This is an e-book that I received from Netgalley, and as always I want to thank them and the publisher, in this case Hodder & Stoughton. This in no way influences my review/opinion of the novel.

The Roanoke Girls is a difficult novel to review. I did love it, but I feel obliged to mention that the novel might be triggering for a lot of people. I want to keep my review spoiler-free, as always, however I suggest this review if you want more spoiler-y information about the potential triggers.

So a while ago I got an e-mail in my inbox about the Roanoke Girls and I immediately knew I had to read it. The Roanoke Girls are the girls that seem to have it all: they are beautiful, intelligent and live in the gorgeous Roanoke house. Except, something is off about them. All the girls seem to mysteriously disappear or die at a young age. The only ones left living with the matriarch and patriarch of Roanoke are two granddaughters: Lane and Allegra. Allegra grew up in the mansion with her grandparents, while Lane moves there at fourteen after her mother commits suicide. While there, Lane starts to slowly unravel why all the Roanoke Girls disappear and she runs too - until a decade later when Allegra disappears and she has to help find her.

The Roanoke Girls is as thrilling as everyone says it is. While it is not scary in a typical way, it messes with your mind and with what you think is going on in the Roanoke family. A lot of controversy has been mentioned about this novel and the dark twists and turns in it. I can agree that at times it feels like Amy Engel is throwing certain things in because it sells nowadays. However, overall this novel really worked me. I like to be heart broken by a novel. I like them to be dark and depressing. If you don't like these things, I'd steer you far away from The Roanoke Girls.

Amy Engel's writing was great in this novel - simple, yet extremely effective. We alternate between Lane's first visit to Roanoke and her coming back years later to help find Allegra. Both these stories slowly intertwine so that we get a clearer picture of what the Roanoke secret is and what might have happened to Allegra. I do wish we knew more about Lane and Allegra's mothers, as well as their sisters. While the mystery of their deaths/disappearances was quite prominent, their personalities and stories seemed to fade into the background. I think another hundred pages would have made this novel perfect for me, but I'd still highly recommend this for any thrill seeker this summer.

Tennager Lane becomes orphaned when her mother commits suicide in their apartment in New York. Her relationship with her mum had not been a happy one. Social workers traced her grandparents, Yates and Lillian Roanoke to a somewhat grand house in Kansa, a world away from New York. She knew of the Roanoke house from her mother who had been reluctant to talk about it. At the end of the long journey to Kansas she was surprised by the rambling large house that was Roanoke. She got a warm welcome from her grandfather Yates and one a little cooler from her grandmother. Another surprise was a cousin Allegra, close to her in age, who was keen to show her the ropes about living in Roanoke. Portraits of the 'Roanoke girls' including Lane's mother, hung on the walls. It seemed that most who went before them either died or disappeared at a young age. In the end Lane doesn't remain for much more than a year there, as everything is not quite as it seems. The story continues some years later when Lane returns, reluctantly, after the disappearance of Allegra. It is quite a read, not always easy, but compelling.

All the Roanoke girls die young or run away, except for Lane, who ran away but then returned to find her cousin. Instead she finds a web of intrigue, secrets and lies.
Gradually these are revealed, along with the flaws of the family and others in the small town.
I enjoyed reading this well written book. Highly recommended.

An extraordinarily dark and disturbing read. This book was terrifyingly addictive, I felt compelled to keep reading even though I was horrified by what I was reading! Roanoke will stay with me for quite a while I suspect

I'd heard a lot about this book and was desperate to read it. It certainly didn't disappoint. The subject matter can be a little tough at times but the author handles it with empathy and dignity. A lot is subtly inferred at first and revealed as the plot builds. If Hollywood can handle the subject matter this will make a great film, with strong characters and an authentic sense of location. It's probably the best book I've read this year.

