Bee and Loo, Dan, Florian and baby Anto live with their mother Cathy and artist father Joe at Iron Sike Farm, for just one summer. In that short season strange things happen at the house, knocking, tapping, things moving and disappearing which culminates in a frightened Cathy calling out a local policeman. Martin in turn speaks to Issy a photographer for a local paper who decides this is going to be her story and escape from humdrum village affairs. She becomes embroiled in a supernatural investigation headed up by Professor Michael Warren and his assistant Simon.
The book moves between timelines and narratives. One moment it is 1976 and Bee and Loo are off causing havoc and the next Lucy (Loo) is the only sibling left to visit their aged Mum Cathy in care home Blue Jacket House. The tension builds in both story lines as the strange happenings intensify and the investigation seeks to find answers through photos, recordings, interviews and to seances led by medium Olivia Farrell. And in the present day the reader is given the impression that all is not as it should be with Cathy. She is agitated, somehow gets out of the care home and into the garden where she falls and it is all because of the 'Barefoot Girl'.
The story is a slow build, often tame in places really (although reading in company and in broad daylight helps!), and occasionally left me feeling confused and irritated. The marbles are the most scary thing! The relationship between Bee and Loo is clearly not healthy and the hippie lifestyle the family lead means they are not welcomed in the area. You can sense the loneliness and boredom and the struggle Cathy has to raise her five children on her own (Joe had 'gone away') with very little money or support.
The strange happenings are puzzling, unsettling and seemingly without explanation until near the end when Lucy returns to Iron Sike Farm to help Nina (Simon's daughter) and friends Hal and Lewis in their attempts to replicate the findings of the original investigation.
This is not my usual sort of book to read and I am still uncertain whether I can claim to have 'enjoyed' it or not. It is a well written narrative and I guess open-ended in places for individual interpretation. When I closed the book I felt a certain sadness. Regrets are all very well but one thing none of us can do is return to the past to change it.

I'm afraid I did not enjoy this book at all. Was way too long and I just could not relate to the subject matter or the individuals. I hated the way everyone had shortened names and the fact mum and dad were referred to by their forenames - it made it seem like there were far too many characters.
Overall I just thought it dragged on and on - even the last few short chapters drifted when by then I should have been feeling a sense of excitement at the reveal.
All far too plodding for my liking. Not a recommend.

This book was not quite what I expected, however I enjoyed it immensely.
The plot was refreshingly different. It was well written and drew me in from the start, so much so that I had the chills when reading a particularly spooky bit late at night. It definitely set my imagination running wild.
The characters were intriguing, whilst seeming very ordinary, contrasting beautifully with the strange nature of the story.
A very unusual book, extraordinarily entertaining and readable, I will be looking out for more from this author.

I’m a big fan of supernatural or horror related fiction so I knew I simply had to request a copy of The Wayward Girls and was so pleased when it landed on my shelf on NetGalley. The novel is focused on the Corvino family and a series of strange events which occurred over the course of a summer, once they moved into a rural cottage, Iron Sike Farm. Things that go bump in the night, mysterious bruises and knocking at all hours amongst a whole host of other disturbing occurrences encourage Cathy to seek help from paranormal researchers Michael and Simon. Added into the mix is Issy, a photographer and journalist for the local paper, who is sceptical about the families story; is there more than meets the eye here or are is the farm really haunted?

The novels biggest strength is the foreboding and sinister atmosphere which Amanda Mason so skilfully creates through the course of the novel. From the interior of the cottage which is run down and draughty to the family garage where the children are forbidden to visit, it all creates an undercurrent of unease which makes it the perfect location for the supernatural to rear its head.

The novel bounces back and forth between the past and present, with each chapter marked ‘then’ and ‘now’. In the present, Cathy is in a nursing home suffering with dementia, struggling to deal with her past and her fractured family. After a strange incident, Cathy is injured and her daughter Lucy also known as Loo, comes to check on her mother, albeit grudgingly and gets drawn back into the mysteries of her childhood at the farm as a new investigation gets underway.

Alongside the mystery of the house, there is also a second thread which runs throughout the novel; the relationship between Loo and her teenage sister Bee. One might think they’re close as they seem inseparable and dress in a similar manner, but Bee has a dark side, which Loo is subjected to more often than not. With the arrival of the handsome and kind Simon, a heady coming of age story ties in with the supernatural.

