I went looking for my review of The Roanoke Girls and discovered I hadn’t written one. But I clearly remember writing a review as I loved this book and I wanted to shout about it – so where’s my review? How very odd. But if that’s odd then brace for The Roanoke Girls, there’s something very, very odd going on in this story and it’s down to Lane to take the reader through her family history and unpick what’s happening at her childhood home.

The Roanoke’s are a rich and highly influential family (old blood) and the daughers of the family conduct themselves with a regal air over the other local kids. Lane’s mother was a Roanoke Girl but she didn’t want to continue to live the life – she left home and raised Lane away from her family, just the two of them. However, at the start of the book we find Lane at a real low point, her mother has died. Lane is still at school and she can’t carry on alone. So the only real option is to return to Roanoke and live with her grandparents. It’s not too bad as her cousin Allegra is there too and the two girls form a strong bond. Sort of.

I say “sort of” as the relationship between Allegra, very much queen of the town, and the unknown quantity of the new-girl being welcomed to the fold does create some tensions between the two. Allegra appears jealous of Lane and yet at the same time acts out like she is much more mature and knowledgable than her cousin. It creates an interesting dynamic which keeps the story bubbling along nicely. Which Allegra will Lane encounter, what secrets is she hiding and what was happening in their large house before Lane arrived to shake up the Roanoke lifestyle?

The Roanoke Girls is very much a story you need to read. The dynamic of the family. The flashbacks to other family members, long since gone, who help flesh out the readers understanding of what happens in this quite wee town. It’s not a story you want to read too much about as the impact of events can only best be enjoyed when you have taken the journey that Amy Engel wants you to take – no shortcuts and no clues, just hear Lane’s story.

This was, quite simply, a terrific read. One where I was barely aware of turning the pages and when I did finally uncover the secret of The Roanoke Girls I wished I hadn’t – that way I could have the joy of reading this all over again without knowing the fate of the characters. It’s not a book I will forget any time soon.

Lane is 15 when she has to move in with her grandparents and her cousins after her mother’s tragic suicide. following the suicide of her mother.
She soon becomes one of the Roanoke girls and this comes at a price.

This was a solid read but didn’t grip me. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

'The Roanoke Girls' by Amy Engel was featured in '17 highly-anticipated books to read in 2017' on Caboodle from National Book Tokens.

I can’t believe this one slipped so far down the list. At the time of it’s pretty release and release there was so much hype I thought I’d wait. Let the waters calm down or my expectations would be so high.....then I forgot! Other books piled on top (you know how that is right.)

This was such a well told story that it’s only taken me 1 and 1/2 days to read. Mostly evenings.
Such is love.
Twisted.

There are so many forms of love, this one crossed the mark to somewhere it never should go.....ever!

When I read further in the Roanoke Girls was not a normal family. The conclusion of these girls. Why?

I later found out but never guessed in my wildest of dreams the finale.

What a compulsive read.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel is a perfect example of a book that deals with incredibly unpalatable subject matter, but in a way that is utterly compelling. I’m generally a wuss with things that make me uncomfortable but Lane is such an incredible character that I just had to stick with her.

When you see that this book begins with a quote from Nabokov, you can make an educated guess at what being a Roanoke Girl means, but a couple of chapters in it is laid out plainly for you and from that point on, I was reading practically through my fingers but I could not look away.

The parts told from Lane’s point of view – both in the past and present – bring out the weirdness of Roanoke and its residents. The way the house itself is described is as an isolated oddity, with almost a personality of its own. There is an old adage ‘If these walls could talk…’ and it almost seems like the house is imbued with menace.

Roanoke and the town it’s in – Osage Flats – is in rural Kansas and Amy Engel uses the intense heat of the area as a perfect way to echo the tension among the main characters. While Lane is initially unaware of anything untoward in the flashback sections of the book, upon her return she is older, wiser and has left unfinished business behind her. The sense of claustrophobia that this brings is beautifully written.

This is a very dark book but, aside from that aspect of it, the mystery of Allegra’s disappearance is well done, and resolved in an unexpected way. Amy Engel does a great job of making us really feel for this troubled girl and also for Lane and for such a dark book, the ending is surprisingly hopeful!

I can’t rate this book. Part of me liked it for the skill of the writing and the story telling but the other part of me is so grossed out by the content, I don’t want to even think about it. I can see why some have loved it and I can see why others hated it.

I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone though. I don’t think you’d thank me.

Well what a book! It starts off with an interesting premise and lures you in deeper and deeper with twists and turns. It has dark undercurrents and is something a bit different to the run of the mill whodunit thrillers. On the surface it seems like the Roanoke girls have everything but something's not right. I read a lot of books but this is one where the story stayed with me and has definitely made me want to read more by this author.

