I was hooked from the very first page. It was almost like it was taken from an M. Night Shamlayn Movie. I thought that the book could have been longer, with a bit more details...but overall the book was perfect!
I enjoyed the mystery of it and it read like a real life whodunit.
Everyone should enjoy and read this great book.

<b> Short Summary:</b>
An emotional roller coaster ride!

<b>My thoughts:</b>
This was a not-so-typical suspense. Filled with characters that were so vividly described, I found myself emotionally attached as I was pulled into their heart-wrenching journey. It was a mix of suspense and just the right amount of heartbreak.

This is my first book by Minka Kent, but I have another waiting in my TBR. Her writing style is so captivating. I loved every minute of this book.

<b>Recommend:</b> Yes! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a quick, emotional and suspenseful read!

<b>My Rating: </b> 4 ⭐️’s

<b>Published:</b> April 9th 2019 by Thomas & Mercer

<b>Pages:</b> 256

<b>Some of my favorite Excerpts/Words: </b>
<blockquote>”And I recognize the look she’s giving him—it’s the very same look I gave him when I was a young butterfly thrilled to be caught in his net.”</blockquote>

Thank you to NetGalley / Thomas & Mercer / Minka Kent for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
#NetGalley #TheStillwaterGirls

<b>Book Blurb
Ignorant of civilization and cautioned against its evils, nineteen-year-old Wren and her two sisters, Sage and Evie, were raised in off-the-grid isolation in a primitive cabin in upstate New York. When the youngest grows gravely ill, their mother leaves with the child to get help from a nearby town. And they never return.

As months pass, hope vanishes. Supplies are low. Livestock are dying. A brutal winter is bearing down. Then comes the stranger. He claims to be looking for the girls’ mother, and he’s not leaving without them.

To escape, Wren and her sister must break the rule they’ve grown up with: never go beyond the forest.

Past the thicket of dread, they come upon a house on the other side of the pines. This is where Wren and Sage must confront something more chilling than the unknowable. They’ll discover what’s been hidden from them, what they’re running from, and the secrets that have left them in the dark their entire lives.

I pulse pounding thrill from start to finish. The stories intertwined effortlessly and the resolution was shocking!

Cannot wait to recommend to library patrons and book club members!

Have you ever started a book and literally all you do for the rest of the day is read because you can't put the book down? Well plan on taking a whole day to just sit and read because once you start this book you will have to finish. This book was so captivating from the start to the shocking conclusion. Who is Wren and Sage? Why are these two teenagers found alone in a cabin? Was their mother really saving them from someone or was their mother a psycho? Who is Nicolette and Brant and how are they connected to these girls or are they connected to them? I love how the story flips back from Wren to Nicolette it keeps the reader more captivated. I didn't want this book to end so many twists and a totally shocking conclusion. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great thriller. Love this authors book I have enjoyed every single one but this one is definitely my favorite. Read this book it's a book you will be thinking about hours after you finish it!!

I really enjoyed this book, it sounded different to what I normally read and lived up to that.
Finding out what happened to the girls and how it all began was really good. Wasn't expecting a little twist in there that suprised you. Great read.

For the first 2/3 of the book, it felt like the story was going in one clear direction and was dragging on.  It was tempting to switch to a new one, but I pushed through.  SO GLAD I DID! The initial introduction to Evie and Sage felt familiar. I think I read a book with similar circumstances last year, although the exact title eludes me. The family's way of life was intriguing, and it was clear that more was going on behind the scenes. I thought it might be similar to The Village situation. On the other hand, Nicolette never really gained my affection. Her character felt too cliche while being unapproachable. While I felt compassion and empathy toward her, I never felt like she'd be a person I'd be friends with.

Somewhere around the middle of the book, skimming seemed preferable to actual reading. While that's usually my cue to DNF, I decided to read just a few more chapters. The "big" twist, while unbelievable and unrealistic, was huge and made me speed through the rest of the book!

The word THRILLER is shown on the cover, but I disagree. To me, this was crossed barely into the psychological suspense territory, but not much beyond that.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This was my first Minka Kent book, and I could not connect. Spoilers ahead.

First, let me say that the writing is engaging, and so easy to read - she has a way with the flow of words. I like the idea of parts of the story - I love the idea the kids being raised away from civilization, and being confronted with it later on.

