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The Broken Girls
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A suspense novel from the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare...
Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispe ...more
Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispe ...more
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5 SHINY STARS, I would give a lot more if I Could.
Mary Hand Mary Hand, Dead and buried underland. She'll say she wants to be your friend. Do not let her in again.
The setting is in Vermont. There are rumors that the boarding school Idlewild Hall is haunted. This is a place where girls go who are troublemakers, illegitimate and too smart for their own good. Their parents rarely visit them. Four roommates are friends and they bond very well until one of them disappears.
Fiona Sheridan is a journa ...more
Mary Hand Mary Hand, Dead and buried underland. She'll say she wants to be your friend. Do not let her in again.
The setting is in Vermont. There are rumors that the boarding school Idlewild Hall is haunted. This is a place where girls go who are troublemakers, illegitimate and too smart for their own good. Their parents rarely visit them. Four roommates are friends and they bond very well until one of them disappears.
Fiona Sheridan is a journa ...more
The Broken Girls was an absolute delight. It certainly exceeded all of my expectations!
I went into this with very little knowledge of the plot. The only information I had was that it was a mystery set at an all-girls Prep School in Vermont.
While I intensely love this set-up, upon reading, I pleasantly discovered there is a lot more to this story.
This novel is replete with an absorbing gothic atmosphere that transports you in time and place.
It is the perfect amount of suspense, with extra speci ...more
I went into this with very little knowledge of the plot. The only information I had was that it was a mystery set at an all-girls Prep School in Vermont.
While I intensely love this set-up, upon reading, I pleasantly discovered there is a lot more to this story.
This novel is replete with an absorbing gothic atmosphere that transports you in time and place.
It is the perfect amount of suspense, with extra speci ...more
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
4.5 Stars!!
“Mary Hand, Mary Hand, dead and buried under land…
Faster, faster. Don’t let her catch you.
She’ll say she wants to be your friend…
Do not let her in again!”
I’m not usually one for paranormal/ghost stories, but when I read the description for “The Broken Girls” I was really intrigued. I’m thrilled to say that this was even better than I expected.
Barrons, Vermont - November 1950.
A young girl has ju
...more
4.5 Stars!!
“Mary Hand, Mary Hand, dead and buried under land…
Faster, faster. Don’t let her catch you.
She’ll say she wants to be your friend…
Do not let her in again!”
I’m not usually one for paranormal/ghost stories, but when I read the description for “The Broken Girls” I was really intrigued. I’m thrilled to say that this was even better than I expected.
Barrons, Vermont - November 1950.
A young girl has ju
Mar 19, 2018
Julie
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
berkley,
e-book,
gothic,
historical-fiction,
2018,
thrillers,
supernatural,
ghost-stories,
netgalley,
suspense
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James is a 2018 Berkley publication.
Now THIS is my kind of book!!
Set in Vermont, alternating between 1950 and 2014, this well rounded thriller, centers around a girl’s only school named Idlewood Hall. During the fifties, this school was where troubled girls were sent, and where a group of girls forge an unlikely and formidable friendship which would cause a rippling effect for decades to come.
Over the years, the abandoned school was nothing more than an eyesore ...more
Now THIS is my kind of book!!
Set in Vermont, alternating between 1950 and 2014, this well rounded thriller, centers around a girl’s only school named Idlewood Hall. During the fifties, this school was where troubled girls were sent, and where a group of girls forge an unlikely and formidable friendship which would cause a rippling effect for decades to come.
Over the years, the abandoned school was nothing more than an eyesore ...more
LOVED!
Hauntingly suspenseful read about a former boarding school for “troubled girls.”
There’s something sinister at work in Barrons, Vermont at the abandoned Idlewild Hall. Ghosts have been seen, bodies have been found, and secrets have been long buried. When a journalist begins digging into the dark, dismal history of Idlewild, she exposes a web of corruption and hidden crimes.
In the 1950’s four girls were roommates and the best of friends at Idlewild Hall, a boarding school for “troubled” gir ...more
Hauntingly suspenseful read about a former boarding school for “troubled girls.”
