Saint X

by Alexis Schaitkin

Claire is only seven years old when her college-age sister, Alison, disappears on the last night of their family vacation at a resort on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Several days later, Alison’s body is found in a remote spot on a nearby cay, and two local men – employees at the resort - are arrested. But the evidence is slim, the timeline against it, and the men are soon released. The story turns into national tabloid news, a lurid mystery that will go unsolved. For Claire and her parents, there is only the return home to broken lives.

Years later, Claire is living and working in New York City when a brief but fateful encounter brings her together with Clive Richardson, one of the men originally suspected of murdering her sister. It is a moment that sets Claire on an obsessive pursuit of the truth - not only to find out what happened the night of Alison’s death but also to answer the elusive question: Who exactly was her sister? At seven, Claire had been barely old enough to know her: a beautiful, changeable, provocative girl of eighteen at a turbulent moment of identity formation.

As Claire doggedly shadows Clive, hoping to gain his trust, waiting for the slip that will reveal the truth, an unlikely attachment develops between them, two people whose lives were forever marked by the same tragedy.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Contemporary, Crime

343 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2020

About the author

Alexis Schaitkin is the author of Saint X. Her short stories have been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Nonrequired Reading. She received her MFA in fiction from the University of Virginia, where she was a Henry Hoyns Fellow. She lives in the Berkshires with her husband and their two children.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! It was impressive! It was unique! It was different!

Well, I have never been a great fan of anything slow burn but this brilliant author achieved amazing job and attracted my attention with the detailed, objective, photographic depictions and perfectly rounded characterization. This book is not a big mystery about unsolved case of a young woman’s dying. This is also not only about obsession of the sister she left behind or the grief of whole family recently changed their residents and trying their best to move on with their lives.

This story is mostly about racism, class differences and privileges. The story-telling captivates you and you just enjoy yourself to get lost in author’s long, meaningful sentences. First she takes us to non-exist tropical by showing us photographic, impeccably visualized details and make you believe that island and its rich visitors are real. And of course don’t forget to get your thickest coat and free your mind about the dirtiness, too much crowd, being hauled or bumped by several people because she also takes us a trip to show the realistic parts of New York ( definitely found my New York at those pages !)

In the middle of 1990’s, the family’s vacation at a spectacular tropical island doesn’t end well as they expected. Their 18 year old girl Allison is missing. A famous actor and his girlfriend accidentally find her corpse in the waters of Faraway Cay. The police interrogate several people including blond boy hanged out several times with Allison and they couldn’t find any proper motive and let him go so this event turns into a local mystery that has never been solved.

Allison’s little sister (only seven) watches every move of her sister during their holiday as like she is the responsible one. She doesn’t care Allison promises her pineapples, shells or stars, she just want to have more time with her. One night, she falls asleep and when she wakes up she finds out that her sister will never come back!

So the story moves to the present time. We meet grown up Claire, living in the city never sleeps, trying to make her ends meet. One day she climbs into a cab and as soon as she finds out cab driver’s name: Clive Richardson, her entire life changes because the guy is the very same blond boy who has been questioned and released during their holiday. Claire’ obsession takes control of her to find out what happened to her sister.

What I truly like about this book: WRITING. WRITING. WRITING. Photographic, detailed, objective depictions. It questions the unfairness of privileges and inequality between rich and poor, races.

What I didn’t like about the book: Both of the girls were so annoying for me. (Allison in the past and Claire in the present.) I want to slap them or scream their face: “Get a life!” They were privileged pretentious spoiled girls that I really detest so of course I had really hard time to connect with them.
And about the ending: Of course it is not what I expected. But surprisingly I liked the conclusion. I know most of the readers won’t agree with me but I always enjoy to get a few steps behind an author’s brilliance, especially when it comes to solve a mystery or revealing a secret, big ugly truth.

Overall: Even though I hate the guts of the characters and fantasized to punch them 24/7, this book is promising, very-good written, highly anticipated, successful debut.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books to share this one of the most anticipated books of 2020’s ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review. And I truly congratulate Alexis Schaitkin with her brilliant debut novel

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[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"That night, Claire is awakened by the sound of a key rattling in the lock. As she surfaces from dreams, she watches the door to the hotel room open. Her sister tiptoes across the room and slides into bed. In the morning Claire wakes at dawn to find her sister's bed empty. She is on the balcony, her eyes fixed on something in the distance. It seems her sister is hardly sleeping at all."

The problem with reading a book and putting off writing the review for weeks is that the small details begin to fade, but Saint X is the type of read that requires deep thought and pondering before discussing. I'm still not sure I can do a review of this book justice, as it is so many aspects put into one cohesive timeline. Part true crime style mystery, part delayed coming of age, Saint X provides a suspenseful investigation coupled with self discovery of the protagonist.

This was an eye-opening glance at how deep the ties between race and privilege run. The author did a fantastic job of creating a unique narrative while touching on themes as old as time, and bringing attention to just how far America, and us privileged folks in general, needs to progress. The pacing is very slow and detailed, which works well for this type of story, but is told in such a riveting voice. This isn't a thriller per se, but it does take on a few of the qualities that fans of psychological suspense find appealing. If you're interested in other recent literary fiction novels featuring social justice discussions, please consider giving your time to this worthy story as well.

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

[Miranda Reads]

Did you ever wish something terrible would happen to you so the world could see how strong you are?

Alison was always the star of the family - beautiful, brilliant and absolutely perfect - and Claire idolized her.

But one Caribbean vacation on the island of Saint X later, their family of four became a family of three.

Even though Claire was only seven, that memory was burned into her mind.

Their voices, though still friendly on the surface, have a coldness to them. No, she tells herself. She is just imagining it.

Her sister's body was found washed up on the beach and Claire's life was forever changed.

And now that Claire is older - and has moved out, gotten the job and has checked off the hundred other adult things she should be doing - she just can't let Alison go.

"You can't bring the stars."
"Why not?"
"You can't carry them."
"I'll bring whatever I want."

And then one day, Claire runs into Clive - one of the men who was accused of killing her sister.

And right then and there, Claire decides to NOT let this opportunity pass her by any longer.

The winter, these nights, this man - it stretched on and on. I could see no end in sight.

So. I loved the premise of this one - I think that was really, really well done.

