This is a coming of age novel/race relations novel. It tells the story of a white privileged family on vacation with their 2 daughters, however the oldest daughter dies under mysterious circumstances. The main narrator is the younger daughter who is haunted by her sisters life and death. It is an excellent book club book as it touches on race, privilege among other topics. Highly recommend!

Saint X was a fabulous read, and the perfect escape from dreary New England in the winter. Alison Thomas and her family take a tropical vacation every year, but this year, they visit Saint X (an island seemingly like St. John, St. Thomas, St. Lucia, etc.) Alison feels confident in herself – she’s pretty and she knows it. While sitting on the beach, she starts to seduce two of the workers at the hotel, Clive and Edwin. Both of them are Saint X natives and find excitement in the novelty of Alison’s interest in them.

Behind the scenes, Alison is leaving her room at night to explore Saint X and visit local haunts with Edwin and Clive. When Alison goes missing, the two of them are the island’s first suspects – but they are acquitted.

Surprisingly, this book is narrated mostly by Claire (Alison’s younger sister), who deals well with the disappearance of her sister until she becomes a young adult living in New York City and ends up in Clive Richardson’s taxi cab.

This book has so many layers – so many twists and turns. I really enjoyed this book, and felt like there was a surprise around every corner. Many narrators piece this story together, and each provides another layer to Alison’s story. Claire’s troubled current state is relatable, even when she takes it a step too far. Saint X is a great winter read!

This book was on my list to read when I receive the ARC. Thank you Celadon Books for this one! This book is set to be released on 2/18/20. I would definitely recommend adding this to your list of books to read! This book takes place on the beautiful island of Saint X. A family goes to vacation with their daughters and tragedy strikes. This book takes us through the lives of those affected by the loss of a young girl. The book takes you on a journey to the past, the present, and the future. The author does an amazing job of bringing the whole story full circle. This book is one I would highly recommend friends. I really enjoyed it. #ReadSaintX and #CeladonReads

Do not be fooled, Saint X is not just another murder mystery-- it's a journey. It's a tale of multiple families, of the preconceived ideas that become projected onto people, and inescapable growing obsession. Claire thinks she's mistaken when her taxi driver has the same name as her older sister's alleged murderer-- but her eyes do not deceive her, and she wriggles her way into his daily life, determined finalize the truth of the unsolved case. Schaitkin's writing is multifaceted and mysterious, leaving me slack-jawed on several occasions. Saint X is a captivating literary thriller, sure to pull you in with its tide.

This has been one of my most anticipated 2020 releases for quite a while! The cover is what first drew me in, but the blurb is what hooked me.

In the winter of 1995 we meet the Thomas family, consisting of Alison, Claire and their parents on a family vacation in the Caribbean. Very quickly you get a feel for the family dynamics and mood of the trip. There’s a significant age gap between the sisters, the family comes from wealth and privilege, etc. Their parents act as most people who can afford luxury resort holidays do: searching for a vague sense of ‘authenticity’, but unwilling and unable to accept accommodation less than they’re accustomed to. When Alison disappears and is discovered several days later, there’s an added layer of outrage. This type of thing just doesn’t happen to people like them. To girls like Alison.

But it feels like that’s all we hear about, doesn’t it? Perhaps I’m not the only one who noticed several beats of this story line up with some we’ve heard before. The first one that comes to mind is Natalee Holloway—missing 18 year-old American girl, one white & two non-white suspects, Caribbean island vacation—but there’s one huge difference so far: a body. The Natalee Holloway case is one of the most dissected investigations I can remember being flashed all over television, and with some of the fewest concrete answers. That’s the one thing I wanted going into this book, more than the Aruban shoulder shrug we got with her.

Though it’s a little more complicated than that, as it turns out. This isn’t the story of a hard-fought battle for justice against some deranged killer. That’s probably where some other reviews were marked down a star; this is a novel, not a thriller. It’s built on the back of a mystery, but that’s not the route that Alexis Schaitkin decides to pursue. There’s an examination of trauma and how we respond to sudden loss. A lot of time is spent with coping and deciding if a person can really ‘start over’. We see how media narratives twist and bend someone else’s misfortune to fit whatever bill they’re trying to sell. People project themselves onto tragic figures and they immortalize them in ways that are different from how they really were.

