I enjoyed Amy Engle's succinct writing style in her story of a highly dysfunctional family and the incest that tears it apart. I was hooked by the story immediately and looked forward to when I could next sit down and read more. It reminded me of a catastrophe where the scene is horrible to look at, but I can't take my eyes off the carnage. The sex scenes were too graphic and weren't needed to grab the reader's attention, the plot and character were enough to do that.

If I had to give an award to the most disturbing yet oddly addicting book of 2017, I’d have to give it to Amy Engel’s latest release, The Roanoke Girls (Crown Publishing). In her first venture into adult fiction, Engel hits a homerun with this “gothic suspense novel” that tells the story of the Roanoke family, a prominent yet very private Kansas family. Everyone in the small, destitute town of Osage Flats envies the large Roanoke estate, but what they don’t know is that the large house is filled with horrifying secrets. Engel’s story picks up in present day, when Lane Roanoke is called back to Kansas to help search for her missing cousin, Allegra. Lane dreads her return to Roanoke, having fled the estate for Los Angeles more than a decade earlier, when she was sent to live with her grandparents after her mother’s suicide. Allegra’s disappearance is one in a long line of Roanoke women who have either died or run away (Allegra’s mother fled right after she was born), and Lane must solve the mystery of what happened to her cousin before it’s too late. The story—which weaves between the present-day search for Allegra and Lane’s lone summer at Roanoke when she was 15 years old—takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride through a dark family history, and the one devastating family secret that threatens to swallow Lane whole, but hopefully not before she manages to find Allegra.

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

What is with those Roanoke girls? More to the point, what is with their ever-so-loving Dad and Granddad? And how does the mysterious and glamorous Gran fit into the picture? Being welcomed home with open arms is not always everything it is cracked up to be. The Roanoke girls. They either end up running away or they die.

Subject matter will be a deal-breaker for some readers.

I had hard time writing this review. I have to say that I enjoyed the writing style and plot development. However, the central, underlying theme made me ill. I don't think I could recommend it to a friend.

'm between 4 and 5 stars...I definitely think the writing is 5 star, I just wasn't sure about the subject matter. I was disgusted by a lot of it but I also didn't want to put the book down. I'd like to hope that it isn't based on any true stories and that this sort of thing couldn't/doesn't happen but there is a lot of wrong in our world and I'm sure it's out there somewhere. After this one I think I'll have to read something a little more light-hearted, but I look forward to reading more books by Amy Engel because as I said I really enjoyed the writing and the way the book flowed. Thanks Netgalley and Crown Publishing for a chance to read this book!

I received an ARC via NetGalley/Crown Publishing for an honest review. This book comes out March 7, 2017.

I'm trying to gather my feelings on this one yet, so I may have to come back to this review and add to it. Wow... What a messed up family. What is with these Roanoke's!? You have a hint early on of what the family secret is and it doesn't get any easier to digest. Like other reviewers have commented, it could have been a very offensive read if presented in a different manor.

As the description reads, 15 year old Lane goes to live with her mysterious grandparents after her mother's suicide. She's uprooted from her life in NY and moved to a rural part of Kansas. Her grandparents expressed interest in her after her mother's death. This is something new to her, since she never felt wanted by her mother. Upon arrival, she meets her cousin Allegra who is around the same age. Allegra is...intense to say the least. And little by little Lane starts to figure out why her mother left so many years ago. Something just isn't right at the Roanoke farmhouse. After a summer, she finds herself fleeing just like her mother. She tried to leave the secrets behind, but eleven years later gets a call from her Grandad that Allegra is missing. She finds herself compelled to go back and find out what happened to Allegra. She also has to confront the people she deserted that summer without a word.

This was an insanely quick read for me, I think I finished it within 24 hours. While disturbing and uncomfortable, it made for a compelling read. It's one that will leave me with a lot of "why's." Ok, now I need to go think on it more and wait for others to read so I can discuss!

Oh the deep dark secret held at Roanoke. The homestead of the richest family in a rural town in Kansas. A family that has lived there for generations. A tradition of beautiful girls with long blonde hair who through the generations all looked like sisters. Girls whose lives have all ended tragically or unhappily.

After her mother's suicide, fifteen year old Lane has come from New York City to live with her grandparents and her cousin, Allegra at Roanoke. She knew from her mother that her family was mysterious, but she never figured out the secret. She lives there happily for a while until one day she discovers the secret. Then, she runs.

Eleven years later, she is called back to Roanoke when her cousin Allegra is missing. More secrets unfold after her return and those secrets are exposed to the reader as well as Allegra's whereabouts.
Those facts are haunting and chilling.

