American Girl by Wendy Walker is about a 4 star book. This was probably my least favorite by this author but still deserves a high rating so that says a lot. I did enjoy all the plot twists and did not predict the ending. I do feel the main character had conflicting traits. She is on the spectrum and while some of her behaviors were consistent with this, others were not but then again, everyone is different and there is no hard fast rule on how she should behave. But small things stood out, such as how she reacts to certain situations, or how one time she describes physical touch as difficult for her and other times she embraces it. She is definitely high functioning. I do like that she had ambitious goals and was pretty much a straight arrow. Wellllll....maybe she wasn't?

I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to Walker's other books. She always has some surprise at the end that is unexpected. My favorite by her would by The Night Before so once you're done reading this, I recommended you check that one out too.

I enjoyed this book. It was not my favorite Wendy Walker but Walker is always an auto buy for me no matter what. I think this book will be enjoyed by many!

I really liked that we get this story from the POV of Charlie. She felt SO REAL to me. Her being Autistic gave a unique perspective and I really liked being in her mind. The way she makes and follows rules from experience or from her mom's past that she's given advice from .

Charlie, in her mind, has to find out who killed her boss because of what she knows about the people she works with (and who she loves). I really liked the journey of figuring stuff out. She's a super smart girl that I felt bad for when she felt she wasn't smart because of being duped by some people (I felt bad because it's not because of the Autism that she was duped... Even someone without that diagnosis I felt would have been duped too).

I loved the main character! I found her unique and well portrayed. There were enough twists to hold my attention. It was a good read, but I felt like the first half was too slow. I was more invested in Charlie and found I didn't care much about the mystery which i figured out very early on. The ending was perfect, and bittersweet.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC. I love the disability representation and I love Charlie. It is hard enough being young and feeling unwanted but our girl also has to solve a mystery.
This was blast.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by a favorite, Wendy Walker - 5 stars!

Charlie is 17 years old, autistic, and desperate to leave small town Sawyer PA. Her mom got pregnant with her in high school and has never stopped letting Charlie know that she doesn't want her to repeat that mistake. Her stepfather has never been in her corner and now that they have 2 boys of their own, Charlie always feels left out. So her family is the people that work with her at the sandwich shop in town. When the shop owner, Clay Cooper, a man both feared and revered in town, is found dead, Charlie is going to keep her family safe at all costs.

Charlie is an absolutely amazing character, and I have my fingers crossed that Walker will give us an update into her life at some point! She has developed a set of rules to live by, that keep her focused on her goals. She has fierce loyalty to her friends, even when her own safety is at stake. She takes the investigation of Coop's murder into her own hands, coming up with a new rule - don't trust anyone. I've read fabulous reviews of the audiobook of this one, so I'm going to have to listen to that. But the book is highly recommended!

What was your first job? ⁣
⁣
I worked in a local deli making subs… just like Charlie in American Girl ☺️
⁣
Meet Charlie: autistic teenager eager to escape her small town life, employee at a sandwich shop saving money for college, and … murder suspect?⁣
⁣
When the owner of the sub shop where she works is found murdered, all the employees become suspects and as Charlie tries to protect herself and her friends, she slowly watches her dreams of leaving her depressing town slip away.⁣
⁣
This book was all the things … perplexing murder mystery, emotional family dynamics, captivating plot twists, and a most charming and endearing main character. It’s a thriller at it's core, but also an unforgettable story of friendship and finding your people, and that not even a little bit of murder can stop your dreams for the future.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet Wendy multiple times recently and thanks to her and @blackstonepublishing, I read an early copy of American Girl. Not really a surprise but I LOVED it. I did the audible version along with the netgalley version and they complement each other very well!

Charlie has become one of my favorite characters and I think she’ll stick with me for a long time. Being inside her mind for the entirety of the story was so insightful and Wendy did an amazing job portraying her. I found myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it and wondering WHO KILLED COOP? (I’ll let you read it to find that out)! Every character was a suspect.

I really loved this thriller centering around a girl named Charlie who finds herself unexpectedly intertwined in a small-town murder mystery. Diagnosed early in life with autism, she is often underestimated by those in her town and I loved her perspective in narration. It kept internal dialogue so interesting and I loved the aspect of a super intelligent female young character whose love for her community didn't hold her back from her dreams or her ability to protect those she loves.

While I didn't find the title to be all-encompassing for the vibe of this book, it kept my interest throughout for sure! If you love a good thriller, check out this book for the new perspective and stay for the plot!