I thought Claire and the elusive Alison made an interesting set of characters. You learn about Alison through interviews, tapes and Claire's memories, which then gives you an idea of who Claire truly is.

I was intrigued by Claire's mission to solve her sister's murder and when Clive came onto the page - my pulse quickened.

And then, just as quickly, it went back to normal.

This is one of those books where early on you realize that you meander...a lot.

And sometimes, I absolutely LOVE that and makes the book one of my favorites...and sometimes it just doesn't work.

With thanks to the author and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

All quotes come from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon publication.

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[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-Provoking

Saint X is a fascinating character study that explores familial relationships, the boundaries of friendship, racial divide, and class privilege through the death of an 18-year-old girl on an exclusive Caribbean island resort.

Saint X is the story of Alison Thomas; a beautiful, witty and privileged 18-year-old girl who is found dead on an island during her family’s vacation in the 1990s. Claire, her seven-year-old sister, is now an only child. Two native islanders are accused of Allison's murder.

Fast-forward: Claire is now 25 years old and haunted by her sister’s death. A random encounter puts her in the presence of one of the men accused of her sister’s murder. Claire becomes obsessed with this man. She lives to find out about the truth about what happened to her sister one fateful night so long ago. Obsession leads to self-reflection and a startling truth about Claire’s own life.

The narrative, told primarily in the third person, focuses on Alison, Claire, Clive Richardson, The Island of Saint X, and the people who call the island home. Schaitkin takes a multi-genre approach seamlessly blending these stories with interviews, autopsy reports, diaries, etc.

Saint X made for an interesting reading experience. I didn’t love the characters, but I found Schaitkin’s writing style hypnotic. I felt as if I were in a trance while reading this. The pace is slow but compelling enough to keep one reading. Themes of class, race, sexuality, and privilege (amongst others) had me constantly thinking. This is a book that I am going to remember! Saint X is an impressive debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what Shaitkin writes next.

Thank you to Jaime Novan at Celadon Books for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a fast paced crime or thriller read, then I would advise you to steer clear of Alexis Schaitkin's remarkable slow and considered character driven debut, a tantalising, acutely observed study of grief, loss, class, race, family, privilege, memory and obsession. 18 year old American Alison Thomas is holidaying with her family, her parents and 7 year old sister, Claire, on the fictional Caribbean island, Saint X, with its friendly locals, staying at The Indigo Bay Resort. The apparently confident, beautiful, athletic and flirtatious Alison goes missing, only for her body to turn up on a beach later. Two locals, Clive Richardson and Edwin Hastie, are arrested but with insufficient evidence, they are released and the mystery of Alison's death remains a mystery through the years.

The young Claire was close to Alison, her lovely sister was everything she wanted to be, she and her parents lives were left indelibly fractured and broken, with the tragedy of what happened to Alison receiving intense media attention in the US. The consequences led to the family moving from New York to Pasadena, California and in Claire's use of the name Emily. Many years later in New York, the 25 year old Claire coincidentally bumps into Clive. She has never been able to forget and let go of her beloved sister, haunted by her death, so she follows Clive, her desperate obsession driven by her need to know the truth and perhaps more pertinently her desire to get to know who exactly Alison was. As it soon becomes clear that there was far more to Alison than her limited childhood memories had led her to believe, Claire becomes disturbed by what she discovers.

Schaitkin writes a thought provoking novel, beautifully written, with heavy rich descriptions, although there are occasional jarring notes, essentially about the wide ranging repercussions on a surprisingly large number of people of Alison's death. The effects of grief and loss run so deep in her family, particularly the young Claire who grows up unable to ever get over losing her sister, which in turn leads to the unforeseen consequences later of her decision to enter Clive's life. This is a compulsive read, with themes that had me immersed in this impressive and memorable debut. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What do a mother and father do when they are awakened by one child to the news that the other is missing? First, they tell themselves not to panic. Their daughter must have simply gone off somewhere on the resort grounds. It is a large property and there are any number of places she could be. Perhaps she has gone for a jog, or to smack tennis balls against the backboard at the courts…Perhaps she got too drunk at the hotel bar last night and is sleeping off a hangover in the room of one of the other girls her age…Surely she will come groggily across the sand anytime now, and how furious they will be! And how pleasurable it will be to be furious with a daughter who is perfectly fine, and who will be snotty and dismissive when they tell her how worried they have been. But she is in none of these places doing none of these things. By late morning, a mother and father’s faith that their child will turn up any moment has given way to terror. Everything but Alison is forgotten…”
- Alexis Schaitkin, Saint X

Based solely on having read Saint X, I have an assumption as to how author Alexis Schaitkin runs her personal book club. To wit: I imagine that she sells it as something fun, a divertissement. She promises good wine, margaritas, and mimosas, along with delectable hors d’oeuvres that are theme-appropriate. She also probably tells you that you should come whether or not you finished (or even started) the book. She might further hint that there will be plenty of time for non-book-related gab and gossip. So, you go. But then, as soon as Schaitkin ushers you in the front door, she forces you to sit down and answer ten deeply philosophical questions about the title in question, before you can even ask for a glass of water. After that, there is no wine, margaritas, or mimosas. There are only probing, soul-deep queries.

That, at least, is the impression I formed upon finishing Schaitkin’s uniquely conceived, powerfully executed debut novel.

The reason I say this is because Saint X looks like one thing, but is actually another. It lures you into its web by presenting itself as a familiar kind of entertainment: a mystery-thriller involving the unexplained death of a young white girl, and that dead girl’s sister’s search for answers. (The comparisons to the real-life case of Natalee Holloway, who disappeared in Aruba in 2005, are inescapable). Within a few pages, you are caught in the book’s world, so devoted to the characters that resolution becomes an imperative. By the time you realize that Saint X is not really concerned about the ultimate answer, or about laying out clues to follow, or even about standard narrative momentum, it is too late to turn back.

The setup to Saint X will be familiar to anyone who has ever read a novel by Paula Hawkins, or watched an episode of Dateline, or even just picked up a newspaper at some point.

Eighteen-year-old Alison Thomas, a beautiful, smart, upper-middle class girl from New York is on vacation with her family, which includes her father, mother, and sister Claire. They stay on the fictional island of Saint X, at a resort that will sound familiar to anyone who has ever vacationed in the Caribbean (or, in my case, has had to listen to friends tell them about vacationing in the Caribbean). On the last day before the Thomas family is supposed to fly home, Alison goes missing. A short while later, her naked, lifeless body is discovered, with traumatic injuries to her neck.

