two childhood friends, Syl and Viola, have a complicated, secretive bond that unravels tragically when Syl is found dead and Viola disappears. Told through alternating perspectives, this psychological suspense novel lets readers choose which side of the story to hear first, as both girls' truths come to light in a shocking twist.

Dead Girls Don't Talk gives readers a choose your own story at the very beginning of the book. I found this to be a quite unique way to write a thriller and enjoyed the concept. Sylvia and Viola are best friends and after Sylvia dies in a tragic accident, we learn the events that led to Sylvia's death.

The writing of the novel was well done. The typical story arcs of friendship and growing up in a high school setting are present with tenuous friendship (Viola getting annoyed with having Sylvia around all the time).

I found the character building and depth was very well done. Sylvia is a complex character and she feels inferior to her best friend Viola. She is a wallflower while Viola commands attention. Viola and Sylvia fight a lot more than they get along, as Viola resents Sylvia for taking up her parents' attention and never having space on her own.

The dual point of view sections of the book was well done. I read the novel in chronological order with Sylvia's point of view first. We learn that Sylvia has died in a car accident, and Sylvia claims Viola moved her body to put Sylvia at fault. Themes of betrayal, lies, jealousy, and coming into your own are prevalent throughout the novel.

The imagery in the writing style is well done. The way the author writes about Sylvia looking in on her dead body at the opening of the book painted a vivid picture!

Given the overall theme the ending left me a bit disappointed. But overall i really enjoyed this read.

‘Dead Girls Don’t Talk’ by Sandra J. Paul is a mystery/thriller novel that asks the question: whose story do you believe? Syl and Viola, born on the same day, growing up on the same street, were destined to be best friends. Except life gets in the way and their perfect friendship begins to crack, until it all comes crumbling down, culminating in a huge tragedy. Two girls, one car accident: one is dead, the other is missing. What really happened? Viola has disappeared and Syl… Well, dead girls don’t talk, do they?

This is a book of two halves, literally. There are two sides to every story, and in this book, you choose whose version of events you read first, before you find out The Truth. This book was set in a caricature of a small, All-American town: everybody knows everybody, keeping up appearances, don’t break the status quo etc etc. I’ve seen some criticism on how accurate this is, but as a Brit who last went to the US as a kid visiting Disney, I don’t feel I can comment on that.

Our two narrators, and main characters, are Syl and Viola. Syl is your classic, quiet ‘good girl’ and she would tell you that Viola is her antithesis: chaotic, loud, and manipulative. Or is she? Because Viola would say, yeah, she is those things BUT Syl isn’t perfect either. In fact, Viola would tell you that Syl is the truly manipulative one, not her.

And therein lies the fun in this book. Choose who you read first, then choose who you believe. The premise is, honestly, right up my street and I had really high hopes for this.

Starting with the positives: alongside a brilliant premise, this book is fast-paced and our narrators are hella unreliable (which I love). Trying to piece together what each girl said and comparing it to the other was most of the fun of reading this. I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding their friendship and its implosion, and unravelling the threads one by one. The book has short chapters and plenty of twists and turns that could keep the reader engaged throughout.

However, this was the real issue. This book had so much potential that it unfortunately didn’t live up to. The two sides of the same story could have been done so much better, instead of just repeating events from a different POV. Despite these two girls being described as very different, their narratives were incredibly similar and neither of their voices were particularly strong. Add that to a plot/timeline errors, and it made for a sometimes confusing experience. I also found it incredibly difficult to connect emotionally to any of the characters, which is a shame, as there could have been some real emotional sucker punches. Moreover, the dialogue was a little… unrealistic. Again, I’m no longer a teenager but I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief that people actually talk to each other in this way. It just took me out of the story every so often.

And as for the twist? It fell flat for me. I sort of knew whose side I was going to land on, but I just felt more could have been done. I found myself thinking whether the narrators were truly unreliable, or was it more that the author was tangling themselves up?

Overall, this was a case of great idea with a not-so-great execution. I appreciated the concept but feel it fell a little flat, which is a shame, because there was so much potential.

2.5 🌟

I read the ARC on Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

Wow, what a book. There are two girls here. One is dead one is not. Both are involved in a car crash that kills one girl.

The book is the best he said she said I've read so far. There are three parts here, Syl's pov, Vi's PoV and the truth.

The starting of the book is great, Syl's entire pov. Viola's pov gets a little me bore, but then the book picks up pace.

This book gives you the option to choose whose side of the story you read first- Viola (still alive) or Syl (dead). I started with Viola then Syl and thought the order doesn’t matter, I wish I had done the opposite and started with Syl. It’s a fun aspect that makes the reader a bit more involved but I don’t know that it added much.

Syl and Viola are teens who at first glance are going through fairly typical issues- jealousy, first relationships, sexuality, family dynamics/problems- but as you continue to read, it is obvious there is a lot more and a lot crazier things going on. Some of the “twists” were predictable but ultimately I wasn’t able to guess them all which was a plus for me considering it’s a YA novel.

The characters left a lot to be desired. I think the atmosphere of the book is well-developed, but the characters themselves I think needed more depth.

