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A review by the_joyful_book_club
The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I started this book last night, just intending to dip my toes in and see what it was about. Cue hours later and I finished it in one day and I could not stop thinking about it.
This story is told in alternating timelines, from Jessica in the past, and her sister, Lindsey, in the present. We also see a podcast transcript sprinkled throughout, as well as some articles regarding the missing women at Southern State University. Alternating timelines aren't usually my favorite but the author made this story and subsequent plotlines of Jess and Lindsey flow easily. Their voices were never too similar to the point it was confusing, and the story kept me engrossed the entire time.
Jess is gone in ten seconds. At least that's how six-year-old Lindsey feels when one second, Jess is there, and then she disappears for the rest of time. But suddenly, bodies start being discovered in a local lake, and the investigation comes back to life.
A reporter finds Lindsey at work and together, they start looking at Jess' life again, piecing together what her freshman year of college was like, and what secrets she was hiding. But there are so many shady characters: the professor, the boyfriend, and other men who came in and out of Jess' life.
This story has an underlying theme of men pursuing young women, and how this affects their lives and relationships and the culture around them. The rage that Jess feels as she realizes she can't really trust any of the men in her life jumps off the page and your heart breaks for her. It's sort of the first time she's seeing things fully and we see her having a lot of realizations about what she does, and doesn't, know.
The author also does an excellent job with Lindsey's perspective. It's interesting to hear her share her thoughts on how Jess' disappearance affected her life and the revelations she starts to have about her family and her life, as well as Jess herself. It all felt realistic to me and it felt like Lindsey was a true friend that I was hearing about undergoing a lifelong tragedy.
If you enjoy dual timelines, small-town universities with a tragic history, and podcast investigations, you will enjoy this one!
This story is told in alternating timelines, from Jessica in the past, and her sister, Lindsey, in the present. We also see a podcast transcript sprinkled throughout, as well as some articles regarding the missing women at Southern State University. Alternating timelines aren't usually my favorite but the author made this story and subsequent plotlines of Jess and Lindsey flow easily. Their voices were never too similar to the point it was confusing, and the story kept me engrossed the entire time.
Jess is gone in ten seconds. At least that's how six-year-old Lindsey feels when one second, Jess is there, and then she disappears for the rest of time. But suddenly, bodies start being discovered in a local lake, and the investigation comes back to life.
A reporter finds Lindsey at work and together, they start looking at Jess' life again, piecing together what her freshman year of college was like, and what secrets she was hiding. But there are so many shady characters: the professor, the boyfriend, and other men who came in and out of Jess' life.
This story has an underlying theme of men pursuing young women, and how this affects their lives and relationships and the culture around them. The rage that Jess feels as she realizes she can't really trust any of the men in her life jumps off the page and your heart breaks for her. It's sort of the first time she's seeing things fully and we see her having a lot of realizations about what she does, and doesn't, know.
The author also does an excellent job with Lindsey's perspective. It's interesting to hear her share her thoughts on how Jess' disappearance affected her life and the revelations she starts to have about her family and her life, as well as Jess herself. It all felt realistic to me and it felt like Lindsey was a true friend that I was hearing about undergoing a lifelong tragedy.
If you enjoy dual timelines, small-town universities with a tragic history, and podcast investigations, you will enjoy this one!