Book Review: The Broken Girls | Simone St. James

Haunting, captivating, chilling, and brilliant—in a story about a place where society sent the misfits, the unwanted, the forgotten, and the ghosts, I discovered a story about how these forgotten women discovered their voices. To me, the voices of the girls in this novel were like a symphony—they were the voices of girls who were mistreated but powerful when they found one another, and they’ll stay with me long after reading it.

About the Book

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 whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . . 

Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced. . . .

Reflection

Sometimes I read a book and I struggle to do it justice in my review. This is one of those books for me, because I don’t know how to highlight all of the wonderful aspects of the story in a single review. The intricate weaving of Fiona’s investigation in 2014, her sister Deb’s murder in 1994, and the girls of Idlewild Hall in 1950 is masterful. Each story is so compelling, that I looked forward to reading more.

As the story progresses, I felt pulled towards the story in 1950, which became my obsession along with Fiona’s. And when the pieces of the three stories come together in the end, it was so perfect that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t understood that this was how it would all end. Of course this is how the story will end! It was perfect—I felt pensive and elated, energized and peaceful.

Fiona can’t let her sister’s murder twenty years earlier go. She’s completely haunted, and in a way Fiona has never truly lived her life. Remaining in her small town, she still wants to understand why Deb was left for dead in that yard for the abandoned boarding school for girls. I loved Fiona, and in her own way she is one of the broken girls from the title, though she lived. Fiona is passionate but fragile—I loved the way her mind followed the story and put the pieces together.

The Idlewild girls from the 1950s will totally steal your heart! Katie is beautiful and tough, but maybe not as strong as she seems. Cece is loyal and caring, and consistently underestimated. Roberta is strong and loving, hiding demons that haunt her. And Sonia is small and quiet, but she has a strength that others don’t realize. Their friendship and stories are mesmerizing and dark.

These are girls who society decided are problems. They are written off as troubled, but as you learn more about them, they haven’t done anything to be considered that way. Their crime is being born in a time when society didn’t accept them and support them. Sent to Idlewild where they can quickly be forgotten by their families, these girls are not ones to brushed aside. A group of lost, broken girls find strength through their pure friendship, love, and support. I will think about these four girls for years to come. They were the best part of the book for me—their stories and the melding of their voices are so beautiful.

I loved the spooky, ghost story element to this novel. It was truly a chilling aspect to the novel that was handled so well. I wondered if Mary Hand was real or a legend? As more stories circulated, her figure became such a big part of the novel that really was a delight!

I won’t say much more so that readers can form their own opinions as they read this, but I do want to say again how happy the ending made me. It was completely perfect. I loved what was tied up, and what was left to imagine what is still to come. I love that we got answers, but there are some things that really can’t be answered in words. I loved the way all of the stories got a conclusion. Just wonderful!

I missed The Broken Girls the first time around, but I was fortunate to get a chance to read it this time for the paperback release! If you didn’t order this book yet, now is the perfect time. I absolutely LOVED this book!