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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Alright alright... 3.5 for this one, I think.
I was seriously hooked on this book at the beginning -- I love the writing style (and that stands for the whole book) and was immediately drawn in by the tragic story.
But then it started to kind of drag. And the relationships started to feel stilted. And I just kind of got bored.
So the first half was a solid 4 stars, and the second half was a solid 3. The climax also felt pretty uninteresting even though it was not at all what was expected.
I'd recommend this one for the beginning alone, but would not read again.
I was seriously hooked on this book at the beginning -- I love the writing style (and that stands for the whole book) and was immediately drawn in by the tragic story.
But then it started to kind of drag. And the relationships started to feel stilted. And I just kind of got bored.
So the first half was a solid 4 stars, and the second half was a solid 3. The climax also felt pretty uninteresting even though it was not at all what was expected.
I'd recommend this one for the beginning alone, but would not read again.
Read all of my reviews at readingwithmoose.blogspot.com
I can’t exactly remember how I stumbled across this book, though if memory serves me well it involved a late night scavenger hunt on Goodreads where I followed a thread of “If you liked this…” Regardless of the fact, I found Arrowood.
Arrowood encompasses the realm of gothic mystery. In the novel, Arden Arrowood inherits the family home, the house where she spent her childhood. At least it was, until her twin sisters went missing and her world ripped apart. Now grown, Arden is nearing completion of her master’s degree but struggles to bring herself to finish it. Her thesis revolves around the feeling of nostalgia, which echo through the pages. In fact, this entire book encapsulates the feelings and longing of nostalgia. Once Arden returns to Arrowood, she is haunted by the mystery surrounding her sisters and what really happened to them. She teams up with an investigative writer who sheds light on her memories, casting serious doubt on everything she remembers.
I read the majority of this book while at a conference in New Orleans, LA. And I’m so glad I did. Arrowood is set in a small town on the Mississippi River during the winter months. The setting just brings a chill to your bones! So reading the novel next to the mighty river in the middle of a cold snap felt far too perfect.
I enjoyed this book far more than I expected. It had a fairly slow pace, which I felt heightened the gothic-ness of the novel. This pacing fell apart at the end, however, as many reveals are made in rapid procession. Though I didn’t actually mind this swift change in pacing. To me it just seemed to fit the book.
The characters themselves are okay, not spectacular, but okay. I particularly connected with Arden simply due to the shared exertions of graduate student life. I felt her anxiety, I know that struggle. Beyond that, though, I’m not certain I would consider the characters deep or terribly developed. Arden explores love interests, though I never really got into any of them and luckily romance does not feature prominently. It was almost like everyone was emotionally and personally on hold in the book, like they froze after the disappearance of the twins. Perhaps this was done intentionally to heighten the nostalgia?
Without spoilers, I was able to solve much of the mystery myself, though the end still had many surprises, which I found welcome and refreshing. I felt satisfied with the ending, which I don’t feel all that often, especially with thriller and mystery novels.
What I loved most about this book was the writing. It was refreshing and had a very smooth rhythm to it, if that makes any sense. This is the second book that McHugh has written, and so I look forward to reading her original, debut novel.
I can’t exactly remember how I stumbled across this book, though if memory serves me well it involved a late night scavenger hunt on Goodreads where I followed a thread of “If you liked this…” Regardless of the fact, I found Arrowood.
Arrowood encompasses the realm of gothic mystery. In the novel, Arden Arrowood inherits the family home, the house where she spent her childhood. At least it was, until her twin sisters went missing and her world ripped apart. Now grown, Arden is nearing completion of her master’s degree but struggles to bring herself to finish it. Her thesis revolves around the feeling of nostalgia, which echo through the pages. In fact, this entire book encapsulates the feelings and longing of nostalgia. Once Arden returns to Arrowood, she is haunted by the mystery surrounding her sisters and what really happened to them. She teams up with an investigative writer who sheds light on her memories, casting serious doubt on everything she remembers.
I read the majority of this book while at a conference in New Orleans, LA. And I’m so glad I did. Arrowood is set in a small town on the Mississippi River during the winter months. The setting just brings a chill to your bones! So reading the novel next to the mighty river in the middle of a cold snap felt far too perfect.
I enjoyed this book far more than I expected. It had a fairly slow pace, which I felt heightened the gothic-ness of the novel. This pacing fell apart at the end, however, as many reveals are made in rapid procession. Though I didn’t actually mind this swift change in pacing. To me it just seemed to fit the book.
