The Stats
📖 BOOK REVIEW⠀📚
BOOK: The Broken Girls
AUTHOR: Simone St. James @simonestjames
Publisher: @berkleypub
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published: March 20, 2018
The Review
The Title/Cover Draw:
- I had read The Sun-Down motel earlier in 2020 and wanted to read more by this author. Didn’t expect it to be the first book of 2021, but it fit a prompt on a reading challenge so I went for it.
What I liked:
- The story was told in the present and the past, with little clues leading to the reveal. Usually it is hard to do this successfully but St. James does this effortlessly. It is slightly paranormal, similar to the previous book. The depth of the girls and their characters in the past were very well told.
What I didn’t like:
- At times the paranormal aspect was slightly cheesy.
The Characters:
- Fiona and Jamie are in the present, working together to figure out the mystery and history behind Idlewild Hall. In the past, we follow Sonia, CeCe, Roberta, and Katie as they experience life in the school.
The Ending:
- The ending was a tiny bit surprising how it came together. Although, if you have read Sun-Down Motel, it is slightly similar.
Narrator
- Rebecca Lowman was very easy to understand, even at higher speeds. She has a soothing voice.
Consider if you like / Reminds me of:
- Sun-Down Motel or other paranormal thrillers.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Summary:
A suspense novel from the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare…
Vermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants–the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . .
Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.
When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced. . . .