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The Lost Girls
In the summer of 1935, six-year-old Emily Evans vanishes from her family’s vacation home on a remote Minnesota lake. Her disappearance destroys her mother, who spends the rest of her life at the lake house, hoping in vain that her favorite daughter will walk out of the woods. Emily’s two older sisters stay, too, each keeping her own private, decades-long vigil for the lost child.
Sixty years later Lucy, the quiet and watchful middle sister, lives in the lake house alone. Before she dies, she writes the story of that devastating summer in a notebook that she leaves, along with the house, to the only person to whom it might matter: her grandniece, Justine.
For Justine, the lake house offers a chance to escape her manipulative boyfriend and give her daughters the stable home she never had. But it’s not the sanctuary she hoped for. The long Minnesota winter has begun. The house is cold and dilapidated, the frozen lake is silent and forbidding, and her only neighbor is a strange old man who seems to know more than he’s telling about the summer of 1935.
Soon Justine’s troubled oldest daughter becomes obsessed with Emily’s disappearance, her mother arrives with designs on her inheritance, and the man she left behind launches a dangerous plan to get her back. In a house steeped in the sorrows of the women who came before her, Justine must overcome their tragic legacy if she hopes to save herself and her children.
Sixty years later Lucy, the quiet and watchful middle sister, lives in the lake house alone. Before she dies, she writes the story of that devastating summer in a notebook that she leaves, along with the house, to the only person to whom it might matter: her grandniece, Justine.
For Justine, the lake house offers a chance to escape her manipulative boyfriend and give her daughters the stable home she never had. But it’s not the sanctuary she hoped for. The long Minnesota winter has begun. The house is cold and dilapidated, the frozen lake is silent and forbidding, and her only neighbor is a strange old man who seems to know more than he’s telling about the summer of 1935.
Soon Justine’s troubled oldest daughter becomes obsessed with Emily’s disappearance, her mother arrives with designs on her inheritance, and the man she left behind launches a dangerous plan to get her back. In a house steeped in the sorrows of the women who came before her, Justine must overcome their tragic legacy if she hopes to save herself and her children.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2016
1119 people are currently reading
27340 people want to read
About the author
Heather Young
2 books506 followersHeather is the author of two novels. Her debut, The Lost Girls, won the Strand Award for Best First Novel and was nominated for an Edgar Award. The Distant Dead was published on June 9, 2020, and was named one of the Best Books of Summer by People Magazine, Parade, and CrimeReads. A former antitrust and intellectual property litigator, she traded the legal world for the literary one and earned her MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars in 2011. She lives in Mill Valley, California, where she writes, bikes, hikes, and reads books by other people that she wishes she’d written.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,750 reviews
August 22, 2016
When I won an ARC of this from LibraryThing, and then it never materialized, a very disappointed me contacted the author Heather Young directly. She offered her apologies and a promise to get a copy in the mail to me pronto. Lo and behold, what arrived at my door was not an ARC but a beautiful hard cover finished copy, personally inscribed to me and signed by the author, with a nice note, saying " ... and I hope The Lost Girls is worth the wait." I hoped so too -- I was already very impressed by her style.
I needn't have worried because the book is fantastic. I am gobsmacked and feel like gushing a little here. That this is a debut is unbelievable. I loved this story. Justine and her two daughters flee San Diego and an overly possessive boyfriend to live in the house Justine inherited from her great-aunt Lucy. The house is a summer home on a lake in No. MN and it's November - December, so... not a good move exactly. Justine's chapters alternate with a journal that Lucy wrote for Justine to tell her, if no one else, the truth about the unsolved disappearance of Lucy's sister Emily many years prior.
So another missing girl story, but one where even those present and accounted for seem lost for what to do, how to love each other, and how to live. We get to know this family through 5 generations of women. Their stories, combined with the mystery of Emily's disappearance, made it hard to put down. The culmination of it all was a stunner and well worth setting aside my life and responsibilities for the past weekend. My 2 thumbs are pointing skyward at 5 big shiny stars. A big thank you to Heather Young for my copy.
I needn't have worried because the book is fantastic. I am gobsmacked and feel like gushing a little here. That this is a debut is unbelievable. I loved this story. Justine and her two daughters flee San Diego and an overly possessive boyfriend to live in the house Justine inherited from her great-aunt Lucy. The house is a summer home on a lake in No. MN and it's November - December, so... not a good move exactly. Justine's chapters alternate with a journal that Lucy wrote for Justine to tell her, if no one else, the truth about the unsolved disappearance of Lucy's sister Emily many years prior.
So another missing girl story, but one where even those present and accounted for seem lost for what to do, how to love each other, and how to live. We get to know this family through 5 generations of women. Their stories, combined with the mystery of Emily's disappearance, made it hard to put down. The culmination of it all was a stunner and well worth setting aside my life and responsibilities for the past weekend. My 2 thumbs are pointing skyward at 5 big shiny stars. A big thank you to Heather Young for my copy.
February 8, 2016
This is one of those books where you think, "I need to sleep, but I'm going to read just one more chapter," and the next thing you know, the book is done but you're still awake because you can't stop thinking about it.
This story alternates between Justine's story (taking place in 1999) and her great-aunt Lucy's story (taking place in 1935). In 1935, Lucy's younger sister Emily disappears. Lucy's family is practically frozen in time, as Lucy's mother waits for Emily to return. In 1999, Justine has just inherited her great-aunt's lake house, where she goes for a fresh start with her daughters.
The way the stories intertwine and slowly draw out the details is beautiful. The language is melodic and Young has an amazing way of weaving a sentence. As the secrets of the book unwound, I got chills. The story is downright haunting and I was never sure where it was going until the very end. The secondary characters are quite intriguing and well-drawn as you try to figure out who is worthy of Justine's trust. The ending is perfect. I really loved this book.
This story alternates between Justine's story (taking place in 1999) and her great-aunt Lucy's story (taking place in 1935). In 1935, Lucy's younger sister Emily disappears. Lucy's family is practically frozen in time, as Lucy's mother waits for Emily to return. In 1999, Justine has just inherited her great-aunt's lake house, where she goes for a fresh start with her daughters.
The way the stories intertwine and slowly draw out the details is beautiful. The language is melodic and Young has an amazing way of weaving a sentence. As the secrets of the book unwound, I got chills. The story is downright haunting and I was never sure where it was going until the very end. The secondary characters are quite intriguing and well-drawn as you try to figure out who is worthy of Justine's trust. The ending is perfect. I really loved this book.
February 26, 2020
Probably the most atmospheric book I've ever read.
