Book Review: The Girl I Used To Be by April Henry

Genre: YA Mystery
Publication: May 2016 by Henry Holt and Co.
Acquisition: read a free eARC via NetGalley

Synopsis:

Fourteen years ago, a three-year-old girl was the only survivor at a horrific murder scene. Now she’s determined to search for the truth—and the killer is even more determined to stop her.

When Olivia’s mother was murdered and her father disappeared, everyone suspected her father had done it. Fast-forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia’s father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there’s a killer still at large. Can Olivia uncover the truth before the killer tracks her down?

(from Goodreads)

4 / 5 Stars

I love April Henry's YA thrillers. They remind me of the hoards of Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine books I devoured as a teen.

The Girl I Used To Be is no exception.

It's a little neat and clean and this worked for me. Loved how independent Olivia is, even if her circumstances are a bit unrealistic. Loved the subdued romance. Love how I didn't guess who the 'bad guy' was before it was revealed. The mystery was pretty standard but there were a few twists.

I thought the whole 'emancipated teen' route bugged me bit as I see it as an excuse to write young characters who can act 100% like adults because the parents have been taken out of the equation. For Olivia though, it worked.

April Henry has been fast becoming an auto read author for me.

The Girl I Used to Be is a quick, fun mystery with some thrilling parts that make a lasting impression.