Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Book Review of The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta

I checked out The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta from the library to read and review on the suggestion of a friend who knew I enjoyed books by Kimberly McCreight and noted their similarities. After finishing the book, I can definitely say it was an apt comparison. The book doesn't look like much, though. The cover is possibly the biggest letdown about the whole publication. Though it has imagery that makes sense with the story, the whole style is too soft and picturesque for the gruesome, gritty tale held within its pages.

Unfortunately, while this particular tale is based in fiction, readers need look no further than the nearest college campus for evidence that the themes Leotta included are all too relevant. Fraternity abuse of privilege, sexual assault on college campuses, policies that put assault victims on trial more than their attackers, Title IX enforcement that is lax or nonexistent, fundraising politics overshadowing ethical obligations, class disparities, and female students allowed to be intimidated when they attempt to speak out about their terrifying experiences are all factors of the modern college landscape.

Leotta addresses these issues deftly and with purpose in telling the story of Emily, a missing college Freshman who was last seen leaving a bar while pursued by Dylan, a fraternity brother from her campus whom she had accused of sexual assault. As the search for Emily (or, potentially, her body) escalates in the blighted Detroit area just outside of the verdant college campus where the alleged assault took place, the amount of impropriety, intimidation, and other abuses discovered in conjunction with the investigation is staggering. And, still, no Emily. 

One of the things I liked about this book, aside from the timeliness and the importance of the issues Leotta included, is that the plot kept me guessing. I didn't figure out the ending until there were mere chapters left to go--a feat for Leotta, considering that I find most suspense/thriller/mystery books frustrating in their predictability. 

I didn't much care for protagonist Anna Curtis, the prosecutor who is leading the search for Emily. I felt Leotta included an overwhelming and unneeded amount of detail about Curtis in an attempt to flesh out the book. I would've liked more scenes showing students reacting to Emily's vlogs once they went live, or other similar inclusions that would've added to the main plot of Emily's disappearance and other students' reactions to it, instead. I didn't find Anna to be a particularly empathetic character, and I got bored of reading about her struggle in choosing between the two men who are interested in her, and the two cities where she could live. If forced to read more about Anna at all, in order to unravel what happened to Emily, I would've liked to read more about Anna's relationship with her sister Jody, as I felt it meshed better with the look at sisterhood and female activism themes in the story, especially later when Jody became involved in the investigation.

All in all, The Last Good Girl was hit-or-miss for me. The suspense plot was riveting and relevant, but the protagonist was boring and eye roll-inducing. If the current issues and well-plotted mystery thread are enough to keep you reading, I'd recommend it, but if you require a protagonist you can really root for to lead such an investigation, The Last Good Girl by Alliston Leotta is one to skip.

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