A story of a paranoid mother, hiding from her past and a story of a girl searching for a future collide together to bring an epic tale of bravery, triumph and some down right wicked familial trauma.

"They don't realize that everything is chance. The trajectories of their normal happy lives are solely determined by chance."

WOW. Just. WOW.

This has been on my TBR for quite some time now and I really don't know why it took me so long and I am defenitly kicking myself for waiting, because this book was absolutely PHENOMINAL.

It had that certain edginess to it that you just never know exactly where it might be going. Along with an unsettling feeling about all the characters you have no way to tell who you can actually trust.And as more things unfold you get more and more invested and before you know it you are flipping the last page.

And THAT ENDING...YOU GUYS it was EVERYTHING and I officially trust no one now.

Read if you like:
•Twists
•Cult Thrillers
•Familial Trauma
•Journal Entries
•Dual POV
•Creepy Kids (kinda)
•Untrustworthy Characters
•Betrayal

Thank you to @jppomare @mulhollandbooks and @netgalley for the free copy to visit the clearing

In the book In The Clearing by JP Palmer The story is told from two points of view one is an overprotective mother Freya who has things she fears from her past including her stepfather her first child’s father in a unname secrets. The second is told from Amy who lives in a cult like setting with her mother Adriane father Adam nine sisters and brothers the new girl Asher makes 11 but she isn’t fitting in as well as the others did. It is set in Australia in the outback Freya is definitely a helicopter mom when it comes to her youngest son Billy The only person she trust is a detective she’s known for years now retired when A local seven-year-old goes missing it jars memories from the past it doesn’t help when she starts receiving flowers anonymously on her doorstep and her ex shows up looking for their oldest son Aston she knows someone is messing with her life but who? Amy is the oldest girl and has the responsibility of helping Asher fit in but all it does is help Amy get a glimpse of the outside world something she starts to contemplate despite it being against the group rules. Everyone has their breaking point for Freya it is when Billy goes missing and for Amy it is when the abuse becomes too much and in the end they both will have to fight demons to find freedom. Let me just say this book was OMG good it’s not your regular every day story but I do want to say I was so disappointed at who was causing all these problems for Freya I didn’t see that coming by miles,… Well played sir… Well played. This is a great book and it’s no wonder it was made into a Netflix series I love Smart intelligently done books and this one was a doozy it would’ve got five stars with the exception of my disappointment at the ending still a great read though. I want to thank Mulholland books for my free art via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate most of my review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This story had me gripped from the first page! The multiple POVs and the way they came together were brilliant. The story itself revolves around a cult and the author did a splendid job portraying it. I was guessing until the very end. Pick this one up you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book! I have seen others recommend this author and was excited to have the opportunity to finally read one of his novels.

The book chapters alternative between several narratives: Amy, a child; excerpts from Amy's journal; Freya, a mother; and the Watcher.

Amy lives in a place called the Clearing along with other children and some adults. Her mother, Adrienne, is the leader and guides the community. Adrienne welcomes a new child into the group and Amy begins to question her place.

Freya is a mother who keeps a close watch on her son, Billy. She is constantly worried about someone watching her and the possibility of losing her son, especially after she already lost another child.

The narratives of Freya and Amy eventually intersect as the timeline of these narratives is revealed. The plot twists were very surprising at this point and continue throughout the remainder of the novel, even until the very last chapter.

I was immediately invested in this book from the first page and read it in a single sitting. Books about cults have always piqued my interest and this one is no exception. I highly recommend this novel and look forward to reading more of Pomare in the near future.

I was so in to this book that I couldn't put it down. I fell in love not only with the story line but with the main character as she made her way through this journey. The twist and turns had me on the edge of my seat!

Psychological thriller centered around a cult. The dual timeline is interesting and highlights the differences between the outside (ordinary life) and the brainwashing and manipulation that occurs within cult groups. There’s some rawness and heartbreak to the story centered around the disturbing treatment of young children and touches on loss, trauma, and grief.

I think some parts of the story were a bit messy and dragged somewhat, I found myself interested in the topic and the plot overall but starting to lose attention as I went, the subplot with Wayne was a bit confusing as well as the children, which may have been overshadowed by the explanation of Freya’s past life. The story had a lot of potential but fell a bit short for me.

Told from alternate viewpoints, a woman whos child is taken, and also a child living in "The Clearing", aka a cult. Nothing is what you think it will be!
You really feel for these characters, I found myself feeling just as confused and unsure who to trust as they did.
I loved how this one came together. Dark, twisted, surprising, and engaging. I could not put it down.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into In The Clearing. I haven't watched the television show, but after reading the book, I'm intrigued. The story bounces between Amy and Freya and is set over a few days. I would classify the first half of the book as a slow burn as the story unfolds for Amy and Freya, along with Freya's son.

I was completely shocked by the major twist around the 50% mark, maybe slightly beyond. After that, the book picks up pace pretty rapidly. I couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed In the Clearing, and wish I had known about it when it first came out, but am grateful for the chance to read it now.

Thank you Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this book. I'm a real sucker for anything to do with cults. The story takes place in Australia and is told alternately by Amy, a young member of a cult living in an area known as The Clearing, and Freya who lives with her young son Billy at the edge of the North Tullawarra National Park. By the time I was half-way through this book I had trouble putting it down. It's very well written with short snappy chapters that are so easy to devour. The story is apparently based on a real cult known as "The Family" which was active in Australia from the 60s to the 90s. Fascinating stuff.

My thanks to Mulholland Books via Netgalley for the opportunity to read a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love cult books, but this one with both women being unreliable and the entire thing being so predictable, I just didn't love it like I thought I would.

