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growfromit's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, Gun violence, Abandonment, Murder, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Rape
lampbee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I like her books. Ghost mysteries sound stupid on paper but the way she does them makes them entertaining :) It wrapped up so well in a way I wasn’t necessarily expecting but one that was satisfying. Vivid imagery and solid characterization of what a girls school is like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Violence, Hate crime, Murder, Death, Child death, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Police brutality, Addiction, Antisemitism, Genocide, and War
Obviously a lot of the book centers around how one of the school girlsthereadedit's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have yet to find a book that Simone has written that I didn't love. This is by no means an exception. I loved this with my whole chest. I started it on a Friday night and couldn't put it down.
I devoured this book like no other and I can't say that I regret that decision. The characters in this book kept me on my toes thinking way past when I set the book down. And especially when I was in the middle of the book. I was constantly trying to figure out multiple things and I loved being in the middle of a mystery.
This definitely kept me on my toes and I loved it so much. The paranormal aspect definitely gave it the creepy vibe that I loved throughout the book.
I loved Fiona and her need to fill the curiosity from the past. She needed the clarity from her sisters murder but got so much more than she ever bargained for in the end. She was the perfect person to unfold everything from the inception of Idlewild all the way to the present involving another woman's case against her sisters killer.
There was so much happening not just in the past but also in the present that came together to show how much corruption is in the world. Not just in a war but also small town. The people you are supposed to trust, are the ones to be the most wary of. You never truly know what they are hiding.
I devoured this book like no other and I can't say that I regret that decision. The characters in this book kept me on my toes thinking way past when I set the book down. And especially when I was in the middle of the book. I was constantly trying to figure out multiple things and I loved being in the middle of a mystery.
This definitely kept me on my toes and I loved it so much. The paranormal aspect definitely gave it the creepy vibe that I loved throughout the book.
I loved Fiona and her need to fill the curiosity from the past. She needed the clarity from her sisters murder but got so much more than she ever bargained for in the end. She was the perfect person to unfold everything from the inception of Idlewild all the way to the present involving another woman's case against her sisters killer.
There was so much happening not just in the past but also in the present that came together to show how much corruption is in the world. Not just in a war but also small town. The people you are supposed to trust, are the ones to be the most wary of. You never truly know what they are hiding.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, and Child death
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: Murder, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Death
Minor: Suicide attempt, Child death, Mental illness, Sexual content, and War
exlibrissum's review
dark
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Murder, Police brutality, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, and Suicide attempt
matcha_cat's review
dark
mysterious
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Abandonment, and Antisemitism
Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Torture, Child death, Rape, Death, Hate crime, and Medical content
dalek_caan's review
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: Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Confinement, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Antisemitism, Gun violence, Child abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Mental illness
Minor: War and Violence
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: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Suicide attempt, War, Genocide, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Grief, Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence
lauramparis's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Suicide attempt, Violence, Addiction, Rape, Death of parent, and Genocide
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? No
4.0
Rating: 4/5 stars
Told in dual timelines, The Broken Girls is the story of four best friends at a remote boarding school for troubled teens, and a journalist trying to learn buried details of her sister’s murder.
I love a good ghost story, and Simone St. James writes some of the best. The Sun Down Motel remains one of my all time favorites thrillers, and I really enjoyed The Book of Cold Cases earlier this year, so I was super excited to get my hands on The Broken Girls this spooky season. Overall I really enjoyed it—the themes of female friendship and empowerment were really meaningful to me, and I particularly loved the underlying message about the importance of telling stories and not erasing women’s trauma.
I will say that I ultimately wanted a little more from the plot, which sometimes felt a bit disconnected to me, and I wish there had been a bigger twist or two. Still, the creepy boarding school vibes and hauntingly (pun very intended) beautiful writing definitely make this a top notch recommendation for this time of year!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: ghost stories; stories about uncovering and healing from trauma; dual timeline thrillers
CW: Death/murder/attempted murder (including of a child); grief; sexual assault/rape; traumatic brain injury; mentions of anti-semitism/Nazism/concentration camps; mentions of PTSD/suicide/suicide attempt; miscarriage/stillbirth.
Told in dual timelines, The Broken Girls is the story of four best friends at a remote boarding school for troubled teens, and a journalist trying to learn buried details of her sister’s murder.
I love a good ghost story, and Simone St. James writes some of the best. The Sun Down Motel remains one of my all time favorites thrillers, and I really enjoyed The Book of Cold Cases earlier this year, so I was super excited to get my hands on The Broken Girls this spooky season. Overall I really enjoyed it—the themes of female friendship and empowerment were really meaningful to me, and I particularly loved the underlying message about the importance of telling stories and not erasing women’s trauma.
I will say that I ultimately wanted a little more from the plot, which sometimes felt a bit disconnected to me, and I wish there had been a bigger twist or two. Still, the creepy boarding school vibes and hauntingly (pun very intended) beautiful writing definitely make this a top notch recommendation for this time of year!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: ghost stories; stories about uncovering and healing from trauma; dual timeline thrillers
CW: Death/murder/attempted murder (including of a child); grief; sexual assault/rape; traumatic brain injury; mentions of anti-semitism/Nazism/concentration camps; mentions of PTSD/suicide/suicide attempt; miscarriage/stillbirth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Murder, Death, and Genocide
Moderate: Abandonment, Child death, Confinement, Sexism, Antisemitism, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, and Misogyny
Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Drug use