Missing Dead Girls

I’ll be honest: *Missing Dead Girls* frustrated me at first. The setup—a traumatized transplant and a queen bee with skeletons—felt like familiar YA territory. But about an hour in, the audiobook’s strengths started to emerge, and they’re all in the *performance*. Kimberly Woods doesn’t just narrate; she *embodies* the duality of these girls. Her Tillie sounds like she’s holding her breath, words clipped and careful, while Madison’s voice drips with the kind of charm that makes you forget she’s manipulating you. The contrast is electric, especially in scenes where their dialogues overlap, and the audio format amplifies the tension in ways print couldn’t. That said, the pacing is uneven. The first half drags with repetitive small-town beats (how many times can they meet at the diner?), and the mystery’s payoff feels rushed compared to the meticulous buildup. I also wished Walters had leaned harder into the supernatural vibes hinted at early on—there’s a moment involving a missing girl’s necklace that *begs* for more atmosphere, but the audiobook plays it straight. Still, the ending stuck with me for days, mostly because Woods sells the hell out of the ambiguity. If you like your thrillers moody, character-driven, and just a little messy, this is a solid pick—but don’t expect the tight, twisty plot of a Karen McManus novel. It’s more *Sharp Objects* for the YA set, with all the uncomfortable intimacy that implies.