Release Date: April 19/2016
Acquired: Print arc sent by publisher
Goodreads: ADD
Purchase: Amazon/Indigo/Book Depository
Zoe Rutherford wasn't sure what she was expecting when she returned to Sullivan's Island. The house on Sullivan's hadn't represented home to her in decades. It was the place where she endured her father's cruelty. It was the place where her mother closed herself off from the world. It was the place where her sister disappeared. But now that her parents are gone, Zoe needs to return to the house, to close it down and prepare it for sale. She intends to get this done as quickly as possible and get on with her life, even though that life seems clouded by her past, both distant and recent. But what she discovers when she gets there is far beyond her imagining and will change her in profound ways.
THE GIRL WHO STAYED is a remarkable exploration of the soul by a writer with a rare talent for reaching into the hearts of her characters and her readers, a novel of transformation that will leave you moved and breathless.
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I drove home from work today with this book lingering on my mind. I've come to the conclusion that I don't know how to completely appreciate it, nor can I completely disregard the quiet storm it created at my core. The best I can describe The Girl Who Stayed is this: it was a subtle psychological thriller masquerading as a cozy mystery.
The cozy elements were all there: the small town, the southern hospitality, the home cooked comfort food attached to friendly neighbours. The air of danger lingered, but was not imminent. There were no mind-numbing twists, or heart-stopping revelations, at least no bluntly stated ones. The story began and ended with Zoe Rutherford. We followed her shape-shifting storyline along a jagged mental state. Her sister's disappearance 31 years ago was the catalyst, her 8-year long abusive relationship, intermingled with flashbacks of an abusive father, played the role of the sand between the rocks. Zoe has come back home, with the intention of fixing up her family home to be sold, or to find out what really happened to her sister? We were pulled slowly along as she attempted to figure it out.
To say this book moved at a glacial pace would be a little harsh, but it wouldn't be completely untrue. The first 3/4 of it was spent in a haze, as Zoe spends time reminiscing on her past, describing every last detail of her present (I now have an overwhelmingly thorough understanding of stair construction), and questioning her future. It was such a frustrating state of mind to be in, the most odd state of limbo. I KNEW with all of the knowing in me that something grim and grisly and all-around uncomfortable would rear it's head at the end, but the road to that reveal was just so....calm. So soul-searchy, and normal. But it wasn't the kind that when the huge BOO! was revealed, you jumped 5 feet out of your seat. It was dark, but the most dull shade.
I feel as though I should end this review by telling you that the descriptions I used to explain The Girl Who Stayed is not a direct reflection of how I felt about the book. Because I enjoyed it for the most part, and was surprisingly satisfied with it's vague conclusion. It's just that I experienced such odd feelings of uncertainty while reading this narrative, like I was being kept in front of the veil, unable to peek behind it to see the gruesome, horrifying truths.
With that said, I obviously enjoyed being kept partially in the dark, because Miss Crosby will definitely be getting my business again.
Recommended for Fans of: Mind of Winter Laura Kasischke, The Starter House by Sonja Condit, A Line of Blood by Ben McPherson, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Mystery.
Challenges: Goodreads 50 Book Goal
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| credit: author's Goodreads page |
Tanya is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her first romance novel “Angel of fire” was published in 1992 for Avon Books. She is a five-times nominee for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and her novels have been translated into Spanish, German, Italian, French, Russian and Chinese.
CONTACT LINKS
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Thank-you to Trish at TLCBlogTours, and The Story Plant for sending me a print arc to read and review for this tour! 
"a subtle psychological thriller masquerading as a cozy mystery" Wow ... talk about getting something different than you expected! This sounds like one of those books that really seeps in to the reader's mind and sticks there for a long time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour!
I love books that create a "quiet storm at my core!" Those are the books that stick with me the longest.
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