If you enjoy reading, I mean you REALLY enjoy reading, immersing yourself into a story, smiling at expertly-crafted sentences, marveling at how the author says things in the exact perfect way, sighing at glorious imagery, where you can actually feel the sun and hear the lapping of the water on the shore of the lake, then this is the book for you.
This is a mystery about what happened to a little girl, Emily Evans, just six-years-old, who disappeared from her family's lake house on the last night of the summer of 1935, never to be seen again, believed to have wandered off into the woods. Her body was never found.
This book doesn't have the breathless pacing of a shocking, twisty thriller. It has the relaxed pacing of a warm, lazy summer spent at a lake house. And it's divine. The author takes her time with this one, really telling the story properly, with all of the nuances you get from different people's perspectives, told from different points of view at different moments in time. This is story-telling at its finest. Real story telling.
The narrative alternates between Justine Evans's story (taking place in 1999) and her great-aunt Lucy Evans's story (taking place back in 1935). Lucy Evans was one of three sisters. In the summer of 1935, her older sister, Lilith, was 13, Lucy was 11, and their baby sister, Emily, was 6. Lilith went on to have a daughter named Maurie. Maurie grew up and had a daughter named Justine. Justine now has two daughters herself, Melanie and Angela. This is the lineage of the Evans girls.
There is something not quite right about Lucy's family back in 1935. For one thing, the mother still sleeps in bed with the youngest daughter, Emily. She's almost afraid to let her out of her sight. Lilith, the oldest daughter, has a bit of a rebellious streak and can't wait to leave home. Lucy, the middle child, is trying to deal with her older sister turning into a teenager, becoming interested in boys, and pulling away from her. Little Emily just follows the two of them around, hopelessly trying to fit in, and desperately wanting to have someone else to hang out with besides her highly-protective mother.
This family's 64 years of secrets are slowly revealed over the course of the summer of 1935, and patterns start to emerge, connecting the Evans family of 1935 with the Evans family of 1999. The full story, the whole truth, including what happened to little Emily, is revealed at the conclusion to this novel.
This story is full of hope, as well as despair, heartwarming moments and moments of great sadness. You will cry and you will smile. This is an extremely emotional story which will resonate with female readers in particular.
If you enjoy reading, I mean you REALLY enjoy reading, immersing yourself into a story, smiling at expertly-crafted sentences, marveling at how the author says things in the exact perfect way, sighing at glorious imagery, where you can actually feel the sun and hear the lapping of the water on the shore of the lake, then this is the book for you.
This is a mystery about what happened to a little girl, Emily Evans, just six-years-old, who disappeared from her family's lake house on the last night of the summer of 1935, never to be seen again, believed to have wandered off into the woods. Her body was never found.
This book doesn't have the breathless pacing of a shocking, twisty thriller. It has the relaxed pacing of a warm, lazy summer spent at a lake house. And it's divine. The author takes her time with this one, really telling the story properly, with all of the nuances you get from different people's perspectives, told from different points of view at different moments in time. This is story-telling at its finest. Real story telling.
The narrative alternates between Justine Evans's story (taking place in 1999) and her great-aunt Lucy Evans's story (taking place back in 1935). Lucy Evans was one of three sisters. In the summer of 1935, her older sister, Lilith, was 13, Lucy was 11, and their baby sister, Emily, was 6. Lilith went on to have a daughter named Maurie. Maurie grew up and had a daughter named Justine. Justine now has two daughters herself, Melanie and Angela. This is the lineage of the Evans girls.
There is something not quite right about Lucy's family back in 1935. For one thing, the mother still sleeps in bed with the youngest daughter, Emily. She's almost afraid to let her out of her sight. Lilith, the oldest daughter, has a bit of a rebellious streak and can't wait to leave home. Lucy, the middle child, is trying to deal with her older sister turning into a teenager, becoming interested in boys, and pulling away from her. Little Emily just follows the two of them around, hopelessly trying to fit in, and desperately wanting to have someone else to hang out with besides her highly-protective mother.
This family's 64 years of secrets are slowly revealed over the course of the summer of 1935, and patterns start to emerge, connecting the Evans family of 1935 with the Evans family of 1999. The full story, the whole truth, including what happened to little Emily, is revealed at the conclusion to this novel.
This story is full of hope, as well as despair, heartwarming moments and moments of great sadness. You will cry and you will smile. This is an extremely emotional story which will resonate with female readers in particular.
August 8, 2016
3.5 It was the mention of a lake house that drew me to this book. My cousins and I spent many summers at our lake house, grew up there, such memorable times. Of course, none of us children ever disappeared, so this element of mystery was another draw. A slower paced book, a family, with three daughters and it is the youngest, Emily, just six who disappears and is never found.
Two time periods, because it is the eldest daughter's own daughter, Justine who inherits the house. A house she and her own two daughters will escape to getaway from a controlling boyfriend. There the middle daughter's journals will be found and the mystery behind the disappearance will be revealed. Family secrets, a young special friend and a few other details are all found in this journal.
I liked this, it was mysterious, atmospheric, and I grew to really like Lucy. Once again, the secrets of the past will haunt the future and it was interesting to see how it all unravels.
ARC from publisher.
Two time periods, because it is the eldest daughter's own daughter, Justine who inherits the house. A house she and her own two daughters will escape to getaway from a controlling boyfriend. There the middle daughter's journals will be found and the mystery behind the disappearance will be revealed. Family secrets, a young special friend and a few other details are all found in this journal.
I liked this, it was mysterious, atmospheric, and I grew to really like Lucy. Once again, the secrets of the past will haunt the future and it was interesting to see how it all unravels.
ARC from publisher.
August 31, 2016
I'm always on the lookout for a good historical mystery and The Lost Girls about a little girl that went missing in 1935 sounded just perfect for me. And, it was a very good book where the answer to the mystery was not given straight away. Instead, we get to follow Lucy's memories from the notebook where she has written down what really happened to her little sister 60 years previous. In the present time has Lucy's grandniece Justine moved into Lucy's house after her death and there she tries to build a new life for her and her daughters. But, the past has a tendency to catch up. And, not just her own, but her family's past.
The book's story is interesting and deeply tragic and it kept me guessing right up until the end what really happened to Emily. The Lost Girls is a good title for the book because, in a way, the girls in the family are really lost as Emily's disappearance started a vicious cycle. Not that Lucy, Justine and the rest of the characters get lost in real life like Emily did. More like there is something in them that are lost. Something they are yearning for. They all have personal demons to deal with, even Justine eldest daughter who is not that old yet.
It's a very good book, well-written and thoughtful and sometimes deeply moving. And, so sad.
