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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
A kind of pastiche of The Little Friend (missing/dead child[ren] + the setting), Dark Places (the mystery + teaming up with a young male true crime buff), and Sharp Objects (the house + the setting + the family relationships) -- all of which I love so this really hit the mark! I found it kind of obvious what actually happened but that did not detract from my enjoyment. The only dud note was the relationship with the thesis supervisior -- just seemed kind of unnecessary? and also what a creep. Also I would have liked more because in terms of reading length this felt kind of slight.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book reminded me a lot of "Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn, but only because of the plot. That's where the similarities end. "Arrowood" had more depth and interesting characters than "Dark Places," and while it can be suspenseful, it's missing the sinister quality of the Flynn novel.
Arden is a highly sympathetic character, and the author does a great job of weaving in elements of the past and present. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries, this is one to check out.
Arden is a highly sympathetic character, and the author does a great job of weaving in elements of the past and present. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries, this is one to check out.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was well written and well plotted. It was a real page turner and I finished it quickly.
Ok. Crummy ending in my opinion. Tons of red herrings. Blah. Sorry. That's all I can say.
dark
sad
fast-paced
dark
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/
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No