The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes {Book Review}

I fell in love with this book years ago!

I mean, what can be more frightening than a time-travelling serial killer?

It was recommended to me by a friend and I remember lending a copy of it from her and then not being able to put it down. Naturally the only option after that was to have my own copy at hand.

Last year I decided to reread it as well because it started circling in the bookstagram world and I had to get on the wagon as well.

This is one of my favourite books of all times and I definitely want to read more from the author, Lauren Beukes.

DISCLAIMER: This review could contain possible spoilers based on my opinions. All opinions and views are my own.

Book Review: The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes #bookreview #bookrecommendations #laurenbeukes #theshininggirls
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Plot:

Harper Curtis finds a key to a house that allows him to time-travel but everything comes with a price. He has to kill the shining girls; young women who are intelligent, determined and filled with potential.

As Curtis stalks them through different eras, he makes a mistake with one of his victims, Kirby Mazrachi. She survives and starts hunting him back.

As she teams up with a former homicide reporter, Kirby must race against the odds of time and physics to stop a killer that needs to complete his mission.

Thoughts:

The book has fast and slow paces which work great at keeping up the suspense in the deadly race the main characters are facing. It also carries along the tension of the deadly game of cat and mouse.

The author switches between many different point of views and time changes, but it’s well written to keep track of the who and the where at all times.

The puzzles scattered across the book fit together brilliantly, as much as they make sense, they don’t. There’s no explanation as to how the house does what it does, the why is obvious but not the how. Not having that answer didn’t bother me because not every question needs an answer.

Usually killers are glorified in books, being handsome and charming, but not in this book. The killer is creepy, not glorified under the usual stereotype descriptions and it gives you a change of perspective.

The murders are graphic, and might not be suited for the faint-hearted, but I understand why the author decided to write them as such; adding more horror and suspense to the killer’s profile and show how deranged he truly was.

Overview:

The title describes the book so well, and the author couldn’t have made a better decision.

I enjoyed every twist and turn in the book, and how different times were brought together to keep the storyline going. The book was cleverly written and has a unique premise. Complex writing for a twisted chase and gut-wrenching suspense.