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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
3,4⭐️
Не бих казала, че съм изключително впечатлена, но книгата не беше лоша. В началото ми вървеше по-мудно, но след средата започна да става наистина интересно. Обрата на края беше сравнително добър, но не бях особено впечатлена за да си кажа “Уау”.
Момичетата от пансиона бяха интересни, Фиона на моменти ми беше отегчаваща, а Джейми от самото начало не го харесах. Относно призрака на Мери Хенд, през цялото време ми напомняше на skinwalker, нищо че накрая и симпатизирах :))
Не бих казала, че съм изключително впечатлена, но книгата не беше лоша. В началото ми вървеше по-мудно, но след средата започна да става наистина интересно. Обрата на края беше сравнително добър, но не бях особено впечатлена за да си кажа “Уау”.
Момичетата от пансиона бяха интересни, Фиона на моменти ми беше отегчаваща, а Джейми от самото начало не го харесах. Относно призрака на Мери Хенд, през цялото време ми напомняше на skinwalker, нищо че накрая и симпатизирах :))
A 'whodunit' mystery with a paranormal twist added on as a bonus. I loved this book, loved the characters and loved the writing style. It was an easy, fast read that one could do in a single sitting (which is what accidently happened to me). I could not put this book down!
My first read from Simone St. James. And honestly it lived up to the hype.
The alternating storylines from 1950 with each of the girls boarding together at Idlewild Hall to the current storyline of Fiona and her investigations behind her sisters murder and the reconstruction of the boarding school grounds her sister was found on made this whole story so stunning. I didn’t figure out the twist until the moment right before it happened at the end and that was soooo fun. I felt like I was investigating right there next to Fiona.
ALSO! Can we just praise the spooky setting of Idlewild Hall?!? So creepy. Loved it. Especially in Vermont.
It was definitely a tale of twisted tales of tragedy, grief, and murders most foul, if you will.
I actually teared up when you hear the different stories of Sonia, Katie, Roberta, and CeCe. Heart wrenching.
The relationship between Fiona and her dad was lovely. The relationship between Fiona and Jamie was adorable— but also realistic, and that made it great to read.
Overall a fantastic read. I listened to the audiobook while I read the physical copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The alternating storylines from 1950 with each of the girls boarding together at Idlewild Hall to the current storyline of Fiona and her investigations behind her sisters murder and the reconstruction of the boarding school grounds her sister was found on made this whole story so stunning. I didn’t figure out the twist until the moment right before it happened at the end and that was soooo fun. I felt like I was investigating right there next to Fiona.
ALSO! Can we just praise the spooky setting of Idlewild Hall?!? So creepy. Loved it. Especially in Vermont.
It was definitely a tale of twisted tales of tragedy, grief, and murders most foul, if you will.
I actually teared up when you hear the different stories of Sonia, Katie, Roberta, and CeCe. Heart wrenching.
The relationship between Fiona and her dad was lovely. The relationship between Fiona and Jamie was adorable— but also realistic, and that made it great to read.
Overall a fantastic read. I listened to the audiobook while I read the physical copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, War, Classism
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Abortion
Not my normal genre, but I quite liked it.
I don't much like dual timelines stories, or ones with multiple POVs, they distract me, rather than add to the plot. But in this book, it worked.
I don't much like dual timelines stories, or ones with multiple POVs, they distract me, rather than add to the plot. But in this book, it worked.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was ok? I was expecting a scary ghost story but really it was a murder mystery, with supernatural elements. One thing about me, I’m not a fan of ‘whodunnit’.
It felt way too long and I hate to say, a bit boring at times? However, I liked the writing & the characters so will try another one of her books.
It felt way too long and I hate to say, a bit boring at times? However, I liked the writing & the characters so will try another one of her books.
This is actually a four-and-a-half star book, but we can't do those on this website, so I rounded down because of a few gripes I have. Not very many, though! This book is exactly the type of horror I love: lots of atmosphere and creepiness, a bit of a psychological edge. The mystery was done pretty well also, and of course makes all the women involved out to be very interesting and complex characters. "Broken" as far as society was concerned, but certainly not in reality.
It's actually hard to do a proper review of this book while still keeping it spoiler-free. I will say that it follows two storylines, one taking place in 1950 and the other in 2014. Both are equally interesting and neither feel like they overstay their welcome in the overall plot. What I mean is, it didn't feel to me like one was focused on more than the other, and I was never annoyed when I got the next piece of that particular story. In fact, by the time it got back to whichever timeline it was doing, I was eager to see what would happen next.
I can't even really explain my gripes without spoiling. I will say that it's one of those plots that's been done many times before. I really wish the author had gone a different route. It didn't detract that much from my overall enjoyment, but I will admit I was disappointed.
Overall, though, this was a delightful read. Especially for those who enjoy good gothic horror.
It's actually hard to do a proper review of this book while still keeping it spoiler-free. I will say that it follows two storylines, one taking place in 1950 and the other in 2014. Both are equally interesting and neither feel like they overstay their welcome in the overall plot. What I mean is, it didn't feel to me like one was focused on more than the other, and I was never annoyed when I got the next piece of that particular story. In fact, by the time it got back to whichever timeline it was doing, I was eager to see what would happen next.
I can't even really explain my gripes without spoiling. I will say that it's one of those plots that's been done many times before. I really wish the author had gone a different route. It didn't detract that much from my overall enjoyment, but I will admit I was disappointed.
Overall, though, this was a delightful read. Especially for those who enjoy good gothic horror.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No