The Alone Time was definitely an intriguing read with an interesting premise, did it live up to it, unfortunately it did not for me. They're are so many inconsistencies in this story. So many things that just do not make sense and that I could not get over.

The mental health rep in this book was not good, it was described as multiple illnesses and then just chucked out to supernatural causes which honestly entirely destroyed the book for me. I had such high hopes for this story, it just fell flat for me.

The ending just left me entirely unsatisfied and possibly even more confused. I don't feel that it was a proper ending to this story. Also, at the end it triggered me that the author states Calgary is in British Columbia.. no no it's in Alberta.. I mean that's something that is easily researched or edited. This one just completely missed the mark for me.

🎧 The narration by Jennifer Aquino, Christina Ho, Naomi Mayo & Kenneth Lee was good. Janet & Henri’s characters I had a hard time with, I truly didn't feel any type of pull to, I felt their voices were a little boring. The others truly played their roles well and I could feel the emotions in their voices. It would've been a DNF if not for the audio production.

This book was okay. It had some intriguing and there are some slow parts. The characters were well developed. The storyline was interesting but there were a few things that just didn't work for me. I do look forward to reading more from the author.


Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Mercer for the digital arc and allowing me to share my thoughts.

Fiona and Violet were just children when a plane crash killed their parents. Years on, a documentary is being filmed and the girls are approached to give their side of the story on what they did during their Alone Time after the crash. What emerges shocks everyone.

I listened to the audio of this one as I read along and can I just say, the audio narration is absolutely fantastic. The moments during the plane crash - holy moly, I really felt like I was there! In saying that, the book starts out with a bang, with dual timelines taking us from past to present. The execution fell a bit flat for me towards the end though as I felt like I needed more to neatly wrap it up.

The Alone Time by Elle Marr delivers another smart and shocking thriller that will have you frantically flipping pages all the way to the end.
Marr never disappoints!
Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The twists were really fun and the ending was very satisfying.
The authors style is descriptive, character-driven but with an excellent mystery that will leave you gasping and wanting more.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Always in the spotlight for surviving the tragic events that happened over 25 years ago, with new testimonies being uncovered, the estranged Seng sisters Violet and Fiona have to reunite after all these years of being apart to defend their truth of what actually happened those treacherous and haunting 12 weeks of ALONE TIME they spent stranded in the wilderness.

CRASH BANG BOOM!!!
THIS FREAKING BOOK YOU GUYS!!!

I can't even. Its sooo good. I'm telling you run to go read this, like right now.

Marr did an absolutely fantastic job portraying this very addictively immersive plot. I will be checking out more of her back list for sure and I'll defenitly be on the lookout for what comes next.

Told in dual timelines with multiple POVs, that bind together to reveal one heck of a twisted, messed up revelation.

And speaking of twists. WOW. Once they started they didn't stop coming. And they were done so uniquely well, seriously chefs kiss.

If you like:
•Suspense
•Documentaries
•Survival Stories
•Diary Entries
•Familial Trauma
•Sister Dynamics
•Mental Health Representation
•Twists
•Secrets

You will defenitly be doing yourself a favor by checking this one out

A huge thank you to Elle Marr, Thomas&Mercer and @netgalley for the advanced copy. I had the absolute best time unburying the secrets that Fiona and Violet kept hidden all these years about The Alone Time. I'll defenitly be recommended it to everyone I talk to.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"The Alone Time" is the 4th book that I have read by author Elle Marr.
I have previously read, "The Family Bones", "Strangers We Know" & "Lies We Bury" & loved them so I was excited to read her newest book.
This book was clever, dark, twisty & the ending was perfectly done.
It was a crazy ride from start to finish!
The author did a great job of weaving the 4 POV's together with the present & past timelines to reveal the story.
I'll definitely be on the lookout for Ms. Marr's next book.

This thriller had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster.

There are many things to like and dislike about this book. The basic storyline of a family lost in the wilderness for 3 months is intriguing, well, at least two younger children. Something has happened to the parents, which we learn about at various times in the book. But the reader is left wondering how this will all come together in the end. Tidbits of the truth are dribbled into the story, tiny bits at a time. We hear the story primarily from Fiona and Violet's POV, but then also from the mother and father, Janet and Henry, during the flashbacks to the crash. It is hard to guess what the truth might be since we don't know who is telling the truth or who is lying.

