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luisa71's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliantly constructed for the upper age range of YA readers, A TRIO OF SOPHIES reads like a perfect tale for teenagers - female and male. Engaging and cleverly plotted, there's a depth to the characterisations and the manner in which some very current day issues are explored.
Many of us have been in the situation where our name was obviously popular at the time we were christened, and you suddenly find yourself in a school class, or social situation with an urgent need for distinction system. In this case, it's a trio of Sophies (Sophie A, Mac and Twiggy) who all met up at primary school - remaining friends right through high school, until Sophie A goes missing. Told in the form of Sophie MacKenzie (Mac's) personal journal, the story starts 64 days after the disappearance, with Sophie A still missing, despite police investigations, working it's way back to the day that she vanished.
An interesting structure that works incredibly well, the voice of Mac is the main viewpoint of the entire book - she's the quiet one, the diligent student, the girl who wants to make something of herself. She's also the one that readers have to believe, but there's something in her telling that doesn't quite add up, and it's up to the reader to decide what to believe and why. The Sophies aren't the only characters here though - there are other teenagers, parents, and teacher James Bacon. The cast is all pretty well drawn out, remembering always, that everyone is seen via the view of Mac and what she wants you to know.
The clever construction of A TRIO OF SOPHIES comes with the way that this singular, insulated viewpoint, is interwoven, without the hint of a lecture or preach, with a heap of real current day problems for kids - jealousy, longing, awakening romantic and sexual urges, forming and holding onto friendships, and most devastating of all, adults who groom young people.
The pace remains high, the style of dialogue feels exactly right, and the relationship between the teenagers, and the adults in their lives was utterly convincing. Could not recommend A TRIO OF SOPHIES more highly - for adults and older teenager readers alike.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/trio-sophies-eileen-merriman
Many of us have been in the situation where our name was obviously popular at the time we were christened, and you suddenly find yourself in a school class, or social situation with an urgent need for distinction system. In this case, it's a trio of Sophies (Sophie A, Mac and Twiggy) who all met up at primary school - remaining friends right through high school, until Sophie A goes missing. Told in the form of Sophie MacKenzie (Mac's) personal journal, the story starts 64 days after the disappearance, with Sophie A still missing, despite police investigations, working it's way back to the day that she vanished.
An interesting structure that works incredibly well, the voice of Mac is the main viewpoint of the entire book - she's the quiet one, the diligent student, the girl who wants to make something of herself. She's also the one that readers have to believe, but there's something in her telling that doesn't quite add up, and it's up to the reader to decide what to believe and why. The Sophies aren't the only characters here though - there are other teenagers, parents, and teacher James Bacon. The cast is all pretty well drawn out, remembering always, that everyone is seen via the view of Mac and what she wants you to know.
The clever construction of A TRIO OF SOPHIES comes with the way that this singular, insulated viewpoint, is interwoven, without the hint of a lecture or preach, with a heap of real current day problems for kids - jealousy, longing, awakening romantic and sexual urges, forming and holding onto friendships, and most devastating of all, adults who groom young people.
The pace remains high, the style of dialogue feels exactly right, and the relationship between the teenagers, and the adults in their lives was utterly convincing. Could not recommend A TRIO OF SOPHIES more highly - for adults and older teenager readers alike.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/trio-sophies-eileen-merriman
bookblogic's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
3.0
caszriel's review against another edition
4.0
Initial thoughts: wow. I don't think I truly grasped the depth of deception in this novel until the end. A Trio of Sophies is a highly addictive, fast paced read. I did ruin this one a little by accidentally glimpsing the title of the last chapter while checking the page count, but overall a great read.
————————————————————
~I received a physical proof copy from Penguin NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Once there was a trio of Sophies, a close-knit group of three girls, all named Sophie. But it’s been 64 days since Sophie A was last seen, since she vanished wordlessly. A Trio of Sophies follows Sophie MacKenzie, Mac, as she moves on from the disappearance of her friend, the beautiful and charismatic Sophie A. What happened to the prettiest Sophie?
It’s always great to read books set in New Zealand and writing by NZ authors! The references were fun to spot (except NCEA, having that in a book was slightly horrifying). My favourite thing about this book is the cast of characters, they were multifaceted and well placed for all the twists and interactions, especially Will. I mean, poor guy, but the ending also left things wide open for him?
