It was a delight to read a book that focuses on strong girls from backgrounds that aren't often seen - in fiction, or anywhere at all. Written in the first person plural, the author invites the reader to be part of the circle of friends. While the writing can sometimes veer into the slightly sappy and the level of diversity in a single group of friends seems unlikely, it's still a satisfying read that makes you root for these brave young women.

It's a brisk page turner with some nice twists. The frustrating aspect of the book is that the narrator is not particularly realistic. He's supposedly smart yet he is both excited about murder but is deeply concerned about the impact of frightening, local murders on his kids' psychological well-being. This did not make much sense to me.
I wish the publisher hadn't referenced Mr & Mrs Smith on the book back as that reference gives too much away.

The format of the novel is interesting and there are good twists in the story but the pacing is too slow. It became a slog to get through.