The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre
Rating: 5/5 stars
“I like the sound of screams- real screams, not the pathetic excuse that most movies try to pass off as the sound of terror“
Deanna Madden lives most of her life as JessReilly19, a seductive college freshman who spends hours on hours having internet sex with men and women from around the world. When she isn’t earning insane amounts of cash via the pay-by-minute feature on her private website, Deanna locks herself up in a two-bedroom apartment and tries to push away her homicidal fantasies. Deanna has a daily routine that only has one rule:Don’t Kill Anyone. This rule is fairly easy to keep so long as she stays locked up and alone, but Deanna finds herself in a situation that requires her to be around people, people she could potentially kill.
This book was fantastic. I know that so many thrillers are compared to Gone Girl these days, but this book really took me on a ride similar to the ones Gillian Flynn writes. I found myself flying through the pages towards the last third of the novel. I was stuck between “get to the ending ASAP” and “try to savor every page of this incredible novel”. The first thought took over my brain and I, consequently, probably missed some really cool plot details.
I really like the light that this book shone on people, specifically women, working in the sex industry. Deanna is a full-time internet sex cammer and is in control of all of her sessions. If a man is getting too creepy or aggressive, she has the power to disconnect and block them from further contact. She is an empowered woman who finds no shame in the way she lives her life. She is content with her lifestyle, not miserable as some people would presume. I thought this was an extremely positive quality of the novel.
The Girl in 6E had been sitting on my bookshelf for a few months before I picked it up this week. I think I was mentally preparing myself for a heavy thriller. This was such an exciting read and I’m glad I got to it this month. I’m looking forward to the sequel.