There are myriad ways to proceed from this premise. Those ways would typically include a roster of suspects, carefully revealed evidence, and some intricate plotting mechanics. None of that is present here, because that is not what is motivating Schaitkin’s writing. Indeed, the eventual conclusion is so beside-the-point that I guessed it early on, which almost never happens.

To be sure, Alison’s fate drives everything that happens in Saint X. But Schaitkin is far more interested in exploring wider-ranging questions such as race, class, sexism, privilege, true-crime-culture, and immigration. If that seems like a lot to tackle in one book, it is!

In order to pull of this kaleidoscopic meditation, Schaitkin utilizes a dazzling – and dizzying – array of literary devices. The opening of the novel, for instance, is written in an omniscient third-person voice, with a narrator that is seemingly able to pierce the minds – and destinies – of everyone on the island (except, strangely, their names). The third-person viewpoint is later dropped in favor of first-person accounts given by characters only tangentially related to Alison. For example, there are brief monologues (for lack of a better word) by, among others: the famous, unnamed actor who found Alison’s body; that actor’s girlfriend; Alison’s first boyfriend; and a police officer on the island. These short, one-off sections are meant to show how Alison’s death rippled into their own lives.

Interwoven between these testimonies are epistolary fragments, such as excerpts from Alison’s audio diary, news reports from her disappearance, and other written extracts. Over the course of the novel, these bits and pieces form a posthumous mosaic of Alison’s life.

The bulk of the novel, though, is told in the first-person by Claire Thomas, Alison’s sister. Claire’s arc is the only traditional storyline in Saint X, and she serves two purposes.

First, years after Alison’s death, and while working in New York City, Claire runs into one of the main suspects in Alison’s death, an islander named Clive Richardson. Her obsessive pursuit of Clive, and the secrets he keeps, pushes the plot forward, however grudgingly.

Second, and more importantly, Claire holds all the disparate elements of Saint X together. For long stretches, the search for the truth behind Alison’s death nearly disappears, with only the faint whisper of her ghost lingering at the edges. During these digressions, Schaitkin follows some winding roads that have little to do with the underlying story (and led me to believe that she might have wanted to write a different book altogether). Claire’s presence is both a reminder of what is at stake, and a tether that keeps the more abstruse, disconnected bits from sailing off into the ether.

Overall, I really liked and admired Saint X. Schaitkin proves virtuosic (if a bit of a show-off) in inhabiting so many different styles and voices. She is equally adept at delivering a big set-piece (such as the painfully gripping moments following Alison’s disappearance) or a quiet moment of reflection. Often, I was genuinely moved, and had to remind myself a couple times that this was fiction, and that Alison and Claire existed only as words on a page.

That is not to say that Saint X is flawless. I found some of the cutaways to minor characters to be superfluous. The inclusion of the actress who played Alison in a slimy television movie, for instance, adds very little to the central story. Meanwhile, Alison’s mother and father – the two people closest to the unimaginable hell of a lost child – are almost entirely ignored once Alison’s body is found. Their ethereal presence is made worse by Claire’s strange decision to wage psychological warfare against her mom, apparently because Claire is upset at how her mother mourns. I wonder if Schaitkin found the prospect of inhabiting grieving parents too painful to contemplate. In any event, the lack of a parental perspective is a striking and unfortunate absence.

Of course, the biggest deficit in Saint X is that it might not be what you expected. Thus, you should know going in that this is not a connect-the-dots puzzle about a girl’s death, but a complicated exploration of death’s meaning to life.

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I begin my review I would first like to ask everyone to stand for a slow clap in reverence for Celadon Books.

👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏

The new voices they are presenting to the literary world are beyond compare. I've no doubt that all of my friends on Goodreads Island of Misfit Readers has AT LEAST one of their authors books on their Best of 2019 list.

So, kudos Celadon, you've made mine and many others year in books among the best yet.

Ahem, ok here we go...

_____________________

Simply stated, Alexis Schaitkin was born to be a writer.

Schaitkin chose to open up this story using a third-person objective POV and it was a phenomenal choice. I felt like a literal fly on the wall as I took my first taste of the characters in Saint X.

From there I have somewhat bipolar feelings about this story.

😃 I loved the seamless weaving of the multiple plotlines along with the random chapters featuring POV's from peripheral characters.

😟 However, I didn't care for any of the characters themselves. I never felt any real affection or aversion towards any of them.

😃 I loved that the author chose to build a fictional island for this story. I had no trouble picturing the resort with it's privileged clientele and the surrounding destitution just beyond it's lily white walls.

😟 However, I was lulled to sleep by the over descriptive world building when it came to the NYC scenes. Maybe if you're a New Yorker this would appeal to you but for me it was relentless drivel.

For me, the most affecting part of this story isn't the grief or obsession that is at the heart of the story. It is the underlying messages about race and privilege.

I saw myself in the thoughts and actions of this overindulged white family. Things I've said and done in an attempt to show how woke I am only succeeded in showing my complete and utter ignorance.

Schaitkin has given me an entirely new perspective and shaken and changed me in a profound way.

Isn't that what great writing is supposed to do?



* I recieved an ARC (and some cool island swag 🏝) from Celadon. All opinions are my own. *

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book = BOOK CLUB GOLD!!!

There is so much to chew on and discuss here that book clubs across the globe will be talking about this book come February!

Claire is only 7 years old while vacationing with her family on the tropical island of Saint X. Claire is a quiet child, some may even say a bit odd, but one thing is for certain: Claire and her big sister Alison share a tight bond. She admires Alison's beauty, her wit, her intelligence, the way that she lights up a room, the way people gravitate toward her. These are all things she feels she lacks herself so on a pedestal of her own making Alison goes. Alison on the other hand worries that the shy Claire is too vulnerable for this big bad world and likes to keep her under her wing.

On the last evening of their vacation Alison doesn't come home. A search is initiated and after several weeks her body is discovered in the waters of Faraway Cay. Two of the resort workers, Edwin and Clive, that Alison became chummy with, are questioned but are released due to lack of evidence. No one has ever been charged and this will go down as a local mystery that makes national headlines.

