Girls of Little Hope by Sam Beckbessinger and Dale Halvorsen Review

Title: Girls of Little Hope

Author: Sam Beckbessinger and Dale Halvorsen

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Titan Books

Pages: 384

Release Date: 13 June 2023

Goodreads | Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | B&N 

 

Hello fellow booklovers! Today I'm back with my review for Girls of Little Hope by Sam Beckbessinger and Dale Halvorsen. Have you ever read a book that was eerie and yet, soo utterly fascinating you were unable to put it down?

Well, that’s what Girls of Little Hope was for me— a fabulously weird and unexpectedly compelling Horror that perfectly captures the anxiety, angst and (relatable) growing pains of adolescence. But with a much needed (and surprisingly bloody) supernatural twist, that’s guaranteed to keep even the most seasoned Horror fans on their toes.

Synopsis

Three girls went into the woods. Only two came back, covered in blood and with no memory of what happened. Or did they?

Being fifteen is tough, tougher when you live in a boring-ass small town like Little Hope, California (population 8,302) in 1996. Donna, Rae and Kat keep each other sane with the fervour of teen girl friendships, zine-making and some amateur sleuthing into the town’s most enduring mysteries: a lost gold mine, and why little Ronnie Gaskins burned his parents alive a decade ago.

Their hunt will lead them to a hidden cave from which only two of them return alive. Donna the troublemaker can’t remember anything. Rae seems to be trying to escape her memories of what happened, while her close-minded religious family presses her for answers. And Kat? Sweet, wannabe writer Kat who rebelled against her mom’s beauty pageant dreams by getting fat? She’s missing. Dead. Or terribly traumatised, out there in the woods, alone.

As the police circle and Kat’s frantic mother Marybeth starts doing some investigating of her own, Rae and Donna will have to return to the cave where they discover a secret so shattering that no-one who encounters it will ever be the same.

Review

I loved every deliciously creepy second of this! I’m not usually a huge Horror reader, but the atmospheric and expertly detailed, small town setting (complete with sinister undercurrent) and compelling, misfit characters had me utterly hooked.

Donna, the first character we’re introduced to is portrayed as quite impulsive and the most vocal of the trio but her sense of loyalty, compassion and long hidden vulnerabilities really made her one of my favourite characters.

Rae, our other “survivor” is resident ‘good girl’ who comes from a respectable, church going family who’s perceived perfection and conservative values have forced Rae into a suffocating state of repression and self loathing that was truly heart breaking to watch unravel.

Kat, our amateur sleuth and budding journalist is the only character whose POV is told via journal entries which really added a sense of intimacy and allowed us to explore their deep bond of friendship in such exquisite detail.

We also get to explore Kat’s mum Marybeth’s POV, whose complicated mother-daughter relationship juxtaposes perfectly with Kat’s innermost thoughts and really captures the flaws and nuances that really make up this fascinating, formidable and surprisingly three dimensional supporting character.

As well as Kat’s diary entries, we’re also treated to newspaper articles and Riot Grrl-esque ‘Zine pages, which cleverly immerses us in the history of Little Hope, its supernatural goings on and the angsty 90s high school experience without the pace slowing down or becoming too info dumpy.

I can’t say much else without spoiling the plot but, if you love shockingly twisty, House of Hollow meets Stranger Things-style, Horror then you definitely need to add this to your TBR, just check TWs beforehand.

Also, a huge thank you to Kabriya over at Titan Books for the proof.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

About The Authors

Sam Beckbessinger is the author of the bestselling Manage Your Money Like a Fucking Grownup and the novel Girls of Little Hope (co-authored with Dale Halvorsen). Her interactive story about climate change, Survive the Century, was featured in New Scientist and Gizmodo.

She teaches creative writing at Bath Spa University, writes kids' TV and picture books, once wrote for Marvel, and is weirdly obsessed with spreadsheets. She grew up on a farm near Durban with a pet donkey named Mr Magoo, but now lives in London.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads

Dale Halvorsen is the co-creator of the Vertigo horror series Survivors’ Club with Lauren Beukes and Ryan Kelly. He also collaborated with Lauren on one-shot comics ‘Durham Red’ for 2000AD, and ‘CHUM’ in Strange Sports Stories (Vertigo). And collaborated with Sam Beckbessinger on Girls of Little Hope.

He’s an internationally award-winning book cover designer, graphic designer and illustrator who can tell you about every horror movie ever made. He’s also proudly autistic. He lives in Cape Town, South Africa.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads