The concept of this book is engrossing and so unique, and while I felt like the characterization wasn’t quite there for me I still enjoyed getting to know our MC. This is a thriller and there were parts that kept me on the edge of my seat, however these moments suffered a bit with some choppy pacing that would leave me, in one moment, breathless, and 12 pages later disengaged.

A genuinely chilling, atmospheric read that's perfect for the spooky season! Love when a horror story has a mystery at its heart, and the personal connection for the primary heroine, and the framing of the story around a documentary film crew is done well. (Between this and Adam Nevill's Last Days, I realize I'm particularly drawn to "documentary crew finds themselves trapped in horrific happenings" stories.) This is also an easy handsell for folks who like Scandinavian thrillers; it has that particularly Nordic flavoring to it.

I read this back in 2021. Apologies for submitting my review so late.

This book still lives rent free in my head three years later. I think about how cold I felt reading the pages. I felt the ghosts and everything scary about what was happening before the big reveal. The imagery that Sten painted was so real in my mind. I think that's why I still think about it three years later. Like maybe the story traumatized me by making me feel like I was right there with them as they investigated what happened to the people in this town. In a way, it's like "The Blair Witch Project" in that you will never forget that movie (especially, if you saw it in the movie theaters like I did when it came out).

I've read both of Sten's works and I enjoyed both books. Looking forward to reading more from her.

3.5 stars. This book was a very quick read. Somewhat predictable but still delivered on the eerie atmosphere of the whole book. I really like the dual timelines. It was very satisfying to see the story play out as the past melded with the current time. When I first started, I really wanted to know all of the past to get through so I could see watch the story unfold in real time. But….sometimes knowing the past spoils the unfolding of the story. I guess that is why I am no author.

A smart, suspenseful, well-written horror/suspense. Complex characters make for a rich story with plenty of twists and turns (both big and small) along the way.

Oh, this book. I loved the dark, spooky description, and boy, did it pay off. I love Camilla Sten's writing style; I had never read anything by her before this, and was really excited to discover a new horror/mystery author of this caliber. The concept of a documentary filmmaker going to discover her past and finding much, much more was a great concept for the novel, and I can easily see this becoming a TV series or film adaptation. I kept thinking the "lost village" was real. Sten has a way of bringing you in and surprising you in turn after turn. Would recommend this book to any fans of movies like Midsommar or the M. Night Shyamalan catalog.

"The Lost Village" by Camilla Sten is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that immerses readers in a chilling mystery spanning generations. Set in the remote and eerie village of Silvertjärn, the plot follows a group of filmmakers as they seek to unravel the truth behind the disappearance of the village's entire population decades earlier. Sten's masterful pacing keeps readers on the edge of their seats, with each twist and turn ratcheting up the tension and suspense. The remote and unsettling atmosphere of Silvertjärn adds to the creepiness factor, creating a sense of unease that lingers long after the final page is turned.

The character development in "The Lost Village" is compelling, with each member of the ensemble cast grappling with their own demons and motivations. As they delve deeper into the village's dark history, their pasts come to light, adding layers of complexity to the narrative. Sten expertly crafts their relationships and interactions, building a sense of camaraderie tinged with suspicion and paranoia. However, while the characters are well-rounded and engaging, there is a slight lack of depth in their development, with some arcs feeling slightly rushed or underexplored.

Overall, "The Lost Village" is a nearly perfect thriller that delivers on its promise of mystery and intrigue. Sten's skillful plotting, eerie atmosphere, and well-drawn characters combine to create a compelling reading experience that will keep readers guessing until the very end. However, the novel falls just short of a 5-star rating due to its slightly rushed character development and a few plot points that feel unresolved. Despite this minor flaw, "The Lost Village" is a must-read for fans of atmospheric thrillers, showcasing Sten's talent as a master storyteller.

Starts slow, picks up quick. Overall, not bad, not my favorite. Loved the mystery and abandoned places.

This book's description had me thinking I was in for an eerie horror book, but sadly that was not what I got (at least not for me). I couldn't help but think "have I read this before" multiple times because it was just so similar to other books I've read marketed the same way but not at all thrilling or scary or eerie. Maybe this is a sub genre of horror that I am just not a fan of so because I'm not sure if that's the case I'd still recommend this to fans of the eerie. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a terribly scary and captivating book. I could not put it down! In an old mining village which is there one day and gone the next is already a spooky setting. No people, no animals, no nothing, just a very old town that has been deserted for years, and years. A very naive young filmmaker and her team, have come to the village her Grandmother grew up in, to try and find the reason for these bizarre disappearances. Her and her team are determined to figure out exactly what happened and why. But things don’t work out that way. Strange things start to happen, a laughing voice over their walkie talkies that no one recognizes, a stranger looking into one of the vans at the campsite in the middle of the night, no cell phone service and the village being derelict and abandoned for sixty year, so there is danger and a possibility of death and injury everywhere. The back stories of all the characters are well rounded and extremely interesting and I loved being able to dive into this book. 5/5 stars.

