Mary Kubica's THE GOOD GIRL (A book sort of review, but not really)

Definitely a page turner.  No hype at all!

Good thing I know it's not good to envy because for a newbie, Mary Kubica was able to conjure one of the best books of its genre of all time. 

The USELESS info that you may skip if you wish:

My first friend when we transferred "here", the one responsible for introducing me to all my first playmates(her bus mates)"here", is visiting her family(she'll fly back to the States tomorrow).   She now resides in Fresno, California, and has a family of her own(I was a witness/ninang for their civil wedding and a commentator/singer during her Church wedding...I am also a godmother to her twins).  Ever since we were little we were bookworms.  Honestly, we were both in single digit age(we're just months apart)when we first read all those romance books(they weren't trashy books---just too much for our young minds, but Lizelle was very bright---apart from the elders of my family and my teachers, some of the first big words I learned were from her---so she was level-headed about the things we read) we weren't supposed to read apart from all the nerdy type of books we loved even better.

Of course, the type of books I read changed when I was a born again Christian and those manuscripts I've written inspired by those stories I've read were burnt to a crisp. I started writing namby-pamby ones(the ones I let some Palanca awardee read...I guess he laughed and said, "This is it?" but I just obeyed my auntie when she told me not to let him or anybody else read "the good stuff"...they are supposed to be for sale---fyi he is a good person, but...).  Then I wrote for a Christian Magazine, focusing everything to and for God, even my poems, short stories, essays, vignettes, screenplays...yes, EVERYthing.  

Later, I chose some secular books that I could read with an open mind, but honestly, I won't read horror or thriller books on my own. I won't even buy them.

Lizelle gave me LOVELY BONES, a very chilling story.  It  became a movie too(starring Saoirse Ronan) years later, but it's not the type of book I would read if not for her.  I think she gave it during the time when my friend was brutally... It's a great book with a positive ending, so please don't miss out on reading it, but the timing was just off, but I appreciated it very, very much.

So there.

When Lizelle gave me this book and read the back cover, I said to myself, "Not again..." Lizelle was so sure I would love this.  I believe her, but I was apprehensive.  Something happened to mom and me in Ayala Center, Makati City.  Someone followed us surreptitiously (I just don't want to use that other better description) got stuff from  ME when mom was at another section of a certain bookstore. Yes.  A bookstore.

It was the SECOND time it happened in that bookstore(or somewhere near that bookstore, whatever the case may be).  Even if I cried about the money(I think they followed us from an ATM(second time too for that bank's ATM---when Automatic Teller Machines were new in this country we tried depositing and putting our envelope inside one---it sort of accepted the envelope---a stranger was nearby---looking worried---but she looked harmless---there were other machines---we didn't know we were in front of the wrong one---apparently, the stranger knew---seconds after we left, she got our envelope---the machine rejected it---always WAIT for the receipt, we later learned---the funny thing----as mom noted----it was the same amount of money---that money was worth more years ago when that stranger got our envelope---her child was in the hospital---so we're hoping the crook was in dire need too---but please, even if you are in dire need, please don't get money from others---no matter what your excuse is) near one of our favourite dessert places...we usually don't give our time to people who let us smell their soap, but somehow, we did...I am quite certain that even if they weren't in cahoots with the culprits, I am sure they saw EVERYTHING...(one of)our favourite dessert place crew couldn't be helpful because the CCTv system only covered the place itself...haist...I don't know why we chose that part of Ayala Center...it was so filled up that evening...I even prayed where to go, but it happened...dad said, "At least that's the only thing that happened..." I no longer have identification cards...I had to report all the cards and conjure affidavits of loss), I was more worried and I still am, about the details on my ids.  I know I am not supposed to 
manifest my fears, especially this is a public blog, but that's just how it is.  

I shall not fear, the dark of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.-Psalm 91:5(Dan Schutte's Blest Be The Lord)

My prayer now is that the one who got my wallet should just throw away or burn my ids(or give it to the Lost and Found section of Glorietta). That he or she was REALLY just in dire need(WHOEVER you are, I repeat, whatever your excuse is, you shouldn't get money from other people---what if we couldn't get home that evening because you got everything???? Please don't do that again.  I don't want to think you're from the syndicate). It's a long shot, but that's my hope and my prayer(no, I won't talk about the other 'things').


THE GOOD GIRL
I stared at the book my good friend of forty years gave me.  I read the blurb.  There was something about it that made me read it.  The book, I mean.   I was tempted to look at the last page, but I told myself that might ruin it for me.

There were good things said about this book that the publisher chose and I wondered if it's all hype.  I started reading.  My goodness, I was hooked.

There are lots of flashbacks, but you won't get lost.  Her writing style would make the most unimaginative reader have creative thoughts and ideas.

Yes,  the ones describing this book weren't kidding at all.   It is indeed riveting and it does get under our skin.

When I finally got to the ending I know it's not unique, but before getting there, you might get scared at first, but later on, like a first time rider of a roller coaster with several loops and deep dips, you would later enjoy the ride.

Mary Kubica, I don't know if you've got your second book out already, but I'm going to wait for it if it's not yet out there.  You've inspired me too.

The characters you made us meet are like our friends.  Yes, there are those creatures of the dark,  but there are good people too.

Thank YOU for this first offering.  I know you've written things in the past that is still kept on file, but I hope you get to share them one by one soon.

All the best!