Thank you to NetGalley and Hogarth for access to an early release copy of

Welcome to Nilab’s world in Good Girl; a carefree lifestyle of drugs and party in Berlin. At 19, society and child of a lower class Afghan family pressures Nilab into being “good” but does she really want to be? Overall, the story conveys that more like a coming of age, a teen figuring out her own independence and freedom.

You sense her every emotion, from her “know it all”ness of being young and her tragic disappointment in the world that’s been presented to her. She feels authentic. Marlowe, the thirty something man who seems to be the change in her life; but like a lot of 19 year old women, her longing for him seems more than his for her. Marlowe was irritating and childish, written to perfection.

I liked the way the author introduced the character’s  culture and heritage, and the way the past was interwoven into moments of her everyday life. It felt done seamlessly. This could be heartbreaking and frustrating but what about 19 isn’t. I would have loved to see the character have some residual growth; it was a lot of repetitive mistakes. But if you’re a glutton for punishment….

Facing both society and cultural demands of being a young woman, this portrays it nicely. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being a highly talked about book of 2025.