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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I liked what the twist at the end was, I liked that at the beginning we jump right into the action instead of suffering through a lot of nothing.
The reveal of who was calling the house didn’t make sense to me. I don’t understand what the significance of the three other Arden Arrowoods is supposed to be. Didn’t care for the story of her scars and her connection with Dr. Endicott.
The reveal of who was calling the house didn’t make sense to me. I don’t understand what the significance of the three other Arden Arrowoods is supposed to be. Didn’t care for the story of her scars and her connection with Dr. Endicott.
Earlier this summer, I won a mystery box of books from a local NYT best-selling author. Included in that box was an ARC of this book. When the story begins, Arden Arrowood has inherited the mysterious Arrowood, an ornate and hauntingly beautiful historic house along the Mississippi River in Keokuk, Iowa. Despite her mother's misgivings and recommendations against moving back to Keokuk and into the house, Arden decides to return to the mysterious house and face an unresolved past. Arden's twin sisters were abducted from Ardenwood some twenty years prior, but were never found. However, Arden is determined to return and find out what really happened to her sisters so long ago. The story is richly atmospheric and has a gothic feel to it, with the house being an equally important character. While other reviews I've read since completing this book complained about the pacing, I felt that it was pitch-perfect and helped build tension as Arden attempted to uncover the truth. This is exactly the type of thriller I enjoy and made me want to read the author's first book, which is now on my TBR list.
For me thrillers are either a hit or a miss, and this one was a hit. It was a short, quick read that kept me engaged and didn't drag on at all, the way some thrillers/mysteries can. I liked Arden, she was realistic and brave after everything she'd been through, without being dramatic and unreasonable.
She came home in an attempt to bring back a time in her life where she felt grounded and the only time of true happiness that she had ever known. But she gets more than she bargained for. The lure of her sisters' disappearance hasn't faded in her hometown and a house frozen in time doesn;t bring the type of reassurance she was seeking.
I was able to guess what had happened to her sisters and where they could be found before it came time for the reveal. But nevertheless I still enjoyed reading it play out.
She came home in an attempt to bring back a time in her life where she felt grounded and the only time of true happiness that she had ever known. But she gets more than she bargained for. The lure of her sisters' disappearance hasn't faded in her hometown and a house frozen in time doesn;t bring the type of reassurance she was seeking.
I was able to guess what had happened to her sisters and where they could be found before it came time for the reveal. But nevertheless I still enjoyed reading it play out.
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/day-950-arrowood/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/day-950-arrowood/
I started listening to the audiobook (great narrator and flow) and then took the hardcover home with me to read the rest because I couldn’t think about anything else.
Arrowood. It’s a twisty, turny mystery with characters who climb out of the pages and grab a hold of your heart. The descriptions of the dying town’s old mansions turn them into characters all on their own!
Arrowood. It’s a twisty, turny mystery with characters who climb out of the pages and grab a hold of your heart. The descriptions of the dying town’s old mansions turn them into characters all on their own!
Loved "The Weight of Blood" by Laura McHugh more, but this is also a compelling mystery. It is set in Keokuk, Iowa. Arden's twin sisters disappeared when she was 2, and she returns to the house she lived in then.
***.5 stars. Really enjoyed listening to and reading this, though I felt a little disappointed by the end. I enjoyed this a lot mostly because of the character descriptions and their richness, and the story was really exciting, though the end was a bit of a letdown.