Review: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

Published: September 20, 2016

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it.

Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone.

As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.

My Thoughts

I didn’t know exactly what to expect from this book but I really liked it. We meet Alex who is trying to deal with her sister’s death and we see what it has done to her family. From the beginning we know that she is a killer, really she is she killed her sister’s killer. We also know that she doesn’t have any remorse, she is simply a cold-hearted killer and she makes no excuses for it.

We see her open herself up to make friends and while she tries to fit in she knows that darkness she has will never go away. She becomes friends with PeeKay and she even falls for Jack but she can't suppress all that anger and she knows those feelings aren’t normal. Meanwhile, Jack is falling for Alex but feels bad because he knows something about the night her sister died and is scared to tell her knowing she may never forgive him. As they get closer Alex wants to be honest with Jack and tell him her secrets but knows if she confesses she will lose him forever. What is she to do?

I found this read dark and at times very uncomfortable to read but I get it. I get that Alex has issues and that it has more to do than just her sister's death. These issues come from deep within her and she has to deal with them. This novel was a good read even though it deals with dark issues but I liked how they were dealt with and its one read that you should take a chance on.