Monday, December 20, 2021

Book Review: The Girl Who Lived by Christopher Greyson

Title: The Girl Who Lived
Author: Christopher Greyson
Publication Date: November 24, 2017
Publisher: Greyson Media
Pages: 297
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Ten years ago, four people were brutally murdered. One girl lived.

No one believes her story.
The police think she’s crazy.
Her therapist thinks she’s suicidal.
Everyone else thinks she’s a dangerous drunk.
They’re all right—but did she see the killer?

As the anniversary of the murders approaches, Faith Winters is released from the psychiatric hospital and yanked back to the last spot on earth she wants to be—her hometown where the slayings took place. Wracked by the lingering echoes of survivor’s guilt, Faith spirals into a black hole of alcoholism and wanton self-destruction. Finding no solace at the bottom of a bottle, Faith decides to track down her sister’s killer—and then discovers that she’s the one being hunted.

How can one woman uncover the truth when everyone’s a suspect—including herself?


WOW! I absolutely loved this book! It was an absolute five star read for me. The Girl Who Lived is about Faith Winters. Ten years prior to the setting of the book, Faith’s father, sister, best friend, and her best friend’s mother were brutally murdered on her birthday weekend. By a stroke of luck, Faith physically survived, but emotionally and mentally, she was wrecked. After being released from a psychiatric hospital, due to probation, she was sent back to the absolute last place she ever wanted to be – her hometown. Faith had extreme survivors’ guilt which led to multiple suicide attempts and an addiction to alcohol. Discovering that all the bottom of the bottle gets her is into trouble, she decides to try to track down the man who butchered her family and friends. While she’s searching for a killer, she herself is being hunted. How can a woman who can’t trust anyone track down a dangerous killer while staying alive herself?

This psychological thriller gave me heart palpitations. I am not exaggerating. The biggest mistake I made was reading this book before bed on a night when my husband had duty (meaning he had to stay at work all night). What I liked about this book was the writing. I hated the characters and I suspected absolutely everyone, including Faith. Greyson is an expert at realistic world and character building. I felt like I personally knew (and hated) every single character in the book. There was absolutely nothing that I hated about this book (aside from the characters that I loved to hate). The writing was superb and the whodunit mystery was so tremendous that you never know who exactly to expect. The twist at the end of the story was truly unexpected. I am rarely surprised and it’s usually easy for me to guess what happens in mysteries, but I literally never guessed the ending of this book.

For anyone who loves thrillers and mysteries, I HIGHLY recommend this book! It was my first Greyson book, but it definitely will not be my last!