Really easy read but quite gripping , I stayed awake past my bedtime reading which is always a good sign

This is a very atmospheric read. The story is told over a dual timeline. The revelations are so emotional. I felt that there were too many characters and the story became confusing.

This was very atmospheric It kept me entertained and I just wanted to read one more chapter and I ended up staying up very late to read it to finish.

I do love a good historical novel which draws you, the two time lines worked.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

This was a slow burn mystery with a sinister feel throughout, there were many people and things I suspected that had happened in the past timeline but I didn't guess what had actually happened.

The current timeline was sinister in a totally different way as Justine tried to reestablish her life away from her boyfriend.

I enjoyed the writing style and how the tension was built and would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys literary thrillers. Best to check trigger warnings for this one.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I haven't read anything by Ms Young before, but I really did enjoy this book a lot. The book starts with some conflict and it doesn't let go until the end. It was an entertaining read! .

I really enjoyed this. It was dark and mysterious and filled with suspense. I was constantly wondering what had happened to Emily and how this family had become embroiled in the situations they had.

I found the current day story intriguing and loved the reading of the diary as a strand that tied it altogether.

It was a compelling read, that I didn’t want to put down, so all in all, a great book and one I’d definitely recommend.

The Lost Girls by Heather Young is a crime thriller that once you start reading it almost consumes you. I have experienced Heather Youngs previous book and I loved that. I knew I would be in for a great read.
The story centres on two timelines from within the generations of one family at their lakehouse in Minnasota, a remote picturesque place. We are taken back to 1935. The youngest daughter Emily disappears, leaving behind her mother and two sisters, who all stay at the lakehouse waiting for Emily to return, almost like they are frozen in time.
Fast forward to 1999, winter, the middle sister Lucy has just passed away and bequeathed the lakehouse to her Great-Niece Justine. Upon learning of her inheritance she packs hers and her two daughters things up and travels to the house, leaving her rather controlling partner behind...this is Justine's fresh start, until she arrives and realises just how remote and rundown it is and the weather well, cold is not the word! Her only neighbours are Matthew and Abe two brothers of Native American heritage and for that have never been quite accepted. When Emily vanished Abe was the first suspect.
The story carries on through Lucy's journal and we learn of the events leading up to Emily's disappearance. We see her relationship with her parents and her sisters too. As the truth of what happened in 1935 slowly unravels it makes for an emotional read. The author has skillfully written it so you can focus on each character and how they felt at the time. As the present day events with Justine come to a conclusion the tension is kept to the maximum. Heather Young has woven the two timelines together so well that neither timeline is any less than the other.
A haunting story with a lakehouse in the centre that is almost a character in itself. There is a mysterious and haunting air to the house that holds many secrets and it adds to the intrigue of this sinister and very unsettling read. Not a fast paced read but a slower pace did create a simmering pot of tension and mystery that had me eager to know it all. Thanks to Net Galley.

Secrets, revelations, love, loss, hope and heartbreak and an absolutely wonderful read all some up exactly what The Lost Girls is. It's one you won't regret reading.

I wasn’t to sure about this book at first and where the storyline was going . Told in the past tense by Lucy and the present tense by Justine, her Great Niece , the two storylines come together outlining in each case the strong bonds that sisters and mothers and daughters have that can overcome anything. Beautifully written

This is a novel with a dual timeline with women from the same family, divulging and uncovering secrets from the past that have effected the current generation.

Believable characters in a well written book and enjoyable read, whilst trying to figure out what had happened before.

With thanks to Heather Young and Verve Books for an advance readers copy of this book.

4*

A thriller than really gets under your skin and keeps you reading through the night.

This is a dual timeline story;
- Justine's story, 1999 has just inherited her great-aunt's lake house. The perfect opportunity for a fresh start with her daughters.
- Great-aunt Lucy's story, 1935. Lucy's younger sister Emily disappears. Lucy's family is practically frozen in time, as Lucy's mother waits for Emily to return.

