Review: 'The Roanoke Girls' by Amy Engel

If ever there was a book I didn't put down then it's The Roanoke Girls. Fascinated by the blurb I requested it months ago, but then somehow it ended up at the bottom of my TBR pile. Then, on a whim, I started it on a random Tuesday in February and I didn't put my Kindle down till the very last page had been read and devoured. Sometimes a book just hits you at the right time, resonates will all the darkest and best places in you. This happened with The Roanoke Girls and I absolutely loved it. Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 09/03/2017
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

A gripping, provocative thriller about the twisted secrets families keep, perfect for fans of The Girls.

Beautiful.Rich.Mysterious.Everyone wants to be a Roanoke girl.But you won't when you know the truth. 

Lane Roanoke is fifteen when she comes to live with her grandparents and fireball cousin at the Roanoke family's rural estate following the suicide of her mother. Over one long, hot summer, Lane experiences the benefits of being one of the rich and beautiful Roanoke girls. 

But what she doesn't know is being a Roanoke girl carries a terrible legacy: either the girls run, or they die. For there is darkness at the heart of Roanoke, and when Lane discovers its insidious pull, she must make her choice…

Quite some time has passed between reading The Roanoke Girls and now reviewing it, which is good because reading Engel's book had my head swimming. There are certain novels out there which simply have the ability to make you sit back and go '...no way. I mean, right? That did not just happen.' The Roanoke Girls is definitely one of those books. I had to go rant and rave on Twitter straight after reading it and there is still a part of me that simply wants to screech about it. I'm guessing it's quite obvious that I loved this book, although it s very difficult for me to pin down exactly why. So please follow me in the paragraphs below as I try and make sense of it!

At the heart of Engel's novel are the three generations of Roanoke girls. The novel largely follows Lane's story, intermingling her present with moments from her past, but also takes little forays into the lives of the other Roanoke girls that have come and gone. It was quite fascinating to see Lane's present through the prism of her own past and the lives of the other girls, as each new addition made everything make a little bit more sense. Lane is a very interesting character, clearly deeply scarred by things that have happened in her past but also unwilling to face those demons. On returning to Roanoke, however, it becomes impossible for her to avoid these demons since they're all around her. Without wanting to spoil anything, I think it is fair to say that the trauma at the heart of this novel is not for the fainthearted. The lives of the Roanoke girls are incredibly fractured and complicated, with a lot of darkness and misery. Combine this with the relative isolation of rural America and you have the perfect recipe for a high-intensity novel that packs an emotional punch.

Engel's writing is perfect for this novel. Her characters come to life in a way that feels gritty and real, yet she also never tones down on the drama that makes this novel so addictive. Dialogue in novels can feel forced sometimes, especially if an author wants to get across a character's complicated feelings. The way Engel addresses some of the quite, to extremely, controversial topics in her novel, however, never feels forced or awkward. Sure, it's shocking and there is also the excitement of reading something scandalous, but The Roanoke Girls never feels like an exercise in sensationalism. Engel manages to combine the stories of the Roanoke girls with a whodunnit-story, which keeps the pace high and means you never get tired of exploring Lane's mind and history. This is the perfect book to get yourself excited again, to feel the rush of wanting to turn every single page and miss absolutely nothing.

I give this book...

5 Universes!

I loved The Roanoke Girls and I still can't quite do it justice when I talk about it. Engel creates fascinating characters and a story that grips you by the throat and doesn't let go. The last page is both a relief and a disappointment. I'd definitely recommend this to everyone who like mysteries and thrillers and don't mind taking a trip to the dark side.