One of the subjects Schaitkin scrutinizes well is how race, privilege and prejudice can cast people into roles they don’t align with. You just can’t divorce one from the other in cases like this. One victim in one tragedy can ripple out and create new ones. The author doesn’t shy away from the unfairness of it all, she leans into it. In the same breath a victim can be scrutinized and blamed for her own death, but her alleged assailant can be villainized to the point where you are expecting to see him with fangs and horns.

If you’re wondering if there’s some sort of conclusion, if the initial question is resolved, I’d say yes, at least in the ways that matter. There’s a lot left unsaid and seemingly unfinished, but that’s intentional. Not much in life gets a perfectly plotted ending where you have some touching last words, drive off into the sunset or solve the problem to immense personal satisfaction. “With the truth we will do what, become what? And in gaining the truth, what do we lose?”

“Saint X” by Alexis Schaitkin is a literary thriller involving teenage girl , Alison. who is found dead on the island of Saint X while on her family vacation.
Decades later younger sister Claire runs into one of the suspects and becomes determined to find out what really happened.

I enjoyed the book. The writing was good and the mystery kept me turning the pages.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

When I first read the description for Saint X I was so excited to read this story. I ended up being highly disappointed with it. The story really dragged out and I struggled to finish it.

The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of five, was I felt that the period of time Claire spent running around New York chasing after who she thought killed her sister was just a bit drawn out and unrealistic. That being said, I really enjoyed this book, I read it over a weekend. I love the style of the writing. The author kept every character clear and well developed in my mind. The narrative switching from one character to the other was very satisfying. It gave The reader many viewpoints and experiences with Allison. I would highly recommend this book to friends and family. Although at times it was heartbreaking. It did give good examples of how resilient people can be thank you for my advance copy.

The worst nightmare of any family, “Saint X” explores the aftermath of a sisters disappearance on a family vacation.

Part character study part thriller - this debut did a solid job of sucking me in and keeping me guessing. The unreliability of the characters adds a depth and grounding reality to the story.

Overall, I found this to be a solid thriller with a character heavy plot. If you like character driven thrillers with realistic endings you’ll devour this book.

I took a few days to wrap my head around what this book was about, and I always try to find the best in books, the little gems that folx miss out on, but unfortunately, I couldn’t in this book. I remember the Natalee Holloway story and when I read the synopsis that’s the vibe, I took from it. Great! It would be so interesting to read a story on how a family copes in this situation, but I felt the book was all over the place and there were no real connections or explanations on why and how the characters were connected. Also, the racist commentary was unnecessary. It made no sense on where “privilege” fits into the story. IDK, this book was way off on some many levels.

I received an ARC from Celadon Books via Netgalley all opinions are my own.

Saint X is the story about a family of four who goes on their annual Christmastime holiday to a tropical destination and return to their lives in New York City with only three members. More particularly . . . .

"What is known about the night Alison disappeared: At approximately 8 p.m. she met the blond boy by the swimming pool, a fact confirmed by an elderly security guard named Harold Moses. They went to the staff parking lot and smoked a joint together. At 8:30 p.m., the boy arrived at the hotel bar without Alison. At approximately 10:15 p.m., Alison returned to the parking lot, where Edwin Hastie and Clive Richardson picked her up in Edwin’s car, a 1980 Vauxhall Astra, eggplant in color, and the three of them drove across the island to the Basin. They spent two hours at a local watering hole called Paulette’s Place, where my sister was seen with the two men, smoking pot and drinking rum and dancing. Several patrons at Paulette’s Place confirm that she departed with the men at approximately 12:45 a.m. At 1:30 a.m., a police officer named Roy Cannadine pulled the Vauxhall Astra over on Mayfair Road for erratic driving. Only Clive and Edwin were inside . . . ."