There’s something sinister at work in Barrons, Vermont at the abandoned Idlewild Hall. Ghosts have been seen, bodies have been found, and secrets have been long buried. When a journalist begins digging into the dark, dismal history of Idlewild, she exposes a web of corruption and hidden crimes.
In the 1950’s four girls were roommates and the best of friends at Idlewild Hall, a boarding school for “troubled” gir ...more
4 Haunting Stars for
The Broken Girls
The Broken Girls is part paranormal story, part mystery and I enjoyed how Simone St. James blended the two together. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed the ghost aspect of the story.
The story unfolds via two separate storylines, set decades apart. At the center of each storyline stands Idlewild, a home for troubled girls. In 1950, a girl gets off a bus and goes missing. The only people who are convinced something is wrong are her roomma ...more
The Broken Girls is part paranormal story, part mystery and I enjoyed how Simone St. James blended the two together. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed the ghost aspect of the story.
The story unfolds via two separate storylines, set decades apart. At the center of each storyline stands Idlewild, a home for troubled girls. In 1950, a girl gets off a bus and goes missing. The only people who are convinced something is wrong are her roomma ...more
3.5*
A dark, haunting novel that includes a whopper of a ghost story. When I first sought out this book I had no idea the plotline involved a supernatural element. Had I known, I probably would have just passed on it. And boy, what a shame that would’ve been. In fact, the supernatural slant ended up being my favorite part of the book!
So even if ghosts tend to scare, (like they do for me👻) don’t run! It blends perfectly into the story.
The book is split into two timelines. Past and present. Intere ...more
A dark, haunting novel that includes a whopper of a ghost story. When I first sought out this book I had no idea the plotline involved a supernatural element. Had I known, I probably would have just passed on it. And boy, what a shame that would’ve been. In fact, the supernatural slant ended up being my favorite part of the book!
So even if ghosts tend to scare, (like they do for me👻) don’t run! It blends perfectly into the story.
The book is split into two timelines. Past and present. Intere ...more
UPDATE: $1.99 Kindle US 8/23/19
I thought it was great!!
Happy First Of October!!
Mel 🖤🐺🐾🎃 ...more
I thought it was great!!
Happy First Of October!!
Mel 🖤🐺🐾🎃 ...more
Idlewild was the boarding school of last resort, where parents stashed their embarrassments, their failures, and their recalcitrant girls. Hidden in the backwoods of Vermont, it had only 120 students: illegitimate daughters, first wives’ daughters, servants’ daughters, immigrant girls, girls who misbehaved…
The Broken Girls proved to be a breezy and exciting read in all of the best ways. The hooks were there, pulling me further and further into the story until I became one with it. Until the hou ...more
The Broken Girls proved to be a breezy and exciting read in all of the best ways. The hooks were there, pulling me further and further into the story until I became one with it. Until the hou ...more
***GREAT HALLOWEEN READ WITH GHOSTLY COMPONENTS***
Wow, this book blew me away! It had everything I love in a book, amazing believable characters, smooth flowing prose, mystery within mystery within mystery. The past and present narrative style works wonderfully in this book and I was equally interested in both parts of the book.
In Barrons, Vermont there was a private school called Idlewild Hall for “troubled” girls. This could range from those who had suffered mental and emotional trauma, girls ...more
Wow, this book blew me away! It had everything I love in a book, amazing believable characters, smooth flowing prose, mystery within mystery within mystery. The past and present narrative style works wonderfully in this book and I was equally interested in both parts of the book.
In Barrons, Vermont there was a private school called Idlewild Hall for “troubled” girls. This could range from those who had suffered mental and emotional trauma, girls ...more
4 eerie, ghostly stars to The Broken Girls! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
The Broken Girls started off with a bang and with a dynamically engaging prologue! Was there a ghost right from the start?
If you think you do not enjoy ghost stories, I have to say, this one is executed well. Spooky is done with a light hand, not overdone, even feasible if that’s possible for a ghost story?! The atmosphere is perfectly staged with an old school building featuring “tooth-shaped windows.”
