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mariaologist's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and War
minimicropup's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Articulate. Enduring. Reserved.
🇺🇸🏫 Set in Vermont, USA. Mainly at the site of an all-girls boarding school (the kind where teen girls are sent when they aren’t wanted by their families or have no caregivers)
POVs: Third person. We follow the experiences and perspectives of four girls at an all-girl’s boarding school in the 1950s. We also see the past in the context of what is occurring in 2014, where our contemporary MC is a journalist wanting to dig deeper into the history of the site of the abandoned boarding school where their sister was found murdered.
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🐺Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags🐕
😢👍 This felt like a hyper-realistic story, almost a fictionalized re-telling of a true story. We get lots of small suspenseful and mysterious subplots that ultimately connect but not in a way that felt fictional if that makes sense?
😃 The writing is atmospheric, sensory, and observational. With the third person focused omniscient narration style we are able to understand what various MCs think and what shapes their views and motivations without baiting, omission, or over-explaining.
🫶 There are a lot of characters and that can be difficult for audio-only. I didn't have an issue keeping track because the writing style introduces us to them by weaving their traits into the story naturally, so I didn't feel like I had to take notes just to remember who was who. The layout of the boarding school and surrounding sites both in the 1950s and after it was abandoned was similarly woven in the story so I had no trouble imagining everything and situating the characters. Plus with this style of writing, you probably won't feel bogged down in details if you aren't an imaginations reader.
🫶 Reveals are paired with the creation of new mysteries in both timelines. We know who was killed early on for both times, so the suspense and mystery is how did it happen and who did it? Fiona is a journalist and her boyfriend is a police officer, and when she gains access to evidence, it feels like we are learning and investigating alongside her. Reading the past timelines adds context to what we just learned through Fiona's investigation.
🤔 I generally don't vibe with historical fiction (hard for me to connect to story sometimes) and I dislike war themes (too terrifying). Although both were present in this story, it was done in a way that didn't feel like a gratuitous heartstring-tug terror element. It felt like an important part of the story and was included in a respectful way that helps the reader understand how it affected lives beyond the obvious horrors.
😳 Near the end I started losing interest as past and present collided and the characters discussed their views while planning where to go from here. It wasn't drawn out necessarily, and we get answers and even some justice at the conclusion. I think I was just ready to move on to my next read, while happy with this one. I may be too used to ambiguous or abrupt endings to appreciate the more well-rounded ones.
🫤 I was annoyed by Fiona and her boyfriend in this first half or so of the story. While they were making googly-eyes at each other I wanted to get on with the 1950s timeline and what happened to the girls. I am not a huge fictional romance fan though, so it may be a me thing.
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🎙️ Narration was good except that all the male voices sounded croaky and kind of reminded me of old timey chain-smoking villains.
Mood Reading Match Up:
- Historical fiction coming-of-age friendship-by-proximity
- Puzzles and clues via investigative journalism of true crime type missing and murdered girls
- Touches of dark academia from abandoned boarding school paranormal horrors
- Can-they-make-it-work, lovers-to, touch of forbidden romance
- Interwoven themes of found family, teen friendship, convention and rebellion, morality, justice, courage, and tragedy
Content Heads-Up: Loss of a sibling. Parental rejection. Loss of family. War (recalled/memories; Nazi concentration camp, war crimes, prejudice and persecution). PTSD. Suicide attempt. Murder. Attempted murder. Sexual content (consenting). Corruption, abuse of power (law enforcement, institutional). Child abuse. Loss of a child.
Format: Library Audio via Libby
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and War
dalek_caan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I found the plot of this book to be really well executed. I did not expect that it would have quite so many layers as it did, I really enjoyed this author's method of storytelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Antisemitism, and Abandonment
Minor: Violence and War
hmstumfoll's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book started out slow for me but once the story went on it was a good read. A mystery with a misguided group of previous boarding school girls looking for justice for their murdered friend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Rape, Suicide attempt, and War
aliteracja's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Murder, and War
Minor: Antisemitism and Suicide attempt
rescuemama97's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War
bookcheshirecat's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
“That was what the books did—they turned off your thinking for you, put their thoughts in your head so you wouldn't have your own.”
