The Wayward Girls is Amanda Mason's debut novel, but the writing is so accomplished that this is not at all apparent from reading the book. It is expertly written, very descriptive and totally absorbing.
The book begins during the long, hot summer of 1976. The story revolves around two sisters, Bee and Loo, their parents and three siblings, who have rented a farmhouse in a fairly isolated location in order to get away from it all and live their Bohemian lifestyle in relative peace. However, their peace is destroyed when strange things begin to happen, mainly involving the two older girls. We are brought to the present time when a team of paranormal investigators approaches the girls' mother for first-hand information about the haunting. Each part of the book covers a different paranormal investigation, but it's not until the end of the book that we discover the full story. And what a story it is.
This dramatic tale is easy to follow, despite the "Now" and "Then" chapters, but it is best enjoyed at a slow pace - there is plenty going on and it's easy to miss vital clues if rushed.
The dust jacket was pleasing too, and I thought the two words (rather than the book's title) embossed on the front of the hard cover was a brilliant idea. I loved the book and would thoroughly recommend it.
The book begins during the long, hot summer of 1976. The story revolves around two sisters, Bee and Loo, their parents and three siblings, who have rented a farmhouse in a fairly isolated location in order to get away from it all and live their Bohemian lifestyle in relative peace. However, their peace is destroyed when strange things begin to happen, mainly involving the two older girls. We are brought to the present time when a team of paranormal investigators approaches the girls' mother for first-hand information about the haunting. Each part of the book covers a different paranormal investigation, but it's not until the end of the book that we discover the full story. And what a story it is.
This dramatic tale is easy to follow, despite the "Now" and "Then" chapters, but it is best enjoyed at a slow pace - there is plenty going on and it's easy to miss vital clues if rushed.
The dust jacket was pleasing too, and I thought the two words (rather than the book's title) embossed on the front of the hard cover was a brilliant idea. I loved the book and would thoroughly recommend it.