To be completely honest, I only requested the book because the word Roanoke intrigued me, but I'm glad I have read this one. This book is about one dysfunctional family, and that's something I don't think I've read about before. I thought the author did a fantastic job in creating a mysterious and disturbing environment which was compelling enough for me to want to continue. I look forward to seeing more from this author.

There are many positive features of this book: the evocatively-craftted setting where you can feel the sweltering Kansas heat and sense the rural isolation; some well-drawn characters, and an intriguing (if harrowing) family history.

However, for me, the novel fails on one screamingly jarring obstacle to credibility. The main character has never known her extended family even exists, much less met them, and she goes there for one summer aged 16, leaves and doesnt see them or stay in touch for a decade. After this, she is drawn back and apparently wholly engaged and traumatised by what has happened to one member of that family. After knowing her for what? Six weeks? Two months? Out of 26 years? I just couldn't get past the unlikeliness of that! At MOST, Allegra was a friend she knew for several weeks, and she was pretty hostile for some of that time. I just don't buy that the financially-insecure Lane would uproot her entire life and move accross the country to do pretty much nothing but wait for news of a childhood acquaintance, no matter the genetic markers. I wouldn't do that for anyone I hadn't loved for years and Lane doesnt even reply to occasional emails from Allegra. So while there was passion and tragedy aplenty in this book, I just kept thinking 'Nope. Wouldnt happen'. And all the author had to do to avoid this was have Lane spend a year of her childhood there instead of a summer - I could believe that you'd invest in someone after living with them for longer than you'd share a summer camp dorm with.

Same goes for the central romance. It happened when the protagonists were 16, and the couple haven't kept in touch in the decade since their month of lust, but are portrayed as though a teen fling is as compelling and complex as an adult relationship between people who, you know, actually have a clue what each other's lives have entailed. Not to mention, if you want me to buy into the sexy, tousled bad boy - fine. But stop going on and on about how much he smells of cigarettes, grease and sweat, how his nails are dirty and his hair is lank. I honestly don't want to read sex scenes that veer between some unwashed hillbilly and someone's grandfather...

This is a very well-written, compelling story. The characters were all believable and interesting, and the setting of the house and small town was good. The themes were dark but the atmosphere was not nearly as shocking or menacing as the description leads you to believe. I think that is because the male character did not quite have the charisma and menace he was supposed to have, in fact, he came across as a bit pathetic and not worth the devotion he attracted. Lillian was almost more to blame in her compliance in letting it all happen. I liked the relationship between Cooper and Lane, and Tommy was also well-drawn, but Charlie and Sharon's roles could have been expanded on. I think it jumped to the present too quickly at the beginning - I would have liked more detail about Lane's first summer at Roanoake earlier. I was expecting a further twist - the fight near the end was a little cliched, and the aftermath and end-tying-up went on a little too long. I liked the concept of this book and it would have been 5 stars for me with a few tweaks.

A fascinating and very disturbing read. Yet another jigsaw-completing approach with two main timelines and occasional additional episodes giving part of the history of another of the girls in the Roanoke family.

The almost overwhelming and suffocating atmosphere of rural Kansas in high summer gives no sensation of wider American concerns as the characters revolve around one another like wasps trapped in a jar smeared with honey. Our heroine is one of the Roanoke girls herself, the only one to escape but then return. Perhaps the only one clear-sighted enough to be able to see the trap and want to smash that jar.

In this, the age of American Horror Story, Dexter and Game of Thrones entertainment channels are able to (and often do) talk about increasingly shocking ideas. For some reason many of us are a little dark too and are compelled to explore this kind of narrative – The Roanoke Girls is one of these new age taboo shakers and I was hooked on this heartbreaking tale from cover to cover.

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Firstly, a very big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Intrigue and Mystery run thick in this unique and complex novel, once I was in it I had to finish it.