There were hints of something happening to Bee pretty early on in the novel, but what exactly that is, is withheld right until the climax, when then and now merge. I would say it was definitely worth the build up for this reveal, although I wish it could move a bit faster at times!

I feel like Mason does a good job here of depicting the strained relationship between Cathy and Loo as well as the rest of the family. It reminded me a lot of the Netflix adaptation: The Haunting of Hill House, whereby each of the Corvino siblings are living very separate lives and it all stems back to an incident in their youth. I thought the the exploration of trauma and how each sibling has dealt with it differently was very interesting. For instance, Lucy has stayed the closest to her mother despite the fact that she finds it difficult, the other siblings, Dante, Florian and Antonella rarely visit and live far away. It paints a sad picture and Lucy is very much isolated for most of the novel, which just adds to the eeriness.

In the past or ‘then’ sections of the novel, the investigation of the Corvinos home is explored in detail by a professor named Michael and a student Simon. We read as they survey the house and watch out for the strange events, which seem to happen whenever Loo and her sister Bee are alone together. I found these parts of the book to be the most interesting alongside the investigation in the present day – it was a cool mirroring technique almost, seeing the way the different groups approach the house and whats happening inside. I thought the reveal of what was really going on and the way it ends to be so fitting the tone of the novel overall, it wasn’t all neatly wrapped up but I actually liked it that way.

Overall, The Wayward Girls was a creepy, atmospheric and interesting novel and will keep a reader on their toes. The story draws on some of the tropes of this genre but still retains a unique voice and proved to be a worthwhile read.

An interesting, but rather too long, spooky mystery. The plot reminded me of the film "The Conjuring 2". Personally I was much more interested in the ghostly goings on than the family's relationships, and I found it confusing/annoying that so many characters have multiple names (Lucia/Lucy/Loo etc). However I found the book mostly enjoyable and would recommend to those who enjoy more thoughtful thrillers.

The sort of book you can’t stop reading even though you really want to look away.

The claustrophobic relationship between sisters at the centre of the book, with all its petty rivalries and unbreakable loyalties is beautifully drawn.

The changing perspectives of where and when each section of the book is written calls into question the honesty and reliability of most of the book’s characters over the space of the story.

The author sets up a number of collapsing boxes that all lead to a well-realised conclusion that is very touching and offers some resolution for some of the characters.

The different periods in which the book is set are well-realised, and although there are a lot of characters they are drawn well and convincingly.

A book best read not at bedtime but in full daylight, I raced through it, unable to bear the increasing tension until I got to the end, intrigued as to where it was taking me and as to whether there can ever be one single version of the truth about anything.

Thanks a lot Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

A good really dark and creepy read. This book actually terrified me at points. Great story. Would recommend this to friends and familyxx

This book is a mild horror paranormal book. The majority of the book was gripping. This book captivated me
The ending seemed very rushed and confusing.
This book is scary and chilling in places

Oh boy, this is some scary read, strange, unsettling and totally gripping. You know when something happens and you look away but you have to keep just having another quick look well this book is like that. There were times that I had to stop reading, it wasn't what was happening that was getting to me, it was the thought of where it could all go if I carried on. Just brilliant writing!
The story is set on two time lines. One when Loo was a child back in 1976 and the other in present day. Both revolve around the farm, come cottage, where she and her siblings grew up. The family was a little hippyish, homeschooled by their mother Cathy and left to run pretty wild on the whole. The children felt isolated with only each other and were looked down on with the people that lived around them. Cathy seemed to have her head in the clouds, while their dad worked away from home more and more.
When things begin to go bump in the night it soon sparks the attention of a group of paranormal investigators and a young woman who works for the newspaper but needs a good story to move up to reporter.
The storylines alternate between now and then as in present-day a new paranormal team and the daughter of one of the original investigators want to return to the cottage for answers to what happened back in 1976 taking Loo with them to walk through events.
As the story unfolds from the past in becomes deeper and darker whilst in present day this tightly knotted story begins to be teased free. I really enjoyed this book, love books that make me feel that bit on edge and this book did just that.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

This is the first book in a long long time that I've had to sit back and think about before giving feedback.

