Does the world really need another book with a Veronica Mars unsolved-friend-murder and a podcast element? My answer might surprise you. Check out my Review of Don’t Forget the Girl
Don’t Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKanna
Published on June 20 by Sourcebooks/Landmark. Thanks so much to the publisher for an advance copy for review.
Plot Summary for Don’t Forget the Girl
Twelve years ago, University of Iowa freshman Abby Hartmann disappeared. Now, Jon Allan Blue, the man suspected of her murder, is about to be executed.
Abby’s best friends, Bree and Chelsea, watch as Abby’s memory is unearthed and overshadowed by the charismatic Blue and some of his other victims.
Bree and Chelsea were estranged in the wake of Abby’s disappearance. Bree pursued a photography career while Chelsea entered the clergy. Each of them has suffered in the aftermath of Abby’s disappearance, but must reunite as a high-profile podcast decides to cover her case.
Review of Don’t Forget the Girl
Like any reader, I have thriller plot elements that I can’t resist. What are yours? Tell me in comments!
As a Veronica Mars superfan (except for that horrible Season 4, which I have erased from my memory), I love a plot about a young woman still mourning the death of her best friend.
It’s a popular plot. Very popular.
I mean, we saw it in this Ruth Ware book, definitely in this recent thriller, in the latest book by Megan Miranda, and in this novel by a well-known true crime podcaster. Also in this very long book, which has inspired one of my most popular spoiler posts (and also has a podcast element).
Speaking of a podcast element, I enjoy one in a book. Sometimes.
So as I started Don’t Forget the Girl, I was thinking, “okay, let’s see what you bring to the Veronica Mars and Serial-pocast-inspired table.”
Answer: a lot!
Don’t Forget the Girl uses a past/present format, switching between 2003 and 2015. I’m loving this new trend of aughties nostalgia fiction. Veronica Mars also premiered in 2004? Just saying.
I’m not always a fan of multi-POV books, but thought it worked really well that Chelsea, Bree and Abby all narrated individual chapters. This was essential in a story where all the characters were keeping secrets from one another in the past.
BUT some reviewers on Goodreads have said that this made the audiobook confusing, so keep that in mind.
I also loved the fact that Don’t Forget the Girl focused on the way Abby’s disappearance affected her friends and family. I’m loving this trend too and plan to do a post on it soon.
As a mystery, I thought Don’t Forget the Girl also worked well. Abby’s case has yet to be solved and her body was never found, so although the police suspect Jon Allen Blue is to blame, that’s not a certainty. Is there another explanation?
I loved the Iowa City setting. I have been there. Did you know that the Black Angel from the book is a real thing?
There was also a good twist, which didn’t surprise me, as I was side-eying a certain person so hard.
I highly recommend Don’t Forget the Girl. In a crowded field of books about podcasts and books about dearly departed BFFs, it stood out to me. Don’t Forget the Girl featured beautiful writing, complex characters, a compelling plot, and a compassionate, rather than voyeuristic view of true crime.
Don’t Forget the Girl might not be a good fit for those who just want their thrillers fast-paced and relentlessly twisty. Though there are some surprising reveals, this book is more of a thoughtful reflection on how tragedy affects the surviving friends and family.