Camilla Sten
Quick Synopsis
A documentary filmmaker explores the mystery of an entire town that disappeared in 1959, except for two people – a woman stoned to death and an abandoned newborn.
Publisher’s Synopsis
The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar in this brilliantly disturbing thriller from Camilla Sten, an electrifying new voice in suspense.
Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened.
But there will be no turning back.
Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice:
They are not alone.
They’re looking for the truth…
But what if it finds them first?
Book Review
The Lost Village is a book full of suspense and mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The premise immediately pulled me in, and the writing and my curiosity kept me reading until the last page.
I found the story to be unique and unpredictable. Sten does a fantastic job creating and maintaining a creepy atmosphere. The conclusion was satisfying and unexpected. The characters in The Lost Village were not deeply developed, but I did not think they necessarily needed to be. I don’t know what more I could have wanted from this book. I gasped out loud.
There was one plot point I did not think necessary, but it didn’t ruin or throw off the story. It was just unnecessary and did not lead anywhere. While reading, I thought I would have a big issue with how the book handled mental illness, but it turned out to be better handled than I feared albeit not completely accurate. I won’t go into details for fear of spoilers! If you read it and want to discuss, let me know!
Overall, I highly recommend The Lost Village. It was a well-executed thriller full of suspense with an interesting premise. However, if you need books to be completely believable, this may not be the book for you.
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Note: I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher, Minotaur Books. Regardless, I always provide a fair and honest review.