Thank you for the ARC. This book was not for me. I liked the description but the book led alittle slow for me. I could not get into it and did not finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. It did not influence my opinion.

Any mystery where I don't guess most of the ending before the halfway point is a good read. (Seriously, my husband won't watch Law & Order with me.) And I really enjoyed this one and only guessed a small part of the end.

From the beginning, I especially liked the chapters written from Wren's perspective, while it took me longer to warm up to Nicolette's character. Wren was much more of a go-getter and just felt like a stronger, more relatable character, although Nicolette grew on me a little bit more by the end.

I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

This book was so fast paced and well written I read it in one sitting. Three little girls living off the grid with their Momma being their only human connection. But momma has to take the youngest for help when she becomes ill, never to return. Fascinated?? I was hooked at the first chapter. Read this book to see how the remaining sisters survive being thrown into the real world.

If you like your mystery with some survival in the woods, this is for you. This book seemed to have a mystery inside a mystery added with some survivalist themes. You find that when you are alone in the woods, you have to be able to solely rely on yourself and your instincts. What happens when your mom disappears and a man shows up claiming to be a help? Who can you trust?

Minka Kent writes amazing stories. This is the story of girls living in the woods alone and what happens to them. It keeps you guessing until the end. The characters become as real as your family. I can imagine what Sage, Wren and Evie look like ! I loved this book as I did the Thinnest Air that Ms. Kent wrote. I can’t recommend this enough.

The Stillwater Girls is absolutely fantastic! Minka Kent can spin a tangled story like no other. I can’t say much about the plot without giving anything away, but I never ever saw this twist coming. Just when I think I have the story figured out, I’m completely blindsided in the best possible way. I love love this book.

The Stillwater Girls by Minka Kent is one of those few books that managed to grab my attention on NetGalley with a beautiful blurb and cover image when I was trying hard not to request any new titles at all. I was very excited to read this book and finally when I dove in expecting a mind-blowing thriller, I ended up marking it as another disappointing DNF read.

For some reason, I was not able to get past the first 8% of the book. Even though I really wanted to read this book, a couple of intolerable things led me to abandon this book even though when I almost made up my mind to simply skim over the pages in order to at least find out the mystery -
1. Chapters full of fragmented sentences for exposition which led to overtreatment of a technique I otherwise love and use in my own works.
2. Excessive foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is good, necessary even in thrillers for building suspense, but here it was too much.
3. I felt forced by the author to feel sympathetic to the girls living alone. It felt like the girls themselves (or at least the POV one) were screaming at the readers to feel sorry for them and their conditions. As a result, I simply felt irritation and nothing more.
4. focus on the unnecessary details and overall, the writing felt immature; it felt like the author wanted to go for Gillian Flynn's writing style but ended up totally botching it up.

All in all, I think this book has a lot of potential in terms of the plot, or so the blurb has led me to believe but failed miserably.

This book was excellent! The two seemingly unrelated threads of the stories captivated my interest from the first pages. Wren, Sage and Nicolette, all such sympathetic characters! I couldn't wait to find out what would happen with each of them. Almost midway through the book, their stories start to become intertwined, I couldn't imagine what would eventually happen, but I was totally engrossed in their stories and lives! Added to that was finding out the answer to the mystery of what happened to Wren and Sage's mother and sister. A totally enjoyable book; well written, no needless sex or violence. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and thank NeyGallery and the publisher for the chance to review an advanced reader copy.

Wren, Sage, and Evie live in a cabin with their Mama (Maggie) deep in the woods with no electricity or running water. Nicolette and Brant (a famous photographer) live in a house on the edge of these woods in Stillwater Hills, NY. The book goes back and forth from Wren’s story to Nicolette’s story.

I had never read a Minka Kent book and as I read the first three quarters of the book I was really sucked into the story and found it hard to put down. Why were the girls in the woods? How did Nicolette and Brandt play into their story, etc ? And then their separate stories started coming together. And, to me the book became unrealistic and rushed. Hence, the 3 stars!

I would have liked to known more backstory on Maggie and the man she bought supplies from and less about Nicolette and Brandt’s relationship. Their relationship was important but not to the degree it was discussed. I think if other characters would have been developed it would have given the book much more depth. And, without discussing spoilers, I found the conclusion ridiculous and unbelievable.

I was pretty impressed with this book! The suspense at the end of each of the alternating chapters definitely kept me up late to see what was going to happen next, and it had good pacing that was easy to read pretty quickly. I enjoy books that have two alternate story lines where you are trying to piece together how they intersect, and this was a fun one to try to put together. There were some pieces I figured out early on, but for the most part I was surprised by the various reveals.

Thank you to Minka Kent, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review!

From page one, I could not put this book down. I found myself completely caught up in the story. My interest was held throughout the entirety of the book. Not to mention, I felt that the two viewpoints were a wonderful way to tie the story together. Especially since the two viewpoints were so completely different. Sort of a very simple life versus an incredibly luxurious life. Both main characters, as well as supporting characters, really stood out to me. A majority of the characters and their personalities were believable.

