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The Lost Village
by
The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar in this brilliantly disturbing thriller from Camilla Sten, an electrifying new voice in suspense.
Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious t ...more
Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious t ...more
Hardcover, 340 pages
Published
March 23rd 2021
by Minotaur Books
(first published April 4th 2019)
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Kathleen
Remember Jim Jones? A charismatic figure can convince people to do almost anything.
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Such a delicious, blood freezing, unputdownable combination: intense, gory, depressingly dark Scandinavian horror elements dances with a story reminds us of Blair Witch Project and Stand ( without apocalypse but insane leader and his batshit worshippers theme)
It is fast paced. It is outstandingly exciting, terrifying paranormal, horror novel that you don’t want to stop reading and you cannot put down even though you forget the iron plugged in and you can smell the smoke coming from your kitchen ...more
It is fast paced. It is outstandingly exciting, terrifying paranormal, horror novel that you don’t want to stop reading and you cannot put down even though you forget the iron plugged in and you can smell the smoke coming from your kitchen ...more

Mar 16, 2022
Kat
added it
Whoever wrote the synopsis for this knew what they were doing, marketing it mostly based on other titles, because it really is a book that mirrors so many movies/shows (maybe written with the intention of being adapted? idk but if it gets optioned I will not be shocked). There’s hints of Blair Witch and Midsommar certainly, Midnight Mass too (although I think that came out after this did?), and a plot twist straight out of (view spoiler) .
Anyway, The Lost Village is not pa ...more
Anyway, The Lost Village is not pa ...more

**3.5-stars**
In 1959, all the residents of the defunct mining town of Silvertjarn, Sweden, mysteriously disappeared.
Everyone except for the woman found hanging, stoned to death in the town square, and the squalling infant located in the local school.

For decades, the mystery has remained unsolved.
Aspiring Documentary Filmmaker, Alice Lindstedt, has become obsessed with The Lost Village, as her Grandmother's entire family were among the disappeared. She decides to tackle the mystery as her first ...more
In 1959, all the residents of the defunct mining town of Silvertjarn, Sweden, mysteriously disappeared.
Everyone except for the woman found hanging, stoned to death in the town square, and the squalling infant located in the local school.

For decades, the mystery has remained unsolved.
Aspiring Documentary Filmmaker, Alice Lindstedt, has become obsessed with The Lost Village, as her Grandmother's entire family were among the disappeared. She decides to tackle the mystery as her first ...more

The Lost Village claims to follow a film crew making a documentary about a village where all 900 of its inhabitants mysteriously disappeared in the 1950s so I felt a little tricked considering I was looking forward to the doc aspect yet no one ever actually did any filming in the book.
In my opinion, it's the equivalent of a B horror movie - sometimes entertaining but mostly just corny. ...more
In my opinion, it's the equivalent of a B horror movie - sometimes entertaining but mostly just corny. ...more

There are some good things about this book, but many other things disappointed me. The premise is amazing, but unfortunately the story just doesn't live up to the premise: In 1959, two men come to a tiny, remote town in Sweden to look for family members they hadn't heard from in a while. They find the town completely deserted, all of the residents have disappeared save one woman dead in the town square and an infant in one of the buildings. Fast forward sixty years and Alice, whose grandmother's
...more

Sep 08, 2020
Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
netgalley-all,
horror-gothic-etc
This book reeled me right in until the very end. I will say I saw a lot of it coming a mile away, but it didn’t take away from the story. The actual story is sad, I mean I was angry and sad and sickened by some things. Although, things like this happen every day. Well, not the creepy lost village but the evilness of asshole people.
I enjoyed the atmosphere, the characters, the edge of your seat and even the stupidity of some things the characters did because I felt like I was watching a scary mo ...more
I enjoyed the atmosphere, the characters, the edge of your seat and even the stupidity of some things the characters did because I felt like I was watching a scary mo ...more

Alice Lindstedt, a documentary filmmaker has been obsessed with the missing/vanished residents of the town dubbed "The Lost Village" since childhood. Her grandmother's entire family disappeared and what remained was a dead woman tied to a tree and an infant found crying in a building.
With curiosity on hand, Alice has gather a team to help her go and film a documentary about "the lost village" and to perhaps uncover what made a whole town disappear and leave behind a dead woman and a newborn.
What ...more
With curiosity on hand, Alice has gather a team to help her go and film a documentary about "the lost village" and to perhaps uncover what made a whole town disappear and leave behind a dead woman and a newborn.
What ...more

3.5. I have long held a fascination for ghost towns, deserted places and haunted hotels. When we took family vacations we would search out these places. One of my favorites was a trip to Jericho, AZ, we stayed at a hotel that was once a sanitarium. It has an interesting history, and though we neither saw nor heard haunted spirits, the place itself had a spooky vibe.
Sweden 1959, an entire village goes missing. Receiving an anonymous call, the police arrive to find a dead woman in the town square ...more
Sweden 1959, an entire village goes missing. Receiving an anonymous call, the police arrive to find a dead woman in the town square ...more