➽ I'm on a mission to read all of Simone St. James' books, as they never miss! The Broken Girls is another one of her stories, that is told in dual timelines. In 2014 we follow Fiona, a journalist who couldn't let go of her sister's death even though they convicted the murderer. Since Idlewild Hall, a former boarding school, is being restored, she decides to dive deeper into its history. Back in 1950, Idlewild Hall was a place for troublemaker girls that no one else wanted and we follow a group of girls who are there for various reasons. I really liked how both timelines intersected, as Fiona tries to learn more about what happened back then and how it could be connected to her sister's murder!
➽ I'm on a mission to read all of Simone St. James' books, as they never miss! The Broken Girls is another one of her stories, that is told in dual timelines. In 2014 we follow Fiona, a journalist who couldn't let go of her sister's death even though they convicted the murderer. Since Idlewild Hall, a former boarding school, is being restored, she decides to dive deeper into its history. Back in 1950, Idlewild Hall was a place for troublemaker girls that no one else wanted and we follow a group of girls who are there for various reasons. I really liked how both timelines intersected, as Fiona tries to learn more about what happened back then and how it could be connected to her sister's murder!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Police brutality
Minor: Genocide, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Torture, and War
haleybre's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
b_lownds127's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed parts of this story, the ghost story for one, the 1950 storyline for another. The 2014 storyline felt forced and unrealistic to me, I did not feel the "romance" of the characters to be convincing and the Big Bad felt incredibly over the top.
<<<<<Spoiler:
I felt the resolution of the ghost story was too vague, I really enjoyed the resolution of the 1950 murder, and was irritated beyond tolerance by the end of the 2014 mystery. I felt the author was making a great point about the "good ole boy" cops and small town quid pro quo system with victim silencing accompanied by shoddy police work and then she completely went off the rails and gave us a cop willing to literally hide bodies, cover up murders, kill a journalist, and then shoot at his own son. All the believability ebbed away at that point and I feel the MC's conversation with the irritated chief of police at the end of the book made a better point than the rest of the "corrupt cop" storyline. >>>>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War
thexwalrus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
simone st. james is an absolutely incredible writer, and all of the things i adored from the sun down motel are just as present here in the broken girls.
the characters in this story are just as loveable and lovely as i expected, and the big cornerstone in this is friendship - sonia, roberta, katie, and cece are brought together by circumstance and end up loving each other as much as one human can love another person. they become a family, and the love between them runs so deep and makes each revelation ache in the best way. while it is a genuinely tense and spooky horror/thriller, it also feels like a love story about enduring friendship.
fiona and her father, malcom, are fiery, passionate characters - while malcom is only tertiary, he brings so much life to every part of the story he touches. fiona's perspective makes each of the people she meets more vibrant than they are to begin with - which is pretty damn vibrant, because st. james is a master at writing great characters. even characters i initially mistrusted end up being ones i opened my heart to - except for that one particular character i won't name because of spoilers. but if you read it, you'll know who i mean.
despite being, in essence, a story about five main characters, this ends up feeling like a visit to a small town where everyone knows everyone and everyone's pleased to see you; it captures the small town new england feel beautifully, and the way it's written feels like a raw, wet day in late autumn in vermont. basically, what i'm saying is it's perfect, and i loved every bit of it. absolutely read this.
the characters in this story are just as loveable and lovely as i expected, and the big cornerstone in this is friendship - sonia, roberta, katie, and cece are brought together by circumstance and end up loving each other as much as one human can love another person. they become a family, and the love between them runs so deep and makes each revelation ache in the best way. while it is a genuinely tense and spooky horror/thriller, it also feels like a love story about enduring friendship.
fiona and her father, malcom, are fiery, passionate characters - while malcom is only tertiary, he brings so much life to every part of the story he touches. fiona's perspective makes each of the people she meets more vibrant than they are to begin with - which is pretty damn vibrant, because st. james is a master at writing great characters. even characters i initially mistrusted end up being ones i opened my heart to - except for that one particular character i won't name because of spoilers. but if you read it, you'll know who i mean.
despite being, in essence, a story about five main characters, this ends up feeling like a visit to a small town where everyone knows everyone and everyone's pleased to see you; it captures the small town new england feel beautifully, and the way it's written feels like a raw, wet day in late autumn in vermont. basically, what i'm saying is it's perfect, and i loved every bit of it. absolutely read this.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and War
there are descriptions of a Ravensbrück, a concentration camp, and mentions of the torture women went through there, though none are so detailed i would consider them graphic.