There are a few unlikable characters in the story that are forcing Fiona and Violet to relive this tragedy from twenty-five years ago. It seems odd that an ex-lover would wait twenty-five years to come forward with details about the relationship. There is also a documentarian, Daley, who is seeking the truth and will do anything to get it. I won't spoil anything, but it takes a twisted turn at the end with Daley at the forefront. 

Just when I thought I might have a grasp on what really happened all those years ago, new information would be revealed and alter my thought process. Even the ending throws a new kink into the works.

While the book held my interest, I did question some of the facts that came up in the book. GoFundMe wasn't around twenty-five years ago. Maybe that was a newer way the girls received money, but I took it that they received funds that way from the beginning. I was surprised that it took so long to find the downed plane. I think they might have been off course, but I thought they would have been found sooner. There are certain things that are not explained. I could go into detail, but in case you want to read the book, I don't want to spoil anything. Another reader might interpret things differently.

Overall, I enjoyed following the story and wondering how this was going to resolve itself.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.

My first book by Elle Marr and I really enjoyed it. Enjoyable story and a real page turner I couldn't put it down. The characters and storyline were very good and keeps you guessing what is going to happen next with a lot of twists and turns. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Fiona and Violet Seng are the darlings of the world as they are found in the wild after surviving a small plane crash that supposedly killed both parents on impact. A family flight to Canada piloted by their philandering father. The girls survived twelve weeks on their own before they were found. Move forward 25 years one of the girls is striving to be a successful artist while the other is floundering through life with many poor choices. But their world is going to take a turn when a lady from their past comes forward with what she claims is some new information, along with an individual who wants the girls to be part of a documentary to tell their side after twenty-five years of silence. This story has it all starts with a rush when you read the events as they cope with the plane crash it may give you a bit of an adrenaline rush. The books keep you invested to the point that you cannot leave it or cannot wait to get back to it see what secrets may lay in wait. But there are two issues in my opinion with this story. First is the ending as i felt it fell flat, second it just gets a little weird and i would like to elaborate but i think it will give some of the story away so you will have to decide for yourself?.

Elle Marr returns following The Family Bones with her latest chilling suspense thriller, THE ALONE TIME, where nothing or no one is as they appear. A fitting title with more than one meaning.

The past collides with the present after a tragic plane crash, a family left in the wilderness for many weeks. What exactly happened? Now, twenty-five years later, the secrets begin to unravel.

The Seng family, Henry and Janet, and their two daughters, Fiona (13) and Violet (7), are going to Canada. Henry borrowed a little Cessna from a friend to fly for the vacation.

However, the plane goes down. The passengers are stranded in the Washington wilderness without cell phone reception or help. How will they survive?

The parents died; however, the girls were alone in the wilderness for twelve long weeks before they were found and rescued. How did they survive?

What is the real truth? How did the parents die and the girls survive?

Twenty-five years later, the girls live in San Diego, CA, trying to move on from childhood traumas. Fiona is an artist. Violet has battled addiction and failed relationships and is a writer. There was a journal.

The sisters are estranged and never speak about their 'Alone Time' in the wild. They swore never to engage with the public about their ordeal.

Fiona is about to launch her debut gallery opening, and Violet is a struggling writer trying to complete her degree.

Then, a documentary filmmaker wants to interview the sisters, saying the events did not add it and questioning how it all went down. Will they go back to where it happened? They had spent years keeping the events of the past buried.

A new voice has spoken out, bringing new light to this time, and the events are now being questioned.

What were the girls hiding, and what were the dark secrets of the Seng family? Did their parents die immediately, or did something happen to them afterward? Was there something more sinister behind it all?

Were they frauds, deceiving the world after people donated millions of dollars? When reading, You are unsure if there are unreliable narrators or if someone is lying, imagining, withholding, or just a memory.

The absorbing twisty tale is told from multiple POVs: Fiona, Janet, Henry, and Violet, past and present, which gives the reader insight into each character's inner thoughts and actions.

A hauntingly chilling dysfunctional family drama, THE ALONE TIME is psychologically rich and character-driven with a literary twist. It is an atmospheric novel of tragedy, survival, dark family secrets, suspense, mystery, intrigue, trauma, and memory.

