Cover Image: The Girl from Widow Hills

The Girl from Widow Hills

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Megan Miranda offers you everything you'd like when it comes to a good old thriller that keeps you on your toes. You feel attached to the main character and that made me loose myself in the story pretty quickly. I love how the story is unique and I really enjoyed playing the 'detective' almost in finding out what happened. Well done!

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This book was an enjoyable, yet harrowing look at the story of a missing girl. The start was a bit slow, but as the story continued I was swept away by the plot and the writing style. The trauma was well written and edgy. Highly recommend.

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This one had a really interesting plot idea, I think I had my hopes too high because I found it to be boring and a bit drab. I didn't really like any of the characters and didn't feel invested in the story or figuring out the mystery. I last 1/4 was more interested than the rest but with all of the thrillers out there I won't be recommending this one.

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I initially picked this up because the premise really intruiged me and I also wanted to try another book by Megan Miranda, after rating All the Missing Girls 3 stars.

I was really sucked into this story from the beginning and felt it kept it's fast pace for a lot of the book. I do think some moments dragged, but I was mostly just interested in seeing where things went.

Olivia was decently written, if a somewhat forgettable main character. I felt like I've read stories from similar characters, especially in thrillers, before. I was surprised by some of the choices she made, although making nonsensical choices is also often a trait of characters in thrillers.

Some of the twists genuinely shocked me, while others were far more easy to guess, although I don't necessarily think that guessing a twist makes it a bad one.

Overall, I thought this book was fine. It was a fast-read and parts were really intriguing but i didn't think it was anything spectacular or super shocking. I would recommend this to people who have enjoyed Miranda's other works, or those who are newer to the genre.

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Another great book from Megan Miranda! I really enjoyed the mystery and the beautiful surroundings. It did run a bit long at some points but overall enjoyable!

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2.5⭐️

Thank you to Simon and Schuster, Megan Miranda, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings on this one. I really enjoyed her premise of the book and found it quite interesting. Girl goes missing. Found three days later and it’s a huge media story. Flash forward to adulthood and a body is discovered and Olivia has no recollection as to what happened or if she was involved. This lead to probing into her past and finding out truths she never thought she would. Pretty interesting!!!

Olivia the character, though, is quite flat and dull and not a character I found myself sympathizing with. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat, antsy with anticipation of what was happening to her and in her life. I was curious and that was what propelled me forward. I found the neighbour to be the most interesting character. He had that dark and mysterious air about him, but was also this great protector of Olivia. I think the story from his perspective may have been more interesting.

This was my first book by Megan Miranda and her writing style was fine. The character and emotions felt superficial, and lacking the spark to allow the reader to empathize and sympathize.

If you’re looking for a light mystery and don’t want something too scary or that will give you the creeps, give it a shot!!!

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Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Unlike many here I had not previously read this author and was going in 'blind'. Have I enjoyed the read? Not really but I'm also intrigued and will search out older works by this author because I may enjoy them.

This story, revolving around Olivia/Arden just did not seem plausible. Being forever warped by events of your childhood is all too common in our modern world but not in this way. Towards the end there are a few twists and surprises but the earlier part of the book moved glacially and numbed me somewhat to things that should have been invigorating in the story.

Not for me although I see so many good reviews that I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy this story.

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The Girl From Widow Hills by Megan Miranda is a psychological thriller about a woman who desperately tries to escape her past. 
💚
This is another one that has been on my TBR far too long, but I am glad I was able to finally get to it, because I really enjoyed most of the plot. Arden was just a child when she was swept away by a storm while sleepwalking, and found clinging to a storm pipe three days later. She spends her entire life trying to escape this past and the unwanted fame that comes with it,  going so far as changing her name and living nearly in anonymity. However, it is not long before her past comes back to haunt her, and I found many of the unfolding events exciting.
💜
As much as I enjoy the premise, there are a few unanswered questions and plot holes that I found hard to ignore. Some of the characters that presented early on as relevant are barely mentioned again, and I found a few of the twists and turns a little hard to believe.
🧡
I did, however, enjoy some of Miranda's secondary characters; particularly Olivia's neighbour, Rick. I think he would make a great protagonist of his own. There seems to be so much under the surface with Rick and I would be interested in getting to know his story better.
🖤
All in all, it was a good read, and I would recommend it to my fellow thriller lovers. Thank you @netgalley and @simonschusterca for this advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I never got the chance to read this one before it was archived, but the idea behind it is so promising! I'm truly grateful for the publisher giving me a chance to read it, and will be looking for a physical copy in my local bookstore.

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I really loved her last book but this one just didn’t quite do it for me. The beginning took quite a bit to get going & I couldn’t connect with our lead character. The author is very talented though, I highly recommend The Last House Guest & I will be looking for upcoming novels still.

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This was a fun story. Such a quick read, I just wanted to know what was happening. The suspense was killing me, I just wanted Olivia to be okay!