American Girl by Wendy Walker is unique in the way that it was first an audible book. I am so happy it is now in print form. This story flew by and I finished it and still wanted more. Charlie is a strong character, so well developed and one who taught me a lot about autism. It was amazing seeing such positive representation for autism. The suspense was building so much at times that I would put the book down, take a breath and dive back in. Walker is a master at her craft and every book gets better and better!

<b>This is another whodunit winner from Wendy Walker: a character-driven mystery with a neurodivergent main protagonist, small-town intrigue, and satisfying revenge.</b>

<blockquote><b>I began to form rules like math equations. <i>When this happens, people act that way and say those things. When that happens, people act this way and say other things.</i> And those rules stayed in my head, each and every one. I realized I could use them to prepare for whatever was coming. To protect myself.</blockquote></b>
Charlie is a math-whiz teen with autism who is working as much as possible at The Triple S sandwich shop so that she can one day afford to leave her Pennsylvania hometown and attend MIT.

But when the shop owner, Clay Cooper, who owns several other local businesses, is a town council member, and has his hand in most of the local business, turns up dead, everyone becomes a suspect, including all of his employees.

Charlie must help discover the truth about what happened in order to clear her coworkers--and Charlie herself--from suspicion of murder.

But it becomes clear that Clay was in deep with some seedy characters, and key elements of the mystery of his death stretch back decades--intersecting with Charlie's own family.

Charlie is whip-smart intelligent in her evaluation of the facts of the complicated series of events. She is also somewhat closed off emotionally (this seems to be connected to her autism). She has a difficult relationship with her stepfather and her mother, who loves Charlie deeply but manipulates others in order to get by. (Side note: the storyline concerning the scholarship and her stepfather had me on the verge of screaming with frustration on Charlie's behalf.)

<blockquote><b>She was describing things I already knew about myself that I thought no one else had noticed because I was so good at pretending.</blockquote></b>
Her longtime friend and could-be love is a steady, supportive force in the background of her life--but Charlie has developed heartbreaking relationship "rules" that prevent her from becoming attached, for fear that she won't be strong enough to leave town and make her mark on the world.

I loved Charlie as our main protagonist. She is not exactly an unreliable narrator, but it does turn out that she's been withholding key information from the reader. I was fascinated, watching her knowledge creep out and its implications unfold, while she discovered essential facts that change everything.

I appreciated the choice to have main protagonist Charlie be neurodivergent--and to name the book about her <i>American Girl. </i>

Wendy Walker writes wonderful, character-driven suspense that keeps me hooked as she guides the reader through a twisty mystery. The fierce loyalty and revenge elements in this intriguing whodunit were immensely satisfying.

I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing.

Wendy Walker is also the author of <a href="https://www.bossybookworm.com/post/review-of-what-remains-by-wendy-walker/"><b><i>What Remains</a></i></b> and <a href="https://www.bossybookworm.com/post/review-of-don-t-look-for-me-by-wendy-walker/"><b><i>Don't Look for Me</a></i></b> as well as <i>All Is Not Forgotten, Emma in the Night,</i> and <i>The Night Before.</i>

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I liked it. I think Wendy Walker did a really solid job of creating a mystery that worked - Charlie was a really good protagonist (and it was nice to have a neurodiverse lead). She was able to be part of the mystery while still seeing it from the outside: Charlie knew just enough to push the story forward, while also being enough in the dark that you were guessing along with her.

I don't think anyone will read this and gasp when you find out "who done it" -- BUT I do think you'll be entertained and it was nicely wrapped up.

I gave this 3.75 stars but will round it up to 4 because: I didn't figure it out (completely), I really enjoyed the story and the characters, and I thought it was well written. I wish it had been written with a dual point of view, but that's just a personal preference.

Recommended read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. And Wendy Walker is the queen of a good thriller. My heart was racing 90% of this book. This is the story of an american girl, Charlie who is on the spectrum and witnesses a murder.

American Girl by Wendy Walker is a psychological thriller that will have you guessing until the end!

Charlie, an autistic 17-year-old is determined to leave her small Pennsylvania town and works in a sandwich shop so she can save up to afford MIT next year. When her boss who is both feared and respected in the community is found dead, everyone on staff is a suspect including Charlie who is keeping quiet to protect herself and her friends...

I always enjoy Wendy Walker books because you never know where she is going to go. They are fast-paced psychological thrillers with great characters!

I now need to listen to American Girl by Tom Petty to get the song out of my head!

I have been a long time fan of Wendy Walker and always jump at a chance to read another book by her.

