Wow. This is my first book by Elle Marr and I was blown away! The story is told by alternating characters and between the past and present. Each chapter left me with questions and added to my unease. Nature is used as a character which was very interesting.

This story had me utterly captivated - it is a thrilling story about family, family secrets and trauma.
It is ferociously twisty and thrilling with tension so taught - so well written I could not put it down.
Such a triumph for the author.

When I read the summary of this book, it really intrigued me and I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, while reading the book I couldn’t wait for it to end. Everything was just completely unbelievable and the “twists” were just not thoughtfully done at all. I feel like this story could have been done so much better than what it was.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this new and refreshing suspenseful book! I enjoyed the different perspectives going back in forth in time between the family after the plane crash and the daughters in present time. The sisters were very complex characters. It was a quick and easy read. More graphic than I anticipated but overall I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC copy of The Alone Time. I chose this book because it seemed like the perfect spooky story for this time of year but it was less creepy and more family drama-ish. It was a fast-paced read that I got through quickly because I was intrigued to see how it all played out. Unfortunately, the choices the characters made throughout the story seemed really unrealistic and the ending felt a bit lazy. This was fine overall, but not one I would highly recommend.

This novel was absolutely haunting. I couldn’t put it down because I had to know what happened next. Marr expertly weaves this story together with so many twists and turns that my jaw was on the floor. The Alone Time is a gripping thriller that will make you question every little thing. It takes a deep look at how artists use their trauma to foster creativity, and it keeps you guessing at how far someone will go to survive

Definitely read if: you want a good mystery surrounding a traumatic event

Probably skip if: shows like Alone are not your cup of tea

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Bravo! 👏🏻 👏🏻
This was such a great read!

A psychological thriller involving a family trauma that brings back painful memories. It’s a dark and twisty story that Ellen Marr’s writing style captivates you since the beginning, and you can’t put it down.

A fast-paced, suspenseful and very entertaining.
I highly recommend!

Thank you @netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Coming out 03/12/24

Sisters survived in the woods for months after a plane crash that killed their parents. Now both girls are adults and people are still obsessed with their story. Will new findings show the girls aren’t telling the complete truth? This was a fast, entertaining read that kept me turning the page.

Violet and Fiona get stranded in the jungle aged 7 and 14 respectively and survive for three months before being found. Now they are all grown up but the past is coming back to bite them and as the girls struggle to contain their story they begin to question their own memories of the Alone Time. An interesting premise of a book, but the plot twists felt a bit forced and unrealistic and the ambiguous ending was not my favourite.

Twenty-five years ago, a plane crash-landed into the Washington Wilderness. Twenty-five years ago, Henry, Janet, Fiona, and Violet Sengs’ lives changed forever for Fiona and Violet, who survived in the wilderness for twelve weeks, and Henry and Janet, who didn’t make it out alive. The Alone Time by Elle Marr alternates between the past events in the wilderness and the current events, forcing Violet and Fiona to face just what happened out there.
I found Violent and Fiona interesting enough for characters, but nothing that made me want to rave about them. Older and perhaps wiser, Fiona has found an outlet for her time in the wilderness using artwork. Violet, young and traumatized, battled addiction for many years and is now looking back, using writing as an outlet. The sisters have some severe issues in their relationships, and becoming the subject of a documentary on their time in the wilderness isn’t helping. I heavily disliked Fiona and thought her a crappy older sister. I felt a lot of pity for Violet but didn’t feel like she had any nerve. Honestly, I felt like the story was “happening” to them rather than them playing an active part. The storyline is a great idea: two girls who had to go to extreme measures to survive in the wilderness for twelve weeks are hiding from what they did and what happened to their parents. However, I was left wanting from the story. I felt like we were told what happened, and we got no explanations of feelings or resolution for problems besides “finding out the truth.”
I did at least appreciate the twist at the end, but I felt gaps in this big reveal made it fall short for me and feel unlikely. I loved how much mental health was made apparent in the story, or lack thereof, on all sides. The effects of PTSD were incredibly obvious in many of the characters. However, I did not feel like there was any resolution to this, even at the end. Some of the things the characters do or did, knowingly and unknowingly, are abhorrent, and it’s just like, “Oh yeah, that happened; let’s just not think about it, and it’ll be fine. Not to mention that the original police investigation wasn’t thorough at all, and these girls did not get the help they needed afterward. Also, who sits on a twenty-five-year bombshell? I wouldn't say I liked the drop-off ending and multiple bombs dropped without any solution. Overall, it was a three-star, with definite gaps in some storytelling and characters that left me wanting more. Honestly, the more I think about the review and the book, the more problems I find with the plot. It’s a good idea, but I didn’t love it. My favorite chapters were the ones that jumped to the past, but the present “Investigation” was not my favorite. Overall, it was a three-star read.
Thanks to NetGalley, who gave me this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Where do i even start with this book? It was certainly a twisty one, that’s for sure. I really enjoyed this book, and even found myself thinking about getting back to it whenever i wasn’t reading it. The plot was different in all of the best kind of ways (though i will say the thing with the guy, will, was a little unnecessary imo). overall, i really enjoyed this book. Thankful for netgalley and having this one available!! Add it to your TBR!

Really enjoyed the pace and premise of this thriller. The chapters are short and punchy, making it easy for readers to devour this book in a day (or less!). Also, the alternating timeline adds an interesting layer to the narrative. This book explores concepts such a trauma, survival, and family dynamics. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this review!

This book kept me guessing the entire time. Was there someone else in the woods? Is there a killer we don’t know about? What really happened after the plane crash? I did not even come close. Great suspense, and also family dynamics. I wish the ending would have unfolded a bit more, but maybe in another book?