But I had too many issues with storyline, which I felt were just wrong (granted, I do not know much about postpartum psychosis - can you really just forget you had a baby - and a whole world around you that does not mention ANYTHING??) and some were so obvious it hurt - the brother.

Even though the writing was strong and despite some really good characters (Wren), this was not a story for me. It did however introduce a new author, and I am always glad for that.

I loved this book. I could see this all playing out in my head. The synopsis gives you just enough information to get you hooked without giving too much. I did not want to put this down. I highly recommend this book.

Be wary of spoilers ahead!
A pretty good book overall!
I liked the plot itself, and it was intriguing enough that I read it in one sitting, which is uncommon for thriller books, so I commend the author for that. I enjoy the writing style and the alternating chapters (we'll get into that) but there are some things that were a bit meh, especially around the end.
I've always liked cabin-in-the-woods run-away stories. It's fun to see people survive without technology and find "civilization" for the first time, and the part where Wren and Sage didn't recognize what the weird devices that the man brought into their cabin were was very well-done.
The alternating plot lines were also a good idea, especially because they were narrated from two very different viewpoints. Slight whiplash (in the good way) really made you wonder at how different the two lifestyles were and what would finally happen when they converged.

The characters themselves, I'd say I liked half of them. Sage and Wren were definitely the favorites, they were so brave but so scared (totally understandable, of course). I found myself rooting for them to survive the whole time so that's a point for the book, I'd say.
Nic and Brant just...didn't wow me very much. They were a bit too perfect and goody goody, and Nicole's paranoia was a bit too cliché. I also find books with ultra-mega-rich characters a bit boring because that just feels too convenient, like they can do whatever they want because the whole economic and social aspect is taken out of the novel.
For some reason it all felt inspired by Gone Girl (ironic considering it was referenced later in the book) and I just find that the husband-wife-everything is not as it seems-drama is a bit overdone and boring now. I know it got neatly resolved once Nic confronted Brant but even then, that felt so unrealistic.
How did she not remember her baby for that many years? Why did her friend Cate agree to hide it and move on like nothing happened? Why did her dad raise concerns about the money when he know about the secret? Did Brant not trust him enough to say they were being extorted? Anyway these are just small questions which raised a little skepticism in me while reading.

Another thing, more about the writing style this time, is that the part where they found Evie, it felt so...rushed. Everything was happening too fast and I had to read between the lines and make assumptions about what was happening. I think a few more sentences about where they were, what was happening, and actual action verbs would've made it a lot more coherent. I was just a bit confused by the language, it felt superficial when Nic kept saying "everything was happening too fast" but also didn't go into further details.

TLDR: I'd say this was a really intriguing and fun book, definitely holds your attention really well. Some parts are a bit unrealistic and rushed in terms of action, but a good book nonetheless!

What do do? What do do? This is my fourth Minka Kent novel (all of which I've enjoyed), but I'm very unsure what to rate The Stillwater Girls.

Why?

While it's a fun read, I didn't find it to be particularly gripping. I mean, yes, I did read it in about 4 hours, spread over 2 days. But that was more because it's a fairly short book than because it was so engrossing I couldn't put it down.

I think my biggest complaint is the plot itself...it just never quite came together for me. Told from dual perspectives, those of Nicolette and Wren, parts of this novel felt incredibly implausible. I wish I could say more, but there is simply so little to the story line, almost any thoughts I could share would include spoilers. The conclusion was predictable--and a little dry. With so few characters, it's difficult for an author to create red herrings. And without red herrings, the "twist" becomes obvious fairly early on.

Bottom line, if you've read Ms. Kent's other books, I'd still recommend reading this one...it's worthy of your time, but not as twisty or intriguing as The Perfect Roommate or The Thinnest Air.

If you aren't fortunate enough to have read a Minka Kent novel thus far, consider yourself lucky. She's a very talented author. My recommendation, however, would be to pick up a copy of one her earlier novels to enjoy the full scope of her creativity and mad writing skills.

Sidenote: Can we take a minute to talk about that book cover though? I love it! It's such a beautiful fit for the story under the covers.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced reader's copy, in exchange for my honest review.

