Bad Girl Gone by Temple Mathews
DNF @ 6%
*Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me over an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review – thanks so much again!!*
Did I want to DNF @ 6%? No, I did not. Did I figure I might? Probably. After reading a rather bad review of this (from Nicole at A Dance Between Pages), I knew I was in for a struggle. But I knew that this sounded really good and full of a redemption story arc that could be done brilliantly. However, from the moment I started the story, I knew that I was not going to be interested.
Sixteen year-old Echo Stone awakens in a cold sweat in a dark room, having no idea where she is or how she got there. But she soon finds out she s in Middle House, an orphanage filled with mysteriously troubled kids.
There s just one problem: she s not an orphan. Her parents are very much alive.
She explains this to everyone, but no one will listen. After befriending a sympathetic (and handsome) boy, Echo is able to escape Middle House and rush home, only to discover it sealed off by crime scene tape and covered in the evidence of a terrible and violent crime. As Echo grapples with this world-shattering information, she spots her parents driving by and rushes to flag them down. Standing in the middle of street, waving her arms to get their attention, her parents car drives right through her.
She was right. Her parents are alive but she s not.
She s a ghost, just like all the other denizens of Middle House. Desperate to somehow get her life back and reconnect with her still-alive boyfriend, Echo embarks on a quest to solve her own murder. As the list of suspects grows, the quest evolves into a journey of self-discovery in which she learns she wasn t quite the girl she thought she was. In a twist of fate, she s presented with one last chance to reclaim her life and must make a decision which will either haunt her or bless her forever.
This book was just…boring? Although I can’t really say that since a lot of things were happening. Echo wakes up in this place that I couldn’t quite understand and then there’s some creepy dead things or monsters or I’m really not sure because while it had potential to be really cool, I just got confused. Instead of truly investigating the creepiness, Echo’s like, ummmmm, I’m just going to sit and hide in this bed.
Which she does until this guy shows up underneath her bed and she chases him for like two seconds until someone tells her that no, she shouldn’t be out and about but she’s also allowed no questions. It was like, NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU, AND NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU. Echo’s then like, why, of course, I’m just going to back to that same bed and think happy thoughts about the first awkward time I met my love of my life, Andy, and he kissed me to shut me up. Happy thoughts.
ANYWAY. Then she wakes up again and she’s being yelled at because the guy living underneath her bed somehow transferred his random wetness onto her but still no questions are allowed. Um, this is concerning. Why are no questions allowed? And shouldn’t Echo be fighting harder to get the questions answered?? If I woke up at some place with no memory, no idea what it is – I wouldn’t just be hiding in my bed. I would want answers, and if they told me no questions allowed, you best believe I would be demanding for a superior or trying to call, oh, I don’t know, 911??
I was so bored as well. I didn’t connect with anything and if I was skimming at 6%, I knew I was going to have too much of a downhill battle for the rest of the book.
No crowns since it was a DNF and a Snow White rating!
Check it out:
The synopsis of the book actually sounds interesting and promising, but your review makes me reconsider even thinking about starting to read this book.
Normally I’m the kind of person who’s all “I’ll see it for myself if and when I read it”, but when there’s an absolute “nope” coming from a review… Let’s just say the synopsis could be yelling at me that it’s going to be awesome, but I probably wouldn’t pick it up. Or, I wouldn’t pay for it. If I’d got my hands on it in the library, I might give it a shot and see where it goes but that’s about it.
Reading reviews of a book up front does help me sometimes. In that way that negative reviews often make me enjoy a book so much more if I do like it. On the downside, it also makes books I don’t like, look that much worse for it, haha.
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Ahahaha, it was rather…strange.
But definitely! As you said when it’s a clear nope, I tend to go, erm, maybe not so much. But definitely about the library! And fantastic points about the reading reviews. I definitely love reading a negative review of a book I didn’t like because as you said, it makes it look so much worse and I feel so vindicated. XD
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The synopsis had me so confused! No wonder you didn’t make it to the end of this book. Great review😊
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Ahahaha, it really is quite confusing – and sadly the book itself managed to be even more. But thank you! ❤
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I’m requested this on Netgalley and got denied. This is like the third or fourth review I’ve seen for it where the person has DNFed the book. Kinda makes me feel like l dodged a bullet. Lol awesome review!
