My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The title and cover were intriguing. So was the idea of a group of young people exploring a manor house and competing in a game to discover a rumored treasure. What I discovered was a much more nuanced and beautifully written debut novel.
FIRST LINE: "The year Peter went missing was the year of the floods."
THE STORY: Peter has been Andy's other half since childhood. But
Andy now Andrea has grown up and moved on
from bad things in her past especially the events of the
summer of 1996. That's when life changed for the friends through one fatal mistake. Now Peter is missing and Andrea feels
compelled to find him no matter what memories may resurface. The search leads her to reflect on
what is truly important in life and friendship.
WHAT I THOUGHT: Readers looking for a quick reading mystery will be disappointed. Before
the Ruins is character driven and paced to allow the reader to savor
the poetic language. It's more likely to appeal to those who have
enjoyed Donna Tartt or Tana French.
BOTTOM LINE: Slow down, pay attention, and enjoy the journey. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
DISCLAIMER: A copy of Before the Ruins was provided to me by Henry Holt and Co. /Net Galley for an honest review.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (January 12, 2021)
ISBN-10: 1250759153
ISBN-13: 978-1250759153
THE AUTHOR: Victoria Gosling grew up in Wiltshire, England and studied
English Literature at Manchester University. She is the founder of The
Reader Berlin, hosting salon nights in Berlin and writers’ retreats in
Greece and Italy. She also organizes The Berlin Writing Prize. Gosling
is the author of Before the Ruins.(from Amazon)
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