Mac made for a great narrator, though certainly an unreliable one; Eileen Merriman puts a spin on the traditional “from inside the diary” stories for sure. While usually diaries are seen as a medium of complete honesty and the things we won’t ever admit to others, Mac’s diary is not that at all. We start at day sixty-four (64 days after Sophie A disappears), and go backwards towards day zero, the day when she is last seen. The Sophies are established well and easily differentiable; there’s Sophie Abercrombie, or Sophie A; Sophie MacKenzie, or Mac, our narrator; and Sophie Twiggs, or Twiggy.
A Trio of Sophies captured my attention and held it throughout. A story of broken friendships, lies, and secrets, it’s full of teen drama and intrigue with a darker note hidden underneath. Eileen Merriman isn’t afraid to take risks with her writing and plots, and they really pay off. The characters are complex and fit perfectly into the story where needed for plot purposes. If you liked A Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis, this is the book for you.
————————————————————
~I received a physical proof copy from Penguin NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Once there was a trio of Sophies, a close-knit group of three girls, all named Sophie. But it’s been 64 days since Sophie A was last seen, since she vanished wordlessly. A Trio of Sophies follows Sophie MacKenzie, Mac, as she moves on from the disappearance of her friend, the beautiful and charismatic Sophie A. What happened to the prettiest Sophie?
It’s always great to read books set in New Zealand and writing by NZ authors! The references were fun to spot (except NCEA, having that in a book was slightly horrifying). My favourite thing about this book is the cast of characters, they were multifaceted and well placed for all the twists and interactions, especially Will. I mean, poor guy, but the ending also left things wide open for him?
Mac made for a great narrator, though certainly an unreliable one; Eileen Merriman puts a spin on the traditional “from inside the diary” stories for sure. While usually diaries are seen as a medium of complete honesty and the things we won’t ever admit to others, Mac’s diary is not that at all. We start at day sixty-four (64 days after Sophie A disappears), and go backwards towards day zero, the day when she is last seen. The Sophies are established well and easily differentiable; there’s Sophie Abercrombie, or Sophie A; Sophie MacKenzie, or Mac, our narrator; and Sophie Twiggs, or Twiggy.
A Trio of Sophies captured my attention and held it throughout. A story of broken friendships, lies, and secrets, it’s full of teen drama and intrigue with a darker note hidden underneath. Eileen Merriman isn’t afraid to take risks with her writing and plots, and they really pay off. The characters are complex and fit perfectly into the story where needed for plot purposes. If you liked A Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis, this is the book for you.
nyxiabel's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 stars
Wow. This past year has sure been the year for YA thrillers, hasn't it? I DEVOURED this in about 2 hours and didn't stop to put it down once. The pages almost kept turning themselves.
Sophie A is one of 3 Sophies and she has gone missing. Sophie M (or Mac to her friends) has been writing in her diary in the days since her disappearance. As we journey through Mac's diary, will we find the secrets to unlock the mystery of Sophie A?
The way this story is told reminds me of the movie Memento. It goes backwards bit by bit, revealing things like pulling off layers of an onion. There's something artistic about it and it works so well in this book. It's easy to work out the direction the book is going to take after a short while but that didn't make it any less gripping. The HOW and the WHY Sophie A disappeared had me turning the pages quickly to get to the answers.
I don't want to say too much about the characters in this book because I don't want to give things away, however, I will say that I had intense hatred towards a certain someone. (Read it and find out!) I love that it is all told from Mac's perspective rather than third person because in a thriller that adds a biased point of view!
If you loved One of Us is Lying, or perhaps A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, then I'm sure you will love A Trio of Sophie's!
I received this from Turning Pages (Penguin Random House NZ) in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Wow. This past year has sure been the year for YA thrillers, hasn't it? I DEVOURED this in about 2 hours and didn't stop to put it down once. The pages almost kept turning themselves.
Sophie A is one of 3 Sophies and she has gone missing. Sophie M (or Mac to her friends) has been writing in her diary in the days since her disappearance. As we journey through Mac's diary, will we find the secrets to unlock the mystery of Sophie A?
The way this story is told reminds me of the movie Memento. It goes backwards bit by bit, revealing things like pulling off layers of an onion. There's something artistic about it and it works so well in this book. It's easy to work out the direction the book is going to take after a short while but that didn't make it any less gripping. The HOW and the WHY Sophie A disappeared had me turning the pages quickly to get to the answers.
