A good debut!

I would like to thank Sarah Goodman, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

SPOILERS

This book was pretty good! It was paced and structured well, and while I didn’t particularly like Verity, she was a strong, independent character whom I certainly cared about and wanted things to work out for. I think what I mostly disliked about her was that apparently every time someone told her to stay out of the woods, she decided it was opposite day. That’s classic TSTL (too stupid to live) protagonist behavior. Other than that, though, she was a decent protag.

I loved that Hetty and Big Tom turned out to be sweeties, and Abel was an okay love interest. I’m not sure I liked Lilah much, but I’m not sure I disliked her, either; it’s hard to know how I felt about her when she was being manipulated up, down, and sideways.

I was tempted to kneel before Della, who never seemed to experience a negative emotion. No, that’s inaccurate; who never let her negative emotions poison her attitude. She was jealous of Verity and Abel, for instance, but she decided she valued their friendship too much to be bitter and angry, so she was happy for them instead. She also seemed fully aware that her dad was a jackass, yet she didn’t seem to hold it against him.

I had mixed emotions regarding Matthew. On the one hand, he had a good heart and wanted nothing but to help those he loved, but he was stymied at every turn. On the other, this entire book—their entire lives—could have been very different if he’d just found a way to speak with Mary after being lambasted by her father, instead of just running off to New York. He’d loved Mary soooooo much, yet turned tail the moment the going got tough? I wish he’d had more of a chance to redeem himself and get his head right; his fate was far from satisfying.

Miss Maeve was a pretty great villain. No—actually, she was excellent. I had major sympathy for her at the same time I hated and feared her. She was entirely a victim of people who were supposed to love her yet hurt her again and again by making decisions for her. Like Verity, I’m not sure I can blame her for going mad and becoming vindictive after she discovered she couldn’t die, that even that choice had been stolen from her. It’s no wonder she became somewhat power hungry. In the end, though, her demise was pretty satisfying, both because she had been defeated and because she had also been released from the cursed life she’d been leading. Yes, she was a very skillfully written antagonist. Probably the strongest element of the book.

I’m not sure how much purpose Jasper and—crap, what’s her name…the bitch who wanted to leave Wheeler so bad…his sister, at any rate—I’m not sure how much purpose they served, they seemed rather superfluous. Jasper more than his sister. Also, what point was there to Abel’s pregnant sister? That thread went no where and did nothing except perhaps demonstrate that Verity might have been a great doctor one day. The little girl ghost also didn’t seem to serve much purpose; I don’t remember her name, either. She helped guide Verity and Matthew to the well in the end, but other than that, her only other job was to be spooky and mysterious. I love me some spooky and mysterious, but not without purpose. Reminds me of a couple of the ghosts in Simone St. James’s Sun Down Motel. If any of the above had purpose that I was ignorant to, apologies and disregard.

Speaking of, Goodman did an okay job injecting the atmosphere with spooky and mysterious. It wasn’t keep-the-lights-on creepy, but she described some unnerving imagery, and I really felt Miss Maeve’s unhinged malice in the second half.

The magic-ish elements, such as the charms and the hollow? Meh. Not super fascinating, but they added some mystical to the spooky and mysterious, which isn’t a bad combination. A lot of it was rather cliche, though—the forbidden wood, the fog, a well (what the hell is it about wells?), a place of concentrated energy, even very loosely basing it all on Irish lore. The trapping charm was somewhat unique, though, at least to me, as was the concept that the charm combined with the well’s magic “sustained” Miss Maeve.

I think I understood the explanations for everything… Well, no, I still have questions. Why did Lizzie put a trapping spell on Mary? Why had she been so afraid of Mary going beyond a 15-mile radius? The reason was probably there and I missed it, because it would be really odd to not explain that—to not explain the one pivotal factor that turned Mary’s tragedy into a plot. Also, didn’t Matthew say something about evil taking two of his children and coming after the other two? Was that him being legit crazy, or again, did I miss something? Was the banker dude somehow responsible for the deaths of Elizabeth and the baby boy? Okay, so sorting fact from fiction is a bit tough, and some of the explanations are weak, but the biggest questions were answered.

Overall, this was a solid piece of work and a decent ghost story. Goodman could perhaps work on giving her leads a touch more charisma, strengthening the whys and hows, and making sure everything and everyone in the story serves a purpose within the plot.

Oh, and how beautiful is that cover art? Love it!

I loved this spooky YA historical fiction mixed with all the elements of a paranormal mystery type vibe that is set in Arkansas in the early 1900’s.

