sarahp85's review against another edition
5.0
I might not be objective enough, seeing as Carol Goodman is the author who made me fall in love with reading.
But for real.... after The Lake of the Dead Languages, I have read every books she's written. And this is for sure in the top 5. It gave a lot of Lake feelings, I did guess the ending a bit but there were plenty of surprises along the way. I would have finished in a day if it wasn't for work getting in my way hahahaha
Great read by an amazing author. Truly love Carols writing style!
But for real.... after The Lake of the Dead Languages, I have read every books she's written. And this is for sure in the top 5. It gave a lot of Lake feelings, I did guess the ending a bit but there were plenty of surprises along the way. I would have finished in a day if it wasn't for work getting in my way hahahaha
Great read by an amazing author. Truly love Carols writing style!
reytru1065's review against another edition
3.0
The Sea of Lost Girls is about a Tess a woman who has spent most of her adult life trying to hide her sordid past and protect her teenage son. When a young girl, her son’s girlfriend, ends up dead Tess can no longer keep her past a secret.
I enjoyed the plot and characters but the execution of the storyline fell a little short for me. Characters who were an afterthought in the beginning of the story end up being pivotal towards the end with hardly and character development. Aside from this critique the book is thrilling and exciting!
I enjoyed the plot and characters but the execution of the storyline fell a little short for me. Characters who were an afterthought in the beginning of the story end up being pivotal towards the end with hardly and character development. Aside from this critique the book is thrilling and exciting!
a_book_and_a_bun's review
2.0
I give it 2.5 stars. In my opinion I found it very predictable and not thrilling at all. The story overall had some interesting components but this book just didn’t really grasp me.
denaiir's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
This was extremely middle-of-the-road, so it get the most average rating.
It was readable and the writing was easy to follow.
The folklore around the boarding school was quite compelling and I really wanted to know more about it.
However, it was a complete miss in terms of characters. Apart from the police detective, who was hardly a side character, it's hard to find anyone to root for. All the secondary characters are shitty or annoying, but the main character was absolutely driving me mad. She's a helicopter parent and I just can't stand that kind of people, and even though the author is trying to find her excuses, she just makes all the wrong choices and lies to everybody "to protect them" all the time. If I had someone like that in my life, I would just cut ties with them as soon as possible.
I enjoyed part 2 more than part one, but the final twist fell completely flat and I really didn't like it.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was not bad, but I didn't particularly enjoy it.
This was extremely middle-of-the-road, so it get the most average rating.
It was readable and the writing was easy to follow.
The folklore around the boarding school was quite compelling and I really wanted to know more about it.
However, it was a complete miss in terms of characters. Apart from the police detective, who was hardly a side character, it's hard to find anyone to root for. All the secondary characters are shitty or annoying, but the main character was absolutely driving me mad. She's a helicopter parent and I just can't stand that kind of people, and even though the author is trying to find her excuses, she just makes all the wrong choices and lies to everybody "to protect them" all the time. If I had someone like that in my life, I would just cut ties with them as soon as possible.
I enjoyed part 2 more than part one, but the final twist fell completely flat and I really didn't like it.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was not bad, but I didn't particularly enjoy it.
cs_the_librarian's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
itskaylasstuff's review against another edition
3.0
The story was great but the way it was told lacked the thrill that comes with reading a thriller. It felt more like reading a newspaper article about something terrible that’s happened in the past. Awful but without any immediate danger or excitement. Would still recommend but don’t expect to be on the edge of your seat with tension if that’s what you look for.
jackie_marion's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
The Sea of Lost Girls by Carol Goodman is a compelling mystery which takes place at a prep school along the Maine Coast.
Tess Henshaw is an alumni at the school where she is now an English teacher. She left the school right after graduating only to return several years later with her five year old son Rudy. With the help of headmistress Jean Shire, Tess goes to college and after graduation becomes a faculty member. During college, she dates then marries her former professor Harmon. While she loves her husband, there is tension between them because she is so protective of her now seventeen year old son. Tess is also keeping some very deep and dark secrets about her past. When Rudy's girlfriend Lila Zeller's body is found on the beach, how far will Tess go to protect her son?
Tess has a very complicated history that she hopes no one ever unearths. She knows she made several mistakes and unfortunately, some of her misjudgments directly affect Rudy. Feeling guilty about how deeply her past decisions have affected her son, Tess is determined to do anything and everything to protect him. This attitude causes friction between her and Harmon and even though Rudy is staying at the school, the couple's relationship is still distant.
Rudy is not close to his mom and he maintains an emotional distance from her. He has few friends and he has been the victim of bullying. Rudy has a bit of a troubled past since he is prone to angry outbursts. But to Tess's delight, Rudy's relationship with Lila has wrought many positive changes in his life. Needless to say, Tess is quite distressed when he texts her in the middle of the night to pick him up from his "safe place".
Rudy is co-operative throughout the investigation but Tess holds back information she believes will harm her son. She is so worried about Rudy that Officer Kevin Bantree's questioning of Harmon takes her completely off guard. Tess has complete faith in her husband's innocence but will she sacrifice Harmon in order to protect Rudy?
The Sea of Lost Girls is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery with a clever, topical storyline. Tess is a helicopter parent who is desperate to keep damaging details about her past from coming to light. The school is quite elite now but is it also has a dark history that plays an integral role in the unfolding story. Carol Goodman brings this atmospheric mystery to a twist-filled, shocking conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this absorbing mystery to fans of the genre.
The Sea of Lost Girls by Carol Goodman is a compelling mystery which takes place at a prep school along the Maine Coast.
Tess Henshaw is an alumni at the school where she is now an English teacher. She left the school right after graduating only to return several years later with her five year old son Rudy. With the help of headmistress Jean Shire, Tess goes to college and after graduation becomes a faculty member. During college, she dates then marries her former professor Harmon. While she loves her husband, there is tension between them because she is so protective of her now seventeen year old son. Tess is also keeping some very deep and dark secrets about her past. When Rudy's girlfriend Lila Zeller's body is found on the beach, how far will Tess go to protect her son?
Tess has a very complicated history that she hopes no one ever unearths. She knows she made several mistakes and unfortunately, some of her misjudgments directly affect Rudy. Feeling guilty about how deeply her past decisions have affected her son, Tess is determined to do anything and everything to protect him. This attitude causes friction between her and Harmon and even though Rudy is staying at the school, the couple's relationship is still distant.
Rudy is not close to his mom and he maintains an emotional distance from her. He has few friends and he has been the victim of bullying. Rudy has a bit of a troubled past since he is prone to angry outbursts. But to Tess's delight, Rudy's relationship with Lila has wrought many positive changes in his life. Needless to say, Tess is quite distressed when he texts her in the middle of the night to pick him up from his "safe place".
Rudy is co-operative throughout the investigation but Tess holds back information she believes will harm her son. She is so worried about Rudy that Officer Kevin Bantree's questioning of Harmon takes her completely off guard. Tess has complete faith in her husband's innocence but will she sacrifice Harmon in order to protect Rudy?
The Sea of Lost Girls is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery with a clever, topical storyline. Tess is a helicopter parent who is desperate to keep damaging details about her past from coming to light. The school is quite elite now but is it also has a dark history that plays an integral role in the unfolding story. Carol Goodman brings this atmospheric mystery to a twist-filled, shocking conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this absorbing mystery to fans of the genre.
ajones1909's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Easy read and I enjoyed the storyline, but parts felt very repetitive.
Easy read and I enjoyed the storyline, but parts felt very repetitive.