I know it’s against the “rules” to quote from a not-yet-published book, so please note the above may change/not even be in the final version, but I think it’s important to acknowledge the pink elephant in the room that is automatically going to make many readers' minds go to Natalee Holloway. And that is absolutely okay because obviously the jumping off point of this book is truly “ripped from the headlines” – just don’t expect the end product to be some Nancy Grace titillating twisty turny over-the-top type of thriller. If that’s what you’re looking for, there’s a solid chance you will end up becoming a “wrongreader” like so many others (myself included – times infinity, sadly). Same goes for . . . .

"For readers of Emma Cline’s The Girls and Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies."

First, because I’ve never read Fates and Furies so I have no clue (but it did receive a lot of stinky ratings from my friends), and second because THE GIRLS???? That thing was a turd and it is nothing like this. Nope. This is the story about the people affected most by the disappearance/presumed death of Alison – even years and years and years after the fact. It’s a story about how one event can change lives forever. It’s about grief, and a bit about obsession (but again, not in some sort of tabloid television type of way). And if you really feel the need to compare it to another author? Make that author be Ivy Pochoda because if you like the way she delivers a story there’s a good chance you’ll like this too. The blurb is right about the ending, though. It comes out of left field and makes you have some unexpected feels. For those looking for shock and awe? Readjust your expectations and give it a go because this is real good.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When Claire is seven years old her family takes a tropical vacation on the Caribbean island of Saint X. On the last night of their resort stay Claire’s older sister Alison disappears. Alison is found dead several days later and two employees at the resort are accused of her murder. Without any evidence against them they are released and the murder remains unsolved.

Many years later, Claire is now all grown up though her sister’s death still haunts her. Claire is living in New York when she happens to run into Clive, one of the men who was accused in her sister’s death. She becomes obsessed with her sister’s life and death, following Clive around New York and delving into the journals her sister left behind. She is determined to find out answers to all of her unanswered questions.

This book begins with some beautiful descriptions of the island of Saint X and the resort life. Initially the book gives a very strong sense of the place where Alison’s death takes place. I really enjoyed the author’s descriptive language and the background she creates for the characters.

While the primary focus is on Claire’s POV, the author shifts between multiple POVs (which is assisted in audio by the use of a very large cast of narrators). At times I felt that there may have been a few too many perspectives, some of my favorite parts of the novel were hearing about Clive’s history. We get to hear quite a bit about his early life and his relationship with his childhood friend, the man accused along with Clive in Alison’s death.

While there were some portions of the story that I did enjoy, overall it felt like the novel was taking on too many perspectives and this at times made the narrative hard to follow. Though this comes up with mystery and thriller genre tags, it really is more of a character study of the various players. For me, this wasn’t a mystery with a satisfying reveal in the end.

I was left with some mixed feelings on this one, but it definitely had an interesting premise that drew me in. SAINT X will be released on February 18, 2019.

At the age of 7 Claire and her family go on vacation to a resort in the Caribbean island called Saint X. On the last day of Vacation Claire's 18 year old sister Alison goes missing. Her body ends up being found and nobody is charged with the murder.

This story had chapters written in 3rd person which was hard to read when I prefer first person. I did enjoy some of the back story on the characters and enjoyed these chapters very much. I found the book a little long for what it was about and I had a hard time enjoying any of the characters. I couldn't stand Claire and her stalkerish ways. Either way it was more about the characters then anything else. 3 1/2 ⭐⭐⭐ from me.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for providing an ARC of this book for an honest review.

I love when a book grabs me right from the start and that is exactly what Saint X did. The book moves at a steady pace and I really loved the writing style. I think this would make a great book club pick also. Lots to discuss between these pages!!

This is one to watch for and it comes out February 18, 2020.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

What a debut novel! The writing is exceptional, character development is outstanding and there isn’t a slow spot in the entire book. An excellent book that will keep you engaged from start to finish, and beyond.

