I Am Margaret Moore

by Hannah Capin

Hannah Capin's I Am Margaret Moore is a paranormal thriller that tests the hold of sisterhood and truth.

I am a girl. I am a monster, too.

Each summer the girls of Deck Five come back to Marshall Naval School. They sail on jewel-blue waters; they march on green drill-fields; they earn sunburns and honors. They push until they break apart and heal again, stronger.

Each summer Margaret and Rose and Flor and Nisreen come back to the place where they are girls, safe away from the world: sisters bound by something more than blood.

But this summer everything has changed. Girls are missing and a boy is dead. It’s because of Margaret Moore, the boys say. It’s because of what happened that night in the storm.

Margaret’s friends vanish one by one, swallowed up into the lies she has told about what happened between her and a boy with the world at his feet. Can she unravel the secrets of this summer and last, or will she be pulled under by the place she once called home?

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Fantasy

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2022

About the author

Hannah Capin lives in Tidewater Virginia. She is the author of I AM MARGARET MOORE, GOLDEN BOYS BEWARE (also published as FOUL IS FAIR), and THE DEAD QUEENS CLUB.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm... okay, I’m trying too hard to move further but I think I’m the unpopular reader for this story!

The author’s Macbeth adaptation: Foul is Fair was such a unique, fresh, intriguing read for me! And just like Macbeth’s witches, we have four friends’ bounding in this book which reminded me of her previous work’s formula.

When I read the blurb, I even thought it might be some kind of sequel of her previous work. So I excitedly start my reading ( by the way this is standalone, it’s not related with her previous work: even though the girls’ friendship dynamics, lyrical, abstract writing style were the main resemblances ) and being introduced with Margaret’s best friends : Rose, Flor, Nisreen who return back to Marshall Naval School.

Their sisterhood bounding will be tested after a traumatic incident occurs at a stormy night! A boy is dead and the girls start to get vanished one by one! Is Margaret the monster who is responsible of all those vicious incidents? Or does somebody frame her? What really happened that ominous night?

The premise of the story was so intriguing but writing style was slow and bumpy road for me! When I reach around the first third, I even thought not to finish it!

At second half things were getting more interesting but I still had hard times to connect with the characters and storyline. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood to concentrate enough on pacing or it wasn’t the right time for me to invest this complex story which needs your patience to fully resonate with its challenging progression.

So I’m giving my three stars which means it wasn’t bad reading experience for me but I still had hard time to get into the story.

Anyways, I’m already in the minority. I’m sure most of the readers will enjoy this book. So I guess I’m the wrong reader who read it at the not so perfect time!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

[Irena BookDustMagic · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am Margaret Moore was different from everything that I have ever read.

The writing style is very poetic and often repetitive. Assuming that it was repetitive so the author would emphasize the blur in MC's head and also take us on a journey where we would, slowly, but surely, connect the dots that would lead us to big revelation in the end, I appreciate it in whole honesty.

Still, if I am being true to myself (and you guys), the writing style didn't do it for me.
If anything, it only disconnected me from the main character and although I recognize how important the story is, and that it would be emotionally wracking to some readers, I couldn't get into it, no matter how hard I tried.

Reading this book was like being in the mist myself, somewhere hidden in an imaginary woods, levitating above the creek and not being able to really see, feel or live the story Hannah Capin made.
Because of that, I feel sorry.

And I feel sorry this novel didn't win hearts of readers all over the world, because in general, I think it was a beautiful story, written in a way that makes it difficult for readers to connect with, and my opinion is that it would work better as a short story.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I Am Margaret Moore by Hannah Capin is a young adult paranormal thriller written in an almost prose style. Along with the different writing style this one also jumps around between timelines in the story in a unique fashion. The story is based at Marshall Naval School and involves four girls, Margaret, Rose, Flor, and Nisreen. Something happened one summer the girls came together and things have never been the same since.

I’ve read Hannah Capin before so the writing style wasn’t a surprise but while I wasn’t a huge fan of the style I didn’t mind it in the past. However, this time around I didn’t feel the book flowed well at all and a lot of the time I felt it got repetitive. What really bothered me though after wading through was I could probably tell the entire story in a couple of sentences so I felt like this was one long teen angst ramble that went nowhere surprising.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[megs_bookrack]

Well, this is unexpected and very uncomfortable for me to report, but I am pulling the plug on this one at 20%.



