Review: Tragedy Girl - Christine Hurley Deriso

Review: Tragedy Girl - Christine Hurley Deriso - April 2016 

There are some books that feel like they would be right at home on a quiet afternoon, curled up on the sofa with a cuppa and a blanket, and Tragedy Girl was one of those reads for me. What makes this one particularly interesting is that it was originally published a decade ago, back in 2016. Picking it up in 2026, I found myself enjoying this little trip back to a style of YA mystery that feels both familiar and refreshingly uncomplicated.

Anne has already been through more heartbreak than anyone her age should have to endure. Her parents have died in a car accident, leaving her trying to find her way through life while carrying that enormous loss with her. Then she meets Blake. He’s good looking, friendly and, perhaps most importantly, he understands grief. His girlfriend, Cara, drowned, although her body was never recovered. It seems almost inevitable that Anne would be drawn to him.

After all, they have something in common. Two tragedies, two broken hearts, and perhaps the possibility that they can help each other heal.

But as Anne begins to think she might finally have found something good amongst all the sadness, little warning bells start ringing. Her friends seem reluctant to leave her alone with Blake, and even the people closest to him appear uneasy whenever he is around. Then there are those whispers about what really happened to Cara.

And this is where I really enjoyed the mysterious notes from “A Friend.” They added another lovely layer of intrigue and gave the story that delicious little feeling of wondering who knew what, who could be trusted, and what might be lurking beneath the surface.

I did, however, find myself wishing we had delved a little deeper into what happened to Cara that night. With her body never recovered and so many rumours surrounding her disappearance, there was such a fantastic opportunity to really ramp up the suspense and keep us guessing. I would have loved a little more exploration of that mystery and for the tension surrounding Cara’s fate to be stretched just a bit further.

That said, Tragedy Girl is an engaging YA mystery with plenty of emotion at its heart. I liked the way grief and vulnerability shape Anne’s choices, and I enjoyed watching those little cracks appear in what initially seems like the perfect connection with Blake.

Ten years on from its original publication, Tragedy Girl still makes for an enjoyable, easy-to-settle-into mystery. It has secrets, rumours, questionable motives and just enough uneasiness to keep the pages turning.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4c8QPsb