In the present day Claire finds herself making a living in NYC. One day when she flags down a cab she notices upon exiting that the cab drivers name is Clive Richardson. He was one of the young men at the resort that was questioned and released. Claire becomes obsessed with insinuating herself into his life determined to find out what happened to Alison once and for all.

The more Claire looks into the past she is beginning to discover that the Alison she remembers is not who Alison actually was. Being as she was only 7 she saw the 18 year old Alison as a shining star but it turns out that may not be the case and this unsettles her.

I'll be honest and tell you that I didn't really like Alison or the adult Claire very much. As we get to know Alison she comes across as self righteous and bratty. She resents her lovely and loving parents so much that I found it off-putting. I just wanted to scream in my kindle "YOU SPOILED LITTLE BRAT!"

Rich vs. Poor. Black vs. White. These themes run the entirety of the novel.

The ending will have people talking I'm sure. Personally, I didn't mind it but others may not like it.

As I turned the final page I was surprised to discover that the person who stole my heart wasn't who I thought it was going to be when I opened this book up.

Alexis Schaitkin, I bow to you. You can spin a tale like no other. The atmosphere she creates is truly incredible. I felt as if I had been transported to the beaches of Saint X and the streets of NYC while I was reading and that is a sign of phenomenal writing skills. This may also be the downfall of this book as well. It starts to get overly descriptive to the point that I would skim paragraphs just so I could return to the storytelling but, hey, if that's my only gripe then I'm a happy reader. Also, I can't forget to mention that cover is eye candy! 😍 4 stars!

One final note: Celadon, keep up the great work! You have quickly become one of my favorite publishers. 💗

Thank you to Edelweiss and Celadon for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Tucker Almengor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many thanks to Celadon Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

Hello, my name is Tucker and I read a book. I did not like that book but unfortunately, I do not have enough thoughts to write a proper review so… prepare yourself for my favorite type of review to write: A gif review.

Me when I started this book with Miranda:


Me when I started to realize I wasn’t enjoying this as much as I hoped:


Me trying to tell myself I was enjoying this book:


Me when the twist was revealed:


But in the end, this was how I felt about the gorgeous writing style:


Me when I found out that Miranda didn’t like it either:


Me when I finally finished this book:




------------

yikes.... 2.5 stars

------------

I think my favorite part of working with Celadon is the creative and enjoyable unique swag that comes with the ARC

p.s. those glasses didn't come with the ARC. they're from my uncle's brewery

Buddy read with the one and only Miranda Reads!


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[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publication Date: February 18, 2020

Saint X is a strange book. It has so many long, wordy, overly done passages, in my opinion, that my will to keep reading was taxed. But behind that "too much" was a story that I could not put down. I enjoyed the character study aspect of the book, despite that the main character, Claire, and her older sister, Alison, were so unlikable. I wanted to know what happened to Alison and that is what kept me going, even though portions of the book were a slogfest. I think this speaks to how much I enjoyed the parts of the book that I did enjoy. 

Seven year old Claire, her parents, and her eighteen year old sister are on a winter vacation to the island of Saint X. Beautiful, popular Alison has so much going for her, everything really, but she's so unhappy with it, so miserable with her good fortune, that she seems determined to muck it up by breaking up with her longtime boyfriend that she loves, drinking and smoking with the two young men who work at the resort where the family stays, sneaking out at night, sneaking off during the day, flirting and teasing a male visitor and all the while, seeing everything through a lens of disdain and disgust. As the book goes on, and we are seeing so much through Claire's eyes, I realize that Alison's attitude has rubbed off on Claire, in the saddest of ways. Claire wasn't beautiful or popular and was a bit strange but she seemed to feel the same disdain for everyone and everything around her. 

This is a story of how much Alison's life and especially her death, affected so many people, even people who didn't know her or barely knew her. For a long time Claire was able to set aside the mystery of Alison's death but when she is twenty-five, she enters a taxi and the driver is one of the two resort workers, both who were suspects briefly, of the murder of Alison. This starts Claire on a path of total obsession with this man, an obsession which destroys her not very happy life. 

This book is dark and dreary and sad so I was surprised by how the ending became something good and hopeful. It could have been a quick read if not for the places that bogged me down like quicksand. I know not everyone will enjoy this book but I did, despite the drawback of wordiness. Thank you to Celadon Books/Macmillan and Edelweiss for this ARC. 

[Kaceey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
This book reminded me so much of the Natalie Holloway tragedy that I couldn't move beyond it to truly embrace the story-line.

Alison is a young, beautiful teenage girl on vacation with her parents and younger sister on the tropical paradise island of Saint X. Their lodging is an exclusive five-star resort where everything they could possibly want is brought right to them. Sounds like heaven, right? So when Allison vanishes, this beautiful island vacation quickly spirals into a nightmare.

The story-line follows the younger sister Claire years later as she moves forward in her life. And she’s making great strides. Until that fateful day she crossed paths with a man she recognizes as one of the boys employed at the resort all those many years ago when her sister vanished. This sighting re-ignites Claires’ memories, and now becomes an obsession to find the truth!

I wish I could say I enjoyed this more, but it just fell short. The pace seemed to crawl along. It’s a short book but felt like it was a good hundred pages longer than it actually was.


There are many fabulous five-star reviews for this book, so perhaps I just wasn’t the right reader.

A buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Celadon books for an ARC to read and review.

[Katie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Ooh, this was a good one! The book is being compared to Emma Cline’s The Girls, and Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies, and since I haven't read either of those books, I have no idea if that is a fair comparison or not. While reading this book though I kept getting Celeste Ng vibes to the story so if you like that author, I recommend reading Saint X.

During a family vacation on the Caribbean island of Saint X, college student, Alison, goes missing. A few days later her body is found and two male resort employees are arrested. It's a huge story in the United States and the mystery deepens when the men are released because the evidence against them is flimsy. Alison's seven year old sister, Claire, and her parents return home, heartbroken and devastated. Years later, Claire wants answers as to what exactly happened the night of her sister's death.

I went a bit light on my synopsis because I almost think the publisher's synopsis gives away too much. Such a significant part of the story is Claire and her desire to learn more about her sister and everything that happened on the island and I feel like as a reader you need to watch everything unfold naturally in order to get the most out of the book.