I did not know this book was a series before I read it. Now I plan to watch the series and see how much different it is from the book.

In this book, we follow Amy and Freya. Amy lives in what is known as The Clearing and that's the only life she has ever known. She knows what is expected of her. She helps bring a new girl to their community and we follow her involvement with the child. In certain parts of the book, we get a glimpse of a couple of her journal entries.

Freya is a mom of a young boy. When a girl goes missing, things from her past surface. Someone from her past shows up and we learn more about her.

This book took me completely by surprise by the twist and turns that it had. I didn't see the ending coming at all and I had know idea some of the stuff that was going to happen. Stuff that I can't say in this review because I don't want to give anything away.

I highly recommend this book. It was a decent read and it didn't take that long for me to finish it.

Amy has only ever known what life is like in the Clearing. She knows what's expected of her. She knows what to do to please her elders, and how to make sure life in the community remains happy and calm. That is, until a new young girl joins the group. She isn't fitting in; she doesn't want to stay. What happens next will turn life as Amy knows it on its head.

Freya has gone to great lengths to feel like a 'normal person'. In fact, if you saw her go about her day with her young son, you'd think she was an everyday mum. That is, until a young girl goes missing and someone from her past, someone she hasn't seen for a very long time, arrives in town.

As Amy and Freya's story intertwines the secrets of the past bubble up to the surface. This rural Aussie town's dark underbelly is about to be exposed and lives will be destroyed.

Wow. Just wow. This novel was full of twists and turns. Great psychological thriller!

What a great book! Loved the short chapters and multiple POVs. This books kept me hooked from start to finish!

Huge thank you to Novel Suspects and Mulholland books for getting me this digital copy! I had no idea I needed to read this and am shocked it is not talked about more! This books had it all for me! From start to finish, I was invested in the storyline and characters! There are dual POVs with Amy, a child who is part of a cult in the clearing and Freya who is overly paranoid. She feels like she is being watched all the time and that someone is going to take her son, Billy. But the “why” to Freya’s actions are a mystery to the reader for most of the book. There are some seriously dark scenes and some shocking twists that left my jaw hanging open! I was able to guess a couple small twists, but not until close to their reveal and I was still shook! This book is filled with tension, murder, and so much mystery! Highly recommend for thriller lovers!

This thriller kicked into action right away and I was immediately intrigued about the Clearing and what was going on there.

I loved the multiple POVs in this one, and thought including a child’s perspective was a unique addition to the plot. Although I really enjoyed this younger POV, seeing such graphic things from the eyes of a child definitely makes them harder for me to stomach as a reader.

The chapters were short, pacing was spot on and I didn’t want to put my kindle down! I’ve been on a recent documentary binge about cults, so this story fell into my hands at just the right time.

Thank you so much to the author and to Netgalley for my E-ARC to read and honestly review!

I enjoyed the storyline and plot. Could have had better character development though. I would love to read more by this author!

After watching the television version, of “In the Clearing,” by J.P. Pomare, I was ecstatic to read the dual-timeline book about about a blonde woman obsessed with raising a brood of blonde children—whether by hook or by crook—by nature or by nabbing, Adrienne would have her fair-haired daughters and sons one way or another.

However, this convoluted ‘family’ saga that slowly meanders around themes of a bizarre cult; a narcissistic woman with a messiah-complex—who will do anything for her family and is a firm disciplinarian; child-napping and brainwashing; as well as adult traumatic episodes, sadly doesn’t quite live up to its movie promise and book promo hype.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author J.P. Pomare, and Publisher Mulholland Books for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

I could see why this was adapted to a Hulu miniseries. It had a great thriller feel that left me guessing. The characters were wonderful and I was hooked from the first page. JP Pomare does a great job writing this and leaving me wanting more.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
In May, I received a link to a sneak peek access to the series, so I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, knowing it’s based on a true story makes it very disturbing.

In September, I received access to the book through NetGalley.

There are quite a few differences between the two which made the book very confusing. I wish I’d read the book before watching the series. But there are so many differences, I think one of them would have been disappointing. My husband, who didn’t watch the series, thought it was outstanding.

Sincere thanks to the publisher for providing access to the book through Novel Suspects/NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own.

#NovelSuspectInsidersClub #InTheClearing #HachetteBookClub #JPPomare #netgalley #MulhollandBooks #littlebrownandcompany #Hulu #SneakPeek

From my blog: Always With a Book

This is the first book I’ve read by J.P. Pomare and it certainly will not be my last. When I was offered this book, I was also given the opportunity to watch the first 2 episodes of the 8-part TV series that is now available on HULU. Even though I hadn’t yet read the book – I didn’t have my copy yet, I watched the 2 episodes and it got me so excited for the book…and let me just say, the book was amazing! I haven’t gone back to watch the rest of the show yet, but I will at some point.

Give me all the cult books. I cannot get enough of them and this one kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I loved that the author took inspiration for this story from a real life cult…something I knew nothing about. Of course I went down the rabbit hole of my own research and just wow! I got chills just reading the actual research because Pomare did such a great job bringing it all to life in his book. This is why I love reading these books…I end up learning so much more than I ever realized I would.

This book has such amazing twists and turns and I never saw some of them coming. I love when I’m caught off guard and this one definitely did that a few times. There is such a sense of foreboding throughout the book and that really keeps things tense and has you glued to the pages just waiting for something bad to happen. And having the dual timeline worked so well as it kept me so engaged. I just couldn’t get enough of this book!

I loved this one and cannot wait to read more of this author’s work.