In Vermont in the 1950s, there’s a home fo ...more
The Broken Girls started off with a bang and with a dynamically engaging prologue! Was there a ghost right from the start?
If you think you do not enjoy ghost stories, I have to say, this one is executed well. Spooky is done with a light hand, not overdone, even feasible if that’s possible for a ghost story?! The atmosphere is perfectly staged with an old school building featuring “tooth-shaped windows.”
In Vermont in the 1950s, there’s a home fo ...more
A seriously atmospheric, creepy, spooky, eerie (seriously, think of a synonym for any of those words and it will fit the bill) tale that will haunt you day and night.
I am not one for supernatural books, but this one was SO well done, it had me believing in ghosts by the time I was finished. So well done, in fact, that I went and bought this author’s entire back catalogue of titles. Mary Hand is a fascinating character and her powers are definitely unique. I loved her storyline, and would have en ...more
I am not one for supernatural books, but this one was SO well done, it had me believing in ghosts by the time I was finished. So well done, in fact, that I went and bought this author’s entire back catalogue of titles. Mary Hand is a fascinating character and her powers are definitely unique. I loved her storyline, and would have en ...more
3.5 A storyline fifty years apart. A deserted school for girls, a school that in the fifties, housed girls that had problems. Four become fast friends, and then one goes missing never forgotten, but never seen again. A murder in more current times, body found on school grounds and a sister who wants answers. Now a wealthy woman is undertaking a renovation of the school, opening and exposing old secrets. Oh yes, and we must forget the ghost!!
The atmosphere, spooky, gothic, tense, the definite sta ...more
The atmosphere, spooky, gothic, tense, the definite sta ...more
"Mary Hand, Mary Hand, dead and buried under land.... Faster, faster. Don't let her catch you. She'll say she wants to be your friend...."
What a bloody brilliant story! The Broken Girls by Simone St. James is a creepy, chilling, and BOLD ghost story. Oh my gosh... I absolutely loved how Simone created a mystery within a paranormal/ghost story. I have read previous novels where authors have tried to create a paranormal feel to the mystery/thriller and it failed miserably but wow... I am utterly ...more
What a bloody brilliant story! The Broken Girls by Simone St. James is a creepy, chilling, and BOLD ghost story. Oh my gosh... I absolutely loved how Simone created a mystery within a paranormal/ghost story. I have read previous novels where authors have tried to create a paranormal feel to the mystery/thriller and it failed miserably but wow... I am utterly ...more
2018 F.A.B. Bookclub pick # I.❤️. F.A.B.
This was full of mystery. A great read for this time of year. Pretty spooky, ghostly story with lots of things to dig up to find out ‘who done it?’.
This was full of mystery. A great read for this time of year. Pretty spooky, ghostly story with lots of things to dig up to find out ‘who done it?’.
3.5 stars!
The Broken Girls was a quick, entertaining, fast-paced and atmospheric gothic mystery novel that was an enjoyable and satisfying read. I did enjoy the dual storylines, but I thought that the past timeline was a little more interesting than the present one though.
I do love a good ghost story and the supernatural and I definitely thought the author delivered a spooky read here, but for some reason when I was reading this novel, I wasn't overly impressed with the author's prose though so ...more
The Broken Girls was a quick, entertaining, fast-paced and atmospheric gothic mystery novel that was an enjoyable and satisfying read. I did enjoy the dual storylines, but I thought that the past timeline was a little more interesting than the present one though.
I do love a good ghost story and the supernatural and I definitely thought the author delivered a spooky read here, but for some reason when I was reading this novel, I wasn't overly impressed with the author's prose though so ...more
Feb 19, 2018
Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
edelweiss,
traveling-sister-read
4.5 stars! I loved the gothic and mysterious feel of this gripping novel!
