After enjoying Strangers We Know, I had confidence Elle Marr would impress me with her fifth psychological thriller - a plane crash - and she did. In spades. This woman can write compelling, unpredictable, sinister and twisted tales that will have you reading way past your bedtime.

The Alone Time follows Fiona and Violet Seng, two estranged sisters, 25 years after their family’s Cessna crash-landed them in the wilds of the PNW, taking the lives of their parents. For twelve weeks, they fended for themselves before being rescued.

Violet and Fiona have different responses to the trauma. Fiona repurposes it into art whereas Violet battles addiction and failed relationships before her successful writing career. The one thing they have in common is that they remain tight-lipped about their ‘alone time.’

When a documentary film crew begins unearthing secrets the sisters would rather stay buried, this takes a dark twist and ramps up the tension until the multi-twist ending. Was the crash deliberate? What other secrets will emerge from the woods?

This is what you’ll get:
🌲 Yellowjackets meets Pretty Girls vibes
🌲 AAPI rep story
🌲 Chilling plane crash setting
🌲 survival story
🌲 family drama; sister bonds and secrets
🌲 narrative alternating between past and present
🌲 story inspired by real-life events
🌲 examination of various responses to trauma
🌲 a secret mystery from the wild
🌲 a great creepy cover
🌲 a marmot
🌲 examination of memory

I loved the dedication - sums up the book perfectly - a tribute to those who forge ahead despite difficult circumstances. This one will leave you questioning how long is too long to be out in the woods.

A fantastic dark look at family secrets and memory recall.

I was gifted this copy by Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my early copy of this book.

I was new to this author, but I do know that she is popular on kindle, so I was eager to read from her!

I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis, taking place in the Washington wilderness and there is a survival element to this. I think that it is best to go into it without having much knowledge as that makes this book even more fast paced and fun.

Overall, this was a solid book for me and I am glad that I was able to pick it up.

Atmospheric and kept me guessing, I loved this taunt page-turner! I've read and loved this author's previous books and their latest did not disappoint.

We experience terrible things, and in hindsight, our paths seem to drive us toward our individual narrow valleys where we either push through to reach the open air of the other side, or we become stuck forever pressed at all angles by our faults and sheer bad luck. (1722)

The Alone Time is not about what the reader might think it means. It is not about someone demanding his or her “space.” It is about a time when the protagonists and narrators of the novel were alone, apart from the rest of the world. The four members of the Seng family, father Henry, mother Janet, and daughters Fiona and Violet, were flying together in a small plane when it crashed in the wilderness of Washington State.

For much of the tale, the reader is led to believe the crash happened in Oregon, but we learn that the location was actually in the Olympic National Park. I mention that detail only to illustrate how readers learn details in the story—very gradually and not in a linear manner.

The novel unfolds the way many contemporary works of fiction do. Chapters are narrated by different characters, in this case the four members of the Seng family. Most are told by the two sisters, now adults of thirty-eight and thirty-two. The elder of the two, Fiona, is a sculptor who appears to be on the threshold of success in the art world. Violet, the younger, has led a somewhat aimless existence, currently enrolled in college for the third time. Even so, she is mulling the pros and cons of dropping out again.

The parents were both lost in or shortly after the crash. The chapters from their point of view are flashbacks from twenty-five years before leading up to the crash and some of the drama that happened after the crash in the remote forest. The two girls were rescued after twelve weeks; somehow they survived. At the ages of thirteen and seven, they became media darlings for a while and were raised by an aunt. Even twenty-five years later, some critics say that Fiona’s artwork would not have sold at all if it had not been for her well-known backstory. As it is, Fiona uses her sculpting as a way to heal and overcome her trauma.

Like the other Marr tale we have reviewed here, there is much intrafamily conflict. In this case it is more pedestrian than criminal. Henry has been unfaithful, appears to regret it, and wants to make it up to Janet by taking the family on vacation from Southern California to Canada. Thirteen-year-old Fiona figures out enough of what it going on. Violet would probably have been innocent of everything except that one time she answers a phone call for her father from a woman named Alicia.

This in itself has the potential for a lively story. But other things complicate the plot even more. Because Violet has been drifting and at times exploiting her sister’s concern for her, the two sisters have not had much to do with each other for the last six years. They are trying to reconnect, though both have some reservations.