3 stars
-arc review -
(thankyou to netgalley for the arc to read this book )

so this book was written in a unique but good way .
I've never read a book like this before .
I didn't really like the character of viola as I found her having a condescending attitude and felt she treated syl like shit but I did understand why ,
I loved the charactor of syl as she was nice to viola even though she was treated like shit by viola .
And I loved how there parents where connected in ways .
AND FUCK SYLS PARENTS

this was such a fun read! i really loved the dual point of view format and the fact that you can choose which one to read first—it made the reading experience feel really unique, and both stories felt fresh and original in their own way, with neither overshadowing the other.

my only critique is that i wish there were more differences between the two, because once you get to your second pov (mine was syl’s), you already know most of the twists, and there’s not a ton of new info added. i was still invested, but i did find myself speeding through by the end just to reach the epilogue.

still, this was a total page turner with a solid ending that managed to surprise me in a satisfying way. four stars.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

First, I want to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

The concept sounded unique and fun. However, the execution failed.
My expectations weren't that high to begin with since it's a YA thriller, and yet I ended up disappointed. I only wanted this to be fun, and sadly, it wasn't. It was boring.

Partly at fault for that is the fact that this was incredibly predictable. Right from the beginning, I had guessed all the plottwist. If you've never read a thriller in your entire life, you may enjoy the plotline. Otherwise, you'll probably guess everything right from the start.
An additional problem was the fact that the characters fell entirely flat. They had no distinct personality traits, and the two POVs read exactly the same. Not a single person felt real, and the dialogs were so incredibly unrealistic that I struggled to read them. I'm sorry, but no one talks like that. The fact that the authors native language isn't English probably is at fault for that. The writing felt very inexperienced. Oftentimes, words were used that didn't fit the context, and the writing was very stiff and akward.

Sadly, even the seemingly unique concept of getting to choose a Pov fell flat for me. Regardless of which pov you chose to read first, reading the second part will be even more boring than the first since they're so very similar. It's basically the exact same storyline told with different emotions. I didn't see the point in having to read the story twice.

This could have been pretty fun. However, it lacked proper editing and probably should have been written in the native language instead.

Fast-paced and full of twists, this thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story took another sharp turn. A gripping read from start to finish!

I was so disappointed. The concept of this book was so interesting but that wasn't enough to save it for me. Maybe it was lost in translation?

DNF @ 6%.

I genuinely kept trying to restart this book, and I just can’t. I think maybe it’s just a me thing, but I’m very thrown off.

Regardless, I am SO thankful for the opportunity to try to review and read this e-arc from Sandra J. Paul and Skyscape (publisher) via Net Galley. ❤️

I love that you get both sides of the story between the "best" friends. I really believed Syl's version to be honest, because in both of their stories, Viola wasn't that good of a person.

And Love Hill is not really a town that makes you happy. You can't be yourself in this town, because the people who live there only trust themselves and they like to gossip when someone does something wrong in their eyes. It is a rich town so if you don't have a lot of money you won't get in there.

You could choose which side you started with first and in the middle is what really happened between the two friends.

I was very shocked when I started reading the middle part and I really thought this couldn't really have happened.

if you love crime scene books then I would recommend this book for you. And you really need to think twice sometimes of who had killed Syl.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and author for this arc.

Getting both sides of the coin is scary and can leave you wondering at all times . I love the way this was written , being able to choose who’s story or side you wanted to hear first , and go to believe ugh this was super cool !

I loved this one and I also love the cover please keep it and thank you for allowing me to read this book!!! I enjoyed it to the very last page I love how everything came together it was a page turner

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

A really interestingly written and structured book. I've never read a book where you can choose the structure of how you read it.
A book of two stories, there are always two. Perspectives and in this book we have both Violets and Syl's. But whose side of the story will you start with? One of them is killed, but who is to blame?
It was interesting to get both perspectives but I did at times find it slightly repetitive. At times it almost felt like a diary entry that you were reading.
However, there is a great plot twist at the end which ups the anty and keeps you really engaged all the way until the end.

Dead Girls Don’t Talk is a gripping psychological thriller that dives deep into the haunting secrets of a small town, and the chilling consequences of truth left untold. Sandra J. Paul masterfully crafts an atmospheric mystery, blending suspense, emotion, and unexpected twists into a fast-paced narrative that’s hard to put down.

The story revolves around a mysterious death and the unraveling of dark truths through the eyes of a protagonist who may—or may not—be reliable. Paul’s writing pulls you into a world where no one is quite what they seem, and silence becomes just as dangerous as any spoken word. With vivid descriptions and sharp dialogue, she keeps readers on edge, questioning every character’s motives.

What sets this book apart is its layered storytelling. It doesn’t just deliver thrills—it explores deeper themes like guilt, grief, and the complexities of human relationships. The pacing is tight, the characters are intriguing, and the final reveal is both satisfying and haunting.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers with an emotional edge, Dead Girls Don’t Talk will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Dead Girls Don’t Talk is a thrilling page-turner packed with unexpected twists. I loved the unique narrative structure where you can choose whose perspective to follow first—it added such a fresh dynamic to the story! The book is an easy read, full of suspense, and never lets up with one plot twist after another. It’s fast-paced, unpredictable, and kept me hooked from start to finish. A must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery!

Ohhhh where do I start? I loved this book! Two girls in different situations and different points of view. Which is the truth? I loved every second of this one! I'm a sucker for books that have two or more points of view throughout the book and this one was no exception! Had me thinking I knew, then knowing I didn't know, suspecting, and second guessing all the way through! It was all tied up neatly in a bow at the end. Definitely will be recommended from me to whoever will listen.