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isaacrm's review against another edition
2.0
I rarely give a book 2 stars, and never rate books less than that because who am I to criticizes the hard work of a writer? Unfortunately, this book deserves the low rating.
The book starts very slow and boring. The first half of the book is just about introducing characters and mysteries, and very little about moving forward towards any resolution. There's a main mystery that keeps the focus throughout the book, and when you reach the end, that mystery, the main one, the one you've been suffering page after page to find out what happened, never gets resolved.
Either that, or I got lost in all the jumping around through different times. You know, the books where the story line runs in the present but some chapters bring you back some years back to develop the story.
I'm fine with that. It makes it interesting. It's a way to develop characters, to establish plots, and to keep you guessing what might have happened. But this book has so many chapters that start with "now" and then the entire chapter talks about what happened 17 years earlier, that I continuously got lost in the story and had to go back and read again the chapter to figure out when it jumped from "now" to years earlier. I almost stopped reading it because of this.
Like I said before, there are way too many mysteries in the book, and one main one that, too me, is the only important one and necessary. That main one, never gets resolved, but I might have missed it because of all of the jumping around in time. All the others... very predictable.
I saw some reviews stating that this was an interesting/scary ghost story. I'm sorry, but I would not describe it much more than a silly ghost story; certainly, nothing eerie.
If you are looking for a mystery... don't read this book. If you are looking for some horror... don't read this book. Absolutely cannot recommend.
The book starts very slow and boring. The first half of the book is just about introducing characters and mysteries, and very little about moving forward towards any resolution. There's a main mystery that keeps the focus throughout the book, and when you reach the end, that mystery, the main one, the one you've been suffering page after page to find out what happened, never gets resolved.
Either that, or I got lost in all the jumping around through different times. You know, the books where the story line runs in the present but some chapters bring you back some years back to develop the story.
I'm fine with that. It makes it interesting. It's a way to develop characters, to establish plots, and to keep you guessing what might have happened. But this book has so many chapters that start with "now" and then the entire chapter talks about what happened 17 years earlier, that I continuously got lost in the story and had to go back and read again the chapter to figure out when it jumped from "now" to years earlier. I almost stopped reading it because of this.
Like I said before, there are way too many mysteries in the book, and one main one that, too me, is the only important one and necessary. That main one, never gets resolved, but I might have missed it because of all of the jumping around in time. All the others... very predictable.
I saw some reviews stating that this was an interesting/scary ghost story. I'm sorry, but I would not describe it much more than a silly ghost story; certainly, nothing eerie.
If you are looking for a mystery... don't read this book. If you are looking for some horror... don't read this book. Absolutely cannot recommend.
bookish_aly_cat's review
mysterious
4.0
This was a really good mysterious psychological thriller. Girls of Brackenhill takes place in a gothic castle full of mystery and intrigue and I was hooked from the very first page. I love stories that have a heavy focus on missing girls and this was just that.
In this book you follow Hannah as she returns to the family castle when her aunt dies. It’s there that she’s forced to face her sister’s unsolved disappearance and all the mysteries that surround that situation.
Even though I really enjoyed this one I found the pacing to be a bit slow. However, I also think that suited the story and the eerie atmosphere. The plot in this book wasn’t anything I haven’t read about before, but it was still done in a way that kept my attention and had me wanting to find out answers.
Read this if you like:
→ Creepy castle
→ Missing Girls
→ Mystery and suspense
→ Paranormal
→ Family secrets
Overall, this was a good read. I do wish that the ending was a bit more clear though. I still feel like I have unanswered questions.
gailm's review against another edition
4.0
Haunted by her sister’s disappearance, a troubled woman becomes consumed by past secrets. When Hannah Maloney’s aunt dies in a car accident, she returns to her family’s castle in the Catskills and the epicenter of a childhood trauma: her sister’s unsolved disappearance. It’s been seventeen years, and though desperate to start a new life with her fiancé, Hannah is compelled to question the events of her last summer at Brackenhill.
When a human bone is found near the estate, Hannah is convinced it belongs to her long-lost sister. She launches her own investigation into that magical summer that ended in a nightmare. As strange happenings plague the castle, Hannah uncovers disturbing details about the past and startling realizations about her own repressed childhood memories.
Fuelled by guilt over her sister’s vanishing, Hannah becomes obsessed with discovering what happened all those years ago, but by the time Hannah realizes some mysteries are best left buried, it’s too late to stop digging. Overwhelmed by what she has exposed, Hannah isn’t sure her new life can survive her old ghosts.
Great descriptions of the castle. Backwards and forwards between the current and the past, current and past boyfriends too.
When a human bone is found near the estate, Hannah is convinced it belongs to her long-lost sister. She launches her own investigation into that magical summer that ended in a nightmare. As strange happenings plague the castle, Hannah uncovers disturbing details about the past and startling realizations about her own repressed childhood memories.
Fuelled by guilt over her sister’s vanishing, Hannah becomes obsessed with discovering what happened all those years ago, but by the time Hannah realizes some mysteries are best left buried, it’s too late to stop digging. Overwhelmed by what she has exposed, Hannah isn’t sure her new life can survive her old ghosts.
Great descriptions of the castle. Backwards and forwards between the current and the past, current and past boyfriends too.
alliebex's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I could give this 3.5 stars, because it was better than a 3. But I still didn’t really like it very much.
dwm_1040's review against another edition
1.0
It's overlong. Unlikable characters. I finally skipped to the end, just didn't like it
loulouk's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to enjoy this book but I found it dragged out and quite predictable for the most part. The end then felt rushed and not completely finished. As other reviews have said it was also quite confusing as to what had actually happened, what was real and what was not. It was not a satisfactory ending. I wouldn’t recommend this book.
sarahhyatt's review against another edition
2.0
A completely enjoyable reading experience that I plowed through in almost one sitting (I had to go to sleep and finish it up this morning). I'm completely here for the creepy castle vibes and the magical summer, not so much for the plot holes and overdone predictable "twist" ending and lack of closure. I'm tired of lack of resolution being touted as ✨mysterious ✨
Super readable, pleasantly engaging, wonderful atmosphere, and I liked the characters until I didn't.
Super readable, pleasantly engaging, wonderful atmosphere, and I liked the characters until I didn't.
jennystout21's review against another edition
2.0
I was kind of disappointed with this book. I think it didn't really want to pick between being a horror novel and a straightforward psychological thriller, and it ended up being a mediocre mashup of the two genres. There was a lot of potential in this "haunted house" story--the part with the basement alone was super spooky and I wish, wish, wish the author had spent more time exploring what was going on with the basement. There's also just too many characters and connections that we're supposed to care about. The book is entertaining, but unfocused and unsatisfying in the end.