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a_chickletz's review against another edition
3.0
I originally tried reading this book a year or so ago. Maybe my head wasn't in the right place for it - then again, I did read an ARC so maybe the pacing was changed. I found it cheap and I enjoyed the author's other book, so read it and actually enjoyed it this time around.
It was a good mystery story merged with supernatural bits. Some of the supernatural bits felt a little odd / awkward in the story.
I think when it comes to the ghostly presence of 'Mary' it kind of took me out of the story and, idk, I don't think her presence should have been all visible. It should have been more or less teasing throughout the book and we are not sure what we're seeing or if the ghost is really there.
Still, I'm glad I gave this book another chance.
It was a good mystery story merged with supernatural bits. Some of the supernatural bits felt a little odd / awkward in the story.
I think when it comes to the ghostly presence of 'Mary' it kind of took me out of the story and, idk, I don't think her presence should have been all visible. It should have been more or less teasing throughout the book and we are not sure what we're seeing or if the ghost is really there.
Still, I'm glad I gave this book another chance.
samantha_h's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
smilesgiggle's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book - a great novel detailing girls set aside by their families, forgotten. A woman still searching for answers twenty years after her sister's murder.
justdanreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ajlovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Another great book by Simone St James!!! It was hard to put this one down!
liedora's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good read, not gripping enough to merit a 5 star, couldn't put it down rating, but it kept me engaged until the end.
Although the characters are well written, I didn't find any one of them strong enough for me to be truly invested in. What I did like was the way the two timelines seamlessly worked with each other. Something's the an Author does this, things can get a little muddled; not in this case. I also have a feeling that this could be read on the older timeline first, in it's entirety, and then the more modern one. Unfortunately, as this was a library loan, I don't have the time to test this theory.
Although the characters are well written, I didn't find any one of them strong enough for me to be truly invested in. What I did like was the way the two timelines seamlessly worked with each other. Something's the an Author does this, things can get a little muddled; not in this case. I also have a feeling that this could be read on the older timeline first, in it's entirety, and then the more modern one. Unfortunately, as this was a library loan, I don't have the time to test this theory.
jobeeschneiter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
katie_samsock's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Excuse me while I add this to my favorites list. If you’re searching for a good book for this fall season than this book is 100% the one you need to read. Right now. Like stop everything you’re doing and get to the library and grab a copy. I had read reviews that said the book description doesn’t do it justice and I totally agree in all the best ways. There are so many twists and turns that happened that you didn’t realize could even happen when you started this and it makes it that much more enjoyable. The stuff about Mary hand is definitely creepy but I wouldn’t categorize it in horror by any means. Most of the encounters with this ghost are creepy because you don’t see her but you get descriptions of her from far away. It’s kind of the whole lesismore vibe.
Oh this was so flipping GOOD!!!
Oh this was so flipping GOOD!!!
xcota's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.25
nice spooky atmosphere but felt kinda clunky at times
jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
While girls can be vicious creatures, they can also have brutal things done to them that shatter their lives. In Simone St. James's The Broken Girls, the events and secrets held within the grounds of Idlewild Hall obscure a dark history.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
In a small Vermont town, the Idlewild Hall school housed girls who were deemed to be difficult throughout its history. After the school closed down, the vacant lot of Idlewild housed illicit activities, including a brutal murder. Fiona Sheridan is the sister of the murdered girl who was discovered in the field at Idlewild, who as a journalist begins writing about the school upon learning that an anonymous benefactor is renovating the school. When a body is found on the school grounds during the renovation, Fiona digs deeper into the school's past and her sister's murder, unearthing corruption as she tries to get clarity and closure for the girl who was found as well as for herself.
An enjoyably atmospheric and haunting story of ghosts, corruption, and the secrets buried within us all, this narrative is well-written as it slowly builds suspense. Oscillating back and forth in time between current-day Fiona and the quartet of girls at Idlewild in 1950, the dual narratives converge in a satisfying, if far too rapid and coincidental, manner in the culmination of the novel's plot; however, I found that I was far more enthralled by the stories of the girls in 1950 and less captivated by Fiona's foolhardy investigation into Idlewild's history and her mishandled relationship with her boyfriend.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
In a small Vermont town, the Idlewild Hall school housed girls who were deemed to be difficult throughout its history. After the school closed down, the vacant lot of Idlewild housed illicit activities, including a brutal murder. Fiona Sheridan is the sister of the murdered girl who was discovered in the field at Idlewild, who as a journalist begins writing about the school upon learning that an anonymous benefactor is renovating the school. When a body is found on the school grounds during the renovation, Fiona digs deeper into the school's past and her sister's murder, unearthing corruption as she tries to get clarity and closure for the girl who was found as well as for herself.
An enjoyably atmospheric and haunting story of ghosts, corruption, and the secrets buried within us all, this narrative is well-written as it slowly builds suspense. Oscillating back and forth in time between current-day Fiona and the quartet of girls at Idlewild in 1950, the dual narratives converge in a satisfying, if far too rapid and coincidental, manner in the culmination of the novel's plot; however, I found that I was far more enthralled by the stories of the girls in 1950 and less captivated by Fiona's foolhardy investigation into Idlewild's history and her mishandled relationship with her boyfriend.