Atmospheric And Chilling But A Little Too Open Ended
‘There was something scratching, something trying – she thought – to get in. Then she felt it, a sharp pinch, sharp enough to make her catch her breath.’
If I had to pick one word to sum this book up then ‘atmospheric’ is definitely the one that I would go for. From the very first page of this novel you start to get a feel of the story and pick up on a rather unsettling vibe. Uneasiness practically leaps off of the pages and throughout the entire story this unnerving, stifling, almost claustrophobic vibe stays put. There are plenty of chilling scenes and an ever mounting feeling of dread over what will happen next. Honestly the atmosphere in this novel is perfect so, it pretty much goes without saying, that the writing is also superb. Only a talented writer could create such a feeling and carry it on throughout an entire book, after all.
Admittedly this book did turn out a little differently than I was originally expecting. It definitely told the type of creepy tale that I was anticipating it to but the narrative differed slightly from what I’d imagined at first. It still gives a dual narrative but it fragments off a little in places, telling different branches of the overall story and adding in a few more points of view. This is something that I actually think works superbly for the tale that was told; it added to the atmosphere and kept things feeling rather unsettled. It was important for the story to unfold in this way too and helped the reader get to know certain characters a little more.
The mix of characters involved in the story, both in the ‘now’ and ‘then’ storylines, were varied, interesting and felt quite believable and real. The family ties in particular – especially between Loo and Bee – were tremendously well done. The way that the haunting affected the family involved and also the manner that the investigators – both past and present – behaved in seemed believable too. It contained the type of characters that you want to get to know better.
The overall story that was told within the pages of this book was fascinating too. It kept the reader guessing and had important bits and pieces of information dotted throughout. It was a story that I wanted to unravel and get to the bottom of. It kept me intrigued and appeared very well thought out and arranged. Unfortunately I’m not entirely convinced by the ending to it. Don’t get me wrong, it makes sense, is believable and has clues to it dotted throughout. But there’s also too much that is left unanswered in my opinion.
Open endings can work quite well with these type of stories. If the reader is left with a sense of uncertainty and questions it can end up adding to the uneasiness that a chilling story can tell. Not all questions can always be answered after all. Towards the end there are some revelations that I feel need a bit more explaining though. Without them, then yes, an open, uncertain ending could work tremendously here I think but after several of the things that happened in the barn, and some of what was said later, I feel like a little bit more information was needed. Such as exactly who certain individuals are and why they ended up where they did. There did seem to be a few developments that could leave room for a sequel but I’m not at all sure if one is planned or certain how well it would work, now that a good deal of the past has been revealed. Yet I’d honestly like one as I feel as if I need a few lingering questions answered.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Wayward Girls’ and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys ghost stories. It was chilling, atmospheric and gripping but let down ever so slightly by a few too many unanswered questions at the end. I feel that it’s the type of story that would benefit from a second read; to look over again and keep an eye out for additional clues. I plan to pick it up again in the future for this very reason and if a follow up novel is written by the author I’d happily pick it up and I’ll also look out for anything else that she writes in the future as I’m intrigued to see what she writes next.
If I had to pick one word to sum this book up then ‘atmospheric’ is definitely the one that I would go for. From the very first page of this novel you start to get a feel of the story and pick up on a rather unsettling vibe. Uneasiness practically leaps off of the pages and throughout the entire story this unnerving, stifling, almost claustrophobic vibe stays put. There are plenty of chilling scenes and an ever mounting feeling of dread over what will happen next. Honestly the atmosphere in this novel is perfect so, it pretty much goes without saying, that the writing is also superb. Only a talented writer could create such a feeling and carry it on throughout an entire book, after all.
Admittedly this book did turn out a little differently than I was originally expecting. It definitely told the type of creepy tale that I was anticipating it to but the narrative differed slightly from what I’d imagined at first. It still gives a dual narrative but it fragments off a little in places, telling different branches of the overall story and adding in a few more points of view. This is something that I actually think works superbly for the tale that was told; it added to the atmosphere and kept things feeling rather unsettled. It was important for the story to unfold in this way too and helped the reader get to know certain characters a little more.
The mix of characters involved in the story, both in the ‘now’ and ‘then’ storylines, were varied, interesting and felt quite believable and real. The family ties in particular – especially between Loo and Bee – were tremendously well done. The way that the haunting affected the family involved and also the manner that the investigators – both past and present – behaved in seemed believable too. It contained the type of characters that you want to get to know better.
The overall story that was told within the pages of this book was fascinating too. It kept the reader guessing and had important bits and pieces of information dotted throughout. It was a story that I wanted to unravel and get to the bottom of. It kept me intrigued and appeared very well thought out and arranged. Unfortunately I’m not entirely convinced by the ending to it. Don’t get me wrong, it makes sense, is believable and has clues to it dotted throughout. But there’s also too much that is left unanswered in my opinion.
Open endings can work quite well with these type of stories. If the reader is left with a sense of uncertainty and questions it can end up adding to the uneasiness that a chilling story can tell. Not all questions can always be answered after all. Towards the end there are some revelations that I feel need a bit more explaining though. Without them, then yes, an open, uncertain ending could work tremendously here I think but after several of the things that happened in the barn, and some of what was said later, I feel like a little bit more information was needed. Such as exactly who certain individuals are and why they ended up where they did. There did seem to be a few developments that could leave room for a sequel but I’m not at all sure if one is planned or certain how well it would work, now that a good deal of the past has been revealed. Yet I’d honestly like one as I feel as if I need a few lingering questions answered.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Wayward Girls’ and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys ghost stories. It was chilling, atmospheric and gripping but let down ever so slightly by a few too many unanswered questions at the end. I feel that it’s the type of story that would benefit from a second read; to look over again and keep an eye out for additional clues. I plan to pick it up again in the future for this very reason and if a follow up novel is written by the author I’d happily pick it up and I’ll also look out for anything else that she writes in the future as I’m intrigued to see what she writes next.