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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
It felt like the main characters were investigating a lot of different things for most of the book that ended up not having much to do with who the actual culprit was or how they figured it out which made it slightly less satisfying when they did. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it.
I didn’t connect to this story at all. The world was dark and I was not in the frame of mind for how dark it was. But, also, I it was just not my cup of tea, dark or not.
The main character is deeply damaged, and never truly acknowledges it. Only a little at the end. She conducts the investigation of a missing girl with hubris and intuition alone. How she’s been able to keep her job as a detective has to be pure luck. And the ending wasn’t satisfying, like I’d hope.
Oh well.
The main character is deeply damaged, and never truly acknowledges it. Only a little at the end. She conducts the investigation of a missing girl with hubris and intuition alone. How she’s been able to keep her job as a detective has to be pure luck. And the ending wasn’t satisfying, like I’d hope.
Oh well.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this because A. I’ve read her other novels (all historical fiction) and really enjoyed them, and B. several book people I follow got advance copies and raved about it. I didn’t pay too close attention to the details of the story before I picked it up.
Had I known what it was about, I likely wouldn’t have read it. The subject matter is dark (the abduction and abuse of young girls). There are no horrific details here, nothing that feels exploitative or sensationalized, but even without gory details, the impact of this story is intense. I tend to be a sensitive reader when it comes to this kind of thing.
All that said, I read it and I’m giving it four stars. McLain is a talented writer, and she’s given us her most personal novel yet. In the author’s note she shares her connection to the main character: she too was abandoned by both parents and raised in foster care. Her deep understanding of trauma and its lasting impact comes through these pages. It’s a good book! Just know going in that it’s not a light read.
Had I known what it was about, I likely wouldn’t have read it. The subject matter is dark (the abduction and abuse of young girls). There are no horrific details here, nothing that feels exploitative or sensationalized, but even without gory details, the impact of this story is intense. I tend to be a sensitive reader when it comes to this kind of thing.
All that said, I read it and I’m giving it four stars. McLain is a talented writer, and she’s given us her most personal novel yet. In the author’s note she shares her connection to the main character: she too was abandoned by both parents and raised in foster care. Her deep understanding of trauma and its lasting impact comes through these pages. It’s a good book! Just know going in that it’s not a light read.
Oh, good gracious. WHEN THE STARS GO DARK is a punch to the gut in all the best ways a five star book should be.
Based on true missing children’s cases, this book is not for the faint of heart. Paula McLain took a hard left from her previous historical fiction novels (which I also loved!) to write this gritty mystery. Paula pulls from her own experiences in the foster care system and as a sexual abuse survivor, making for a truly raw novel.
The vulnerability in the writing can only come from someone who knows the depths of childhood brokenness Paula has personally experienced and risen from. She leaves it all on the table.
If you’re like me and had a major book hangover after We Begin at the End, put this one at the top of your list.
Based on true missing children’s cases, this book is not for the faint of heart. Paula McLain took a hard left from her previous historical fiction novels (which I also loved!) to write this gritty mystery. Paula pulls from her own experiences in the foster care system and as a sexual abuse survivor, making for a truly raw novel.
The vulnerability in the writing can only come from someone who knows the depths of childhood brokenness Paula has personally experienced and risen from. She leaves it all on the table.
If you’re like me and had a major book hangover after We Begin at the End, put this one at the top of your list.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really liked the (dark) atmosphere and the descriptions of nature in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Sexual violence
dark
mysterious
slow-paced