Meanwhile, after twenty-five years, the woman who claims to have been Henry’s mistress comes forward. She is being interviewed on many television talk shows. The timing seems more than mere coincidence since Fiona is beginning to get serious attention in the art world and is having her first solo exhibit. The woman seems to be in it to get attention and make the sisters look bad, even suggesting that they were somehow responsible for their parents’ deaths. And her name is Geri, not Alicia.

Also there is the documentary filmmaker Daley. He at first seems genuinely interested in the sisters’ story and wants to tell their side of it. They trust him at first until they see him with Geri and begin to realize he is more interested in sensationalism than truth.

Of course, the whole time, the reader is wondering what is the truth anyhow?

Marr knows how to pace a story well. Along with the current art world and college drama of the two sisters, we get chapters telling the parents’ stories while trying to survive in the wilderness as winter is coming on. We know that Janet and Henry really do not completely trust each other, but they do want to survive and they need each other for that.

Both have some background which could help them survive. Each has relatives who know traditional Chinese medicine, so they know something of what wild herbs and plants are edible and what ones are not. Henry was a Marine who served in Iraq in Desert Shield (1990-1991). He admits to having PTSD as a result. However, we will also learn that he received a dishonorable discharge. Usually victims of PTSD get a medical discharge or an honorable discharge. There is clearly something else going on here. But he also knows how to hunt and forage. There is chance they can survive if they can overcome both their inner and interpersonal conflicts. There is also at least a suggestion through this idea that perhaps the sisters each in her own way are suffering from some kind of PTSD after their wilderness ordeal,

By the way, Henry keeps saying he needs to protect the girls from wolves. While wild wolves do roam in parts of the mountains of the American West, the last wolf spotted in the Olympics was in 1935. Also the trip was planned to end in Calgary, but where the plane crashes suggests Henry was headed towards British Columbia. What is going on here?

There is a lot going on. The plot takes the reader step by step to an intense climax. But even at the end, loose ends are still floating around—which is truly more realistic. Does anyone know what really happened? As in real life, no one knows all the details, but we can figure enough to move on and perhaps look forward to what the future may hand us.

N.B.: The reference in the quotation is a Kindle location, not a page number.

This was a quick paced read. Really enjoyable, and twisty. If you enjoy familial issues, cults and murder, this is a book you want to check out. Thanks to NetGalley and the Elle Mar for this ARC.

Thanks Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for letting me review this book. Publishing March 2024

This is my first book by Elle Marr, but this was wasn't for me. As another reviewer mentioned, there were a few errors that were hard to overlook as well as some contradictions that may have been intentional but just confused me overall. I didn't find any of the characters to be likable and given their "tragedy", I still lacked empathy for their past or present situation.

I had a really hard time with this book. I think the idea is creative and engaging but the writing just didn't do it for me. Everything felt very jumpy and I never had enough time to build up attachments to either of the main characters, plus the fact that their names were so close (Violet and Fiona) meant there were several times I couldn't remember who was who. There were a few twists and what I think were supposed to be dramatic reveals, but they were all buried in the middle of sentences or paragraphs so I never had that OMG moment where I had to sit back and digest for a moment. A disappointing first read of the year but some of the author's other titles look familiar to me so I'll consider giving one a chance.

When reading this, I immediately thought of the show Yellowjackets on Showtime. Weird show. Enjoyed some of it.

Two sisters, Violet and Fiona were left alone for 12 weeks in the wilderness after horrific plane crash killing their parents. Years later, someone wants to do a documentary on the events that really happened there. What really happened and why are these women so disturbed now?

I found this as an average read. I’d like to thank Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley, and Elle Marr for an ARC. All opinions are my own. Publication date March 12, 2024

I love Elle Marr and have enjoyed everything I've read of hers, but this one was her best yet. The premise was so intriguing and the title just drew me in and made me want to read it all the more. The writing was effortless that you easy can fall into turning pages long after you intended to go to sleep. The authors style is descriptive, character-driven but with an excellent mystery that will leave you gasping and wanting more. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Elle Marr's "The Alone Time" is a riveting and haunting exploration of family tragedy and the enduring impact of secrets. The story follows sisters Fiona and Violet Seng, who, as children, survived a plane crash in the Washington wilderness that claimed their parents' lives. The novel seamlessly weaves between the past, detailing the harrowing twelve weeks the sisters spent fending for themselves, and the present, where the trauma still lingers.

