This book will stay with me for a very long time. It is a disturbing read but the author has handled it with sensitivity, without going into too much detail, which I think was perfect. A beautifully written book and if I could give more than 5 stars, I would. Many thanks for the opportunity to read this book.

It was the cover of The Roanoke Girls that first caught my eye - pretty yet subtly chilling in equal measures, it hints perfectly at the dark, dark tale inside. After reading the blurb and a couple of reviews I was convinced....I definitely wanted to read this book.

Fifteen year old Lane has recently lost her mother to suicide. She's left alone in foster care, having spent her life being brought up by her distant and depressive mother. But when she's told her Grandparents want her, Lane hopes that for first time she can find a true family and home. Moving across the country to the huge mansion in the middle of rural Kansas, Lane is welcomed into the home by her vivacious cousin Allegra and her charismatic and doting Grandpa. But a dark secret simmers within the walls of Roanoke, and Lane is being pulled slowly into her family's twisted history. Ten years later, and Lane is again living away from Roanake and hasn't been in contact since she left suddenly. When she gets a call from her Grandpa to say Allegra has gone missing, Lane is drawn back to Roanoke to face the demons she left behind all those years ago.

To say The Roanoke Girls is a shocker of a book is an understatement. It's quite early in the book when one line, thrown so bluntly by Lane, made me gasp out loud in horror, despite the fact I had my suspicions where this book was going. This is a disturbingly dark story, yet I couldn't tear myself away. Some people are going to find this book too controversial. Personally, despite the horror of what was going on in those pages, I was hooked.

The story is told from Lane's point of view, both during the long, hot summer as a naive fifteen year old and ten years later, when she returns to Roanoke bitter, cruel and damaged. I liked the contrast between Lane's character in each section of then or now, which we're given in alternating chapters. Amy Engel creates the perfect atmosphere of oppression and dark secrets, from the eerie setting of Roanoke itself to the claustrophobic and searing heat of the Kansas summer. The cast of characters are damaged and flawed, trapped into the disturbing cycle of the Roanoke family...creepy in their own knowing silence. Added to this, there's an occasional chapter from each of the fated Roanoke Girls who came before Lane. Sprinkled throughout the book like ghosts, the horror at the extent of this family's disturbing and twisted history builds with each one.

The Roanoke Girls isn't exactly a thriller, there is the mystery of what has happened to Allegra, although my suspicions early on were right here and the author makes the secret of the Roanoke family clear within the first few chapters. This doesn't mean it's without its shocks and twists - it's full of them and I was gripped throughout, holding my breath and unable to look away. This is a dark, disturbing and chilling read, often uncomfortable but twistedly fascinating. I read it in two sittings, only breaking to sleep. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, its dark and taboo subject matter not being easy to stomach, but if you like your books tense, shocking and compulsive with evocative and atmospheric writing and deep, dark family secrets, then I'd recommend it. I thought it was fantastic, even though I sometimes felt I shouldn't!

This is going to be a hard book to review without giving away major spoilers but The Roanoke Girls is a book that I'm sure is going to divide readers, love it or hate it, it's controversial, disturbing and makes for a very unsettling read. As the title suggests the plot centres around The Roanoke girls, these girls appear to have it all they are beautiful, rich and mysterious, but beneath the facade they are one hell of a dysfunctional family, these woman have secrets so dark and unbelievable it made my head spin. The story is told through the eyes of Lane, a fifteen year old girl. On the death of her mother, she moves to Roanoke to live with her grandparents and cousin Allegra, but over one hot summer she realises there are some secrets she wants no part of and runs away. Ten years later, when her cousin goes missing, Lane returns to the family home searching for answers to her disappearance.


The characters in this book aren't particularly likeable they are flawed, complex and have very few endearing qualities, but they are credible, as you learn more about the girls life you realise the characters could not have been portrayed any other way. The story is told in alternating chapters between past and present, there are also random chapters where the author reveals more about other generations of Roanoke girls which added a sense of foreboding to this sorrowful tale.
Amy Engel takes a bold step and pretty much reveals the big family secret very early on in the book, which I wasn't expecting, but she still manages to hold the reader's interest until the very last page due to her unique story telling and captivating writing.

At times I found this book an uncomfortable and upsetting read due to the disturbing subject matter, but the author tackled the book with a certain amount of empathy, so that the plot remained bearable, and in the authors defences she writes in such away there are no particular graphic scenes, it's left to the readers imagination to fill in the blanks. This book is being billed as a thriller but for me it read more like a mystery, although it really does have its moments - this isn't an edge-of-your-seat hardcore thriller. If you read it with that expectation, you just might be a tad disappointed. The Roanoke Girls is well worth a read, despite its difficult subject matter this book has a hidden depth, it explores the complexity of love and relationships, and dysfunctional families with sensitivity.