The Thomas family has picked the Caribbean island of Saint X to spend their winter vacation. 18-year old Alison is on a school break from Princeton and 8-year old Claire is the shy younger sister who idolizes her sister. On the last night of their vacation, Alison disappears and the search ends a few days later when her body is discovered on a nearby cay. Two local men, Clive and Eddie, are arrested. They are employees at the resort and have been seen partying with Alison, including the night she disappeared. However, given the timeline and lack of evidence, they are soon released. Nonetheless, the Thomas family believes their alibis have been fabricated by the locals in order not to disrupt the tourism to the tiny island.

The Thomas family dynamics are defined by Alison’s death and lack of answers. Yet, life goes on. 18 years later, Claire is living in New York. Her relationship with her parents is strained, and Claire still wonders about the sister she never really knew. When she enters a cab and realizes Clive is the driver, Claire is sure that he holds the answer to what happened to Alison. She is obsessed with Clive, and begins stalking him in hopes of gaining answers. I don’t think I will tell you any more of the story, but it is gripping.

The story is told from many perspectives: Alison, Claire, Clive and others. The other characters may only be a few paragraphs, but they show such different perspectives and help paint a picture of Alison. The book has a lot of themes--tragedy, grief, strength, resilience, obsession, race, privilege, relationships of all kinds, coming of age--but they are brilliantly woven together.

If you are looking for a novel with a lot of depth, I recommend this highly!

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Alexis Schaitkin’s debut novel Saint X had me HOOKED! The premise is what initially drew me in, but the intriguing storyline is what kept me glued to my kindle. I thought Saint X was going to be primarily be as suspense/thriller, but I felt it went more into the general fiction genre (which completely worked)! I really enjoyed Alexis’s writing style and I can’t wait to read more from her!

This book gives new meaning to the phrase 'slow burn'. I have no idea how long it actually is/will be when it is released, as I read it on the Kindle app on my iPad, but it felt like it went on forever, as if it was trying to emulate the ocean surrounding the fictitious island for which it is named. Overall, it's well written, but I think the cover art and the subject matter made it seem more like a thriller or beach read, when in reality, it's literary fiction, with thriller elements. The characters are all well developed, with their imperfections on display, but charming in their own rights-- of course, given how drawn out it is, I'd be very disappointed if they hadn't been fully developed.
My favorite parts were the point of view interludes by tertiary characters, which demonstrates the ripple effect that tragedies can have across people who you otherwise might not think about being affected. The visage is also painted with beautiful depth, though it was long-winded for my taste. I expected that once Clive was re-introduced, the action would intensify, but it continued to meander right up through the final chapters. I found myself skimming through the tangential memories, wishing that more would develop between Clive and Emily in the 'present' of the book, but every time something started to progress, it seemed like we'd be transported back to some other anecdote.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of Saint X.

First, Saint X is categorized as women's fiction, when I feel it should be literary fiction.

Second, the writing is beautiful, sharp metaphors and descriptions and a great sense of place.

Third, I was looking for a thriller-type story, whereas Saint X is more of a character study; a story about how the death of one young woman shaped the lives of not just her family, but her social circle, her acquaintances, the lives of everyone she touched or barely knew.

Years ago, Claire's sister, Alison, was found dead during a family vacation on Saint X. When Claire inadvertently gets into a cab driven by one of the men suspected of her sister's death, she becomes obsessed with him, and what he may know about Alison's life and death.

There is a lot of exposition into Claire's life, the men on the island, their lives and background, and yet despite all the rich details, I couldn't identify with anyone, least of all with Claire or Alison.

In fact, I found them both to be superficial and entitled, shallow and brittle individuals.

I'm not sure if the author intended for this, or it's just me, but the more I read, the less I liked Claire and Alison. At times, I found myself drawn to the minor characters, such as their parents or Clive's baby mama.

The writing is great, and I enjoyed the twist at the end but this could have used a tighter edit so the pacing flowed and nothing of the narrative would be missed.

This one had such potential. I was immediately drawn into the story but sadly it quickly derailed for me. I felt it jumped around a bit too much and I just wanted to know what had actually happened on saint x.

This is not your "run of the mill" mystery, instead it is a multilayered story told from shifting viewpoints that will have you thinking long after you finish reading the book.