The Good Daughter by Alexandra Burt Book Review

The Good Daughter by Alexandra Burt Book Review

The lowdown from Goodreads

Publication Date February 7, 2017

From the author of Remember Mia comes the tale of a young woman in search of her past, and the mother who will do anything to keep it hidden…
What if you were the worst crime your mother ever committed?
Dahlia Waller’s childhood memories consist of stuffy cars, seedy motels, and a rootless existence traveling the country with her eccentric mother. Now grown, she desperately wants to distance herself from that life. Yet one thing is stopping her from moving forward: she has questions.
In order to understand her past, Dahlia must go back. Back to her mother in the stifling town of Aurora, Texas. Back into the past of a woman on the brink of madness. But after she discovers three grave-like mounds on a neighboring farm, she’ll learn that in her mother’s world of secrets, not all questions are meant to be answered.

The Good Daughter by Alexandra Burt Book Review

So, I have to do it.  I have to review a book that I am Not Really Into.  When I saw the description for this book I was excited – as I have said before I am from Texas, and I still get lured in by its mystique.  I really wanted to like this book about a small town mystery, but it was just really hard for me to get into.  I struggled to finish and it felt like a chore to read.

The story of Dahlia Ealler and her mother, Memphis, is actually interesting and I think there is a really good book in here, however, it is hidden in a mess of a story with incredibly flowery language.  There were times I would just skim a page because it contained so many metaphors and not much content.  Dahlia’s life is a mystery to her and her mother is going crazy, so she and her friend from high school, a police officer, team together to figure it out.  But there are times where they miss big clues that left me frustrated, and I felt like I had it figured out fairly early on.  There is also a side story of Dahlia finding a girl in the woods that seemed to have no relation to the main story whatsoever!  I don’t know why it’s was there!

THE VERDICT

Alexandra Burt is clearly a talented author, and there is a great story hidden in this book – I just feel like it could use a heavy dose of editing before it is published.  I wanted to be Really Into This book, and there were times where I almost was, but at the end of the day, it felt like work to get through it.  But don’t count it completely out, it may be something that you are Really Into – especially after it is officially published on February 7, 2017.

Special thanks to Alexandra Burt, Berkley Books & NetGalley for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

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About the Author: Alexandra Burt

Alexandra Burt was born in a baroque town in the East Hesse Highlands of Germany. Mere days after her college graduation, she boarded a plane to the U.S and worked as a freelance translator. Determined to acknowledge the voice in the back of her head prompting her to break into literary translations, she eventually decided to tell her own stories. After three years of writing classes her short fiction appeared in online magazines and literary reviews.

She currently lives in Central Texas with her husband, her daughter, and two Labradors. She is an outspoken animal welfare supporter, and a proud vegan. One day she wants to live in a farmhouse and offer rescue dogs a comfy couch to live out their lives.

She is a member of Sisters In Crime, a nationwide network of women crime writers. Remember Mia is her first novel. She is currently working on her second novel.