There's obviously a mystery element to the story but that part was almost secondary to me as Claire herself was the driving force. The aftermath of her sister's death and how it affected Claire and her family was the heart of the story for me. However, what makes this book special is the fact that each reader might cling to something different from the story. The author does show the perspectives from time to time of other characters and without getting into spoilers, some readers might find the strength of the story to be in the chapters towards the end of the book. There's lots of themes the author explores and the fact this is her debut novel is rather impressive. It's good people, I highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to Celadon Books for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Lindsay L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

College student, Alison Thomas, is found dead after disappearing while on vacation with her parents at a prestigious tropical resort. Two employees of the resort are taken in for questioning but released due to lack of evidence. This story follows the aftermath of Alison’s death showing multiple characters perspectives of the impact Alison’s death held on them.

The flow and narration of this novel is extremely unique. I was intrigued by how this story was unfolding for the majority of the book, but closer to the end it became overdone and drawn out. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into multiple characters lives and views, however, I did find a lot of the detail to those side stories unnecessary and repetitive. The narrative became too wordy and overly descriptive which took away from my enjoyment. I did enjoy the feel of suspense throughout that kept me curious until the end.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and found it to be a unique reading experience, just not as gripping or impactful as I had hoped.

Thank you to Celadon Books for my review copy!

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me of The Pledge by Friedrich Dürrenmatt: it is razor sharp and forces you to walk a tightrope over justice and obsession. Claire is a seven year old girl when her older sister (Alison) disappears on a family vacation taken on the Caribbean island of Saint X. She is found dead a short time later - two resort employees are initially arrested, only to be released due to lack of evidence. Years pass - then Claire has a chance encounter with one of the men who was initially arrested: looking into the abyss it looks back at her - and soon all the questions become pieces of a puzzle that was never 'cut' into the right pieces. Alexis Shaitkin's debut novel is scary good - she is on my 'reading radar' from now on!

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claire is seven years old when her older sister, Alison goes missing on the last evening of the Caribbean vacation on the island of Saint X. Days later, Alison's body is found but with no concrete evidence, the local authorities could not hold anyone (two employees of the resort whom she was last seen with) accountable for her death and the mystery of her death will remain unsolved.

Many years later, Claire, who now goes by her middle name, is living in NYC and has a chance encounter with Clive Richardson, one of the men her sister was last seen with and was initially suspected of killing her. This begins her obsessive search for answers. What really happened that tragic night? Who (if anyone) is responsible for Alison's death? Will Claire ever get closure?

For me, the premise was extremely intriguing. I had high hopes for this book and although it does provide food for thought, I found this book to be overly descriptive and wordy at times. SLOW BURN says it all. Not all the characters are likable, but they are interesting. I enjoyed how Claire came to learn that she didn't know her sister as well as she thought she did. This was an interesting part. She knew her sister thorough her innocent 7-year-old eyes but learns more about her much later, through her sisters’ journals. Another interesting part of the book, for me, was the small sections about how Alison's death affected others - those who knew her and those who only saw her at the resort.

I have found that I enjoy the book more upon reflection on it than I did while reading it. Again, too slow and wordy for me. I found myself struggling with this in the beginning and even though I found my footing with it, I found myself reaching for other books and putting this one down.

Enjoyable but had me wanting more.

I received a copy of this book from Celadon Books in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welp, I really was not a fan of this one. I was intrigued for the first third or so, but after that point it reeeeaaally started to drag and I full on hated the ending. 'Twas just not for me, unfortunately.

[Sumit RK · Rating 3 out of 5]

"She was what all the dead are: whatever the living make them."

Saint X is a fascinating character study that explores relationships, personal loss, grief, and racial divide through the experiences of diverse characters affected by the same tragedy.

Claire is only seven years old when her college-age sister, Alison, disappears on the last night of their family vacation at a resort on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Several days later, Alison’s body is found in a remote spot on a nearby cay, and two local men – employees at the resort - are arrested. But the evidence is slim, the timeline against it, and the men are soon released. Years later, Claire is living and working in New York City when a brief but fateful encounter brings her together with a person associated with the painful memories of the past. It is a moment that sets Claire on an obsessive pursuit of the truth - not only to find out what happened the night of Alison’s death but also to answer the elusive question: Who exactly was her sister?

Saint X is a thought-provoking story, beautifully written, examining the after-effects of a personal tragedy and how it deeply affects people even remotely connected to it. It's an excellent discovery of how we shape the memories of our tragedy the way it affects us and how it turn shapes our worldview. Not exactly a mystery, Saint X is narrated through a few different characters with each completing different parts of the puzzle. The characters were really well-developed and the story is mostly about how all characters were affected by this tragedy. Even if you don’t find the characters likable, you will find the characters and their revelations about the tragedy emotional and interesting.

For me, the story started well but it got bogged down with too many details. The pace was very slow at times. The story kept drifting from the main plot to other characters and a lot of the detail to those side stories were repetitive and felt unnecessary. The narrative became too longwinded and overly descriptive which was a bit exhausting. I did feel like the ending left the mystery a bit unresolved, and there wasn't a clear answer to what really happened.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and found it to be a unique reading experience, atmospheric and rich in detail. The characters are all interesting even if not lovable. The pace is slow but the writing is excellent; engaging and mesmerizing. Saint X is a memorable story that will make you think and the one that will stay with you for a long time. Three and a half stars

Many thanks to the publishers Macmillan and Edelweiss for the ARC.

[Holly B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

It all started on a fictional island called Saint X...

So much is going on in this story, I'm surprised it wasn't as long as it felt. Sometimes I enjoy detailed/descriptive writing, BUT at times this felt too slow with uneven pacing that had me getting frustrated. Maybe I was expecting a fast paced thriller/suspense? Not happening here.

A slow burn for sure, with a focus on obsession, lies and the psyche of the leading characters. At times it read like a movie and I was pulled into the events happening, but  some chapters were repetitive and I became very distracted with too much information being given and that took away from the overall pace (for me) - yes, TMI

I thought the end worked well and I couldn't stop reading the last chapters. No interruptions please! I had to know the conclusion to the murder mystery. It wasn't the ending I predicted.

A mixed bag for me! Complex, with many layers. There is much to discuss and I wish I would have done a buddy read.

If you enjoy exploring the psyche of characters with a focus on grief/drama, this one may work well for you.

 

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. This one is out in February 2020.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allison-"I'm going on a treasure hunt and I'm bringing a pearl".
Claire-"I'm going on a treasure hunt and I'm bringing a pearl and a pizza".

