The bond between sisters is often complicated. When that relationship is based on a foundation of lies the complications go deeper than usual. Isla discovers a young girl wondering in the woods around her family’s cabin. Alerting her parents and then the authorities the family takes her in and name her Marlow. The integration of Marlow into the family is challenging but one thing is incontrovertible: Marlow is an exquisite beauty. That beauty attracts the attention of a fashion photographer . Despite her youth Marlow rises to the top of the modeling world and develops a substance abuse problem. Isla, becomes an art galleries and marries her childhood friend Sawyer.. Fissures in the family unit become apparent in this carefully lotted and intricately detailed novel. There are many plot complications in this which are very nicely tied together at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC.
After reading some of the stellar reviews by readers, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I found it a difficult read. I didn't like the writing style and couldn't connect with the characters at all. I tried hard, but gave up without finishing. Sorry!

This book was so captivating! It started off with such a bang and drew me in instantly. I love how each new detail and event had me changing my opinions of the characters. There were so many things that I didn't see coming, and a few that I guess before hand, but still loved the way they played out. I would have loved just a bit more closure at the end instead of having to use my own interpretation. Unique story line that I haven't seen before.

“Becoming Marlow Fin” by Ellen Won Steil was an unexpected delightful surprise. It’s about a traumatized 6 year old girl found in the woods on the shores of Lake Superior, and the picture perfect family who finds her and ultimately adopts her. It is a family drama and intense thriller about Marlow, the young girl who grows up to be a glamorous super. model/actress and claims to have no memory about her past, The family already has one daughter and winds up raising the two girls as sisters but something is clearly off and you will not figure this one out until the very end. Hang onto your hats and be prepared to be reading into the wee hours of the night!

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Inion Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I found reading this to be a chore. Too much back and forth - it was distracting instead of intriguing and the world painted was boring and strange; unfinished and unremarkable. There just wasn’t a lot of consistency and it was difficult to engage or care about her story. Marlow is a psychopath? Marlow is abandoned? Marlow is quiet and only loves her sister? Marlow is indifferent to anyone else? The pharmacy scene was a bit of a last straw - in our 2023 age it’s a bit off putting to see a minority use their race to make a scene. It happens and then we just move right along - fast forwarding through their life. I lost all respect for the characters after that and was no longer willing to suffer through to bear witness to their tale. Sorry to say that I wouldn’t recommend this title.

It's not often that I struggle with writing book reviews. Usually I manage to produce balanced critiques — or so I'm told — which kind to write themselves like jigsaw puzzles, each section (of the review) falling into place practically of it's own accord, until I end up with a coherent whole.

Ellen Won Steil'a 'Becoming Marlow Fin' was a different matter. The story, at its core, is a good one. The characters are interesting, ethnically diverse and 'rounded' enough to make the reader want to engage with them. I think it's the writing style and the way the novel is structured that doesn't quite work for me — other readers, of course, may not share my view and that is fine and as it should be. The skipping between different years is a bit confusing and not well executed, imo. I don't think the interview sections work particularly well. I'd have preferred for the revelations about Marlow Fin's background and story to evolve more organically as part of the narrative. Finally, some of the writing is overwritten, I think. The author has clearly taken the 'show, don't tell' mantra very much to heart and imo there is sometimes so much of it that the detailed descriptions of places, smells, etc. and people's appearance and what they're wearing actually loses track of the story itself. There is no room left for the reader's own imagination to play any part in the reading process.

Many thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for the ARC.

Becoming Marlow Fin is a tense, tight, family thriller set around Lake Superior. A terrified, abandoned little girl, Marlow Fin, seen by a slightly older girl, Isla, is given shelter by the Baek Family.

Despite the tension’s Marlow brings to the picture perfect Baek’s, she’s adopted and the simmering undercurrent within the family continues, something is off with the Baek’s.

The narrative switches between time, narrator and is told from the perspective of Isla, Marlow and a third woman.

Overall a very enjoyable read. The only let down the ending felt abrupt.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Isla Baek is 8 years old when she finds Marlow Fin in a storm outside of the family cabin. Unable to find someone who knows the abandoned child, the Baek family takes Marlow in.

What follows is the story of two sisters—Marlow, a stunning beauty whose enigmatic nature and dangerous outbursts leave everyone on edge, and Isla, who wants nothing more than a happy, stable life with a loving sister.

