The Stillwater Girls won me over with its description of two young girls being raised secluded from the outside world and the potential repercussions of finding out their lives were a lie. Unfortunately, while the book has a strong concept, it lacks density. The plot is weak, at times contrived, and the last half feels forced and rushed. Considering the book is only around 250 pages, it's obvious how much room there was for the author to further nourish this novel. Instead, the skeleton of a decent story was published as a finished product. Quite disappointing.

I remember when I first picked up Minka Kent’s THE MEMORY WATCHER and thought – wow! This is an author I will have to look out for! As I had hoped, Kent drew me in immediately with her latest story. There is something totally irresistible about a crazy survivalist theme, and as soon as we meet the two girls Sage and Wren alone in their primitive cabin in the woods, anxiously waiting for their mother to return, I was hooked!

The story initially rolls out in two very separate narratives. Here we have the two young girls in the woods, fearing for their lives, and on the other side there is Nicolette, a wealthy but unhappy housewife living in a large mansion at the edge of the forest who is suspecting her husband of cheating on her. How are these two storylines ever going to intersect? I had a few theories and suspicions, which was half of the fun of reading this interesting tale. Kent’s writing flows easily, her characters come to life on the page and the whole premise was thoroughly intriguing.

I will tell you now that in a million years and with all the crazy conspiracy theories in the world, and after a few bottles of wine and perhaps smoking some green stuff, I would have never been able to guess the final reveal of this one! I do appreciate the pressure on authors to come up with a new, original premise and that “killer twist” that makes it into the “twister hall of fame”. Sometimes it works, and other times it pushes the boundaries a bit too far. This one fell into the latter category for me, but everyone knows that I am terrible at suspending disbelief. I think I would have preferred a more ordinary, boring plot, because the characters alone were enough for me to be intriguing and engaging. My jaw actually dropped when the story took a hairpin turn and went into the land of the implausible plotline.

But let’s focus on the things I really enjoyed: Kent’s writing. It flowed easily and carried me along, with characters that were intriguing and rounded. I loved the survivalist theme and the clash of worlds as the girls are being confronted with the commodities of 21st century living after growing up in a primitive cabin in the woods without ever coming into contact with the outside world. I think that this theme could have been even more prominent and I would have devoured every page of it. Then there were the husband-wife dynamics between Nic and Brant. I disliked him and didn’t trust him - at all. There was something selfish and arrogant about this man who seemed to expect his wife to give up her life to support his career. There was great potential here also – all my emotions were fully engaged and on the side of the sisterhood!

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed about 2/3 of this book until the bomb of implausibility dropped into the story and shattered my happy reading world. If you are a reader who prefers an evidence-based, traditional type of plot that ties up in a neat bow, then you may need to brace yourself and let go of that expectation. Readers that can shrug it off with “ah well, it’s fiction after all” will probably get much more out of this story than the doubting, eye-rolling Thomas that I am.

It says a lot that I guessed 99% of the reveals of this book before I reached the halfway mark, and yet didn’t feel shortchanged. This book was very gripping, one that had me itching to pick it back up when I was going about my day doing other things.

I love the way that the narrative strands slowly come together throughout the book, and how Wren’s early chapters in particular leave no clue as to the historical setting (or not?) of her narrative.

As clues are left throughout like breadcrumbs for the reader, it’s fun to figure out the red herrings among them and to try to reach the conclusion before the characters do. Yes, perhaps 43% of the way in was a little early for me to have put it all together, however I didn’t have certainty so was still thrown by a few more chapters.

A great, enthralling read.

Posted to Goodreads. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

*I received a Netgalley e-arc for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This was the first books I have ever read by Minka Kent.

"The Stillwater Girls" caught my attention from the first page all the way until the last. As the story progressed you kind of guess where the plot is going and you are right..until the plot twist....which surprised me a little (but all along I had a small suspicion). It has a bit of everything...mystery, murder, deceit and more. A great beach read!