Though, as much as I enjoyed it, I didn’t much care for the supporting characters.

3/5 stars.

Set in a small town in Arkansas, this story had some spooky mystery vibes and I was interested in seeing where things would go. However, something with the writing style just didn't gel with me - I think it felt like a lot of "telling" and not "showing". While things picked up part way through and I became more invested, it was still just an okay read for me.

3/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! Having read the book, I have to say that the cover is amazing and I think it is perfect for it.

The main character is Verity Pruitt and immediately we find out that she and her little sister, Lilah, are orphans. With their mother dead and their father going mad, they have been sent on a train to Arkansas with the hopes that they will be adopted. While this is their situation right now, Verity has plans. Her goal is for them to get adopted together and stay there just until she is old enough to take her sister back to New York so she can go to school.

As you can guess, that isn't what happens. Lilah is quickly adopted and that's when Verity realizes that this was always the plan. What she also realizes is that if she wants to stay near her sister, she will have to indenture herself as a farm hand...which she does. I honestly liked the family she was with more and even though she had to work day in and day out, I think she ended up with the better option.

As the story progresses, it is clear that there is something weird about the town they now live in. The woods have strange things happening in them, some of the people act a little off, and over a short period of time, Lilah begins to change. As Verity tries to figure out what is happening and why she and her sister are involved in the weirdness, she and those she loves are put in danger.

I thought Goodman did a great job with building out the characters in this story and pulling me into their world. From the second they got off the train, I couldn't stop feeling like something was going to go wrong and I wanted things to be ok for Verity. I thought the way her relationship developed with Abel was done well and when the twist happens, my heart hurt for her.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and if you're looking for a historical YA with a bit of a gothic feel, you should check this one out. I'll be looking for more books by Sarah Goodman in the future.

An interesting and quick read. It's just that the development is pretty shallow. And the romantic element seemed unnecessary. We don't really have enough groundwork for magic. Until she goes to see the witch, it's all family secrets and a little superstition. Then we're suddenly thrown into trances, ghosts, and magic.

Started kind of slow but it packed a punch! Eerie and haunting! The characters and storyline were well written and kept you intrigued throughout!

I tried to get into this book. I even checked out some reviews when the story was falling flat for me and I still can't do it. I am sorry this book is just not for me.

This was the perfect October read to curl up by a fire with. It had the spooky vibes, paranormal elements and mystery thY are what my heart wanted in a read. Definitely recommend this book!

This debut YA novel took on a lot. It's part historical fiction, part paranormal fiction, part ghost story with fantasy elements.

After their father's mental health fails, Verity and her sister Lilah, who lost their mother nine years ago, are sent out on the Orphan Train. They get to a small town in Arkansas where Lilah is adopted by the local school mistress and 17 year old Verity has to scramble to find a family taking her in.

As the story of Verity settling into her new situation on a farm bumbles on, secrets about the town and its inhabitants and her own family's past are slowly revealed.

I liked Verity's character. She's strong and brave even when confronted with eerie situations, magical potions and the ghosts of the past.

The pacing was a bit slow for my taste and first person POV is not my favourite either. All in all this is a solid debut and I am hoping to read more from Ms Goodman in the future.

This creepy stand-alone YA novel is perfect for curling up with on these cooler, darker days when you want to be creeped out by every little noise your house makes. It’s June of 1907 when Verity and Lilah take the orphan train west. Verity hopes that they will be adopted together, and when they don’t, she takes a job as a farmhand to stay close to her sister. Wheeler, Arkansas is as weird and sinister as the book cover implies, and I loved the small-town mystery plot.

Lilah and Verity find themselves on an orphan train to Arkansas in 1907. Lilah is adopted quickly by Miss Maeve, who is adored by the whole town. Verity goes with an older couple looking for help on their farm. Although happy for Lilah having found a loving home, Verity senses something is not right in the little town of Wheeler. Is it the creepy woods or the sad disappearance of Mary Mayhew almost 20 years before? It's amazing Eventide is the debut novel from Sarah Goodman. I can not wait for further from this author.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this so much! It has such a creepy feel to it. I loved the atmosphere of the town they lived in. Creepy small towns are something I live for! I thought the characters were super well written and the plot was just a mysterious masterpiece. I thought it was dark and creepy in the best way possible.

It was so fun to piece everything together. It wasn’t easy to piece together, but you still were able to figure out everything before Verity and her sister did!