The plot gentle unfolds and twists and turns between the timelines in this atmospheric and frankly creepy book!

I really couldn’t get into this book. I found it difficult - I didn’t finish it. Thank you though for allowing me to try.

A little too slow paced for my taste and the thriller aspect was kinda lackong something.
Loved the writing and characters and it was overall a good book!

The author achieved her aim of instilling the trauma of her characters into my being. I felt the desperation and anguish of Justine as she struggled to stabilise life for her girls as well as unraveling the mystery of the missing Emily sixty years earlier. As the story flips back and forth between the events of the past and current day, slowly details emerge revealing what really happened to Justine’s ancestors. A deeply disturbing journey.

Dark family secrets, complicated relationships and a summer that changed everything.

In one storyline of 'The lost girls' we're following three young sisters during a summer in 1935 at their family lake house and we know from the start this summer ended in their youngest sister's disappearance. The other storyline follows the oldest sister's granddaughter years later as she moves into the already decrepit lake house with her two daughters, running away from her controlling boyfriend and an ordinary life she maybe doesn't really want.

First of all, most of the characters (especially the kids) are not likeable. They are mean, selfish and sometimes make very questionable decisions, so if that's not to your liking, I wouldn't recommend this book.
But, if you like complex relationships (sisterly, between generations and romantic) and exploring the effects of toxic families on next generations, that could be a story for you.
I was engrossed in this novel, the dual timeline and the pacing worked perfectly for me, maintaining my interest throughout the book. I was fascinated by the portrait of an imperfect family, their buried resentments, denial and loyalty.
Finally, I was quite amazed by the final reveal which I didn't anticipate and I was overall pleasantly surprised by this novel.

Such a great read from start to finish , I really enjoyed it and it kept me hooked from the very start

‘The Lost girls’ is a haunting thriller that follows the destructive effects of a missing child.
It is written in a perfect balance of two timelines; the first is in the summer of 1935 and the second the modern day. Both timelines collide at a remote lake house in Minnesota; in 1935 Emily Evans disappears without trace from her family’s holiday home. Her two remaining sisters stay almost in memoriam of the lost little girl. Their story is written and left behind by the middle sister, Lucy.
Almost sixty years later their great-niece, Justine, inherits the lake house and although she is escaping her own demons, she and her daughters soon meet the ghosts of their family’s past. With stories not fully told and confessions entwined with dark secrets, it is only a matter of time before the truth about Emily’s disappearance comes to light.
I was so drawn in by the premise of this novel and overall it did not disappoint. However for me something about the story dwindled in the middle, perhaps the pacing or the tone lost my interest slightly, but I am so glad that I continued reading because the payoff ending was 100% worth it. Also the character details are so en pointe and vivid; one aspect I loved throughout the novel. The story and style comes back around and for that I really do fully recommend this captivating mystery.

I loved the premise of this book and was so intrigued to watch the story unfold. However, unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. However, the writing was incredible and I enjoyed reading it, just for me I couldn’t get into the storyline.

“We are the ghosts of lives stolen and life’s never lived.” The Lost Girls by Heather Young

3 stars. This is a rather sad story.

Lucy’s youngest sister Emily, disappears one summer at the lake near their summer house. Later on, Lucy is an old woman left in the same house. She passes away and leaves the house to her grandniece Justine, who has problems of her own. Told in both the POV of Lucy and Justine, the mystery of Emily’s disappearance and the choices they both had to make in the lives that followed echoes strongly in the present.

And it’s really sad. More sad than thrilling. It’s a mystery sure but when all was revealed, it wasn’t a mystery at all to Lucy. And thankfully Justine is able to break free of the past (I think).

It’s a rather slow book for me. It got more absorbing about halfway thru the book. Neither Lucy or Justine had an easy life and well, the story comes off a bit heavy, because neither women were really happy. And I couldn’t connect to both of them. I liked it enough though. But if not for being an arc, this would’ve sat on my shelf for a looong time.

Thank you @williammorrowbooks and @netgalley for the arc of this book.