byashleylamar's review against another edition
2.0
This one was mediocre at best. The synopsis made it sound so good but it really let me down. It alternated between the past and present chapter-by-chapter to show Sadie as a precocious young girl and Sadie as a married mother of two. When she was young two girls from her neighborhood went missing about 5 years apart and we find that Sadie had a hand in the disappearance of the second girl. It was supposed to be a mystery but it was poorly executed and pretty boring. The big reveal at the end was disappointing and it just didn't feel like it was worth reading. It's an easy book, it's short and it's not terrible but it's not great. It's the kind of book I'd pick up for a long flight and then forget about shortly after landing. It was average at best.
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
There's a buzz book for the summer - you might have heard of it already -- [b:The Shining Girls|16131077|The Shining Girls|Lauren Beukes|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1352227705s/16131077.jpg|21956898] by Lauren Beukes. Featuring a time traveling serial killer, it has huge potential for a beach read thriller, but I don't know. Despite enjoying the main character, I felt it was missing something and my overall reaction after reading it was lukewarm.
This book on the other hand is much more to my liking. Probably closer to three and a half stars, it's an easy four in my books because it features all the elements I adore -- suburban New England setting, family secrets and lies, prepubescent girls doing naughty things with tragic consequence. It's an "all grown up and looking back" story as the adult tries to untangle the mysterious events of a dark childhood summer. It's a dual narrative that flips back and forth in time -- from the summer of 1979 to the summer of 2003. There's mood and atmosphere and dread and intrigue. It's a voyeuristic look into the oft-twisted and inappropriate shenanigans of life in the 'burbs.
Sadie is a pushy, bratty kid, with razor sharp smarts and a vivid imagination that's only going to get her into trouble. Her mother is a domineering, manic depressive drunk who isn't going to be there for Sadie when she needs her the most. Out of boredom and as an act of rebellion, Sadie hatches an elaborate ruse to amuse herself and her best friend. It's the summer of 1979 and her victim is the neighborhood outcast, a young girl with a miserable home life. The consequences of this cruel prank will have a tragic ripple effect.
Sadie grows up. The memory of that time is locked away in a deep, dark corner of her mind. She has a husband and two beautiful children. But sorrow has found Sadie. She is grieving her miscarriage and in this vulnerable state, back walks the boy she crushed on as a young girl. He's all grown up and stirring up more than the overwhelming sexual attraction she feels for him. Sadie begins to think about that summer long ago, seeking truth to all the unanswered questions she's lived with her entire life.
For a debut novel, The Longings of Wayward Girls (great title) shows a lot of promise. In the best ways, I was reminded of Megan Abbott's The End of Everything, and Gillian Flynn's [b:Sharp Objects|66559|Sharp Objects|Gillian Flynn|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1298431315s/66559.jpg|3801]. Author Karen Brown is on my radar now and I will definitely be seeking out more of her writing.
This review also posted to Shelf Inflicted.
jaycrust's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
laurenbe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.0
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
Inspired by a real disappearance, the author imagines what that might be like for the friends left behind. At least, that's what she's trying to do. The thing is, there are two disappearances here: Laura's and Francie's. Laura is the first to disappear, and headlines set off parts of the books ("Girl Missing"... "Search Expanded"... etc. type headlines). However, it's Francie's disappearance that is the more important one, which is a little odd - given the headlines and Laura's disappearance, I'd hoped for more about her.
Sadie and Betty are good friends, in and out of each others houses in the way kids often are. Sadie's mother is an actress with the local acting group, possibly an alcoholic, definitely troubled. We also meet Beth, the daughter of the local patron, who lives in a huge house with an in-ground pool, and who has a Very Cute older brother, Ray. Back in the 1970s, children disappearing was rare and Laura's disappearance shakes their cozy world. Beth was friends with Laura, the others less so, but still, they're all a little nervous (the parents more nervous than the kids). Francie is the odd kid in the neighborhood, the one that doesn't quite fit in, and one day Sadie and Betty see her hiding a letter to someone - they decide to respond, in what today is called "catfishing" (think Manti Te'o) and ultimately convince Francie to run away with "Hezekiah". Only Francie really does go missing, which seems to be the deciding straw in Sadie and Betty growing apart.