From page one, I was drawn into this fascinating story surrounding Idlewild Hall, an old crumbling abandoned girls boarding school. In the 1950’s, an Idlewild Hall student disappeared, leaving for a weekend family visit, never to return. Almost fifty years later, a local girl is left dead in the open field surrounding the abandoned property of Idlewild Hall, the school having closed down decades prior. Add into the story th ...more
From page one, I was drawn into this fascinating story surrounding Idlewild Hall, an old crumbling abandoned girls boarding school. In the 1950’s, an Idlewild Hall student disappeared, leaving for a weekend family visit, never to return. Almost fifty years later, a local girl is left dead in the open field surrounding the abandoned property of Idlewild Hall, the school having closed down decades prior. Add into the story th ...more
I don't believe in ghosts in real life, but I absolutely believed in the ghost of Mary Hand haunting a girls' boarding school, even after it was shut down in 1979. The writing of Broken Girls is wonderful and unique.
The story is told during two diferent periods in history. In 2014, journalist Fiona Sheridan, daughter of a famous journalist, is still looking for more solid information on the murder of her sister twenty years earlier, even though Deb's boyfriend was convicted and has been imprison ...more
The story is told during two diferent periods in history. In 2014, journalist Fiona Sheridan, daughter of a famous journalist, is still looking for more solid information on the murder of her sister twenty years earlier, even though Deb's boyfriend was convicted and has been imprison ...more
I hate to give it the “meh” but that’s how this book was for me. The audio is very good though. Most people enjoyed this book way more than I did so don’t take my word for it.
3.5 stars
You say this is a book about a super creepy all girls boarding school? You say there are ghosts? You say that the vibe is super goth? I say yessss please! Hand it over, give it to me now. Okay this book has to have been the most recommended book to me ever since I have been on Goodreads. Probably because The Sun Down Motel is one of my favorite thrillers ever. Yep it is on my little Goodreads shelf of all time favorites. Yet...this one didn't do it for me like Sun Down did.
You have a de ...more
Feb 23, 2018
Jasmine from How Useful It Is
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
from-publisher,
thrillers
This book is a fantastic and thrilling read right from the first page! I literally bite my teeth and take shallow breaths as I devour the pages in this story. I couldn’t put down every time I pick up this book and I’m angry that this month I couldn’t read in peace because there is always something that needed my attention. I like finding out the secrets of each characters. I like the mystery and suspense. The bit of ghost story really got my heart racing. I like the two timelines. I love the fri
...more
An eerie ghost story set in Vermont. Two timelines (1950 and 2014) merge to unfold a haunting tale with plenty of spine tingling revelations.
A boarding school for troubled girls in 1950, conceals secrets that are begging to be told. The foreboding rhyme of Mary Hand is whispered through the walls. One of the four bonded roommates disappears and the others are left afraid and worried for their friend.
It’s 2014 and Fiona has questions about her sisters murder, although it has been twenty years. He ...more
A boarding school for troubled girls in 1950, conceals secrets that are begging to be told. The foreboding rhyme of Mary Hand is whispered through the walls. One of the four bonded roommates disappears and the others are left afraid and worried for their friend.
It’s 2014 and Fiona has questions about her sisters murder, although it has been twenty years. He ...more
I wish it didn't have to end................This is my guilty pleasure style novel. I loved the gothic, mystery feel to this book and my only regret on this one is that I don't actually own a hard copy for my real life book shelf.
Broken Girls is a chilling murder / suspense story set in Idlewild Hall, an old abandoned boarding school in rural Vermont. I am a sucker for gothic or modern gothic style stories and throw in an old abandoned Manor or Boarding school with a mysterious past and a haunti ...more
Broken Girls is a chilling murder / suspense story set in Idlewild Hall, an old abandoned boarding school in rural Vermont. I am a sucker for gothic or modern gothic style stories and throw in an old abandoned Manor or Boarding school with a mysterious past and a haunti ...more
Feb 25, 2018
Brenda ~Traveling Sisters Book Reviews
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
netgalley,
traveling-sister-reads
This was one of our largest Traveling Sisters group reads that we have done and it was such a great, fun read. I really enjoyed discussing everyone’s thoughts on this one. Interesting with such a large group we ended up in the same coulee but were split into different sides of the coulee.
