Lo Patrick’s latest offering, Fast Boys and Pretty Girls, delivers a masterfully crafted Southern Gothic mystery that explores the devastating ripple effects of first love, family secrets, and the inescapable weight of the past. This slow-burn psychological thriller confirms Patrick’s position as a formidable voice in contemporary Southern fiction, following her acclaimed novels The Floating Girls and The Night the River Wept.
A Story That Unfolds Like Memory Itself
The narrative structure of Fast Boys and Pretty Girls mirrors the fragmented nature of memory and trauma. Patrick employs a dual timeline that weaves between 2019, when human remains are discovered in the ravine behind Danielle’s childhood home, and 2002-2004, chronicling her tumultuous teenage years as a model in New York City and her destructive relationship with Benji Law. This temporal dance creates an almost hypnotic reading experience, pulling readers deeper into Danielle’s psychological landscape with each chapter.
The story begins when Danielle Greer’s four daughters discover bones in the woods behind their family’s Victorian home on Bell Road in Pressville, Georgia. What initially appears to be a routine investigation quickly unravels into something far more sinister, forcing Danielle to confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets that have shaped her family for over a decade. The bones belong to Louisa Radcliffe, a teenage model who disappeared around the same time as Benji Law’s fatal motorcycle accident, and their discovery threatens to expose truths that have been buried for fifteen years.
Character Development: Flawed and Painfully Human
Patrick’s greatest strength lies in her ability to create deeply flawed, authentic characters who feel genuinely human in their complexity. Danielle Greer emerges as a protagonist who is both sympathetic and frustrating, caught between her teenage self’s desperate need for validation and her adult understanding of the consequences of her actions. Her relationship with Benji Law is portrayed with unflinching honesty, capturing the all-consuming nature of first love and the way it can warp judgment and self-worth.
The supporting cast is equally well-developed, particularly Danielle’s mother, Deb Greer, who serves as both protector and destroyer in her daughter’s life. Deb’s fierce love for her daughter manifests in ways that are both admirable and horrifying, creating a complex moral landscape where love and violence intertwine. Detective Cady Benson, the childhood acquaintance turned investigator, provides a compelling counterpoint to Danielle’s perspective, representing both the past’s persistent grip and the possibility of redemption.
The Dark Underbelly of the Modeling World
Patrick’s portrayal of the modeling industry is particularly incisive, offering a raw glimpse into a world that preys on young women’s insecurities while promising them everything they think they want. Danielle’s experiences in New York City feel authentic and devastating, from her manipulative agent Claudia to the constant pressure to maintain an impossible standard of beauty. The author captures the way the industry can strip away identity, leaving young women like Danielle searching for validation in increasingly destructive ways.
The relationship between Danielle and fellow model Louisa Radcliffe is expertly crafted, building tension through subtle jealousy and competition. Patrick avoids the trap of making Louisa a simple rival, instead presenting her as another young woman caught in the same destructive system, making her ultimate fate all the more tragic.
Atmospheric Setting and Gothic Elements
The Georgia mountain setting becomes almost a character itself, with Bell Road serving as both sanctuary and prison for the Greer family. Patrick’s descriptions of the winding, dangerous roads and the thick, oppressive forests create an atmosphere of claustrophobia and foreboding that permeates the entire narrative. The Victorian house on Bell Road, with its deteriorating grandeur and dark secrets, serves as a perfect Gothic backdrop for the family’s unraveling.
The author’s use of Southern Gothic elements is particularly effective, from the cursed nature of Bell Road to the way the past literally lies buried in the earth, waiting to be discovered. The supernatural undertones never overwhelm the realistic elements of the story, instead enhancing the sense of inevitability and doom that hangs over the characters.
Strengths That Shine Through
Authentic Voice and Dialogue
Patrick’s ear for dialogue is exceptional, capturing the distinct voices of both small-town Georgia and the New York modeling world. The conversations feel natural and reveal character through subtext, particularly in the exchanges between Danielle and her mother, which crackle with tension and unspoken history.