Incredibly creepy and twisty book. I enjoyed the fact that I couldn't predict the ending. Will definitely recommend and continue to follow author.

The Lost village and me on my toes some. The premise of the book was phenomenal. However, I did find myself drifting off from this book some. Either way, I would like to explore other works by this author and look forward to their next book.

I thought this book would be better than how well I liked it, sorry to say. I think the premise was good and that's why I read it.

It's told in two time frames: THEN< and NOW Alice Lindstedt is a documentary filmmaker who has a special interest in the little town of Silvertjarn, Sweden. In August of 1959, not only did her grandmother's entire family go missing from this village, but so did all of its 900 residents with the exception of two people: a woman and an abandoned baby. The abandoned baby is one of the characters in the story, but I won't say who. Alice sets up a small group of four to make the film and they take off to hopefully discover the truth.

As the blurb says, all kinds of things begin to go wrong but in a very mysterious way. It begins with one of the group seeing "someone" just standing and staring but the others think that it was probably someone else in the group...it escalates to all kinds of weird occurrences from there.

For some reason the two time frames didn't work for me. I'm not sure why it didn't work for me in this particular book, but I had a more difficult time separating the time frames than usual.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was deeply excited for this atmospheric horror novel, but unfortunately I could not connect to the characters, it felt too info dumpy, and I was bored. DNF'd about 45%.

From my blog: Always With a Book

I had this book sitting on my shelf since it came out and decided now was the perfect time to finally read it as I’ve been all about spooky reads and this just screamed that to me…and it definitely was! I’ve never actually seen The Blair Witch Project but I did read Camilla Sten’s second book, The Resting Place, and really liked it so I had to give this one a try.

I don’t read a lot of outright horror books but when they are a crossover with the thriller genre, I find I really quite enjoy them and that is what we have here. I think what I really liked about this one is that it’s just creepy enough to keep me on guard without being gory, which I don’t really care for. I loved how the story was told using a dual timeline, moving back and forth between the two. It adds such a layer of suspense that it just begs you to keep reading. And that cast of characters also adds to the intrigue – they all have their secrets and that helps build suspense as well.

All in all, I really liked this one and it was definitely a good pick for Spooky Season! It’s very atmospheric and quite chilling at times. I definitely recommend picking this one up if you haven’t already read it.

Marketed as The Blair Witch meets Midsommar, I knew I had to read it! I loved the horror movies vibes this book gave! Such an amazing debut by Camilla Sten! I will definitely be reading more of her books!

When the main character in a story is a mysteriously abandoned town, the promise of a good scare is guaranteed! Camilla Sten builds this excellent scare of a story in two parts, the town as it was just before all of the residents disappear and the town now, as a young woman comes in with a film crew to find the story of how an entire town could just disappear. She is descended from one of the missing families, has heard the story her entire life and is determined to solve the mystery. In a good book, she could solve the mystery and live happily ever after. But in a GREAT book, the town and it's spirit are determined to hold on to the mystery......this is definitely a GREAT book. You can almost hear the creepy music as you know that something is about to happen and you are going to be sorry you are reading after dark. Loved the book........

Despite the eerie description this book was neither thrilling nor horrific to me. Perhaps it would make a better movie? Or perhaps it felt too similar to other novels in the same genre to be of interest.

Spooky horror!! Don't read this one before bed... Could give nightmares. I thought this was a pretty good read overall.

*Thank you @minotaur_books for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Review but posted to Amazon/Goodreads because rating 4 stars or less.*

'The Lost Village' is an absolutely brilliant spooky tale about a film crew who set up camp in an old mining town whose residents vanished without a trace years earlier. Only two people remained, a woman found stoned to death in the town square and an abandoned newborn.Think the Blair Witch project but 100 times better!!!

Alice Lindstedt is a filmmaker who has been obsessed with "The Lost Village" since she was a little girl. The tragedy is personal because in 1959, her grandmother's family vanished as well. Alice gathers a small crew to go to this mysterious town and create a film documentary about what happened.

Shortly after setting up camp, weird things begin happening. Their equipment gets destroyed, and people start going missing. What actually happened all those years ago, and is it happening again? Perhaps "The Lost village" isn't deserted after all. It becomes terrifyingly obvious that Alice and her crew are not alone.

Sten did a truly phenomenal job setting up the atmosphere for this novel. In fact, the setting was my favorite thing about this book. Creepy abandoned town? Sign me the hell up! The alternating timelines were great. However, I did enjoy reading more about the past. I wasn't completely sold on the ending, but I didn't dislike it enough for it to change my overall impression and enjoyment of this book.

What a thrilling and frightening ride. "The Lost Village" is guaranteed to have you biting your nails and your heart racing.

As always thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review