She remembers her mother’s eyes, deeply apologetic, and the way she cradled her on the floor saying over and over again, “You’re my good girl, Mia…”

– Excerpt from “The Good Girl” By Mary Kubica

What is your definition of a good girl? Is it the girl that plays fair and follows the rules or is it the one that appears to play fair? These are the questions I asked myself while I read this book. The pressure to follow a specific mold that sometimes feels impossible to fill is a challenge all in itself. To portray a positive image is not only challenging but a burden when your every move can be publicized and tarnish an image. These are just a few of the many issues discussed in the novel “The Good Girl” by Mary Kubica.

In this breath taking first novel for the writer Mary Kubica, we follow the chronicles that lead up to the disappearance of a young woman named , Mia Dennett. Mia Dennett is the daughter of James and Eva Dennett, a very powerful and important family in Chicago. The pressures to fit into this pretentious mold of family leads Mia to act out as a cry for attention. Through each spine tingling page you will find the desire to know more about this family, and the secrets that lie between their four walls. Nothing is as it appears. The Dennetts are only a reflection of fallacy.

This novel was a nice quick read and offers you a balance of suspense and even a little romance. The balance helps create a novel that portrays the casualties of life, and how each chain event is connected to the next. Many life lessons can be taken from this novel. You’ll find yourself reflecting on your own life choices. Appearances are a huge theme in this novel. As you reach the last few pages, you uncover the truth each character lays under wraps.

Rating: 5 Stars !!

The ending had my stomach in knots !!