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Don't Breathe a Word

by Jennifer McMahon (Goodreads Author)

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56 · rating details · 5,808 ratings · 1,387 reviews

On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.

Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn’t fear...more

ebook, 340 pages

Published May 17th 2011 by William Morrow Paperbacks (first published April 27th 2011)

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Mar 21, 2011 Mary Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Take a moment and stare at the cover. Really, just look at it for a few seconds. It’s a bit unnerving, isn’t it? This little child with wide eyes seems to be staring into your soul, seems to be silently daring you to reveal secrets you’ve kept for years. Do you suddenly feel the need to look away? Maybe you’re wondering why her face seems to show a mixture of despondency and maybe a bit of fear in the midst of inquisitiveness and uncertainty.

That’s what it will feel like when you read Jennifer M...more Take a moment and stare at the cover. Really, just look at it for a few seconds. It’s a bit unnerving, isn’t it? This little child with wide eyes seems to be staring into your soul, seems to be silently daring you to reveal secrets you’ve kept for years. Do you suddenly feel the need to look away? Maybe you’re wondering why her face seems to show a mixture of despondency and maybe a bit of fear in the midst of inquisitiveness and uncertainty.

That’s what it will feel like when you read Jennifer McMahon’s newest release, DON’T BREATHE A WORD. Phoebe is the main character but the story truly revolves around three – Phoebe, of course, her boyfriend Sam, and Sam’s lost sister, Lisa. In this particular case, “lost” refers to the fact that when she was 12, she ran to the woods behind their house because she believed she would meet the King of the Fairies, Tielo.

Sounds a bit strange? Maybe a bit intriguing? It’s both.

As a lover of (almost) everything paranormal – and a fascination with fairies since I was a child – DON’T BREATHE A WORD caught my attention immediately. From the opening page, I was sucked into a world that I knew I would both love and fear. An excerpt opens the novel, an excerpt from THE BOOK OF FAIRIES:

If you are holding this book in your hands, you are one of the chosen. You must understand that with this privilege comes great responsibility. The knowledge contained in these pages will change your life forever.

It almost reads as a warning for the book itself which isn’t a far cry from the words that follow in the 400+ pages that describe a thrilling and suspenseful tale of fear, wonder, relationships, solitude, and the mind. McMahon has the uncanny ability to pull you into a world that may not be known and have it wraps its arms around you in a grip so tight, breathing becomes difficult.

The story begins 15 years prior to the present day where readers meet the characters and learn of the situation revolving around the missing Lisa. From there, readers are taken on a journey in flip-flopping chapters of the past and the present. While I’m not often a fan of this type of writing, McMahon does it in such a way that the flashbacks flow completely into the present day. What I find in other books is that the transitions are jarring, almost like they don’t belong where they are placed, but McMahon is flawless in her storytelling.

A mystery unravels and readers will be compelled to attempt to solve it before Phoebe and Sam do; it will be difficult considering all the twists and turns that occur – again done flawlessly and with ease. There is never a situation where one will think, “There’s no way that could happen” in the realm of reality and the insertions of the fairies is mind-boggling in that there’s never really anything out there, so to speak.

The characters are well thought out and Sam and Lisa’s views on the world and life are extremely balanced. While Lisa believes that fairies exist, Sam believes in the truth of realism and logic. As children, they are thrown into a situation that challenges both perspectives and will make any reader question his or her own beliefs. Phoebe is also a heroine who makes sense. She’s the regular, everyday girl in love with her boyfriend and filled with new emotions when she is suddenly thrust into a mystery that doesn’t seem to want to unravel. The great thing about these three (and the other characters that appear throughout the novel) is that I wanted them to succeed, I wanted them to overcome their fears and learn the truth.

