Readable, but too slow and inconsistent at times. I liked the atmosphere of the story, though, and the main character was interesting enough for me to finish. I could recommend this to certain readers for sure.

I didn’t love Wendy Walker’s last title. But one of my all-time favorite thrillers is Emma in the Night. This is not like either of those two books. It is it’s own kind, thoughtful, remarkable take on the “young woman in peril” text but from a neurodivergent perspective. Very impressive, I can see myself returning to this book in the future. A feel-good Wendy Walker?! Not at all what I expected! Thank you for the ARC.

Really thrilled to get this title, as I was aware of the audiobook for a while, and had heard good things, but I am not an audiobook person (at least right now). I really enjoyed this one - I like Walker's writing style & this one was really good - as we followed the titular American Girl, Charlie, age 17 & neurodivergent, as she tries to figure out the murder of her boss at the local PA sandwich shop. It was different & it flowed well and I didn't even figure it out before the reveal!! My sincere thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the complimentary DRC - my sincere pleasure to review it!

I have always been one to reach for Wendy's books I've always enjoyed them just as I did this one! I honestly read it and then turned around a few weeks later and listened to it and I liked it just as much if not more audio version. The audio is amazing for this book! Wow! Not only did Paige Layle knock this out of the park...I really felt she was Charlie. She was the 17-year-old girl telling us her story. We were in Charlie's mind. Another remarkable thing that made this audio stand out from the rest was the incredible sound effects! I have never heard an audiobook that had sound effects like this - footsteps, cars. It really added to the atmosphere. This was a read I wasn't able to guess the plot and as i read on it just continued to keep me guessing. Really wonderful read/listen!

Wendy Walker is a talented writer, but American Girl was just okay for me.
It centers around Charlie, a 17-year-old autistic girl living in a small town who wants to go to MIT (she's super smart). I like that the MC was autistic, but I feel like Walker had some inconsistencies when dealing with the autistic aspects. At the beginning of the book, Charlie talks about her "hot-head" and her "seesaw" and repeats phrases. At the end of the book, though, it's like Charlie's autism completely disappeared.
It really started off well, but the ending was completely unbelievable. And it had that ending where Charlie explains everything that happened instead of Walker writing what happens. By that time, I didn't really care who killed Coop.

American Girl by Wendy Walker. Interesting premise, however the book was a slow read. The POV of Charlie while seemly complex was at times hard to relate to a 17 year old autistic teenager.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I have been waiting for this to come out as a book since it first released in audio. As always Wendy Walker thrills you as she makes you jump into the characters lives and really care about what is going on. The thrills and twists and surprises makes this a must summer read.

"American Girl" is an absolute triumph in the realm of thriller novels. From the first electrifying page to the jaw-dropping finale, this book had me on the edge of my seat, unable to tear my eyes away. It is an adrenaline-fueled masterpiece that will leave readers breathless and craving for more. Wendy Walker is so skilled!