Already reviewed and feedback sent ages ago. Not sure why these are duplicating. But please find review content at my archived blog www.behindonbooks.wordpress.com

- Thanks! Sorry this is a little haphazard. Just trying to clear my Shelf here. :)

I enjoyed this book. It kept me hooked until the end. I would recommend it to others.

An interesting novel, about family ties, love and dark secrets. The plot was pretty much obvious from the first few chapters, you could guess what was going on, but still an interesting story as to how/why someone disappeared, and finding out who was involved.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me, but I'm sure others will love it.

Whilst I didn't manage to finish this before the license expired, for the first half of the book or so I found it an intriguing story, with an obviously disturbing undercurrent as to what the secret of the Roanoke family really was. I'd love to finish it in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book

I loved the setting of this book and I really liked the authors description of the setting, I thought that was really well written. However when it came to the characters that was a big thumbs down. I really got sick of hearing how beautiful the girls were and how lovely and big their breasts were oh and how handsome the grandfather was. Doesn't matter that he was trying to get them all into bed because he was so handsome. But he did manage to get three generations of sisters, daughters and granddaughters into bed, and considering these women were all born as a result of these incestious relationships there's no way they would have all been beautiful and blonde!! All seemed to far fetched to me.

I didn't expect to be this dark, or indeed, this good! I was aware of Englel as a YA author, although I had not read anything from her before, so I was expecting average writing and a predictable plot.
The writing was actually beautiful (especially for such a dark, dark subject matter) and although the plot WAS quite predictable, the author managed this well by divulging information to the reader before the characters found out so we were still interested.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes fiction set in the south of the USA as it did have a strong sense of place, and those who do not shy away from difficult content.

I’ve heard so many good things about this book and it didn’t disappoint me. I didn’t see the final twist coming but I thought Lane’s grandfather behaviour was becoming really predictable as the chapters went on. I liked the book though and was hooked when Allegra disappeared!

It does feel as though a common trope in literature about country folk is a hearty slice of good ol' incest and "The Roanoke Girls" is no exception. Set on a the Roanoke family estate in deepest darkest rural Kansas, Lane Roanoke is sent to stay with her grandparents following the suicide of her mother.
Her partner in crime is her cousin, Allegra, whose mother is also absent. Allegra tells her that "Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die."
Pretty soon, Lane realises what's going on and runs, but is pulled back years later when her grandfather contacts her to inform her that Allegra has gone missing. Has she run? Has she died? Nobody seems to know the answer, so Lane returns to Roanoke to look for her cousin, and face the past and all its horrors.
Reminiscent of "Flowers in the Attic", this is a fairly unbelievable story. The characters are mostly unrealistic and the "secret" is pretty obvious from the start. The denouement and showdown was just way too over the top for my liking, which is a shame, because Engel obviously has a lot of talent, this just isn't the right vessel for it. It feels like she's deliberately trying to be sensational with a very sensitive subject matter, which comes across as pretty jarring.
I'll be interested to see what Engel does next - hopefully she picks a story that does justice to her obvious talents.

I can’t help compare The Roanoke Girls to the hugely-hyped bestseller The Girls by Emma Cline. Both deal with teen girls sucked into a cult –– or cult-like –– existence with grim mysteries hanging over the story. But instead of the drift and dissatisfaction of a happy middle class teen experimenting with her darker side, you get the taught, unpredictable behaviour of a deeply damaged girl trying her best not to give into the demons that she knows, only too well, lurk under the surface. Perhaps The Girls approach on this is a little subtler, but in Roanoke it’s more powerful.

The ‘cult’ leader is also more powerful in The Roanoke Girls. In The Girls the Manson figure was dissatisfyingly uncharismatic, in The Roanoke Girls Amy Engel introduces a disturbingly every day and insidious kind of threat. And the man looming over the girls of the title is truly disturbing, mainly because you can understand his appeal –– horrendous as that may be to admit to yourself. Altogether a more necessary and affecting read.

an excellent gothic novel, combining a teen coming of age story (in the flashbacks) with a grown-up integration of past into a more healthy self. But lots of creep!

I loved The Roanoake Girls. It was twisted in every sense, but equally beautiful. Superbly written and set perfectly in quiet, small-town America. A chilling storyline, and I dare you not to fall in love with Lane.

It has taken me a while to review this book, it was a very disturbing book that triggered memories I did not want to be reminded of to be honest. It has sexual abuse in it, so if that is not something you can handle then it may not be the book for you. Having said that I did finish it and the book itself is very well-written.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because although it's not a book for everyone, other readers will enjoy it.