There were some great red herrings, excellent plot twists and a steady, exciting pacing.

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Another absolutely wonderful thriller from Megan Miranda...

This is a well developed psychological thriller that will keep you on edge til the end.

Rife with half truths and out right lies, the players all vie for top billing in this "What really happened" thriller.

Hiding behind a new identity, "The Gitl From Widow Hills" believes she has once and for all put her past behind her.

...people have a way of  finding things out...
...Newspapers combined with the ever consuming social media will never let a delicious story end...

Thank you to NetGalley,  the publisher Simon & Schuster, and the incredible author Ms. Megan Miranda, for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy of "The Girl From Widow Hills". The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

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Another excellent book penned by Megan Miranda. She never disappoints me. This one demonstrated the resilience of a child/young women and also her persistence in finding out who she is and from where she came. I did enjoy it. Moved along quite quickly for me, and as always, is well written. What will Megan Miranda pen next? Can't wait!

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Megan Miranda has become an auto-buy for me, and her newest book did not let me down!

I have now grown accustomed to eagerly awaiting a new Megan Miranda book each year, and each year she delivers an engaging and twisty story that is the perfect summer/fall read.

I thought that the premise of this book was interesting, with the main character being an adult who became media famous as a child when she went missing during a storm and was found clinging to a storm drain. This media focus on the story created instant celebrity for the main character (Olivia) and her mother.

The story was a good balance of Olivia's tragic backstory (complete with a Mother who capitalized off of Olivia's traumatic event) and the mystery Olivia faces when she discovers a dead man's body when she awakes from sleepwalking. To make matters more complicated, Olivia has a link to the man which creates even more suspicion.

Like Ms. Miranda's other books, this one has short, fast paced chapters, and a central character that is likable enough, but also complex. To me, it is the perfect balance to engage a reader, and keep them interested in the story AND the character.

Overall this is a good mystery for those who want something that not too dark and gruesome, but also want a twisty ride that keeps you guessing. For those that have enjoyed Ms. Miranda's previous novels, I don't think that this will disappoint. This is an author that provides a good summer/fall read, meant to be enjoyed with a good beverage and a comfy seat.

I would recommend this book for people who enjoy Kimberly Belle, and Hannah Mary McKinnon, both authors that are also auto-buys for me!

I look forward to Ms. Miranda's next novel, and recommend grabbing this one as soon as you can! You won't be disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book!

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Great thriller read. The book had good flow and I enjoyed getting to know the characters and relationships.

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3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.


Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescue workers, set up search parties and held vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain.

This is another entertaining book by this author with an unreliable narrator. Arden now lives as Olivia after being exploited for financial gain by her mother. One night she stumbles across a dead body whilst once again sleep walking. This leads Olivia down a rabbit warren of trying to find out the truth about her past and how the dead body is connected to her. This is an entertaining read and contains some unexpected twists. As a sleepwalker when stressed I found the premise of the story interesting and realistic.

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I have to be honest in saying that this book was not much of a thriller for me. I guess the premise was eye-catching but the story was very slow and unbelievable.

There are plenty of higher ratings for this book but I guess it was just not for me. I pushed myself to finish it in hopes that the ending would redeem itself. It really did not.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for granting me access to this Advance Reader's Copy.

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🌟 BOOK REVIEW 🌟
The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for this ARC. I greatly enjoyed it! My first Miranda novel and I fully intend to read more from her!

In this fast-paced thriller Olivia Meyer longs to escape her past but when she begins sleep waking and wakes up outside her home next to the dead body of a man from her past, she realizes the past won’t stay buried. Olivia, originally Arden, was a national story after going missing at 6 years old during a sleep-walking episode and being found 3 days later, alive and clinging to a water grate.

I thought this was wonderfully written and the pacing was excellent! I couldn’t wait to keep reading. I enjoyed the character development and the relationships between characters. The book includes news stories and interview transcripts regarding Arden’s missing person status and safe return home and flips back and forth between these and the present. Compelling and entertaining!

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𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦: Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. The premise was interesting and unique and I like when a book has me form many theories for the ending, which this book did just that. When it comes to thrillers, a key element in my rating is whether or not I guessed the ending, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of this book.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦: The pace of the book was a little slow for my liking. I had no problem putting the book down for several days and pay attention to other books in between. I also felt some of the characters needed further development, and this made it hard for me to overly like any of them.

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Miranda’s adult novels feature young women hampered by their pasts but managing to carry on in spite of the fallout from that past until the crisis unravels all their coping mechanisms. Her characters and her situations are far from formulaic, and the twists and turns of her plots always surprise. Here, the heroine isn’t the only one with secrets that will undo her, and nothing is quite what she or the reader believes, or hopes. Miranda deserves to be better read, especially by lovers of Ruth Ware and Gillian Flynn.

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