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
A plane with a family of four crashes. They say someone messed with the fuel cap or did they?
For 12 weeks the to girls struggle to survive till rescue. When they tell their story they say mom and dad died instantly - but did they? And when someone decides to do a documentary on the plane crash the girls become worried- what secrets will, come out? Was the plane sabotaged? What really happened to the parents?

After losing their parents in an airplane accident as children, Fiona and Violet Seng have to survive in the wilderness for months afterwards. They are tight-lipped about this experience, privately dubbing this period the Alone Time.

The sisters react to their childhood trauma in very different ways - Fiona pours her suffering into her art projects, while Violet succumbs to addiction, before recovering to become a writer. Where they do experience a meeting of the minds is with regard to keeping their wilderness experience entirely to themselves.

But as they discover to their discomfiture, the past has a life of its own. And when a new documentary decides to explore the stories of the lost girls, Violet and Fiona are put under the spotlight, inconsistencies soon emerging in their version of events.

To make matters worse, there are new allegations that their parents' death may not have been an accident. All in all, the sisters now face a situation where ignoring the events of the past is no longer an option open to them...

Marr has crafted a compelling narrative, and one that is hard to put down. The scars of past trauma and the complications of family dynamics are put under the microscope and mercilessly scrutinised. The result is a thought provoking story that lingers in the reader's mind.

The Alone Time explores the traumatic past of two sisters, Fiona and Violet Seng, who resurfaces with devastating consequences, as they are forced to confront their family tragedy and the long-buried secrets that surround it. The story begins with a plane crash that took the lives of Fiona and Violet's parents when they were just children. Stranded in the unforgiving wilderness of Washington, the sisters endured twelve harrowing weeks before being rescued. Two and a half decades later, they are still haunted by the trauma of their Alone Time in the wild.

Fiona channels her pain into her controversial works of art, while Violet struggles with addiction and a history of failed relationships as she endeavours to lead a more normal life as a writer. The sisters have never spoken about the details of their time in the wilderness, a dark chapter they have collectively chosen to leave buried. However, their past resurfaces when they become the subjects of a documentary that rekindles public interest in the "girl survivors" and raises questions about their version of the events.

As disturbing details about the Seng family emerge, a mysterious woman alleges that the plane crash was deliberate. Fiona and Violet find themselves at a crossroads, compelled to come together and confront the horrifying truth of what truly transpired in the wilderness. In doing so, they must also grapple with the revelations about their parents and their own identities before more sinister secrets from their past come to light.

Marr crafts a riveting psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of family bonds, trauma, and the enduring impact of a shared ordeal. The narrative is rife with tension, suspense, and a deep exploration of the psychological scars left by the past. It is a harrowing journey into the hearts and minds of two sisters who must confront their darkest memories and uncover the unsettling truths that have haunted them for years. Elle Marr's storytelling masterfully navigates the terrain of psychological suspense, leaving readers captivated until the final, shocking revelations.

It is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the enduring effects of trauma and the high cost of buried family secrets. Elle Marr's narrative prowess creates a haunting and thought-provoking story that will keep readers engaged from start to finish.

This was a bit of a slow burn for me. Damaged sisters, a secret, some lies and more than one Character seeking the truth, it had all the ingredients but didn’t deliver. A received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

One of the dumbest and most illogical books I've ever read. The premise--that the world not only still cares 25 years later about a plane crash of a family of unknows where the children live but the parents purportedly died but is obsessed with it-is absurd in itself. People don't obsess over JFK's assassination the way they supposedly do over this minor story. It only gets sillier from there. Characters say things that make no sense, and Marr seems to forget things she's already written as the story progresses, as logic takes a backseat in this mess. I found myself eye rolling quite often. Overdramatic dialogue is well-represented here. Just a lot of nonsense in the end. Don't waste your time. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Alone Time was my very first read by this author. I enjoyed the past and present storyline of Fiona, Violet, and their parents. So many things happened that kept you wondering. It took a huge twist (in a good way) that I wasn't quite expecting.
Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this book for my honest review.

"The Alone Time" by Elle Marr is a riveting novel that explores the lasting impact of a traumatic childhood experience on two sisters and the disturbing secrets they've buried for years.

Fiona and Violet Seng were just children when their family's plane crashed in the Washington wilderness, leaving them orphaned and forced to fend for themselves for twelve harrowing weeks before being rescued. Now, twenty-five years later, they are still haunted by the trauma of those Alone Time weeks. Fiona channels her experiences into controversial art, while Violet struggles with addiction and tumultuous relationships, seeking solace in her writing. The sisters avoid talking about what happened during their ordeal until they become the subjects of a documentary, reigniting public interest in their story and casting doubt on their version of events.

As unsettling details about their family emerge, a mysterious woman claims that the plane crash was deliberate. Fiona and Violet must confront their past and the horrifying truth of what really happened during their time in the wilderness. Dark secrets come to light, and the sisters are forced to question not only their parents but also themselves.

Elle Marr crafts a gripping narrative with expertly timed revelations that keep readers engaged and eager to uncover the truth. The alternating perspectives between Fiona and Violet offer insight into their individual struggles and perspectives, adding depth to the characters and their complex relationship.

The themes of trauma, memory, and the power of secrets are skillfully explored throughout the story. As the plot unfolds, it becomes evident that there is much more to the sisters' story than initially meets the eye. The author's ability to create a sense of unease and tension adds to the overall suspense of the novel.

"The Alone Time" is a thought-provoking and suspenseful tale that examines the lasting effects of trauma and the ways in which family secrets can shape our lives. Elle Marr's storytelling prowess shines as she weaves a tale of mystery and emotional depth that will keep readers hooked until the very end. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with complex characters and unexpected twists, this book is a must-read.