The Broken Girls is a creepy gothic, suspenseful, supernatural thriller that pulled us deep into the weedy brushes along with this interesting and entertaining story. We all settled in under the sun and soon th ...more
The Broken Girls is a creepy gothic, suspenseful, supernatural thriller that pulled us deep into the weedy brushes along with this interesting and entertaining story. We all settled in under the sun and soon th ...more
I enjoyed this SO MUCH MORE than I expected to. Wow. What a surprisingly spooky read. Definitely going to add a million Simone St. James books to my tbr now bc I think I’m obsessed?
What a great and captivating book!
On the 1950s timeline we have a group of friends who are attending a boarding school called Idlewild Hall. They are devastated to learn that one of their close friends has mysteriously disappeared without a trace and, to make matters more intriguing, the school grounds are said to be haunted.
On the 2014 timeline we have Fiona, whose sister was murdered twenty years ago and dumped on Idlewild. Fiona is still struggling with her sister's murder and she becomes un ...more
On the 1950s timeline we have a group of friends who are attending a boarding school called Idlewild Hall. They are devastated to learn that one of their close friends has mysteriously disappeared without a trace and, to make matters more intriguing, the school grounds are said to be haunted.
On the 2014 timeline we have Fiona, whose sister was murdered twenty years ago and dumped on Idlewild. Fiona is still struggling with her sister's murder and she becomes un ...more
THE BROKEN GIRLS was an amazing book, combining many elements I love: mystery, ghost story, historical fiction, dual time periods, and crime drama. I loved it – yes, it was dark and unsettling, but I was glued to the pages.
The story alternates between the early 1950s and 2014 in a tiny Vermont town. In the past, four teenage girls attend a local boarding school for troubled girls called Idlewild Hall when one goes missing; in the present, a journalist named Fiona investigates the death of her si ...more
The story alternates between the early 1950s and 2014 in a tiny Vermont town. In the past, four teenage girls attend a local boarding school for troubled girls called Idlewild Hall when one goes missing; in the present, a journalist named Fiona investigates the death of her si ...more
A deliciously creepy story that's a bit gothic, heartwrenching, and completely absorbing. Stories involved the supernatural are a hit or miss with me, and I'm glad this one was a hit. The supernatural parts are not overdone at all, enough to be spooky and leave you wanting more, while being easy to imagine. I actually jumped at some point when my reading was rudely interrupted by a knock!
This story has two timelines, 1950 and 2014. I found the older to be more my style, but they were both inter ...more
This story has two timelines, 1950 and 2014. I found the older to be more my style, but they were both inter ...more
Feb 20, 2018
Marialyce (absltmom, yaya)
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
edelweiss,
traveling-sisters
4.5 couldn't stop reading stars rounded up
This was a story of tragedy, of death, of girls seeking love and finding it with one another in a boarding school in Vermont. It was a story with Gothic overtones that kept this reader totally engaged from the very first page unto its satisfying conclusion.
What better way to get rid of a daughter, a young girl, or a family problem, than to shut her away in a boarding school far from others and seldom visit or even care about her? The girls we meet are ...more
This was a story of tragedy, of death, of girls seeking love and finding it with one another in a boarding school in Vermont. It was a story with Gothic overtones that kept this reader totally engaged from the very first page unto its satisfying conclusion.
What better way to get rid of a daughter, a young girl, or a family problem, than to shut her away in a boarding school far from others and seldom visit or even care about her? The girls we meet are ...more
I’m weary of thrillers. I’m not a fan of ghost stories. And, bad girls in boarding school has been done to death. Sounds like a recipe for a disappointing read but Broken Girls was a pleasant surprise. The four “bad” girls in 1950 weren’t bad by today’s standards, in fact they weren’t bad at all. Mostly, these girls were shuttled off to a crumbling and severe boarding school to shield their parents from embarrassment and then a student goes missing. Everyone was afraid at Idlewild Hall even the
...more
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| Challenge Corner: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James --> Starting August 7th, 2020 | 19 | 15 | Aug 02, 2020 09:24PM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James - 4 stars | 10 | 16 | Jun 26, 2020 04:11AM |
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Simone St. James is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel, The Broken Girls and The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the televi
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