5 ⭐ this review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog at http://thebookreviewcafe.com

This is Amy Engel’s debut Adult Fiction and she doesn’t hold back the punches. This is a wonderfully atmospheric and beautifully written story of a deeply disturbed family in Kansas. The Roanoke family are possibly the most “dysfunctional” family I’ve read about in a long time and without giving away any spoilers I would say that the storyline centres around a taboo subject that most people would find too uncomfortable to read. It’s a very graphic and haunting tale of deep, dark family secrets. I was consumed by Lane and Allegra’s story and totally spellbound by the author’s ability to bring the family and rural Kansas to life in my head. My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the ARC.

"Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die."

The Roanoke Girls is garnering a lot of attention, both for its subject matter and excellent writing. Yes, this is a disturbing book, but, unlike a lot of books that deal with taboo subjects, The Roanoke Girls doesn't shove it in your face but lets the story unfold slowly in all its disturbing glory. I was thoroughly hooked, wanting to keep reading while also having my skin crawl, a weird feeling.

The Roanoke Girls is a bit of a strange one as it reveals the big disturbing secret pretty early on. Then the main mystery is what happened to Allegra and exactly why Lane left Roanoke the first time. You might think the tension would be gone, but it actually works really well;it's a really well measured book.

I love a story of family secrets, and this is about as dysfunctional and disturbing a family as you can get. I love the way the story is told, going between Lane now and when she was a teenager at Roanoke. The stories of the other Roanoke girls are also threaded through the narrative, and Engel gets the timing perfect, gradually revealing history at the crucial time.

I really liked Allegra's character, she was both lovable and irritating and so clearly disturbed. All the characters are well written. Lane is someone I really engaged with, and I liked that she had a dark streak that she tries to battle.

There are a lot of characters though and I did sometimes get confused with all the Roanoke girls and where they were in the family. Luckily, there is a family tree at the front of the book, which I did keep having to check.

The book is set in Kansas and Engel really brings alive the summer heat of the place. She writes some lovely descriptions.

"I could feel the sun pushing between my shoulder blades like a slab of brick, oozing down my spine and slipping over my sides like a molten blanket."

I would have probably given The Roanoke Girls 5 stars if it wasn't for the disturbing factor, I know this is obviously what makes it a good read too, but I really only give 5 stars to books I love, and I don't think I loved this one. Also, I did guess a couple of plot points, which isn't always a bad thing, but there weren't really any major shock moments.

However, The Roanoke Girls was a mesmerising read and one of the best new releases I've read this year.

My Rating: 4/5

I received a digital copy of the book via NetGalley in return for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publisher.

A very disturbing story about a dysfunctional family. This is a book I will remember for a long time. A dark gripping story about family and small town life. It is definitely not a happy ever after. It is well written and kept me guessing Allegra's fate the whole way through.

Blimey, talk about dysfunctional families. This is story about three generations of the beautiful Roanoke girls, who are all ultimately extremely damaged.

It feels kind of wrong to say I really enjoyed this book in view of the dark subject matter, but it is beautifully written and all the characters are incredibly well drawn, as is the sweltering Kansas setting and the sprawling Roanoke farm.

Well worth a read, albeit a somewhat uncomfortable one at times.

The Roanoake Girls is a novel by Amy Engels, which unravels a mystery in small town America. I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of this book, and let me tell you, I couldn't put it down.

Set in the small Kansas town of Osage Flats, the story follows Lane as she goes back to her grandparents house to find out what happened to her cousin Allegra, who has gone missing. This town feels so real, I could see the town, and feel the heat, and all the characters and their backstory are weaved in really well, it's really good.

I've seen other reviewers sort of allude to 'the subject matter' and say they immediately stopped reading, or others who are annoyed at how early it comes into play, but it's written in such a way that I sort of couldn't stop reading? Also, it being introduced so early allows you to be disgusted the whole way through, which is terrible and great. I mean, it's shudder inducing, it really is, but this book had me in its clutches and was not letting go.

The Roanoke Girls is very interesting to say the least. The revelation that comes out pretty earlier in the book nearly made me put the book down but I didn't and kept reading it which I'm very glad I did, I actually ended up reading this whole book in a day!

I think the use of introducing the dark family secret early on this book was a great choice, although it is quite a shock early on it gave another layer to the story and made me want to read more, turning this book not only into a mystery book but also something psychological as you see an insight into how the grandddad has manipulated each of the girls.

I also think the character development in this book is great. Characters like Tommy who seems like the good guy ends up being more complex then he seems, and Cooper has clearly changed from his teenage years.

The mystery of Allegras disappearance takes bit of a back seat but I still also found it very interesting and from the way the story was told I had no idea if she had disappeared or killed herself, and it wasn't until closer to the end that the thought of murder even entered my mind.

