✨ The Vibes ✨
A fast-paced YA noir

📖 Read if…
✨ Nancy Drew was your favorite series as a kid
✨ You like a book with short chapters
✨ You’re looking for a YA book with a bit of grit

In my mind, summer is THE season to read YA thrillers. They are tense and twisty and the shorter length makes them perfect to devour in one sitting by the pool. That Kind of Girl is one of the newest entrants in the genre and I think it’s a solid choice if you are also looking to plan out your pool reading.

That Kind of Girl starts with a bang and doesn’t let it up from there. It follows two young women — Inez, who is trying to wash blood out of her clothes, and Roxie, a teen sleuth who’s gained a reputation for helping fellow students in tricky situations. To say anything else about the mystery or how they are linked would be a massive spoiler, but I found the way their perspectives were intertwined to be really suspenseful and I was engaged with the story throughout. The story also had a bit of grit to it that I haven’t seen in other YA thrillers which was a nice change of pace.

That being said, I do think the story could have been even better if the author leaned more into some of the POVs, particularly Inez. There is a lot going on throughout the story, but I feel like some of the twists and emotional beats could have been strengthened if we saw more from some characters. Conversely, I think less of Roxie’s backstory would have improved the story as it felt shoehorned in and didn’t necessarily advance the overall plot or her character.

Even with some small quibbles, I really enjoyed reading That Kind of Girl and think mystery/thriller fans should add it to their summer reading list ASAP!

That Kind of Girl hits shelves June 24th. Thanks to Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Nancy Paulson books for providing me with this arc.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I couldn't relate to the characters, the writing style or humor of the novel. Due to my lack of engagement, I did not finish this book.

I really liked this murder mystery. Roxie and Inez are such great characters and I got really into the book. I was definitely on the edge of my seat at times and thought the book was overall very entertaining. I sometimes have an issue getting into YA books, but I didn’t at all with this one. There were some more mature themes so I think that helped a bit.

Told from dual perspectives, both characters are racing to find answers in what is essentially a treasure hunt (a hidden fortune is also thrown in the mix, as will happen). They are also battling demons from the past, and Roxie’s backstory is particularly compelling (religious cults usually are).

Roxanne “Roxie” Hunt had a bad history, which has led to more than a few issues with authority. So, her high school career at an exclusive prep school perhaps isn’t the most socially productive. However, she’s got a side hustle finding things for people. Often, this involves trips into the dark web to remove scandalous or shocking photographic evidence of indiscretions. But in the case of Kirsten Montgomery-Wiggins, it appears to be something else altogether. Her telephone has somehow wound up in the possession of a sex worker has something valuable on it. Roxie needs more information to get going, but Kirsten is reluctant to share, which leads to a bit of an argument. All perfectly normal, but that terribly loud, public conclusion will take on whole new meaning when Roxie visits Kirsten’s family house that evening to get more details and a downpayment and instead finds her client’s dead body.

Roxie is not a suspect. Well, she doesn’t believe she is. After all, she found the body and spotted a silver Porche speeding away from the scene of the crime. However, the security footage has been wiped, there are no obvious suspects, and after that little tete-a-tete overheard by the high school band, she has certainly become a person of interest for the murder.

And this could not come at a worse time. Her Uncle Lenny’s restaurant is in dire straits, her wealthy great Aunt Regina has passed away leaving all her wealth to charity … except for a two-million-dollar necklace she’s hidden away and built a treasure hunting game around. Roxie should be on hand for her uncle—after all, he’s the man who’s basically taken care of her since she was eleven, helping her escape the bad situation that took her mother’s life—but now she’s trying to do two jobs at the same time: find the necklace and figure out who killed Kirsten Montgomery-Wiggins to escape the noose herself. And at least the second part of this is all tied with Inez, a cleaning woman by day and a sex worker by night … who is off the radar. Is she in danger as well, or is she a part of the killing? The more Roxie investigates matters, the more trouble she finds herself in. Natalie C. Anderson pens a potent page-turner of a YA thriller with That Kind of Girl.

Crime fiction and YA should not fit together this well, and yet they do. That Kind of Girl takes elements of crime novels from the pulp era as well as the current bestsellers, and manages to fit them into a high school student’s world, making the work of doing so look easy.

Natalie C. Anderson writes tense suspense and human relationships, bringing her characters to life and then putting them through gripping scenarios and honestly clever puzzles. The book presents the clues to the treasure hunt via poetry, four stanzas at a time, one stanza being a clue to the hunt itself and the rest being tied to a much larger mystery, inviting readers to have some fun trying to figure out how this interpretation of the rather gruesome fairy tale, “The Robber Bridegroom,” applies to the overarching story.

