I liked the sound of this book, and i usually like books by Australian authors ,but struggled with this one.It was a bit too slow and plodding for me and not much seemed to be happening .I wanted and expected something a bit more dynamic.Sorry this one didn't hit the spot for me.

This book reminded me of an Australian retelling of the Virgin Suicides from a female perspective but it is so much more than that. The writing was beautiful and I enjoyed how the writing made the story progress so effortlessly. The main character, Tikka, was developed enough as I found that she didn't need to be as developed as she wasn't the true focus for me. I liked the three Van Apfel girls a lot and they were the true stars of the book. The mystery was switched between two time periods and this meant as a reader we got to see the time periods explored well. The drama was well-paced and the list of suspects was ever-changing for me.

Rather obviously, this novel follows the disappearance of the Van Apfel girls - three sisters. The novel is set in Australia and the sisters disappear into the unknown during a school play at the local amphitheatre and are never to be seen again. It's written from the perspective of Tikka, a friend of the sisters, and follows her trouble in accepting that the Van Apfel girls are actually gone.
I was initially really excited to read this book and was thrilled when I was granted a review copy by NetGalley (thanks!). However, the book failed to pull me in completely. I felt like the story began to pick up at around 30% through, but it just sort of fizzled out. I think my problem with this book was the fact that there was no conclusive ending to it, which I expect in most narratives due to typical expectations when picking up any novel. In retrospect, I should have looked more clearly at the novel's description, as it states 'the mystery of their disappearance remains unsolved forever' - the narrative really stays true to this statement. 
I thought the characters in the novel were all rather serious, especially for young girls. However, this is quite acceptable through the issues highlighted within the novel such as abuse from parents and inappropriate relationships with teachers are implied. I think this was, overall, a good read. I wouldn't pick it up again ... but I didn't hate it. For me, it just didn't meet my particular expectations of narrative or tone.

I really enjoyed this book , but I thought it was more a mystery/ drama then a thriller. The writing was beautiful but the plot felt a bit distorted . Overal a good book.

When I first started reading this I thought I'd love it - the writing was beautiful and I was intrigued by the mystery of these three sisters who had gone missing in 1992. The effect of the descriptive, nostalgic prose was alluring and captured the essence of troubled adolescence over an Australian summer. However the effect was also hazy - the girls and that time were romanticised to the point of feeling unreal and so also hard to get attached to, even when darker plot points were introduced.

At times I loved the turns of phrase to describe what it was to be in this group of sisters and friends, at others I struggled to find meaning in what was being written. I'm also not a big lover of detailed descriptions of nature in books and here it's ever-present, with different plants and smells described, and these descriptions made the novel move slowly and again limited my investment in the characters themselves.

The book ends up being less about the mystery and more about the impact on the friend that was left behind, and how as an adult she still has her life on hold with a sense of longing. That angle, with more depth, could have been really interesting. Instead it still felt superficial and so I felt frustrated to be left without a conclusive ending to the mystery. That may be more in line with real life but it ultimately felt dissatisfying.

Go into reading this novel with expectations of an evocative atmosphere rather than hoping for answers. There were moments when it really worked, but for the most part this didn't have a strong impact on me.

Tikka lives in a Baltimore but returns to Australia after finding her sister Laura has cancer.  On her return it brings back all kind of memories from her past and Laura’s involving the Van Apfel sisters. 

The Van Apfel sisters Hannah, Cordelia and Ruth were neighbours to Tikka and Laura. Mr Van Apfel who was extremely  religious and punished the sisters with words and violence. One evening the sisters go missing

I was expecting a nail biting mystery but the book was more of a slow story told from the past mainly and I would of preferred the ending to be tied up but it was left open ended with so much questions unanswered. 

I just found the overall book a ok read but never made me want to turn to the next page quickly. 

Overall ok read. 

I received a ARC from Netgalley and Oneworld Publications Point Blank for an objection review,