I want to thank William Morrow for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
The book's story is interesting and deeply tragic and it kept me guessing right up until the end what really happened to Emily. The Lost Girls is a good title for the book because, in a way, the girls in the family are really lost as Emily's disappearance started a vicious cycle. Not that Lucy, Justine and the rest of the characters get lost in real life like Emily did. More like there is something in them that are lost. Something they are yearning for. They all have personal demons to deal with, even Justine eldest daughter who is not that old yet.
It's a very good book, well-written and thoughtful and sometimes deeply moving. And, so sad.
I want to thank William Morrow for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
February 7, 2017
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I really enjoyed this book quite a bit. I am not always a fan of books that feature dual timelines but this one worked really well for me. I ended up liking both of the timelines equally and thought that Lucy and Justine both had an interesting story to tell. This story was really focused on the characters with the plot building slowly. I found myself really invested in this group of characters by the close of the book.
This book focuses on Justine and Lucy. When Lucy died, she left everything to her grandniece, Justine. Justine has two little girls and lives with her boyfriend in California but feels something missing in her life. When Justine inherits Lucy's lake house in Minnesota, she takes her girls and moves there in order to get a fresh start. The transition isn't as easy as Justine expects it to be.
Lucy has her own story to tell and decides to write everything down before her death. When Lucy was a child, her younger sister, Emily, disappeared from the lake house and has never been found. Lucy's story tells everything that happened during the summer leading up to Emily's disappearance. Emily's disappearance was heartbreaking and shaped the lives of Lucy and her family.
This book really showed how one event can impact a family for generations. Emily's sisters never really moved on with thier life after she disappeared. I liked watching Justine learn to take care of herself and really decide on what she wanted for herself and her girls. It takes a lot for her to learn to stand up for herself but I have a lot of hope for her by the end of the book.
I would recommend this book to others. It was a book that gave me hope and broke my heart all at the same time. The slower pace was a nice change and I thought it really gave me a chance to connect with the characters. I enjoyed Heather Young's debut novel and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
I won a copy of this book from William Morrow via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this one quite a bit. I really enjoyed both of the timelines equally and thought that both Lucy and Justine had an interesting story to tell. The story ended up being very different than I had thought that it would be and I liked the slower pace of the story.
I really enjoyed this book quite a bit. I am not always a fan of books that feature dual timelines but this one worked really well for me. I ended up liking both of the timelines equally and thought that Lucy and Justine both had an interesting story to tell. This story was really focused on the characters with the plot building slowly. I found myself really invested in this group of characters by the close of the book.
This book focuses on Justine and Lucy. When Lucy died, she left everything to her grandniece, Justine. Justine has two little girls and lives with her boyfriend in California but feels something missing in her life. When Justine inherits Lucy's lake house in Minnesota, she takes her girls and moves there in order to get a fresh start. The transition isn't as easy as Justine expects it to be.
Lucy has her own story to tell and decides to write everything down before her death. When Lucy was a child, her younger sister, Emily, disappeared from the lake house and has never been found. Lucy's story tells everything that happened during the summer leading up to Emily's disappearance. Emily's disappearance was heartbreaking and shaped the lives of Lucy and her family.
This book really showed how one event can impact a family for generations. Emily's sisters never really moved on with thier life after she disappeared. I liked watching Justine learn to take care of herself and really decide on what she wanted for herself and her girls. It takes a lot for her to learn to stand up for herself but I have a lot of hope for her by the end of the book.
I would recommend this book to others. It was a book that gave me hope and broke my heart all at the same time. The slower pace was a nice change and I thought it really gave me a chance to connect with the characters. I enjoyed Heather Young's debut novel and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
I won a copy of this book from William Morrow via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this one quite a bit. I really enjoyed both of the timelines equally and thought that both Lucy and Justine had an interesting story to tell. The story ended up being very different than I had thought that it would be and I liked the slower pace of the story.
September 27, 2016
A really well written debut by Heather Young. It's a slower paced book (perhaps just like a summer by the lake) that goes back and forth from present time to the Summer of 1935.
The story is about a family: a father, a mother and their three girls who vacation every summer at their Lake house in Minnesota. The summer of 1935 ends in tragedy as the youngest girl vanishes.
In the present day the Lake House is left to Justine, who inherits it from her Great-Aunt Lucy upon her death. Justine barely knew Lucy. But Lucy has left a journal about the Evans family and the tragedy of the summer of 1935. Through these journals, Justine will begin to unravel the mystery surrounding little Emily's disappearance. Justine's life too is in tatters. With these journals she will not only learn about the family she hardly knew but will discover how to restore happiness and direction in her own life.
The story is about a family: a father, a mother and their three girls who vacation every summer at their Lake house in Minnesota. The summer of 1935 ends in tragedy as the youngest girl vanishes.
In the present day the Lake House is left to Justine, who inherits it from her Great-Aunt Lucy upon her death. Justine barely knew Lucy. But Lucy has left a journal about the Evans family and the tragedy of the summer of 1935. Through these journals, Justine will begin to unravel the mystery surrounding little Emily's disappearance. Justine's life too is in tatters. With these journals she will not only learn about the family she hardly knew but will discover how to restore happiness and direction in her own life.
October 2, 2016
I loved this book so much! I can't believe it's a debut by the author, I will definitely read anything she writes! Definitely and highly recommended!
November 4, 2016
The protagonists of this book are the kind of people Judge Judy does this to:
Judge Judy is usually spot on.
This is not about the mystery of a little girl's disappearance.
This is about FOUR generations of white trash women. The first is a cowardly woman who sacrifices one child to save another from abuse. The next three generations of them deliberately pop out fatherless children, who in turn grow up to be useless pieces of shit and make more completely doomed babies. A fifth generation of Evans women seem fit to repeat the pattern.
The story alternates between 1st person narration of Lucy Evans' diary and third person narration of her great-niece, Justine Evans. Lucy's story is a convoluted tale about the truth of her sweet little sister's disappearance. Justine's story is just another fuckup.
Justine's baby daddy runs out on her and their two daughters. Within six weeks, she's shacking up with a new boyfriend. On the same day that her boyfriend acts a little too possessive, she learns she's inherited property in northern Minnesota. She literally loads the car and leaves sunny San Diego for the freezing Minnesota winter right on the spot. One brief mention informs that reader that it is 1999, thus nearly everyone is offline so Justine thinks her boyfriend can't find her. She leaves behind her job and breaks her daughters' hearts by making them quit school, ruining any remaining stability those poor kids have.
So, the house turns out to be ramshackle and freezing. Justine is such a worthless piece of crap that she won't even get the oven fixed to cook a decent meal for her children (the broken oven is a plot device). The only company she has is a lonely elderly man named Ben and his mentally disabled brother, Abe. Ben & Abe were friends with her great-aunt Lucy and grandmother Lilith, both who are dead at the start of the story.
