Saratoga Woods

Elizabeth George was able to create a unique mystery novel and enjoyed reading this world. It was a strong start to the Abandonment of Hannah Armstrong series, it was everything that I hoped for and was invested in what was happening to the characters. It left me wanting to read more in this series and from Elizabeth George.

Hannah’s journey begins when she finds herself in a precarious situation, feeling lost and disconnected from her family and friends. As she navigates through her feelings of abandonment, she encounters various characters who influence her path to self-discovery. These interactions help Hannah to confront her past and understand the reasons behind her mother’s departure.

Throughout the narrative, readers witness Hannah’s struggles with trust and acceptance as she learns to forge new relationships while coming to terms with her own emotions. The novel delves into the impact of familial bonds and the importance of community support in overcoming personal challenges.

Elizabeth George intricately develops Hannah’s character, allowing readers to experience her growth from a vulnerable girl into a strong individual who learns to embrace her identity. The supporting characters play crucial roles in shaping Hannah’s understanding of love, loss, and forgiveness.

The book addresses significant themes such as abandonment, resilience, and the search for belonging. It highlights how individuals can find strength within themselves and their communities even in the face of adversity.

In conclusion, “The Abandonment of Hannah Armstrong” is not just a story about loss; it is also an inspiring tale about finding one’s place in the world despite difficult circumstances.

I am a fan of the Lyndsey series so was excited to read the first in this new series. It is a good plot with
lots of twists. The character development is good with interesting interactions. Good blood.

Hannah hears ‘whispers’ pieces of other’s thoughts. Her stepfather hires her to work at his office, but he really is using her skill to manipulate their clients and their investments. When his partner disappears, he is worried what Hannah may have picked up from his thoughts. In fear of her life, Hannah and her mom escape, trying to hide from him. Hannah’s mom drops her at Whidbey Island in Washington, planning for her to stay with an old friend. Hannah becomes Becca and the plan goes awry when the friend dies unexpectedly and Becca now has nowhere to hide. She is hiding from her stepfather and the police, worrying he may have reported her missing.
It is a small community, and Becca struggles to fit in with the help of a pair of friends. One mean girl makes her life exceptionally miserable. When one boy is found badly injured on a trail, she goes into hiding. Not knowing who to trust and only 14 years old, Becca often acts impulsively, but she has a good heart.
I enjoyed getting to know Becca and her friends, but this is the first of a trilogy so the adventure will continue.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Very different to her usual offerings, but this latest from Elizabeth George is absolutely captivating. With a cast of incredible characters and a plot line designed to mislead, it is impossible not to be drawn into this story. I loved the ongoing theme of assumptions and stepping back to see the truth of things - and often, the simplicity of what seems most complex. As always, the writing is impeccable with dialogue, characterisation and descriptions all serving to draw the reader entirely into the fictional world. Characters like Grand and Gus stand out as particularly beautiful, but this is a full cast which I can’t wait to revisit.

I really enjoyed this

This is not what I expected from Elizabeth George. I have read most of her work and thought she was British. I was wrong. She is American. This book is set in an island off of Seattle, not London.

The story starts with a 14 year old girl, Hannah, who can hear the thoughts of others. It makes school difficult for her as there are so many voices in her head she has trouble concentrating. Her step-father takes advantage of her special ability and has her listen to the thoughts of his investment firm clients so he can say what they want to hear. When the step-father's partner disappears, Hannah and her mother know that something is wrong and go on the run. Hannah is dropped off by her mother at a ferry to Whitby Island to stay with her mother's friend. But the friend does not show up to pick Hannah up and Hannah finds out the friend died suddenly. Hannah is on her own until her mother can come back and get her.

There is a story line where a young man that Hannah was starting to become friends with is found severely injured from a fall. Hannah does not know if her other friend was responsible. There is lots of angst, but this is resolved just as another issue comes up and the book ends, ready for part 2. I will definitely be reading it.