Publication date: 4/9/19
Published to NetGalley: 2/8/19

This wholly original story idea is close to brilliant. It’s part mystery, part thriller, and part family drama. To say that I devoured this book would be an understatement. The crisp prose propels the reader through every twist and turn.

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and author Minka Kent for the digital ARC in return for my unbiased review

Here the blurb as they write it better than I do! :-)

Two sisters raised in fear are about to find out why in a chilling novel of psychological suspense from the author of The Thinnest Air.

Ignorant of civilisation and cautioned against its evils, nineteen-year-old Wren and her two sisters, Sage and Evie, were raised in off-the-grid isolation in a primitive cabin in upstate New York. When the youngest grows gravely ill, their mother leaves with the child to get help from a nearby town. And they never return.

As months pass, hope vanishes. Supplies are low. Livestock are dying. A brutal winter is bearing down. Then comes the stranger. He claims to be looking for the girls’ mother, and he’s not leaving without them.

To escape, Wren and her sister must break the rule they’ve grown up with: never go beyond the forest.

Past the thicket of dread, they come upon a house on the other side of the pines. This is where Wren and Sage must confront something more chilling than the unknowable. They’ll discover what’s been hidden from them, what they’re running from, and the secrets that have left them in the dark their entire lives.

I started this book intrigued by the blurb and excited as the book pulled me in and i started with that desperate need to find out what was going to happen, i thought it was going to be one of the books i read in a day i get so hooked but it stopped! the second half felt slower and the twist and ending not the pay off i had expected? i still very much enjoyed the read but i thought the end would be more? it has made me seek ot more works by the author though.

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Another great one by Minka Kent! I have been a fan since her debut "The Memory Watcher." This was a well written, engaging read!

Wren completely pulled me in from the very beginning. Wren and Sage are two sisters living on their own in a remote cabin in the woods! Does that pull you in or what ?! Their mother has left with their little sister Evie and hasn't returned. The character development in this book was fantastic. We are now introduced to Nicolette who has her own issues. She cannot have a baby due to an emergency hysterectomy, has dreams of an empty baby stroller and a husband who is hiding things from her. Interwoven chapters of Wren and Nicolette had me tearing through the pages!

I am not sure if there is a sequel but I would definitely be reading it if there were, I want to hear more about Wren! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for Minka's next one!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

I'm sitting here trying to decide how to start this review and all I can think of is "why"?

Everything was going fine. I was actually loving this book, the mystery had me rapt, I had to know what was going on. It was killing me! You know those kind of stories, right? Completely and utterly absorbed in this book.

And then I turned to page 203....

...the final reveal was so far beyond absurd my eyes rolled completely into the back of my head leaving me unable to read the final pages.

In fact, my eyes are still staring at my bloody brain and I'm writing this review on keyboard memory alone.

I may never be able to see again. Thanks a lot Minka Kent.



I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For some reason I’ve always been very attracted to stories involving people living in seclusion, away from the world, with no knowledge of the world, etc. Something about that level of disconnectedness in our increasingly connected world is fascinating. Some of those lives are chosen voluntarily, off grid pioneers and so on and some are cruelly bestowed upon others by various psychos. The Stillwater Girls never had a choice. All they knew was their cabin in the woods and their Mama. When their Mama leaves and doesn’t return when she said she would, they are left alone and scared with rapidly dwindling provisions. And then a strange man shows up, his intentions unclear and now it’s time for the girls to be very brave, even if it means leaving all they know behind and venturing into the world they believe (courtesy of Mama) to be a frightening dystopic nightmare. And that portion of the story is great. But, sorry, yeah, there’s a but…because this is a modern female thriller, it has a formula to follow and the formula demands split narratives. And so the other side of the book belongs to Nic, a woman in her 30s, who has too much money, too much time and too perfect of a spouse. Until she finds some evidence that Brant might be lying to her. Up to now Nic’s greatest woe has been childlessness, apparently the only thing her trust fund can’t buy is a baby, but she was considering fostering. Nic’s of the popular (ludicrous really) mentality that only having a child can make a real family. Nic’s also prone to some dark moods, but other than that she’s a pretty stable character, a model wife, in fact. So the story alternates between Nic’s marital struggles and Girls’s survival ones (and guess which ones are more compelling) until the two narratives inevitably as these things go collide into one. From there on it just plays out to its inevitable and overly lachrymose (think women’s fiction) conclusion. This is my first time reading the author and the writing’s actually pretty good, if too heavy on sentimentality at times, but the plotting left a lot to be desired. Maybe I’m just getting too good at figuring these things out from reading so many thrillers, but no, I suspect it’s this book, it was entirely too predictable, you can work out if not all than certainly most plot twists easily and way in advance. Which is sort of a no no for a suspense thriller. And for all its complex psychological dynamics, it really wasn’t psychologically developed all that much. Nic’s past (once revealed) just seems unlikely and the girls had a suspiciously, nay, unbelievably easy time adjusting to the real world considering their ages and what they’ve been through. So yeah, best to read this one without overthinking it. But it was very quick read and it did entertain and even engage at times, so yeah. Decent read. Thanks Netgalley.

