Lane Roanoke is just a teenager when her mother commits suicide, and Lane is sent to live with her grandparents in Kansas. While Lane lived a sad life with her depressed, volatile mother, her wealthy grandparents represent a chance for a new start - and Lane can meet her cousin, Allegra, who is close to her age. When Lane arrives in Kansas, she quickly befriends Allegra and is amazed by the kindness of her grandfather, but she also realizes not everything is as it seems.
Eleven years later, after Lane has fled the farm (and left her family there behind), Lane receives a call from her grandfather: Allegra is missing. Can she please come home? Reluctantly Lane returns to a place she vowed she'd never see again to search for her cousin, whom she has always felt bad about leaving behind. But returning only brings up bad memories, and Lane quickly worries that something terrible has happened to Allegra. Can Lane face her fears and figure out what happened to her cousin?
This book, oh this book. Wow. This is quite the novel! The story alternates between the present-day and that fateful summer (from Lane's point of view), with a few snippets from earlier generations of the other Roanoke girls thrown in. It's slightly confusing at first (you'll need easy access to the family tree at the beginning of the book), but quickly pulls you in and never lets you go. I was immediately captivated by this novel and read it in less than 24 hours. It's not some "feel good" novel, but it's amazingly well-written and just spellbinding. It starts off with a bombshell and then hooks you from there with the dark story of the twisted Roanoke family.
There is something completely alluring about how messed up and sick the Roanokes are. I couldn't turn away from them. The book is great because you become quickly intrigued and invested in the story of what happened to Allegra, but there's also a bit of suspense to the "then" storyline as Lane finds out something terrible about her family. Engel is remarkably talented because we know the secret already, and Lane knows it in the present-day portion of the book, but it's still enthralling watching it unravel as she's a teen. There's also just a pure fascination and horror at this family. There are also periodic shockers throughout the entire novel and several "wow" and "didn't see that coming" moments for me. The whole thing is extremely well-done.
I was extremely expressed by Engel's characters. For instance, Lane is a broken and damaged person who cannot trust or love. As such, she is frustrating with her guarded heart but still sympathetic. She drove me crazy, but I loved her. Engel did an excellent job with all of these characters. Even those that seemed (or were) absolutely awful; they all seemed so real. She also did a great job at portraying small towns and their tangled web of secrets. The broken Kansas town where the Roanokes lived was expertly done, with all of its bit characters and the descriptions of its streets and happenings.
Overall, I was incredibly impressed with this book. Its entire plot was creepy and twisted, and it was compulsively readable, with plenty of shocking moments. Yet it also had empathetic, well-written characters. It was an amazing dark look at the power of childhood, your parents, and your past. It's a mean and twisted novel and impeccably written, because you feel such a range of emotions for its characters. Definitely recommend. More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/
Eleven years later, after Lane has fled the farm (and left her family there behind), Lane receives a call from her grandfather: Allegra is missing. Can she please come home? Reluctantly Lane returns to a place she vowed she'd never see again to search for her cousin, whom she has always felt bad about leaving behind. But returning only brings up bad memories, and Lane quickly worries that something terrible has happened to Allegra. Can Lane face her fears and figure out what happened to her cousin?
This book, oh this book. Wow. This is quite the novel! The story alternates between the present-day and that fateful summer (from Lane's point of view), with a few snippets from earlier generations of the other Roanoke girls thrown in. It's slightly confusing at first (you'll need easy access to the family tree at the beginning of the book), but quickly pulls you in and never lets you go. I was immediately captivated by this novel and read it in less than 24 hours. It's not some "feel good" novel, but it's amazingly well-written and just spellbinding. It starts off with a bombshell and then hooks you from there with the dark story of the twisted Roanoke family.
There is something completely alluring about how messed up and sick the Roanokes are. I couldn't turn away from them. The book is great because you become quickly intrigued and invested in the story of what happened to Allegra, but there's also a bit of suspense to the "then" storyline as Lane finds out something terrible about her family. Engel is remarkably talented because we know the secret already, and Lane knows it in the present-day portion of the book, but it's still enthralling watching it unravel as she's a teen. There's also just a pure fascination and horror at this family. There are also periodic shockers throughout the entire novel and several "wow" and "didn't see that coming" moments for me. The whole thing is extremely well-done.
I was extremely expressed by Engel's characters. For instance, Lane is a broken and damaged person who cannot trust or love. As such, she is frustrating with her guarded heart but still sympathetic. She drove me crazy, but I loved her. Engel did an excellent job with all of these characters. Even those that seemed (or were) absolutely awful; they all seemed so real. She also did a great job at portraying small towns and their tangled web of secrets. The broken Kansas town where the Roanokes lived was expertly done, with all of its bit characters and the descriptions of its streets and happenings.