I loved Foul Is Fair. As in, gave it 5-stars loved and while this is unrelated, I was still so excited to see what Capin had come up with this time.

I have listened to 20% of this audio and it is very clear to me that I am not the intended audience for this book.



I am changing the dates so it won't count towards this year's reading and I am not leaving a star-rating, as I don't want to bring down the overall rating for this book.



Foul is Fair was written in a similar manner, darkly lyrical and full of allegory. The difference is that with Foul, I was in it. I knew exactly what was going on in the story and with the characters the whole way through, regardless of how poetic the writing became.

In this one, I have no clue, I mean no literal clue what any of this means and sadly, I don't care to find out.



I know that may seem harsh, but I really don't mean it to be. I think, for me, this is too poetic. In fact, I think maybe this may be more for Readers who enjoy Dark Poetry.

Poetry, of any form, and I, don't really get along. I have nothing against it. It's an amazing and valid art form, it's just not one I have ever understood.

With this being said, I would definitely take a chance on Hannah Capin's future work. She is an incredibly creative author and just because this one didn't work for me personally, I still congratulate her on its release!!



Also, a hearty thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I do appreciate it.

Lastly, don't take my opinion on this one. If you like lyrical prose with dark undertones, pick this one up and give it a try for yourself!

[Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell]

Deadly schools? Evil rich people? SECRETS????

GIMMEE

[Kelly Lyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but the first half was so confusing with the constant jumping from summers. The naval terminology was hard to keep straight. The second half is where everything starts to come together and it becomes repetitive and honestly after the reveal, I think the story should have ended.

Favorite quote that I hope makes it into the final copy.

"I believe in monsters with wide smiles, beautiful and bright, that live in grand old Victorians; that push girls into the mud; that take our voices and tell us what we are."

[Aly · Rating 2 out of 5]

My issue with this book lies in the writing style. It was like poetry but not quite. The chapters were short and choppy and with the moving timeline, I struggled to understand what was happening. The plot is okay and I think if this were written differently, I would have liked it more.

I think the book is purposefully confusing so you don't guess the twist. It hops between previous summers and now and the way 'second summer' comes prior to 'first summer' doesn't help. Sometimes it feels like we're following a stream of consciousness and things don't make a lot of sense. After finishing, I get why certain things were concealed but it was done in a way that I think some people might give up before things come together.

The ending was my favorite part because we got the revenge I was hoping for and kind of a sweet wrap up for the characters. This is a fairly short read but you may want to take your time so you understand it all.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the copy.

[❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
This book was a real honest to God struggle for me. From the start I felt a major disconnect and much of that had to do with the writing style. The narrative changes at the author's whim and the mix of narrative styles and lack of chapter separations really left me feeling detached. Not only that but the heroine was a very drab and unreliable storyteller. I kept wondering what the point of hearing all about her days in summer camp were leading up to. There was so much trivial detail that honestly IMO amounted to nothing. The only mildly interesting part was finding out she was already dead. But this was overshadowed by her idiotic behavior and repeated ignorance when it came to a certain boy. It was a whole fool me once, shame on you-fool me twice, shame on me situation. Even as a young woman I think her undeniable faith in an obvious @$$hole was unwarranted. She certainly did not deserve his treatment or to die at his hands. But at the same time she was literally blinded when it came to him and even I saw her death on the horizon. I was mildly excited again thinking she perhaps got her revenge and killed him but if I'm not mistaken it was actually her friends who did the deed--booo. The book also leaves me feeling sooooo confused and with many questions. I'm unclear on a lot of things but as it was such a struggle to get through and I put this book down quite often I find I'm just glad to be done.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to listen to this audiobook for the paranormal premise, but I was rather disappointed. The audio was in constant lyrical verse. Poetry is not my jam, so I feel like this is why I didn't really connect with the book. 😞

I loved the book description, but I found the book to be rather confusing. I felt like each chapter was a repeat with just a little bit of new information each time. There would be times when I thought I was understanding what was going on, but then no, I would figure out I didn't. Maybe I will try to read the book to see if I get a different perspective.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This book is described as a paranormal mystery/thriller and that's a pretty accurate description. The book is written in a unique style of writing, and based on other reviews, it's not for everyone. That said, if you can put yourself in the right headspace when you read this book, I think you will enjoy it. The writing is more lyrical and ethereal than straight-forward fiction, so if you like more experimental writing styles, definitely check this book out.

