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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.
jennmcclafferty's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
cherese's review against another edition
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
sara_hurley's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
tinlizzyd08's review against another edition
4.0
a slow starter with a good finish
The book was dark and a little boring at the start as a woman seeks answers in her sister’s long ago murder. The second story tied in is more interesting, of a girls school in the 50s and an unsolved murder that took place. The plot builds slowly and kind of wanders around without a lot of action and then finally in a rush, a lot of pieces come together at the end. I liked the book overall. The writing is fairly clear and the story is certainly unique.
The book was dark and a little boring at the start as a woman seeks answers in her sister’s long ago murder. The second story tied in is more interesting, of a girls school in the 50s and an unsolved murder that took place. The plot builds slowly and kind of wanders around without a lot of action and then finally in a rush, a lot of pieces come together at the end. I liked the book overall. The writing is fairly clear and the story is certainly unique.
emilyh84's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
zic's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
devonn24's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0