My second Minka Kent book and certainly not my last! Such an enjoyable read that kept me gripped the whole novel. A must read for any thriller fans. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

This book is SO good. Loved the writing style and the thriller aspect of it. The story is told through the narration of two characters and it captivates from the first page. Great quick read that you won't be able to put down. LOVED!

I’ve read all of ten author’s other books and they’re all really easy, fun reads. This one is not as much of a thriller as the others, however it still held my attention and I read it quickly in about two days.

Thanks to Netgalley the the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning of this book introduces two sisters, Wren (19 years old) and her younger sister Sage. It is clear from the outset that they are in dire straits. They live in an isolated, primitive cabin surrounded by forest and the severe weather, bleak, lowering landscape with little or no food or comfort. Water and wood are hard come by. They have lived in this hard, inhospitable condition with their Mother and younger sister, Evie, for as long as Wren can remember. Some weeks prior, when Evie became ill, Mother and child left seeking medical help. Since then the two girls have just about existed. The fear is – will they last until help comes? Help comes in the form of a stranger, a man who intrudes upon their lives, demanding answers to their questions and they are helpless. They manage to escape into the dark forest and inclement weather, despite their mother’s admonishments never go beyond the forest.

It is difficult to discuss what happens next without spoiling the secrets and lies that will be revealed. This is a well-structured plot with surprises aplenty, and great characters. I was shocked at the revelations; astounded by the time-line (I thought this was set in a completely different time), and I was keen to devour the book.

Excellent writing and clever; very clever.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Minka Kent became a favorite when I read the memory watcher. She knows how to put you on the edge of your seat and completely engage you. The Stillwater girls reminded me of another book I just read and loved. This is a thriller and will emotionally wreck you. Read it!

HAPPY TEARS!!!!
Listen, coming out of this book, I'm a wreck


I received a copy of The Thinnest Air by Kent a good while back and just never got around to reading it. I WILL BE READING IT NOW, THANK YOU.

Minka Kent delivers a roller coaster ride of emotions in The Stillwater Girls.

Their primitive cabin in the middle of the woods where they live with their mother is all Wren, Sage, and Evie have ever known. They are cautioned against the evils of the world and are told to NEVER go beyond the forest. Until one night, the youngest, Evie, falls ill and their mother has to rush her through the woods and into town to get her medicine. Only, their mother and Evie never return. Months go by and the two remaining girls fear the worst. They're running short on food and supplies. Winter has arrived and it is BRUTAL. Then, a man shows up claiming he knows their mother and he is there to take them from their isolated lives. He makes it very clear that they haven't a choice and he is NOT leaving without them. Wren, 19, and Sage, 18, are about to embark on a journey and discover that their life and their world is not at all what they were led to believe.


THIS BOOK
I was entranced from the beginning. I was able to connect to the characters from the start. Mind you, once we met all the characters, I had pretty much figured the book out. I had the gist anyway. To me, though, this did not take away from the story at all. I was so invested in the characters that by the end of it all, I didn't care that I had it figured out from the get go. I ugly cried at work, people!

This book definitely tickled my emotions which, as you all know, are always kept in check. I felt all the emotions on this journey. I was infuriated, I was frustrated, I was nervous, I was hopeful, I was overwhelmingly sad, and then I was overwhelmingly happy.

*sigh*

This was SO SO good.

I really enjoyed the way the story was written. We are told the story through the narration of two characters. Their perspectives take turns, guiding us through what's happening and it flowed so wonderfully.

I'd also like to take a moment to appreciate Brant's character. I know that I'm meant to be furious with him and hate him but... I just couldn't. I was rooting for Brant the entire time. He was definitely my favorite character. Although, there wasn't a character in the book I didn't like. Except maybe one... or two... Yea, just two. And you'll know who they are. Trust me.

I honestly don't give books 5 stars (or cats) unless I have nothing to complain about. And guys, I have NOTHING to complain about. Some people may be a bit weary as, again, it is one that you may be able to figure out early on. But the ending... and the journey to the ending... it was so good. Well worth the read, in my opinion.

I'll just be reading The Thinnest Air now, k, thanks, bye.

Special thanks to the publisher and author for the ARC via Netgalley.

First, thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC of The Stillwater Girls in exchange for a review. This book started out good enough and the premise of the story is interesting but a little over halfway through the book it was like a different author had taken over. The plot was pretty far-fetched after that in comparison to the first part of the book. There wasn't enough backstory explained so the big plot twist just came out of left field and not in a good way. I wish it had been developed better because as mentioned above, the storyline is solid.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC ecopy for my Kindle.
The Stillwater Girls is a suspense/mystery novel. Two teenage girls, Wren and Sage, are left in a cabin in a remote forest for over 2 mths. after the mama left to take their sickly younger sister Evie to "the man" for help. Next, the book introduces a wealthy woman Nicolette and her photographer husband Brant. The couple have been together and/or married for over 10 yrs . Nicolette had an emergency hysterectomy and can not get past the fact that she can't have children, so she is determined to try foster care. The paths cross when the 2 teenage sisters run away from the cabin when a stranger appears and end up at Nicolette & Brant's front door.
As the book continues, the police and other law enforcement try to determine who the 2 girls are and what happened to their mama and younger sister. The girls stay with Nicolette and Brant until their families can be located. In the meantime, Nicolette comforts Brant about some things that has caused her to doubt Brant's faithfulness to their marriage. Brant tries to explain away her suspicions and reveals some things that surprised me. At this point I was looking forward to reading just how the story would play out, but then the last few chapters felt too rushed and not quiet believable.
Overall, a decent book for anyone who enjoys mystery/suspense novels.