The chapters are divided between two perspectives, Roxie’s first-person account of her activities, and a third person limited narrative focused on Inez’s activities. The former are much more intimate and involved, inviting us into Roxie’s worldview and private life (including a handful of flashback chapters to the incident surrounding the death of her mother for added context), while the Inez sections provide some shadows, secrets, and context without giving the whole game away. The book is rife with clues for its storylines, so regular readers of mystery will keep up, but it’s also clever about withholding answers until the dramatically appropriate times. A delight to find a thriller this smart. Its revelations actually thrill.

That Kind of Girl is unafraid to delve into darker places, as well. It is written for a YA audience, but it trusts its audience to consider some material of a more mature bent. This is not candy-coated storytelling, but brutally honest in its emotions and implications. As a trigger warning note, some of the subplots involve cult brainwashing and sexual traumas. While the book does not treat either of these topics with kid gloves, it also does not indulge in gratuitous indulgences either.

Roxie is kind of like a less noble Veronica Mars, someone who is accustomed to doing dirty work while seeing the uglier side of her fellow students. She still manages to do the right thing, but she also has an angle and a hustle. This is not to say she has no sympathetic bones—she certainly does—but she’s not some kind of white knight blindly doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. She’s not on the side of the angels. She does jobs for people and she’s got serious issues she’s avoiding dealing with.

That Kind of Girl may well be the kick off to a new series, and I hope it is. The author has built an intriguing world peopled with have nots and have lots, with sex workers and down on their luck detectives, with families who yearn and those that will probably never learn. This is solid storytelling of the kind that could serve readers for a baker’s dozen or more entries.

Thank you NetGallery for the eARC! 2.5 ⭐️

Spoilers ahead:

Simply put, this book was okay. The biggest issues were that it felt unoriginal and overly complex at the same time. Finding out that it was the brother (and his friends/law group) that caused harm to Inez that caused this whole spiral was not at all shocking. The same goes for Birdie and that reveal. I also found it icky how the Great Aunt chose to reveal said past murder through a puzzle game. And there weren't any huge repercussions behind that (tampering with evidence and whatnot). There also felt like a lack of conclusion to the Pastor's influence on Roxie's life. There were times in which I did not understand the importance of her past trauma as a central part of the narrative. There is more I could say, but really this book doesn't equate the effort to say more.

If you are looking for a simple YA thriller read, check it out. But otherwise I wouldn't recommend.

This book was not for me, but could see how it would be for other people! A little slow and didn’t like the way it was written

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!

Before I start, I want to say that reading this book felt like listening to Ethel Cain, it was so insane, I loved it.

Let's get into it. The characters? So uniquely crafted. Their backstories were so heartbreaking and I loved how we gradually got to know more about both of them.

The mystery? How everything weaved together at the end, slowly but surely, I ate it UP.

The relationships between every character? So fun to read about.

The theme of wanting to hurt powerful men who hurt you? I support women's wrongs. (Although, they did nothing wrong).

Also, the switch in POV from first person for Roxie and third for Inez was really interesting.

Overall, insane, amazing book that I didn't want to put down.

Thank you NetGalley! This is a first for me by this author. It started out great . I thought the subject matter was a lot for it being a Young Adult book. The back and forth between the characters wasn’t clear and made it confusing as to who was narrating at times

Thank you Netgalley and Nancy Paulson Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“That Kind of Girl” by Natalie C. Anderson is a bold, gritty, and twist-laden YA thriller that flirts with the boundaries of its genre. It delivers a gripping murder mystery wrapped in a tangled web of social commentary, trauma, and survival—told through the dual perspectives of two unforgettable girls: Roxie and Inez. Before going into the review, I do recommend this book for older YA readers as one of the main characters, Inez, is a 19 year old sex worker, so readers should be aware of this before reading.

Roxie, a sharp sixteen-year-old amateur sleuth known for her uncanny ability to find lost things, is drawn into a dangerous case when her classmate Kirsten hires her to locate a missing girl and a phone. But things spiral quickly when Kirsten turns up dead—and Roxie becomes the prime suspect. The missing girl? Inez: a part-time maid and sex worker just trying to survive. Their paths collide in a fast-paced game of cat and mouse, where both girls are being hunted by the truth and the forces that wish to bury it.

Anderson pulls no punches. Though technically labeled YA, this book reads more like an adult thriller, exploring heavy themes such as exploitation, privilege, domestic violence, and class disparity. Inez’s storyline, in particular, feels raw and mature, offering a sharp contrast to Roxie’s more traditional sleuthing journey. While I did find a lot of this book’s content (mainly with Inez’s perspective) more fitting for an adult audience, others will appreciate its unflinching portrayal of teenage girls grappling with adult-sized problems.

Structurally, the dual POV adds depth and energy to the story. Roxie’s character shines through her cleverness and resilience, bolstered by a touching relationship with her uncle. The inclusion of a scavenger-hunt-style riddle tied to a mysterious $2 million necklace (and a possibly illegal will from Roxie’s eccentric great-aunt) adds a fun, puzzling element to the otherwise intense storyline.

