From Goodreads
'A wonderfully atmospheric first novel' Claire Fuller
'An evocative and atmospheric coming-of-age story' Carys Bray
The summer the Dovers move in next door, sixteen-year-old Helen's lonely world is at once a more thrilling place. She is infatuated with the bohemian family, especially the petulant and charming daughter Victoria.
As the long, hot days stretch out in front of them, Helen and Victoria grow inseparable. But when a stranger appears, Helen begins to question whether the secretive Dover family are really what they seem.
It’s the kind of summer when anything seems possible . . .
Until something goes wrong.
A suspenseful, spell-binding coming-of-age story about how one simple action on a summer's day can echo through the years. Perfect for fans of Louise Doughty's Apple Tree Yard, Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret and Helen Dunmore's The Lie.
The summer the Dovers move in next door, sixteen-year-old Helen's lonely world is at once a more thrilling place. She is infatuated with the bohemian family, especially the petulant and charming daughter Victoria.
As the long, hot days stretch out in front of them, Helen and Victoria grow inseparable. But when a stranger appears, Helen begins to question whether the secretive Dover family are really what they seem.
It’s the kind of summer when anything seems possible . . .
Until something goes wrong.
A suspenseful, spell-binding coming-of-age story about how one simple action on a summer's day can echo through the years. Perfect for fans of Louise Doughty's Apple Tree Yard, Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret and Helen Dunmore's The Lie.
My thoughts
Thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10.
Told as a dual time frame story with alternating modern day and past told at the same time. Helen is a lonely teenager who lives with her father, she has few friends that she can claim as her own. Enter the Dover family they live a carefree lifestyle completely opposite to Helen.
Helen sparks up a friendship with Victoria and as I read the story, I found myself trying to second guess what was going to happen as you could tell that the tension was building slowly. I was surprised at what had happened and I hadn't been able to guess, which was an eye opener for me.
When the story opens we meet Helen as an adult who is struggling to remember what had happened in the past. At the back of her mind she knows that something happened, but she can't recall what it was.
This is a coming of age story, can we all remember what happened to us as teenagers, as I know that there are things that happened to me at that age that I don't remember.
This was a great debut story from this Author and I look forward to reading more by her. This was a character driven story, with a great mix of characters. I loved the younger siblings of Victoria, who always seemed to get up to some typical childhood escapades. In some ways it reminded me of my childhood and teenage years as it was set around a similar time to the one that I was growing up in.
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