This story is intermixed with a more modern story, one where Sadie is married with two children. She's recently had a very late term miscarriage and is - understandable - depressed. Over the course of the summer, she starts to make changes and choices that probably stem from that; some of them have their root in that long-ago summer and the questions/culpabilities that raises.
As I said, the use of Laura for the headlines but having very little about her in the plot was a little odd. The other problem for me was that there were so many stereotypical things added, and none of the characters surprised me. Almost as soon as I met someone I could begin to predict the outcome and their arc, which works better in mysteries than it does here.
ARC provided by publisher.
Sadie and Betty are good friends, in and out of each others houses in the way kids often are. Sadie's mother is an actress with the local acting group, possibly an alcoholic, definitely troubled. We also meet Beth, the daughter of the local patron, who lives in a huge house with an in-ground pool, and who has a Very Cute older brother, Ray. Back in the 1970s, children disappearing was rare and Laura's disappearance shakes their cozy world. Beth was friends with Laura, the others less so, but still, they're all a little nervous (the parents more nervous than the kids). Francie is the odd kid in the neighborhood, the one that doesn't quite fit in, and one day Sadie and Betty see her hiding a letter to someone - they decide to respond, in what today is called "catfishing" (think Manti Te'o) and ultimately convince Francie to run away with "Hezekiah". Only Francie really does go missing, which seems to be the deciding straw in Sadie and Betty growing apart.
This story is intermixed with a more modern story, one where Sadie is married with two children. She's recently had a very late term miscarriage and is - understandable - depressed. Over the course of the summer, she starts to make changes and choices that probably stem from that; some of them have their root in that long-ago summer and the questions/culpabilities that raises.
As I said, the use of Laura for the headlines but having very little about her in the plot was a little odd. The other problem for me was that there were so many stereotypical things added, and none of the characters surprised me. Almost as soon as I met someone I could begin to predict the outcome and their arc, which works better in mysteries than it does here.
ARC provided by publisher.
siobhanward's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a decent read - a good family drama with a mystery mixed in. The characters were decently developed, although I would have loved if Sadie and Betty reconnected in the future, but I understand the author's desire to draw a firm line in Sadie's life before and after Francie's disappearance.
I also found that this book took a really long time to get to the meat of the plot - the blurb on the book talks about Sadie and Betty playing a prank and Francie's disappearance. However, most of that happens in the last third of the book. The rest of the plot was fine, but there was a lot of background and a lot of moping before we got to the actual plot. I wish there had been more focus on that and less on what adult Sadie was doing.
This is definitely one of those books that was fine - if I hadn't already read as many similar books, I think I would have liked it more for sure.
I also found that this book took a really long time to get to the meat of the plot - the blurb on the book talks about Sadie and Betty playing a prank and Francie's disappearance. However, most of that happens in the last third of the book. The rest of the plot was fine, but there was a lot of background and a lot of moping before we got to the actual plot. I wish there had been more focus on that and less on what adult Sadie was doing.
This is definitely one of those books that was fine - if I hadn't already read as many similar books, I think I would have liked it more for sure.
marryallthepeople's review against another edition
1.0
I think I hit a dud here, but maybe in another mood I would have enjoyed it.
lindseycstraub's review against another edition
2.0
The story had potential but ultimately I was disappointed. Every chapter alternates between 1979 and 2003, but I would have preferred to have the whole thing written about the period during 1979. Obviously, the author does this to give resolution to the central mystery, but the protagonist (Sadie) is so unlikeable as her adult self that it was frustrating.
trixie_reads's review against another edition
3.0
The book kept me interested, though I was left with questions. The thing that most annoyed me was that
Spoiler
Laura's story seemingly had nothing to do with the rest of the book. We never find out what happened to her. Are we to think that perhaps Ray's sister also killed her for some reason? I kept thinking that there would be some link with Laura and Sadie, but no.stinalee's review against another edition
4.0
#popsugar 2017, A book set in two different time periods