What follows is a longwinded tale of summers at a lake around the Great Depression. The lake was a relief from the sadness of the world, but something was amiss with the Evans family. While Lucy and Lilith could not have controlled what their parents did, their cruelty was without merit, particularly in the way they bullied their little sister, Emily.
Spoilers follow:
**********************
I thought Mrs. Evans was abusing Emily until it's made explicitly clear in the book that Lilith was sexually abused by her dad. However, Emily was such an unhappy child that I wonder if her mom was also abusing her.
Lilith may have been a confused young teenager, but that doesn't explain why she continued to rape and become impregnated by Abe. I thought it was horrible of her to be buried with the engagement ring of a man she didn't love simply for spite. She'd already lied about her daughter's parentage, yet took offense that a Gold Star mother didn't believe said lies?
Maury turned out to be a grifter and a drifter. Perhaps she resented her mother and aunt, but it did not justify the way she thoughtlessly brought Justine into the world and raised her. The book would have been better if she'd died in the fire.
I kept hoping that little Emily was mercifully kidnapped by a loving family to get her away from her horrible family. Instead, her own sisters killed her. I didn't feel sorry for Mrs. Evans because after what she did, she deserved to suffer with her grief, but the way Lucy let Lilith's crime, however unintentional, go unpunished was wrong. Lucy acknowledges this but is too cowardly to do anything other than to leave a note to Justine.
July 22, 2016
Inheriting a house she had only lived in for one summer of her childhood seemed to be a way out of her current situation for Justine and her daughters.
Arriving at the house that Aunt Lucy left her was not what Justine had expected. The house was run down and no where close to anything but some odd neighbors.
Aunt Lucy's sister who had disappeared at the age of six and was never found was the main focus of the book along with the emotional lives of each character.
THE LOST GIRLS was a family saga that had chapters about the lives of the three sisters, Lilith, Lucy, Emily, and Justine both past and present. The Evans women lived unhappy lives which carried on from one generation to the next.
The father of Lilith, Lucy, and Emily was a bit disturbing. He was odd and strict. The girls were different but interesting. Justine and her daughters followed suit.
I enjoyed THE LOST GIRLS despite the gloomy feeling that seemed to overshadow everyone. Ms. Young has a marvelous, descriptive writing style that helped you understand and connect with each character and each situation. Her writing just pulled you into the story.
If you enjoy a bit of family drama as well as secrets and mysteries, you will enjoy THE LOST GIRLS. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.
October 30, 2016
5 ⭐️. WOW! This book was amazing! It was well written in an easy to read style that brought the characters to life and drew me into the world of Lucy as well as that of her great niece, Justine, and kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning. I wanted to know what Lucy was writing for Justine in her journal. I knew that it contained the big secret - but what exactly was the big secret?
I liked most of the characters in the story, and felt really happy when Emily found her much needed distraction, but I couldn't identify with the adults, especially Lilith, Lucy and Emily's parents and Justine's mother, Maurie. I felt sad for Matthew, even though he would not want me to feel that way and would probably question it.
This was a definite page turner! I wanted to find out what happened, but I didn't want this wonderful story to end. This 5 star book (for me) is Heather Young's first novel! I highly recommend you read The Lost Girls. 5 ⭐️.
I liked most of the characters in the story, and felt really happy when Emily found her much needed distraction, but I couldn't identify with the adults, especially Lilith, Lucy and Emily's parents and Justine's mother, Maurie. I felt sad for Matthew, even though he would not want me to feel that way and would probably question it.
This was a definite page turner! I wanted to find out what happened, but I didn't want this wonderful story to end. This 5 star book (for me) is Heather Young's first novel! I highly recommend you read The Lost Girls. 5 ⭐️.
September 26, 2016
I am not sure where to begin. I will start by saying that I felt the book was a bit drawn out. Much of the first half of the book could have been condensed. The last half was a much quicker read. It's hard to write about this book without giving away spoilers.
Two stars because I did finish it and the author did write the characters well enough for me to actively dislike most of them.
Two stars because I did finish it and the author did write the characters well enough for me to actively dislike most of them.
September 6, 2022
The book is a story of 3 sisters, where on one summer holiday in their lake house, the youngest sister disappears and is never found till date. The story goes on with flashbacks, glimpses of present, the irony being that only one girl was lost but the remaining even being there, were lost with the little girl.
The disappearance of just one little girl, affected the lives surrounding her and effected almost 5 generations of that family. This is a slow burn thriller, showing how lives are intertwined, and how one situation of the past affects the future.
“Please remember her,
Remember all of us.
We are the ghosts of lives stolen,
And lives never lived.
Once we were heavy,
But now we are light.
I promise we will never burden you.”
Coming to my rating : out of 5
Title : Apt and Perfect ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cover : Beautiful⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Character development : there is gradual and proper development in the characters of the story, being it main or the supporting ones.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing quality : the writing was beautiful and descriptive. Each emotion perfectly reached.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Depth of the plot : the story had a very deep meaning and intellectual depth in the way the characters nurtured to their present selves in the story.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall : 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars (the story could be even more better and at some parts there was no proper justification. I was not that happy with the treatment of some characters in the story. Mainly I would be very happy if Justine would have spoken back to Maurine, and show her how much she and her ways hurtled people around her.)
Thank you NetGalley for this book!!!
June 1, 2018
When the Evans family leave Williamsburg for their annual trip to their lake house for the summer, all seems normal. The three Evans sisters, Lilith, Lucy and Emily look forward to this trip for it gives them a relaxed summer of swimming in the lake and exploring the woods. But this year is not as carefree. Six-year-old Emily goes missing. The family is not the same afterwards. Some years later Justine receives notice that she has inherited the lake house from her grandaunt Lucy. Needing a new start, she takes her two daughters and moves into the house. But its not the idylic place she remembers and it forces her to confront her problems straight on.
So this is yet another book that lived on my TBR list for a bit and I am glad to finally have read it. The Evans family appears to be a typical family heading out to spend their summer in their lake house. Its a tradition that many of their friends have as well and they all look forward to spending a few carefree months away from the city. Expecting an idylic summer, the Evans receive quite the opposite when the youngest of their daughters goes missing and has not been seen since. Justine has only ever been in the lake house once but recalls a warm atmosphere. Experiencing her own troubles, receiving the house is great news. But this house harbors secrets that lead to that mysterious disappearance of Emily. Though its hard to tell at first glance, this book has a darker tone. The tensions that gradually build up foreshadow a grim secret hidden for years behind a facade. Part family saga and coming-of-age story, this was a well paced narrative that was well crafted. Not a happy read per se but one that held my interest throughout. I enjoyed the way in which Young intertwined the story of all the Evans women and characterization was on point. A worthy read overall.