Two sisters alone, kept off-the-grid, hidden secrets, a women on the search to find the secrets her husband is keeping

The Sitllwater girls captured my heart and I was hooked right from the start and wanted to know about them. I was rooting for them, confused by their circumstance and wondering how they came to where there are. The suspense increases as the story goes on and I was questioning how the two storylines are connected here.

Things clipped along at a fast-paced and I raced through this one quite quickly. I was flipping those pages in excitement as fast as I could till that big reveal came. Well everything came to a crashing halt once that reveal and some twists came in that didn’t really feel like much of a twist.
Now my detective skills are not the sharpest but I feel that even the best detectives would not see that ending coming or find it predictable. And having a dark and twisted thriller mind is not going to help you out either. Lol However that ending will give you something to talk about and I am glad I had a couple of my Traveling Sisters to chat about the ending with.

This was the story of a broken relationship and 2 girls that were left stranded. It all ties together in the end to in a good way but in a way that is a bit unbelievable. The characters were likable but some parts were a little slow for me. I give it a solid 3.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a tricky review to write. I absolutely loved this book for the most part. Two intersecting storylines told in alternating chapters with lots of suspense thrown in.

Wren and her sister Sage live off the grid in a cabin in the woods waiting for their mother to come back with their ill sister Evie who was taken to get medical help. Supplies are running low and winter is approaching and the mother should have been back by now.

Nicolette is in a marriage that is hanging together by a thread. Nicolette is suspicious of Brant’s motivations and actions and is hell bent on catching him being deceptive.

The world outside the forest is foreign to Wren and her sister but some knocks on the cabin door spur Wren and Sage to take actions to escape danger and seek out their mother.

Thus far I was all in reading until I couldn’t hold my eyes open.

Like most thrillers you are going to expect some twists along the way and thus book had quite a few. If you are totally ready to suspend belief then you will likely love this book but if you are the type of person who yells at books and wants more reality in your stories then you will likely feel the way I did. For me this book was too tidy and I won’t say more than that for fear of spoiling any of the story for the reader.

Thank you to @netgalley and #thomasandmercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a gripping and engrossing read that captured my attention almost instantly.
I really liked the two separate narratives almost like separate stories, originally seeming poles apart but connected and eventually merging into one shared conclusion.
I liked the back and forth style of narration adding tidbits and clues, drip-feeding the reader and creating a sense of mystery and intrigue.
So you have Wren and Sage living off-grid isolated with there mother and younger sister.
When their younger sister falls seriously ill There mother takes her for help promising to return but she never comes back.
With there, food stores dwindling and losing hope the girls need to make a decision on what comes next, that is until their hand is forced by events out of there control.
Nicolette lives at the edge of the forest with her husband Brent a successful photographer.
Unable to have there own family they are on the verge of maybe fostering.
But when Nicolette starts questioning Brents loyalty to there marriage and whether he still feels the way he did when they married she embarks down a rabbit hole of doubt and the deeper she digs the more she uncovers.
Two seemingly unrelated story trains that are heading on a collision course of impact.
This was an easy and engaging read.
A real page-turner of a story that I couldn't put down.
It was slightly predictable in places but the twist itself was excellent and caught me completely unawares.
I found this to be really well narrated with such a heartwarming finale and I am happy to recommend.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of "The Stillwater Girls"
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I received a free e-copy of The Stillwater Girls by Minka Kent from NetGalley for my honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Minka Kent. I give it a 3.5 star rating only because I didn't care for the end. I was very excited to read this because I had so many people talking to me about how good it was.

As soon as I opened The Stillwater Girls I was addicted, just like with all of Minka Kent’s books. I found myself wanting to know more with each page as I went and I read this in little under a day which is usual for one of her books. I loved the author's writing. I liked the first 3/4 of the book a lot more than the last 1/4. The story is told between multiple story lines

The first story line is of two sisters, Wren and Sage, who are raised in isolation in an off grid, primitive old house in upstate New York. The girls have been warned against civilization and live fear. They know nothing of electricity, power or even government. They also have a little sister who is very sick so their mom takes her into the city to be treated. She tells Wren to watch over her sister and to be good. Unfortunately, it has been two months and they haven't come back. Food is becoming scarce and things are getting eerily frightening.