A psychological thriller that may make sleeping difficult, DON’T BREATHE A WORD is a fantastic read and one of my top books of both 2010 (when I originally read it) and 2011 (when it releases on May 17).(less)

29 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2011 K. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-dys, 21st-cent, goosebumps, ok-i-cheated

This premise sounded intriguing enough. I love it when fantasy crosses over into reality and you're never sure if the truth is really magic or something so disturbingly human. You're never sure which you'd prefer. Don't Breathe a Word does that exactly (p.s., I hate that title). For the first two-thirds of the book you're sure its fantasy and that this somewhat malevolent take on fairies is the explanation to it all. And then secrets are unraveled and what the blurg, there's a practical explanat...more This premise sounded intriguing enough. I love it when fantasy crosses over into reality and you're never sure if the truth is really magic or something so disturbingly human. You're never sure which you'd prefer. Don't Breathe a Word does that exactly (p.s., I hate that title). For the first two-thirds of the book you're sure its fantasy and that this somewhat malevolent take on fairies is the explanation to it all. And then secrets are unraveled and what the blurg, there's a practical explanation for everything?! And then more twists and turns and you're dizzy.

I didn't really find this book all that frightening, which is a lot coming from me because I scare easy (which is odd as I have a fascination with anything peculiar and macabre but shh...). This, me, is a girl who spent all night with all her lights on after watching Paranormal Activity (but who is also a girl who has no problem looking up post-mortem photography at dead time). I kid you not. I am a walking oxymoron. ~~Or I'm bipolar.~~ The point is yes, it was a little creepy but nothing you can't get over just before bedtime. No nightmare-inducing moments here folks. Fear not.

But unfortunately, I was disappoint. Le sigh. It just wasn't anything great. I skimmed a little, cared a little. I'll admit, however, that the final third of the book is quite exciting. Not terribly so but enough to encourage me until the end. The end. It was abrupt. It left me questions. ~~It sucked.~~ There was no sense of closure for the characters; no punishment for the bad guys, no retribution for the victims. No real resolution or clarification on what the hell just happened. I think McMahon either got lazy or perhaps, she just didn't know how to pull it off. (view spoiler) It could've been more shocking. McMahon could have, should have, written something that would've really sent my skin crawling. It didn't.

Anyway, I'm lazy and tired. This book was alright. 2 stars, 3 stars, its up to you.

Next! (less)

22 likes · like · see review

Jun 21, 2011 Gregandemy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: won-from-first-read-giveaways

Another Goodread's giveaway win!! Thank you!
I was intrigued by the cover and the author's summary, but I must admit it I was expecting more of a fairy version of Chronicles of Narnia. That, this is definitely not, but I wasn't disappointed. I got hooked quickly into the mythical and creepy story. For most of the book I had planned to give it a 4 star review. It was so different and capitivating. I didnt want to put it down, well, atleast not until it was dark outside and then it got a little sc...more

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 15, 2011 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, not-mine-library

Don’t Breathe a Word started off as a well written and creepy tale. Somewhere along the way the characters never became fully developed, and the crazy events spiraled a little out of control. The bestest book ever? No. Totally engrossing and entertaining? Oh yeah. This book reminded me of a really good Lifetime movie. (But I gotta confess I love Lifetime movies; the good ones, the bad ones and the ugly ones!) So this fluff-infused eerie and suspenseful novel is the perfect brain candy for me. Li...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jul 22, 2011 Bonnie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, seriously-disappointing, adult

Yay! I love winning books. Thank you Goodreads. :)

**

Okay first off? The summary of this book does not even begin to prepare you for the weird ass, beyond twisted little journey that the author takes you on. I spent the majority of this book so mixed up with trying to determine exactly what the hell was going on.

Bottom line? This book was one big:

Yep. That’s me. Reading this book. In utter confusion.

Now that’s not to say that this was bad of course; I really enjoyed reading this. The first ¾ at...more

13 likes · like · see review

May 20, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the best-selling author of Promise Not to Tell and Harper Collins Publishers of New York city, comes a thrilling page-turner that pushes the limits of this world and that of fantasy, written by Jennifer McMahon.

Starting with the first chapter, the protagonist, a young woman named Phoebe proves to be unlike other girls her age, showing characteristics fostered by her absent father and alcoholic mother. Promiscuous at a very young age, the teenage Phoebe seems to have grown up far too quickly...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2011 Ns rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you like thrill and chills, give Don't Breathe a Word a try.
I can't remember the last time I read a book that creeped me out, but this book remedied that quickly enough. In a good way.

The people we meet come across as very ordinary but quickly their reality will shift into one filled with mysteries and secrecy that will leave you anticipating their next move. Phoebe and Sam's lives are disrupted when Sam's past returns in the form of Lisa, the sister who went missing fifteen years ago. How is...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 23, 2012 Mhgoblue rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, that was...not very good. Poorly written. There were a few parts that were legitimately creepy. But!

The book was all telling instead of showing. Every few chapters, the whole story would stop so the author could lay out some new character's backstory and personality in a perfunctory info dump. Lazy, sloppy, and boring writing.

The main characters not only didn't react to anything the way actual people would, but whenever they learned important plot points and clues, they got amnesia over th...more

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 06, 2011 Josephine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book, to-buy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this as an antidote to Maggie Stiefvater's works, and boy howdy is it ever an opposite sort of work. Nothing twee here. Nothing simple. As with all the other authors whom I've never read before, I'm going to reserve judgement on whether I like McMahon's work as a whole, but Don't Breathe A Word certainly refreshed me after Shiver and Lament. Also, made me nervous in the night about shadows behind the closet door and noises under the bed...but no, I'll make you read the book too. No sense...more I read this as an antidote to Maggie Stiefvater's works, and boy howdy is it ever an opposite sort of work. Nothing twee here. Nothing simple. As with all the other authors whom I've never read before, I'm going to reserve judgement on whether I like McMahon's work as a whole, but Don't Breathe A Word certainly refreshed me after Shiver and Lament. Also, made me nervous in the night about shadows behind the closet door and noises under the bed...but no, I'll make you read the book too. No sense just one of us being scared.

Fifteen years before 'present day', twelve year old Lisa disappeared into the woods around her home town of Harmony, telling her little brother Sam that she was going to the fairies who lived in a nearby ghost town, Reliance. Sam has lived with this secret ever since, and the promise he made to "Teilo", King of the Fairies, at the behest of his older sister. Phoebe has secrets of her own; childhood nightmares of a Dark Man who climbed from a trapdoor under her bed have persisted into adulthood, combined with her mother's death in a tub filled with iron kitchen implements under the running shower, clothes turned inside out1, have left her with mental scars equal to Sam's residue from childhood. In 'now', Phoebe is living with Sam, now grown, and loves him for his very stability and ordinaryness, though not wholly espoused to his treehugger vegan lifestyle. Their life together starts unraveling when Sam decides to spend a weekend with his cousin and her husband, having not spoken since Lisa's disappearance. The catch? It's not his cousin...she's unmarried and trapped in her apartment by agoraphobia...or is she? Their stable life together in the present unravels as more past issues bob to the surface. In the end, Phoebe is forced to hide with her paranoid friend Franny in an attempt to escape...whom? Well, to escape whomever held Lisa captive all those years. We're just not sure who, precisely, that was.

If you're a fan of Maggie Stiefvater or Stephenie Meyers, avoid this book. If you're after a book that's unequivocally about the "faerie realm", avoid this book, particularly if you prefer the sweet ickle pixie type of Other Folk. This book is not for people who like simply structured books, as it alternates chapters between 'then' (events surrounding Lisa's disappearance) and 'now' (events surrounding her reappearance triggering a cascade of peculiar events) It's particularly not for people who like straightforward endings to straightforward plots; the ending to this one could be one of three things:
     1) the Fair Folk are real, and they're as frighteningly powerful as the warning tales would have us believe
     2) the whole story is something dreamed up as a protective shell for/by victims of some serious dysfunction that borders on Deliverance
     3) the whole story, frame and all, is merely one told by an extremely unreliable narrator.
To quote ZBS Media's "Ruby 2" radio play, "That wasn't a double cross! It was a triple cross!"