This is the first book that I've read by Minka Kent, but definitely not the last. I absolutely loved this book. It's told from two perspectives throughout, that of Wren and of Nicolette. Nicolette is a photographers wife, who finds reason to doubt her husband's fidelity. As you're reading the beginning, it's hard to know why and how these characters relate to each other. You become invested in both of the characters and their struggles, before finding that answer. The book has a lot of twists, and I don't want to give any spoilers. I'd recommend this book to readers who love suspense.

I've liked 2 of this author's previous books but I couldn't connect with it. I started skimming just to see if I guessed the end and I mostly did. Maybe I am just not the right reader for this novel.

The Stillwater Girls is a clever and entertaining read that kept my attention from beginning to end. Having never read the authors novels before I wasn't sure what to expect, but I found myself really enjoying the story. While I wish the ending was a bit more twisted, the book works in other ways. I look forward to reading more of the author novels in the future.

This was a hard book to put down. The “told from alternating viewpoints” trope has been getting really overdone, but The Stillwater Girls did it a way that felt seamless. There were no jarring moments where I had to reorient myself at the start of each chapter and no annoying overlap of the same piece of plot told by different characters. Each character also told the part of the story she told to add insight where it was needed (as opposed to being written that way just to stick to a popular format). The story moved along at a perfect pace - just enough pause to let me embrace the characters, but moving forward in a way that kept me turning the page to find out what happened next. The characters were easy to care for and it was a nice change of pace for a mystery to focus more on healing and hope than on the bad things that happen. I would recommend this one to readers who love their mysteries with some heart!

The Stillwater Girls was my first novel by Minka Kent, but it certainly won't be my last. Fast-paced, riveting, and suspenseful, this book starts out with a bang when we are introduced to Wren and Sage, the Stillwater Girls. The girls have been living in a remote cabin off the grid in the rural town of Stillwater, NY. Together with their mom and younger sister, Evie, the girls have created a peaceful, albeit unusual, lifestyle. Until the day their mom leaves with their younger sister and never returns. Wren and Sage are left to fend for themselves in the cabin, until the day a man arrives. Why is he there? What are his intentions? Will the girls be able to escape from this sinister stranger?

Nicolette and Brant are a young couple living in suburban Stillwater. Brant is hiding a secret from Nicolette, a secret that could threaten to tear apart their marriage and everything they have believed in. While Nicolette desperately tries to figure out what secrets lie within Brant, the doorbell rings. And she comes face to face with the Stillwater Girls.

Nicolette takes in the girls and offers them support, all the while trying to figure out how these unexpected visitors might tie in with the secret that Brant is holding close to his chest. What connection could there possibly be between an affluent couple in the suburbs, and the young ladies from the backwoods? As Nicolette uncovers the truth, she opens a Pandora's Box of her own past, revealing secrets and deceit that might best remain hidden.

Great book! The first three-fourths of the book had me completely hooked. I honestly had no idea the direction in which the book was heading. However, I was slightly disappointed in the last portion. I felt that we didn't have adequate understanding into some of the characters' motives, and that left me feeling unsettled. Also, the resolution was a bit too contrived for me. While I would not characterize this book as a thriller, there were definitely elements of suspense that had me wondering what the heck was really going on. I am curious to read the rest of Ms. Kent's books to see how they measure up. Definitely recommend for a quick and easy read!