Overall I think this is a very interesting read and I actually really enjoyed it. Towards the end I actually started feeling really sorry for Lane and rooting for her, which I really didn't think I would do at the start of the book. I would definitely recommend this to others.

Who are the Roanoke girls? Why do they either disappear or end up dead?
In this deeply unsettling novel we meet Lane. returning to Osage Flats, a small town in Kansas, when her cousin Allegra mysteriously disappears.
On her return the memories of a summer spent at Roanoke House after the suicide of her mother come flooding back.
Told in alternating chapter of 'then ' and 'now' Lane relives the close relationship she formed with Allegra, the friendships she made in the small community and the disturbing history behind the other Roanoke girls.
It is a history that is truly shocking and deeply disturbing and it would be remiss of me to reveal too much in this review.
What I liked about this novel is the way in which Engel merely hinted at the reason for the demise of the Roanoke girls, never flaunting it in front of the reader. I loved the will they won't they stay together between Lane and old boyfriend Cooper, providing the perfect antitheses to the darker elements of the novel.
The sweltering heat perfectly reflects the intensity of the novel, its characters and the slowly building tension as the story reaches an earth shattering climax.
Well written, this is a page turning, chillingly good read.

Dark, disturbing and unsettling, this story takes the concept of the dysfunctional family to a whole new level. And therein, unfortunately, lies its downfall. Lane Roanoke returns to the farm where she grew up when she hears of the disappearance of her cousin Allegra. Roanoke girls always seem to disappear in some way. Even Lane’s mother who simply ran away couldn’t escape her past and eventually dies young. So it’s obvious from the start that perhaps Lane shouldn’t be returning. Bad things are sure to happen. The tale is just a bit too gothic to be convincing and only just stays the right side of the ludicrous. With its cast of stock characters and larger than life villains, the novel nevertheless somehow manages to a be a page turner that I found myself compelled to consume almost at one sitting – even though my more literary self kept saying “Oh really?” and “What? Another cliché?” So almost in spite of myself I really enjoyed this exploration of destructive families and damaged people and highly recommend it for a good absorbing entertainment.

I though this book was well written and enjoyed lots of it but unfortunately the "secret" at the centre of the book is not something I really like to read about. I would definitely read another book by this Author it was just the subject matter I didn't enjoy.

An easy read but quite predictable. I found it hard to connect with any of the characters and really route for anyone but it did keep me reading until the last page - suitably creepy!

Not many words can be found for this book I am afraid... I found it awful. It was so disturbing

I enjoyed this novel, I thought the subject was handled sensitively and the writing was mature.

I found this book to be just horrible, the content is fair game for writing about but was handled so crassly that it was just a nasty read for me. The reveal was so early in the book that it had nowhere to go and none of the characters were at all appealing, it made me long for the 80s sensation Virginia Andrews. I guess that like 50Shades the edgy topic will make this a success but I won't be promoting it.

Oh this was dark! very dark and it made you sit a bit on the edge of your seat throughout the read!

Very much in your face with the facts, nothing was quite hidden here despite the Southern charm.
Like all families, this one had its secret a very twisted one and one that had seeped through three generations of women. You didn't have to like this book you just had to know how it was going to end and the ending was a closure of sorts. I doubt you'd get closure with a subject like this but this is as far as it was going to go.

Very well told, strong characterization and plot this was a good book though the subject matter was distasteful. distressing even.


Goodreads review up on 5/1/2017. Amazon is not permitting reviews. Review on my blog mid April 2017

I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Amy Engel, and the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for this opportunity.

A slew of amazing reviews and two utterly captivating covers had this placed highly on my priority book buy list, so when NetGalley accepted my forgotten request I was delighted!

I firmly believed this to be nothing more than contemporary fluff, which despite the intriguing synopsis, I wrongly thought would be watered down with girl drama and teen angst. How wrong could I have been..?

This story centres around, as the title so aptly suggests, the Roanoke Girls; famously beautiful and yet haunted by a terrible secret. Each generation of the Roanoke family is given a voice in this disturbing tale, which allows both the reader and the present-day protagonist, Lane Roanoke, to decipher the clues to unlock the family's mysteries.

I was invested in this story from the moment I started reading it. Full of flawed characters, misdeeds, and tragedy this had the makings of a thrilling and intriguing tale. And it fulfilled its promise of delivering just that, right up until the very last page.

This was not an en easy-read and some disturbing and horrifying subject matters were touched upon, but each was dealt with graciously and with a measure of respect that only added to the poignancy of the tale.

Harrowing though it was, I tore through this book in every available space of time, so invested was I in this family's secrets. The ending did the book justice and I closed it without a sense of closure but with a sense of peace.

What happens when the people who love you the most are the people who are slowly destroying you? A shocking, compulsive and original novel.