DEAD GIRLS DON'T LIE by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Dead Girls Don't Lie
Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Rating: C-
Release Date: 09/17/13
Synopsis:
Rachel died at two a.m . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text. 
Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before. . .before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth. 

In the follow-up to her powerful debut, Jennifer Shaw Wolf keeps readers on their toes in another dark, romantic story of murder and secrets.

My thoughts on the book:
After reading, and loving, Breaking Beautiful, I was super excited to see another book by Jennifer Shaw Wolf. Unfortunately, this novel lacked the heart of the previous one, and I found that I couldn't relate to the characters that much. Also, Wolf's voice is different in this novel and not nearly as captivating. The mystery is solid, and the suspense kept me reading, but this book just didn't grab me like her first novel did. 

The characters were well-developed, but I wasn't really a fan of any of them. I really didn't like Jaycee at all. She wasn't the brightest character around, and more often than not she seemed quite selfish. Rachel, though dead, was still well-developed. I felt like I got to know her pretty well, which I liked. Skyler bored me, but he was still a complete character. 

The plot itself was intriguing, but it was a difficult book to read due to the gibberish that took place more frequently as the book went along. I assumed the publisher did that so that people couldn't sell the e-galleys or whatever, but it was so annoying. Chunks of the story were actually missing. This is no fault of Wolf's obviously, but it really detracted from the story. I think Bloomsbury needs to find a new technique because that was god awful. The writing was engaging, but it wasn't as gritty as the last novel, in my opinion. The mystery kept me guessing, and I didn't see the ending coming. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book (though not in e-ARC form, obviously, haha) to anyone who loves mysteries. While I liked Breaking Beautiful more than this novel, it's still a well-written and suspenseful mystery. Those who love "whodunits" will not want to miss this book. 

Pre-order Dead Girls Don't Lie