So this is yet another book that lived on my TBR list for a bit and I am glad to finally have read it. The Evans family appears to be a typical family heading out to spend their summer in their lake house. Its a tradition that many of their friends have as well and they all look forward to spending a few carefree months away from the city. Expecting an idylic summer, the Evans receive quite the opposite when the youngest of their daughters goes missing and has not been seen since. Justine has only ever been in the lake house once but recalls a warm atmosphere. Experiencing her own troubles, receiving the house is great news. But this house harbors secrets that lead to that mysterious disappearance of Emily. Though its hard to tell at first glance, this book has a darker tone. The tensions that gradually build up foreshadow a grim secret hidden for years behind a facade. Part family saga and coming-of-age story, this was a well paced narrative that was well crafted. Not a happy read per se but one that held my interest throughout. I enjoyed the way in which Young intertwined the story of all the Evans women and characterization was on point. A worthy read overall.
June 23, 2021
In the summer of 1935, six year old Emily Evans vanishes from her family's vacation home on a remote Minnesota lake. Her disappearance destroys her mother, who spends the rest of her life at the lake house, hoping in vain that her favourite daughter will walk out of the woods. Emily's two sisters stay too. Sixty years later, Lucy, the quiet watchful middle sister, lives alone in the lake house. Before she dies, she writes the story of the devastating summer in a notebook that she leaves along with the house to her grandniece, Justine. Soon Justine's eldest daughter becomes obsessed with Emily's disappearance.
The story spans five generations of one family and each new generation adding more layers to the complex plotline. It's told in the past and present day with the addition of a journal which reminisces about the past. This is a creepy, haunting and atmospheric mystery. I did feel that the story dragged in places. It's also quite a hard book to review as I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. This is a bit of a slow burner but it's quite a good debut novel.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #VerveBooks and the author #HeatherYoung for my ARC of #THeLostGirls in exchange for an honest review.
The story spans five generations of one family and each new generation adding more layers to the complex plotline. It's told in the past and present day with the addition of a journal which reminisces about the past. This is a creepy, haunting and atmospheric mystery. I did feel that the story dragged in places. It's also quite a hard book to review as I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. This is a bit of a slow burner but it's quite a good debut novel.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #VerveBooks and the author #HeatherYoung for my ARC of #THeLostGirls in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2016
Okay, I'll admit I'm being harshly critical. That's because this book is so beautifully written, yet it took me over half the way through before I was engaged enough not to fall asleep every time I sat down to read it. Once there, though, it takes off with a vengeance and the ending is stunning.
Back in 1935, the Evans family was at their lake house, as usual. The three sisters, Lilith, Lucy and Emily -- in that age order -- were having growing pains, Lilith becoming a teenager, Lucy not quite there and wanting to hold onto her best friend Lilith, and little Emily whom their mother won't let out of her sight. Somehow, little Emily manages to disappear, and the family is devastated. Everything changes. Mom refuses to leave, in case her youngest returns. The older girls make the best of their bad situation. They spend their entire lives there. Narrated by Lucy, she explains what happened. And leaves a message to her niece Justine.
Alternate chapters tell the current-day story of Justine, with her two girls, as she finds herself at the lake house learning about her family's history. And what a history it is.
Part of my problem getting into it might have been with Justine. I had trouble liking her, and that may have had to do with her own lack of confidence. Her life had little in the way of stability, and she did not firmly embrace her choices, so her approach to each day and the conflicts presented made me sometimes want to groan. But, as I said at the beginning, once gripped -- and I believe every reader will be -- you will have a hard time putting this book down.
Back in 1935, the Evans family was at their lake house, as usual. The three sisters, Lilith, Lucy and Emily -- in that age order -- were having growing pains, Lilith becoming a teenager, Lucy not quite there and wanting to hold onto her best friend Lilith, and little Emily whom their mother won't let out of her sight. Somehow, little Emily manages to disappear, and the family is devastated. Everything changes. Mom refuses to leave, in case her youngest returns. The older girls make the best of their bad situation. They spend their entire lives there. Narrated by Lucy, she explains what happened. And leaves a message to her niece Justine.
Alternate chapters tell the current-day story of Justine, with her two girls, as she finds herself at the lake house learning about her family's history. And what a history it is.
Part of my problem getting into it might have been with Justine. I had trouble liking her, and that may have had to do with her own lack of confidence. Her life had little in the way of stability, and she did not firmly embrace her choices, so her approach to each day and the conflicts presented made me sometimes want to groan. But, as I said at the beginning, once gripped -- and I believe every reader will be -- you will have a hard time putting this book down.
August 10, 2017
This book laid around In my audible library for a year. I kept looking at it but disregarded it because I thought it might be trite and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but I was wrong, it was a pleasant surprise. Three generations of women and a missing daughter with hints scattered throughout the novel give rise to some very interesting and captivating characters. It was like a bedtime story that was soft and soothing but so interesting and well written I couldn’t wait to hear the next chapter. I relaxed and let the narrater tell me a beautiful if not melancholy story.
Before Justine’s Aunt Lucy died she made plans to leave her house to Justine because she felt as though she was the only relative that would take care of the lake house. She also left a hidden diary with terrifying family secrets.
When Justine is notified that she has inherited her aunt’s lake house in Minnesota she seizes the opportunity to leave a controlling boyfriend and to make a new life for her daughters. When they arrive they find a musty run down house but that doesn’t stop Justine. She is determined to have a comfortable home for her family and she is thrilled that for the first time she has a house of her own. The touching and sometimes odd characters that live at the lake add complexity to the story. As the long winter approaches Justine experiences the true kindness of her neighbors which gives her hope that all is well, or is it? Danger could be right around the corner!
This mesmerizing story brought memories of my family’s move to Alaska. It captured my heart as it caused me to remember the cold and dreary cabins we lived in while the Army was building houses. It also reminded me of warm and caring neighbors who jumped at the chance to help out one another.
I highly recommend this stunning, well written, debut novel by Heather Young,
Before Justine’s Aunt Lucy died she made plans to leave her house to Justine because she felt as though she was the only relative that would take care of the lake house. She also left a hidden diary with terrifying family secrets.
When Justine is notified that she has inherited her aunt’s lake house in Minnesota she seizes the opportunity to leave a controlling boyfriend and to make a new life for her daughters. When they arrive they find a musty run down house but that doesn’t stop Justine. She is determined to have a comfortable home for her family and she is thrilled that for the first time she has a house of her own. The touching and sometimes odd characters that live at the lake add complexity to the story. As the long winter approaches Justine experiences the true kindness of her neighbors which gives her hope that all is well, or is it? Danger could be right around the corner!