American Girl started strong. Charlie is just trying to work at the sandwich shop and earn money to prepare to move away and go to college. Social barriers due to Charlie's autism make it difficult to understand how people function, but Charlie gets by with creating rules that help her understand others better. These rules have helped her this far, until the boss at her work is murdered and Charlie may have witnessed too much. Now in the aftermath, Charlie is trying to keep up with her rules, help the police, and protect those close to her.

I liked it because of some of the unique elements and plot that felt fresh and new in this genre of writing.

I am such a fan of the author’s thrillers. They grab me from the start and I always read them quickly, but this one had a little more for me. I love that Charlie is autistic and lets us into her world. I don’t always like the main characters in thrillers, but I liked her instantly when her grandmother described her as a child like that. In front of her. Then later her mom was describing things she already knew about herself that she thought no one else would notice because she was such a good pretender. I just wanted to protect her. She ends up a suspect in her boss’ murder. She is fierce, protective and loyal to her friends and courageous as she tries to work out what happened.

Such a likable character at the center of a twisty murder mystery had me not wanting to put this one down. Seriously if your a fan of thrillers, you need to pick this one up.

Charlie, an autistic 17-year-old, finders herself in the middle of a murder case in the sandwich shop she works at. Trying her hardest to focus on her plan to get out of her home town, Charlie finds herself forced to protect herself and her friends while the murderer is loose.
Great read! I connected with the main character quickly and was hooked.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing in exchange for my honest review

Wendy Walker, the Author of “American Girl,” has written an intense and captivating thriller. The Genres for this novel are Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, and Fiction. The author adds a “touch of class” when vividly describing her dramatic characters. I couldn’t put this book down; the twists and turns, betrayals, and ups and downs were riveting. Charlie Hudson is a 17-year-old autistic senior in high school who works long hours to afford to leave her town and go to college. Charlie works in a luncheonette and likes the predictability of preparing sandwiches and putting everything in its place. Charlie has made a family of sorts with her co-workers and feels protective of them. Charlie’s mother has always made her feel “different, and she is ambivalent towards her stepdad. Charlie regards her Mother’s advice as rules to live by.

When Clay Cooper’s body is found, there could be many suspects. Clay Cooper was Charlie’s boss and owned many businesses in town. His conducting his business and personal life had many people angry with him. Unfortunately, Charlie is caught on camera leaving the scene of the crime. Charlie is not considered a suspect, but what does she know can put her friends, family, and herself in danger?

Charlie has the ability to remember numbers and may hold important evidence and clues to solve this case. Can she do this and protect everyone? I highly recommend this thrilling novel.

Wendy Walker has an amazing talent for taking everyday life, including serious family conditions, situations, and events and incorporating them into a thrilling, fast-paced, superbly layered mystery. Full of edge-of-your-seat suspense and populated with characters that reveal more and more shocking surprises as you get further and further into the book.

Charlie Hudson is an amazing, admirable person. She is autistic but that doesn’t define her. She’s clever, thoughtful, resourceful, sensitive and has developed coping mechanisms for her autism that allow her to function very well, thank you. You realize just how amazing she is when you learn that her mother is kind of a monster. Not what strangers see, nothing so overt, but how she treats Charlie. A single mom who seemed to be doing her best, moving them often, trying to make a good life but they never quite fit in. When Charlie was about nine years old and the autism diagnosis became certain, her mother made it clear to Charlie that she was different, that all the tricks she thought made her fit in didn’t work, and that she shouldn’t have the same expectations as other girls, shouldn’t give in to those urges and let them ruin her life – as happened to Charlie’s mother when she had Charlie. Married to a lawyer and now living the life she always felt she deserved, new family, husband to provide for her, still professes to care for Charlies but it’s apparent she doesn’t want to be embarrassed, inconvenienced, doesn’t want her now-perfect Real Housewives life upset.

Autism makes Charlie is very literal, so when she makes a promise related to the death of her boss to not tell what she saw, she is determined to keep that promise, whatever the consequences to her. What happens next is a roller-coaster ride. You can’t help but be on Charlie’s side from the moment you meet her, to root for her, to wish you could sit down with her and figure the best way out. The story moves rapidly, providing clues but keeping you guessing until the very satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing an advance copy of American Girl via NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it and anything else this talented author writes without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I love Wendy Walker! I had high hopes for American Girl and while I adored the main character, Charlie, and felt the book was fast paced, I was ultimately left wanting more because I guessed the twists and there wasn’t a huge shock factor like I wanted.

I’m looking forward to what comes next from Wendy Walker!