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The Broken Girls cover art

The Broken Girls

Written by: Simone St. James
Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
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Publisher's Summary

The "clever and wonderfully chilling" (Fiona Barton) suspense novel from the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare....

Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants - the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming - until one of them mysteriously disappears....

Vermont, 2014. As much as she's tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister's death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can't shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past - and a voice that won't be silenced....

©2018 Simone St. James (P)2018 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

“[The Broken Girls] mixes a creepy supernatural tale with a gripping mystery. It also works well as a story about unshakeable friendship, parenting issues, obsession and sexism folded into a satisfying plot that straddles two eras of time.” (Associated Press)

“An intense, genuinely creepy novel that links the ghostly, gothic strands of a 60-year-old murder with secrets about to be unearthed in the present day.... With a ghostly setting and an addictive plot, St. James’ story is as haunting as it gets - poignant, evocative and difficult to forget.” (BookPage

The Broken Girls is equal parts captivating and disturbing.” (HelloGiggles)

What listeners say about The Broken Girls

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  • Overall
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Ugh. Where do I even begin? Firstly, it’s sooooo slow. Excitement picks up at the last hour of the audiobook. Secondly, the plot was executed poorly; it was quite disjointed. Thirdly, the narration was dreadful. I had a very hard time getting through this one, which is disappointing since I loved her other novel, “The Sun Down Motel.” Don’t waste a credit on this one.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I really enjoyed this story.

if it wasn't for my favorite narrator, (Rebecca Lowman,) I wouldn't have bought this audio book. I am happy I did, very good story and as always, Rebecca Lowman did an amazing job!!! I will definitely be purchasing more books by Simone St. James.

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    4 out of 5 stars

I couldn’t put it down!

The story is a good mix of past and present with a great ghost story interwoven. The characters are mostly well formed, though the author does leave some questions unanswered. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. I have found a new favourite author to add to the list.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

First draft of a good novel

The unravelling mysteries in this held my interest, but weak metaphor and repetitive exposition riddled the text, and the various threads were too loosely woven together. Needed more time or care invested on the part of the editor.
No criticism of the audio narration.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Incredibly beautiful

It's eerie, poignant and beautifully crafted. All the broken links come beautifully together in the end. What I loved most was the ghost story fused with the actual mystery.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story.

Both the author and the narrator kept me listening all the way to the unpredictable end.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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It just kept me wanting to know more!

I have to say that I really enjoyed this story. The characters were easy to follow. I liked the reader as she made each character come alive with her various voice changes. The story plot itself was awesome. I have had difficulty with other books flipping back and forth from one year to another, I had no problems following the story line here. I actually listened to this book twice. Loved it!! Going to enjoy discussing it at my book club!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Stick with it...

At first I wasn’t too interested in the book and purchased it without knowing it contained a ghost story. However, as I read I was pulled in and finished the book in two days. It was well worth the binge!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An exceptional story. Haunting & endearing!

This is a fantastic book. It had great twists and a well thoughtout storyline. I loved it and you will too

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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engaging

I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure about the girls' school setting (having gone to one, maybe I'm a little overly critical), but it was refreshingly uncliched. The characters were well written and interesting, and both central mysteries were very engaging, with unexpected and tidy conclusions. Even the ghost subplot was good- not over-done or hokey. (Unfortunately, the police corruption subplot definitely was overdone and unbelievable, though. It was the only disappointing part of an otherwise satisfying listen.)

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