This mesmerizing story brought memories of my family’s move to Alaska. It captured my heart as it caused me to remember the cold and dreary cabins we lived in while the Army was building houses. It also reminded me of warm and caring neighbors who jumped at the chance to help out one another.
I highly recommend this stunning, well written, debut novel by Heather Young,
February 6, 2017
A great book for a debut author. Impressive writing, and I really was invested in the story, and wanted to know what was happening. BUT it's a very depressing book. In my opinion. No feel good here. That dimmed my overall enjoyment. Others might not feel that way though!
It's a dual timeline set in present day with a mom and her 2 daughters trying to get by (and get away), and the past setting where a family with 3 daughters ends up with one missing at the end of summer vacation. Family secrets abound here! The mysteries twine around themselves and intersect nicely. Historical fiction fans who don't mind a little sadness will enjoy it for sure :)
It's a dual timeline set in present day with a mom and her 2 daughters trying to get by (and get away), and the past setting where a family with 3 daughters ends up with one missing at the end of summer vacation. Family secrets abound here! The mysteries twine around themselves and intersect nicely. Historical fiction fans who don't mind a little sadness will enjoy it for sure :)
March 23, 2019
This books was different from what I expected. I expected a bit more of a creepy mystery and maybe a bit of a ghost story. When I see people describe a book as a ‘slow burn’ I always wonder what that means exactly but now I think I know. I would describe this book as a slow burn but, trust me, it’s worth it. I kept reading as I was desperate to see how it would end and then the last 50 or so pages, I was riveted!
December 27, 2019
This beautiful, sad, haunting novel is one of the best books I have read this year.
In 1935, three Minnesota sisters spend their summer, as usual, at their family's lake house. Lillian is the eldest, Lucy is the middle sister, and Emily the youngest. Their father is a prominent man, descended from one of the founders of the nearby town. The author richly details the atmosphere and rituals of the lake, where the wives and children stay all summer, and the fathers arrive every weekend. Although this seems an idyllic life, it slowly becomes apparent that all is not what it seems with this family. And on the last day of that summer, 6 year old Emily disappears.
In 1999, Justine is the mother of two young girls in San Diego. She has a dead end job and a crappy apartment. Her husband had deserted the family, the new man in her life has recently moved in to help with the rent, and no one is very happy. When out of the blue a letter arrives informing her that her great aunt Lucy has died and left her the lake house, Justine impulsively packs up the girls and leaves, seeing this as a chance to start over.
The house is now in disrepair and full of secrets. As Justine and her daughters adjust to this very different life, they learn more about themselves and the family they never knew - and discover that Lucy has left behind the key to the mystery of that summer almost 65 years ago.
One of the things that struck me about this book was what I consider a unique take on mothers. Most popular culture is unwavering in its conviction that all women instinctively love their children beyond all reason and live only to unselfishly nurture and protect them. The Lost Girls takes a decidedly different approach, and features some spectacularly bad examples of motherhood.
In 1935, three Minnesota sisters spend their summer, as usual, at their family's lake house. Lillian is the eldest, Lucy is the middle sister, and Emily the youngest. Their father is a prominent man, descended from one of the founders of the nearby town. The author richly details the atmosphere and rituals of the lake, where the wives and children stay all summer, and the fathers arrive every weekend. Although this seems an idyllic life, it slowly becomes apparent that all is not what it seems with this family. And on the last day of that summer, 6 year old Emily disappears.
In 1999, Justine is the mother of two young girls in San Diego. She has a dead end job and a crappy apartment. Her husband had deserted the family, the new man in her life has recently moved in to help with the rent, and no one is very happy. When out of the blue a letter arrives informing her that her great aunt Lucy has died and left her the lake house, Justine impulsively packs up the girls and leaves, seeing this as a chance to start over.
The house is now in disrepair and full of secrets. As Justine and her daughters adjust to this very different life, they learn more about themselves and the family they never knew - and discover that Lucy has left behind the key to the mystery of that summer almost 65 years ago.
One of the things that struck me about this book was what I consider a unique take on mothers. Most popular culture is unwavering in its conviction that all women instinctively love their children beyond all reason and live only to unselfishly nurture and protect them. The Lost Girls takes a decidedly different approach, and features some spectacularly bad examples of motherhood.
January 7, 2018
We are the ghosts of lives stolen
And lives never lived;
Once we were heavy
But now we are light;
I promise, we will never burden you.
Loved this audio narration dealing with troubled girls, family secrets and burden of love gone astray. A six year old disappears in the night, presumed to be taken from her bed in 1930s.. her grand niece is bequeathed with their family house, and her great grand niece uncovers a secret.
The lost girl's elder sisters too lose themselves in a metaphorical way. Their devastated mother almost loses her life, and their father slowly withers away.
Two brothers, their semi Indian neighbours are also irreparably affected due to the events taking place one idyllic summer vacation in the small village surrounded by a lake.
This story oscillates between 1930s and 2000s... and beautifully ties up three generations.
A must-read for all psychothriller fans.
And lives never lived;
Once we were heavy
But now we are light;
I promise, we will never burden you.
Loved this audio narration dealing with troubled girls, family secrets and burden of love gone astray. A six year old disappears in the night, presumed to be taken from her bed in 1930s.. her grand niece is bequeathed with their family house, and her great grand niece uncovers a secret.
The lost girl's elder sisters too lose themselves in a metaphorical way. Their devastated mother almost loses her life, and their father slowly withers away.
Two brothers, their semi Indian neighbours are also irreparably affected due to the events taking place one idyllic summer vacation in the small village surrounded by a lake.
This story oscillates between 1930s and 2000s... and beautifully ties up three generations.
A must-read for all psychothriller fans.
October 18, 2016
Impressive debut! What really happened to six-year-old Emily that summer in 1935? Quiet suspense, dark family secrets, and a remote Minnesota lake house combine for a haunting, atmospheric tale. {Borrowed from the library.}
December 13, 2017
I'm impressed that this is the authors first novel. Looking forward to reading more from her.
August 30, 2017
I read this for a book club, and I think the Minnesota setting for most of the story was part of the draw. There is a past timeline in 1935, and a "current" timeline which isn't dated, but I think is probably 1990s given on the ages of the characters still alive and recently dead from the 1935 timeline, as well as the technology. I was confused in the beginning as to this timeline, though, as there was a break-in and a VHS went missing. Did they rob the museum of outdated technology? Oh wait, no-one has a cell phone, and the teenagers aren't complaining about that. It definitely must be a different era.
I recently read The Child by Fiona Barton, and that too featured a past and current timeline and twisty family relations. This was better. Many generations of Evans women, all damaged by what happened to Emily in 1935 and how it changed the family's future.