Yearly, the Thomas family visit a different Caribbean island for a week long stay, in order to recharge. They take a break from winter in New York. The Indigo Bay Resort on the island of Saint X is this year's choice. Mr. Thomas arguably "...wears his affluence tastefully...describes their life as a 'fortunate life'." Eighteen year old Allison is freckled and has russet hair. She is lithe, athletic, and is seemingly self assured. Her "moodiness carries a whiff of moral judgement...newer still is this sighing dismissiveness ." Eleven years her junior, Claire has placed Allison on a pedestal. Allison plays volleyball, Claire watches. She takes a walk,"...silently Claire follows her...she does not know how to 'buddy up' for a week". Claire has a compulsion. "...I would hear a word, and it would feel absolutely necessary to write it in the air...".

Two resort workers, in particular, serve the family poolside food and drinks. Edwin is a skinny chatterbox while Clive, aka Gogo, is heavyset and clutzy. They are good friends. Allison flirts with Edwin, Gogo as well as a blond haired college boy. Nightly, she sneaks out of the room she shares with Claire. Tomorrow, the family will head back to New York. Allison wants her last night to be memorable.

Word spreads through Indigo Bay, "Did you hear? The pretty girl with the auburn hair is missing?" According to Claire, "I thought...that [Allison] was playing an elaborate game with us...it was not Allison's disappearance but my parents' terror that terrified me." The island police, creating a timeline of Allison's disappearance, focus on Edwin and Gogo, the last ones seen with her. Evidence is insufficient. Within a few days, Allison's body is found in the cay. Her mysterious death might go unsolved.

Life needed to go on. "The victims of tragedies almost always depart, sooner or later. Everybody in our small suburbs knew what had happened to us." We made people "uncomfortable" wherever we went. The Thomas family moved to Pasadena, California. Claire decided, from that day on, she would go by her middle name, Emily. "If Allison had not died 'there was another life I might have been living, in which I was not Emily of Pasadena, but Claire." Would Claire ever be able to "channel" Allison, a sister she was "barely old enough to know?"

In "Saint X", debut author Alexis Schaitkin creates a Caribbean island to be visited by affluent vacationers. "How can people be willing to live in a place...[with] the perpetual potential for destruction...[by hurricane]?" A case of the haves vs. the have-nots! "The people...[are] simply very friendly. It is their culture, the warm and open way of people on a small island." Author Schaitkin's writing style masterfully evokes the "feel" of an island resort.

Is Allison knowable? Different voices and different perspectives, especially Claire's, show us a college student outwardly groomed for success, but perhaps inwardly, not so much. Although the novel is a little bogged down in descriptive passages, it was an excellent read. I look forward to reading future works by Alexis Schaitkin.

Thank you Celadon Books for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
"By late morning, a mother and fathers faith that their child will turn up any moment has given way to terror."
While on vacation on Saint X, the body of young Alison is found dead. Several years later, her younger sister Claire is determined to find out what really happened to her sister Alison.

The first 36 pages are truly hard to get through because of the descriptions. These pages focus on what the island was like during the family's vacation on Saint X, and it was a tedious 36 pages that felt like 360 pages. But, if you can get through that...it gets better and the story takes off, though it does still contain countless descriptions and stories within stories throughout the novel. I started to get into the night Alison was killed, and continued reading. I was invested regardless of the wordy paragraphs and side-stories. I had to know what happened to Alison, how all the stories being revealed were connected, and find out the truth.

"She was what all the dead are: whatever the living make them."

The characters are what boosted this rating above a 3 star for me. If you decide to read this, I encourage you not to skim...though you might be tempted because of the extraneous elements. The insights and voices of the characters are worthwhile and perceptive. Most of the characters were not likable, yet their observations were penetrating, intuitive, and emotionally charged.

"Are the things out the van window poverty, or just people living their lives?"

Thank you to Celadon books for an advanced read copy. Opinions are my own.

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

A missing teenage girl’s body found washed ashore the beach on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Was it an accident, murder or death by suicide?

For the family who went to Saint X on vacation, no answers are found and no peace is given. Eighteen year old Alison will never take another breath.

Claire was seven years old when her sister Alison washed ashore on Saint X. Now, Eighteen herself, going by the name Emily, living in New York City, there is never a day that goes by that Emily doesn’t think of her sister and what happened. Of the boys that Alison went off with during her vacation night after night and of who might have been responsible.

Then Emily gets into a cab and has a flash of recognition. A plan falls into place and nothing else matters.

Told both in flashbacks to Alison and Claire’s vacation in Saint X and in the present day, with Emily’s life in New York City, “Saint X” is a character study, a true crime novel and a thriller all rolled into one.

“Saint X” is extremely descriptive and at times the pacing is quite slow. While some of the descriptions of the sand, the water, the falls, etc., swept me away, some are a bit too lengthy for me. That said, my favorite parts of “Saint X” are those in which Claire/Emily interacts with others or where we get to know Alison, specifically: 1) the flashbacks in where Alison and Claire spent time together and we could see how much they loved each other; 2) Alison’s diary entries (which Emily read in present day); and 3) Emily’s encounters in NYC with someone from the past (no spoilers!) (which is a huge part of this novel). Though the novel has strengths and weaknesses, the character development is by far its greatest strength. Knowing that this is only Alexis Schaitkin’s debut novel, I look forward to seeing what she comes out with next.

This was a buddy read with Kaceey - one that gave us both much to talk about.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the arc to read and review.

Published on Goodreads on 1.25.20.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This is going to be a very controversial book in that it will generate a lot of disparate feelings and lots of discussion. It's not your old school crime thriller/whodunnit by any means. (I wish I could have been warned prior to reading about the pace of solving the crime. It's certainly not the books fault, but the very fast moving beginning put me in the wrong headspace for what I was to expect from the rest of the book so it took work to pull me out.) It is a true, 21st century millennial work that is genre bending, unique in it's voice, it's structure and pacing. There are no likeable characters, and there is a lot of walking and watching. (I mean a lot of walking and watching.) However, overall, the parts that work THEY WORK. Let's discuss:

Let's start with the good:
- The first 70 pages and the last 60 pages are the brilliant bookends that make this book a 4 star read.
- The writing is whip smart and thought provoking - class, socioeconomic status, race...it's all there. My book friend Michelle wrote that 'this is book club gold' and she is completely right.
- The way Alison's death reverberates with every person she touched and those who witnessed her last days is genius in how it was depicted.