The characters themselves are okay, not spectacular, but okay. I particularly connected with Arden simply due to the shared exertions of graduate student life. I felt her anxiety, I know that struggle. Beyond that, though, I’m not certain I would consider the characters deep or terribly developed. Arden explores love interests, though I never really got into any of them and luckily romance does not feature prominently. It was almost like everyone was emotionally and personally on hold in the book, like they froze after the disappearance of the twins. Perhaps this was done intentionally to heighten the nostalgia?
Without spoilers, I was able to solve much of the mystery myself, though the end still had many surprises, which I found welcome and refreshing. I felt satisfied with the ending, which I don’t feel all that often, especially with thriller and mystery novels.
What I loved most about this book was the writing. It was refreshing and had a very smooth rhythm to it, if that makes any sense. This is the second book that McHugh has written, and so I look forward to reading her original, debut novel.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mkay, so it's a good read, and I def will keep it on my shelf, but i feel like it could've been longer, ya know? 270 pages is REALLY fast for a mystery/thriller, ya gotta build that suspense and dread, ya know? Overall, pretty good, I'm excited to see what else this author comes up with, but there's def room for improvement
A 2016 staff favorite recommended by Jane.
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sarrowood%20mchugh__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sarrowood%20mchugh__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
What an excellent book!
Arden is a 20-something student trying to finish her master's degree when she gets word that her estranged father has passed away and the home in Iowa that has been in her family for a century is suddenly hers. Reluctantly she goes home to a house she hasn't been in since she was 8 years old and her twin sisters tragically disappeared--an event that tore her family apart.
Home, she is suddenly haunted by the memories of her sister's disappearance and wrecked with guilt because she was watching them when they were kidnapped. Her sisters were never found. Could they still be alive? Were they murdered? She suddenly starts doubting what she saw that day.
This is your quintessential gothic mystery novel that is so very well done and the story is great, the ending is very satisfying and I loved this book!
Arden is a 20-something student trying to finish her master's degree when she gets word that her estranged father has passed away and the home in Iowa that has been in her family for a century is suddenly hers. Reluctantly she goes home to a house she hasn't been in since she was 8 years old and her twin sisters tragically disappeared--an event that tore her family apart.
Home, she is suddenly haunted by the memories of her sister's disappearance and wrecked with guilt because she was watching them when they were kidnapped. Her sisters were never found. Could they still be alive? Were they murdered? She suddenly starts doubting what she saw that day.
This is your quintessential gothic mystery novel that is so very well done and the story is great, the ending is very satisfying and I loved this book!
Arden Arrowood returns to her hometown of Keokuk, Iowa where she has inherited her family home upon the death of her grandparents and father. Twenty years earlier at that same house, Arden’s twin sisters disappeared when she was babysitting and they have never been found. Her parents left Keokuk when it became evident that the girls were not going to be located and the house has sat empty ever since. Her parents subsequently divorced and their lives fell apart.
Upon returning home she is contacted by a writer who specializes in novels about missing persons. He is interested in writing about her sisters’ disappearance and Arden agrees to meet with him. Through his probing questions, it appears that her memory of the events may not be reliable and her mother, now remarried, does not wish to discuss the disappearance and dredge up old memories.
This is a short mystery novel (270 pages) but it covers a lot of ground in those short pages. I enjoyed this book and appreciated that the author wrapped up the ending with a nice bow answering all the questions that the reader has. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
Upon returning home she is contacted by a writer who specializes in novels about missing persons. He is interested in writing about her sisters’ disappearance and Arden agrees to meet with him. Through his probing questions, it appears that her memory of the events may not be reliable and her mother, now remarried, does not wish to discuss the disappearance and dredge up old memories.
This is a short mystery novel (270 pages) but it covers a lot of ground in those short pages. I enjoyed this book and appreciated that the author wrapped up the ending with a nice bow answering all the questions that the reader has. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5, plus half a star for a Missouri author. Lots of attention to detail in the writing that keeps twisting the reader’s experience and perception. The pattern of revealing a character’s flaws, then explaining the flaws became a bit predictable, but never what the flaws or explanations were. This pattern also lent itself to making the entire cast of characters more developed in their own right. I especially appreciated that the ending was left a bit open, but not completely dark.
The extra half star is in appreciation for a well represented array of Midwestern vernacular, which was well handled by the reader in the audiobook.
The extra half star is in appreciation for a well represented array of Midwestern vernacular, which was well handled by the reader in the audiobook.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated