end of this type of storyline and say to other readers you’ve ‘enjoyed’ the experience, instead it’s a case of whether you can appreciate the style of writing, the creation and depth of the characterisation and the execution of the storyline which I’m happy to say I did. I deliberated over whether I felt Girl A to be worthy of 5 stars or not and have only deducted half a star because there were times when I had to grit my teeth and persevere. Undoubtedly the lives of Lex and her siblings will haunt me for a while to come and I predict that Girl A will achieve the success it so rightly deserves. If you’ve read similar titles such as The Memory Wood by Sam Lloyd then Girl A will probably hold the same appeal. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars round down

This is a hard review to write. This is a great book, well written, complex, gripping and full of emotion. Child abuse and neglect is a difficult subject to tackle and the author has done a fantastic job of not making it too graphic or titillating. However, my imagine has run wild at all that has been left unsaid, making this a disturbing read also. Although I like that that space to think was provided. I couldn't put it down but also needed to read it slowly. This is one of those books that will stay with me for a while yet

Was this review helpful?

This was a heartbreaking book exploring the long term effects of a horrific childhood. The characters were so well written and I really felt empathy for them. Beautifully described and so affecting.

Was this review helpful?

Girl A was an intriguing story, based upon a religious family, whose children faced years of abuse behind closed doors. I felt that some parts of this book were very disturbing - however that is surely the sign of a well written and gripping story!

At times it was difficult to follow the characters, however as the stroy builds, you get a feel for the family and get to know them all a bit better. Overall an interesting read.

Was this review helpful?

Lexie is the one who escaped, the one who brought an end to the House of Horrors. A house where she and her "siblings" had a rather horrible childhood, suffering neglect and abuse. She has blossomed and gone on to be a successful lawyer. Things are ticking along nicely for her until the day that her mother dies in prison leaving her as executor of her will. A will that includes the house she grew up in. But to do her duty, she will need to contact all the rest of the surviving siblings for their approval of her plans...
Oh My... what a harrowing story. As well as meeting each sibling in the present, we also go back in time and see what life was like for them growing up. It's shocking and brutal but not sensationalised. Enough detail is divulged to illustrate the horrid things that occurred without going over the top and it is all handled in a sensitive way. It's dark but there are chinks of light interspersed throughout so it stays balanced and never gets too heavy.
The relationship between Lexie and Evie is one of the highlights of the book but I won't say anymore here as you really need to discover this as the author intends. Likewise really with the rest of the siblings who have all suffered to various degrees and gone on to realise various successes (or otherwise) in life after the House.
And then the ending... it's not as I was expecting but that's not a bad thing. And it really works for the story that had gone before and did leave me satisfied. But I'd have to also say a little flat as maybe I wanted a little more. A me thing really so I am not penalising the author for that.
All in all, if you like your fiction on the dark side, this may be the book for you. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

Lex is the one who escaped, Lex is the one who saved the others - Lex is Girl A - the unnamed child who jumped out of an upstairs window after freeing herself from the chains her parents kept her in, and ran to get help for her siblings. Lex hasn't been that girl for a long time now, but when her mother dies and the House of Horrors falls into her hands, she has to convince each of her siblings that they can do good with the place that nearly ruined their lives. But to accomplish that, she has to go back and confront the past.

From the very beginning this is a very strong book. I could tell from the sampler alone that it was going to hit hard, and boy did it. Lex has a strong voice, and I enjoyed her dry and often sarcastic or deadpan inner monologue. Her narrative weaves from the present day, dealing with the death of her mother in prison and reconnecting with her estranged siblings, to the past, through her childhood, the changes from normal to not. The switching of these timelines was seamless, the timing perfectly apt to relate to the other thread. The flashback sections were often dark, hard to read sections, detailing physical, emotional, and mental abuse and neglect and please take care when reading this book if you are sensitive to these topics.

The writing in this book is so devastating because it's so subtle in the way it tells you the details of the abuse. Yes, sometimes it is 'this horrible thing happened and were all aware this wasn't normal' but sometimes it slips little details into sentrnces or dialogue between the siblings that make you have to take a moment because they're talking about it as if it was the most normal thing in the world - which to them, it kind of was - and yet it's all so awful and horrific. This is definitely a dark and sensitive subject matter but I believe Abigail Dean handled it with care and tact, and put so much love into all of her characters and their lives.

At first, when it detailed seven siblings, I imagined that that was too many, and that it was going to be difficult to keep track of them all, that there wasn't going to be enough space in the novel to give them all the page time they needed and deserved, but I was wrong. Each character was so well thought out and developed and their progress from the children they had been felt genuine and relatable. Their histories and relationships are fraught with the memories of the past, and are each so well written.

Girl A is being hailed as one of the biggest books of 2021 and I have to say, I think I have to agree. It's going to be massive, it's going to be everywhere, but it's good enough to deserve all the hype it's getting. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I put it down a couple of days ago, and I can't wait for more people to read it and be blown away too.

Was this review helpful?

A dark, disturbing read that had me gripped from the start and couldn’t put it down. Following Girl A after she escapes a house of horror, this is a compelling read.

Was this review helpful?

An excellent read that I presume takes its inspiration from a recent case that became newsworthy in the US but I'm glad to say the author has rung the changes not least by placing the events in the UK.

With the story set from the perspective from the girl that escaped the author shows how the incremental changes that led to the horrifying discovery of her siblings tied to a bed may, or may not have happened in the inspiration too. It also doesn't end the story with the discovery but begins to explore the difficult aftermath of life on the outside!

This is one dark story that had me hooked.

Was this review helpful?