Overall, I was incredibly impressed with this book. Its entire plot was creepy and twisted, and it was compulsively readable, with plenty of shocking moments. Yet it also had empathetic, well-written characters. It was an amazing dark look at the power of childhood, your parents, and your past. It's a mean and twisted novel and impeccably written, because you feel such a range of emotions for its characters. Definitely recommend. More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/
If you're looking for a feel-good, mind candy read, move right along. This book is deeply disturbing and made me shudder on more than one occasion. That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy reading this book though. I finished it in one day, turning page after page with wide eyes. Somehow, the plot is simultaneously riveting and mind-bending. Engel's writing style is brilliant, and she doesn't keep family drama hidden in the middle or end of the book. She brings it right to the forefront within the first few chapters. Likewise, main character Lane doesn't shy away from calling it as she sees it. Her candor made the story completely raw and honest. She doesn't sugarcoat, she just lays it all out there; the reader can take it or leave it.
What surprised me about the Roanoke Girls was that it was deemed as a thriller. While there were a few suspenseful moments, it just seemed so clear which direction the story would turn. I didn't find the ending to be unexpected or even unusual. It seemed rather anticlimactic instead. Engel spent the whole book going there. In fact, she went there, wore the t-shirt, and bought the season pass. Therefore, I expect the final chapters to astonish me. While that didn't happen, it did make me close the book and wonder if I actually liked it or not.
If you like creepy stories with a Flowers in the Attic kind of deviant nature, then this book might be for you. Otherwise, run like a Roanoke girl.
I received this book for free from the publisher. Opinions shared are mine.
What surprised me about the Roanoke Girls was that it was deemed as a thriller. While there were a few suspenseful moments, it just seemed so clear which direction the story would turn. I didn't find the ending to be unexpected or even unusual. It seemed rather anticlimactic instead. Engel spent the whole book going there. In fact, she went there, wore the t-shirt, and bought the season pass. Therefore, I expect the final chapters to astonish me. While that didn't happen, it did make me close the book and wonder if I actually liked it or not.
If you like creepy stories with a Flowers in the Attic kind of deviant nature, then this book might be for you. Otherwise, run like a Roanoke girl.
I received this book for free from the publisher. Opinions shared are mine.
Loved this book. Really dark/creepy story line by the author does a great job of building the characters and letting the reader infer before unveiling the truth at the end.
The book starts with the premise of many a great family stories. An adult returns to a childhood home and comes face to face with the secrets of the past. A disturbing topic, an early reveal of the big secret of the book, a predictable conclusion, and a distanced narrator all make The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel a difficult book to engage with.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/07/the-roanoke-girls.html
Reviewed for the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/07/the-roanoke-girls.html
Reviewed for the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
Wow this book blew me away. It was nowhere near anything I was expecting when I first started. It was dark and twisted and unsettling, but completely captivating. Couldn't put it down! It's definitely one of those that will stay with me long after I've finished. I'm really looking forward to what this author comes up with in the future.
*I received this book through a Library Thing giveaway.
*I received this book through a Library Thing giveaway.
This is not a book for everyone. I was blindsided by the incest/pedophilia dominance in this unsettling book. It is told in first-person narrative by Lane Roanoke, one of the "Roanoke Girls," in alternating time frames. The lack of consequences for the criminal perpetrator was unconscionable. This was a polished sex offender who skillfully groomed children with the knowledge and tacit consent of his complicit spouse. The mystery of what happened to one of the Roanoke girls is eventually solved, and murder is added to the list of horrors in this book. Amy Engel writes well. I hope that she uses this skill in the future to write a novel with significance and worth.
While Amy Engel is not new to the writing scene, âThe Roanoke Girlsâ is her debut novel for adults.
We're introduced to Lana and her mother. A simple conversation seemingly innocent holds so much foreboding for the rest of the story. A month after Lana's dream of Roanoke, her dream comes true riding the tail of her mother's suicide. Lana's mother, Camilla, left Roanoke while pregnant. Unfortunately Camilla's years spent there molded her into an unloving, sad mother, distraught when she realized her daughter (Lana) looked exactly like the father.
A social worker brought in tells Lana that her grandparents at Roanoke want to take her in to live with them and her cousin Allegra. Packing up her life in New York, Lana moves to Kansas to be with family she's never met. Her arrival is well received, ecstatic that she's not the only Roanoke girl in the house anymore. Allegra and Lana's appearances could fool someone into thinking they were sisters; dark hair with copper highlights, long legs, well developed chest, and the hereditary Roanoke eyes.
Although Lana has never been to Roanoke, there's something about it that instantaneously feels like home and draws her in. Allegra points out what looks like a family tree, of all the women (Roanoke girls) who are (were) a part of the family. Like all families, tragedy doesn't shy away. The Roanoke girls either go missing or pass away, there never seems to be a happy medium. The only long standing Roanoke girl is Gran.
