The Stillwater Girls

As an English teacher, I cringed. The writing and dialogue lacked any kind of depth and even flashbacks were sterile, forcing stereotypical characters that were prematurely diving headlong into the climax…or what should be a climax. In some chapters (especially towards the end) Ive read better writing from my 6th grade students. What a disappointment. The plot seemed so interesting at first, but it quickly fell flat. By the end with the unbelievable plot twist, I just wanted it over with. A good writer pulls you in and makes you feel for its protagonists no matter how flawed they are or how the storyline ends. These characters never quite pulled at anything.

I was REALLY enjoying this book until the plot twist. Unreliable first person narration is infuriating. And no, it is not something that could be forgotten.

This <b>4 Star</b> book crossed several genres; it could qualify as a psychological thriller, suspense, family drama and/or a love story. At just short of 250 pages, was a quick read. In fact, I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading it in just one day.

<b>SUMMARY</b>
This story is told by two narrators, living vastly different lives.

Narrator one, <b>Wren</b>, lives way off the grid in Upstate New York with her mother and sisters, Evie and Sage. They live such an isolated life that the girls have never even met anyone outside their little family, nor have they ever seen a tv or indoor bathroom. Their little world is so similar to pioneer life in the 1800’s, for the first couple chapters, I wasn’t sure in which century it was set.

Life in their homestead was pretty uneventful until the youngest sister, Evie, became very ill. Wren’s mother had no choice but to leave the safety of the little cabin and take Evie to seek medical attention. Assuring them she would return as soon as possible, Wren and Sage’s mother left them behind to tend to the homestead with instructions not to open the door for anyone. They just had to stay and wait for their mother and little sister to return…

Narrator two, <b>Nicolette</b>, is a woman in her mid-30’s who is married to a photographer, Brant. Brant is quickly becoming the new ‘it” photography in the art world. Nicolette is the only child of very wealthy parents and has a trust fund large enough to allow Brant to pursue his photography without having to be a ‘starving artist. ”

Although Nicolette’s life seems to be ideal, it’s not. She is dealing with a couple very difficult issues; she is unable to have a baby and she’s pretty sure Brant is having an affair. All of this left her feeling very raw and unsure of her life as the book opens.

The two story lines do not converge until about 40% of the way through the book. I spent a lot of time speculating, trying to figure out how the stories would merge. The two narrators didn’t seem likely to cross paths.

<b>WHAT I LOVED</b>
This is an extremely absorbing story. I felt very drawn to most of the characters. Although Nicolette is most definitely over-priveledged, she is not a self absorbed brat. She very deeply cares for others and really doesn’t make much of her money. It would be hard not to like the sisters and pull for them. They are so sheltered that it would almost be like allowing five year olds out into the world. I really like books where I bond quickly with the characters.

The element of suspense was well played! There were several questions and uncertainties but author, Minka Kent, was in no hurry to reveal the answers. I spent a lot of time speculating, but was pretty off track. I love it when an author surprises me.

<b>WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE</b>
There are a couple coincidences that are kind of hard to believe. I had to choose to go with it and not question the plot too much. This was not meant to be a very <i>thinky</i> book or the next <i>Great American Novel.</i> It was just a fun to read book that kept me very interested and actually made me think about it the next day.

A mother and her three daughters live totally off the grid in the Stillwater forest. A place no one wants to go. The girls, Wren, Sage and Evie know nothing beyond their own one room cabin and the mysterious supply man who their mother meets in the forest. The world is dark and dangerous they are told.

When Evie gets sick her mother leaves with to get help. They never return. Months go by and Wren is sure they will die and then a mysterious man shows up asking questions and the girls take a chance and escape into the forest. What they will find on the other side will rock their lives.

The story is told from multiple view points and I was hooked from the first chapter! The author has a very engaging style and I was reading as fast as I could to see what happened. And at the end is when it all fell apart for me. It was so disappointing. I can suspend belief on a lot of things but this was just so real and raw and gritty up until the end that when the end came I couldnt make it sync with the rest of the book.

Solid 3 stars on this one.

NetGalley/April 9th 2019 by Thomas & Mercer

Holy Moly…I never saw it coming! This story was so unexpected. I got sucked in from the start and was definitely invested.

Wren and Sage have been raised off the grid. Two sisters left behind in their cabin, when their mother took off with their youngest sister one night to get her medical treatment. They never came back.

Forced to survive on their own, until they feel threatened by a man who came looking for their family and they flee the only life they have ever known. Luckily they land on the doorstep of Nicolette, a woman who was kind and wanted to help them.

This story was a tangled web. Told from alternating points of view, the story was suspenseful and kept me interested. I was invested in these characters and had to keep reading until I found out their fates. I definitely enjoyed this twisted tale and will seek out more from this author in the future.

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