Although this is from the point of view of a young adult, I did not feel like it was just for the high school aged reader. I enjoyed it quite a lot and am looking forward to reading the entire 5 book series.

I didn’t expect to be so captivated by this young adult novel, especially since YA isn't usually my go-to genre. However, this book was a pleasant surprise! The Pacific Northwest setting, which I am very familiar, was realistic without feeling heavily contrived. The characters felt incredibly real and vibrant, and I found myself emotionally invested in their journeys from the very beginning. Without giving too much away I will say the story was evocative while remaining stable, with themes that resonated. Every plot point had purpose, and the narrative kept me hooked until the final page.

Overall, this was a fantastic read, and I’m grateful to have had the chance to experience it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a wonderful story. Unique and so thoughtfully woven with mystery, mystery and just humanness. Though it was one of five in the series, I appreciated that all but one plotline were concluded in a totally satisfying way, which is often not the case. Looking forward to the next part!

What drew me to The Abandonment of Hannah Armstrong was the author Elizabeth George. I have read several of her Lynley and Havers police mystery series. This book is far removed from that. It’s a young adult novel that’s a mystery/thriller/teen romance. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, as I’m not a young adult, and I guess overlooked that in the description. But it’s a strong entry in this genre. It’s well written and it has a strong hook.

It’s about a girl, Hannah, with the ability to hear people’s thoughts unless she’s wearing a certain device. This ability puts her and her mother in danger early on in the book. Hannah is a young teen who had been working with her stepfather, using her abilities to help him in his business. What she hadn’t realized was he was using the information to bilk his senior clients. When he realized that she was aware of his illegal activities and the fact of his business partner’s mysterious disappearance, she and her mother realized that they were in danger. They decided to disappear separately with new identities. Hannah goes to Whidbey Island to meet up with Carol, a friend of her mother’s and a burner phone for reuniting mother and daughter when it is safe.

So Hannah becomes Becca and the story takes off when the plan to meet Carol doesn’t go quite as planned. This is Becca’s story as she tries to stay safe until she can reconnect with her mom. She is befriended and helped along the way, enters high school and deals with the mean girl Jenn. But a mystery is thrown in her path that makes her question who she can trust as she tries to figure it out.

This is the first of a series as Becca navigates her way back to her real life. I’m sure George has much in store for Hannah/Becca during this series.

#netgalley #theabandonmentofhannaharmstrong

I’ve not been able to get an Elizabeth George book for years, much to my regret. That I got this was sheer luck.

Becca King on the run from a criminal stepfather is abandoned by her mother on Whidbey Island. Becca is psychic, hears whispers which she sometimes cannot interpret, and this makes her stand out in the group of teenagers she has to live with. Derric of Ugandan origin and adopted and Seth a drop out and much maligned are her friends. Debbie becomes an adopted Aunt and Diana who understands the psychic part of Becca are her support system.

Because of her fear for her stepfather Becca cannot come clean even to those who want to help and when Derric is found unconscious after a fall in the woods, the local Sheriff turns his attention to the local bad boy Seth and then to Becca, the unknown quantity in this tiny community.

Dealing with teen angst, the way they think and react (mean girl Jenn being a case in point) the story weaves its way through small town America and how a community tries to help out one of its own.

Slightly different to this authors usual settings, this was still a very good read. One book from a trilogy, I do hope I can get to the others.

I have so enjoyed George’s Thomas Lynley series but had not read the teen/young adult stories set on Whidbey Island. I found this first of, I think, five books quite absorbing.

Becca King has had a lot go wrong. Her innate ability to hear others’ thoughts inadvertently left her and her mother in danger and needing to flee. Becca is left on her own on this island where she is meant to be anonymous.

Becca interacts with many characters. There are children, high school peers, and a number of adults. Among my favorites were Seth, Derric, Debbie, Ralph and Diana, all of whom have backstories.

Readers will remember the folks of Whidbey. They will root for Becca. Like me, they will want to move on to book two.

Note: The series is reissued so some may already have read them under the original titles.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this title. All opinions are my own.