1this may serve as a summary of the issues with the book's ending: the mother's death was possibly suicide, possibly a bad case of DTs brought on by a lifetime of deep alcoholism, possibly a vain attempt to protect herself from the Fair Folk(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2011 Chara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Captivating. Slightly creepy. Very different from what I expected after reading the publisher description. Spooked me in a way I haven't been from reading a book. Its like when you're a child and you run up the stairs, not looking behind you, because you're unsure if the boogeyman is really back there or not.

The ending was surprising. It was obvious that there two major ways the story could go. I was so drawn in to the story and characters and all the imaginative ideas and tales from the childre...more

14 likes · like · see review

Jun 22, 2011 Kwoomac rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guilty-pleasure, reviewed, creepy, faeries

This could almost be categorized as Young Adult, but some themes are a little too adult. Interesting story-line involving a family who grew up believing in fairytales. According to family legend, the great grandfather was left behind when an entire town of 40 people disappeared. The family claimed the townspeople went over to the land of the fairies and left behing one changling (half human/half fairy). The story begins with 12 year old Lisa, the great grand-daughter of the changling. She has co...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 22, 2011 Carole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2011

My friends and I call this "The Creepy Girl Book", which I love. When you walk past this book while reading it, you instinctively want to turn the cover face down because it's so...well, creepy. Honestly, I was uncertain about how to rate this book. There were so many twists and turns that it was difficult to keep it all straight and I'm still not sure I know exactly what happened, but I think that's how the book is intended. I don't read fantasy and when I was reading this book, I was back and...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 Jenifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a freaky book! I don't think I have read anything quite like it. The book description doesn't do it justice. It mentions she disappears when she is youg, and they receive notice she had returned. What it doesn't mention that the book is written in two different time periods (15 years ago, and current) and reflective of two different characters which unfolds gradually. The book could be considered adventure, thriller, science fiction, mystical, etc. I read it all in one sitting of about 4 ho...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Donald Armfield rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-thrillers, own, fantasy, giveaways

Do you believe in fairies. Do you believe there could be a Fairy King. But what if your sister, daughter or grand-daughter disappeared forever and maybe joined the fairies in some underground kingdom? In this thrilling story every page just leaves you trembling. A page turner that leaves you at the edge of your seat. With the ending taking a huge twist. a Fantasy we all know with a thriller twist.

I am a huge fan of McMahon`s work all of her novels have the same nail bitting experience as the nex...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Geordie Korper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novabooks-book-club

My book club had a long discussion about whether there really were fairies or not in the book. My answer is no, but I didn't really care by the end either.

I read it quickly and with enjoyment but ultimately I feel no different from having read it. I would not particularly recommend it nor would I say to avoid it.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 28, 2011 Rhiannon Hammond rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Rhiannon by: Myself!

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 14, 2013 Shelby Kuzma rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Don't Breathe a Word is the story of the disappearance of Lisa, a young girl who lives near the abandoned village of Reliance. When a mysterious note is discovered supposedly from Lisa, the mystery begins to be revealed.

When I started reading this book, I was expecting a nice, light, fantasy novel. This is not what I got.

This book started off really well. However, as the novel progressed, it got very strange. I was very frustrated at times. Some clues were obvious, yet the characters in the nove...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Greta Logan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As many problems as this book has, its biggest is this one: it is addicting. I could not put it down.

Whatever Jennifer McMahon hoped to accomplish with writing this extremely bizarre book, she certainly succeeded in the suspense department. I haven't been so hooked on a book since The Da Vinci Code. However, that does not by ANY means mean this book was good.

I mean, look at the cover. Look at the title. Look at the premise. It's stupid. There is no way anything like this could possibly not be s...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 Melanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I kind of hated this book. It was well-written and the 2.5 stars are just for that. Somewhere in the middle, I almost stopped reading, but I wanted to find out what happened. The problem is that what happened was ridiculous.

If you've looked into this book, then you know the premise is that Lisa disappeared 15 years ago, supposedly crossing over into the land of the fairies. The book chapters alternate between Lisa's viewpoint 15 years ago and Phoebe's viewpoint now. Phoebe has met and is in love...more I kind of hated this book. It was well-written and the 2.5 stars are just for that. Somewhere in the middle, I almost stopped reading, but I wanted to find out what happened. The problem is that what happened was ridiculous.

If you've looked into this book, then you know the premise is that Lisa disappeared 15 years ago, supposedly crossing over into the land of the fairies. The book chapters alternate between Lisa's viewpoint 15 years ago and Phoebe's viewpoint now. Phoebe has met and is in love with Lisa's brother, Sam. As more details of past events come to light, their relationship becomes more complex. What happened to Lisa all those years ago? Was it fairies, or was it ordinary evil covered up by children's stories?

The book is compulsively readable, for the most part. There were a few times when I was bored or thought we'd been in Phoebe's head too long, but those were minor.

***Spoilers Below***

To me, this book only works if the answer is fairies. The idea that normal people can convincingly mask themselves as old people and run through the forest naked and backtrack to pick up their clothes is just ludicrous. At first I wanted there to be a "normal" explanation, and then I hoped for a supernatural one, as none of the actions of other characters in the book made any sense. And then we're provided with a "normal" explanation and it sucks. I have no other words for it. A mother is totally fine with what happened? She knew all this time? And hello, why did everyone think it was totally normal to discuss a 12-year-old girl being pregnant? Ugh.

**Spoilers/Ranting Ended***

The bottom line is I wish I'd given the book up when I considered doing so. And I told the people I usually recommend books to not to both with this one. Also, contrary to other reviewers' statements, I did not find this book scary. I suppose a little creepy at times (12-year-old wondering around with a hunting knife and people acting strange), although maybe if I had children, I would feel differently.

So I will say to you what I have told others: Don't waste your time. Unless you just want to rant with me about how gross and silly all of it was.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 01, 2013 Cyndy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first started it, the book seemed boring and childish. The suspense built up gradually though. Then I couldn't put it down. The story travels between the present and fifteen years previously, when a twelve year old girl disappears in the woods. (I seem to be stuck on that pattern. The last book I read was the same.) The plot centers on what really happened that day in the woods. Phoebe, the pregnant girlfriend of the missing girl's brother (present day, of course) finds herself trying to...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Jayne rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(from my book blog)

Uuuuugughghghghhghg I was SO disappointed by this book. Reviewing Sharp Objects a few days ago put me in the mood for a good, creepy book, and I thought this was going to be exactly what I needed. Just look at the plot description!

"Family secrets and fairy lore create a shifting reality in McMahon’s unsettling novel about the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl who longed to become Queen of the Fairies. Fifteen years after Lisa goes missing, her younger brother, Sam, gets a s...more

15 likes · like · see review

Jun 28, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The trademark of Jennifer McMahon's books are "creepy-looking children" on the cover (Think Village of the Damned). I have often wondered if the kids who pose for the covers are told that they are supposed to have a "creepy child" face. I think I would be rather insulted. Oh well...on with it.

Don't Breathe a Word is a dark, sinister, unsettling book that makes your heart beat just a little faster. McMahon has a rather twisted mind, and it shows deeply here. Phoebe and Sam are a couple with a his...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Jisha Mishra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review in one word: unnerving...
Don't Breathe A Word travels between the worlds of the fantastic and the skeptic, and you keep waiting with bated breath till the very last page, knowing not what to believe. Believe in the legends and myths and turn out to be an idiot, or find a rational answer to every question and turn out to be a fool. And that uncertainty claims the rapt readers.