After twenty-five years, Fiona channels her pain into controversial works of art, while Violet battles addiction and navigates failed relationships on her path to normalcy as a writer. The sisters, estranged and haunted by their past, have never openly discussed what they refer to as their "Alone Time" in the wild. However, when they become the subject of a documentary that rekindles public fascination with their survival story, their carefully guarded version of events is questioned.

As disturbing details about the Seng family emerge, a mysterious woman claims the crash was deliberate, forcing Fiona and Violet to confront the horrifying truth about what happened in the wilderness and the revelations about their parents. The narrative skillfully unravels layers of family secrets, trauma, and the enduring impact of their survival experience.

Elle Marr's writing is absorbing and beautifully captures the tension that pervades the story. The novel is described as captivating and thrilling, and rightfully so. The twists and turns in the plot keep readers on the edge of their seats, and the exploration of familial bonds, memory, and trauma adds depth to the narrative.

In conclusion, "The Alone Time" is a fantastic and emotionally charged novel that delves into the complexities of family relationships, secrets, and the long-lasting effects of trauma. Elle Marr's storytelling prowess shines through, delivering a gripping and unforgettable tale that will leave readers reeling until the very last page.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of The Alone Time by Elle Marr. Wow, talk about a book I didn’t want to put down! The writing was mesmerizing and kept me glued to the story. I loved the dual timelines and found the past events intriguing. If you like a book with plenty of shocking reveals, you won’t want to miss this one. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

OMG, you guys, I just finished reading the most intense book ever! It's about two sisters, Fiona and Violet Seng, who survived a plane crash that killed their parents and had to fend for themselves in the wilderness for 12 weeks. Like, I can't even imagine!

The way the author describes their experience is so vivid and raw, it's feels that you're right there with them, experiencing their fear and desperation. And the way they deal with the trauma afterwards is so real and relatable. Fiona's art is whoa, it's like she's using it to express all the emotions she couldn't process otherwise. And Violet's struggles with addiction and relationships, ugh, my heart went out to her!

But the plot twist though! That woman who comes forward and says the crash wasn't an accident?! what?! I did not see that coming! And the way Fiona and Violet have to confront their past and the truth about their parents? So emotional! I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next! If you haven't read it yet, drop everything and pick it up! It's a totally mind-blowing! 🤯

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.
My opinions are my own.

3.5/5

Violet and Fiona are two sister who were in a plane crash along with their parents. The book alternates between Violet, Fiona, and their parent’s perspectives during and after the crash.

I really liked this book. It has lots of twists and turns and you don’t always know who to root for.
It was slow at times but overall, I think it was interesting and original read.

WOW.

This is exactly everything you want in a Thriller. I was on the edge from the very first page and absolutely devoured this book.

I absolutely love it when I’m reading a Thriller and I find myself not being able to trust the main characters, it makes it so much more interesting and fun to read.

I love it when you think you have the whole plot figured out and you’re waiting to be disappointed but then a huge plot twist comes at you and you are left speechless. That’s the only way I can explain how I felt about the ending of this book.

I am convinced that Elle Marr is going to become a favourite author of mine and I can’t wait to check out more of her works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Fiona and Violet survive a plane crash that kills their parents. This sets them up for a life of trauma, with dark secrets and lots of family drama. Told partly in the past, it's a multilayered story with plenty of twists to keep the reader engaged. Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

While I enjoyed reading this novel and appreciated the unique plot and various twists, I felt I still had too many unanswered questions when it was done. There were several plot points that were contradictory, a secondary character left hanging, and I wish the ending had been wrapped up better.

Surviving a horrific plane crash that took their parents lives, Violet and Fiona are stuck in the wilderness for 12 weeks on their own. When they are finally rescued, they are elated to be out of the wild and safe.

Years after the crash, details arise that make Fiona and Violet clam up - and seem guilty. What really happened in the woods those years ago?

I had trouble connecting with the present day storyline, but I really enjoyed when they were in the wild. The flip flop between timelines always does it for me!

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

As a Canadian, the very first thing I need to point out is that Calgary is in Alberta, not British Columbia as mentioned in the book - hopefully this was just in the ARC and will be fixed for the publication. Other than that little geographical error I absolutely loved it.
Some parts were a little slow or predictable but overall it was a great read with some bizarre twists that kept me guessing. It was well written and has great character development. I was hooked from the beginning and HAD to know what really happened during the Alone Time.

Elle Marr is one of my favourite authors, and I was delighted to read an Advanced Reader Copy of her latest book, “The Alone Time”.

