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simoneclark's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you, Netgalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
I had great expectations going into this book! The cover and description were amazing! The idea for this book had such great potential. I also liked that it was written in first person from the perspective of the three main characters. I love diving deep into the psyche and thought process of morally grey characters. All three characters were "nutty" in their own personal way, with some being crazier than others. However, this book did not live up to my expectations. It kept dragging on and on. When I thought it would reach a climax in the plot, it let me down and didn't make it all the way to the climax. As I said, this book had great potential, but unfortunately, for me it missed the mark.
I had great expectations going into this book! The cover and description were amazing! The idea for this book had such great potential. I also liked that it was written in first person from the perspective of the three main characters. I love diving deep into the psyche and thought process of morally grey characters. All three characters were "nutty" in their own personal way, with some being crazier than others. However, this book did not live up to my expectations. It kept dragging on and on. When I thought it would reach a climax in the plot, it let me down and didn't make it all the way to the climax. As I said, this book had great potential, but unfortunately, for me it missed the mark.
kbranfield's review against another edition
3.0
Shadow Garden by Alexandra Burt is a perplexing mystery.
Donna Pryor's plastic surgeon husband Edward inexplicably moves his wife into an apartment where her only company is her housekeeper Marleen Clifford and new friend Vera Olmstead. Donna at first complies with both Edward and Marleen's wishes but after a year, she begins to wonder about a few things. Why does her husband never visit her? Why has she not seen nor heard from their twenty-nine year old daughter Penelope? What will happen to her if Edward divorces her? Or, even worse, cuts off her financial support? Donna decides it is time to find answers to these troubling questions, but is she prepared for the answers she might unearth?
Almost from the beginning of their marriage, Donna's life is on the superficial side. She spends her days decorating and redecorating their home. She manages their social calendar. Donna stages gatherings in their home to show off their "perfect" family. But underneath the surface, not much in the Pryor household is perfect.
Edward works long hours and does not have much interaction with Donna or Penelope. He is aware of the distance between himself and his daughter, but he does little to bridge the gap between them. As Penelope grows up, Edward accepts Donna's explanations for some of their daughter's bizarre behavior. He instead concentrates on the one area of his life where he has complete control: his career.
Penelope's behavior is somewhat troubling from an early age. Donna initially shrugs off some of her more unusual actions since their daughter is meeting her milestones and appears to be very bright. But an incident prompts Donna and Edward to put her in therapy where she is smart enough to reveal only her least disturbing thoughts to her therapists. Over the years, Donna makes excuses for Penelope's increasingly alarming deeds. Edward and Donna breathe a sigh of relief once she reaches adulthood, but Penelope fails to settle into a career. But with Donna always there to gloss over her mistakes and missteps, will Penelope ever take responsibility for her actions?
Shadow Garden is an intriguing mystery but the pacing is incredibly slow. The narration seamlessly switches between the different members of the Pryor family's points of view. None of them are particularly likable and Donna, in particular, is not exactly reliable. Attentive readers will most likely figure out long before Donna what has most likely gone wrong with their dysfunctional family. With Donna on an unrelenting quest for the truth, Alexandra Burt brings this domestic mystery to a somewhat predictable yet satisfying conclusion.
Donna Pryor's plastic surgeon husband Edward inexplicably moves his wife into an apartment where her only company is her housekeeper Marleen Clifford and new friend Vera Olmstead. Donna at first complies with both Edward and Marleen's wishes but after a year, she begins to wonder about a few things. Why does her husband never visit her? Why has she not seen nor heard from their twenty-nine year old daughter Penelope? What will happen to her if Edward divorces her? Or, even worse, cuts off her financial support? Donna decides it is time to find answers to these troubling questions, but is she prepared for the answers she might unearth?
Almost from the beginning of their marriage, Donna's life is on the superficial side. She spends her days decorating and redecorating their home. She manages their social calendar. Donna stages gatherings in their home to show off their "perfect" family. But underneath the surface, not much in the Pryor household is perfect.