The challenges:
- I started skimming bits of the NYC sections. For a 340 page book, it got a little too descriptive for me and made it feel tedious at times.
- If character likeability is your thing, you might struggle.
- An ambigious ending, which can work for some and not for others.

While you might be confused and think, "This is the worst endorsement of a book ever, Michelle", I promise that this is something that I'm really glad I read. I think it really helped me mature as a reader. The author's acknowledgments gave insight into what the inspiration was for writing this and I think that really brought it home for me. I CANNOT WAIT to see what Alexis Schaitkin comes up with next. I will be writing to Celadon begging for an advanced copy because I'm so impressed by this being a debut.

I am extremely grateful and so appreciative to Celadon Books and Alexis Schaitkin for sending me a copy of Saint X to read and provide an honest review. Celadon Books has easily become one of my favorite publishers this year. I have loved everything I have read by them and appreciated their deliberate choices in what they publish.

Review Date: 11/14/19
Publication Date: 02/18/20

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

“When you gain the truth, what do you lose?”

Sunshine Sandcastles Sisters

GONE

GRIEF

This book was described as GRIPPING, but despite some beautiful, lyrical writing at times, it got bogged down by details in other places, leaving me to feel like I had read a book that was much longer than it actually was...(only 320 pages)

Alison, vanishes on the last night of a family vacation, from the fictional Caribbean Island of Saint X. Though, sweet with her little sister, Claire, we learn that Alison is no Saint, when she sneaks out at night.

Reminiscent of the Natalee Holloway case, but not a story about the investigation into Alison’s death.

It’s the story about how Claire (now going by her middle name, Emily) gets into a taxi cab in New York City, years later and recognizes the name of the driver as being the same name of one of the suspects in her sister’s case-Clive Richardson.

Could it possibly be the same man?

Emily becomes obsessed with finding out the truth.

The chapters are LONG which slows down the pace, and we as readers are privy to learning about how many of the lives of the other visitors to the Island during that time, were affected by this tragedy, at the end of each chapter, by hearing from them personally, though their observations are not common knowledge to any of the other characters.

But, mostly it is a character study of both Claire (Emily) and Clive, and how Alison’s last night alive, COMPLETELY alters their lives moving forward.

I LOVED the premise.

I APPRECIATED the story, especially after sleeping on it so I could process my thoughts.

But, I cannot actually say that I ENJOYED the book...it was easy to set down.

Perhaps, it is best to read it that way, in small doses.....you may enjoy it more if you aren’t trying to read it in a sitting or two..

Thank you to Edelweiss, Alexis Schaitkin, and the wonderful Celadon books, for the digital ARC I was granted in exchange for a candid review!

This book will be released on Feb. 18, 2020.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin

This is an incredible debut novel by Alexis Schaitkin, a master storyteller. Schaitkin weaved successfully the multiple point of views in telling this story, a deeply harrowing story of how people’s lives were affected by a mysterious death of a young woman vacationing with her family in the Caribbean Island of Saint X.

The story centers around Claire who was only seven at the time when her sister Alison disappeared and days later was found dead. Two men were questioned but soon released for lack of evidence. Alison’s death affected the family so much that they had to move and start new to Pasadena, California.

Many years later, Claire finds a job in New York and as fate would have it, takes a cab driven by Clive Richardson, one of the men originally suspected of murdering her sister.
Claire obsessed with finding the truth about her sisters’ death and in the pursuit starts to learn the truth about her who her sister really was and how Alison’s death affected much more than just their family.

Schaitkin’s brilliance was her writing style that I loved on how the prose and descriptions brings you into the story and to the characters’ most intimate thoughts. The detail made for a wonderful audio experience as well. The psychological perspective of those that have gone through a tragic death was spot on. The difficulties of how life just seems to stands still, the difficulty of moving on and finding that closure were all addressed so beautifully in this story.

The ending for me was emotionally charged and powerful. One of my most favorite conclusions that I have read. I highly recommend this book for the thought provoking issues that were addressed such as race, wealth, and privilege to name a few.

This was a well written book that I highly enjoyed very much and one that I would recommend to read!

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 They are vacationing at a beautiful tropical resort, they choose a different one every year. This year it is Saint X on Indigo bay. Days filled with sun, water, beach time and local employees who will provide anything wanted. Allison is a beautiful college girl, her sister Clare is much younger, but she adores her older sister. Unfortunately, many other eyes are on her sister as well, including two employee, Edmund and Clive. On the morning they are expected to leave, Allison is missing. Later, her body is found but local authorities, clear the two employees who the parents are convinced killed her.
But did they?

Years later, a now grown Clare sees Clive in New York and this is where the story continues. It is quite a drawn out story and I wonder if I would have liked it as much if I had read it instead of listening in audio. There is a full cast if narrators, and thought they all did a fantastic job. Although this is a book with a sister searching for answers about her sisters death, it is not quite a mystery. Or not all of one, since it also shows the effect her sister and her death had on others. There are differing viewpoints on who Allison actually was as a person. Some are just short narratives by people who had known her, but some paint a significantly different picture, from others. Also presents the disparity of the have and have nots,nand what this means on how someone is viewed, treated.

A good look at what an unexpected tragedy can do and how it can change lives.

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some books are just meant to be discussed and Saint X is one of them. It is a book club gem with so much to talk about. Celadon Books gifted the Traveling Sisters copies of this book club gem to read and discuss in our group. Overall we struggled with the wordiness of the book that distracted us from the story, however, by reading it in a group, each of us picked up on different things and brought them to the discussion.

Saint X is a detailed character study with a mystery layered in. It's a slow burn and takes some patience here with just how wordy it is. The story is told through a few different characters with each bringing some details to the mystery. There is a bit of dancing around there and I struggled with keeping my reading groove going. For this busy reader, it slowed down the story for me and I lost some patience. I wasn't sure what to pay attention to or not, however, the thing is every detail adds to the study of the character here. This is where our discussion became valuable as I picked up on some different things that I missed in the "dancing details."