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publishing Date: March 23, 2021
In 1959 the police receive an anonymous phone call to find a body of a woman brutally murdered in the center of the town and the entire village with a population of 877 missing without a trace. This town became known as Sweden's "Lost Village".
Fast Forward 60 years: A young documentary film maker (Alice Lindstadt) is taking her small crew to film Sweden's "Lost Village" which has been a lifetime dream of ...more
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publishing Date: March 23, 2021
In 1959 the police receive an anonymous phone call to find a body of a woman brutally murdered in the center of the town and the entire village with a population of 877 missing without a trace. This town became known as Sweden's "Lost Village".
Fast Forward 60 years: A young documentary film maker (Alice Lindstadt) is taking her small crew to film Sweden's "Lost Village" which has been a lifetime dream of ...more

In 1959 a small village of 900 people in Sweden completely vanished and the mystery has never been solved.
Today, Alice, a documentary filmmaker returns to the site to see if her and her crew can find any clues as to what happened all those years ago.
Once they arrive it becomes clear that while this place is deserted they are certainly not alone.
I can't even tell you all how excited I was to receive this arc so it is with disappointment to say that this didn't quite meet my expectations. This ...more
Today, Alice, a documentary filmmaker returns to the site to see if her and her crew can find any clues as to what happened all those years ago.
Once they arrive it becomes clear that while this place is deserted they are certainly not alone.
I can't even tell you all how excited I was to receive this arc so it is with disappointment to say that this didn't quite meet my expectations. This ...more

Has a supernatural feel without actually being supernatural. Which could be considered a similar style to Riley Sager. Unfortunately it wasn't scary or suspenseful enough to pull it off like Sager does. It needs a lot more tension and dramatic moments. The writing didn't create enough of that in my opinion. It was ultimately anti-climatic.
Interesting take on the ending. I didn't see that coming, however I wasn't completely entertained by it either. But it was consistent with the tone of the who ...more
Interesting take on the ending. I didn't see that coming, however I wasn't completely entertained by it either. But it was consistent with the tone of the who ...more

Sometimes you read a book and have a strong opinion and you just need someone to back you up. Is it really this good or this bad? And that is how I came to this one, after a book pal thought this was very bad and needed someone to confirm. I am a good book friend.
I am kind of mad at the Midsommar comp here. A horror novel set in Sweden does not automatically get that comp, and besides the setting and genre they have nothing else in common. So let's make that clear right from the jump. The Blair ...more
I am kind of mad at the Midsommar comp here. A horror novel set in Sweden does not automatically get that comp, and besides the setting and genre they have nothing else in common. So let's make that clear right from the jump. The Blair ...more

4.5 Stars ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and St Patrick’s Press/ Minatour Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my opinion.
This book was a thrill to read but scared me to death. It is comparable to the Blair Witch Project, but it has more substance and plot. The suspense began at a young age for filmmaker Alice when she heard stories from her grandmother about the disappearance of her whole family in an old mining town. One family member was found stoned to death in the ...more
This book was a thrill to read but scared me to death. It is comparable to the Blair Witch Project, but it has more substance and plot. The suspense began at a young age for filmmaker Alice when she heard stories from her grandmother about the disappearance of her whole family in an old mining town. One family member was found stoned to death in the ...more

I’m usually not a fan of horror, but the summary of this book drew me in. Alice envisions a documentary about the village where her grandmother grew up. A village where all 900 residents, save two, disappeared in 1959. One of those two had been stoned to death and the other was a baby. She and her team turn up in the present day village to film a quick trailer, hoping to raise the money necessary for the full documentary. It doesn’t take long for things to start going very wrong. There’s a defin
...more


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The blurb compares this to The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar. I actually think a better pairing would be The Night Film meets American Gothic. THE LOST VILLAGE is about a documentarian named Alice who wants to create a project revolving around the abandoned mining town, Silvertjarn. But Silvertjarn is different than other ghost towns: things changed mysteriously after the arrival of a charismatic preacher and then all the townsfolk ...more

Alice Lindstedt had always been fascinated by her grandmother’s tales of the ghost village of Silvertjarn, a small mining town in Sweden. Her grandmother grew up there but married and moved away from her parents’ home. In 1959 the village was found to have been suddenly and inexplicably deserted by the nine hundred people who lived there. Only a dead woman found in the town square and a newborn baby girl in the schoolhouse remained behind.
Now a documentary film producer, Alice has raised some f ...more
Now a documentary film producer, Alice has raised some f ...more