I don't want to say too much about the characters in this book because I don't want to give things away, however, I will say that I had intense hatred towards a certain someone. (Read it and find out!) I love that it is all told from Mac's perspective rather than third person because in a thriller that adds a biased point of view!
If you loved One of Us is Lying, or perhaps A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, then I'm sure you will love A Trio of Sophie's!
I received this from Turning Pages (Penguin Random House NZ) in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
laurenlethbridge's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
3.5
emilyhames's review against another edition
4.0
ARC kindly provided to me by Penguin Random House NZ in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. The world has been sleeping on Eileen Merriman! This is the first of Eileen's books I've read, although thanks to her stunningly beautiful book covers I had noticed her books on the shelves of my local bookstore. I wish I had picked one up earlier because now I have to find time for her entire backlog!
'A Trio of Sophies' is a YA mystery which follows the diary of Sophie M (Mac), one of three friends named Sophie. The diary starts on Day 64, 64 days since anyone saw Sophie A. What follows is an unreliable account of the events surrounding Sophie A's mysterious disappearance.
Things I really enjoyed about this book:
- All the New Zealand references. One of my personal bookish goals is to try and read from more NZ authors, and I was so pleasantly surprised to find so many NZ references. Many of the locations mentioned I am familiar with, which gave the book a new layer of depth and atmosphere as I could watch these scenes play out in my head. These NZ locations were based in Auckland where I was born and raised, and went to school, making the story creepily eerie and semi-relatable.
-The contemporary song references. Aiding the familiar locations, the songs mentioned throughout the novel are ones I listen to myself, again adding an element of realism as if this story could be taking place in present-day NZ.
-The connections between the unreliable narrator and her essay on unreliable narrators. I thought this was a fun bit of wordplay.
-The ending! I think the way the book was structured was really well crafted, making the reader slightly confused, desperate for more information which the author can slowly release through this format. The countdown built up the anticipation, and I love we also got to see the aftermath of day 64 and also that last chapter - wow!!!
The only criticism I have for this book is that I would have loved to have seen more of the relationships between the three Sophies throughout the flashbacks. Whilst Twiggy and Mac's relationship appears strained and distant, I wanted to see more of the friendships before Sophie A disappeared. I think this would have added more emotional impact to the disappearance of Sophie A and also told us a bit more about who Sophie A was and what she was like.
Ultimately I thoroughly enjoyed this book, devouring it within two sittings as I just had to know what happened. I really enjoyed Eileen's writing style and loved how atmospheric this book was. Unfortunately, some of the topics in this book are all too real in New Zealand which made this book a successful YA mystery. I would also recommend it to fans of hard-hitting YA contemporary. I will definitely be picking up more of Eileen's books in the future.
Wow. The world has been sleeping on Eileen Merriman! This is the first of Eileen's books I've read, although thanks to her stunningly beautiful book covers I had noticed her books on the shelves of my local bookstore. I wish I had picked one up earlier because now I have to find time for her entire backlog!
'A Trio of Sophies' is a YA mystery which follows the diary of Sophie M (Mac), one of three friends named Sophie. The diary starts on Day 64, 64 days since anyone saw Sophie A. What follows is an unreliable account of the events surrounding Sophie A's mysterious disappearance.
Things I really enjoyed about this book:
- All the New Zealand references. One of my personal bookish goals is to try and read from more NZ authors, and I was so pleasantly surprised to find so many NZ references. Many of the locations mentioned I am familiar with, which gave the book a new layer of depth and atmosphere as I could watch these scenes play out in my head. These NZ locations were based in Auckland where I was born and raised, and went to school, making the story creepily eerie and semi-relatable.
-The contemporary song references. Aiding the familiar locations, the songs mentioned throughout the novel are ones I listen to myself, again adding an element of realism as if this story could be taking place in present-day NZ.
-The connections between the unreliable narrator and her essay on unreliable narrators. I thought this was a fun bit of wordplay.
-The ending! I think the way the book was structured was really well crafted, making the reader slightly confused, desperate for more information which the author can slowly release through this format. The countdown built up the anticipation, and I love we also got to see the aftermath of day 64 and also that last chapter - wow!!!
The only criticism I have for this book is that I would have loved to have seen more of the relationships between the three Sophies throughout the flashbacks. Whilst Twiggy and Mac's relationship appears strained and distant, I wanted to see more of the friendships before Sophie A disappeared. I think this would have added more emotional impact to the disappearance of Sophie A and also told us a bit more about who Sophie A was and what she was like.
