When the Stars Go Dark: A Novel | 
pickWent in blind on this one, knowing nothing about it other than I'd seen it recommended by a total stranger online. Three cheers for recs from randos because this book was quite good! Lots of mystery and raw tension that worked itself out in the end.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Also, for the record, this was great on audio. Will be looking to see other titles this woman has narrated. 👍
pickI really liked this. With the audio, the narrator made it easy to tell which time frame we were in, just by the voice she used for a younger Annie, so I thought that was done well. There was a short author‘s note at the end; it was interesting to find out one of the missing girls in the book was a real person! And I liked that she decided to set the book pre-internet, pre-cell phone, as well (also talked about in the author‘s note).
Tapping into the TBR pile for photo challenge prompt 9: “dark.”
#scarathlon #hhc #halloweenhexescoven
@dabbe @BookmarkTavern @Liatrek @JessClark78 @Chrissyreadit @TheDaysGoBy @vonnie862 @Sresendez12 @Nessavamusic @JessieKB
This is one of my current reads and it's really good, albeit a bit dark.
pickA well written detective story set in Mendocino California. Touches on the themes of childhood adversity, neglect, abuse and suppressed memory. Awareness and control over one‘s environment is a central theme. Outdoor survival parallels mental health challenges leading to a place of healing and hope. Much more than a who done it with a female heroine.
pickWhen Anna, a missing persons detective, returns to her small hometown after a personal tragedy, she finds herself wrapped up in the search for a recently missing teenage local—a case that may even be similar to an unsolved murder from Anna‘s childhood…
With a strong arc for its protag coupled with several mysteries all playing out at once—each of them intriguing on their own—this well-crafted tale is disturbingly detailed and thoroughly engaging.
#12booksof2022 #February2022
Such a book! Lyrically written, with a flawed,very human, emotionally intense,missing persons‘ detective,whose quest is to find the lost- the novel explores trauma & its reverberations throughout one‘s lifespan- Dec.Anna Hart‘s past & present merge as she seeks to find a missing teenage girl.
I cannot do this novel justice! Just read it!😍
pickThis book was suspenseful, and had a good storyline both.
pickI loved this book so much, I tore through it in 2 sittings. An intriguing mystery and absolutely incredible characters. Anna's backstory being woven into this mystery really made the story very emotional and I could not put it down. Definitely one of my favorites so far this year. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
pickThis is a solid mystery with female child abductions at its core (TW). The main character is Anna, who experiences abandonments if not abductions. She‘s a hot mess, but we like her anyway. McLain combines some real-life details in her 1993 setting, and also uses Anna and others to teach readers about the affects of trauma and more.
Full review https://www.TheBibliophage.com
#thebibliophage2022
I ended both the book and the Starburst Jellybeans #Sundaysareforslothing #nomnomnom #Recommendthebooknotthebeans #Thebookgetsthreechins #greedybookreader
There is nothing better than coming home after a difficult day and laying down to read 📖 #Ilovereading #booklover #booksniffer #readanadventure #havebookwilltravel
2nd 1 this hols! My girlfriend, Kate found this 1 on a run yesterday & walked me there after our trip to the bakery this morn. Afterwards we walked the Broken Head 3 sisters walk, had a swim in the flood effected water & I listened to my racehorse lose while everyone played frisbee. The kids won again! My dinner of everything from the fridge on the last night of holidays was delicious if I do say so myself. Bbq & Mediterranean salad was the main.
This quote is taken from the Author‘s Note, after the novel‘s end. I still have not reviewed this book; I am still processing it‘s beauty and stark pain. It has moved me in complex and varied ways. It speaks to humanity‘s deepest traumas as well as humanity‘s resilience. In the end, community is what matters.
#krummholz #bentwood #twistedtrees #Mendocino #naturalworld
The author‘s descriptive language is beautifully crafted,lush,lyrical, & immerses me in Anna‘s natural world.
#map
I love to have maps to refer to in a book. Emmy has been clinging to me & following me everywhere since her vet visit Friday. #catsoflitsy
#libraryfind #moodread #epigraph #truth
This sets the mood before opening to page 1.
pickBook 15
When the Stars Go Dark is a detective mystery novel done Paula McClain style--it's a well-researched, historical fiction. It's engaging, mysterious, and about foster care and childhood sexual abuse. In the Author's Notes McClain shares that she writes from personal experience. My only complaint is that the main character has an unbelievable overload of bad things happen to her. 4.5 stars
My new audio 🎧taken from @CBee #Top21of21 list ♥️☺️ so far I‘m intrigued
I really enjoyed this atmospheric, multilayered novel. I didn‘t realize until the end how very personal it is to the author.