The book is narrated by Margaret Moore, a teenage girl that has spent each summer since age 9 at the Marshall Summer Naval School. There, she made three best friends who have spent each summer together since they started. They are upper classman now, going into their last summer at the camp, which is called first class summer, and basically means they are now "first class" - sort of like a military rank. (I can understand why some people get confused, because there are third, second and first class summers. If you think about it as 10, 11 and 12th grade, third class summer is 10th grade, 11th grade is second summer and 12th grade is first summer). They are in Deck Five, a loyal group of hardworking, hard charging girls.

The time line shifts back and forth throughout the entire book. Once you understand what the names of the "summers" means, it's easy to follow the plot. During the previous summer, Margaret started secretly dating a popular boy who is basically described as being out of her social class. Margaret believed them to be deeply in love, but circumstances occur to shatter the relationship. Events that she kept secret from her best friends, and all of Deck Five. I can't go into too many details because that touches on the mystery. Because of events that occurred the previous summer, Margaret's school term ends early and the summer finale Victory Race is cancelled. Naturally, the rest of the school is bitter about that and gives the returning girls of Deck Five a hard time.

Once I got used to the different style of writing (it's kind of like dissociative association and the speaker is kind of just rambling until they get to the point, repeating certain phrases and "thinking" out loud) I enjoyed the book. It did get a bit repetitive in the middle and the conclusion drug out a bit too long, but otherwise, it was a satisfying ending.

I enjoyed the plot and thought there were some interesting surprises in the book. It was fun to read something different and I encourage you to branch out and explore it and give it a try. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books. All opinions are my own.

[Katie T]

Dnf 12%
I hate the way this is written and I don't love the narrator. This is how she wrote Foul is Fair, which I also dnfd 🤷‍♀️

[Julia Rubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A raging thunderstorm of a novel with velvet-rich prose that opens all the wounds of girlhood: haunting, heartbreaking, and at points utterly terrifying, you’ll feel this book deep within your bones long after it strikes.

[Amy Imogene Reads]

Oh oh OH another Hannah Capin?? Yes!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Fifi’s Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not for me. For several reasons. First off, I’m not a fan of Hannah Capin’s writing style. Her style is an acquired taste, and I get the sense that most readers won’t prefer it. I don’t really know how else to describe it but it somehow sounds simultaneously third person and first person at the same time. Either you love it or hate it and I don’t see many readers preferring her style. It’s very lyrical and authentic like poetry, but at the same time, harder to grasp. I feel like I read a poetry book disguised as a YA thriller. If I wanted to read convoluted, weird, hard to understand writing then I’d just read actual poetry, ya know?

The thing is, I liked her previous book, foul is fair, well enough. It was batshit and convoluted to the point where it was confusing, yes, but I followed it easy enough and I loved the way it ended. Even with foul is fair, there’s SO MANY THINGS I need explanations for with that book. Going into this one, I was afraid it was going to be the same way. AND THIS ONE WAS EVEN WORSE. Literally I did not understand the end at all. What the hell even happened? I couldn’t tell you!

What I also think is strange about Hannah Capin’s books is that she blows off death like it’s no big deal. With things like murder and death, the character in her books act like it’s an ankle twist or something lol. I love thrillers but the excitement of it all was dulled by the writing prose. Sorry but it’s just NOT FOR ME. I don’t wanna read any poetic style shit. I just want you to get to the point. Foul is fair was interesting enough for me to still give it an above average rating. This was not. This was written so weird I could barely tell you what the book is even about. Not a fan, sorry.

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for a review.

