Girl A: A Novel

The idea for this novel could have been taken from a recent case involving extreme child abuse. What the author has done is to give voices to seven siblings subjected to torture and to spotlight the enduring psychological damage. The novel reflects on each of the experiences of the children in the family, but the main focus is on the oldest daughter, Lex, who managed to escape and obtain help for the others.Lex and her siblings were chained to beds by their parents, not allowed to bathe, and denied food. They were slowly starving to death. After years of mistreatment, Lex finally escapes and gets help, bringing the police to their suburban prison. The father commits suicide before the police arrive, and the mother is sent to prison for life. Lex and her younger siblings are sent to separate foster homes. Adopted by a policeman working on her case, Lex goes to college and becomes a successful woman. When her mother dies in prison, she learns she has been named executor of the estate, including the house of their torment. She, one of her brothers, and a sister concoct a plan to turn the house into a community center.It requires all the sibling’s approvals to execute the plan for the house, so Lex searches for her other brothers and sisters, some of whom she has not seen for years. The only relationships she has maintained are with Evie, her sister who has been her closest confidante, and Ethan, a successful author who escaped the worst of their parents’ sadistic behavior. In the case of her youngest brother, Lex has to comb through records to find who adopted him. He is the luckiest; because he was a toddler, he remembers nothing of his past. One brother is in a mental institution because of his rages. All of them are affected. Although Lex is outwardly composed, she may have the most severe problem of them all.The horrors recounted by Lex and her siblings may repulse many readers. This novel is not for those who are sensitive to brutal descriptions of child abuse. What kept me reading were the psychological depth the author gives to her characters and the feeling the author was holding back on the whole story. Mystery readers will like a particular reveal involving one of Lex’s relationships that will have them thumbing back pages to see how the author set it up. I recommend this novel for readers who like psychological suspense.

One must keep reminding oneself that this is a work of fiction, as well as recognizing that these atrocities do, horribly, occur in life. How on earth does a child survive and a person recover

Loved this book although it was disturbing. I was moved to tears several times towards the end. Some characters I faltered between not liking and understanding. So incredibly tragic.

Girl A is a thriller that I think is best described as weirdly detached and deeply unsettling. Lex Gracie is the narrator of this story, AKA Girl A, the girl who escaped her abusive father and rescued her five siblings. This story is split up into seven chapters, the first six are about Lex and her siblings and the chapters are told in present day and flashbacks, the last chapter is where everything unfolds and combusts together. The non-linear narrative, the self admitted unstable narrator, and the ending that had me in tears, makes Girl A a firm favorite. One I will definitely recommend to those who like psychological thrillers told in survivor/flashback format. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

This book was awesome. One of the best books I’ve read this year. The way the author describes scenes and the abuse suffered, it made me feel like I was watching it all unfold. I appreciate the message that family trauma doesn’t affect just one person, it affects the entire dynamic and all members of the family.

It isn’t every day that I come across a book that I can relate to so viscerally as I have with Girl A. Yes, it was scary and sad and the loss that this author has gone through is too terrible for words. All of this is very true. But I haven’t cried in a long time. The trauma I have experienced in my own life has seen to that. And there was a section in this book that caught my breath and I just connected with Abigail. I just felt like I was at the computer with her in that moment, feeling her emotions with her. Because mine were so real. This book hasn’t really been one of healing for me, but there were many quotable moments that I have taken for journaling prompts, and I used these moments for deep inflection. 

It’s a well-written book that chronicles the life of one woman who observes the lives of her siblings. It is a narrative of horrifying abuse that she somehow survived when others did not: “Did you really think I made it out of that room?”- that was the moment that I cried at for a few seconds before the tears dried up again. Sorry for this, but this is just such an important moment for me. And this is my review. This woman is a hero and I am so thankful to her for being strong enough to tell us, to tell me, what happened to her and to her brothers and sisters. And how the abuse they all suffered through impacted all of them. It gives me hope that there’s a way out, even after what may seem like a long time of “being safe”. 

I hope, in time, I will find my voice again. For now, Abigail Dean’s book Girl A is a very worthy placement. Purchase this book in whatever format is best for you, and be strong. There are Abigail Dean’s all over the place. Maybe not to the same extent, but they are everywhere. And they deserve to have their voices heard.

