There's a saying that children learn what they live. For 9 yr old Wendy, she learned that summer was for being a child, living with few restrictions and learning about life with her friends. When the community she lives in suffers an extreme trauma, Wendy and her friends listen to the adults talking and try to figure out what had changed in their world. But they still had "five things" that they need to know. They will live their whole lives learning these things.
Reading this book took me back to my childhood summers. Beth Merwood weaves an emotionally charged story that will touch each reader in a different way. This is definitely a 5 star read that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a touch of thriller, a touch of women's fiction and a touch of evocative history.

I’m always a little apprehensive about thrillers with children as the main protagonists. My misapprehensions were quickly quelled with the introduction of Wendy. She’s fierce and intelligent, often wise beyond her years, with a curiosity that draws the reader into a mystery with many twists and turns.
This books was one I had a very difficult time putting down. It was a captivating and thrilling read.

This book was so exceptional. The suspense was heart stopping and I couldnt stop turning the pages to find out what was happening. I really connected with the characters. This book pulls you in right from the start.

“The Five Things” is an evocative, gentle book that pulls you into its beguiling world slowly.

We first meet Wendy, the main protagonist and our narrator, when she is a young child, aged around nine, , living in the South of England in a small coastal village. With her three best friends - Anna, Naomi, Sam - along with several other village children, Wendy initially appears to have a blissful childhood, particularly during the long summer months when the entire troupe is free to roam and explore the village fields and seaside.

“The summers always seemed long and hot and were a time wen we were left alone to dream and live as if in another kind of world. There was no structure.”

With a diary-like format that is eerily authentic and deeply reminiscent, we live with Wendy, a charming and compassionate child, seeing her world as clearly as if we were nine-year old girls along with her.

Without revealing too much, (no spoilers here), in a single moment in the summer of 1969 Wendy’s life is forever altered by a shattering event. This event, the loss of innocence that follows and the uncertainties surrounding it, lead Wendy and her young friends down a path where they identify “five things” they feel must be answered to allow them to reconcile the terrible trauma. For Wendy, the quest for this reconciliation slips and intertwines into the very fabric of her life - that summer and beyond.

With seamless ease, the author shifts focus from childhood and allows us to eavesdrop on Wendy in several more time frames, - as a teenager, middle-aged, and finally an elderly woman. In each case, Wendy’s life unfolds quietly, outwardly ordinary and consumed with the everyday happenings of a life simply lived. Underneath it all, we cannot help but recognize the subtle thematic cues of a life still in search of ultimate answers.

As Wendy gradually comes to recognize the truth behind that early tragedy, we learn, along with her, how easy it is to become confused by outward appearances, how fragile and vulnerable every single one of us can truly be, and how briefly and fleetingly the glimpses into a human heart can be made available for us to connect to.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

This mystery is told from the perspective of a 9 year old child. It took me a while to get comfortable with the narrative and the language used. The sentence structure is overly simplified and as it was an older main character remembering back to her 9 year old-self, the lack of adult narration was a bit jarring for me.

The mystery is from a 9 year old’s point of view again. The story reminded me a bit of a Nancy Drew type of book. Characters are friendly and nice to each other and the children work together to unravel the curious mystery that they stumble on to.

To me, it feels like this should be marketed to a YA-Middle School reading age. I think it may have great success there.

A pretty good mystery. I liked the MC and some of the other characters and I stayed mostly engaged. I also liked the suspense created by the author, along with the ending. This story is not very fast paced, but that's OK. I hope the author continues to write.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

Beth Merwood has written a suspenseful, intriguing mystery for the bookshelves of those who like thrilling, historical fiction. This book is set in 1969 in a coastal village, with shocking events and children searching for answers. It's sure to be a page turner that's hard to put down for fans of this genre.
Thank you to Net Galley and The Wild Rose Press, Inc. for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
#TheFiveThings #NetGalley

Captivating, Intriguing and Odd comes to mind when I think of the debut novel The Five Things by Beth Merwood. So, let me explain why I chose those words. First, I must say this was a pretty darn good debut novel.

CAPTIVATING because there is a mystery at the center of the story. Many of us love a good mystery. It revolves around a devastating event and three young children try to figure out what really happened. You know how it is, your parents don't tell you everything because you're too young. So, you and your friends imagine all sorts of terrible scenarios.

INTRIGUING because like me, you're gonna want to know how this turns out. Now, like me you're along for the ride with these kids and their imaginings. Since this happened when they were 9 years old or so, this stays with them their whole lives. Thankfully, we don't have to wonder that long!

ODD because this book takes place in England near the coast. I didn't figure that out until the end of the book as I didn't stop to look up the little towns. The author uses slang and terms that I've never heard before. Some of it I looked up but, most of it I could kind of figure out by the context in which it was used.

I would recommend this book for all those that love a good mystery.

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you, Beth Merwood for the opportunity!

The events of a summer told through the narration of a child. I went into this book expecting
more of a thriller, when I felt it was more of a psychological drama about the observance of trauma and how it is understood in the character's lives. Decent debut novel and would probably read another by this author. Just a tad slow and uneventful. #thefivethings #bethmerwood #netgalley

This was a good thriller! I liked the historical aspects of it as well, especially being a history buff! I love thrillers that keep you on your toes and this one definitely did that. I also liked that the main character was a child. That added another layer to the plot. Overall, this was a good book and I would definitely recommend it to others! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!