[Paige Hettinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

a thunderclap of a novel. capin's trademark lyricism is on full display here, with repetitions like a glitch—like, dare i say, a haunting. her moves are audacious and brave and bold, her twists and turns puzzling and engrossing. a striking paranormal thriller about choice and the absence of it, about girlhood and forced womanhood. about sisterhood and revenge. to say nearly anything would be to spoil the fun of the journey this book takes you on, and though it could be confounding at times, i beg you to flow with it, not against it. messy and raw and perfectly real.

"i am a poet and a dreamer and a girl who sees the good in everyone, and i am a monster too."

thank you so much to the entire Wednesday Books team for providing me with my first ever physical galley (!!!) in exchange for an honest review, and to Capin for another stunning novel. full review likely to come closer to publication as this has now been pushed back.

[Elyse (ElyseReadsandSpeaks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this was hard to get through and it did not make for an enjoyable reading experience for me. It's lyrical and it felt like I was reading poetry the whole time. I'm not a fan of poetry, which is why this book was not for me. However, I can see some people really loving this book so don't let my review put you off of you think this is a writing style that could work for you.

The overall premise is that you know something happened to Margaret Moore, but you're not sure what exactly, and you're not sure who should be held accountable. These questions are answered as the book unfolds, but, you know, spoilers. I'm not gonna lie though - even though these questions are answered, I don't think I really understood it all. It was kind of hard to follow.

From the first chapter, I was confused as to what was going on as it seemed to blend a narrative structure with a lyrical first person point of view so my brain pretty much said "no." I pushed on because I like to finish all the ARCs I receive, but I do think this is one that I would have DNF'd early on due to the writing style. That being said, there were a few interesting bits in here and I do think it was creative so I think 2 stars is an appropriate rating for me.

I do want to hit on one general thing - this author is really trying some different things and even though I didn't like this one, I feel like I'd still pick her books up in the future. I loved Dead Queens Club and gave it 5 stars, wasn't as crazy about Foul is Fair and I think I gave it 2-3 stars, and now this one I like even less. The thing I want to shed some light on is that each one of these books is not like the other. Hannah Capin seems like the type of author that just wants to try her hand at a bit of everything and won't let herself be pigeon-holed into one style. I think that's really admirable. Maybe I won't like everything that she does, but I am curious to see what she comes up with next.

[Carlene Inspired · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaret Moore lives for the summers, for the day she heads back to Marshall Naval School and her best friends from Deck Five. She can't wait for the days filled with drill practice, late night sneak outs, and the perfect summer days where they leap in the water and visit her family's summer home. With past and present perspectives, we experience the summers leading up to this one, the one where things seem just a bit different and Margaret has a hard time remembering why it is so different. This summer there are whispers, there's missing girls, boys who have died, and with time soon Margaret's friends soon disappear too. Margaret must remember if she wants to finally know the truth.

I admit, by the middle of the book I had entirely forgotten that I Am Margaret Moore was also classified as paranormal, so hello, hi, I was totally taken by surprise with the twists. Insert embarrassed emoji face here. Honestly, had it not been I think I would have loved it way more, because experiencing the summers the girls had was incredible and Hannah Capin did such an excellent job bringing the characters to life. The drills, secret languages, and naval terms really took me into the setting and helped me understand just why the girls went to the school for the summer. Unfortunately, like others, I felt like even though the story truly took off in the second half that I was even more confused by the end. Yes, we get resolution, we know what has happened, why the girls are different now, but it doesn't happen easily. Time is difficult to track and there's really not a thriller within these pages, it's more of a coming-of-age paranormal.

I am Margaret Moore features a beautiful story of friendship, loss, and the difference between truths and lies. Unfortunately, it suffers from a confusing chapter layout and a paranormal touch that's hard to keep track of. It is a true young adult read, one I think many will enjoy, but just wasn't it for me.

ARC provided.

[Elizabeth Aguilar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am Margaret Moore is confusing. It's a stream of consciousness with an unreliable narrator. It is a mix of prose and verse, which sounds fascinating, until you realize that you don't really understand the setting. It takes place at Marshall Summer Naval School, which is composed of Decks and other departments that are also not clear at the beginning. There seems to be more branches than initially introduced. I would not be as critical of this if it wasn't a big part of the set up and plot.