It’s set in the Osage flats in Kansas but the perspective shifts (between ‘then’ ‘now’ and various chapters from the perspective of absent characters) to inform the reader and help explore the secrets of the Roanoke family. The timeframe adjustments move flawlessly and our story moves at a satisfying pace; I didn’t feel lost reading because it was so naturally paced and fluid. By playing with time Engel gives us the privilege of truly understanding characters we might otherwise get just a vague understanding of. I’d have loved a few more references to The Roanoke Colony but the carvings and the intrigue were fabulous by themselves.

In terms of content and themes It definitely made me think of Lolita; it’s provocative and twisted but still, somehow, utterly captivating. I don’t know how I’d describe it genre wise but it certainly plays with sexuality and morality in a way that isn’t forced or incredibly intense; it simply is. I feel like I’m a despicable human for loving this book but what the heck? I guess the crown fits.

Flawed characters feature heavily throughout and are the focal point of the book’s message; it invites you to question differing levels of morality whilst maintaining a compelling narrative. It’s about perspective on morality but also uses clever imagery and symbolism to create not only a great story, but a fascinating dialogue on so many aspects of life. The themes of suffering, and small time drama really create a story in which we question our own initial responses: actions that seem cruel at first may be an expression of a far worse internal struggle.

“To Sarah, Allegra is simply a bitch…not one single second of Allegra’s life was easy. I know the agony she lived with every day. And I understand how sometimes you have to pass the pain around in order to survive it.”

There’s power not only in the content but in the way it it written too. This book was enticing and addictive, dark and gritty, it was so much better than I could’ve anticipated. Engel’s writing is gorgeous and I thoroughly enjoyed her literary style; what she did in 288 pages was more than some can achieve in 1000. I’d very much recommend reading it.

I'd heard so much hype around this novel that I just had to read it for myself!

The story is centred around a family estate where an older couple live. The family is surrounded by mystery as all of the daughters of the couple have either died or left forever. The only other inhabitants of the house are the couple's granddaughter, Allegra, and a few long-serving staff members. One summer, another granddaughter, the novel's main narrator, arrives after the suicide of her mother and the family secrets start to be revealed. The narrative moves between the summer that the girl arrives, (when she is 15) and the present (10 years or so later) when she returns to the house because Allegra has gone missing; in the years in between she too became one of the Roanoake girls who ran away.

Although the search for Allegra is the main driver of the novel, the narrative is interspersed with the voices of the missing and dead Roanoake girls, something that is cleverly done and works well in revealing the extent of the secrets that the family have covered up for so long. The other characters in the small town are also well drawn and I found that I did get caught up in their hopes and disappointments, although there are few likeable characters in the novel; this isn't a failing of the writing, but it's quite tough reading about all these flawed and twisted people.

The novel is presented as a thriller, although I am not sure the suspense is sustained consistently enough for this. Although some of it is sinister, and the whole premise creepy, I just didn't feel the menace at times. Indeed, the main family secret is revealed very early on in the book (and isn't a huge surprise - the clues are all there and I did guess even before it was said explicitly) so the only real tension is around what happened to Allegra, but this often took a back seat among the other narrative strands. That said, I did read this book so quickly because I wanted to know what happened, so it is engaging without being an on-the-edge-of your-seat thriller.

I'd recommend this book, not least so you can find out what the hype is about. It is clever and well written, although be prepared for an uncomfortable read at times.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The mystery was more than enough to keep me turning the pages, however, also loved the flashbacks to the summer Lane spent with Allegra and her grandparents

I'm quite conflicted about this book. The central situation is rather a challenging one. The characters are well developed, with believably limited life chances, in terms of drop out from education and so on. Their physical risk taking, difficulty with mature relationships and emotional need are well realised. The sense of place, with oppressive heat foreshadowing the centrally oppressive relationship, is well handled. The missing girl and the mystery around her keeps the pages turning.