The story line was not the most unique, however it was done in a way that was easy to get caught up in. I loved the major differences between Nicolette's and Wren's viewpoints. You could easy tell that they grew up in almost polar opposite worlds. There were a few things that I felt were thrown in there for "shock factor" or to help add a twist that may not have been necessary. That last few surprises definitely had me narrowing my eyes. However, overall, I thought the book was rather well done. After all, I devoured it in less than 24 hours.

This is a solid 3 stars for me. it was fine, i didn't get bored, and i read it rather quickly. I feel like it's a good starter thriller? For someone wanting to get into the genre who doesn't want much danger or suspense. It has an interesting premise, and I thought the cha

The big reveal towards the end was interesting, and built well throught the story, however, without giving anything away, i had a problem with it. It just rubbed me the wrong way. The wrap up was also a little too quick and tidy for me.

*Advance reader copy provided by Netgalley for review

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Two sisters raised in fear are about to find out why in a chilling novel of psychological suspense.
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I am of huge fan of Minka Kent’s other books and I have to say this now my new favourite. I absolutely devoured this. It was well written, fast paced brimming with suspense. The story was filled with characters that were so vividly described that you felt an emotional attachment. The parallel story lines worked really well for keeping a sense of intrigue and excitement. An amazing original story. Highly recommended.

Love books about people living away from the world but this one wasn't great. It was quite short but the story dragged and the final scenes were cringe-worthy.

I love Minka Kent.

This book was so different from her previous work, without the same jaw dropping twists, but it was SO good. The writing style is still amazing, and you get sucked in right away. Just fantastic.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher, and Minka Kent for the ARC of this book.

I have mixed thoughts. The concept is great and the writing is also very good. It grabbed my attention right away and kept me hooked... for the first half. The pacing was perfect at first, but fell off. I really loved the dynamic between the sisters and the themes of survival but I thought the “twist” was a bit of a reach and not quite in keeping with the tone of the story. I think this will be a hit or miss among readers. For me, it was ultimately a miss; but for the auhtor’s sake, I hope my opinion is unpopular.

19-year old Wren, 18-year old Sage, and 9-year old Evie live with their Mamma deep in the Stillwater forest away from civilization and the evils of the world. When Evie becomes gravely ill, Mamma must carry her out of the forest to seek medical attention...sixty-three days later they still haven't returned. Winter is coming, the chickens are dying, and supplies are running low. The girls have been warned about the dangers that lie beyond the forest. Afraid to leave their home, Wren is certain they will perish in the cabin. One night a man comes to the cabin, forcing his way in...He says he is looking for their Mother, a woman he seems to know. Wren devises a plan for her and her sister to escape, even though it means traveling beyond the boundaries they know...but what they discover will change their lives forever.

The Stillwater Girls is a suspense/mystery novel that begins with two young girls left in a cabin in a remote forest. It transitions between the story of Wren and Nicolette, a wealthy heiress and her photographer husband Brant. As the story progresses we soon discover that these two paths will cross and share a common link. I found the first two-thirds of this novel to be very intriguing and really enjoyable. The last third of the book had me questioning why this unlikely scenario was chosen. Another factor that felt a bit redundant was how often Nicolette talks about how hot her husband was and she couldn't believe why he chose her...so she side steps any confrontation with him. I didn't dislike her character at first but as her inability to cope and self-doubt continued on, I began to dread reading her chapters. Despite these purely personal dislikes, the novel was very well written and the majority of the story was very good. This is definitely a quick, casual, read that was enjoyable and entertaining.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #ThomasandMercer for this ARC

There are rumors that speak of the people living deep in the recesses of Stillwater Forest. Most residents of Stillwater Hills laugh at those stories and put them off to local folklore. But when two gaunt, disheveled girls show up on Nicolette Gideon’s porch, wearing threadbare clothes in the middle of winter everyone will discover exactly what has been hidden away for so many years.

Bravo to Minka Kent for elevating the standard in this genre. #TheStillwaterGirls is a nod to suspense writers who take the time to expound upon a plot through distinct, well-crafted characters and a narrative that continues to compel the reader forward. It makes its impact without a steady stream of violence and that high- tension underpinning that most novels of this genre lean towards. It is raw, emotional, and serendipitous with just the right amount of shock value. Highly recommended. 5 Stars.

Thanks Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this was minding blowing and nothing like what I expected.
I will not give away any spoilers, suffice to say that this is a compulsive unpredictable mystery thriller at its best. Happy reading!

This was a wonderful surprise! I really enjoyed this book and the premise of the story! I Truly thought someone else was the "bad guy" but the book took a nasty twist at the end that I didn't see coming! I would recommend this to anyone! The market is getting flooded with mystery/thrillers but this one surpasses a lot of them. I am going to have to check out other books by this author.

Welcome to Stillwater where children have been known to disappear. Meet Nicolette a lady with money MC who has been longing for a child. Intertwine a husband, a child narrator and lots of money and you will be on a ride of your life!!!