A girl ends up dead on an island and two of the employees are blamed, sound familiar? In the beginning this book was giving me all of the Natalie Holloway vibes and was so ready for an interesting take on that case. Sadly, it slowly started to wander off into something different and it just wasn't fully working for me. The first 1/3 I absolutely loved and was definitely ont he verge of 5 stars., then it just started to drag on. I feel there were many parts that were unnecessarily added and completely lost me. We see the dead girls sister try to figure out what really happened and those parts I did enjoy for the most part. When we start to get into one of the accused murderers past is where it lost me. Also, the ending came out of left field and not in a good way. I still feel like its a good mystery if you want the character development and aren't expecting much of a thrill from it.
Received this book from netgalley for review.

This book was just too slow moving for me. I also didn't like the style of writing and found the story-line a little boring. It may appeal to other readers though. I got about half way through and had to abandon. It starts with a holiday on a tropical island when the older daughter of a family goes missing. The younger daughter later meets one of the workers who was a suspect but then released in NYC. That's as far as I got.

I enjoyed this one. Originally it was marketing as a thriller but I would more so call it a mystery. Still a goodread and I can't wait to see what else Alexis Schaitkin writes!

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!

Thank you Celadon and Net Galley for this ARC- I enjoyed the first few chapters, but I ended up DNFing. I tried to get back into it but I found that it was too drawn out.

I heard hype about this book and wasn't disappointed. It was interesting, full of little details, and character driven.

This book has been widely heralded and for good reason! The character development and storyline are both superb! I did not want it to end. Would definitely recommend!

4.5 STARS

“Did you ever wish something terrible would happen to you so the world could see how strong you are?”

Wow!!! What an impressive debut. I would not call this one a thriller per sebut instead is a wonderfully atmospheric mystery, with rich character development.

This is a slow-burn mystery, unlike any book I’ve read before. The story centers on the disappearance and death of eighteen-year-old Alison at a resort on the fictional island of Saint X. Told in multiple points of view and with alternating timelines, the story in particular focuses on the effects of Alison’s death on her younger sister Claire. Only seven years old at the time, Claire never really knew her sister, and remains profoundly traumatized by her death.

“You can’t bring the stars.”
“Why not?”
“You can’t carry them.”
“I’ll bring whatever I want.”

At the time of her death, the police on Saint X had quickly rounded up two of the resort’s workers Edwin and Gogo, who were possibly the last people to see Alison alive. But, it turns out, her death remains unsolved decades later. Alison’s death brought intense media attention to the family and for years remains the topic of online and public attention. The book shifts forward to Claire as an adult, and examines the different perspectives of those involved with her family. I did not expect such a profound examination of grief and class differences, and was pleasantly surprised and captivated by the story.

Claire becomes obsessed with one of the individuals who was accused of killing Alison. She has drifted away from both her family and her friends in her obsession to somehow develop a bond with her older sister. I loved the author’s incredibly vivid descriptions of life on a Caribbean island, and loved the different points of view. This book is not a fast-paced thriller but still kept me turning the pages until the very end! I could not wait to see where the story would end up. I enjoyed this book immensely and felt deep sympathy toward all of the characters.

Bravo to Alexis Schaitkin for an incredibly well-done debut novel!

This story had me completely caught up until all of the sudden it went from a murder mystery story of loss and growth to a story about a girl discovering her sexuality. The whole story changed and lost my interest.

This one just fell flat for me. The characters were cliche, the plot got boring quickly, and I just wasn’t happy with the ending.

I really liked this book! The plot moved along with ease and the characters were detailed and well developed and interesting. I would recommend this book to anybody!

Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to read/review this book due to other commitments. I will certainly update this review if/when I have the chance to read the book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

3.5 stars from me. The gorgeous cover drew me in and I am a sucker for an island setting. This book was marketed as a mystery/thriller... I would say it is an atmospheric, character driven coming of age novel with a bit of mystery. If you go into it knowing that, it is enjoyable. If you are expecting chills and thrills, it will fall flat for you. I enjoyed the set up and getting to know the characters as the story unfolded, learning how death affects everyone and how Alison had an impact on the lives of the people she met, even if only briefly. The novel dived into privilege, wealth, class, race, sexuality and described the life on an island fairly well. When I was younger, I worked on a boat that travelled to the Caribbean and when I had time to explore, I would go inland to see how the locals live. The disparity in living conditions was huge. I think the novel showcased that appropriately. I did not find the main character Claire to be likable, nor her sister Allison, they just oozed so much privilege and in the end they ruined the lives of the island men they used for fun and entertainment, Allison in Saint X and Claire in NYC. I really connected with Clive and was hoping he would go on to have a good life, after essentially being exiled from his island. The ending left a lot to be desired from me. I think I was looking for more concrete answers. This is a debut novel, so I will be curious to see what the author writes next, and would recommend this to my reader friends that like an atmospheric, character driven novel with a little suspense and don't mind open ended endings.

A twisty-turny summer beach read — set mostly on an actual Caribbean island. A young college student disappears during her family’s winter holiday. Nearly two decades later, her younger sister — who was seven at the time of fateful trip — tries to solve the mystery after running across one of the prime suspects in NYC. I didn’t see the main twists coming.

I knew going into reading this one that it wasn’t going to be a thriller or even read much like a mystery like the synopsis suggests, but I still found it pretty boring. I couldn’t connect with the main character, Claire, and thought the relationship she was building with the guy she thought played a role in her sister’s disappearance very strange. The ending left much to be desired.

The book did an excellent job of tackling race issues as well as the nuances of it. This is a particularly timely book and I was surprised a white author handled it this way with this truth.

This is another one of those situations where everyone else I know who read this book loved it. And I was one of the few that just couldn't get into it. I'm very picky and stuck up when it comes to my books. I always try to read new things. Sometimes that works well for me... And sometimes it does not. This was one of those situations. I thought the synopsis sounded amazing and I was really excited to read this, but I actually ended up not even finishing it. Which is something I try very hard NOT to do with any books. I just wasn't into it. But I was very grateful to receive a free advanced reading copy of it!!

I’ve got mixed feelings about this one. I loved the whole premise of a college-age girl on a family vacation on a Caribbean island who disappears and is later found dead. This is billed as general/women’s fiction but it definitely has a mystery feel to it as well. The first half captured and held my attention but the latter half not so much. This was definitely more character-driven than plot-driven. I definitely appreciated the writing and how the author skillfully utilized multiple povs. I wish the ending had had more resolution, but I do realize that that’s not what the author was going for.

College student, Alison Thomas, is on vacation with her family on the island of Saint X at a prestigious resort. She is a bit privileged and snooty, yet wants the true island experience so puts herself in some danger. She disappears one night and is found dead, washed up on the edge of a river or lake of some sort. Two employees of the resort are taken in for questioning but released due to lack of evidence as well as some ambiguous alibis. Most of the story follows the aftermath of Alison’s death showing multiple characters perspectives of the impact Alison’s death held on them. Some of the characters whose POV we heard were the people who lived on the island, but their stories really had nothing to do with Alison's death. Claire's story was the one that interested me the most and I probably would have enjoyed it if her story had been the main one. The main reason I listened to the end, was to get an answer to the mystery of what happened to Alison and we did, but it was a bit of a letdown after the lengthy story.

I am not even sure what genre this book actually fits. There is a mystery, there is some family drama, a crime and then some other stuff. As you can see, I was not enamored by this story, at times I was confused. It started off well and I got right into it, but about halfway through, it went off the rails for me.

What a stunning cover!
Saint X, by Alexis Schaitkin, is not an action-packed thriller, however it is a compelling story that kept me turning the pages. More of a riveting character study with a hint of mystery.
While on a family vacation on Saint X, college-age Alison disappears and is found dead. Many years later her younger sister Claire is determined to find out what really happened to Alison.
An engaging read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.