Girl A is Abigail Dean’s debut book and it is a doozy. If you want an uplifting, happy book, Girl A is not for you. This book delves into child abuse and how it affects children throughout their lives. I would call it haunting.
Lex Gracie is the main character. She is a lawyer, living her life after suffering childhood trauma. She was not the only child in the Gracie family and they all had their share of torture. Mental disorders assuredly played a role in this abuse.
The atrocities the children experienced are intertwined throughout the book with what is happening in the present time as Lex deals with her mother’s will. Abigail Dean feeds the reader just enough information at a time to make you want more. The ending was a real shocker and probably not something you expected.
As a retired teacher, I know that some children go through horrific experiences at home. I also know that there are many more who don’t speak up or show outward signs to those around them. Sadly, they don’t receive the help they need. Reading Girl A as a fictional story, made me think about all the real kids who suffer silently. Maybe that was Abigail’s plan when writing this. Make sure you look for those signs.
