Thoughts on : The Broken Girls by Simon St. James

Posted by Kay on October 29, 2020 12:38 pm in 3.5 stars reads | 4 comments

The Broken Girls by Simon St. James
Genre : Thriller
Stand alone

About the Book  :

Vermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants–the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears. . .

Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced. . .

There was much hype about The Broken Girls when it came out, so as always, I was a little nervous to jump in. Would it be as dark and mysterious as promised? Would it deliver the ghostly atmosphere I was hoping for?

I can say that mostly, yes, the book did fulfill my expectations, but it lacked that little je ne sais quoi to make it truly stand out.

First, I absolutely enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere. I love when a book plays with me, suggesting the idea of ghosts without really confirming it. I was never 100% sure what was going on and it made for a fantastic reading experience.

One of the most surprising aspect of the book, for me, was how much I liked Fiona. Something about her made me immediately care for her, and whenever the book jumped back in time to 1950, I wondered about her and missed her. I cared for her relationship with Jamie, too, and much more that I would have expected, since oftentimes I find that romances in mystery novels don’t bring much to the story. But their relationship rang true to me, and I found myself thinking I wouldn’t mind seeing both of them again in another novel.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fond of the chapters taking place in 1950 – which is basically half the book. I felt these chapters didn’t bring as much to the story as the ones taking place in 2014, and because they alternate between all four girls, I never really grew attached to them. I liked what their story was and where it lead, though.

All in all, The Broken Girls was a fun read. It didn’t meet all of my expectations, but it did more than enough for me to want to read more from Simon St. James. I have The Sun Down Motel on my shelves and I’m looking forward to it!