Title: Girls Weekend
Author: Jody Gehrman
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Publication Date: 2022
Number of pages: 327 pages
Geographic Setting: Deceptive Pass,
Washington. At Sadie MacTavish Estate.
Period: Contemporary period.
Series: Standalone
Plot Summary:
June Moody suffered a heartless breakup by text, so what
does she do? She goes on a girl's
weekend getaway with her friends. The
problem is the location of the getaway, which is at her rival’s estate from
college, Sadie MacTavish. June is both anxious and dreading the “perfect”
Sadie. The idyllic estate doesn’t help
this jealousy. They are both rivals in
all parts of their lives. They are both
writers; June is more journalistic and an English teacher. Sadie wrote Dakota’s Garden, a blockbuster
children’s series named after her daughter. June said no to the marriage for a green
card, but Sadie said yes. Sadie seems to have the perfect marriage, estate, and
daughter.
But, all is not what it seems. Sadie seems to control everyone’s lives
around her. We are introduced to the
rest of the girls and the landscaping man in a yurt, Leo. Each of them carries a secret anger at
Sadie. While drinking, the girls
experience a hangover like no other.
They can’t remember last evening, trying to assemble their drunken
spree's pieces. The blood smear on the wall and the missing statue are even
more concerning. Someone is missing, Sadie.
Each one has a reason to harm Sadie. June Moody's reason is Ethan. She meets him
on arrival at the estate at midnight. Ethan
because he is in an unhappy marriage with Sadie. Sadie’s daughter, Dakota,
wants out from under Sadie’s thumb and goes to college that she wants. Amy, the bipolar wild child, is currently
pregnant but fears Sadie will raise the baby. Since Amy lives at the estate,
she is financially tied to Sadie. Em,
June’s roommate in college. She told
Sadie her secret, and now it is about to be exposed in a manuscript that Sadie
wrote. Kimiko borrowed money from Sadie
for her marijuana business, and Sadie wants the money back. June saw Leo argue with Sadie as she was
leaving his Yurt. Each one has a motive to harm Sadie.
Subject Headings:
Thriller or Suspense
Mystery
Female Friendship
Locked Room Mystery
Appeal:
Tone: Dark and Moody.
It starts with anxiety about seeing Sadie. Then, it continues with the missing person, and
no one seems to remember the drunken night before. Anxiety is mood. For example, what happened
to Sadie? Is she alive? Did I do it and can’t remember? There is some violence in the book.
Characterization: The characters are
well-developed. You can feel June's
tension toward the other characters, her inner turmoil of jealousy, and her self-hate.
While we were briefly introduced to Sadie, the author described that character
well and how she interacted with the other characters in the novel.
Storyline: Girls Weekend is a fast-paced thriller
where we are introduced to the cast of characters. It barrels along, trying to
figure out who and, of course, where the missing person was located and whether
they were harmed. The problem is that none of the girls remember the night
before. And as we continued on this journey to find out, there were a few
twists along the way.
Setting: Deceptive Pass, Washington. At Sadie
MacTavish Estate.
Pacing: Anxiety is mood. The pace is fast,
creating a sense of panic.
Three terms that best describe this book:
Girls Getaway, Missing Person, Locked Room Mystery
Similar Authors and Works (Why are they
similar?)
3 Relevant fiction works and authors;
1. "The Engagement Party" by Darby Kane. Old Friends gather. One of them was killed. It is similar to Girl’s Getaway by being a locked room mystery.
2. "In Friends Like These" by Kimberly McCreight, Old college friends gather; one is missing, assumed dead. People who like thrillers would like this fast-paced book.
3. "In Such a Quiet Place" by Megan Miranda. A person who thought of murdering someone returns to the neighborhood and finds what secrets lie and who told the truth about the murder.
3 Relevant non-fiction works and authors
1. Alanis Morrisette. "Jagged Little Pill". Angry Girl rock anthem. June and Ana listen to the same music on the way to Sadie’s Estate.
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2. "Principles of Forensic Toxicology" by Barry S. Levine. Learn the science behind Date Rape Drugs. Do they cause the individual to forget everything that happens?
3. "Exploring Deception Pass: An Insider's Guide to Washington's Favorite State Park" by Jack. Learn about the scenic views and what makes Deception Pass famous. See where they
kayaked on Deception Pass and where the setting was.
Hi Brenda, Your "relevant works" are really creative. I am old enough to appreciate how Alanis Morrisette fits in here. With character names like June Moody and Sadie MacTavish, I read the plot description as if this was like a Scooby-Doo episode.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that you included music as one of your readalikes (listenalike) - so creative! Excellent job on your summary and appeals. You also did great describing WHY the readalikes were relevant. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDelete