The Broken Girls
Oh, Mary! There’s a rumor that she roams Idlewild, a boarding school that once served young women, providing these women their last opportunity. The school closes in 1979 but Mary still roams, the rumor becomes a reality. Mary preys upon her victims, touching their lives forever. Mary is connected to Idlewild, her connection runs deep and she is not leaving until her business is finished.
The story of Idlewood is told in two time periods. The past and the present day. I found both stories fascinating and I enjoyed following the characters. In the past, we are introduced to the characters as they are students at the boarding school and we get to know their personalities. The girls learn firsthand about Mary and they try to learn about her history. It’s not an instant friendship as each of the girls adjust to their new surroundings, as these girls have each come from different backgrounds. They form ties with each other, some more connected than others.
In the present day, we learn that Idlewood has been vacant for some time but that is about to change. The school is being restored which is causing quite a commotion. Why would someone decide to reopen the school now and what about Mary? There has also been a murder committed on the school grounds a while back that Deb cannot get over. Her sister was the victim but the evidence surrounding the case just didn’t add up to satisfy Deb. There is an individual serving time for the murder but Deb again, is still not satisfied with the results of the case.
I liked how the each of the stories dug deeper and deeper into the lives of the characters. I learned some of the history of each of the characters and as the story was being led out, I enjoyed seeing how things were being placed together and how some things just did not fit. I liked how Mary’s character pulled in a mysterious and creepy element to the story. This was a deep-rooted story, a twisted story that brought the past back to life.
I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for sharing this title with me.
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