Reviews with content warning for Abortion - The Roanoke Girls

Book Dynamics✨
Non linear timeline
One POV (mostly)
Dark AF
Slow Paced

JFC this was exactly what I thought it would be and I still wasn’t prepared.

A great portrayal of grooming and how someone can get so easily trapped in the unthinkable.

I liked how it wove together past and present for Lane but also the story of each Roanoke Girl. The family tree at the beginning of the book was very helpful in remembering who belonged to who once things started to unfold.

Overall: grab if you want a slow burn make your stomach churn family drama - I don’t even know if family drama is the right term here though 🫠

Favorite Character: Cooper

Content Warnings

cyntismiles's review against another edition

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I feel like I could have finished this book but life is short and there are lots of books I want to read!
I picked it up because the blurb sounded like this would be "'Preacher's Daughter' from Ethel Cain's cousin's perspective" which was very intriguing to me. It was definitely not that, don't recommend picking this up for those reasons. Just listen to "Preacher's Daughter" again instead.

I really could not stand how much of the book was about Lane and Cooper's relationship. I understand why Lane is characterized the way she is but I found her very grating. The book has a lot of sex but is not sexy (don't wish it was sexy though, just think that's a good descriptor).

The story felt very obvious to me and it was kind of frustrating for the characters to not see it. The whole book I kept saying "I see the writing on the walls!". Also, the way that Allegra gives us clues from afar was a real obvious plot device to me. It felt very contrived and very dumb. It made her feel fictional. Since I decided to DNF this, I looked up spoilers and would like to say I was absolutely right on all accounts

(Her grandfather is actually her dad, grandma killed Allegra ofc!, grandpa/dad was grooming her, Allegra is 4 sure dead)

. The only thing I didn't get clarity on is if the miscarriage in the book was an abortion (I suspect it was). But Lane is a bit clueless so I wonder if she ever questioned it.

I also didn't love the characterization of the town because it was really hammered home that the people who lived there were dumb and it was so behind the times. I understand this may have been Lane's interpretation but it felt very weird and more about the book than Lane? Like it was trying to insinuate that only fucked up things happen in fucked up little towns that aren't here in the 21st century! I don't think the author was trying to say that but that was the vibe I was feeling. I know that small towns can be a mess but tbh so can anywhere. Good people can live anywhere just like bad people can live anywhere!

I think this book may do a good job of showing how incest may differ from what people outside the situation perceive it to be and the way groomed individuals may feel about their groomer (although it is gross and not good). It just didn't seem to actually want to be about that? The book felt like "The story of why Lane is so messed up with her own things + her family has weird incest secrets don't mind that!". I appreciate the author attempting to write about this from an outsider-ish perspective (Lane) vs the victim/survivor of the abuse (Allegra) but I think there are books that do this kind of thing better. In the end, I felt that the incest thing was such a plot device to shock the reader and more of the setting than something the author wanted to actually deal with.

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cateyeschloe's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was warned going in that this book is dark and twisted, and that definitely rings true!

I read the book in a day and enjoyed (if I can use that word for this subject?) every minute of it.

The story had me engaged from the Prologue and I stayed engrossed throughout every chapter. The characters are all interesting and multi-faceted, each shining a light on varying shades of grey in their moral compasses. The majority of characters have an effective character development and arch one way or another and where that growth may be lacking in some areas intentionally serves the story quite well.

The book presents many characters who are extremely flawed and deeply affected by the ripple effects of situations and traumas in their lives. The interesting aspect, though, is that the author makes a point not to vilify most of these characters regardless of the choices they make and the actions they take (save for perhaps one character, who in my opinion cannot be anything other than a villain, so that could just be my lens coloring that perspective).

The author also does an excellent job of highlighting how often both society, individuals, and sometimes even our own minds will shift blame onto victims (specifically women) and twist the situation away from the actions and motivations of the perpetrator or abuser.

This book tackles trauma, depression, suicidal ideation, internalized misogyny, assault, and abuse head on in many different forms and makes a concerted effort to showcase each of these from an outlook of empathy and patience.

The topics covered in this book are grizzly, uncomfortable, and often very unsettling. However, I will definitely say it’s not an overly graphic book, in my opinion. The author explains what is going on without getting so visceral in the details that you reach a point where you feel like you need to shower.

It lost a few points from me simply because I wished the ending had resolved things a little more completely or thoroughly, but the choices the author makes do still make sense.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone with the stomach for darker, troubling subjects!

As a suggestion however, I would definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading if you have any concerns.

Content Warnings