Rating: 2.3/5There are times when you can appreciate the quality of someone's writing, but without really enjoying the book. This was one of those occasions.I had heard such good things about this novel and I was really looking forward to reading it. It is generally well written, with some evocative use of language, but, after an encouraging opening, the story never really drew me in and made me engage with the characters. The premise was appealing and there was plenty of potential for heart wrenching, emotional feeling to be evoked. However, I was never quite drawn to that point and found it all a bit flat.Stylistically, the narrative was also awkward to follow at times and I found myself having to re-read sections to ensure that I had picked things up correctly. This was mostly due to frequent switches of time frame in the narrative, without any clear indication of the change. This may be a case of the author employing a literary device to try to reflect the state of Lex's mind, but, if that was the intention, I am not convinced that it achieved its aim.This seems to be marketed as a mystery thriller, but I would view more as a psychological character study into coping with and surviving a major trauma. In this respect, the writer addresses some serious issues in a candid and sometimes interesting way, but I can't help feeling that the most fascinating elements had already been covered in the first quarter of the book and the remainder of the story largely retreads the same ground.Some other early reviewers have scored this highly, so perhaps they have managed to derive something from this that just eluded me.

I read 31% of this book and came to the conclusion someone was having a joke with the crime fans out there. I read about 25% of the last 'international bestseller from the Sunday Times before I decided someone was having a joke with historical fiction fans, too. In that case (bodysnatchers theme) the author got his 'facts' screamingly wrong. I know, I've done the research. Then there was the Stephen King rip off...Three books I thought would be worth having unceremoniously deleted from the kindle. It isn't as satisfying as binning it, though.So what's wrong with Lex's story - so far? Confusing, why does anyone need Mother and mother in one story and expect the reader to know who they're talking about, why does anyone expect the reader to follow the change of time scales and still retain empathy for the characters? That went from the first chapter, actually. When you find yourself constantly checking the percentage read all the time, you know you made a mistake. There are about a dozen 'crime writers' whose books will never grace my kindle again because of dull or incredibly bad (or both) writing but at least I can return them to the Prime library and attempt something else in their place, free.The biggest problem with Lex is she is seriously unconcerned by all that happens to her, describing her wounds as if they were flea bites, describing the removal of her siblings to other families as if she didn't care she would never see them again... shared misery creates bonds that with 'normal' people would bind them together.Over rated, confused, dull, nothing to make the reader read on. I can see a cocktail party of 'readers' enthusing over this and thinking those of us who can see the faults don't know what we're on about. That one's a matter of opinion but the other Sunday Times one, bodysnatchers, had the author starting the body snatching season in the heights of summer... stinking corpses and all. Bodysnatchers started in the Autumn.. at least the sensible English ones did anyway. That was an Australian writer... they live upside down to us as far as seasons go.Simple recommendation, avoid ALL Sunday Times best sellers - there's many good books out there who come without the hype but with a first class story and good writing. Give them a chance, yes?

I found it tedious and boring. Another reminder if I read the same book as the people who rate it.

Girl A is the stunning and unforgettable debut from author Abigail Dean and easily has a place in the top 5 best books I have ever read.Girl A is a gripping and excellently written novel that’s dark and edgy as you become absorbed in it from the first page. Lex Gracie is the perfect narrator, as she recounts her and her sibling’s childhood, in the house of horrors they grew up in with their parents.It’s how they’ve all found their own ways to deal with what happened to them. And Lex finding the courage to confront their horrific past and learn the true power of forgiveness and moving on.Girl A is a novel I read in one entire sitting. I didn’t stop until I had finished it. It’s a story that radiates power. It will change you. it’s heart-wrenching at times, the twist in it and the ending are heartbreaking but feel oddly right and satisfying. It’s truly the most powerful and unforgettable debut novel from an author we have ever read.Abigail Dean has written a story that will be talked about for generations to come. It’s a book you will never forget reading.

This book is a truly brilliant debut novel. The characters are written beautifully, with the narrative switching back between their childhoods spent in the ‘house of horrors’ to the present day. The book really focuses on the after effects of trauma - how does each sibling move on from what they experienced?It’s been marketed and reviewed in places as ‘dark and disturbing’ and yes, there are some parts that are difficult to read and imagine. But the abuse the characters suffered as children is implied rather than graphically detailed. There are also parts of the book that have genuine humour in them, and - by the end - the whole thing feels actually much more inspiring and life-affirming than negative.I also have to say that there is a fantastic twist. Perhaps some people might see it coming but my jaw genuinely dropped. It was brilliant and really turned the book on its head for me.All in all, this is a really accomplished debut novel and one that will stay with me. I’d highly recommend it to other people - in fact, I already have and my friends have echoed my thoughts too so far!