Edward works long hours and does not have much interaction with Donna or Penelope. He is aware of the distance between himself and his daughter, but he does little to bridge the gap between them. As Penelope grows up, Edward accepts Donna's explanations for some of their daughter's bizarre behavior. He instead concentrates on the one area of his life where he has complete control: his career.
Penelope's behavior is somewhat troubling from an early age. Donna initially shrugs off some of her more unusual actions since their daughter is meeting her milestones and appears to be very bright. But an incident prompts Donna and Edward to put her in therapy where she is smart enough to reveal only her least disturbing thoughts to her therapists. Over the years, Donna makes excuses for Penelope's increasingly alarming deeds. Edward and Donna breathe a sigh of relief once she reaches adulthood, but Penelope fails to settle into a career. But with Donna always there to gloss over her mistakes and missteps, will Penelope ever take responsibility for her actions?
Shadow Garden is an intriguing mystery but the pacing is incredibly slow. The narration seamlessly switches between the different members of the Pryor family's points of view. None of them are particularly likable and Donna, in particular, is not exactly reliable. Attentive readers will most likely figure out long before Donna what has most likely gone wrong with their dysfunctional family. With Donna on an unrelenting quest for the truth, Alexandra Burt brings this domestic mystery to a somewhat predictable yet satisfying conclusion.
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
4.0
The cover and title for this one caught my eye immediately. That cover is absolutely haunting, and with a title like Shadow Garden, I thought it just about had to be a doozy of a read. So, I checked out the blurb and went for it. And I realized pretty quickly that what I expected and what this book actually is are two very different things. It is certainly domestic drama, and there is some suspense, but it's a bit too predictable for much of that. Nevertheless, there's something immensely readable about this story, something as compelling as it was frustrating at times. The story is told by three characters, Donna, Edward, and their daughter Penelope, and not a one of them is exactly a reliable source of information. There also isn't a likable one in the bunch, so there's that. However, those things aren't what frustrated me. Unlikable and/or unreliable characters in a story like this are practically a given. What did frustrate me was the jumping back and forth in the timeline with little to no warning. It all feels rather scattered, but the more I read, the more it started coming together, and the more I felt like the style worked for this story. Donna felt scattered, herself, so the storyline reflecting that made sense. What it all comes down to is there were many things about this book that I wouldn't care for in most cases, but Alexandra Burt brings all those things together to create a story that I felt compelled to finish. Even the ending isn't what I would've liked for it to be, but again, it just worked for this book. My advice would be to go ahead and check out that terrific cover, and go ahead and read the intriguing blurb, then wipe the slate clean, and forget them both. Go into this one without preconceptions or expectations, and just settle in and read. Admittedly, this isn't the book for everyone, but it turned out to be the one for me.
monikasbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
Shadow Garden is a psychological thriller about a family of three.. Donna, her husband Edward and their daughter Penelope! The story carries forward as a dark horror tale about the house that the family stays in.. but its a thriller story said in voices of the trio! So if you gonna expect horror, you’re gonna be disappointed.. That said, the story is good and the flow is gripping.. no interest was lost while reading.. the characters were not what I expected.. but i think its because the story line is overpowering! The ending was not what I was expecting.. This is not gonna be my only Alexandra Burt book!
Thank you NetGalley, Alexandra Burt and Berkley publishing for the ARC. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way !
Thank you NetGalley, Alexandra Burt and Berkley publishing for the ARC. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way !
sweet_dee_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an eARC of this story in exchange for my honest review.
Shadow Garden was a quick and okay read. I would not classify it as a thriller though. This one reads more like a mystery or psychological suspense story. The storyline was pretty predictable but still a decent read. Overall this one gets 3 stars.
Shadow Garden was a quick and okay read. I would not classify it as a thriller though. This one reads more like a mystery or psychological suspense story. The storyline was pretty predictable but still a decent read. Overall this one gets 3 stars.
energyrae's review against another edition
4.0
After 30 years of marriage, Donna’s husband Edward has dropped her off at Shadow Garden. But he’s stopped taking her phone calls, and she hasn’t heard from her daughter Penelope either. Edward must be keeping Penelope away from her, but why? We follow Donna as she struggles to piece exactly what is going on.
