I had high hopes for this one based on the synopsis, but it fell flat for me. There are a lot of plot holes and plot points that require a level of suspension of disbelief that I just wasn't willing to give. And I would really advise the author to do way, way more extensive research on mental health and how to represent it.

I decided to read this one because it seemed like a very good premise, two young girls surviving in a forest after a plane crash and a mystery surrounding after they were rescued. However, I was mostly bored while reading this one. I'm not sure that the story all came together for me the way that it was meant to. It was told through multiple perspectives, but mostly through the two girls perspectives. I had to often go back and check which of the girls' perspectives I was reading because they both had the same tone throughout each chapter that it was hard to distinguish between the two.

Recommend: NO, just wasn't for me.

This one wasn’t for me.

I typically love this author and the storyline was intriguing. I wanted to enjoy it but found myself distracted by the geographical errors. I live in Calgary, we are not in British Columbia.

The writing was good and the story fast paced. The author writes in a way that sucks you into the story. I had to know what happened.

There were some topics that I didn’t enjoy reading about so I skimmed over them.

Fiona and Violet were jut kids when their family crash-landed in the wilderness, forcing them to survive twelve weeks before being rescued. Now, decades later, they are still trying to move on from the trauma. But they never speak of that time, as they call it, “The alone time”…until now, when they become subjects of a documentary all about “girl survivors”. When strange details about the crash come to light, they are forced to question everything they thought they knew.

A slow burn to start, “The Alone Time” reminded me just why I loved this author. Elle Mark manages to pack so much heart into a story! With dark secrets and a twisty plot, Told in dual timelines, I found the past scenes of the girls surviving in the wilderness more interesting than the present day scenes. But I still very much wanted to see how it would play out!

Thanks to the author and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC! This book is out now :)

This was a very exciting premise for a book and i was really looking forward to reading it, sadly i was left underwhelmed.
The logic behind it is very flawed and the ending was full of plot holes. Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for honest review.

I’m so conflicted about how to rate this book. On the one hand, I was completely hooked, furiously reading as fast as I could, desperately trying to figure it all out. OTOH, there were some pretty big plot holes. And the ending wasn’t great - though it was a twist. Several, in fact.

To back up, the story takes place over two timelines: One 25 years ago, when the Seng family is flying in a small five-seater style Cessna from Southern California to Canada for a long weekend trip of family bonding when suddenly, the plane goes down. The Send parents don’t make it out of the woods alive, their young daughters are rescued after 12 weeks of “Alone Time,” in the woods, which they have never publicly spoken about. The other timeline follows the present day, when the Send sisters are still scarred from “the Alone Time,” but their once peaceful, if isolated, lives are interrupted by the announcement of two major interruptions: a new documentary examining their story and the emergence of a woman claiming to be their father’s mistress - and she’s vowed to spill all the tea.
Can they keep all their secrets locked away? Or will the truth finally come out of the woods?

Like I said, the writing and suspenseful atmosphere in this book is very, very good. There’s no doubt that the author knows how to craft an amazing story. I was so drawn into the story from the very beginning, needing to know what was going to happen. No spoilers here, but everyone in this book is hiding something and I was just sitting there turning pages waiting to find out what it is. I had some guesses, but with each new twist, I had to readjust. I loved it!

VERY MILD SPOILERS AHEAD

But my frustration came with some of the more ridiculous things, like how Violet’s (the younger sister’s) boyfriend just faded out. Or how the police were taking the ramblings of the mistress after 25 years seriously - with absolutely no evidence or any sort of motive or reasoning. It made zero sense.

And the ending was really a mess. There was so much going on it was hard to keep track of what was happening. It was like having whiplash. And it felt incomplete. After so much time spent getting to know these characters and their story, after some of the revelations, to not get closure with them felt incomplete.

So I would say read with care. You’ll enjoy it, but know you may not like the outcome.

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

Fiona and Violet Seng, isolated and alone following a plane crash that has claimed the lives of their parents. 12 weeks alone in the wilderness with only each other for protection and company

But, what really happened during those 12 tentative weeks alone, no adults. How did Fiona and Violet just two children manage to survive...

Then/Now, multi pov complex psychological thriller with yellow jackets meets the Andes plane crash disaster vibes..

This one started off well and I was fully invested. I really loved the idea of this book and it was thankfully a pretty quick read because unfortunately it fell pretty flat in the end. I didn't really care for any of the characters which I feel is necessary for this kind of book, I just had no empathy towards them. As the story progressed it just became quite unbelievable and way too much was thrown in, in the last few chapters and it completely lost its flow.

A shame because I was drawn in immediately in the first few chapters but, it wasn't the read I was expecting in the end.

Heart pounding, thrilling, twisty and captivating. Elle Marr has delivered another top notch read with The Alone Time. I love the way she weaved together the POVs and timelines in a way that kept me guessing until the very end. Marr is one of my auto buy authors and this book kept her at the top of my list.

Interesting story with great twists found at the end of the book. My problem with it was the expectations of the two girls accuracy of memory 25 years after the fact when they were only 7 and 13 at the time of the events and how insistent everyone was in harassing them for accurate answers in spite of their age at the time. Seems unbelievable to me.

