Review: Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti

 

Print Length: 330 pages
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (November 01, 2020)

From Goodreads.com:  When Hannah Maloney’s aunt dies in a car accident, she returns to her family’s castle in the Catskills and the epicenter of a childhood trauma: her sister’s unsolved disappearance. It’s been seventeen years, and though desperate to start a new life with her fiancé, Hannah is compelled to question the events of her last summer at Brackenhill.

When a human bone is found near the estate, Hannah is convinced it belongs to her long-lost sister. She launches her own investigation into that magical summer that ended in a nightmare. As strange happenings plague the castle, Hannah uncovers disturbing details about the past and startling realizations about her own repressed childhood memories.

Fueled by guilt over her sister’s vanishing, Hannah becomes obsessed with discovering what happened all those years ago, but by the time Hannah realizes some mysteries are best left buried, it’s too late to stop digging. Overwhelmed by what she has exposed, Hannah isn’t sure her new life can survive her old ghosts.


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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

There were so many different tidbits thrown at the reader. Big ones, Small ones, things that seemed important, but weren't. Everything you can think of seemed to be included in this one. Which for me, unfortunately resulted in things getting bogged down, and the plot dragging on in a lot of places. 

Added to that, I found it hard to connect with Hannah as she seemed to become annoyed with everyone and everything around her (and her poor fiancé, he didn't deserve that either), or she becomes "furious" with herself. Get a grip lady, I know you've had a lot dumped on your plate, but you aren't actively doing anything about it either. For example, she knows her uncle needs to be put into a care home, but doesn't actually follow through until he's so far gone he can't be moved. And how convenient is it that she just happens to have the key she needs in her pocket? 

The ending also felt very unfinished. While it did tie up some of the questions surrounding Brackenkill, I felt like one very important thread was just left sort of dangling. Yes, we have a potential ending, but without one major piece of information, it casts suspicion and doubt on the entire thing. 

All things considered, this felt lacking on a lot of levels, but I may give this author another chance down the road. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Amazon First Reads. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.


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                                                            Girls of Brackenhill is available from Amazon.com


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