I was lured by the premise of The Lost Village: Alice and a small group of documentary filmmakers gather in a remote village where 900 inhabitants, except for a woman who was stoned to death and an abandoned newborn, went missing back in 1959.
The book was split into two timelines: 1959 and present day. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1959 storyline. Elsa made for a logical and empathic heroine as she watches the vulnerable townspeople of Silvertjarn fall under the spell of their newest pastor. This tim ...more
The book was split into two timelines: 1959 and present day. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1959 storyline. Elsa made for a logical and empathic heroine as she watches the vulnerable townspeople of Silvertjarn fall under the spell of their newest pastor. This tim ...more

Boy, I'm really striking out with Minotaur books this year. It pains me to say this, but this was not very good. I think the author shows promise so I wouldn't completely wipe her off my list, but I can't say I would really recommend this to anyone. I feel awful saying that, but that is the truth.
Full RTC.
Publication Date: 03/23/21 ...more
Full RTC.
Publication Date: 03/23/21 ...more

Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....
When I first read the synopsis of "The lost village" the first thing that came to mind was "The Blair Witch Project". Then I learnt that the author is the daughter of one of my favorite nordic authors, Viveca Sten, so with those two pieces of info I just knew I had to read this.
In 1959 hundreds of people disappeared from a small Swedish town. Left behind were only a newborn and the body of a dead woman. Nowadays, a film documentary cre ...more
When I first read the synopsis of "The lost village" the first thing that came to mind was "The Blair Witch Project". Then I learnt that the author is the daughter of one of my favorite nordic authors, Viveca Sten, so with those two pieces of info I just knew I had to read this.
In 1959 hundreds of people disappeared from a small Swedish town. Left behind were only a newborn and the body of a dead woman. Nowadays, a film documentary cre ...more

5/5 stars for this haunting Swedish suspense novel! Camilla Sten's outstanding psychological suspense novel The Lost Village was my first 5/5 star read of 2021 - I absolutely loved this horror movie-worthy story! As we know, I'm a massive fan of Scandinavian suspense novels and of scary movies, and The Lost Village was a pitch-perfect combination of two of my favorite things. This book has a plot worthy of a horror movie (a documentary filmmaker and her crew travel to an abandoned villag
...more

A group of documentary filmmakers investigate what really happened to the people of “the lost village” of Silverjarn. Alice Lindstedt is interested in the disappearance of her grandmother’s entire family and is willing to make this project happen at any cost. But when equipment is destroyed and people begin to disappear, they start to believe that they are not alone in this ghost town. Will they be able to unlock the secrets of Silverjarn before it’s too late?
I can’t tell you how excited I was t ...more
I can’t tell you how excited I was t ...more

Apr 06, 2019
Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-2019
Staden (The Town) is a great Swedish mystery book. I partly read and listened to the audiobook version and it was just so atmospheric, so chilling. One could really feel how eerie the dead city in the middle of nowhere was. What happened to all the people that just disappeared 60 years ago? Why was a baby left behind? Will the documentary team find out the truth? And, the most important thing of it all, will they be able to leave the Town?
I highly recommend reading this book. The book isn't tha ...more
I highly recommend reading this book. The book isn't tha ...more

Mar 23, 2021
Elle
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to Elle by:
Paige
Shelves:
2021,
from-publisher
A documentary film crew. An abandoned Swedish mining town. And dark family secrets locked away for decades. The Lost Village by Camilla Sten had all the ingredients for making a truly unsettling work of horror fiction.
Alice is revisiting the past, her grandmother’s past that is. When she was a young woman, her grandmother’s entire family and hometown vanished without a trace. Beds still made, dishes on the table, food in the cupboard—but not a soul to be found. Nobody was left, except for a sing ...more
Alice is revisiting the past, her grandmother’s past that is. When she was a young woman, her grandmother’s entire family and hometown vanished without a trace. Beds still made, dishes on the table, food in the cupboard—but not a soul to be found. Nobody was left, except for a sing ...more

2.5 stars
I was slightly disappointed, but this is only due to my high expectations and predictable ending. The premise was so fascinating and I ate it up. I really enjoy creepy villages with unexplained occurrences. This makes for an excellent horror. This book, however, was not straight-up horror, but the feeling of unease creeps up on you and you're left with so many questions plaguing your mind. Was it something supernatural? Was there a logical reason?
Judging from the blurb, I assumed we we ...more
I was slightly disappointed, but this is only due to my high expectations and predictable ending. The premise was so fascinating and I ate it up. I really enjoy creepy villages with unexplained occurrences. This makes for an excellent horror. This book, however, was not straight-up horror, but the feeling of unease creeps up on you and you're left with so many questions plaguing your mind. Was it something supernatural? Was there a logical reason?
Judging from the blurb, I assumed we we ...more

