Book Review
Well, I don’t even know what I feel about this book right ‘chere (or “right here”, as we Southerners should say it.)
I will say, ‘The Favorite Girl‘ by Monica Arya was highly recommended and beloved by many people online. I liked it alright enough, but can’t say I loved it.
This review includes affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission if you were to make a purchase. What I have tried my hardest not to include is spoilers, so some info may be vague but you’ll understand enough to make a decision on whether this book may or may not interest you. I enjoy publishing my thoughts on books and I hope you enjoy reading them, and I would love to know what you think about them by leaving a comment below!
I read this book for free using my Kindle Unlimited subscription, which I love since I would pay way more for each book individually. I also used my Amazon Kindle and iPad interchangeably to read each book and it’s great because the app/Kindle keeps your place in the book.
TRIGGER WARNINGS
First of all, Trigger warnings. While, yes, life doesn’t come with a trigger warning, I wouldn’t want someone to be scarred based on a book I’d recommended, so I do put them in my reviews. I will include them but please read my comment on them and why you might not should shy away too fast just because of these. They include (but aren’t limited to): rape, murder, suicide, sex trafficking. Those are all the ones that I can think of at the moment.
But, for me personally, someone who often watches murder shows, drama, etc., but has thankfully never had any of those happen to me or anyone close, nothing was too graphic that I couldn’t read on, and the scenes of each were fairly short and not terribly descriptive of the action itself.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE BOOK
As far as the book goes, it was an easy/fast read, nothing super complicated understanding in the text.
However, I did notice that the chapters were each fairly short, which is fine. But the book did seem very long. It did help keep me occupied during the long wait lines at Disney. I’d smartly packed my Kindle and since it was so lightweight, it was easy to carry around and read while waiting endlessly for a ride.
To be honest, I don’t know how the author could have shortened it, except to maybe combine some of the events once Demi, the main character, was in the house and interacting with the people of interest.
I feel that it took about a third of the book to explain some of the main character’s personal background and what led her to the place that she is today in the story. And yes, it’s mostly interesting.
But a third of a long book makes you wonder, while you’re reading, how long it will take you to get through to the actual story you came to read.
Again, into about the thirds of the book, you spend the next third of the book having the details of this mysterious family that Demi has joined as a maid and what is their secret.
There are layers to their secret, and you discover the story in layers, and while I suppose it is possible in the real world, it is a bit fantastical. But definitely different from most psychological thriller books I’ve read.
It does take a while to reveal the whole secret, so don’t think one person will sit down and explain it all. You’ll get pieces. (Kinda wish I’d have known that going in which is the only reason I reveal that here.) This is also probably why it’s such a long book lol.
WHAT I THOUGHT OF ‘THE FAVORITE GIRL’
It was a tad long. A good bit horrifying if it were a real life thing and maybe this kind of scenario does exist in real life, and in some ways, it does.
The ending was odd to me. The solution to Demi getting out of the situation seemed fairly simple once you knew what she’d gotten herself into, since the main family was the only ones beholden to this secret. And especially once some of the main characters were no longer a part of the story.
It reminded me of the Pirates of the Carribbean movie where (spoiler alert) I was thinking “just prick yourself for blood” about 20 minutes before Orlando Bloom’s character figured it out as a solution, and then I had to endure a lot of boring and frankly unncessary fight scenes.
But, in this book, suddenly some characters get brave and after years of basically slavery are able to just formulate a plan when they really could’ve done it, at any point, really, is just odd to me.
Buuuut, that wouldn’t make for a story.
And the other part. Once Demi’s major problem arc is resolved, she faces another hurdle but that was like, okay, have her face this and wrap it up very succinctly, which I wish the rest of the book had done haha.
It just seemed rushed and a convenient wrap up.
Anyway, for me, this book was a 3.5 of 5 stars. It was just too long to get to the meat and not all that suspenseful/thrilling. I did like the unexpected element towards the end, but I won’t spoil that.
The notes in the book indicate there will be a sequel, The Caged Girl, where Demi goes to work for the same family and I just can’t comprehend why she would do that? Doubt I’ll be reading that one, though. I have plenty more that seem more promising on my Kindle list.
Have you read The Favorite Girl? What were your thoughts on it? I’d love to know!
Thanks for reading my review, and as always, God bless!!