The second story is about Nicolette and her marriage to Brant. A marriage plagued with problems. Nicolette believes she can't have a child. She also believes that her husband is unfaithful and thinks he has had a child with another woman. The two plots end up intertwining right when Wren and Sage escape the cabin. They are then taken in by Nicolette and her husband.

An eerie fast paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Raised in isolation, taught to fear the outside world, two teen sisters, Wren and Sage are left alone in their family cabin in upstate New York after their mother leaves seeking medical attention for their younger sister, Evie. Months pass while hope ebbs away, food diminishes, livestock dies, and fall is turning into winter. Then someone knocks on their door.

Nicolette wants to be a foster mother. She and her husband cannot have children. Her husband doesn't seem to be entirely on-board, but she notes he has not been himself lately. She believes he is hiding something from her and is being distant.

I was fully invested in the story and enjoying the book until well, it had me scratching my head thinking "You have got to be kidding me!?!" and not in a good way. I can honestly say that I did not see that coming! At all! Not once! Parts of the reveal worked for me and parts did not. I will say that this book was a 4-star book for me until the end. Still, I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the teens and their self-resiliency. I enjoyed Nicolette and her desire to help.

I enjoyed Kent's writing. I thought she did a fabulous job depicting the life of the two teens and their reactions to the world around them. I liked how I didn't quite know what was going on and how the two story-lines would intercept, but the big reveal took it down a star. Again, parts of it worked for me and parts didn't.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a new to me author and this thriller is amazing!

The Stillwater Girls is a story full of intrigue, it kept me guessing until the end and what an ending it was! I actually gasped when all the truth was revealed. 

This story also has hope and bravery, the girls are forced into a world they don't know and they handle it as brave as can be expected.

The premise of this story is scary and believable! I think that is what scared me the most.  The vivid pictures that Ms. Kent writes with her words will put you right into the scene.  Her descriptions were amazing. I caught myself reading a paragraph and then stopping to let it soak in.

I loved the alternating POV's in this story, each person's story (I don't want to spoil it) flows beautifully into the next.  

Read this book like a fine glass of wine, slowly sip and savor the words, you don't want to miss any clues and insights into what is going to happen next.  

I really enjoyed this story! I hope to add Ms. Kent's other novels to my TBR list.

Another great book from Minka Kent. This was a faster read but the story was still as enthralling and twisty as previous books. This dual POV story introduces to Wren and Nicolette, two woman who are introducing us to their lives from very different perspectives but then things change and the twists begin to happen. I don’t want to spoil anything but just know this was a great read that didn’t take too long and definitely had the twists and turns this Author is known for.

Wow! I finished this book days ago and I just don’t know what to even say! I loved this book so much I pressured other bookstagrammers to request it and read it immediately! I loved how it was written from different perspectives and kept my attention completely! I read it in under 24 hours. I just couldn’t put it down for very long! A definite page turner! I will be recommending it to everyone!

I blew through The Stillwater Girls in ONE sitting. The story captured me from the beginning (think the Village or Running out of Time), however, as others mentioned, the twist near the end kind of took me out of the novel. As a mother, I struggled with some aspects of the story.

Overall, I would say that this had a strong start and raced along until near the finish line.

** Thank you to NetGalley and Minka Kent for providing me with a review copy.

Wren and her sister, Sage live in a remote cabin in the woods in the state of New York. Cut off from the rest of society, the sisters were ignorant of the outside world. Their mother always told the girls that the outside world was an evil place and they were not allowed to go past the forest. For the past sixty three days, Wren and Sage have been left alone in their tiny cabin while their mother left with their youngest sister, Evie who needed medical attention. Before their mother left, she instructed Wren to never open the door for strangers. With supplies dwindling down and a harsh winter about to set in, their world is starting to take a deadly turn. Then, late one night a knock sounds at the door. A strange man claims to be looking for their mother and wants to take the girls away from the only home they have ever known. Instead of leaving with the stranger, Wren and Sage make a run for it. But, is the outside world all they were taught to believe?