Psychological Depth
The exploration of trauma and its lasting effects is handled with remarkable sensitivity. Danielle’s inability to mature emotionally beyond her teenage years feels authentic rather than contrived, and her relationship with her own daughters provides a poignant contrast to her arrested development.
Moral Complexity
Perhaps most impressively, Patrick resists the urge to provide easy answers or clear-cut villains. Every character exists in shades of gray, making choices that are simultaneously understandable and horrifying. This moral ambiguity elevates the novel beyond simple mystery into a profound meditation on love, guilt, and forgiveness.
Areas Where the Novel Stumbles
While Fast Boys and Pretty Girls succeeds on many levels, it’s not without its flaws. The pacing occasionally suffers from the dual timeline structure, with some sections feeling rushed while others drag. The revelation of the truth behind Louisa’s death, while emotionally satisfying, feels somewhat inevitable given the careful breadcrumbs Patrick has laid throughout the narrative.
The novel also struggles with its large cast of characters, particularly Danielle’s four daughters, who occasionally blur together despite Patrick’s attempts to give each a distinct voice. Some secondary characters, like Grace from the Atlanta modeling agency, feel underdeveloped and serve primarily as plot devices rather than fully realized individuals.
Additionally, while the Southern Gothic atmosphere is generally effective, it sometimes threatens to overshadow the more subtle psychological elements of the story. The novel works best when it focuses on the intimate relationships between characters rather than the broader atmospheric elements.
Thematic Resonance and Social Commentary
Patrick uses the framework of a mystery to explore deeper themes about class, family loyalty, and the price of protecting those we love. The stark differences between Danielle’s privileged background and Benji’s impoverished circumstances highlight the ways in which class divides can make genuine connection nearly impossible. The novel also examines how women’s bodies become battlegrounds for competing desires and expectations, whether in the modeling world or in the context of small-town gossip.
The theme of motherhood runs particularly strong through the narrative, with Deb’s fierce protection of Danielle serving as both salvation and damnation. The parallel between Deb’s actions and Danielle’s own relationship with her daughters adds layers of complexity to the story’s exploration of how trauma passes from generation to generation.
Writing Style and Literary Merit
Patrick’s prose is both elegant and accessible, with moments of genuine beauty that elevate the material beyond genre fiction. Her ability to capture the voice of a teenager struggling with identity and belonging feels authentic without being patronizing. The author’s background in Southern literature is evident in her attention to place and character, creating a sense of authenticity that grounds even the most dramatic moments.
The novel’s structure, while occasionally challenging, ultimately serves the story well, mirroring the way memory works in real life – fragments of the past intruding on the present without warning or context. This technique requires patience from readers but rewards those who stick with it.
Final Verdict: A Haunting Achievement
Fast Boys and Pretty Girls is a haunting, beautifully written novel that lingers long after the final page. While it may not reach the heights of Patrick’s previous works, it offers a compelling exploration of how the past refuses to stay buried and how love can manifest in both beautiful and terrible ways. The novel succeeds as both a mystery and a character study, offering readers a complex, emotionally resonant experience that rewards careful attention.
Patrick has crafted a story that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary, addressing issues of class, gender, and family that remain relevant today. Despite its flaws, the novel stands as a testament to the power of Southern Gothic literature to illuminate the darkest corners of the human heart while offering glimpses of redemption and hope.
Similar Books Worth Exploring
Readers who appreciate Patrick’s blend of Southern Gothic atmosphere and psychological complexity might enjoy:
- Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn – A dark exploration of small-town secrets and family dysfunction
- The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh – A haunting mystery set in the Missouri Ozarks
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – Southern atmosphere with a coming-of-age mystery
- The Night the River Wept by Lo Patrick – Patrick’s previous novel exploring similar themes
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – Psychological thriller with unreliable narrators
- In the Woods by Tana French – Atmospheric mystery with psychological depth
Fast Boys and Pretty Girls confirms Lo Patrick’s talent for creating emotionally complex narratives that explore the intersection of love, violence, and memory. While not perfect, it’s a powerful addition to the Southern Gothic canon that will resonate with readers long after they’ve finished reading.