Despite the initial confusion about the setting, I pushed forth. By part 2, I even hit a groove and understood the pacing and the general plot of the story. There were a few interesting surprises; I was curious to see what happened. I was even somewhat appreciative of how it hinted at one of the big surprises in little ways in the dialogue and even absence of certain dialogue.

Then, I read part three and I got mad. Things began not making sense again. It even begin to contradict what I understood from part two.

I understand that the book was trying to say about girls fighting against institutions and the lengths they will go through to protect boys. But while reading, I felt the book was trying to be smart at the expense of its characters. There's not much characterization or development. Even with our main character, Maraget Moore, the most I can tell you about her is that she's "a dreamer, a poet, and a girl who sees the good in everyone." So, not much. Not enough to care, despite what happened to her.

[Tijana · Rating 3 out of 5]

"He is everything at once: the boy who found me by the lakeshore and the boy who left me there."

3 stars is me being generous.

I don't understand how can someone write so much and say so little. It seriously feels like Hannah Capin was high while working on this book.
Now, I see most readers had a problem with her writing style but not me. I actually found it refreshing.
It's the pacing that bothered me. There would be 100 pages filled with pretty words, then 20 pages of action, then nonsensical pretty writing again.
Not to mention I figured the plot twist out within the first couple of chapters. If Margaret Moore being ghost was supposed to be a plot twist, that is.
I DNF-ed "Foul is Fair" and I wanted to DNF this one, too, so I don’t think I'll pick up another Hannah Capin book.

[Jess (oracle_of_madness) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this Arc!

Wow! I am speechless. I read this in one sitting simply because the author drew me in so completely with this hypnotic writing that did more than just tell a story. I Am Margaret Moore is full to brimming with emotion and I can see so many people relating to this tale on multiple levels.

Four girls with an incredible friendship developed at a camp over many summers of attendance are always there for each other. Even when it's difficult, confusing and life-changing. This story speaks on deep friendships and love, heartbreak and betrayal. I was entranced to the last page and I believe this book will always be on my mind.

I highly recommend this read. I feel like I was there. That Margaret Moore's emotions were mine and this story is now a part of me, too. There are some trigger warnings for death, loss, grief and unsettling scenes.

Look for this on March 15th!

[Avery O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5

The time jumps and structure were way too confusing

Also I figured out the plot twist on page 50

[Cat Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I Am Margaret Moore is the story of 17-year-old Margaret, who returns each summer to the Marshall Naval School with her best friends Rose, Nisreen, and Flor. There's something different this summer though, and it's not just the knowledge that this is their first class summer, their last summer together before they start their lives in different corners of the world. This summer, time is out of joint. It's second class summer, it's third class summer, it's their Butterfly summer when they first met at 9 years old with grass-stained knees, it's the summer Margaret was 4 and fell off the pier into the lake, it's first class summer and they are seventeen.

If you found that last sentence confusing, buckle up. I Am Margaret Moore is told in non-linear fashion and almost entirely in metaphors. The blurb describes this book as "lyrical" but "verse formatted to look like prose" may be more accurate. For the first 2/3 of this book I wasn't sure about much: whether I liked the story, the writing style, the characters, whether I was even going to make it through. The plot felt slow and meandering, the characters seemed fairly flat. I wondered when the thrilling part of this thriller would start happening. I was sure this would be a solid 2 stars.

And then! Oh my goodness, and then! At 67% something shifted and this book fell into perfection. The plot goes from 0 to 100. Margaret suddenly gets a personality and some spunk, and I understood why she didn't have much before. Little things that I thought made no sense suddenly clicked into place. For a book that I had been reading knowing exactly what would happen next, I suddenly wasn't sure where things were going. I started this book feeling like Hannah Capin was just a bit pretentious and finished it thinking she just might be a genius.

I want to add two caveats here: #1: I truly love well-written books that confuse the hell out of me. Nothing makes me love a story more than having no idea what's going on and trying to put the pieces together. If you like to know what's going on at all times when you read, this will not be the book for you.