Lucy is the middle daughter in 1935, spending the summer at her family's lake house while her dad commutes back and forth on the weekends from his family business in the city. Their neighbors were resort owners, a family with both Native American and white parentage that makes them outsiders. And then there are the rest of the summering community, privileged folks with social hierarchies. Lilith, the older sister, used to be Lucy's BFF, but now that she's a teen, she's not as happy to hang out with Lucy. Emily is 6 and absolutely smothered by their mother, who sleeps in Emily's bed every night. Lucy hangs out with Matthew, the neighbor boy who isn't connected to the local white kids or to his deceased mother's tribe. Things happen. Emily goes missing. We get the background on this summer of 1935, and the decades that followed, all told through Lucy's journal that she writes to great-niece Justine, wanting to tell all of the secrets to someone to read after her death.
Then we have Justine, who is a mess. She's living with a super controlling guy. Think "Sleeping with the Enemy" creepy, yet she keeps making excuses for him. Her two daughters (from a prior relationship, not Patrick) are not huge fans. But it isn't until Justine finds out that Lucy left her the house on the lake in Minnesota that she takes the leap and moves from California to Minnesota in the middle of the winter. They were not prepared. They didn't have enough clothes. Or any real survival skills, or basic home maintenance skills. How has Justine survived this long? Oh, that's right, she glommed onto Patrick, and then the guy before, and her flighty mother. I admire that she had the initiative to leave. But then she has doubts. I guess that's natural, but I would have liked for her to be a little more resourceful. Like, get a job, Justine, so you can get the stove fixed, and the LP tank filled, and you know, not just mope around being a victim of life, waiting for some man to come rescue you.
The current story has it's own twists and angles, but the 1935 one is a train on the tracks, coming at you, slowly at first, and then it runs you over. And then, people just lived it with. For decades. Without the truth ever coming out. Contemplating that was probably the most compelling to think about later.
I recently read The Child by Fiona Barton, and that too featured a past and current timeline and twisty family relations. This was better. Many generations of Evans women, all damaged by what happened to Emily in 1935 and how it changed the family's future.
Lucy is the middle daughter in 1935, spending the summer at her family's lake house while her dad commutes back and forth on the weekends from his family business in the city. Their neighbors were resort owners, a family with both Native American and white parentage that makes them outsiders. And then there are the rest of the summering community, privileged folks with social hierarchies. Lilith, the older sister, used to be Lucy's BFF, but now that she's a teen, she's not as happy to hang out with Lucy. Emily is 6 and absolutely smothered by their mother, who sleeps in Emily's bed every night. Lucy hangs out with Matthew, the neighbor boy who isn't connected to the local white kids or to his deceased mother's tribe. Things happen. Emily goes missing. We get the background on this summer of 1935, and the decades that followed, all told through Lucy's journal that she writes to great-niece Justine, wanting to tell all of the secrets to someone to read after her death.
Then we have Justine, who is a mess. She's living with a super controlling guy. Think "Sleeping with the Enemy" creepy, yet she keeps making excuses for him. Her two daughters (from a prior relationship, not Patrick) are not huge fans. But it isn't until Justine finds out that Lucy left her the house on the lake in Minnesota that she takes the leap and moves from California to Minnesota in the middle of the winter. They were not prepared. They didn't have enough clothes. Or any real survival skills, or basic home maintenance skills. How has Justine survived this long? Oh, that's right, she glommed onto Patrick, and then the guy before, and her flighty mother. I admire that she had the initiative to leave. But then she has doubts. I guess that's natural, but I would have liked for her to be a little more resourceful. Like, get a job, Justine, so you can get the stove fixed, and the LP tank filled, and you know, not just mope around being a victim of life, waiting for some man to come rescue you.
The current story has it's own twists and angles, but the 1935 one is a train on the tracks, coming at you, slowly at first, and then it runs you over. And then, people just lived it with. For decades. Without the truth ever coming out. Contemplating that was probably the most compelling to think about later.
December 8, 2020
RATING: 3 STARS
2016; William Morrow/Harper Collins
I went into this novel thinking it was more of a suspense thriller than a fiction book with a mystery. Right off the bat, I will admit other than the young girls, Melanie and Angela, I didn't really connect with the characters. While what happened to Emily was plausible, it seemed a bit too flippant. Almost like, oh right, Emily died and we have to give some sort of ending. There were certain plotlines that Young was trying to hint at without saying but it seemed too much in your face. I'd rather have just known right out about the secrets. The dancing around the secret got a bit tedious and then I just didn't care when it was revealed as it felt like you already knew. Even the description above is more of a summary than a synopsis (it is why I went with the publisher's synopsis as it seems to give away 2/3 of the novel).
It took me a bit to get into the novel as the story takes awhile to heat up. It is one of the reason why there is no real suspense. There was a mystery but even that wasn't mentioned as much as I thought it would. BUT I am glad I stuck with it as I dis enjoy Young's writing and her intentions from this novel. While her characters seem either very harsh and out for themselves or quiet pushovers - I did not feel any connection - good or bad towards them. I am interested in seeing what Young writes next...I will try not to have expectations of a certain genre.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
My Novelesque Blog
2016; William Morrow/Harper Collins
I went into this novel thinking it was more of a suspense thriller than a fiction book with a mystery. Right off the bat, I will admit other than the young girls, Melanie and Angela, I didn't really connect with the characters. While what happened to Emily was plausible, it seemed a bit too flippant. Almost like, oh right, Emily died and we have to give some sort of ending. There were certain plotlines that Young was trying to hint at without saying but it seemed too much in your face. I'd rather have just known right out about the secrets. The dancing around the secret got a bit tedious and then I just didn't care when it was revealed as it felt like you already knew. Even the description above is more of a summary than a synopsis (it is why I went with the publisher's synopsis as it seems to give away 2/3 of the novel).
It took me a bit to get into the novel as the story takes awhile to heat up. It is one of the reason why there is no real suspense. There was a mystery but even that wasn't mentioned as much as I thought it would. BUT I am glad I stuck with it as I dis enjoy Young's writing and her intentions from this novel. While her characters seem either very harsh and out for themselves or quiet pushovers - I did not feel any connection - good or bad towards them. I am interested in seeing what Young writes next...I will try not to have expectations of a certain genre.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
My Novelesque Blog
December 13, 2016
The story is very good, but the title is cliched, as is the structure. I think that perhaps all those writer's workshops the author attended did her a great disservice. Dual timeline + a title with the word "girls" in it should = a bestseller. Jeez, did Ms. Young pay for this type of advice?
I don't think she needed to adopt these strategems. I think she is a good enough writer that she could have gone for originality instead. (Maybe I'm just annoyed at the number of cookie-cutter books out there, and need to vent!)
