A Book Discussion- The Winter People By Jennifer McMahon

Title: The Winter People

Author: Jennifer McMahon

Published On: August 30, 2016

Publisher: Anchor

Pages: 462 Mass Market Paperback

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Suspense

Synopsis:

West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her death.

Now, in the present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara’s farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that has weighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished. In her search for clues, she is startled to uncover a copy of Sara Harrison Shea’s diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother’s bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked into the historical mystery, she discovers that she’s not the only person looking for someone they’ve lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

Spoilers Ahead

If you haven’t read the winter people and you are planning to read it skip this next section to avoid any spoilers. You are free to read my review for the book for that is spoiler free, and without further ado lets talk about the book!

The Discussion

I loved the mystery of the story. It keeps the reader engaged and wanting more; some suspenseful scenes made me anxious about what would happen. I have read other reviews, and some say that it’s scary, but I found that there wasn’t anything scary about the book. I also found all the characters believable and likable except for two; one was obviously crazy and just a little unhinged from the first moment we met her. The other one I liked and just felt terrible for her; she lost her son to leukemia and then three months later lost her husband, and her grief is her driving force throughout the story. I just hoped she would pull through it and get the closer she needed. But then she did something unforgivable for me, and the ending is left for interpretation, going on what I felt was a cliffhanger. Still, the last chapter implies that something terrible would happen because of her decision, but again, the ending is left for the interpretation of the reader. I understand why she made the decision and not being able to pull through her grief and desperation of wanting to have a loved one back even if that time was limited, but like she read the diary, she knows the risks of what could happen, and she did it anyway.
On another note, I liked the back-and-forth of going from the past to the present, giving the reader more information about the events of the past and the truth of the happenings and the people involved, and then reading how the characters themselves dealt with the information themselves while also trying to find some answers about their own current mystery of their parents past with trying to find their missing mother all the while deciding if the event of the past has anything to with their current present. So yeah, I enjoyed reading this book, and I want to read more from this author.

My Review

I give this book a 7.6 or ****

The Winter People was a captivating read from start to finish. I was surprised to learn about the different character chapters, but I enjoy books that change characters’ points of view. The story goes back and forth from the 1900s to the present day, giving the reader an insight into what happened in the past that gives you some understanding of what is happening in the present. (I enjoy changing characters, but it bothers other readers, so I wanted to mention it as a heads-up). We follow Four people, including some dairy entries from Sara herself. The story shows how people deal with loss, the grief that comes with it, and how sometimes people can’t move on and lose themselves along with their grip on reality. The mystery aspect was intriguing and kept me reading for more suspenseful scenes, which had me sweating about what would come. I recommend this book to those who love mysteries, historical fiction, and the paranormal. It would also be a great beginner book if you want to start reading thrillers or mysteries, for it’s not scary, and the mystery is pretty straightforward and isn’t too complicated and easy to follow.

About the Author

Jennifer McMahon is the New York Times bestselling author of seven suspense novels, including The Night Sister and Promise Not to Tell. She graduated from Goddard College and studied poetry in the MFA Writing Program at Vermont College. She lives with her partner and their daughter in Montpelier, Vermont.

You can visit the authors website here www.jennifer-mcmahon.com