That said, the book sometimes suffers under the weight of its many subplots: cult backstories, missing persons, hidden wealth, domestic abuse, and decades-old secrets all jostle for space. Some twists are predictable, and certain threads—like the enigmatic Pastor—feel confusing until clarified much later.

But what anchors “That Kind of Girl” is its emotional heart. It’s a story about two girls caught in circumstances far beyond their control who refuse to go down without a fight. The ending brings closure, justice, and even hope—especially for Inez—making the journey feel worthwhile.

Overall, “That Kind of Girl” challenges expectations of YA fiction. It's not a flawless mystery, but it’s a bold and timely story with strong character work and a satisfyingly dark edge. This story is ideal for readers who like their thrillers smart, layered, and just a bit messy.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This definitely shouldn't be categorized as a YA as there are some heavy hitting factors such as one of the main characters being a prostitute and language of the trade being used throughout. This book had a good premise with an ok execution. I did like that their was a scavenger hunt trying to help figure out what was happening and who the murderer was. There is a dual point of view that was a little confusing at first because you don't really get much background, but it came together at the end. It was fast-paced and was interesting enough to keep you guessing, but it did end up being kind of predictable.

Roxie is an amateur sleuth who helps her classmates solve mysteries, but the latest mystery she's asked to help with is far more complicated than she could have expected. The day after she's asked to track down a woman in a photo, her client is murdered and she's thrust into the middle of an active investigation. Complicating matters further, she's embroiled in a treasure hunt that her deceased great-aunt has assigned, with the prize of a two million dollar necklace. All the while, Roxie is still recovering from the death of her parents that involved a religious cult.

This wasn't quite for me, honestly. It felt a bit convoluted between all of the mysteries that were happening at once. Inez was an interesting character, and I wish that there was more time spent getting to know her, while Roxie's sections just felt like information overload at times.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Roxie was hands down my favorite character to read in this book. She was so resilient, and I felt like she was mature because of her past circumstances she had to grow up. I think Inez was also great to read about but at times I felt like she was so clueless. I enjoyed trying to guess what could have happened. However, I did feel like it was obvious toward the middle of the book. I did not think this book was YA once I began to get into the plot.

very interesting, well written thriller with interesting, well written plotting. 4 stars. tysm for the arc. would recommend.

At first, I thought the premise was going to go in a totally different direction, so I won’t lie, those first couple of chapters left me a bit disappointed. I wasn’t sure what I’d signed up for, especially with Inez’s initial POV and the setup that felt like just another high school drama. But wow, I was wrong.

That Kind of Girl quickly flips expectations. What starts off feeling like a teen noir mystery takes a much darker, deeper turn. The story becomes something more layered than missing phones or queen bees: it dives into murder, trauma, secrets, and power.

The dual POV added a lot of dimension, though I’ll admit, I was a little confused at times (especially early on). Still, I appreciated how the different voices helped build tension and made me question everything and everyone.

This book really caught me off guard. It’s messy, tense, and full of twists. Don’t be fooled by the “high school” setting, this mystery runs deep.

The first 60% was good loved the mystery/thriller aspect but once you figure everything out abou Inez everything feel apart.
I felt like the last 40% was complet filler.

I really enjoyed this book. Mystery/thrillers are the books I typically enjoy reading so this was right up my alley. I liked the pacing, the storyline and the characters. I'll read more from this author in the future.

I feel like everything I want to say about this book is a spoiler. It’s just so good and written so well. The twists and turns are bright and unexpected. I enjoyed seeing where these characters would end up.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

That Kind of Girl ended up being a story that has a lot more depth to it than it appears on the surface. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The story revolves around Inez and Roxie, one appears to be running from something and the other is someone who tracks things down for people. They end up on a collision course with each other as their stories intertwine in unexpected ways.

The storytelling on this one was really well done. The characters were likable, and the mystery was well paced with some great mechanisms to make you think. I highly recommend thi one.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this with beginning and Inez's initial POV, but the characters quickly grew on me and I was invested. Throughout the first 2/3 I had no idea how everything was going to tie together but it all came together really nicely and wrapped up cleanly. There were still a few questions left unanswered in my opinion - like we never fully got an explanation for why Kirsten was talking to Hank unless I missed something - but the book was definitely well done and everything ended up tying into each other in a well-done way. At times I felt like it might have been too much, with Roxie's backstory, plus trying to find Inez, plus trying to figure out the main mystery, plus trying to solve Great Aunt Regina's puzzle to find the diamonds, but the writing is so good and kept me so hooked that I always wanted to know what the whole story was, so it kept me engaged even when I was nervous that there was too much going on for it to be done well. All in all, a really great book and I'm excited to read more by the author!