Received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher for passing it along.
This book focuses on the lives of The Roanoke Girls a family that lives in Kansas and the fact that the lot have either died or fled as a result. The novel introduces us to Lane who returns to the Kansas home, after leaving ten years ago, after hearing news of her cousin Allegra’s disappearance.
This book wasn’t very long but I found myself wanting to put it down when I got to the “secret” reveal. Other reviews make note that this book has disturbing subject matter so it’s definitely not a light read but it just wasn’t one that kept my interest after that.

This train wreck of a family is more dysfunctional than one hopes ever occurs in real life, although the premise isn’t impossible. As the story moves between “then” (when the main protagonist, Lane Roanoke, is almost 16) and “now” (when Lane is 26) you learn what the family secrets are and how each of the family members responded to the nightmare of a family.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find a single character likable except for the boyfriend of the main protagonist, and one had to question his judgment at any rate for being involved with the very nasty Lane Roanoke. (Lane herself admits she is more comfortable with cruelty than with kindness. And she is not the only Roanoke girl who feels that way.)

The family is extremely unhealthy and morally corrupt to say the least, but none of them seem aware of it except Lane, and even she feels the pull of the pathology that affects the whole family.

Evaluation: I felt like my brain needed a shower after reading this book.

It is never easy to face certain topics- incest being one of the more uncomfortable things to discuss. However, Amy Engel bases this brilliant novel of one family's twisted saga on incest and obsession.- and manages to not disgust the reader. Because of her deep character development, you feel as though you can understand how this family lives through years of adoration and sinful love, even though we know it's moral repugnance. I read this book in two days, unable to stop thinking about the character's pain, how Allegra, the missing Roanoke Girl, would come to be found, and eventually, towards the end, how Lane, the "last " of the Roanoke Girls would resolve her family conflicts. It takes a great author-in my opinion-to take a subject that can make you feel disgusted and dirty after its implication (incest) and instead inspire sympathy for the main characters trapped in this sick cycle. Wonderful, descriptive writing that brought the desperate heat of Kansas, and the despair of these love-starved girls into my hands. Looking forward to more of Amy Engel's work in the future!

The Roanoke Girls was beautifully written and a 2017 must read.

The Roanoke Girls is an interesting story, but fair warning, it contains sexual situations that may make some readers uncomfortable. Author, Amy Engel takes the reader back and forth in time weaving this tale. Eventually it all makes sense. I found The Roanoke Girls difficult to put down, mainly as I was invested in the main character and wanted to know what happened next. I was given an early copy to review.

Thanks Crown Publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

this is a hard one to review because I don't want to give anything away. If you like suspense, secrets, and family drama then this one is for you

All the stars!!!

"Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die".

As soon as I read that first sentence in the blurb for this book, I knew I had to have it. I had a really hard time putting this book down. This was another one of those rare times that I was not upset at having to wait at the doctor's office. He was late and I was so into this book that I honestly couldn't care less. They probably had to call my name a few times before I even heard them and registered where I was.

Fifteen year old, Lane Roanoke is still reeling from her mother's suicide when she comes to live with her maternal grandparents at the Roanoke estate in rural Osage Flats, Kansas. Her cousin, Allegra is just six months younger and is beyond thrilled that Lane has come to stay. Allegra also lives with and is being raised by their grandparents.

Lane has never met her grandparents. Her mother refused to talk about them. All Lane knows is that her mother ran away years before. Lane had a very difficult relationship with her mother. Most times it seemed like her mother hated her and Lane was confused as to why.

Dysfunctional doesn't even come close to describing this family....

This family has dark secrets that go back generations...Allegra is more than happy to fill Lane in on the tragic lives of the Roanoke girls that came before them. Lane and Allegra have quite the summer. But when Lane learns the horrific secrets of the Roanoke family, she has to leave. Her heart breaks at leaving Allegra but for the sake of her own sanity she can't stay in such a toxic environment.

Time wise it was only one summer of her life, but that one summer changed Lane's life in many ways and she vows never to return to Kansas or her family's farm.

Eleven years later, Lane is living in Los Angeles. Late one night she gets a call from her grandfather. He tells her she needs to come home...she must come back to Roanoke.

Allegra is missing. It's been a week and no one knows anything. Lane swore nothing would ever get her to return to that place...but she has to find out if Allegra is okay.

After all this time, could Allegra have finally broken away from the family? And if so, why now?
When Lane arrives at the farm she feels the familiar dread but at the same time her heart betrays her telling her she's home. There's also someone else from that summer that Lane would really love to see.

But what happened to Allegra? Allegra...the only Roanoke girl who wouldn't leave.

This is a very dark read but I was enthralled. It was very upsetting at times and it may not be for everyone....

I liked the format of the book. Mostly from Lane's point of view but also the perspectives of all of the Roanoke girls and their stories. It flowed easily back and forth between past and present. Disturbing and dark but I was unable to stop reading. All of the characters, the good and the evil are very well drawn. Their behavior and how they related to each other felt very authentic.

As I mentioned, this book deals with some very difficult and disturbing subject matter that may make some readers very uncomfortable. However, I felt that the author handled the issues with sensitivity and wasn't trying to sensationalize the things that happened.

