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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
Thanks to Sourcebooks for the ARC!!
I did not dislike this book, but nothing stood out to make me love it.
Julie has had a bad year. Her infant daughter died and now her husband wants a divorce. She takes a job as a teacher on a remote island off the coast of Maine. She loves it and makes a new friend in Ellie right away and meets a man that catches her attention. She starts teaching and comes across a child who needs her help. In trying to figure out what his story and issue is, she comes across a lot of island drama.
The first 3/4 of the book are full of descriptions and a little slow in places. The last 1/4 has everything happen at once. It's so fast that you're left wandering what just happened. It was all a little too fast and convienent. Certain events also seemed misplaced to me. As much as I feel like this book was too long, I really wish there would have been another chapter or an epilogue. I needed a little more to what happened after everything went down.
I did not dislike this book, but nothing stood out to make me love it.
Julie has had a bad year. Her infant daughter died and now her husband wants a divorce. She takes a job as a teacher on a remote island off the coast of Maine. She loves it and makes a new friend in Ellie right away and meets a man that catches her attention. She starts teaching and comes across a child who needs her help. In trying to figure out what his story and issue is, she comes across a lot of island drama.
The first 3/4 of the book are full of descriptions and a little slow in places. The last 1/4 has everything happen at once. It's so fast that you're left wandering what just happened. It was all a little too fast and convienent. Certain events also seemed misplaced to me. As much as I feel like this book was too long, I really wish there would have been another chapter or an epilogue. I needed a little more to what happened after everything went down.
Ok. I was so into this book. I was invested in the characters The climax was beautiful. But the end? First let me say the ending was great. I loved how the story came to a full circle, but it just felt so abrupt. Like I felt if this was in real life I would have googled what happened to the characters after the fact. All in all though-great book!
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I enjoyed reading this book and kept turning pages to find out what happens in this well written family drama with a little suspense tossed in. I wouldn’t call this a thriller but it was suspenseful. I was invested in the characters but felt the ending fell a tiny bit short for me.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
The Second Mother by Jenny Milchman is an atmospheric mystery.
Needing a fresh start, Julie Weathers accepts a teaching position on Mercy Island. The isolated island off the coast of Maine is home to the Hempstead family who rules the town with an iron first. Lobstering is a way of life for most of the men but tourist season adds plenty of money to the coffers.
Julie adjusts fairly quickly despite the unnerving fog. Her first night in her home is somewhat eerie but she pushes her unease aside. The next day she meets one of her students, eleven year old Peter Meyers, and his mother Martha Hempstead Meyers. Julie has concerns about the young boy that only increase the more she gets to know him. His grandmother, Maryanne, does not want to discuss her grandson so Julie turns to friend Ellie Newcomb and lobsterman Callum McCarthy for help. Julie soon comes to discover not everything is as it seems, but can she do anything to help those in need?
Julie is determined to begin a new life but she struggles to give up some of her old coping mechanisms. She eagerly begins teaching and she begins to feel more secure and sure of herself. She has also discussed some of the most painful aspects of her past and Julie is beginning to heal. She is still worried about Peter but she is also conflicted about him. Neither his mother nor his controlling grandmother are much help, so she asks Callum to join her in her quest for answers.
The secondary characters are interesting and fairly well developed. Ellie is friendly but she might not be the best person for Julie to spend time with under the circumstances. Callum is gruff but caring. Maryanne is harsh and unbending. Peter is a bit of a conundrum but Julie trusts her instincts. Martha is standoffish even with Peter but Julie knows the small family have been through a rough year.
The Second Mother is a mesmerizing mystery. The ever changing weather provides an ominous overtone. The storyline is intriguing but the pacing is a little uneven. Jenny Milchman brings this clever mystery to a dramatic yet satisfying conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this fantastic mystery to readers of the genre.
Needing a fresh start, Julie Weathers accepts a teaching position on Mercy Island. The isolated island off the coast of Maine is home to the Hempstead family who rules the town with an iron first. Lobstering is a way of life for most of the men but tourist season adds plenty of money to the coffers.
Julie adjusts fairly quickly despite the unnerving fog. Her first night in her home is somewhat eerie but she pushes her unease aside. The next day she meets one of her students, eleven year old Peter Meyers, and his mother Martha Hempstead Meyers. Julie has concerns about the young boy that only increase the more she gets to know him. His grandmother, Maryanne, does not want to discuss her grandson so Julie turns to friend Ellie Newcomb and lobsterman Callum McCarthy for help. Julie soon comes to discover not everything is as it seems, but can she do anything to help those in need?
Julie is determined to begin a new life but she struggles to give up some of her old coping mechanisms. She eagerly begins teaching and she begins to feel more secure and sure of herself. She has also discussed some of the most painful aspects of her past and Julie is beginning to heal. She is still worried about Peter but she is also conflicted about him. Neither his mother nor his controlling grandmother are much help, so she asks Callum to join her in her quest for answers.
The secondary characters are interesting and fairly well developed. Ellie is friendly but she might not be the best person for Julie to spend time with under the circumstances. Callum is gruff but caring. Maryanne is harsh and unbending. Peter is a bit of a conundrum but Julie trusts her instincts. Martha is standoffish even with Peter but Julie knows the small family have been through a rough year.
The Second Mother is a mesmerizing mystery. The ever changing weather provides an ominous overtone. The storyline is intriguing but the pacing is a little uneven. Jenny Milchman brings this clever mystery to a dramatic yet satisfying conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this fantastic mystery to readers of the genre.
This one was a slow burn, and that burn never went anywhere. Ultimately I just wanted more, especially with thrills and character development in the 400+ pages that were here.
Also, anything suspenseful involving the dog stressed me out to the point that I didn't enjoy reading.
Also, anything suspenseful involving the dog stressed me out to the point that I didn't enjoy reading.
Not for me!
The writing wasn’t there for me and it needed polishing to get it up to another star.
I finished the book but I wasn’t impressed or blown away.
The writing wasn’t there for me and it needed polishing to get it up to another star.
I finished the book but I wasn’t impressed or blown away.
Meet my new obsessive compulsive read...
Julie Weathers is ready for a new beginning. She sees a job posting for a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse on a remote island in Maine called Mercy Island. Soon after Julie's move, unexplained things start happening.
I loved the New England coastal setting, which made a perfectly creepy and atmospheric backdrop for the story. The author crafted the book so that Mercy Island had a personality of its own. I really liked the protagonist Julie, as well as the residents of Mercy Island. All of the characters were multi dimensional and well developed. The whole story, plot, and characters were all very original and different from anything I have ever read before. But The Second Mother is not just a thriller, it is also story about grief, reconciling with the past, and hope.
If you are looking for a slow paced, atmospheric, thriller with a mystery element, I would definitely recommend The Second Mother.
Julie Weathers is ready for a new beginning. She sees a job posting for a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse on a remote island in Maine called Mercy Island. Soon after Julie's move, unexplained things start happening.
I loved the New England coastal setting, which made a perfectly creepy and atmospheric backdrop for the story. The author crafted the book so that Mercy Island had a personality of its own. I really liked the protagonist Julie, as well as the residents of Mercy Island. All of the characters were multi dimensional and well developed. The whole story, plot, and characters were all very original and different from anything I have ever read before. But The Second Mother is not just a thriller, it is also story about grief, reconciling with the past, and hope.
If you are looking for a slow paced, atmospheric, thriller with a mystery element, I would definitely recommend The Second Mother.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes