I had a hard time with this story, but it wasn't the subject matter. I think it was the back and forth in timeline and POVs that made it a bit disjointed for me to sink deep into the story. It was a well written tale. A mystery of missing Allegra and whether it was foul play or self inflicted. The reveal was (but wasn't) a surprise. You expect for something to give in this web of lies and taboo relationships. I wouldn't know how one would go about life knowing that there were lurid events occurring in the household, in the town, in the county. It was bizarre, but almost "normal."

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

“Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die.”
—The Roanoke Girls

I've put off writing my review for well over a month because I truly didn't know how to approach reviewing this book. So I'm just going to let my thoughts flow and see what happens.

When Lane Roanoke was fifteen, her mother committed suicide, and she was sent to live in her grandparents Kansas home. Lane knew nothing about them, because her mother left home before she was born, never went back, and refused to talk about her parents. She arrives at the crazily constructed home where she meets her cousin Allegra, who also lives there. She's happy there that summer, until she discovers a dark family secret... and runs, vowing never to return. When she gets word years later that Allegra is missing, she returns, finding both happiness and heartbreak.

There's very little I can say without spoiling the story, but what I can say is The Roanoke Girls is a deeply disturbing novel with a family secret that is dark and shockingly twisted. This is definitely not a book everyone will feel comfortable reading, but despite that, it's a compelling read that's difficult to put down. Engel's writing is excellent throughout and her choice of breaking up the narrative into THEN (teenaged Lane's perspective) and NOW (present day Lane's perspective) segments, interspersed with chapters that look back on the earlier Roanoke girls, sustained the air of mystery throughout the story.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. The only thing I'm sure of is this is a story I'm unlikely to ever forget.

The author not only makes dysfunction the hero of this story, she bangs the reader’s head with it over and over. This book is another in the long line inspired by the success of “Gone Girl,” the over rated novel by Gillian Flynn using the gimmick of a deeply psychologically disturbed young female as the protagonist.

In “Roanoke Girls,” the protagonist Lane Roanoke is orphaned as a teenager after her mother dies in their New York apartment. She is saved from the foster system by relatives in Kansas who want her to come live with them. These are the parents that Lane’s mother escaped from 16 years prior.

The central theme of the book is how childhood abuse destroys lives and follows people into the dysfunction of their adult lives. The author makes it clear that in her mind only people who were abused in childhood have any understanding of others’ suffering and are the only ones capable of helping each other. The characters in the book that were not abused as children are written as rather superficial and blasé about their abused cohorts.

Lane’s sexual promiscuity and substance abuse comprise a huge portion of this story, as do her encounters with her warped family members. Time and again we are given passages about the sexual attraction between Lane and beaten-by-his-father Cooper, usually fueled with alcohol and pot. I was beginning to think I was reading a soft porn novel. It wasn’t necessary and the book could have been cut in half and the story told more succinctly without all the repetitious sex scenes and worthless getting nowhere scenes with family members.

No one in this story is likeable or relatable. They stay mired in the muck for far too long so that by the time a couple of the characters do extract themselves from the mess, it did not make this reader cheer. I just didn’t care and I was quite sure they would end up continuing their choices of alcohol and drugs over facing their demons.

Bottom line: Millions of people are abused and neglected in childhood and don’t become substance abusers and hateful heartless people. The people in this story all had choices to make and they chose to stay in their dysfunction. I learned nothing from this book and felt nothing for the characters except disgust.
I do want to note that the writing itself is not bad, average to good, and dialogue seems to be the forte of this author. Perhaps in her next book she will choose to put some “character” in her characters and respect the intelligence of her readers.

Crown Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Roanoke Girls. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Roanoke girls have a tendency to either die young or run away. Lane Roanoke was fifteen when her mother committed suicide, so she was sent to live with grandparents and a cousin that she had never met. Unfamiliar with the reasons why she left her family in rural Kansas in the first place, Lane is shocked to learn that everything is not as it appears to the outside world. Eleven years later, after Lane has moved on with her life as far away from Kansas as possible, she gets a call that leads her right back to the place to which she swore she would never return. Will the secrets of the past threaten to engulf Lane or will they all finally be revealed?

The Roanoke Girls was highly acclaimed, so I was excited when I started reading. I am not a fan of the format, as the combination of time shifts and multiple perspectives ruin the flow of the book. The family secret reveals a side of life that many would rather stay hidden, so it draws attention to a social issue that needs some attention. The problem is that the story is just not believable, as it seems hard to believe that no one noticed anything suspicious at all. The Roanoke Girls is a fast read, but not one that I would heartily recommend to other readers.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

What a book! It drew me in from the very beginning and did not let me go. A terrible sick family filled with people whom I should not have liked. But.......I did. A family history of depravity, a man who committed incest without anyone objecting. It is like they were all anesthetized, not able to raise a hand to stop these happenings. And the reader was rather in the same position. The author subtly, quietly leads the reader into the story and once one is inside it, it seems as though everything is a-okay. It is only when the reading is done that one wakes up and says "what?". Did I really read what I think I read. Even outside the plot, I cannot hate any of them. Not even Gran.

I received a free ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I was in a reading rut before I picked up this book. Nothing had been of that much interest to me in a while. I wasn't get absorbed in my books. The. I started reading The Roanoke Girls and I couldn't put it down!

This book is sick and twisted, but it's like a train wreck that you cannot look away from. The family dynamics are beyond messed up. I didn't really understand how no one knew what was going on at the Roanoke Mansion. Even worse I didn't understand why Sharon and Charlie kept their mouths shut and stood by allowing the abuse of the girls to continue. It was a very interesting concept, unlike other books I have read.

It kept me hooked until the end!

“Was it a nightmare?” I shook my head, confused and a little scared. “No.” She looked back out the window. “Then it was nothing like that.”

This was, at its heart a completely terrifying book. Not in a monsters and killers kind of way. It was scary in the way that haunts you a little in the darkness of your own home, in that tickle on the back of your neck that makes you feel as if someone is watching you. In that uncomfortable feeling you have in your own skin when you are wearing a revealing top and somebody gazes a little too long, a little too low.

Lane has had her share of grief and trouble, and when she finally finds herself on the porch of the Roanoke house, her optimism was palpable. As the story flows, it bounces back and forth from those whispy teenage days to her present, showing a much more world weary and jaded adult Lane. Her relationship with her family and her teenage friends is told through those chapters of the past, and then cemented as she fights her way through coming to grips with the terms of the present.

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

This was a truly twisted and heartbreaking tale, and although I wanted to close it in disgust more than once, I couldn't stop reading it. It was mesmerizing, and my desire for Lane to have anything more than she had been given was enough to keep me up at night, turning pages as fast as my eyes could read them. Although I did find myself occasionally referencing the handy family tree in the front, the story wasn't difficult to follow, although it wove its way through plenty of twists and turns and backtracks before finally turning you out at an ending that was satisfying.

It wasn't difficult to decide how to rate this book either. I devoured it for one thing. Start to finish, one sitting. One sleepless night turning pages. The dialogue was character unique and felt like stepping back in time to a sleepy, poverty ridden bible belt town. The backdrop so real I could feel the heat and humidity, the stick of vinyl car seats on bare legs. It was heart wrenching, terrifying, and so real I had to go hug my kids and make sure they were safe. If that doesn't spell out a 5 star read, I can't imagine what does. ~ George, 5 stars

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Highly enjoyable and I recommend to all. Thank you.

This was an incredibly addictive read, despite its unsettling subject matter. I typically don't like a predictable storyline, but this one had me hooked. I literally thought to myself: What the hell did I just read.

I loved how the author cleverly wrote alternating narratives between THEN and NOW, with a mixture of some of the Roanoke girls thrown in.

While this may not be a book for everyone, I really enjoyed it and look forward to seeing what Engel comes up with next.

For sixteen years, Lane dreamed of the house named after her mother's family. Her mother never told her anything about the place where she grew up. Never told Lane anything about her parents. Never told her why she left in the first place or why she avoided any mention of the small Kansas town where she lived before. And then Lane's mom committed suicide.

At first, it seemed like life at Roanoke would be ok. But then Lane discovered the secret her mother lived with all those years.

A decade later, Lane's cousin has gone missing and Lane finds herself once again pulled to Roanoke.

Um. This is a tough one to review. At it's most basic, Amy Engel's writing is great. Her prose reads easily, pulling you into the story from the start with Lane's narration. And I admit I really did like Lane. She's tough and she's clever and her determination to find out what happened to her cousin is admirable.

Chapters alternate between "Then" - Lane's first arrival at Roanoke as a teen, "Now" - her return after learning Allegra has gone missing, and interspersed chapters on the other Roanoke girls going back to Lane's grandfather's sisters.

As Lane's cousin reveals, none of the Roanoke girls lasts long. It didn't take but a few pages for me to draw my own conclusion about what the dark secrets of Roanoke might be. And that suspicion was confirmed shortly thereafter. I was actually a bit disappointed when it turned out I was right - first because it seemed too obvious, or just too easy a choice. Second because had I known from the start that's what the book was about, I likely wouldn't have read it at all.

As I said, the reveal comes early so the why of the Roanoke girls' stories lacks suspense and twists. The only real reveals left concern Allegra's fate, which for some might be enough of a draw. If you're a frequent visitor to the blog, then you know there's not much subject wise that I shy away from and I'm a fan of dark. This one, though, was just too much for me.

The Roanoke Girls is an entertaining and fast read (read most of it on a plane ride). Engel is the author of the young adult series The Book of Ivy, and this is her debut adult novel. The plot is interesting and disturbing, but was somewhat predictable for me. Perhaps because I read too much V.C. Andrews back in the day? I also did not particularly care for the majority of the characters -- except for one (Cooper Sullivan). The novel definitely has some V.C. Andrews vibes. The novel is about the Roanoke family – specifically the girls. When Lane Roanoke is 15-years-old, her mother commits suicide. She goes to live with her mother’s parents, whom she is meeting for the first time. Lane also meets and befriends her wild, and slightly younger cousin, Allegra. While there, Lane discovers the dark truth at the heart of the family, and decides to run away (home girl is o-u-t!). Eleven years later, her grandfather calls to tell her Allegra has gone missing. Lane reluctantly returns to help find her cousin as well as deal with some unfinished business (aka ex issues). Although the book did not wow me, read it and come up with your own conclusion. In summary, I do like Engel’s writing style and look forward to reading more of her work.

I don't know how to rate this book, so I'm not going to.  Was the writing good?  Yes.  Did the story keep me interested?  Yes.  Were there complex and developed characters?  Yes, yes, and yes.  BUT, it's the subject matter that has me in doubt.
The story is about Lane, and her uncovering the truth about her family's history.  After her mom dies, she lives with her grandparents and cousin in Kansas.  That one summer will change her life forever.
Fast forward a couple of years later and she gets an urgent call from her grandfather that her cousin, Allegra, has gone missing.  Lane returns to the Roanoke estate to solve the mystery of her disappearance and relives the happenings of that summer eleven years ago...from her grandfather to the boy she left behind.
The writing is superb.  From the very beginning I was captivated and interested to know the mystery behind the Roanoke family.  However, when I discovered what it was, I was in for a shock of a lifetime.  This is not for the faint-hearted.  This deals with a subject matter that is just down right creepy.  While I did enjoy the book, I was left with an uneasy feeling that was hard to shake.
So, with all of that said I am at a loss of how to rate it.  Like I said, it is a well-written, fast-paced book, and I would like to check out the author's others books.  However, for the Roanoke Girls, I am just at a loss...
***Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I dream of the Roanoke girls, lost and broken. Staring eyes and crumpled bodies. Jane. Sophia. Penelope. Eleanor. Camilla. Emmeline. Allegra. They are calling for me, begging me to help them. I search and search, but never find a single one.
When Lane returns to Kansas at her grandfather's bidding after her cousin Allegra has disappeared she is forced to face the circumstances that sent her running in the first place. The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel reaches into the dark depths of taboo subjects and shamelessly pulls forth the most wicked into the light.
I look up, catch my own pale, eyes-too-big reflection in Allegra’s mirror. Run Lane. As if I needed Allegra to tell me that.
Following her mother's suicide, Lane is sent to live with her last remaining family members whom she has never met- her grandparents and her cousin Allegra. Allegra is quick to latch on to Lane since they have so much in common: pale skin, dark hair and mothers who met the seemingly inescapable fate of all Roanoke girls.
Allegra did a quick pirouette away from me, her smile a little too wide. “Roanoke girls never last long around here.” She skipped along the hall, her voice growing fainter as she moved, like we were standing at opposite ends of a tunnel. “In the end, we either run or we die.”
Lane and Allegra begin their summer together as most average teenagers would- fairs in the park, flirting and kissing boys, underage drinking and bonding through shared experiences and stories. One afternoon at the swimming hole Lane senses Allegra's melancholy and slowly the cracks in the facade of the remaining Roanoke family begin to develop.
“Wanna know a secret?” Allegra asked, her voice a whisper only slightly louder than the breeze. She was still lying on the ground, her eyes closed. “Sure.” “Even if it’s the worst secret in the world? Even if it’s terrible?” Her eyes opened, found mine across the small space between us.
The secret is not shared at this moment, however, but it doesn't take long for the distorted picture of Roanoke to come into full focus. Lane uncovers the rancid center of her new home and the horrible truth of it sends her spinning.
The real horror wasn’t seeing them, wasn’t finally knowing what deep down in the darkest part of myself I’d suspected all along. The horror came in acknowledging that my initial flush of shock hadn’t lasted long, had been overtaken almost immediately by a neon flare of envy. Why wasn’t it me? I covered my mouth with both hands to hold in the hysterical laughter. Why hadn’t he picked me? That’s how fucked up I was. That’s how badly Roanoke twisted us all.
Betrayal at the most profound level and the misguided abuse of trust in a relationship that is meant to be innocent, Engel expertly portrays the simple psychology behind the unspeakable secret of The Roanoke Girls.
It wasn’t your fault,” I whisper, “what happened to you. And it was all right that you loved him. That wasn’t your fault, either. I hope you know that.”

It's Unlikable Ladies Make Compelling Books week here at LibraryHungry Headquarters, and I'm kind of proud of it. I've always thought that the ability to appreciate an unlikable narrator was a sign of more sophisticated taste than mine. The ability to appreciate a book for something besides pleasure seems like a sign of rarefied sensibilities.

I don't know if "rarefied sensibilities" really describes the audience for Roanoke Girls, by Amy Engel--52 Book Minimum, where I first saw the book reviewed, would probably say newp to that one--but I liked the book. It's a psychological drama (I guess?) told in the past and the present.

In the past, Lane is brought after her mother's suicide to live with family she's never met at Roanoke, the house where her mother grew up. After a painful, contentious relationship with her mother, she finds friendship with her cousin Allegra and love and belonging with her grandfather. It's a beautiful place, and Lane feels like she belongs for the first time.

In the present, Lane has reluctantly returned to Roanoke for the first time in a decade after learning that Allegra is missing. There are ghosts in every corner as she comes to terms with the past and tries to find her cousin and best friend.

So much for the blurb. Roanoke is creepy in the stagnant, stultifying way that Southern towns are creepy in literature (though it's in Kansas, so it has the added benefit of being flat and featureless). I was most impressed that the author didn't try to keep Roanoke's dark secrets for a big reveal--close to the beginning you find out what sent Lane packing, and it doesn't take anything away from the drama. You still watch young Lane learn slowly what she's walked into and adult Lane try to come to terms with it and find her cousin.

Lane is...not likeable. She's a different kind of prickly than Lois in Experimental Film; Lois was awkward to the point of struggling to move through the world; Lane is pushing back hard against anything that comes close. After a childhood with a miserable and possibly mentally ill mother and the events that unfold in the past timeline, adult Lane has a bunch of classic maladaptive interpersonal behaviors. Cruelty feels more comfortable to her than kindness, and she finds herself accidentally-on-purpose creating situations where things can't get too raw or honest.

The mystery and/or thriller part of this wasn't that thrilling--I saw all the twists coming a long way off--but the characters were very human and fragile and real, and it kept me turning pages as fast as I could all the way through. If the central ugliness of Roanoke itself is a bit outside my ability to comprehend, well, I guess that's a good thing, as far as my moral character goes, right?

(Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.)

I really struggled to connect with this book. I am a big fan of thrillers and mysteries, but I could not get into this book. I tried to get through it, but the dialogue and characters did not draw me in. I gave it a chance and got about a quarter of the way through it, but it just didn't keep me entertained or interested. The characters' dialogue was particularly lacking, and I had a hard time envisioning them as fully formed and authentic people. This book just didn't click with me.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! I had never read any of:Amy Engel's YA novels, but I heard so much buzz about The Roanoke Girls, I was intrigued. If a book is touted as "controversial", it may as well fly into my hands! Dark and disturbing with a very difficult subject matter, the author takes family dysfunction and turned it on its ear. There are so many secrets that stay buried for so long however, that I found it, at times, a bit unrealistic. The girls were portrayed as too naive to be believable too. I just wanted to reach into the book and strangle a few people! But in the end, it IS fiction and the story was well written. If I can't leave a book alone until I've finished it, that's my endorsement. This is one of those!

I want to address those reviewers who have given this book one and two stars for everything from it promotes and normalizes the issue the story deals with, to what happens in the book is a trigger. IT DOES NOT PROMOTE OR NORMALIZE THE ISSUE IN THE STORY!

The story is actually giving insight into how horrible it is and showing how adults can manipulate children and teens into thinking things are their choice, or their fault when they are not. It shows how it devastates lives, and drives victims to do horrible things to themselves. As far as the "trigger" goes, the events are never described, so obviously the reviewer did not actually read the book and just assumed there were descriptions.

How are authors going to have any incentive to write about sensitive issues that need to be dealt with and have a light shone on them, to give insight, when people bash the book only because if its topic. You are supposed to be appalled by some of the character's actions; that is the point to issue related books! It makes zero sense to degrade the book because of it. A couple of the reviews also made it sound like this was a YA book, and it is not. It is Adult Fiction. Just because parts of the story were about the girls as teens does not automatically make it Young Adult.

Now on to the writing and the story. The author is a solid writer. I was engaged with the story throughout the entire book. The characters are believable, as were their interactions. I love authors who are skilled at writing realistic dialogue. Her setting descriptions were vivid. There was an intricately threaded family history and dynamic that was done really well. I am glad I decided to read it. Don't let those unfounded bad reviews dissuade you from reading this title.

I am sorry, i did not finish the book entirely due to the subject matter.

Wow! What a book! This is very dark and twisty sort of novel with very difficult themes. It’s not for everyone – trigger warnings all over the place. If you can get past the darkness, it really is an intriguing and interesting story. The entire novel revolves around a very dark family secret (don’t read reviews or they’ll spoil it for you) that is the heart of the novel. The characters and the storytelling are stellar here! There is an authenticity to the story that surprised me. And I think the exploration of family secrets and how they play out for various members of a family made this one a really great read for me. I didn’t find myself too focused on the secret but rather the family dynamics that contribute to the secret. And I think they were well done. I really appreciated how well the author handled a very uncomfortable and taboo subject while also creating a wonderful story full of complex and interesting characters. As I said, this is NOT for everyone but if you can get past the darkness, I think it’s so worth the read. I really appreciated with the author did here and, despite its darkness, I think it was a very good story!