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June 10, 2013

Review: The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die by April Henry

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die
Title: The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die
Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Publication date: June 11, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Thriller/Mystery)
Source: Publisher (Raincoast)
Format: eARC
Pages: 224
“Take her out back and finish her off.”

She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that there are two men arguing over whether or not to kill her.

And that she must run.

In her riveting style, April Henry crafts a nail-biting thriller involving murder, identity theft, and biological warfare. Follow Cady and Ty (her accidental savior turned companion), as they race against the clock to stay alive.
As soon as I read the synopsis for The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die, I HAD to get my hands on a copy ASAP. However I was still cautious in limiting my expectations because I was burnt way too many times by thriller books. Also I wasn't the biggest fan of April Henry's previous book. However I am happy to inform you guys that this book was so freaking amazing. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting. April Henry was able to capture me from the first page and only released me on the last page. 
The novel starts with the main protagonist, Cady, coming to (she didn't feel like using the word "wake" is correct in her circumstances) on the floor of a cabin, all bruised and bloodied and hears someone say "Take her out back and finish her off". The kicker is that Cady doesn't remember anything. Not her name, her life, memories and past. So imagine how freaked out she is, and I was, when she realizes this, during her dire situation. However Cady, I have to admit, was hardcore. She was fierce and while she had the usual doubts and fear, anyone would be in her situation, it still didn't overshadow her logic and judgement and I love that her intuition and gut feeling was always right and she followed it. What made this novel such a thrill is that we were in the same level as Cady, we know nothing about her world. Also, the need to know why two men tortured her and wanted to kill her made me read and flip the pages faster. 
If you guys are looking for a romance, then this book isn't for you.This book doesn't need romance to keep us interested. Heck, I always say I love it when books have a little bit of romance, even if it isn't prominent, but for this book, I guess there is the potential for a romance with the guy Cady meets, who ends up helping her. But that isn't the priority here; we aren't that shallow right? I was glad that Cady could find someone who was willing to help her. Ty, was such a nice guy, I never once doubted that he didn't have Cady's best interest. Concerning why Cady was kidnapped to begin with, I would rather not say, but the story wraps up wonderfully by the end when you finally find the reason. April Henry did an amazing job in this novel and while I would have given it 5 stars, a sentence in the novel left a bitter taste in my mouth. Linking terrorists to people of strong faith, which isn't always the case, just a stereotype. So while I enjoyed this novel a ton, I just couldn't love it unconditionally for that one sentence. 
All in all, The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die will appeal to all thriller and mystery fans. With a cover and synopsis like this, who wouldn't want to read it? especially since it is only about 230 pages, making it a very fast read. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Henry.
Other books by April Henry:

16 comments:

  1. Yay! So glad you enjoyed this! Sorry her other novel didn't work out for you (I actually really loved it, so I've been eagerly anticipating the release of TGWwSyD!) Although I usually like a touch of romance, I can deal with a book that doesn't have one, because like you said, sometimes a romance isn't needed to keep the reader interested. I am a mystery/thriller fan so I am sure I will love this!

    Brilliant review! <3

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    1. it does have a hint of a romance and I personally think that is enough at times so don't worry about it. I know you'll end up loving it!

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  2. Eeeek! I can't wait! I was in LOVE with her previous book so I am super excited for this one! The covers are nearly identical though, aren't they? Just different color words. ANyhoo your review has me alll hyped up about this one again. hehe Was it on Netgalley?

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    1. I am not sure if it was on NG, I got it directly from Mac Kids as an egalley. You should definitely read it! yea the cover is a bit similar to Girl, Stolen except the other one has the girl covering her whole face.

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  3. This sounds really interesting. I like your review, very convincing.

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  4. I agree with you. Last year's book (I forget the name) was disappointing for me too. But this book was REALLY good. I only gave it a 4 as I don't do half stars, but it did give me faith in April Henry's writing again. I hope she keeps up this consistency. Also, I reviewed this today as well. :D

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  5. This sounds really good. Not the type of book I would usually pick up, but I think you have me convinced lol. Great review and I'll be interested in your thoughts on In the After too, I have that one for review also :)

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  6. I've been looking for some good thrillers to read and I'm not at all interested in romance. This sounds like it would be perfect for me!

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  7. Henry's last book was rough around the edges, but intense. I can't wait to read this!

    Great review!

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  8. Wow, fast, furious, and action-filled! This seems like my kind of book, to be completely honest. I normally am disappointed by thrillers, just because my expectations are always too high. But I'm glad you still were able to love this one! Even with that one stereotypical sentence (I totally hate that stereotype as well =(), I think this one looks really fantastic. And no romance! That actually sounds pretty appealing to me.

    Lovely review! <3

    -Aneeqah @ My Not So Real Life

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  9. Yay! I am always looking for an awesome thriller and this sounds like it is. Great review.


    Jenea @ Books Live Forever

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  10. I was suppose to attend April's signing for this tomorrow but I don't think I'll make it. I gotta say though, your review has me convinced that I need to have my friend grab me a copy cause it sounds amazing!

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  11. This sounds really good to me. The fact that it's romanceless is even more attractive. Sometimes romance is thrown into YA when it would be better without. I could see how that one line would hinder the five start enjoyment. I think it's strong ideals, not strong faith, that generally lead to bad actions (environmental terrorists, after all, don't do it for faith, it's ideals). Great review.

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  12. I'm not really into thriller books cause I just like you was disappointed by them more than once. I assumed it was because of all the CSI episodes so I knew what would happen. Anyhow this one sounds like something different. Great review :)

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  13. I love a good book that's enthralling without having to include a romance. I've seen this around, but your review made me take notice. Off to make sure this is on my TBR.

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  14. Great review! I can´t wait to read this book...it sounds really good.

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