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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I wasn't wild about this--the writing was pedestrian and often repetitive, and some of the so-called clues made no sense to me. I also found the solution to the mystery extremely grotesque and unbelievable.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book felt very similar to Dark Places by Gillian Flynn - child witnesses crime committed against family members, child grows up to be an adult troubled by the crime, child's memory questioned twenty years later by unsolved mysteries buff who thinks he knows what actually happened.
That being said, I read the book in a few hours, couldn't put it down, and enjoyed it. It just didn't strike me as something fresh and new.
That being said, I read the book in a few hours, couldn't put it down, and enjoyed it. It just didn't strike me as something fresh and new.
3.6 stars for me.
I love a good character driven mystery, and this came with a mansion that is a character itself.
I appreciated the coat of nostalgia that permeated through the story, the Arrowood and the surrounding town that were and what is left of it now. How this is all weaved into a well structured reflection of grief and memory.
Solidly enjoyed this
I love a good character driven mystery, and this came with a mansion that is a character itself.
I appreciated the coat of nostalgia that permeated through the story, the Arrowood and the surrounding town that were and what is left of it now. How this is all weaved into a well structured reflection of grief and memory.
Solidly enjoyed this
Arden Arrowood was 8 years old when her nearly 2 year-old twin sisters, Violet and Tabitha, disappeared, not long after the family moved away and tried to carry on with their lives. Now she's back home, the house left to her in her grandparents will and it brings back all the memories of her life before and she begins to piece together what happened to her sisters.
It's a beautifully descriptive tale most of it woven together well but with a few hiccups along the way, especially the ending, it didn't do it for me.
There's people in here who seem off and people who don't seem to care at all about things, you'll see what I mean when you read it, don't want to say too much because spoilers so just gonna say I HATED 1 specific character with a passion!! Still winds me up thinking of them now and I read it over a month ago!
*Huge thanks to Laura McHugh, Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
It's a beautifully descriptive tale most of it woven together well but with a few hiccups along the way, especially the ending, it didn't do it for me.
There's people in here who seem off and people who don't seem to care at all about things, you'll see what I mean when you read it, don't want to say too much because spoilers so just gonna say I HATED 1 specific character with a passion!! Still winds me up thinking of them now and I read it over a month ago!
*Huge thanks to Laura McHugh, Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked this book - super fast read, didn't take a ton of thought to get through it (hey, sometimes you just need some fluff, like a TV show), imaginative enough writing to be able to picture it all without drowning in description.
It reminded me of Gillian Flynn's novels (the ones that aren't Gone Girl) and I think that's why I didn't like it more - it reminded me of the song and dance of those, which I liked so much. But instead of liking it on the same level, it kind of felt like a slight imitation, but without the feeling of originality.
Maybe if I read Arrowood before Sharp Objects or Dark Places I would have liked this one more than those. But here we are.
It reminded me of Gillian Flynn's novels (the ones that aren't Gone Girl) and I think that's why I didn't like it more - it reminded me of the song and dance of those, which I liked so much. But instead of liking it on the same level, it kind of felt like a slight imitation, but without the feeling of originality.
Maybe if I read Arrowood before Sharp Objects or Dark Places I would have liked this one more than those. But here we are.
Subtle, well-written, and difficult to put down.
I picked this up on a whim at a charity shop & I am so pleased I did!
This felt like a good old-fashioned gothic mystery in a modern setting & I loved it!
I especially loved the use of water as a motif throughout, that was brilliantly done
What I also really liked about this book was that there was intrigue and suspense without it being overly dramatic. There’s talk of past cheating with the OW being a character + a past lover & his new girlfriend, & while some books could have used this to cause extra drama that wasn’t done here & I liked how they were both discussed/handled
I also think the pacing was perfect, for a short book I don’t think it felt rushed at any point & I wasn’t left wanting more
Would definitely reccomend!
This felt like a good old-fashioned gothic mystery in a modern setting & I loved it!
I especially loved the use of water as a motif throughout, that was brilliantly done
What I also really liked about this book was that there was intrigue and suspense without it being overly dramatic. There’s talk of past cheating with the OW being a character + a past lover & his new girlfriend, & while some books could have used this to cause extra drama that wasn’t done here & I liked how they were both discussed/handled
I also think the pacing was perfect, for a short book I don’t think it felt rushed at any point & I wasn’t left wanting more
Would definitely reccomend!
Arrowood by Laura McHugh is based on a century old home which holds a lot of family secrets and how unreliable our memories can be when we are young.
Arden Arrowood was 8 years old when her 20 month old twin sisters disappeared while they were in her care. Even though there was a suspect he was never convicted of the crime and the mystery of what happened to the twins was never solved. The guilt over the tragic loss followed Arden throughout her life. Her mom and dad separate not long after the disappearance of the twins and while mom tries to find solace by medicating herself, her dad turns to alcohol.
After the death of her father Arden inherits the old family home. There she meets a reporter investigating the mystery and discovers her memory of that day might be deceptive. There are some ghostly appearances, a fortune teller and a needy caretaker adding to the mystery. Will Arden ever be able to find out what happened to her sisters and can she actually trust her memory of the events that occurred that day?
The book started a little slow for me as there were a lot of attention given to details about the house and its architecture. The book though is very well written and picks up pace half way through. I would give this book 3 ½ stars and another ½ star for the ending. It was a little surprising but left with some unanswered questions. I guess the author leaves it for the readers to guess whether justice was finally served.
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Arden Arrowood was 8 years old when her 20 month old twin sisters disappeared while they were in her care. Even though there was a suspect he was never convicted of the crime and the mystery of what happened to the twins was never solved. The guilt over the tragic loss followed Arden throughout her life. Her mom and dad separate not long after the disappearance of the twins and while mom tries to find solace by medicating herself, her dad turns to alcohol.
After the death of her father Arden inherits the old family home. There she meets a reporter investigating the mystery and discovers her memory of that day might be deceptive. There are some ghostly appearances, a fortune teller and a needy caretaker adding to the mystery. Will Arden ever be able to find out what happened to her sisters and can she actually trust her memory of the events that occurred that day?
The book started a little slow for me as there were a lot of attention given to details about the house and its architecture. The book though is very well written and picks up pace half way through. I would give this book 3 ½ stars and another ½ star for the ending. It was a little surprising but left with some unanswered questions. I guess the author leaves it for the readers to guess whether justice was finally served.
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/