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the author's next novel. I only hope she doesn't feel it necessary to be a slave to the current tropes.
I don't think she needed to adopt these strategems. I think she is a good enough writer that she could have gone for originality instead. (Maybe I'm just annoyed at the number of cookie-cutter books out there, and need to vent!)
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the author's next novel. I only hope she doesn't feel it necessary to be a slave to the current tropes.
April 11, 2022
I love the summer book season - fast paced and fun reads. I started The Lost Girls on a plane ride and almost derailed my vacation by staying up way too late to finish it. The story spans five generations of one family with each generation adding more layers and more complexity to the story. Everyone seems to have a skeleton in their closet, and Heather Young does a brilliant job of pacing the story to keep you on your toes.
November 3, 2016
I don't understand this book. It seemed like a whole lot of lead up ... and then it didn't really deliver. The ending was rushed. Not a fan, wouldn't recommend anyone waste their time. Unfortunately, I had to read the whole thing because I needed to know what happened. Seemed like some useless relationships / storyline, lots of fluff. When it came to what REALLY mattered in the storyline, it was kind of "alluded to" but not really discussed. Disappointed.
December 2, 2022
Ok, on average or slightly above average writing. Clear. But just way too slow and also sad. This is not a book I felt I needed to return to at all. But for those who like rotating time period melodrama- this will fill the bill.
Be warned. Every single generation holds below average IQ and decision making, IMHO. Very few in their reviews seem to reflect how much better these entire groups of relative women would have been if they didn't put their latest men or boyfriend access over their kids.
That's rude and bottom line.. And also deserved for the so called adults along the line of examples in Lost Girls. No faith or objective morality whatsoever displayed. Bad outcomes occur as a result.
Oh well! Get someone on HG TV to fix the yellow house up! Good and innovative ideas and paths do exist.
Be warned. Every single generation holds below average IQ and decision making, IMHO. Very few in their reviews seem to reflect how much better these entire groups of relative women would have been if they didn't put their latest men or boyfriend access over their kids.
That's rude and bottom line.. And also deserved for the so called adults along the line of examples in Lost Girls. No faith or objective morality whatsoever displayed. Bad outcomes occur as a result.
Oh well! Get someone on HG TV to fix the yellow house up! Good and innovative ideas and paths do exist.
February 1, 2016
RELEASE DATE: July 26,2016
RATING: 3 Stars Worth taking to the beach but won’t freak if it gets a little wet
GENRE: Women’s Fiction / Literature
AUDIENCE: Fans of Jennifer McMahon and Celeste Ng will enjoy reading “The Lost Girls”.
SERIES: Standalone
REVIEW: “The Lost Girls” appealed to me as a reader for a number of reasons. I grew up in Iowa, and it was a summer tradition to spend a few weeks with my mother’s family who lived on a lake in Minnesota. The thought of a young girl mysteriously disappearing from a remote lake mirrored my young childhood fear of slipping under the waves, never to be found in the deep cold water. It almost seemed that the author had slipped into the subconscious mind of the child I once was, and took her story from my deepest fears.
“The Lost Girls” is told from two viewpoints. Justine is a struggling single mom with two children. Her boyfriend, although handy and dependable, is a bit needier than a grown man should be. Her two daughters are still coping with the departure of their father a year earlier, and the relationship they have with new boyfriend is strained. Justine learns that she has inherited a summer house on a lake in Minnesota. As quick as a flash, she packs her kids up and hits the road to claim her inheritance.
Lucy is Justine’s deceased aunt, telling her story through a journal she has left for Justine. The story she tells in bits and parts is of the summer of 1935 when her young six year old sister Emily disappeared. Lucy hints of regrets and undercurrents within her family, but doesn’t allow the crux of her tale to unravel until the very end.
I enjoyed reading “The Lost Girls”, although I felt that there were too many antagonists. Justine’s mother, Maurie, was a raving narcissist who fled the lake house in her teens. Justine’s boyfriend was patently crazy, but readers won’t discover how completely loco until the end of the story. Even Justine seemed to be a bit of a force against herself. She was definitely not written as a strong character until she developed a bit of backbone at the end of the tale. While this did not take away much from enjoying the story, it did lead me to roll my eyes several times in a few “what the hell were you thinking” moments.
Author Heather Young did a terrific job in pacing out the plot, and allowing the mystery to completely bloom in resolution at the end. I can usually spot the “who/what/where” halfway through a book, and although I got parts of it right, the full ending was much better than I imagined.
*Tremendous thanks to William Morrow and Edelweiss for an ARC.
RATING: 3 Stars Worth taking to the beach but won’t freak if it gets a little wet
GENRE: Women’s Fiction / Literature
AUDIENCE: Fans of Jennifer McMahon and Celeste Ng will enjoy reading “The Lost Girls”.
SERIES: Standalone
REVIEW: “The Lost Girls” appealed to me as a reader for a number of reasons. I grew up in Iowa, and it was a summer tradition to spend a few weeks with my mother’s family who lived on a lake in Minnesota. The thought of a young girl mysteriously disappearing from a remote lake mirrored my young childhood fear of slipping under the waves, never to be found in the deep cold water. It almost seemed that the author had slipped into the subconscious mind of the child I once was, and took her story from my deepest fears.
“The Lost Girls” is told from two viewpoints. Justine is a struggling single mom with two children. Her boyfriend, although handy and dependable, is a bit needier than a grown man should be. Her two daughters are still coping with the departure of their father a year earlier, and the relationship they have with new boyfriend is strained. Justine learns that she has inherited a summer house on a lake in Minnesota. As quick as a flash, she packs her kids up and hits the road to claim her inheritance.
Lucy is Justine’s deceased aunt, telling her story through a journal she has left for Justine. The story she tells in bits and parts is of the summer of 1935 when her young six year old sister Emily disappeared. Lucy hints of regrets and undercurrents within her family, but doesn’t allow the crux of her tale to unravel until the very end.
I enjoyed reading “The Lost Girls”, although I felt that there were too many antagonists. Justine’s mother, Maurie, was a raving narcissist who fled the lake house in her teens. Justine’s boyfriend was patently crazy, but readers won’t discover how completely loco until the end of the story. Even Justine seemed to be a bit of a force against herself. She was definitely not written as a strong character until she developed a bit of backbone at the end of the tale. While this did not take away much from enjoying the story, it did lead me to roll my eyes several times in a few “what the hell were you thinking” moments.
Author Heather Young did a terrific job in pacing out the plot, and allowing the mystery to completely bloom in resolution at the end. I can usually spot the “who/what/where” halfway through a book, and although I got parts of it right, the full ending was much better than I imagined.
*Tremendous thanks to William Morrow and Edelweiss for an ARC.
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