And caveat #2: I see many reviews saying the twist was obvious. Without spoilers, I think these people might be misunderstanding what the twist is. I too was frustrated for the first half of the book, thinking I was being insulted as a reader, the author assuming I couldn't pick up on what was going on. However, what I assumed would be the twist was not it (it's really just more of a plot point you're assumed to have figured out before Margaret does), and I honestly think this was one of the least insulting-to-my-intelligence books I've read in a long time. Capin doesn't spoon feed us anything, trusting the reader to put together the pieces she's given us, and I love her for it.

This book will definitely not be for everyone. I can imagine many more people will hate it than love it, and that's perfectly understandable. As I stated, the writing is mostly metaphors. There is a lot of repetition. A LOT of repetition. But it's repetition with a purpose, and the payoff is so very worth it.

Content warnings: murder (on-page, fairly graphic), accidental death (on-page, not graphic), rape (on-page, non-violent), unwanted pregnancy, botched abortion, misogyny, military themes

[Alaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was honestly really happy and intrigued when I requested and got accepted to dive into I Am Margaret Moore. Mystery thriller books can sometimes give me life and the synopsis for this book made it sound freaking amazing. Well, it had potential to be but I think the book and I were not vibing together.

This is definitely about a group of girls that were kind of close but definitely became super closer after a tragic and unfortunate event. It all started on a stormy night and then things get wild after that. I wont lie, I was definitely confused with what was happening for most of this book. Also the pace was kind of all over the place and I just wanted connecting with anyone.

Then the second half came and things were starting to pick up. Or maybe I was starting to see the light. Either way I was excited to get some answers. Unfortunately, the book took it's sweet time to do a semi big reveal and I'm still left with questions. It was definitely a lot to take in but I really wished that I found someone to connect to or something to connect with.

In the end, I'm glad that I got a chance to dive into this. It was definitely something I'm not used to and I hope that I dive back into this another time to see if my opinion changes or not.

[Seleena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a lyrical medley of summer warmth, yet bone chilling paranormal mystery. Great storytelling and world building, Marshall felt so vivid. I loved the eternal feeling of the female friendships in the story. The only criticism I have is that the poetics and lyricism left me a bit confused as to what was actually happening in the book.
Overall, a great, unique read!

[Kiera · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so intrigued by the description of this book but I just don’t think this book is for me. The first half of the book I found boring and hard to get through, the last half however was entertaining.

I also wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. It is written in a very lyrical and poetic way, that I found difficult to read and stay engaged. However if you like books written like that I think you would really enjoy it.

This book reminds me a lot of We Were Liars, so if you liked that book I would definitely recommend checking out this one.

Overall I would give this book two stars because I found the story hard to read because of the writing style.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sounded like an unique take that could create a very different story, so I added to my TBR. Turns out,I ended up really enjoying it, even though I wasn’t the hugest fan when I first started.
The writing style,even though it took me a little bit to get used to it, I ended up really liking how the writing had a lot to do with the voice of the character and her personality as a whole.
If you like poetry with drama and a thriller this book might be for you.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Siofra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you, St. Martins Press (Wednesday Books), for allowing me to read and review this title.

I liked the revenge at the end of this book and the writing style to a degree, but other than that, this was a miss for me.
I didn't love the writing style, and honestly, it confused the heck out of me switch between summers without actual warning and how it was written. I called the plot twists right off the bat because it was very evicted to me what had happened, and the red herrings were just that. Just not my thing!

[Alyson Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: I Am Margaret Moore
Author: Hannah Capin
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC.

What can I say? When I saw that Hannah Capin had written another book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I really enjoyed Fair is Foul and was hoping to have another revenge story. I did get that, but it didn’t go in the direction that I thought it would. No, in fact, I actually really liked the direction it went and I am so glad it went there.