Just started this one tonight. I can already tell it's going to be a gut-punch. 💔
so-soThis had a really descriptive story and the setting was such a strong focus point in this book, but it was just so slow for me. The story seemed like it was going to be fast paced and keep me on the edge of my seat, but the mystery didn‘t pick up in the book for me and I had a hard time staying engaged with this one.
pickAuthor's epilogue pushed it to a pick. I didn't realise how deeply personal this is to the author nor that actual cases are discussed (yes, sometimes I go in fairly blind). That said, I did find that the narrator's inner dialogue was peppered far too liberally with questions that drove me a little insane. I also was annoyed by her supreme authoritative view on all matters re: victims/survivors even if I agreed with a lot of it.
pickWow!! This was my first time reading McLain. It was great! The anticipation was killing me! And you literally do not find out until near the end. The only thing is that I did figure out who it was. Anna returns home after tragedy strikes her not knowing its about to strike again in her hometown.
In the home stretch now
so-soA bit simple. But good structure. Good characters.
Hoping to finish this one up today. Its going so fast!
Ive been Halloween crafting all day. Now time to settle in for the Dodger game with my book
pickWow this was dark! Listening to it as an audiobook might have made it even more so. I love true crime (especially podcasts) and was familiar with the Polly Klaas kidnapping that they discussed happening nearby and at the same time as the kidnapping in the story. There were a lot of twists and I definitely didn‘t know the bad guy until he was revealed. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Read for #scarathlon2021 , #bookspinbingo , #screamathon , and #anywayyoureadathon
pick“What does it all add up to? What is all the suffering for if not so we can see how alike we are, and not alone? Where will the mercy come from, if not from us?”
What a dark, bumpy ride. Gorgeous Mendocino setting. It was a living character, but boy am I glad this is over. I have the same uneasy feeling I had after finishing THE FACT OF A BODY. Incidentally, McClain credited the book as a research source.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickI knew who the killer was long before it was revealed. That would normally take away from the book but this book did not depend on the identity of the killer. This story was so much more than just finding out who did it, it was so much more. 5⭐
This is not for the faint of heart as some details are gruesome not for those who would be triggered by sexual assault content.
This paragraph broke me. I wanted to add that this book definitely needs a Content Warning, for childhood sexual abuse. I am posting with spoilers so that someone who would be triggered by this won't see it without a warning.
My weekend reading has not gone as planned, time wise, but at 110 pages in I am completely invested in the story. At this point (I know it is early), this may be the most underrated book I have read this year.
pickGreat book, but a tough topic. Sexual abuse and abduction.
McLain did a wonderful job telling it and taking care to tell it.
Anna Hart is a detective trying to come to terms with some things. She goes home to Mecdino where she gets involved in a case.
Thanks to Goodreads, Penguin Random House and McLain for the book.
#Bookspin #BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks
How sadness and shame are more than feelings; they‘re an illness, a terrible cancer that spins through the world taking lives in a hidden cyclical way that might never end.
pickThis story follows Anna, a detective as she escapes to her hometown after a devastating event at home. As someone who searches for sexual predators she is uniquely qualified to help out when a teen goes missing. This is hard to read, there is a lot of info about sexual abuse & abductions. I did guess ‘who did it‘ early on, but it was still a thrilling read to follow.
pickA seamless blend of fact and fiction. Real cases, the author‘s experiences, and a story blend so well together that unless you‘re familiar with the crimes, you don‘t realize until the author‘s note. That‘s why it‘s amazing.
It‘s a tough topic: violent and sexual crimes against children. It‘s not easy. But McLain is both respectful and inspiring in her writing. She addresses the victims and investigators, and the struggles for both.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickAlways love when Marin narrates and the book itself was good
It‘s adorable but she stole my spot! #currentlyreading
I'm so goofy 🤣 I forgot to post a picture of my August #Bookspinbingo board🤦 Here it is @TheAromaofBooks So enjoyed doing this in July.