Ultimately I thoroughly enjoyed this book, devouring it within two sittings as I just had to know what happened. I really enjoyed Eileen's writing style and loved how atmospheric this book was. Unfortunately, some of the topics in this book are all too real in New Zealand which made this book a successful YA mystery. I would also recommend it to fans of hard-hitting YA contemporary. I will definitely be picking up more of Eileen's books in the future.
buecheradler's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Besondere Art des Schreibens; rückwärts erzählt, war ziemlich cool
lauralives's review against another edition
A confusing, but enthralling read.
Must be read in conjunction with this piece from The Spinoff's Books Editor Catherine Woulfe: https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/29-02-2020/the-teacher-stories/
Must be read in conjunction with this piece from The Spinoff's Books Editor Catherine Woulfe: https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/29-02-2020/the-teacher-stories/
ninawinter's review against another edition
4.0
Ein Jugendthriller in Tagebuchform – zum größten Teil rückwärts erzählt. Drei beste Freundinnen, von denen nur noch zwei übrig sind. Ein Lehrer, der irgendwie in diese Sache verstrickt ist und ich als Leser, der von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite gefesselt war.
Das ist meine Kurzbeschreibung zu Missing Sophie von Eileen Merriman und warum mir das Buch so gut gefallen hat, erzähle ich euch jetzt!
Seit der Grundschule sind Sophie Abercrombie, Sophie Twiggs, kurz Twiggy und Sophie McKenzie, auch Mac genannt, beste Freundinnen. Sie teilen alles und verbringen auch ihre gesamte Freizeit miteinander.
Bis Sophie A. plötzlich verschwindet und augenscheinlich keiner Auskunft darüber geben kann, was mit ihr passiert ist.
Ist sie weggelaufen, lebt sie noch oder ist sie bereits tot?
Die Polizei leitet eine intensive Suche ein und befragt natürlich auch die beiden verbliebenen Sophies. Doch ist alles so passiert, wie Mac es in Erinnerung hat? Denn die Bilder, die ihr nachts den Schlaf rauben erzählen eine ganz andere Geschichte.
Ich habe mein Geheimnis gleich doppelt bewahrt, Sophie A. Aber mit Geheimnissen ist das so eine Sache. Sie fressen einen von innen auf.
(Seite 92)
Fangen wir doch gleich einmal mit den Besonderheiten an, die ich bereits zu Beginn meiner Rezension kurz angeschnitten habe. Zum einen ist Missing Sophie nämlich in Tagebucheinträgen verfasst, datiert nach Tagen, seitdem Sophie A verschwunden ist. Zum anderen erzählt Mac die Geschichte zu großen Teilen rückwärts, von Tag 64 bis hin zu Tag 0, an dem ihre Freundin verschwunden ist. Dabei gibt sie auch Einblicke, wie die Drei sich kennengelernt haben und wie sie als Gruppe agierten, aber auch, wie sie James, der sich als ihr Lehrer entpuppte, kennengelernt hat.
Ich persönlich empfand diese Erzählperspektive als wahnsinnig spannend und auch die Einblicke in die laufenden Ermittlungen bekommen dadurch nochmal eine andere Tiefe.
Der Schreibstil ist weder zu jugendlich noch voller Umgangswörter, sodass selbst ich mit meinen 36 Jahren bestens damit zurechtgekommen bin. Ich würde sogar behaupten, dass dem Lesealter nach oben keine Grenzen gesetzt sind, doch aufgrund der späteren Thematik und der gewalttätigen und manipulativen Art eines gewissen Protagonisten, finde ich die vorgegebene untere Grenze von 14 Jahren durchaus angebracht. Auch ist es keinesfalls nur ein Mädchenbuch, denn der wichtige Inhalt und die Kernaussage geht uns alle an.
Freundschaft, Gewalt, verbotene Liebe, Lügen und Betrug. Einmal angefangen, konnte ich mich dem Sog von Missing Sophie einfach nicht mehr entziehen. Innerhalb von ein paar Stunden war ich durch, ich habe das Buch also förmlich gefressen und zurückgelassen hat es mich mit einem mulmigen Gefühl im Bauch. Dass solche Geschichten nicht völlig an den Haaren herbeigezogen sind, ist die eine Sache, dass man immer häufiger darüber liest, die andere. Auch ich habe eine 11-jährige Tochter zuhause und wenn man beginnt seinem Kopfkino in diese Richtung freie Fahrt zu lassen, wird man glaube ich vollkommen verrückt.