This has easily been one of the most enjoyable books I have read this year. I was utterly engrossed from start to finish and read the entire book in one sitting. The Stillwater Girls is a thrilling and suspenseful novel that is told from the viewpoints of Wren and Nicolette. It is a completely original tale that moves at a breath taking pace and has believable characters that readers will quickly become attached to. I absolutely adored this book and have no hesitation in recommending it to other readers.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

A great psychological thriller that grips you from the word go. I really enjoyed this book with its various twists and turns that keep on coming

I am a sucker for any fiction involving people off the grid or living in isolation, so when I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I wanted to read it ASAP. And I was not disappointed. This is the first book I have read by the author, Minka Kent, and I really enjoyed it.

The book is told from two different perspectives and switches back and forth every other chapter, which I really enjoyed. I have seen some criticism that this book was really predictable and I have to disagree with that. It is obvious from the beginning that at some point, the two characters who perspectives we are reading from, are going to interact, but beyond that, I really didn't find it predictable. Like most thriller or suspense books, I spent a good deal of time in the second half of the book trying to figure things out or guess the ending. Some things I figured out, but there were many that I didn't.

I like Wren as a character and I enjoyed the chapters from her point of view. It was interesting to hear what she was thinking going from living in complete isolation to being exposed to the outside world. Actually, I really enjoyed all of the characters in the book. The plot moves along at a steady pace and I ended reading this book in 2 days because I just needed to know what happened. I don't want to give anything away in the review, I think it's better to read the synopsis and not much more before reading the book. I definitely recommend this one and I can't wait to read some of the author's other books in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review

This started out as a solid 4 stars, Well paced, enough action and intrigue to keep the pages turning and characters just flawed enough to invest you in them without making them unlikable. I really felt for the girls and for Nic, having had a hysterectomy at a young age myself.

And then the big twist came and ruined it all! Totally unbelievable and far too coincidental, it really spoiled the book at the final hurdle.

Still, this is just my opinion! The first 3/4 of the book were excellent and someone else may find the twist exciting. Worth picking up for a read in the bath or on holiday, but I wouldn't put it at the top of a TBR pile!

Thank you for the arc Netgalley. I was immersed in the story from page one. Serveral mysteries to unfold. Are all the girls connected? Will they survive? What happened to Wren and Sage sister? A page turner for sure.

Thank you for the ARC. This book was not for me. I liked the description but the book led alittle slow for me. I could not get into it and did not finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. It did not influence my opinion.

Any mystery where I don't guess most of the ending before the halfway point is a good read. (Seriously, my husband won't watch Law & Order with me.) And I really enjoyed this one and only guessed a small part of the end.

From the beginning, I especially liked the chapters written from Wren's perspective, while it took me longer to warm up to Nicolette's character. Wren was much more of a go-getter and just felt like a stronger, more relatable character, although Nicolette grew on me a little bit more by the end.

I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

This book was so fast paced and well written I read it in one sitting. Three little girls living off the grid with their Momma being their only human connection. But momma has to take the youngest for help when she becomes ill, never to return. Fascinated?? I was hooked at the first chapter. Read this book to see how the remaining sisters survive being thrown into the real world.

If you like your mystery with some survival in the woods, this is for you. This book seemed to have a mystery inside a mystery added with some survivalist themes. You find that when you are alone in the woods, you have to be able to solely rely on yourself and your instincts. What happens when your mom disappears and a man shows up claiming to be a help? Who can you trust?

Minka Kent writes amazing stories. This is the story of girls living in the woods alone and what happens to them. It keeps you guessing until the end. The characters become as real as your family. I can imagine what Sage, Wren and Evie look like ! I loved this book as I did the Thinnest Air that Ms. Kent wrote. I can’t recommend this enough.

The Stillwater Girls is absolutely fantastic! Minka Kent can spin a tangled story like no other. I can’t say much about the plot without giving anything away, but I never ever saw this twist coming. Just when I think I have the story figured out, I’m completely blindsided in the best possible way. I love love this book.

The Stillwater Girls by Minka Kent is one of those few books that managed to grab my attention on NetGalley with a beautiful blurb and cover image when I was trying hard not to request any new titles at all. I was very excited to read this book and finally when I dove in expecting a mind-blowing thriller, I ended up marking it as another disappointing DNF read.

For some reason, I was not able to get past the first 8% of the book. Even though I really wanted to read this book, a couple of intolerable things led me to abandon this book even though when I almost made up my mind to simply skim over the pages in order to at least find out the mystery -
1. Chapters full of fragmented sentences for exposition which led to overtreatment of a technique I otherwise love and use in my own works.
2. Excessive foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is good, necessary even in thrillers for building suspense, but here it was too much.
3. I felt forced by the author to feel sympathetic to the girls living alone. It felt like the girls themselves (or at least the POV one) were screaming at the readers to feel sorry for them and their conditions. As a result, I simply felt irritation and nothing more.
4. focus on the unnecessary details and overall, the writing felt immature; it felt like the author wanted to go for Gillian Flynn's writing style but ended up totally botching it up.

All in all, I think this book has a lot of potential in terms of the plot, or so the blurb has led me to believe but failed miserably.