This book takes place at a military summer camp. Last summer, something bad happened and we are left trying to figure out what in the world went down. None of the characters seem to know and when they ask, the staff shuts them down. This idea of not knowing what actually happen is what actually hooked me. I like trying to figure out what happened right along with the characters. It add so much to the atmosphere and story. You, as the reader, have to keep reading to find out what happened. You want to know. We have this really awful event that no one wants to talk about and a main character who will not speak a boy’s name. In fact, it seems like she almost goes as far as to pretend that he doesn’t exist. This sense of the unknown and not really knowing what is happening is actually what keeps me going when I am reading. It’s like something in me just has to know what is going to happen next. Hannah did an amazing job with this.

The characters…I really enjoyed them, but I didn’t think they were as well developed as Fair is Foul. I really enjoyed the bond the girls had. At Marshall, the girls are broken up into decks and these decks allow them to form a sisterhood. Seeing this deep level of friendship and loyalty to each other is great. I would much rather have a deep sense of friendship and seeing those bonds thickened than a romance any day. While the book is told from Margaret’s point of view, the bond these girls have is clearly visible. We see them come together as they try to make sense of what has happened. We see them gather together. I think if Margaret had ordered it, they would have actually went full murder squad. I was fully expecting that actually.

Anyway, I did enjoy Margaret’s character, but I just felt like she was missing something. I understand holding certain details from us, but I think we did need something more to really make her character stand out. We can feel the pain and the hatred coming off the page. While we do find out the source of her pain, I would have liked to see just a little bit more. I didn’t get a full sense of who she was. I guess I would have just liked a little bit more to really drive her character home.

Hannah’s writing isn’t the easiest to get into. I know this is the major compliant about her books. I really enjoy it. It’s not your typical YA writing style. To me, her writing style reminds me a lot of the adult books I read. It’s very lyrical and are the more choppy side. However, I think it works. It sets the environment up so well and keeps us thinking. We don’t know where this is going. We think we do, but it turns out to go in a completely different direction. I just find the writing works really well at throwing you into the story and keeping you engaged.

I guess that what I’m getting at is this sense of the unknown and not really knowing what was happening just what actually kept me engaged and kept me reading. I had to find out what was happening and what happened that summer before. It’s a slower paced thriller, but, once again, I found that it worked.

So, this book comes out on October 12, 2021.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/39xcThRIoDc

[Avery (readbyfin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC of this paranormal thriller!

[TWs: gore, murder, teen pregnancy]

I cannot stop thinking about this book. It actually haunts me how lyrical and dark this story was. Absolutely enthralled, I binged all 300+ pages in a single day. It is so hard to put into words how much this story impacted me because a review will never be adequate.

The first 3/4ths were absolute perfection. Incredibly plotted and executed, I felt like I was there at Deck 5. Hannah Capin's writing style is very unique in the best way possible. She writes so lyrically while infusing so much emotion into the world of Marshall Naval School. My only (I mean only, this book was almost perfect) problem with this book is that last 1/4th. It fell flat for me, which broke my heart because I want so badly to give this book 5/5 stars! I was confused as to what was actually going on and was overwhelmed by the amount of internal dialogue in that latter part of the book. Besides that, I have no critiques. The main character, Margaret's, exploration of what happened one horrific summer unraveled as the story continued, leaving me hungry for more information. The big reveal was shocking and so painful to read. I had to physically close the book to process what had happened and what I had read up until that point. I am amazed by how much this story has stuck with me even after reading it over a month ago. I AM MARGARET MOORE is one of my favorite thrillers that I hope many people pick up when it comes out on October 12th!

[Trisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this one! I wanted to love it so very very much. I am a huge fan of books written in verse and I do love a good cryptic, odd, lyrical story. But this one was neither of the things I love so much about those stories.

First, the writing style is odd. It's not quite a book in verse but it's close. It has poetry and lyrics and written in quick, short chapter breaks. But the few lines it gives aren't really verse, they are a lot of full sentences, but they are the same things repeated a lot. There are whole sections that felt like the same chapter over and over. The beginning, the intro to the summer camp and their style, was jarring. I don't know a lot about a navy type summer camp so the levels and chants and line ups were a lot to catch up on with little intro.

I felt like what was maybe supposed to be the twist was really easy to spot pretty early on. So the layers I was hoping to dig through or the spooky parts I was hoping to get goosebumps from just never happened. The end was good but didn't quite pull together the story. I wish I'd loved it more.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.