📚✨ "Just finished 'The Alone Time' by Elle Marr and I'm still catching my breath! 🔥📖 This heart-pounding thriller had me on the edge of my seat until the very last page. Highly recommend for all the mystery lovers out there! 🕵️‍♂️💼 #BookReview #Thriller #MustRead" How does that sound? 😉

Elle Marr's "The Alone Time" is a captivating psychological thriller that weaves a haunting tale of two sisters, Fiona and Violet Seng, who survived a plane crash in the Washington wilderness 25 years ago.

The trauma of those harrowing weeks following the crash still lingers, shaping the sisters' lives in unexpected ways. Fiona channels her pain into provocative art, while Violet battles addiction and seeks solace in writing. The estranged sisters never discuss their shared ordeal—until a documentary reopens old wounds. As disturbing details emerge, they must confront the horrifying truth about their parents’ deaths and the secrets hidden in the forest.

Marr’s storytelling is a rollercoaster ride of suspense. She deftly shifts between past and present, revealing layers of mystery. The crash-landing scenes are visceral, immersing us in the women's struggle for survival. As the documentary probes deeper, readers are drawn into a web of deception and betrayal. The tension builds relentlessly, and Marr’s clever twists keep readers hooked and guessing until the final revelation.

The prose is well-crafted, evoking the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the emotional turmoil the sisters endure. Fiona and Violet are complex, flawed, and utterly human. Their bond, strained yet unbreakable, resonates. Marr delves into their psyches, exploring guilt, resilience, and the weight of secrets. The mysterious woman who claims the crash was deliberate adds an enigmatic layer to the story, and the narrative’s dual perspectives enhance the intrigue, allowing readers to see the world through both sisters’ eyes.

“The Alone Time” is not merely a thriller; it’s an exploration of memory, trauma, and the ties that bind. Marr’s finale will surely surprise even the most perceptive readers. The novel’s emotional depth and unexpected revelations make it a standout.

Whether a fan of psychological suspense or simply love a well-told story, this book will hold readers in its white-knuckled grip long after the last page is turned.

The Alone Time by Elle Marr is a psychological thriller that left me somewhat underwhelmed. The novel follows sisters Fiona and Violet Seng, who survived a plane crash in the Washington wilderness as children. Now adults, they are forced to confront the past when a documentary filmmaker digs into the details of their ordeal, unearthing family secrets and long-buried traumas.

Marr’s premise is undeniably intriguing, and the initial setup promises a gripping exploration of survival and family dynamics. However, I found the execution lacking in several areas. The pacing felt inconsistent, with long stretches of the narrative dragging, and the tension that should have been a constant presence was often missing.

The characters, particularly Fiona and Violet, are well-drawn, but their development feels stagnant at times. Their reactions and interactions occasionally come across as forced, which detracts from the story’s emotional impact. The plot twists, while surprising, didn’t always feel organic to the storyline and sometimes seemed inserted for shock value rather than narrative cohesion.

Despite these issues, Marr's descriptive writing does shine in parts, particularly when depicting the wilderness and the sisters' harrowing experiences. There are moments of genuine suspense and insight into the characters' psyches, but they are too infrequent to maintain a consistent level of engagement.

Overall, The Alone Time had the potential to be a compelling thriller but fell short in execution.

I loved the multiple POV. Made me feel like I couldn’t trust anyone. Some things that were added could have been left out? The twists were good. But they were so stacked on top of each other it was like bang bang bang. Oh here’s another one. I’ll definitely read more by Marr in the future.

Fiona and Violet were both thrown into the worse days of their lives when their parents Cessna crashed killing their parents. Since that crash Fiona is working on repurposing art while Violet is dealing with addictions and failed relationships. Both have the struggles since that day and dont talk about it. Until someone comes along and wants to do a documentary about their crash. And then someone comes forward saying the crash was intentional. Now everthing is being questioned.

This was a fantastic book! I was on the edge of my seat and wanted to figure out what really happened. Something about the two sisters reminded me about me and my siblings and the question comes how much are you willing to protect each other? I think the plot was interesting and something I have not read before. I would recommend.

I was immediately pulled into the book with the intriguing premise. The story is told through different timelines and character POVs, and I was excited with all of the buildup to find out what secrets were hiding. In the end, I was left wondering why it took 25 years for anyone to figure anything out and for others to come forward with their ties to the sisters and the crash landing. The twists and turns were creative, even if they were a bit unbelievable.

I’m a big fan of Elle Marr’s books thanks to their well-drawn characters and super twisty plots that pull you in from the first page—and The Alone Time was no different. Family dynamics and long buried secrets are explored in a thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Perfect for fans of Yellowjackets!

The ending is memorable and I enjoyed the writing style. I wasn't sure how this was going to end which I liked. I would recommend this if you enjoy thrillers with unique endings. Special Thank You to Elle Marr, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall this book was solid in my opinion. I thought the characters were pretty well developed and had their own personalities and storylines that shined through. There were parts, specifically the end, that felt rushed and barely tied together.

This book came at the perfect time - a good distraction that had me interested in seeing how this story of two sisters ended.

The two adult sisters are rebuilding their lives after a plane crash that left their parents dead. They were children left to fend for themselves and we see the aftermath of what happened in the woods all those years ago.

While there were lots of twists and turns, there may have been too many predictable ones.

I also wanted more of exactly how did they survive alone out there? I realize this wasn't a survivalist book, yet I kept wondering, 'how did they...', 'what about ...'

Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and I'll be sure to read more of Elle Marr's books.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an e-copy of THE ALONE TIME to review.

I fate THE ALONE TIME four out of five stars.