The most atmospheric, thought provoking, spooky, spine tingling, shiver inducing book ive read in years!

Beautifully covering sibling rivalry and relationships at the centre of this spooky tale, Amanda Mason has managed to weave so many emotions into one novel.

Written in the past and then 20 years later this story never gets confusing like some, you never feel like its jumping around, it flows seamlessly and effortlessly.

The characters are mostly likeable and relatable. Written in a few POV's you get to read the whole story which for me made it all the better. Definitely no filler characters in this book! So many books nowadays dont give you the full story and seem to skip around so much you get a bit dazed and bored BUT this book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

In my opinion an outstanding psychological/supernatural thriller that has you questioning whether other forces are at play or whether there is a logical explanation to it all.... exactly what you want from this genre.

A massive thank you to netgalley and Bonnier Books for the ARC. This is going to fly off the shelves on publication day!

I have read numerous psychological/supernatural thrillers in the last year and I must admit in terms of providing those requisite spine chilling moments this is as good as any, which considering this is a debut novel is a commendable achievement. We have a number of set ingredients here that will be familiar to lovers of this genre including the remote farmhouse setting, the family being ostracised by the unfriendly locals, the strange unexplained happenings that take place in the house and the constant feeling of foreboding and menace that is generated there.

It has a then and now alternating narrative that centres on two groups of psychic investigators trying to establish evidence of a supernatural presence. In 1976 we meet what would now be termed a new age family trying to cope in the absence of the father with increasingly bizarre occurrences that point to the manifestation of the supernatural. These seem to centre around Loo and her elder sister Bee and one is immediately reminded of the The Enfield poltergeist. We do not know initially how the 1976 story ended but we know from the present narrative that something tragic appears to have happened to the elder sister Bee. Now Loo who is now called now Lucy must return to her childhood home and confront the past.

This was to start with something of a slow burner as I initially struggled to understand what was happening but after a while I was fully engrossed in the story. Throughout there is this sense of ambiguity and like The Little Stranger you are constantly trying to discern if this is really the supernatural at work or if there is a more logical explanation. What is real and what is imagined? If you are a lover of say Shirley Jackson or Andrew Michael Hurley then I recommend this to you.

A supernatural coming of age story told through a dual narrative, then and now. Then - A family moves to a farmhouse, the father is working away, leaving the mother to deal with children. Soon the family encounter unexplained occurences which makes the family more isolated within the village. Now - An elderly woman has a bad fall, her daughter is called, she discovers her mother has been contacted by a group of psychic investigators who want the mother and daughter to return to the farmhouse so that they can continue the work which was started many years ago.

This 'haunted house' novel reminded me of Shirley Jackson's style, it looks at the relationships between all of the characters, in particular the 2 young sisters, with a unnerving backdrop this literary ghost story works well.

Told across two timelines: one in 1976 when Loo and Bee were children living on a farm in Derbyshire with their three other siblings and their father, Joe, and mother, Cathy; the other in the present when Lucy (Loo) is the only child living close enough to visit Cathy, who suffers from dementia and lives in a care home. What connects the two is the farm house they lived in and a paranormal investigation that began when a police officer was called to the house by Cathy back in 1976. After days of knocking on the walls and slammed doors, a hail of marbles was pelted down on the two older girls and with Joe away working, Cathy was scared. All these years later, a new investigation is beginning and Cathy has been contacted by the new team of researchers looking for evidence up at the farm. 

Lucy feels forced to intervene when her mother experiences what she describes as a kind of visitation at the care home, causing her to leave her room and to fall badly. Cathy won’t back away from the new investigation, especially when she discovers that the lead researcher, Nina, is the daughter of one of the team who first came to the house all those years ago.

Slowly, we uncover what happened in the past and why Cathy and then Lucy feel compelled to be involved in the present. What happened to Bee? What was and is really going on in that house?

What good does it do to try and interact with things pressing at the edges of our senses?

A ghost story with several twists, there are many discomforting moments that question our easy sense of what is real and what not. Added to that is a suggestion that stories themselves generate reality, have a power all their own that can’t always be controlled.

It’s a fun, fast-paced read and to say anymore would spoil the story. Filled with the intensity of young desire, as well as the complex ties of familial love, The Wayward Girls is a thrilling mystery.