While Lana only spent one summer living there, Allegra has spent a lifetime. And after Lana left for good (or so she thought), her granddad calls her back because her cousin is missing. Lana is the first Roanoke to ever return, but she would do anything to find her cousin- even if that means returning to the mystery that surrounds her family. With no clues, and the police investigation at a stand still , Lana does her best to find her cousin. While trying to run away from family tradition to save herself, Lana deserted the one person that truly needed saving.
When starting out, I highly suggest you pay attention to the chapter headings. Engel switches perspectives each chapter, going from the âthenâ to ânowâ while also switching character perspectives. Each story in it's own is absolutely engaging, and continually piecing together the ever growing puzzle of the mystery of Roanoke.
Right from the prologue Engel puts her literary hooks into her readers. The characters draw you in, the story draws you in, but the abuse draws you deeper. It's like watching a train wreck .You want to look away but you are unable to. I honestly have not been this disturbed by a book since I read Alice Sebold's âThe Lovely Bonesâ. And yet although I was disturbed, disgusted even, I could not put this book down to save my life. This was another 24 hour read, and a book I am HIGHLY recommending, mainly so I can chat about it with people, yes I'm selfish, I know.
Of course, there is SO much I have left out of this review, mainly because I really do not want to ruin it for anyone. If you've been following my reviews, you know that I don't like to read the details about a book before I dive into it, so I didn't know ANYTHING about âThe Roanoke Girlsâ when I dove head first into this book. Trust me, you'll want to unravel this mystery on your own, and you will NOT be disappointed.
I earnestly hope that Amy Engel continues writing for adults. I enjoyed this book so much that I will be adding her young adult series (The Book of Ivy) to my TBR pile immediately.
I was provided a copy of "The Roanoke Girls" from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. That being said, it has not altered my opinion on the book at all.
For this and other reviews, please visit:
http://quitterstrip.wordpress.com
We're introduced to Lana and her mother. A simple conversation seemingly innocent holds so much foreboding for the rest of the story. A month after Lana's dream of Roanoke, her dream comes true riding the tail of her mother's suicide. Lana's mother, Camilla, left Roanoke while pregnant. Unfortunately Camilla's years spent there molded her into an unloving, sad mother, distraught when she realized her daughter (Lana) looked exactly like the father.
A social worker brought in tells Lana that her grandparents at Roanoke want to take her in to live with them and her cousin Allegra. Packing up her life in New York, Lana moves to Kansas to be with family she's never met. Her arrival is well received, ecstatic that she's not the only Roanoke girl in the house anymore. Allegra and Lana's appearances could fool someone into thinking they were sisters; dark hair with copper highlights, long legs, well developed chest, and the hereditary Roanoke eyes.
Although Lana has never been to Roanoke, there's something about it that instantaneously feels like home and draws her in. Allegra points out what looks like a family tree, of all the women (Roanoke girls) who are (were) a part of the family. Like all families, tragedy doesn't shy away. The Roanoke girls either go missing or pass away, there never seems to be a happy medium. The only long standing Roanoke girl is Gran.
While Lana only spent one summer living there, Allegra has spent a lifetime. And after Lana left for good (or so she thought), her granddad calls her back because her cousin is missing. Lana is the first Roanoke to ever return, but she would do anything to find her cousin- even if that means returning to the mystery that surrounds her family. With no clues, and the police investigation at a stand still , Lana does her best to find her cousin. While trying to run away from family tradition to save herself, Lana deserted the one person that truly needed saving.
When starting out, I highly suggest you pay attention to the chapter headings. Engel switches perspectives each chapter, going from the âthenâ to ânowâ while also switching character perspectives. Each story in it's own is absolutely engaging, and continually piecing together the ever growing puzzle of the mystery of Roanoke.
Right from the prologue Engel puts her literary hooks into her readers. The characters draw you in, the story draws you in, but the abuse draws you deeper. It's like watching a train wreck .You want to look away but you are unable to. I honestly have not been this disturbed by a book since I read Alice Sebold's âThe Lovely Bonesâ. And yet although I was disturbed, disgusted even, I could not put this book down to save my life. This was another 24 hour read, and a book I am HIGHLY recommending, mainly so I can chat about it with people, yes I'm selfish, I know.
Of course, there is SO much I have left out of this review, mainly because I really do not want to ruin it for anyone. If you've been following my reviews, you know that I don't like to read the details about a book before I dive into it, so I didn't know ANYTHING about âThe Roanoke Girlsâ when I dove head first into this book. Trust me, you'll want to unravel this mystery on your own, and you will NOT be disappointed.
I earnestly hope that Amy Engel continues writing for adults. I enjoyed this book so much that I will be adding her young adult series (The Book of Ivy) to my TBR pile immediately.
I was provided a copy of "The Roanoke Girls" from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. That being said, it has not altered my opinion on the book at all.
For this and other reviews, please visit:
http://quitterstrip.wordpress.com