A very quiet (at first!), creeping, Gothic horror tale of a documentary film crew visiting a remote Swedish town where hundreds of people disappeared without a trace. It’s a little bit of Nordic noir crossed with witches and cults and finished off with a dash of Midsommar horror. The members of the film crew all have secrets and entanglements. Alice, the protagonist, is imperfect, and the crew she chooses all have their demons (literal? Or figurative? Who can say?) following them as well.
The st ...more
The st ...more

First off, thanks to Minotaur Books for an ARC copy for an honest review. I was very much looking forward to getting my paws on this book just by reading the provided description. And it does not disappoint!! If you’re looking for a truly thrilling read, look no further. This is a fascinating story author Camilla Sten heard as a child and became wholly obsessed with, and who wouldn’t?!! A horrifying story you’ll never forget—how does this even happen?!! The Lost Colony is a gripping psychologica
...more

This book has one of the most profoundly stupid endings I've encountered in reading.
It starts off with promise. I'm a sucker for this new trend of Scandinavian gothic/horror novels. There's just something about a cold, barren landscape and some unpronounceable Nordic character names that brings the atmosphere. An entire village of people goes missing in 1959 after a mysterious murder and the town remains completely abandoned, decaying back to nature. Four twenty-somethings go to this spooky town ...more
It starts off with promise. I'm a sucker for this new trend of Scandinavian gothic/horror novels. There's just something about a cold, barren landscape and some unpronounceable Nordic character names that brings the atmosphere. An entire village of people goes missing in 1959 after a mysterious murder and the town remains completely abandoned, decaying back to nature. Four twenty-somethings go to this spooky town ...more

Who's already missing Halloween? Don't worry you guys, The Lost Village satisfied my occasional and blaring urge to read ANYTHING horror, and I was definitely not disappointed.
The Lost Village is an atmospheric story with a switching timeline, which of course, we slowly come to learn the two are very much connected. I usually don't enjoy the flipping of perspectives while reading, but this one didn't bother me too much. The THEN plot really did have a big impact to the story, but of course, I st ...more
The Lost Village is an atmospheric story with a switching timeline, which of course, we slowly come to learn the two are very much connected. I usually don't enjoy the flipping of perspectives while reading, but this one didn't bother me too much. The THEN plot really did have a big impact to the story, but of course, I st ...more

In 1959, the 900 people of the village of Silvertjarn disappeared from their small mining town leaving behind only two members of the community, one dead, the other a newborn baby. Alice Lindstedt, descended from a former daughter of the village, has put together a crew on a shoestring budget to create an introductory film to gain sponsorship for the documentary she plans to make about this “lost village.” Of course, solving the mystery would be a wonderful dividend.
The novel definitely kept my ...more
The novel definitely kept my ...more
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YA Buddy Readers'...: The Lost Village by Camilla Sten - Restarting October 14th 2021 | 28 | 58 | Oct 26, 2021 10:10AM | |
Play Book Tag: [Fly] [Fall Flurries] The Lost Village by Camilla Sten - 5 Stars | 1 | 10 | Oct 04, 2021 10:46AM | |
Nothing But Readi...: The Lost Village by Camilla Sten - Aug 2021 Adult BOM (starts 2 Aug) | 63 | 328 | Aug 28, 2021 02:07PM | |
Challenge Corner: The Lost Village by Camilla Sten -> Restarting January 15th, 2021 | 33 | 26 | Jan 21, 2021 05:09PM | |
English Translati...: Camillia Sten - The Lost Village | 1 | 17 | Jul 07, 2020 02:09PM | |
English Translati...: Camilla Sten - The Lost Village | 1 | 10 | Jun 24, 2020 01:25PM |
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Camilla Sten is a writer, and her publisher made the mistake of letting her set this author page up by herself. She is best known for her internationally bestselling novel "The Lost Village", which has sold to 19 countries, and has written books ranging from YA fantasy to contemporary thrillers.
Camilla lives in Sweden with her American boyfriend and two fluffy, evil cats. She is quite enjoying tal ...more
Camilla lives in Sweden with her American boyfriend and two fluffy, evil cats. She is quite enjoying tal ...more
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The concept of “the page-turner” has always been a little slippery. Typically, the term refers to books with gripping, plot-heavy narratives....
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“It would have been nice to explore the alleyways by myself in this silence, to capture the village as I see it now, this first morning. Dormant and untouched. It's like a living photograph, a relic of a bygone age.”
—
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“We perceive women suffering from mental illness with a sort of paradoxical double-sidedness; both victims and monsters, simultaneously infantilized and feared. A certain level of dysfunction is accepted—after all, women who are suffering mild depression and starving themselves aren’t going to leave their husbands or start revolutions, which is very practical indeed.”
—
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