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Ahahaha, yes, Payton, I really think you did! It was so strange and not fun at all. 😛 But thank you! ❤
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What a weird book haha. Definitely going to pass on this one, thanks Mandy!
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Hahaha, it definitely was, Laura! It was just very strange. But brilliant plan. XD
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I really hate it when synopsis are misleading 😓 especially when it comes to ARCs.
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Yes, Nadwa!! I feel so bad when I DNF an ARC for that reason. D:
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I reviewed this too. I didn’t make it that far either. Boring is a good word. Predictable. Physically painful. Your DNF was a good decision. Trust me. It did not get better.
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Ahahahaha, oh, no, Jessica. XD Well thank goodness! I had a sinking feeling it wasn’t, but glad to know. You summed it up so perfectly, though!
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It was one of the books I’ve first requested on NetGalley and was declined. 😁 I was planning on getting a copy of this but now I’m not so sure.
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Oh no! But yes..it was definitely interesting? It had potential, but I think a lot of odd things got in the way.
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It sure does sound interesting. But seeing a lot of not so good reviews, I think I’ll give this one a pass. 🙂
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Yes! 😉
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Oh jeez, this book sounds super weird because WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULDN’T ASK QUESTIONS??? So strange. And confusing too!! I’m sorry that this was a DNF for you but I can totally see why! If I find myself skimming through a book, I always DNF it as well! Awesome review though! 🙂
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Ahahahaha, I know, Jackie! I was like…but you wake up in your non-home with weird non-family and friends people and just go, okay, I’m just going to sit here while this lady yells at me and not ask any questions. XD But yes! Thanks so much! ❤
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Oh, bummer. Sorry to hear you had a DNF, Mandy. The premise sounds intriguing, but I don’t think this is one I’ll be picking up. You need to get back to the fluff. 😉
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I really do, Krysti! 😉 Fluff is where the goodness is at. XD Although I think I might have ruined myself for it a bit since now all I want is fluff?
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Girl, I hear you! Once I start reading a different genre, I can still totally get into it, but fluffy contemporary is all I crave anymore. We have definitely ruined ourselves.
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Ahahahah we really have. I tried to make this a fantasy month or something but I’m like nope, I can’t do it since I’ve already ruined those odds. XD
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Wow! Go you though! I couldn’t do a full month of fantasy. I’ve gotta have at least some contemporaries in there!
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Yes! I’m super learning that! I tried it for a day and failed. XD
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At least you tried! 🙂
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Another DNF *curses* but this sounds super weird. The whole hiding under the bed, no questions and everything! Very, very odd…
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It…it was quite strange. I think I was done at the point where the randomly wet man popped out of under the bed. So strange. XD
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This book sounds disastrous…. I understood NOTHING of what was going on! I’m so sorry you had to read 1% of it, let alone 6%, Mandy. It just feels like an absolute train wreck.
I would definitely loose my mind over such a passive main character. Why is she not demanding answers?? Why is just sitting/lying by idly??? WHO CARES ABOUT HER FIRST KISS??
Ugh. I’ll calm down now. Honestly, though, what a mess
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Ahahahaha, thank you, Sophie! ❤ It was…I still don't fully understand everything that went on. There are a lost…just a lot.
And YES. She was like, let's go to a happy place since the lady told me I couldn't ask questions once. XD Just once and she's like, oh, okay.
So true, though. Sorry to get you into the craziness as well. XD
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Hahaha that’s alright, I can take a little craziness now and then 😛
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Ahahahaha. XD Yes. And books do it so entertainingly as well.
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I wound up giving this 2 stars because I liked the cover, and some of the secondary characters like Andy, Cole, and Darby. As for the rest, what a mess! Awesome premise, but poor execution. Where was her editor?😒
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I didn’t get too far, but glad to know it got to the 2 stars point. But it was so very odd indeed with some parts. I agree – it was a fantastic premise, but some parts were just mind boggling. I read your review the other day and you summed it up wonderfully.
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Thanks! I always attempt to find something, anything, positive.
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Yes! You did great with that. 🙂
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😊
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