May Bookshelf by the Sea

_{Cover photo taken by Ella Zurlo '26}

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson 

Written by George Spalding ’28 

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is a mystery-thriller set four years after a murder in the small-town of Fairview, Connecticut. The story follows Pip, a local high school senior who is skeptical of the media’s narrative of the murder. For her senior project, Pip is investigating the murder by interviewing various people involved and uncovering the true story.  

Overall, the book was quite boring as most of it was build-up for the last 50 pages. A large portion of the book was just minor side plots or red herrings that did not have a satisfying conclusion. For example, Pip makes a list of people of interest and spends entire chapters dedicated to investigating them, but most of them have zero relevance to the plot. I only felt intrigued by the plot while reading this book towards the conclusion. The book may be more appealing to people who enjoy plots with long build-ups and surprising plot twists or who don't mind long droughts of action. 

🌊🌊🌊 3/5 Waves!

 

George Spalding '28 is a boarding student from Wellsley, MA. In the fall and spring, he is a member of the Tabor sailing team. In the winter he can be found behind the scenes working theater tech. Although non-fiction comprises a large part of his personal bookshelf, his favorite genre is fantasy. Circe, by Madeline Miller was his favorite book from the Literary Voice and Identity class with Ms. Maier. His favorite words are "preoccupied" and "goofy."