I found this book extremely fascinating and the secrets jaw dropping. I was definitely entertained. I would highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Crown Publishing for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I want to say thank you to netgalley, the publisher, & Amy Engel for the opportunity to read this gripping novel. If you are interested in checking this book out it hits bookstands on March 7th 2017.

Wow. Where do I even begin?

This book is not only controversial but also, twisted and disturbing. As messed up as this book was I found it not only a faced paced read but also very enjoyable.

“Roanoke Girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or die.” After Lane’s mother commits suicide she goes to live with her grandparents and cousin who she has never met. At the end of the summer Lane packs her things and leaves after finding out a secret that the family has kept hidden for generations. Fast forward 10 years and Lane returns after her cousin Allegra goes missing, Lane never thought she would return to Roanoke and yet here she is reliving the past she ran away from years before.

The author tells the story from different times. It goes from past to present and although at times it can be a little confusing, I think the story comes together much better this way. The reviews this book have already had are very mixed and it’s true that this will not be for everyone, however, if you enjoy stepping out of your comfort zone and want a story that will keep you reading I would definitely check this book out.

This is Amy Engel’s first adult novel and the first book of hers that I have read; however, I can say this will certainly not be the last.

I'm giving this 5 stars ("it was amazing") not because this is a great piece of literature--it's not; it's really lurid--but because I couldn't put it down. I love books with a dark fascination, and this had that in spades. Putting an exact content warning on this book would be a spoiler, so let's just say this is not for the squeamish.

The best description I can think of for this book is it's a cross between Gillian Flynn at her darkest and prairie gothic. It's shocking, the characters are a mess (as they should be), and the melodrama is turned up to 11. It reminds me a lot of The Thirteenth Tale--the same gothic sensibility and twisted family suspense. (And I loved that book too.)

Though they're a mess, I had a lot of sympathy for the Roanoke girls, as they're collectively known. But the true strength of this book, in my opinion, is its evocation of place. The house, the prairie, the sense of claustrophobia--these are written perfectly. I really enjoyed this book, and I'll look for the author's other books.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

It is so hard to give a summary of this book without ruining the big reveal, but I will try anyway. The Roanoke Girls tells the story of a deeply complicated family of women who struggle against the pull and dark secrets of home. Even though the protagonist, Lane, has gotten away, not unscathed, but must return again when her cousin disappears and the secrets of Roanoke must come to light.

This book is described as a mystery and thriller and it would be, if I did not see so many of the twists coming. There are layers of intrigue and questions, but I could tell early on the secrets of the Roanoke Girls. All sorts of questionable events occur that blur the lines between love and pain and deeply question the boundaries of love.

I enjoyed the novel, but it was not outstanding to me, more middle of the road. I cannot say I would read it again, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Flowers in the Attic and likes to read about deeply complicated characters and a family built on a fragile foundation of secrets and betrayal.

Amy Engel’s adult fiction debut, The Roanoke Girls, turned out to be more than I’d hoped for in theme, in characters, in setting and narration. Despite all of the deep, dark and twisty subject matter that a lot of readers are commenting on—followers of my reviews know that I LOVE the dark and twisty stuff; keep it coming!—this novel really struck me as a breath of fresh air, because the characters were all so real in their flaws. They all struck me as real people, people who you might meet on the street and nod to with a passing wave, never knowing the secrets they’ve got stored in their closets at home…

Lane and Allegra Roanoke spent one unforgettable summer together that neither of them will ever forget, a summer that neither of them ever really recover from. The Roanoke Girls all share the same distinguishing features: long dark hair, piercing blue eyes and bodies that few men can ignore or deny. But it is something much deeper that binds them all together: they’re all branches of the same tainted tree. Those who have survived have fled, and those who have died aren’t done telling their secrets. When Lane Roanoke’s mother commits suicide (no spoiler), she ends up right back at the beautifully sprawling home that her mother had fled from, only to one day flee herself. And when Lane’s cousin goes missing, Lane is drawn back to that same ranch in Kansas, the one that those Roanoke girls can’t seem to get out of their blood, the one that they’re all bound to, even in death.

Admittedly, the big secret was alluded to early on, but, honestly, that really helped this novel, because it allowed Amy Engel to take the time to peel back the layers of the family and each of the Roanoke girls, to answer the more important question of why rather than what. With that said, the reveal was less in the subject matter at heart than it was in the history behind it and how it came to shape this family and those around them. The reveal was in the sharp realizations, in the dagger-wielding dialogue and in how the other sisters’ stories wove it all together. In short, the reveal was in how Engel finessed the story rather than beating her reader over the head with it, and for that, readers who love this one will rejoice.

