By Rebekah Dolmat
Content warning: abuse (physical, psychological, sexual), death of a child, murder, suicide
The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel is a twisted, disturbing, and completely unsettling thriller about the Roanoke family—a family with dark and shocking secrets that span across three generations.
Following the sudden death of her mother, 15-year-old Lane Roanoke is sent to live with her grandparents on their vast estate in rural Kansas. Upon arrival, she discovers that she has a cousin, Allegra, who is six months younger than her and has lived on the estate since she was a baby, cared for by her grandparents following her mother’s disappearance. Over the course of that long, hot summer, Lane and Allegra grow close—close enough for Allegra to share that the Roanoke girls never last long around the estate because they either run away or die, but not close enough to tell Lane why that is. When Lane discovers the truth at the heart of her family, she runs as fast and as far away as she can. However, eleven years later, when Allegra goes missing, Lane is forced to return to the Roanoke estate to find out the truth behind her disappearance. What happened to Allegra? And what is the dark secret that is ruining the Roanoke women, one by one?
The Roanoke Girls is, above anything else, an excellent and compelling page-turner of a read. However, its dark and extremely taboo subject matter and related themes mean that this is not a book for every reader. The secret that lies at the heart of the Roanoke family—and at the heart of the novel itself—is very quick to decipher by the reader, but it does not take away from the plot, or the story, in any way, shape, or form. In fact, given that it explores such a taboo subject matter, I am amazed at how Engel approached it so gracefully. Every time the secret is hinted at or even slightly mentioned, it is done so in a way that is not graphic but subtle, right up until the end of the book, where both the reader and the characters must address it. As a reader who reads a lot of dark and twisted books, I really appreciate the subtlety; in fact, Engel’s delicate approach to the subject matter is what I find makes this book so brilliantly written.
In addition to its gripping plot and excellent writing, The Roanoke Girls is filled with incredible and complex characters. Each character is flawed and broken, while their stories and life situations completely pull at your heartstrings. As a reader, you will find that Engel has a way of making you sympathize with these characters at every turn of the page. There were moments where I wanted to cry for them, others that made me feel so unbelievably happy, and even some where I felt incredibly creeped out—but it all worked together perfectly.
I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a thrilling page-turner that, while not graphic, is on the darker side.