hannahpings's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Medical content, Vomit, Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Animal death
Minor: Child death
markedwithanm's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
Graphic: Death and Chronic illness
begovicj's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Death
thereadedit's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Unsettling: 😬😬
SCARY: 👻👻
DEATH: 💀💀💀
INTRIGUE: 🧠🧠🧠🧠🧠
TW: Drowning, Death, Gore
Sapphic Romance Meets The House on Haunted Hill on a Lake
The girls are never gone was definitely a journey through time and circumstances much different than our own. It explored the 1800s all the way through today. With time comes people and conflict. And people choose conflict over resolving what issues may lie.
We all know that teenage girls can have a mind of their own. It's a time when you feel as if you may never come across a time and space where you aren't safe or could fathom the worst happening to you. But also exploring who you are to find you and what makes you feel happy. Until you are thrust into such a situation, you have no way of knowing unless you follow the history of people before us.
I'm this instance there is a beautiful home that is being restored to become a museum to show how much of a time capsule it is. You have a very wealthy family with 10 kids who lived there and while there were many there was one who perished. She built the strength and power over the years and chose to take a girl her age each time one moved into the home. The town refused to do anything about it so they just pretended it didn't happen. Until it made it impossible for the girls coming there to have a dream summer of working in the house. Three girls are there to be in an internship to help restore the home into a museum. All three go through this time to find who they are in life. A sapphic romance between two of the girls begins just when things start happening in the home.
Vengeful spirits always wants the last say in everything yet they can't even speak. The girls in this book go through so much and yet are stronger for everything in the end.
I would highly recommend reading this book if you want to go on a ghost filled haunted house tour!
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Animal death, Death, and Death of parent
llewellareads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Chronic illness, and Vomit
Moderate: Blood and Body horror
Minor: Dementia, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty
shelvesofivy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Spoiler
The dog does Not die!!Even though the romance wasn't the most profound or anything, there were definitely tender moments that had my heart in a chokehold. More than the romance though, the mystery aspect is what got me through the book. I'd probably reread, if only to catch more specific clues.
This wasn't a perfect book, with some underdeveloped areas, but it was still a fun and interesting read! I have mixed feelings about the ending, because
Spoiler
there were unanswered questions about Holly's fate, and I don't really like vague endings. However, I do appreciate Dare and Quinn's maturity to give themselves time to recover from the events of the book before going into a full relationship with each other. I'd love to see them reunite eventually and tie up some loose ends though.With those things said, I could definitely see there being a sequel, and would love to read it if that happens!
Graphic: Chronic illness and Death
Moderate: Gore and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
beholderess's review
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Vomit and Gore
Moderate: Death and Child death
Drowning Death of wild animalsaspring's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
but also, i found this ending really disappointing and abrupt, the book was going so well and this ending just didn’t fit the narrative that was set up for it. i would’ve liked to see a bit more closure and more of a final ‘boss battle’ at the end.
also also! the plot twists! i did not see any of them coming! (if you actually think about it, you probably will but i didn’t and i loved it) <3
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Animal death, and Child death
collinsd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Death and Child death
Minor: Animal death
monicalaurette's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“Leave, Dare. She won’t save you either.”
“I’ll reach out into the darkness, safe in knowing nothing ever reaches back.”
Spoiler
like when they found out Hettie was killing her ‘sisters’ at the same age, I had picked up on that when they found Atheleen’s list and read the next chapter I felt so smartSpoiler
I knew the second that Holly fell into the lake that it was going to want her, and then Quinn with the sleepwalking I was so torn on how it was going to end.Spoiler
Atheleen being like a fellow ghost hunter/true crime lover was really cool and I think a way to help Dare realize that some ghosts are in fact realSpoiler
ROSE AS GUSSIE I JUST DID NOT SEE COMING I AUDIBLY GASPEDSpoiler
I thought that at the end, Hettie/the lake did accept Rose both because she gave her ‘sister’ a hug and Rose was probably the same age as Hettie’s mom when she died so it was like her mother was healing her.Spoiler
Okay but WHERE IS HOLLY? Part of me is like, oh she never left the estate and is now just hiding in the dilapidated building waiting for someone to find her/allow her to drown them in the lake next. I know that is crazy but she left the story so oddly and abruptly I just want her to be okay.Graphic: Medical content, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Minor: Vomit