However, for me, there is something slightly off, something not quite right about the whole novel, which I just can't put my finger on. In general I'm starting to have concerns about books with central characters who are vulnerable young women who are, essentially, predated upon in one way or another. I can't decided if this reflects or prompts similar situations in the lived experience of actual vulnerable young women. Why do we find this so alluring and fascinating? Should we allow this to fascinate us? Read the novel and reflect.

"The first time I saw Roanoke was in a dream." From that first line onward, there are definite shades of Daphne du Maurier here.

The Roanoke Girls came garlanded with praise. Compelling... addictive... disturbing... challenging. And dark. Always the dark.

Lane is not quite sixteen when her mother - a deeply damaged woman incapable of normal mothering - takes her own life, leaving only a baffling note: "I tried to wait. I'm sorry." Luckily for Lane (or so she's told), her hitherto unknown grandparents Yates and Lillian Roanoke, who are already raising her similarly-aged cousin Allegra, are keen to offer her a home, and Lane is duly dispatched from New York to the old family home in a remote part of Kansas. After one hot summer, she's gone - returning ten years later for the only reason which could draw her back - Allegra has disappeared.

This family is full of damaged girls and Lane is no exception, angry and prone to verbally lashing out at those who care for her. As Allegra tells her on her first day, "Roanoke girls never last long around here... In the end, we either run or we die." And the litany of lost girls... Jane, Sophia, Penelope, Eleanor, Camilla, Emmeline.... proves the truth of her words.

There aren't a lot of surprises here - the dark, never-spoken secret at the heart of the Roanoke family is revealed early on, and the rest of the book mainly expands on that. There is an element of mystery around Allegra's disappearance, but this is low key and the resolution is no real shock. Nonetheless the novel is compelling, atmospheric and haunting - and yes, it's dark - and will, I suspect, remain in the minds of most readers for a long while as a horrifying portrayal of some deeply twisted relationships and the harm caused as a result.

Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

A simmering and mysterious book which intrigues the reader from the opening page. The ending was not as climactic as I was led to expect, and I found it was a little too voyeuristic for my taste, but despite that it was compelling.

'Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die.'
This is the base compelling fact of this book but the story is so much more than that. Lane and her cousin Allegra are the last Roanoke girls. They are the third generation of women who have lived in their foreboding Kansas home, their predecessors, including their mothers who were sisters, either dying or running away. It is not a happy home. The Roanoke girls seem set to have only two choices in life - to die or to run - and this novel tells Lane's story. She is the daughter of a 'runner' drawn back to the family homestead by her mother's untimely death. Can she be the one to break the cycle of the Roanoke girls?
This is a dark read but it is utterly compelling. Once I'd read past around 50 pages I could not put this book down. It consumed me. I had to find out Lane and Allegra's fates. Amy Engel weaves a wonderful, if dark and haunting, narrative which brings the reader along on a breathtaking ride which, at times, is so gripping that I had fingernail marks in my palms.
Every single character is written in a bizarrely understandable way. Believe me the fact that you can understand some of the darkest and most horrific characters in this novel really makes you think. It explores the basest and blackest of human relationships but you will end up rooting for the characters involved in them. Lane and Allegra are not always easy to like but, once you surrender to this novel, you will accompany them on their journey and root for them every step of the way.
This book won't suit everyone but for those who are consumed by The Roanaoke Girls, this book is well worth the emotional journey. I sobbed when it was over and, while I regularly cry reading, I rarely do so right at the very end. It's a completely immersive, beautifully written,, emotional journey. Despite the darkness I loved it.

Just finished this in less than a day, couldn't put it down! Great dark, twisted thriller! 5 stars !

This really reminds me of Virginia Andrews and the Flowers in the Attic type books. But more modern. I loved Lane and Cooper! Really enjoyed this book and will look forward to more from this author!

Unfair to leave a review on a book I could not finish

I had seen lots of publicity for this and had been very keen to read so was delighted when it came up here. What a gripping story! Despite the deeply disturbing subject matter I raced through it. I guessed the outcome too soon but it was a fantastic read.