Overall, I found this book a great spooky read for October! I absolutely could not put it down.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Eventide is a young adult historical fantasy thriller by Sarah Goodman. I really enjoyed the creepy atmosphere of this book, and I also enjoyed that it is a standalone novel. Perfect to pick up this fall or winter when you are looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat while reading it. The book starts with our main character and her sister being sent on a orphan train to a small town, and things get weird from there. I loved all the spooky secrets and the small town in the middle of no where setting. It all added to the atmospheric reading experience. Eventide is a book that will satisfy readers looking for a good young adult thriller/suspense story. This one was actually spooky and is perfect for the Halloween season. 

In Eventide we meet our main character, Verity and her younger sister Lilah. When their father goes crazy, her and her sister are orphaned and sent on an "orphan train" to rural Arkansas. There her younger sister quickly gets adopted by 17 year old Verity does not. In an attempt to try and stay close to her sister, Verity picks up work at a nearby farm, and that is when some weird stuff starts happening. A lot of it is centered around the woods that seem to have a mind of their own and a well at the center of the woods. But the people in the town are weird too, and as I was reading I was super excited to figure out just what was going on in this town. I know one thing is for sure, I do NOT want to visit the town of Wheeler. The fantasy/supernatural elements in the book are there but they do not overpower the story. I would say the main focus is on the town itself and Verity peeling back the mystery and secrets it keeps. I liked that the mystery plot progressed rather slowly because it added to the overall spooky tension I felt while reading Eventide. It was really well done! 

Bottom line: Readers that love creepy atmospheric reads set in a small town setting, will devour Eventide. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great and the plot was mysterious, kind of dark and just the right amount of creepy. I am still trying to decide if I liked the ending or not, but I think I have decided that I do like it because it fits with the tone of the story. Once you have read the book, come back here and let me know what you think of the ending and book overall! 

3.5/5 stars

Sarah Goodman's debut novel is one that has been getting a lot of ink, and with good reason. Eventide is a young adult novel that combines fantasy, thriller, and historical fiction elements all in one.

Verity and her sister, Lilah have always been together. They stood by each other as they lost their mother, and later, as their father descends into madness. But all of that changes, as they are both sent to Arkansas to find a new home.

Unfortunately, that home is not together. Lilah is adopted, while Verity is hired on to work at a farm. It's hard, but good work. Though it is not exhausting enough to distract from the mysterious behavior that seems so prominent in this small town.

“She'd kept it concealed for months. Now it would be hidden forever.”

Eventide is a haunting tale, even from the very first page. There's this constant and lingering sense that something is wrong, and Sarah Goodman makes a point of building up that suspense beautifully.

It was thrilling trying to piece it all together – to try and figure out what was wrong (ideally, before whatever it is comes for Verity and her little sister). It also made for a dark read, though at times it was hard to put my finger on why. More like that lingering sense I already mentioned.

I was impressed with Goodman's writing, the story seems to flow from one page to the next. And even when nothing is actually happening, the words seemed infused with the atmosphere and the anticipation of what was to come.

Speaking of the atmosphere, the setting! It's Arkansas in the early 1900s, with the focus being on a very small town by the name of Wheeler. It feels like any number of mysteries could be hidden in the woods. More than that though, the small town aesthetic and period-appropriate details really do enhance the story.

It this is what Sarah Goodman has to offer on her first attempt, I honestly can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I hope that whatever it is, it will have a similar blend of fantasy and historical fiction.

Actual rating - 3.5

Eventide is a book that I should have loved. It has a great gothic atmosphere and it's YA historical fantasy. But in the end, I just needed it to do a bit more, dig a bit deeper.

Verity Pruitt and her little sister Lilah are sent on the orphan trains to Arkansas when their father goes mad. Lilah is immediately adopted by a mysterious woman named Miss Maeve, the town's teacher. Lilah indentures herself to a nearby farm so she can remain close.

Things in Wheeler Arkansas aren't what they seem, and very quickly Verity realizes her sister is in danger.

Overall, I found the story a little bit predictable. There were moments where I was expected to be surprised or shocked at the turn the story was taking, but, perhaps I've read too many similar stories because I felt like I always knew where things were heading. I enjoyed the writing, and the story had great pacing. I thought the last quarter was the best part of the story. What I didn't enjoy, besides the predictability, was yet another love triangle. Honestly, I think the author could have easily left out the romance entirely and the story would have still been fine. It really didn't add anything to the story.

If you are looking for a story that is just a little bit eerie without being too scary, this is a great atmospheric tale. Perfect for a teen who is just dipping their toes into the horror genre.

