The Girlfriend

The Girlfriend by Sarah J. Naughton

Sarah J. Naughton, author

​In this book, we have a brother that is in a coma from a fall down a forty-foot stairwell, a girlfriend who saw everything and a sister that is cold, somewhat mean and VERY suspicious about her brother’s “accidental fall”.  With stories like this, it is SO DIFFICULT to try to sum up the tale without giving things away.  Because of the content and how it is unveiled, this time I decided to give you the short summary that’s on the back of the book itself and then just give you my opinion WITHOUT revealing any major details.
 

​On the back of the book, it reads:
 
“In that forty-foot stairwell, he didn’t just slip over the edge.
 
But there is only one witness: Jody, the girlfriend grieving at his bedside.  Which is another story Mags doesn’t believe.
 
Because Jody likes telling stories, and this may be her most twisted yet.
 
As Mags begins to unearth the secrets hidden in her brother’s wake, she finds she isn’t just looking for the truth.  For Mags, this is more than a simple tragedy—this is an opportunity for revenge.”
 
This was a fiction novel sent to me by Sourcebooks Publicity.  At 355 pages, it is kind of long for what I normally read (as far as novels go) but, I did like the story.  The way it is written is unusual to me because I have never seen a novel written like this.  What Naughton does with the main characters’ points of view is that she separates them out into individual chapters and alternates them.  It’s truly a very unique way to present the story and as I read, the back and forth made it seem like the book was a film playing in my mind and that each new chapter was a cut to another scene.  So, one chapter will be one character and their point of view and then the next chapter will be another character and THEIR point of view, sometimes on the same event.
 
Tiny bits of the story are uncovered, one little piece at a time.  The makes the story quite compelling and suspenseful.  I truly really liked the whole back and forth between the character’s perspectives, especially Mags and Jody.  It really gives an extra insight into each character.  It makes it seem so much more intense to constantly be in that front row seat, watching everything unfold through THEIR eyes.  Plus, the characters tend to stick with you…almost beckoning you to keep reading. 
 
Generally, the story moved at a moderate pace.  There are definitely points where it picks up but, naturally the whole book can’t be that way, you need transition periods.  Each little tidbit is just enough to keep you interested but, not so much that you feel like you already figured it out and don’t need to read it.  The whole story grabs you from the very beginning.  The characters are very well written and easy to pick favorites and get attached to. 
 
I think that Naughton did an excellent job with this.  I would recommend this work of fiction to anyone who likes suspense/thriller novels.  This is right up your alley if that’s what you dig.
 

Check out the author’s website: https://sarahjnaughton.com/


 
If you want your own copy of this great novel, the links to buy are below:
 
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Girlfriend-Novel-Sarah-Naughton/dp/1492651249
 
Barnes&Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-girlfriend-sarah-naughton/1126273510?ean=9781492651246
 
IndieBound:
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781492651246
 
 
RATINGS
4/5 Stars

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