The Survivors

This was a slow-burn mystery. The setting, the town, and the beach community made the story eerie and unique. Jane Harper's descriptions were vivid and impressive. It was like watching a movie.

The story was gripping and intriguing from the start. The community's secrets, lies, sad memories, and tragedies kept me invested in the book as everything unfolded. The layered characters, the mysteries, the emotions, the suspense, and the twists were interesting and very well done. The themes in it were intense and dark, the guilt and the grief were almost overwhelming at some points. I don't think this book will work for everyone.

I was suspicious of almost ALL the characters, so I wasn't sure what the ending would reveal. Unfortunately, I don't think the ending was what it could've been, it was a little rushed. The way it wrapped up felt close to anticlimatic, even though the ending made sense. I read The Survivors in February and I still think about this book. The atmospheric setting was that great. Apparently, an atmospheric, creepy, eerie setting really works for me.

Overall, a very suspenseful, slow, compelling, entertaining story. I definitely need to read more books written by Jane Harper.

Major trigger warnings: Dementia; Death; Grief; Loss of loved ones; Depression; Suicidal thoughts; Survivor's Guilt; Drowning