A review by ericarobyn
The Survivors by Jane Harper

dark mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Survivors by Jane Harper is a stormy tale, both literally and emotionally.

I adore Jane Harper’s work, but tread lightly here if you have a loved one with dementia or have dealt with unfair blame from parents.

In the prologue, we get a very quick glimpse into something that happened. When we dive into chapter one, it’s not clear whether that was a scene from the past, or if it’s where the story is going to end up. I though that element set the tone of the mystery wonderfully!

Throughout the book, we get glimpses back into the past that gives us more information about a really awful storm that had hit, and the deaths that occurred during that time.

Our main character, Kieran, is back in his hometown with his girlfriend and infant child, helping his mother pack up her home as she is moving into an apartment while his father will be going to a care home because his is struggling with his dementia. But of course, while he went away from home, the guilt he feels when he’s back in town comes on very strong.

I loved the small town vibes, especially one with a huge summer tourist community as that hits home for me. But of course, with small towns, you also have the negative side affects of living in a small population…

While reading, I couldn’t wait to see how everything was going to play out. My heart broke for many of these characters that were all dealing with various struggles.

I will admit that this mystery was a bit predictable at times for me, however, I did not see the overall reveal coming!

My Favorite Passages:
Even as he said the words, a memory Kieran had almost forgotten tumbled off a dusty shelf in his mind. 

He’d been carrying this weight for so many years, he couldn’t imagine what it might feel like to be able to set it down. 

My Final Thoughts:
The Survivors is another really twisted mystery filled with amazing characters from Jane Harper! I highly recommend checking this out!


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