The real strength of the story here for me is the two settings used in the story. The luxury resort adds complex and complicated dynamics here with the characters as themes of class, race and obsession are explored. I loved how that added tension to the serene atmosphere of the island. Now I have to admit I am getting a little tired with the whole "privilege” storylines out there that are starting to feel a bit stereotyped to me. Well here is this story Alexis Schaitkin takes a look through the setting of the beautiful and serene luxury resort, and we see "different people" brought together who are not so different but who are people living their lives. They are bonded together by a tragedy that takes place on the island and then they go back to living their daily lives as they deal with the tragedy in different ways.

The ending didn't come together as well as I hoped it would with one of the reveals that felt it was used for shock value, however that was not how all the Traveling Sisters felt. For them, they didn't see it as shock value. I suggest giving this a try and see where you fall with the ending. I especially recommend for Group reads.

For Norma, Lindsay and my review you can find them on our blog

https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an intriguing premise--think Natalee Holloway--and the writing is quite good. It didn't hurt that I read it while on a Caribbean vacation, so the setting really added to my experience.
The Good:
You do find out what happens to Alison fairly quickly (unlike poor Natalee whose body was never found). I was so happy about that, because I was dreading an unresolved case.

The not-so-good:

The entire case was not really resolved to my liking. Yes, you get a sense of what happened to her, but I wanted to know for SURE. I know, that's not really the point of this novel, but I wanted more from that aspect. This is a mystery, but not really a mystery, and I was longing for a different type of resolution.

The writing is lyrical and tells the story of two sisters, their stories winding around each other and folding back again through tape recorded journal entries that allow Claire to get to know the real Alison when Claire is an adult herself with adult perspective. The story of the sisters and their coming-of-age, as well as their choices in life and where it led each of them was what made this book better than it could have been. Schaitkin is a talented writer and I look forward to seeing more from her in the future.


I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thomas family from New York are very privileged and comfortably off. When daughter Alison is 18 and Claire(y) is 7 they go for a holiday to the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint X. Alison is attractive, clever, flirty and like so many of her age group, a boundary pusher. On the very last night of their holiday Alison goes missing and several days later is found dead. Although two local men - Edwin Hastie and Clive Richardson are arrested and they admit to being with her on her last night, they are released through lack of evidence. The family are understandably haunted by Alison’s loss and Claire, who changes her name to Emily, becomes obsessed with trying to find the truth about what’s happens to Alison. This takes over her life when she moves to New York to start her working life. The story is principally told from the perspectives of Claire/Emily and Clive who is also haunted by the past.

The book is about the impact of loss on a family and others who are affected by it. We witness the different stages of the Thomas family’s grief, the changing relationships within the family and how it affects them. However, it goes deeper than that as it is also about race and racism, class differences between those who live on Saint X and those who vacation there and the stark comparison of their privilege. The racism may not be intentional but it is none the less present and this is thought provoking and uncomfortable.

The parts of the book that I like the best are those on Saint X. The island and it’s people are beautifully described in language as languid as the visitors become. The sections which describe the family’s grief are very moving especially the impact on Claire as she feels like she lives in Alison’s shadow. As she grows older though I feel less connection because she stops living her life and lives vicariously though her obsession with finding her sisters truth. As we learn more about Alison I find I like her less and less. This is a real slow burner and at times I find the pace to be too slow and I’m unsure of the point of so much depth with Clive’s back story. That being said, it is an intriguing and worth while read.

Overall, a powerful, well written and thought provoking read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the ARC

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Looking back, I can see that my pursuit of Clive Richardson was beginning to be about something more than gathering clues, that I was falling under the grip of something I could not control. But I did not allow myself to see this then. Maybe if I had, it all could have ended differently.”

Alison was 18 when she went missing while on vacation on the Caribbean island Saint X with her parents and her 7 year old sister Claire. A few days later her body was discovered. She was last seen with two employees of the resort, Edwin Hastie and Clive Richardson. They were taken into custody but were released and the authorities believed that Alison’s death was a drunken accident. Claire was haunted by the death of her sister and always wanted to know how she died. Years later, Clive and Claire both wind up living in New York and their meeting goes in an unexpected direction.

Over time, the memory of Alison was “buffed like a piece of sea glass, her edges and points worn away over time and yielding to a pleasing smoothness.“ However, Alison’s life was not smooth, there were a lot of rough edges to it and these were revealed by the accounts of many people who knew her and/or were impacted by her death, including a police officer, other tourists, Clive, an actress who played Alison in a TV drama, classmates, teachers, one of the people who found the body, the mother of Clive’s son. We also get to hear from Alison’s diary.

This book was not what I was expecting and I was surprised in a good way. It isn’t a linear murder mystery and it isn’t another “girl in jeopardy” story. The digressions into the lives of Clive, Edwin and other residents of Saint X were the most appealing parts of the book to me. There was a complex relationship between the tourists (mostly rich and white) who often left their inhibitions home and the island residents (mostly brown and poor) who both envied and disdained the tourists. The tourists treat Saint X like it is West World rather than a place with real people living in it. I enjoyed this book and found the characters believable and the ending satisfying. 4.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Frank Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded down. I finished this well over an hour ago and I'm still mulling this one over. The first half of this book kind of read like when that annoying friend of yours is trying to tell you a story but keeps getting distracted and never gets to the point and the main plot lines, and instead, goes off in random tangents, giving bits of information you don't necessarily need. I felt like it read a bit long and I just wanted to get to the mystery elements of the story which were intriguing, so I was a bit irritated initially. The second half of the book read much faster, and I discovered I started to care about the characters and their lives. There was an overwhelming sense of loneliness and crippling sadness that I got from our main character Claire, it make me feel incredibly bad for her, despite her stalker-like actions and feelings towards Clive. I did feel like the ending left the mystery a bit unresolved, and there wasn't a concise clear answer to what happened to Emily, the whodunnit in other words was never revealed. Why Schaitkin decided to do this we may never know, maybe to leave us readers guessing and wanting more. It's definitely got me talking about it, which may have been her motivation. Overall this book was very atmospheric and rich in detail. I felt the warm sand between my toes, the tropical and coconut scent of suntan lotion and adult beverages, I felt the laid-back islander mentality...needless to say, I was in Saint X from the initial page on. The writing had a poetic cadence to it, which some may like, and others may not like at all. I grew to enjoy it. I went in having expectations that this would be a mystery/suspense but this was definitely along the lines of literary fiction, genre-defying as there were so many different elements to it, it had incredible depth. I'm definitely going to continue reading this author!!