So, Donna is a fairly unreliable narrator. She doesn’t want to talk about things, including how she broke her hip, right from the start. We’re given minor pieces of information, but in a very convoluted way, and we can’t really trust that what she is saying is accurate. I found the story a bit dull at times because a lot of what you’re reading is repetitive day-to-day things that don’t move the story forward. Sometimes there was a level of detail on things that absolutely did not matter. It made getting through some parts of the book a chore.
But the underlying storyline, once you get past the fluff, is good. Penelope and Edward aren’t really developed characters, but we occasionally see Penelope’s POV, and Edward gets his own POV later on in the story (which I found a weird addition, but much more reliable than Donna’s). The time and point of view switching were easy to follow, and it gave a more complete picture. While I suspected what I guess is a twist very early on, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. While overall this wasn’t my most favorite book, I think some readers will enjoy it. Thank you, Berkley, for sending this along.
So, Donna is a fairly unreliable narrator. She doesn’t want to talk about things, including how she broke her hip, right from the start. We’re given minor pieces of information, but in a very convoluted way, and we can’t really trust that what she is saying is accurate. I found the story a bit dull at times because a lot of what you’re reading is repetitive day-to-day things that don’t move the story forward. Sometimes there was a level of detail on things that absolutely did not matter. It made getting through some parts of the book a chore.
But the underlying storyline, once you get past the fluff, is good. Penelope and Edward aren’t really developed characters, but we occasionally see Penelope’s POV, and Edward gets his own POV later on in the story (which I found a weird addition, but much more reliable than Donna’s). The time and point of view switching were easy to follow, and it gave a more complete picture. While I suspected what I guess is a twist very early on, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. While overall this wasn’t my most favorite book, I think some readers will enjoy it. Thank you, Berkley, for sending this along.
booksandsalt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
nicolet2018's review against another edition
3.0
I was looking for something to read at the library and this caught my eye. The premise and genre were things I usually go for: mystery, domestic thrillers. As I began to read, things were vague and the chapters switch between the family: Donna, Edward and their daughter Penelope. It is hard to tell if each chapter is in the present or past. Donna is always confused on what is going on and the vagueness seems deliberate to make the reader confused. Though, I wonder if Donna is totally innocent because she mentions how she creates her own realities and stories. She fakes quite alot. It was hard to feel empathy for the characters though I could not help but admire Penelope's need to come clean. Edward was strange, his thoughts were scattered and did not make sense after the Incident. It felt quite annoying that her parents did not allow her to. As the reader, I am not sure who is telling the truth because the same scenes play out from both Donna and Penelope's chapters. Both are unreliable narrators. The name of the complex, not a apartment complex, sounded very sinister compared to what the place actually does. The big secret was predictable, I did not like the characters much and the ending was so-so. I almost fell asleep a few times while trying to get through this book.
jhscolloquium's review against another edition
4.0
Shadow Garden is a dark, atmospheric examination of the wealthy and influential Pryor family. Edward is a successful plastic surgeon. His wife, Donna, devoted her life to making their home a showplace and raising their only child, daughter Penelope, now twenty-nine years old. To outward observers, they are to be envied because they appear to have everything.
But as the story opens, Edward has deposited Donna in a luxurious apartment where her housekeeper, Marleen, comes every day to see to her needs. In her intense first-person narration, Donna talks about her estrangement from Edward after thirty years of marriage, concerns about her finances, and her ongoing recovery from an injury that has made movement difficult. Edward does not communicate with her. Neither does Penelope. Each day Donna asks Marleen for news of her daughter, inquiring as to whether she has called. And each day the answer is the same: no. Donna becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her perfect family and learning Penelope's whereabouts.
Burt says the inspiration for Shadow Garden was her pondering the myriad ways that money impacts morality, relationships, and even mental health. And she wondered how far a parent would go to save his/her child and whether "the more one has to lose, the harder one fights to keep it — whatever ‘it’ may be? Money, a reputation, a standing in the community?"