The author skillfully keeps you glued to the pages until the last page is turned. For fans of Alice Feeney and Megan Collins.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced digital reading copy for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: May 1, 2024
May 2024 Must-Read Books
May Newsletter

The Alone Time was a passably entertaining mystery. There were, however, things that didn’t make much sense, and increasing issues with plot holes as the story unfolded. I also had hoped the story would spend far more time in the wilderness, but that may have just been my high expectations.

Thank you Elle Marr, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Two sisters that were survivors of a plane crash when they were younger become the subject of a new documentary. They haven’t talked much about their past but this will force them to confront it finally.

This one was fine for me. I didn’t really love it but it wasn’t offensive. I just didn’t get a lot of the suspense I wanted here.

Twenty five years ago, Henry and Janet Seng took off with their two daughters on a family trip to try and revive their failing marriage. When the plane crashes, the two girls, Fiona and Violet, are forced to survive alone in the Washington wilderness for twelve weeks until they're found by a hiker. Their parents' bodies were never found. They each have found their own way of coping with the tragedy—Fiona by incorporating nature into art sculptures and Violet turning to alcohol and drugs. Something happened six years ago and the girls are now estranged, until an ex-mistress of their father's comes forward with new information. Suddenly thrust back into the spotlight, they'll have to work together to keep the secrets they've held all this time about their "alone time".
This book was quite the slow burn and I found myself skimming some of the chapters in the present to find out what happened after the crash. I was still curious enough to find out what really happened. However the ending was a total disappointment in my opinion, ridiculous, implausible, and still leaving me with a lot of questions.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

25 years ago the Seng family decides to take one last trip in hopes to save their family. What they weren’t expecting was their plans to crash and to try and survive the wilderness until someone rescues them. Twelve weeks later, the only two to survive are 13 year old Fiona and 7 year old Violet.

Back to present time, 25 years after the crash, Henry’s mistress decides to speak out about some hidden truths from the accident. Fiona and Violet have already told their story several times but this woman’s testimony questions everything they said.

With the multiple POVs and dual timelines, this book will keep you reading to find out what happens next! The Seng family was more troubled than the public eye remembers. The world remembers their parents dying on impact from the plane crash, but what actually happens?

While I did enjoy the storyline of this book, some things just had me questioning the whole time. Like 25 years later, someone finally speaks out about differing facts of the crash? Also how do they expect a 13 and 7 year old to remember these kind of things when they are stranded for 12 weeks? Also how do these children survive 12 weeks in the wilderness ALONE. 😂

Pub date: May 1st, 2024

I was intrigued by the first half of The Alone Time, despite how unrealistic much of the story felt. It was an interesting premise. However, the plot continued to become more and more implausible, to the point that it made it hard to enjoy the story. I also felt that it was difficult to differentiate between the different POVs. I still think this could be a fantastic story with a bit more editing!

Fiona and Violet are interesting character studies of coping with trauma suffered at a young age but the rest of this just doesn't work. The timeline doesn't work, the idea that these two would be recognizable as adults doesn't work, and so on, Perhaps if the crash had happened 5 years earlier vice 25 this would have made sense. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A pass from me.

Two sisters who survived twelve harrowing weeks in wilderness, are thrown back into the spotlight 25 years later when new information about their family comes forward.

Told from alternating perspectives and timelines, from current day to when they were in the woods, I was pulled into the story and wanted to know what happened during that time that they were desperate to keep secret.

And man, was it ever a secret.

For plot turns and entertainment, this one hits the mark and has potential to give the shock factor that many readers are looking for.

I found myself far more interested in the chapters that flashed back to the woods than the present day story line. And then once the last quarter of the book came it was too far of a stretch and some of the plot twists reveals became too unbelievable for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an opportunity to review this book.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did, but I just couldn't connect with it -- gaping plot holes and characters I couldn't connect with. I hope it finds its audience but I won't be recommending it to others.

I thought this was a great concept, but the author didn't deliver how I'd hoped. The central question--how do two young girls survive for weeks alone in the rugged wilderness--is avoided completely. The final reveal just seemed silly to me.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!