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kleonard's review
1.0
A gothic novel with all of the trappings: dead children, a spooky house, murky personal histories, sleepwalking, the lot. While the set up--missing girls and young women in a small New England town--is fine and the primary setting of the house and grounds detailed and interesting, none of the characters are very compelling or deep. The author's reliance on the trope of mad women, jealous women, and vengeful women perpetuates stigmas against the mentally ill and the longstanding stereotype of women as unstable, unable to communicate clearly, devious, and two-faced. There are also several inconsistencies and poorly-reasoned aspects to the story that undermine its chances of being successful for careful readers.
ljesica's review
3.0
This one is a murder mystery with a hint of the supernatural.
17 years ago, Hannah's sister Julia disappeared from her aunt and uncle's castle in the Catskills. She was never found. Hannah has moved on with her life and shut out the past as best she can. She has a job, a fiancé and a life that she couldn't have dreamed of having when she was a kid. But all of that changes when her Aunt Fae dies in a car accident and Hannah is forced to return to Brackenhill. And then a body is found in the woods.
I guessed the ending on page two. And I was right but I was also wrong. This one goes back and forth between 2002 and the present. Hannah is not a reliable narrator. Her memories are imperfect at best. And there is a hint of the supernatural in this book and you don't know if it is real or imagined. There were a few times that I wasn't sure if the editing had missed something or Hannah had missed something.
Overall I liked this book even if I did sort of see the ending coming. But the ending was open which always frustrates me. Not all of the mysteries were solved, and it always annoys me when I don't get the closure I crave.
17 years ago, Hannah's sister Julia disappeared from her aunt and uncle's castle in the Catskills. She was never found. Hannah has moved on with her life and shut out the past as best she can. She has a job, a fiancé and a life that she couldn't have dreamed of having when she was a kid. But all of that changes when her Aunt Fae dies in a car accident and Hannah is forced to return to Brackenhill. And then a body is found in the woods.
I guessed the ending on page two. And I was right but I was also wrong. This one goes back and forth between 2002 and the present. Hannah is not a reliable narrator. Her memories are imperfect at best. And there is a hint of the supernatural in this book and you don't know if it is real or imagined. There were a few times that I wasn't sure if the editing had missed something or Hannah had missed something.
Overall I liked this book even if I did sort of see the ending coming. But the ending was open which always frustrates me. Not all of the mysteries were solved, and it always annoys me when I don't get the closure I crave.
joelreadsin2023's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Alright alright
This was good, not amazing but good.
It was a pretty basic mystery book except for one thing, the Main Character was the one who did it. And gosh that was great! To little books do that and i loved it.
Furthermore it was pretty compelling and there was a kind of dark-academia vibe to it i guess. One thing that wouldve made it a lot better i think, is making this book a multi-pov
Other then that good soup
This was good, not amazing but good.
It was a pretty basic mystery book except for one thing, the Main Character was the one who did it. And gosh that was great! To little books do that and i loved it.
Furthermore it was pretty compelling and there was a kind of dark-academia vibe to it i guess. One thing that wouldve made it a lot better i think, is making this book a multi-pov
Other then that good soup
elsjefiederelsje's review
dark
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? It's complicated
3.75
booksintheirnaturalhabitat's review
4.0
I always enjoy Kate Moretti’s books; they have an eerie atmosphere, compelling characters and are creepy without getting gory. Girls of Brackenhill is no different and fit my spooky October reading theme well!
Hannah has been staying away from her family and subsequently her past for years. Something happened that last summer in Brackenhill when her sister disappeared and it’s been easier to avoid it all and move on with her life. But her aunt has died and she’s forced to return to tend to her uncle, the estate and her past. A mystery begins to unravel on the estate with police involvement and the unraveling of Hannah’s mind sends her into a spiral. The truth about what happened that last summer in Brackenhill may finally be known.
It’s amazing how the brain works and what it can suppress to protect us. I thoroughly enjoyed following Hannah’s journey through the mental obstacles of her past and dealing with the present. It’s a complex web. The whole story really grabbed me and kept me flying through page after page.
If you’re looking for a good book with elements of mystery, ghosts, and psychological twists, Girls of Brackenhill is one you’ll definitely want to add to your TBR!
Hannah has been staying away from her family and subsequently her past for years. Something happened that last summer in Brackenhill when her sister disappeared and it’s been easier to avoid it all and move on with her life. But her aunt has died and she’s forced to return to tend to her uncle, the estate and her past. A mystery begins to unravel on the estate with police involvement and the unraveling of Hannah’s mind sends her into a spiral. The truth about what happened that last summer in Brackenhill may finally be known.
It’s amazing how the brain works and what it can suppress to protect us. I thoroughly enjoyed following Hannah’s journey through the mental obstacles of her past and dealing with the present. It’s a complex web. The whole story really grabbed me and kept me flying through page after page.
If you’re looking for a good book with elements of mystery, ghosts, and psychological twists, Girls of Brackenhill is one you’ll definitely want to add to your TBR!
chillawesome's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mommasaystoread's review
2.0
Girls of Brackenhill hooked me completely with the first line of the book - and then it started losing me with a pace that was much too slow for my tastes. The castle is definitely a creepy setting that would have worked much better had the story held my interest all the way through. Hannah is an unreliable narrator, which works well for this type of story, but she's also rather irritating. She comes across as childish more often than not, even the grown up version. I mean, we get teenage Hannah in the "Then" chapters, and I'd expect a teenager to sound childish, but an almost 30-year-old woman should sound a little more adult. There are secrets and things do pick up, but this one wasn't what I was hoping for. I will warn that the ending isn't exactly all tied up in a neat little bow, but then, that sometimes works well in the genre - just not so much when there are other issues already. I guess it's safe to say that this one is definitely not my kind of thriller.
betcei's review
4.0
Because of a death, Hannah returns to the castle where she spent summers until her sister disappeared, Hannah wants to understand why Julia left without her. Now their aunt has died, and there are so many unanswered questions surrounding the castle. The town below holds a grudge against her family, and are little help in getting answers. Hannah is determined to figure it all out.
whimsicalyme's review
3.0
I finished The Girls of Brackenhill and I have to say it was high on the creep factor! A gothic castle, missing girls, and family secrets abound!!
I enjoyed the fact that the castle played a role almost as if it were a character in the book. The story was atmospheric!
The characters were interesting and I found myself wanting to like Hannah but ultimately I didn’t connect. She was very judgmental, yet she made questionable choices.
The end of the book really messed with me. I was left with so many questions. It was on of those endings that left me wondering what I just read and what I missed.
For me, The Girls of Brackenhill was a hard book to review. It’s well written, a gripping mystery, I felt the tension, but disliking Hannah, the narrator, and the ending left me wanting more. I think other people will likely read this and love it. I enjoyed it but it didn’t blow me away. I rated it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. I will definitely read more by this author because I see so much potential in the writing.
Thank you so much to @amazonpublishing for my advanced copy of the book to review!
mehva's review
5.0
I really liked this book, it was a big slow at first but i really liked the main character and her persistance and the many layered mystery. I guessed some of it but it didn't take anything away and it left with me other questions. would love to talk to others about it. this is a 4.5 for me but i will rate it up