The result is a compelling examination of the careful construction and eventual disintegration of a family. Donna remembers bits and pieces of their life together, such as the way she decorated their showplace home, the carefully curated image of perfection she ensured that they projected, the parties they hosted, and the place they held in society. But she can't fully reconstruct her family's history in her mind. And she can't stop worrying about Penelope. She confides in Dr. Jacobson, whose office is located at Shadow Garden, about her concerns, relating details about her marriage and "Penelope being a difficult child, a trying teenager, the ensuing tension. My accident. The shattered hip. The subsequent depression. My recovery." When Dr. Jacobson asks about her last interaction with Penelope, Donna relates a made-up story about sitting on her daughter's bed and holding her hand.
Donna says her thoughts are like "a runaway train," and her friend, Vera, a famous author who also resides at Shadow Garden, urges her not to trust anyone. Not even Dr. Jacobson. Worse, she tells Donna,"I'm so sorry. I wish I could do something about what happened to Penelope."
The gates of Shadow Garden are locked and Donna becomes convinced that Edward does not want her to leave the complex, so she devises a clever way to navigate back to the home she shared with Edward and Penelope. She is confident that she will find answers there. And she indeed does.
Burt skillfully intersperses Donna's recitation of her experiences with aspects of the story related from the perspectives of Edward and Penelope. Edward is skeptical. Not fully convinced that Donna is being truthful, perhaps because of his own difficulty accepting the reality with which the family must now grapple. Employing richly descriptive prose, Burt describes a marriage characterized by secrets, a deeply disturbed child, and parents who were unequipped to deal effectively with their child's problems but remained steadfastly determined to protect her. And the toll their choices took on each of them individually, as well as collectively.
The story is instantly intriguing, if bewildering at first. Donna's confusion is palpable, but Burt incrementally reveals details that permit readers to gradually understand exactly what transpired and how the characters' journey led them to the point at which the book begins. As Donna inches closer to discovering the whole truth, Burt subtly ramps up both the dramatic tension and pace, compelling the story forward with horrifying and shocking revelations.
Once all is divulged, Burt leaves it to readers to decide how they feel about the Pryor family. Are they empathetic? Burt illustrates how their values and decisions inform their fate. Is it what they deserve? Readers can consider how far they might go, if placed in similar circumstances, to protect their child. Burt hopes that readers will think about "how even carefully weighted choices can be the wrong decisions to make." At what juncture did the Pryors reach a point of no return? Does such a point in time even exist?
Burt notes that "memory is at the center of . . . Shadow Garden . . .but memory is fundamentally malleable which is disturbing and opens the door to many fictional scenarios," a fact Burt demonstrates as she mines some of those fictional scenarios to great effect. Is it sometimes better to forget? Even Donna remarks at one point on her pilgrimage to the truth, "I want to spare myself the memories of what happened next . . ." Readers will, however, want to know everything that Donna remembers, as well as Edward's slant on what befell the Pryor family and come to understand Penelope better.
Shadow Garden is a unique, haunting story about an American family with means, potential, and opportunities . . . and how it all went wrong.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
But as the story opens, Edward has deposited Donna in a luxurious apartment where her housekeeper, Marleen, comes every day to see to her needs. In her intense first-person narration, Donna talks about her estrangement from Edward after thirty years of marriage, concerns about her finances, and her ongoing recovery from an injury that has made movement difficult. Edward does not communicate with her. Neither does Penelope. Each day Donna asks Marleen for news of her daughter, inquiring as to whether she has called. And each day the answer is the same: no. Donna becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her perfect family and learning Penelope's whereabouts.
Burt says the inspiration for Shadow Garden was her pondering the myriad ways that money impacts morality, relationships, and even mental health. And she wondered how far a parent would go to save his/her child and whether "the more one has to lose, the harder one fights to keep it — whatever ‘it’ may be? Money, a reputation, a standing in the community?"