Told in alternating timelines, this story covers the past in flashbacks narrated by Isla, while the present-day story is in the form of a TV interview where Marlow is coming clean about her past, and the tragedies and heartbreak left in her wake.

I felt that the book started off slow, and a clear plot isn’t revealed until a bombshell midway through Marlow’s interview.

The first few chapters rely heavily on adjectives for every item mentioned. There are “glassy lapis eyes” and “spiral-black vinyl floors” punctuating every other sentence.

After a bit, it settles into a story that feels like it’s missing a plot. The writing is sharper, but you begin to wonder if it’s just the story of an adopted child with a missing past and troubled present.

About a third of the way in, you start to get some context from the present-day interview that alludes to tragedies and accidents that may not have been accidental. At that point, it was easier for me to stay engaged with the story.

There are several dramatic moments that stopped me in my tracks, but one was a particularly good misdirection with a moderately satisfying resolution.

The story isn’t a romp, but it’s also not oppressively dark and heavy. I’d consider it a moderately light read for a thriller, and would recommend it to someone looking for a balance between cozy mysteries and Gone Girl.

Looking for a family drama full of secrets and unexpected twists and turns, then Becoming Marlow Finn is the book for you. I highly recommend this one!
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC.

What a gripping story. The beginning was a little slow for me but picked up mid way through but it had plenty of twists and turns.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advanced reader copy

Thanks to @netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this copy of "Becoming Marlow Fin."

This book is phenomenal! Be prepared to read it in one sitting because you won't be able to put it down.

I was hooked after the first chapter and needed to know all about Marlow. Then the interview format with Marlow worked so well as she vowed to talk about the big mystery. And the flashbacks from Isla's and Marlow's childhood to present kept me glued to the page.

Here's to a great 2024 for @ellenstiel.

This was the such a good book! The were so many twists and turns in this book that it left me guessing from start to finish. Everything I thought I knew where the story was going there would be a new twist. It was very well written. I would definitely recommend it and I will definitely look for more books by Ellen Won Steil!

Wow.. family drama thriller with more twists and turns than you could anticipate. I enjoyed the writing style and the interview was a fun added bonus. I also enjoy a well put together time jump and this one did it! We were all over in time but it wasn’t chaotic, it was easy to follow and get back into the story of that timeline.

The beginning was a tad slow, but quickly picked up and was a quick read with a nice length to each chapter.

I found myself to be a bit confused at the end. It ended pretty quick and felt a bit rushed with the details. It left me with a feeling of, hmm? A lot of it felt implied rather than laid out and explained to us.

I could have done without the crude language that presents throughout the book and the few explicit sex scenes.

Overall, this had me gripping my seat and swiping pages to find out what was happening next!

Becoming Marlow Fin was a bit confusing for me. I had a hard time following the alternating narratives. I usually enjoy that style of writing -- but It did all come together at the end though and was a good ending. Overall I did enjoy this book. I didn't see the ending coming and I enjoy a good twist. Thank you NetGalley and Ellen Won Steil for the Advance Copy in exchange for honest review.

Ellen Won Steil is a genius! I am a fan and her new book Becoming Marlow Fin is a total mind f@#k. I am in shock and need to reread this brilliant family thriller immediately. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. Isla, Marlow and Sawyer will in my mind for a very long time.

Fascinating characters, well-done multiple timelines, and enough twists to keep me guessing. I genuinely felt like I was discovering Marlow’s past as she was and experienced the emotions as well. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and would read her future books. Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

After reading the reviews, I had high expectations for this book, however, it failed to grip me. The writing style was good and the characters were interesting but the plot was ridiculously far-fetched and unbelievable. I was left rather dissatisfied.

Loved this book! It went back and forth in time, which sometimes can annoy me, but not this book, that just made it more compelling. Some chapters were interviews of super model/actress Marlow. Plenty of twists and turns. One of the best books I’ve read this year. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book incredible book.

Interesting characters, story and plot. Enjoyed the read and a perfect escape for a cold winter afternoon or a nice afternoon at the beach. Thanks

Becoming Marlow Fin has all the trappings that generally appeal to me, including being slightly reminiscent of Daisy Jones/Evelyn Hugo in its interview style, but with the added element of true crime. It's an easy read in that there's nothing too complex about the language, but I was hoping for something a bit more elevated. Had the writing been slightly more sophisticated, I'd have loved this book. But regardless, I think it will appeal widely to the BookTok crew.