The Shining Girls By Lauren Beukes

Published: June 4th 2013

THE GIRL WHO WOULDN’T DIE HUNTS THE KILLER WHO SHOULDN’T EXIST.

The future is not as loud as war, but it is relentless. It has a terrible fury all its own.”

Harper Curtis is a killer who stepped out of the past. Kirby Mazrachi is the girl who was never meant to have a future.

Kirby is the last shining girl, one of the bright young women, burning with potential, whose lives Harper is destined to snuff out after he stumbles on a House in Depression-era Chicago that opens on to other times.

At the urging of the House, Harper inserts himself into the lives of the shining girls, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He’s the ultimate hunter, vanishing into another time after each murder, untraceable-until one of his victims survives.

Determined to bring her would-be killer to justice, Kirby joins the Chicago Sun-Times to work with the ex-homicide reporter, Dan Velasquez, who covered her case. Soon Kirby finds herself closing in on the impossible truth . . .

THE SHINING GIRLS is a masterful twist on the serial killer tale: a violent quantum leap featuring a memorable and appealing heroine in pursuit of a deadly criminal.

This book is a perfectly executed mashup of several different genres. Which is outstanding because readers are immediately drawn to this literary powerhouse of a book.

Science. Mystery. Drama. Time Travel. Murder. History….and the list continues. This book literally has everything. I pray to the movie God’s that this story is picked up and made into a cinematic masterpiece.

I absolutely adored the female protagonist, Kirby. She is a shining example for girls to look up to (no pun intended.) Kirby has a strong wit, survivor skills, a backbone and a thirst for justice. She mirrors all of our favourite strong women, which is utterly fantastic.   There needs to be more books where women are shown as strong, able and intelligent; rather than portrayed as the damsel in distress.

The story reads like a well-crafted puzzle. Your mind will go back and forth trying to put pieces together. It is well composed and keeps your mind active with questions. The reader feels as though they are a part of the story.

Fantastic read.

Thank you, Hachette Canada for the review copy.