The result is a compelling examination of the careful construction and eventual disintegration of a family. Donna remembers bits and pieces of their life together, such as the way she decorated their showplace home, the carefully curated image of perfection she ensured that they projected, the parties they hosted, and the place they held in society. But she can't fully reconstruct her family's history in her mind. And she can't stop worrying about Penelope. She confides in Dr. Jacobson, whose office is located at Shadow Garden, about her concerns, relating details about her marriage and "Penelope being a difficult child, a trying teenager, the ensuing tension. My accident. The shattered hip. The subsequent depression. My recovery." When Dr. Jacobson asks about her last interaction with Penelope, Donna relates a made-up story about sitting on her daughter's bed and holding her hand.
Donna says her thoughts are like "a runaway train," and her friend, Vera, a famous author who also resides at Shadow Garden, urges her not to trust anyone. Not even Dr. Jacobson. Worse, she tells Donna,"I'm so sorry. I wish I could do something about what happened to Penelope."
The gates of Shadow Garden are locked and Donna becomes convinced that Edward does not want her to leave the complex, so she devises a clever way to navigate back to the home she shared with Edward and Penelope. She is confident that she will find answers there. And she indeed does.
Burt skillfully intersperses Donna's recitation of her experiences with aspects of the story related from the perspectives of Edward and Penelope. Edward is skeptical. Not fully convinced that Donna is being truthful, perhaps because of his own difficulty accepting the reality with which the family must now grapple. Employing richly descriptive prose, Burt describes a marriage characterized by secrets, a deeply disturbed child, and parents who were unequipped to deal effectively with their child's problems but remained steadfastly determined to protect her. And the toll their choices took on each of them individually, as well as collectively.
The story is instantly intriguing, if bewildering at first. Donna's confusion is palpable, but Burt incrementally reveals details that permit readers to gradually understand exactly what transpired and how the characters' journey led them to the point at which the book begins. As Donna inches closer to discovering the whole truth, Burt subtly ramps up both the dramatic tension and pace, compelling the story forward with horrifying and shocking revelations.
Once all is divulged, Burt leaves it to readers to decide how they feel about the Pryor family. Are they empathetic? Burt illustrates how their values and decisions inform their fate. Is it what they deserve? Readers can consider how far they might go, if placed in similar circumstances, to protect their child. Burt hopes that readers will think about "how even carefully weighted choices can be the wrong decisions to make." At what juncture did the Pryors reach a point of no return? Does such a point in time even exist?
Burt notes that "memory is at the center of . . . Shadow Garden . . .but memory is fundamentally malleable which is disturbing and opens the door to many fictional scenarios," a fact Burt demonstrates as she mines some of those fictional scenarios to great effect. Is it sometimes better to forget? Even Donna remarks at one point on her pilgrimage to the truth, "I want to spare myself the memories of what happened next . . ." Readers will, however, want to know everything that Donna remembers, as well as Edward's slant on what befell the Pryor family and come to understand Penelope better.
Shadow Garden is a unique, haunting story about an American family with means, potential, and opportunities . . . and how it all went wrong.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
oldsimoneaccount's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you, Netgalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
I had great expectations going into this book! The cover and description were amazing! The idea for this book had such great potential. I also liked that it was written in first person from the perspective of the three main characters. I love diving deep into the psyche and thought process of morally grey characters. All three characters were "nutty" in their own personal way, with some being crazier than others. However, this book did not live up to my expectations. It kept dragging on and on. When I thought it would reach a climax in the plot, it let me down and didn't make it all the way to the climax. As I said, this book had great potential, but unfortunately, for me it missed the mark.
I had great expectations going into this book! The cover and description were amazing! The idea for this book had such great potential. I also liked that it was written in first person from the perspective of the three main characters. I love diving deep into the psyche and thought process of morally grey characters. All three characters were "nutty" in their own personal way, with some being crazier than others. However, this book did not live up to my expectations. It kept dragging on and on. When I thought it would reach a climax in the plot, it let me down and didn't make it all the way to the climax. As I said, this book had great potential, but unfortunately, for me it missed the mark.