Engel was smart with the way that she executed The Roanoke Girls, because she did away with the unnecessarily large and pompous word count in favor of telling a resonating story with no fat or fillers. That’s something that I always admire, an author’s ability to streamline, to edit, to give the reader what they need, unsubmerged in minutiae. Brava.

This novel was a truly exceptional glimpse into the inner workings of a family with too many secrets, hidden behind a façade that too much money has a way of affording. It was bitter at the edges and dark at its core, while being written in a tone that was both clear and sharp. Aware. And often, those are my favorite kinds of characters—the ones who aren’t fooled easily, who shake off the wool over their eyes without feeling the need to wallow in or latch onto innocence and sheltering. I loved Roanoke for that, for allowing the characters to unfold and to be themselves without shame, without cowardice, without the masking of politesse.

Engel’s poignancy can be found littered throughout the narration. Each and every chapter ending will leave you with a flutter in your chest, maybe a sharp intake of breath. I was hooked from the first chapter of this novel, a rare feat that I’m glad to have experienced with Engel. This novel pulls you into the Roanoke world completely, utterly. You surrender to the soft turns in plot and the biting cuts of dialogue that scrape away secrets and cut you to your core. I will say, however, that I wish I knew more about Allegra and Lane’s mothers.

Roanoke teems throughout with the theme of abuse, neglect, heart-wrenching love, and the effects of too much of all it. It forces the question, “What does a monster really look like? Is it some heinous thing you can spot from miles away, or is it something more subtle—something you can’t identify until you’ve already gotten too close?”
Can you tell one from the other?
Well, can you?
A strong and deserved 4 stars. ****

So creepy! Mostly in a good way. I figured out the secret early on but I think I was meant to. It didn't feel totally fresh in concept but the voice was strong.

Received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher for passing it along.
This book focuses on the lives of The Roanoke Girls a family that lives in Kansas and the fact that the lot have either died or fled as a result. The novel introduces us to Lane who returns to the Kansas home, after leaving ten years ago, after hearing news of her cousin Allegra’s disappearance.
This book wasn’t very long but I found myself wanting to put it down when I got to the “secret” reveal. Other reviews make note that this book has disturbing subject matter so it’s definitely not a light read but it just wasn’t one that kept my interest after that.

This train wreck of a family is more dysfunctional than one hopes ever occurs in real life, although the premise isn’t impossible. As the story moves between “then” (when the main protagonist, Lane Roanoke, is almost 16) and “now” (when Lane is 26) you learn what the family secrets are and how each of the family members responded to the nightmare of a family.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find a single character likable except for the boyfriend of the main protagonist, and one had to question his judgment at any rate for being involved with the very nasty Lane Roanoke. (Lane herself admits she is more comfortable with cruelty than with kindness. And she is not the only Roanoke girl who feels that way.)

The family is extremely unhealthy and morally corrupt to say the least, but none of them seem aware of it except Lane, and even she feels the pull of the pathology that affects the whole family.

Evaluation: I felt like my brain needed a shower after reading this book.

It is never easy to face certain topics- incest being one of the more uncomfortable things to discuss. However, Amy Engel bases this brilliant novel of one family's twisted saga on incest and obsession.- and manages to not disgust the reader. Because of her deep character development, you feel as though you can understand how this family lives through years of adoration and sinful love, even though we know it's moral repugnance. I read this book in two days, unable to stop thinking about the character's pain, how Allegra, the missing Roanoke Girl, would come to be found, and eventually, towards the end, how Lane, the "last " of the Roanoke Girls would resolve her family conflicts. It takes a great author-in my opinion-to take a subject that can make you feel disgusted and dirty after its implication (incest) and instead inspire sympathy for the main characters trapped in this sick cycle. Wonderful, descriptive writing that brought the desperate heat of Kansas, and the despair of these love-starved girls into my hands. Looking forward to more of Amy Engel's work in the future!

The Roanoke Girls was beautifully written and a 2017 must read.

The Roanoke Girls is an interesting story, but fair warning, it contains sexual situations that may make some readers uncomfortable. Author, Amy Engel takes the reader back and forth in time weaving this tale. Eventually it all makes sense. I found The Roanoke Girls difficult to put down, mainly as I was invested in the main character and wanted to know what happened next. I was given an early copy to review.

Thanks Crown Publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

this is a hard one to review because I don't want to give anything away. If you like suspense, secrets, and family drama then this one is for you