Oh gosh, I loved this book! It's very atmospheric, creepy with high tension. It was very well written with a paranormal aspect to it.
There's a story of sisterhood that engaged me the most. It was very well done. The characterisation was very vivid. It was truly scary sometimes, which I enjoyed too. The pacing was perfect as well.
I really recommend this book to everybody actually because it's a cross genre perfection. Thriller, mystery, paranormal, literary & historical. All you ask for :)
Thanks a lot Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it! In the style of Hill House, paranormal researchers in the present day get more than they bargained for.
A ghost story has to maintain tension, and The Wayward Girls certainly does that, a gradual increase of threat that I could feel in my gut, preventing me from putting the book down!
Added to the ghost story is a story of sisterhood, the ties that bind, and how pressure from within often becomes catastrophic when released.
Highly recommended.

Wow! I loved this book. The story follows a family with the focus on the two daughters Bee and Loo who appear to be at the focus of poltergeist activity or of a spirit entity. The chapters are labeled either then or now and flits between the events in the past which focus on the original investigation and the present day. Some people have said the number of characters was confusing but I didn't find this an issue. The story was more than a paranormal story and was also about family relationships. Really enjoyed it!

This was a brilliant, creepy, atmospheric novel - with a touch of the paranormal. Although the plot was, at times, a touch confusing, it was utterly gripping. I was fully engaged with the protagonists and at points, properly scared (and I'm hard to scare!) I loved the flashbacks to the 1970s, the whole era was beautifully conjured up.

If you like Sarah Waters, you'll like this. One for thriller fans, historical fans and one for horror fans too. it shouldn't work but it does perfectly. A masterclass in pacing and setting :)

Thank you to Amanda Mason, Bonnier Books and Net Galley for my ARC.
I wouldn't describe this book as horror. I'm not a reader of horror particularly the gory kind and this wasn't that. What I did find was a very compelling ghost story with an interesting back story. It was well-thought out and the characterisation was excellent. I thought it was also clever to mention past stories of hauntings and The Wayward Girls was clearly inspired by them. I loved it. 4 stars

Amazing! Creepy and scary - just how I like it. I really enjoyed this story and could not put it down. If you like being creeped out then you will love this book! Thanks netgalley for the copy in return for an honest review! I will certainly recommend this read for my online book club that has over 2k members.

In 1976 Loo, her sister Bee and their brothers Dan, Florian and Anto, plus their mum Cathy moved into Iron Sike Farm, as far as Loo knew her father Joe was working away and would join them someday.

Not long after they arrived at the farm strange occurrences began, things moved, voices were heard and the girls received injuries but they didn’t know where from. Sure that their house was haunted they let paranormal investigators investigate the goings-on, Simon, Michael, and Issy were there to talk to the children and observe the farm and to try and catch any paranormal activity on camera.

In the present day, Cathy has dementia and is living in a residential home. She has received a letter from the daughter of one of the investigators who had since died and she wanted to follow up on his investigation at the now derelict farm and wants to talk to Cathy about what went on all those years ago. Nina and her team Hal and Lewis are students. Nina had read her fathers books on the events and wants to find out if the place really was/is haunted.

Lucy (Loo) is called to the residential home after her mum wanders off, she discovers the new investigation at the farm but isn’t happy. She doesn’t want her mum brought into the story again so she agrees to visit the farm with the students and talk to them about what happened in 1976. Is the place haunted and if so by whom?

The Wayward Girls is a mild horror, paranormal book that revolves around an isolated farm. It is told in alternative chapters of Now and Then. The first 3/4 of the book is gripping and I was eager to find out what was happening and who could this possible poltergeist be and what did they want and would the farm still be haunted. The book captivated me and I found myself flying through it not wanting to put it down, I needed answers!

We then move on to the last 1/4 and this is where it felt like things were rushed. I got to the end and then had to re-read sections as all my questions hadn’t been answered, but alas I didn’t find many answers by going back over the chapters. Because it was written in a manner that felt rushed it became a little confusing too, and to be honest I closed the book still unsure if the farm was haunted or not. There was enough evidence produced for and against this idea.

If you are easily scared then this book will give you chills, but my advice is to take it slowly and absorb all the story.