Nicolette has been married to her photographer husband for over ten years. Their marriage has been perfect up until now. Her husband is hiding secrets and Nicolette is feeling the strain of their marriage. Her world is slowly starting to crumble, but just when she thinks she has it all figured out, Nicolette stumbles onto something least expected.

I really love how two different storylines are explored in The Stillwater Girls. I was left wondering how both stories would converge and while I had my own theories, I was quite shocked at the turn out. Honestly, I had a hard time figuring out the twists until they were finally exposed. Minka Kent did such a wonderful job at keeping me guessing all the way up until almost the end. Quite a few times I wanted to just take a peek at the ending, that is when I knew how much I loved this book.

I really felt sorry for Wren and Sage living off the grid thinking the world basically ended and living in such a remote cabin in order to survive. It is pretty sad to see two young girls and know they have missed so much growing up. Mika Kent has really penned such three dimensional characters with the girls and I could not help but feel empathy for them. I also feel Nicolette was also a stand out character as I delved into her life and that of her marriage to Brant.

While there were some issues with the story, I don’t think it took away from my enjoyment at all and found I could look past it for the most part. Unfortunately, it is not something I can even point out as it would also point out a major spoiler in the book. Regardless, I found the story to be suspenseful and engaging enough to keep me up way past my bedtime. I would definitely recommend to read The Stillwater Girls. It is a book a highly enjoyed!

This book is written from 2 perspectives. Wren, a 19 year old girl who has taken care of herself and her younger sister Sage. They have lived without running water, heat and very little food. Her mom has gone missing and she doesn't know anyone outside of there little cabin. Nicolette, a woman who knows her husband is hiding something from her, and is trying to find out what. These 2 stories collide and they are well done. There are some parts that I don't quite believe but I understand it has to be that way to make the story work,


What a wonderful book! I read this in one sitting, I had to know what was happening. I had to know the ending. It written well, I can picture the places in the book perfectly. The author is a very good writer. Very detailed imagery. Will definitely read her work again!!

I was provided this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for my honest review.

Overall I liked this book. I liked the story of two girls left on their own who end up having to leave their sheltered home to save themselves. I liked the story of the woman who thinks her husband is having an affair. I almost like how the two stories finally meet and end together. I say almost because we know how I feel about those neat little package type endings. And, despite a rather unbelievable twist near the end, this one was even tied up with a bow! Additionally, though I feel Ms. Kent tried, I do not think the characters were fully developed. They were only presented with what the reader needed to follow the story, all the characters having fit into their allotted part, instead of being characters that a story has been written about. I would have liked more!

Nicolette always wanted children but it didn't happen for her so when Wren and Sage show up at her door, having been abandoned by their mother, she doesn't know what to think. Wren and Sage, well they've had a hard time, living alone and frightened in the woods for several months- warned against answering the door among other things. Told in multiple voices, this has two stories which eventually merge. Keep your eye on Brant, Nicolette's husband. Wait for some twists, which you might actually see coming. It's still a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

To be honest at first it was hard to get into this book but then it got more interesting . I ended up really liking this book. I kind of wished there had been a point of view of the mother, maybe a diary. I wanted to know why. Thank you Net Galley .

You know those books that have all the potential to be great? That start with a premise that is so freaking exciting that you can't put it down?....Now, do you know those books that about 200 pages in add in a "twist" that is so just...UGH that it kind of ruins it for you? That's this.

Minka Kent has a good story here. Two sisters, left to survive in their cabin as winter approaches and the food supply dwindles. Think: The Village (a HIGHLY underrated movie, IMO.) Anyway, there's also the plot/plight of Nicolette - the poor little rich girl, whose hot, photographer husband is being weird.

Just....man. This was going to be so, so, so good, but then - as mentioned by me and other reviewers - the twist around page 200, turned this book into ... really? Come on! Territory for me.

Still - it was enjoyable.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.