I was particularly looking forward to reading this one as I had seen Marr posting about it as she was still writing it. What had caught my attention was that it involves a plane crash. Having been conducting research about the JL123 plane crash for many years, I reached out to Marr in case there was anything I could help with (just as Sarah Lotz found my book “Dealing with Disaster in Japan: Responses to the Flight JL123 Crash” useful for her book “The Three“). The response that I got was unexpected, to say the least. Marr has been in a plane crash herself. This is something that, to date, has not publicised much (but Marr has confirmed that it’s not a problem to mention it in this review). I have to admit, knowing this about Marr meant that I probably read the book in a different way to if I hadn’t known this. It was inevitable that I would draw parallel’s with Hideo Yokoyama’s book “Kuraimazu Hai” (“Climber’s High”/”Seventeen“) – a book about a local newspaper covering the JL123 crash, just as Yokoyama had been a reporter at a local newspaper covering the crash in 1985.

In the case of Yokoyama (as he told me in an interview), it took him many years to come to terms with his experiences in 1985. That is one of the reasons why “Kuraimazu Hai” (“Climber’s High”/”Seventeen“) was not one of his first novels. Perhaps, this is also the case for Marr.

But perhaps it’s also not wanting to be overly associated with what she experienced. Marr has four other excellent books already, and although I am probably not the first and won’t be the last to make the connection between her own experiences (albeit I don’t know the details) and the contents of “The Alone Time”, it is unlikely to become something that defines her. I certainly hope it won’t.

This is somewhat different to the protagonists of the book itself, two girls who survive a plane crash, the result of which means they grow up without their parents, and who walk a tightrope of trying to deal with their trauma while not wanting to be seen to profit from their experiences.

There were a number of lines that stood out for me – many of them related to this conflict between people needing to come to terms with their experiences while also trying to find the appropriate way to express it. For example,

Art is never more than a reflection of an artist’s twisted mind.

and

Try to block out the nasty energy of rubberneckers seeking more page views at my emotional expense.

and

Creative writing in particular is so helpful to reveal details in our subconscious that we may have forgotten. Kind of like therapy in that way

and

Doesn’t everyone deserve a little happiness? Don’t I? My fingers twitch at my sides. I usually know better than to ask myself that question. One more day, one step forward. That’s my mantra. Just make it to one more day and the morning might look different.

and

Isn’t all art an exploitation of a hurt, a trauma, an unresolved fear?

and

I’ll never be more than one of the girl-survivors, and I’ll never be allowed to work through my trauma on my own terms,

and

… been mistaken for cold. It’s the opposite in fact: I feel things so deeply that I turn off my emotions in order to survive… After a certain level of trauma is reached, the only choice we have is to either feel the pain in all its depth and depravity, or choose numbness— ice to assuage the heat

and

people don’t want to befriend me or admire my work; they want to profit from it, from my story. No one actually sympathizes with something beyond their comprehension. They ogle it.

and

Creative writing in particular is so helpful to reveal details in our subconscious that we may have forgotten.

As a result of the plane crash, the protagonists grow up without their parents. Despite them not being around, we learn how they still want to make the parents proud. This, and the feeling of loss, reminds me of some of the things that Diana Yukawa discusses in a podcast episode about her feelings towards her father, who died in the JL123 crash, weeks before she was born.

The family in “The Alone Time” are of Chinese ethnicity. Marr is clearly able to pull on her own experiences in this regard. But I wonder how familiar all readers will be with some of the words and concepts that are dropped into the text. Perhaps some additional explanation or description would have been helpful in a couple of cases.

The book proceeds by having chapters primarily focussing on the viewpoint of one of the characters – with us jumping between characters and also the present and the time of the plane crash and its aftermath. Gradually, all the pieces of the jigsaw come together. It’s gripping from start to finish.

After finishing the book, I read the Acknowledgements (as I always do) and liked it how Marr thanks the readers for doing so. But it also led me to the final sentence – “Finally, thanks must definitively go to my dad, who landed the plane.” I suspect there is a story (in the sense of more detail rather than a whole book) to go with this. I just hope that when/if the media look to find out more about Marr’s own plane crash experiences, that it doesn’t detract from discussing the contents of “The Alone Time” itself, which is an excellent book that I would highly recommend.

See also https://hoodcp.wordpress.com/2023/12/04/book-review-the-alone-time-by-elle-marr/