Dannii Elle's Reviews > Girl A

Actual rating 2.5/5 stars. Trigger warnings for child abuse, child neglect, suicide, and PTSD.

Lex Gracie was once only known as Girl A. She was the eldest sibling who grew up in, what the media termed, the House of Horrors. She suffered horrific abuse at the hands of her parents and is still suffering from the trauma many years later.

This was such a harrowing read! The book was focused mostly in the present but it continued increasingly lengthy passages providing insights to Lex's childhood. These past segments were very hard to read as they contained details of the horrifying treatment the children endured. There were a few specific pages towards the end of the book that made me nauseous with all it revealed and I doubt I have ever read anything as truly horrifying as what it contained.

However, despite acknowledging the powerful yet traumatising storyline, I also don't feel I ever got anything out of my time with it asides from sadness. The sections set in the present day showed how Lex and her siblings were still struggling with their pasts. I felt sensitively towards this but also don't truly understand the purpose.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Abigail Dean, and the publisher, Harper Collins, for this opportunity.