Klar sind manche Ereignisse vorhersehbar, aber die hat dieser Pageturner einfach geschluckt und der Wiederspruch, der mir am Ende noch lange im Kopf herumgespukt ist, hat die Geschichte gänzlich abgerundet.
Also schnappt euch das Buch und lasst euch selbst von diesem ungewöhnlichen Jugendthriller überzeugen!
Das ist meine Kurzbeschreibung zu Missing Sophie von Eileen Merriman und warum mir das Buch so gut gefallen hat, erzähle ich euch jetzt!
Seit der Grundschule sind Sophie Abercrombie, Sophie Twiggs, kurz Twiggy und Sophie McKenzie, auch Mac genannt, beste Freundinnen. Sie teilen alles und verbringen auch ihre gesamte Freizeit miteinander.
Bis Sophie A. plötzlich verschwindet und augenscheinlich keiner Auskunft darüber geben kann, was mit ihr passiert ist.
Ist sie weggelaufen, lebt sie noch oder ist sie bereits tot?
Die Polizei leitet eine intensive Suche ein und befragt natürlich auch die beiden verbliebenen Sophies. Doch ist alles so passiert, wie Mac es in Erinnerung hat? Denn die Bilder, die ihr nachts den Schlaf rauben erzählen eine ganz andere Geschichte.
Ich habe mein Geheimnis gleich doppelt bewahrt, Sophie A. Aber mit Geheimnissen ist das so eine Sache. Sie fressen einen von innen auf.
(Seite 92)
Fangen wir doch gleich einmal mit den Besonderheiten an, die ich bereits zu Beginn meiner Rezension kurz angeschnitten habe. Zum einen ist Missing Sophie nämlich in Tagebucheinträgen verfasst, datiert nach Tagen, seitdem Sophie A verschwunden ist. Zum anderen erzählt Mac die Geschichte zu großen Teilen rückwärts, von Tag 64 bis hin zu Tag 0, an dem ihre Freundin verschwunden ist. Dabei gibt sie auch Einblicke, wie die Drei sich kennengelernt haben und wie sie als Gruppe agierten, aber auch, wie sie James, der sich als ihr Lehrer entpuppte, kennengelernt hat.
Ich persönlich empfand diese Erzählperspektive als wahnsinnig spannend und auch die Einblicke in die laufenden Ermittlungen bekommen dadurch nochmal eine andere Tiefe.
Der Schreibstil ist weder zu jugendlich noch voller Umgangswörter, sodass selbst ich mit meinen 36 Jahren bestens damit zurechtgekommen bin. Ich würde sogar behaupten, dass dem Lesealter nach oben keine Grenzen gesetzt sind, doch aufgrund der späteren Thematik und der gewalttätigen und manipulativen Art eines gewissen Protagonisten, finde ich die vorgegebene untere Grenze von 14 Jahren durchaus angebracht. Auch ist es keinesfalls nur ein Mädchenbuch, denn der wichtige Inhalt und die Kernaussage geht uns alle an.
Freundschaft, Gewalt, verbotene Liebe, Lügen und Betrug. Einmal angefangen, konnte ich mich dem Sog von Missing Sophie einfach nicht mehr entziehen. Innerhalb von ein paar Stunden war ich durch, ich habe das Buch also förmlich gefressen und zurückgelassen hat es mich mit einem mulmigen Gefühl im Bauch. Dass solche Geschichten nicht völlig an den Haaren herbeigezogen sind, ist die eine Sache, dass man immer häufiger darüber liest, die andere. Auch ich habe eine 11-jährige Tochter zuhause und wenn man beginnt seinem Kopfkino in diese Richtung freie Fahrt zu lassen, wird man glaube ich vollkommen verrückt.
Klar sind manche Ereignisse vorhersehbar, aber die hat dieser Pageturner einfach geschluckt und der Wiederspruch, der mir am Ende noch lange im Kopf herumgespukt ist, hat die Geschichte gänzlich abgerundet.
Also schnappt euch das Buch und lasst euch selbst von diesem ungewöhnlichen Jugendthriller überzeugen!