The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall
- 23 hours ago
- 2 min read
After reading Kate Alice Marshall's previous novel published in 2023, What Lies in the Woods, which had a spooky vibe and a premise that I hadn't read before, I decided to give her most recent book a try. The Girls Before was published in February of 2026 and it deals with references of addiction including overdose, animal cruelty, bullying, child abuse, child death, confinement, emotional abuse, gun violence, torture, blood, kidnapping, grief, reference to a car accident ending in injury, murder, toxic friendship, and death of a parent.
Audrey Dixon never left home. How could she when Janie could still be there? Instead, she works as a high school counselor and volunteers for search and rescue shifts when needed. Though she's never said it, Audrey continues to look for Janie. Hoping, and also not hoping, to find her one day. Her once best friend who she didn't think to look for until it was too late and Janie's trail had gone cold. But this time, Audrey is caught by the story of another teenaged girl from an unhappy home who disappeared one day, but no one ever really went looking for her. Just like Stranger, who no one is looking for. All Stranger has for company is the scribbles on the wall and her rapidly dying flashlight, after that she will be trapped all alone in the dark.
If you're looking for something that has an underlying tone of worry - this might be the book for you. I did feel low key anxious much of the time. I wouldn't really consider it a gothic feel, but it was tense. It really kept me engaged and interested, I was always eager to know what happened next. POVs switch between the two main characters: Stranger and Audrey, and the author really knows when to switch between them to keep the intrigue intriguing. As for how you feel about those characters, Audrey made so many bad decisions that I was very irritated at her and more concerned for the people she roped into her plans. She's probably going to give Len high blood pressure. I would have loved to have any character progression on her part but you really don't get any. As for the secondary characters, they're pretty flat and monotone. I did like the dog though - he was the real MVP of the story and the one I cared about the most.
I'm giving The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall 3.75 out of 5. An intriguing plot that ended in an off the rails way that seems just outside of realistic with a lackluster cast and a slightly uneasy feeling. If you like thrillers as a general rule, you'll probably like this one, but I wish it had more character connection.
For more from the author, check out https://katemarshallbooks.com/
Pairs well with a mushroom, sausage and spinach egg scramble and having a dog that failed tracking school for being too excited.
My favorite quotes:
"Sometimes I wonder if he's the one who taught me that life is devotion to someone despite their disinterest. And despite the marks they leave on your skin."
"'I'm remembering all of a sudden how much this witch doesn't like men.'"
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