I have no doubt that this story is going to stay with me for a very long time. A well written and extremely thought-provoking novel.

I am really looking forward to reading more from this talented author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and Amy Engel for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dark story of a twisted family and their "Roanoke girls" who bear the emotional damage. The characters were not very likable--with good reason--but it certainly had me waiting for a big blow up at the end. I thought the story drug in the middle--too many of the same hot, sweat drenched summer days to wade through before something new was revealed. I liked the ending and was happy to see Lane grow up.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

This book was...intense. The ending was spoiled rather early in the book, which left me filled with revulsion instead of suspense. The idea of girls that are always vanishing (much like the colony of Roanoke) is an AMAZING premise and had a lot of potential. However, Engel showed her cards too early and the novel suffered.

Consumed with sex, bitterness, betrayal, and general drama, THE ROANOKE GIRLS is an emotionally, exhausting novel. I devoured it in one day, but often needed a break to step away from what was going on. This novel is NOT for everyone and highly encourage you to do your research before delving in here.

I absolutely love this novel! I was both enthralled and appalled. It is beautifully written.

I will highly recommend it to fellow readers.

The Roanoke Girls is being marketed as a thriller which I think is misleading. It was more of a family drama about how a family secret can affect generations in a family.

Lane is sent to live with her grandparents and her cousin Allegra after her mother commits suicide when Lane is 15. Her mother had been a very poor parent so Lane is thrilled to have a family. Once she gets to Kansas and meets her new family and learns the family secret, she quickly leaves Kansas behind to exist (just exist, not thrive) in California.

What I liked about this book: The setting in Kansas is very well described - you could almost feel the heat and the dryness when the author wrote about it. The characters of Lane and Allegra were well done - even though they were both very unlikable.

What I didn't like: The family secret was revealed too early in the book and the reader learned too early what a despicable family this really is. There was way way too much sex and swearing in the book - a lot of it unnecessary to the plot.

I would like to read this author's books in the future as I think she has a lot of potential as an author of adult books.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Crown publishing for sending me an advanced copy via netgalley!

I LOVED this book! I started this book yesterday afternoon and haven't put it down until just now after finishing it! Now, considering that this book is pretty dark, I don't know how I should feel about loving it, but I did! Very well-written, I never lost interest!

If you appreciate honest (as ugly as it can get) characters, you will love this book! But it is definitely not for everyone!

I found this book hard to get into and follow the storyline. It's seem to flip-flop back-and-forth between the present time in a time when she was away from the home.

I was crazy about this one and it was such a disturbing book. I couldn't put it down. I don't know how else to describe it except that it was weird and creepy, and you should read it and see what you think.

I love a haunting book revolving around family secrets. The Roanoke Girls delivers. It is like getting a glimpse inside of a family who on the outside looks shiny and bright and finding out what lies beneath. Always a good read. Fast paced. Flashbacks. A good read that will draw you in.

I had no idea what to expect when I started reading "The Roanoke Girls" and what I got was light years away from anything I could have guessed. In short, I love this book and will be purchasing a copy for my personal collection and hopefully for my library, I know some of my students would be intrigued with the psychological aspects of this narrative.

As you make your way through the novel it feels as though you are throwing open door after door to the Roanoke house letting light hit all of the previously dark, secret corners. You see a family which has been rotting from the inside for years finally cracking open, their secrets spilling out for the world to see. It's tragic, and repulsive but you can't look away. These characters latch on to you, dig their nails in deep and drag you through their story, sometimes kicking and screaming.

It's Dorthy in small town Kansas but the tornado never stopped spinning and Roanoke lives in the eye of the storm.

I am going to review this in three pieces, story, mystery and writing. Stay with me here. It will make sense. So writing first. The author does a beautiful job throughout of outting you in a time and place, of puttung her hooks in you and dragginf you along with the characters. I would definitely read more by her. The mystery is fair. I figured the ending out pretty early and pretty easily, but there was arr least oner thing I hadnt seen coming. Now the story. Just not my thing. I didn't realize the main theme from the notes and would have passed if I had known. That said, I feel like if you are going to go there, the topiuc should have been treated more deeply. It felt like it was no big deal to some degree, which was weird though maybe was part of the point. That in this family, it wasn't seen the same as I would see it. Overall, fast read that I feel odd recommending. But definitely keep an eye out for others by this author.

This was an odd book with an unexpected spin at the end. I really enjoyed it,

I loved the way this slowly unfolded bringing surprise after surprise/

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel has a similar feel to The Good Daughter in that it also involves past and present POVs and a woman returning to her rural hometown to confront twisted family secrets. It follows teenager Lane Roanoke, who following the suicide of her mother, goes to live with her mysterious grandparents on their sprawling estate in rural Kansas alongside her beautiful, unhinged cousin named Allegra. This storyline is interspersed with Lane’s present day narrative, as she returns to Kansas following a long absence, after hearing about Allegra’s disappearance. The icky truth of the Roanoke family and the mystery of what happened to Allegra is slowly revealed. The Roanoke Girls is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it is quite “unputdownable” if you can overlook the dark, uncomfortable subject matter throughout. It will be released in March. (Published in the Napanee Guide, December 29th 2016, pg.4)