Jennifer McMahon has woven an unnerving story: the story of a girl Lisa who disappeared (or was she taken?) fifteen...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: family, mystery-thriller, spooky

I have read and enjoyed all of McMahon's books, but I have to say that this is definitely her best book - so far! McMahon is one of those surprisingly rare authors that actually manages to hone their craft, with each novel stronger than its predecessor. I especially loved this book's twisting plot, unpredictable conclusion and strong characters. It was definitely her darkest book, so be wary if you were expecting a lighter sort of literary mystery. It was downright spooky at times! I read it in...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 28, 2012 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read, audible-purchase-2009-to-2011, audiobook

Received for review from Publisher
Overall Rating 3.25
Story Rating 3.25
Character Rating 3.50

NOTE: Don't Breathe a Word was a very interesting twisty/turning ride. Whenever I thought I had figured out where the story was heading it would veer off in another direction. That being said, please check out this book for yourself because what didn't work for me will definitely work for other people.

What I Loved: Jennifer McMahon has managed to create a story that is very imaginative and has many element...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Keilani Ludlow rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Weird and weird. It involves a kidnapping, a family with some serious issues slowly coming to light, and possibly the unnatural. The question is - was the girl kidnapped or taken by fairies. It continually bounces back and forth between making you think it's a realistic book with a creep who has the kids convinced he's the king of fairies, and a fantasy book set in a realistic world that does cross over with the world of magic. I'm of two minds on this book. It definitely kept me riveted, to see...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 05, 2011 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviewed by Shannon at RexRobotReviews.com

15 years ago, Lisa left this world to be with the King of the Fairies. 15 years later, Lisa's brother Sam and his girlfriend Phoebe receive a call that Lisa has returned from fairies. This sets off a chain of events that opens up the mystery of Lisa's disappearance. Did she truly join the fairies, or was she taken by a human with bad intentions?

This book is intense! I kept wanting to read it because I didn't know where it was going. The book alternates...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Joe Fraser rated it 4 of 5 stars

Every now and then an exceptional paranormal comes along . . . exceptional, because you can’t be sure the premise is paranormal until you’ve turned the last page. Rosemary’s Baby comes to mind. And now we have Don’t Breathe a Word.

I’m going to follow the title’s advice. To say more than a little about this novel’s plot would be to reveal its secrets. Let’s just go with the overall concept. Twenty-five-year old Sam and his girlfriend, Phoebe try to solve a missing person case from fifteen years a...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 03, 2011 Kat rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Second creepy book of this weekend (the third one is The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain, though creepy in a different way). It draws you in and keeps you in suspense for a good many pages and ufortunately I finished it. I so wish I didn't. What I liked about it at first was the class difference, so rarely touched on in the books I read, between the two protagonists, Phoebe and Sam, and the mystery of the disappearence of Sam's sister Lisa 15 years earlier. Lisa went off to the woods to join t...more

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 22, 2011 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads

There was always something a little bit odd about the small town of Harmony, Vermont. It’s proximity to Reliance, where all the residents, save one crying baby, disappeared in one day didn’t help its reputation. But it was home to Lisa, Sam and their cousin Eve. Lisa was always fascinated by fairies – what little girl isn’t? But her stories began to include a dark fairy king who wanted to take her to be his queen – then, one evening she walked into the woods behind her house and disappeared. Fif...more

2 likes · like · see review

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About Jennifer McMahon

I'm the author of Promise Not to Tell, Island of Lost Girls, Dismantled, and Don't Breathe a Word. My latest novel, The One I Left Behind was released January 2013. I live in central Vermont with my partner and daughter, in an old Victorian that some neighbors call The Addams Family house.

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