In just a few months, Verity will be an adult, but right now, she’s a 17-year-old kid with no choices, on an orphan train bound for Arkansas with her little sister Lilah. Bright, pretty Lilah is immediately scooped up by the local schoolteacher, and Verity manages to scrape a job as a farm hand to stay close to her sister. She can survive anything for a few months, and Lilah seems genuinely happy in her new surroundings. Gradually, though, Verity realizes that their move from New York City to rural Arkansas may not have been a coincidence — and that her parents’ history may be linked with the town. When her father — who had been committed to an asylum — shows up at her farmhouse window and she follows a mysterious girl through the woods to a shadowed ancient well, Verity discovers a dark secret that has been hiding in plain sight.

It seems like all these different threads — historical fiction! Gothic horror! family drama! — might not come together, but they do, and while there’s nothing new and thrilling about the story, Eventide is a solidly enjoyable spooky YA novel that makes up for in solid plotting what it lacks in uncanniness. I’m politely ignoring the instant-love-with-cute-boy-farmhand side plot because we all make mistakes sometimes.

Fast paced YA Historical fiction. Follows two orphans at the turn of the century. Engaging characters and atmospheric; this story is easy to get drawn into and difficult to put down. You don't want to miss this one. Fantastic. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

YA Historian fiction set in 1907. This book reads much more at a middle school level than YA to me.
Two orphaned sisters are sent to rural Arkansas. Verity and Lilah are bound to stay close but are placed in separate homes. Verity becomes a farmhand to stay close to her sister.
There is a spooky side to the story and it gets much more complex than a ‘regular haunting’.
Slow to start and I ended up enjoying it more than I thought.

I quite enjoyed Eventide for its atmosphere, mysteriousness, and focus on the importance of family (both blood and created). And it was mostly a win for me! So let's break down all the things I enjoyed, and the one thing I kind of didn't!

The Good:

►The setting/time period was great! So few books seem to be set around the turn of the 20th century, or maybe I am just missing them, but either way I loved this one! It's the dawn of the automobile, and technology in general is just starting to creep into everyday life. But it's old enough to still have a very historical feel, one that I thought the author captured really well! Plus, being in small-town Arkansas puts an extra spin on it, because it felt (naturally) more isolated, and therefore made the atmosphere even more on point.

►The family focus was wonderful. Ugh, I felt so bad for Verity. She's lost her mother, her father has gone mad, and now she and her sister (the only family she has left, mind) are shipped off on an orphan train. Look, "orphan train" in general sounds awful, so we know she's not in for a treat. But then they're legit offered up like cattle and wow, no thank you. Verity ends up working for a couple on a farm (also I love them) while Lilah is adopted by the town teacher. But Verity isn't willing to let Lilah go, and that is at the heart of the story.

►As it turns out though, even as Verity tries to find her way back to Lilah, she ends up making a family of her own along the way. I liked the message that it sent, that even if you are low on genetic family, you can choose people who will be there for you and love you just the same. Without giving too much away, it was just really great to me that there was hope for Verity to find her people again.

►There is definitely plenty of mystery throughout! We've got family secrets, personal secrets, some creepy stuff that isn't explained, and basically lots of pieces of the puzzle to unravel, which kept me interested in the story throughout.

The One Issue I Had:

►The magic parts just didn't fully work for me. And I am probably pickier than most when it comes to magic and supernatural and such, so do take that for what it's worth. The magic stuff just required a bit more suspension of disbelief than I had to give, apparently.

Bottom Line: So atmospheric with characters I really cared about, I enjoyed both the mysteriousness and family aspects of this book greatly.

Eventide is a cracker of a Eventide is a cracker of a debut by Sarah Goodman!
(Pub day Oct 6, 2020)

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Eventide follows two orphaned sisters, Verity and Lilah and their journey to a remote town where the youngest (Lilah) is adopted by a single woman with a mysterious background forcing Verity to find refuge with an older couple as a farmhand.

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Separated by woods that hold a warning of foreboding doom, Verity discovers that all can not simply be explained away by science and logic. What lurks in its shadows is other worldly dark magic that beckons Verity to come closer. Verity struggles to reconcile her past including what she has been led to believe of her parents and face new truths unfolding before her that tell a very different tale. One with roots that bind and tear apart.

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Goodman created good atmosphere and imagery for her debut novel. Personally, I would I would have liked more expansion on the elements of magical realism and spellbinding and I felt it's ending was a bit rushed. But that is likely attributed to my wanting to know more and read more. Just more. Which is not a bad thing at all, really!

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Eventide is a fast paced, quick read that was enjoyable and held my attention from its first to final pages. A perfect start to October's spooky TBR stack.


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My thanks to @netgalley and @torteen and @macmillanusa for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

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