This book is brilliant! I read it in one sitting as it is so pacy and exciting. The story begins with Caela, who lives with her dad. It is her 16th birthday and she spends it with her best friends, Eliza and Grady, then plans to have dinner with her dad but when he doesn't come home at the agreed time, everything starts to go downhill. We then join Iris and a group of girls living in a cabin with Sol, the man who takes care of them. I don't want to say any more and risk giving anything away. It's just a really great, believable story with a good dose of girl power. My only slight disappointment is that I want to know what happened after the final events in the book. I know you can't tie up every loose end and this is not a criticism but I have so many questions!

Really enjoyed this book and how the story was laid out. Quick paced and gripping meaning I finished it in one sitting.

Where Lost Girls Go is a compelling YA read that mixes cult dynamics, mystery, and romance (warning: woke) with themes of grief, belonging, and finding your way back to yourself. The story follows a group of girls living in an isolated cabin under the guidance of Sol, a charismatic leader whose influence becomes more unsettling the deeper the story goes.
The girls see themselves as a family and are deeply grateful to Sol for taking them in. Over time, though, small details start to stand out. There are strict rules that nobody questions, including a ban on discussing their pasts, and a growing sense that loyalty to Sol comes before everything else.
We see how Iris and Rose's relationship develops. Their connection becomes an important part of the story as one of them begins to question the life they've built under Sol's roof. The book does a good job showing how manipulation can be difficult to recognize when you're the one experiencing it, making the cult elements feel believable and unsettling without going over the top.

A secluded cabin in the Kentucky mountains. Five girls who call themselves sisters. And a man who calls himself their salvation - until one new arrival begins to unravel everything.

📚 Pre-Reading Thoughts
Kody Keplinger has a clear strength in tone: she can pivot between sharp humour and genuinely emotional storytelling. Going in, I expected something on the heavier side given the premise, especially with themes involving isolation and control.

Cult narratives are always compelling when they’re done well, particularly when the horror is built from emotional dependence rather than overt violence.

📖 Post-Reading
As I thought...

This is a deeply unsettling and emotionally charged novel. The real tension doesn’t come from external threats, but from watching relationships that have been carefully shaped and controlled over time.
The mountain setting works beautifully. The isolation isn’t just atmospheric - it becomes part of the mechanism that keeps everything contained and in place.
The structure, including the interwoven flashbacks, adds depth to the characters’ pasts, though it may take a little adjustment for readers at the beginning as timelines shift.
It surprised me by...

Just how effective the emotional manipulation is portrayed. Even when you know what Sol is doing, it remains difficult to watch the girls interpret control as care and protection.
The gradual unravelling of belief. Rather than a sudden realisation, the story shows how doubt creeps in slowly, often triggered by small inconsistencies or moments of connection with the outside world.
The strength of the group dynamics. The relationship between the girls - loyal, complicated, protective - adds a painful layer to the central conflict.
This is not an easy read, but it is a powerful one, particularly in how it explores loyalty, coercion, and the difficulty of recognising harm when it is wrapped in affection.

🎧 Music Pairing
🎵 Featured Song:
Control

🎶 Vibe Album:
Ultraviolence

🎧 Artist Recommendation:
Florence + The Machine — for that blend of emotional intensity and looming, ritualistic atmosphere.

🌈 Vibe Check
Colour Palette: pine green, bone white, dusk grey, bruised purple
Soundtrack: wind through trees, distant creek water, footsteps on wooden floors
Season: late autumn fading into winter
Mood: claustrophobic, tense, emotionally heavy
Scent: pine resin, smoke, damp earth
🃏 Tarot Pull
Seven of Swords

Secrecy runs through this entire story - not just in what is hidden from the outside world, but in what the girls are taught to hide from themselves. The Seven of Swords reflects deception, self-deception, and survival through silence. It captures both the manipulation at the centre of the cabin and the quiet, internal strategies the girls begin to use as they question the world they’ve been given.




👀 For fans of
The Girls
psychological fiction about coercion, belief, and control
isolated, atmospheric thrillers set in closed communities

🌲🌸 Where Lost Girls Go by Kody Keplinger 🌸🌲

A secluded cabin in the woods. A charismatic leader. A group of girls who believe they’ve finally found somewhere they belong. This is one of those books that quietly unsettles you before revealing just how dark it really is.

Iris has built a new life with Sol and the girls he has taken in, believing she finally has the family she’s always wanted. But when a new arrival, Rose, begins asking questions, Iris is forced to confront the cracks in the life she has devoted herself to.

✨ A chilling exploration of manipulation and control

🌸 A tender sapphic romance at the heart of the story

🧠 Powerful themes of trauma, grief and belonging

🌲 An isolated setting that constantly builds tension

💔 An emotional journey of reclaiming identity and freedom

What I found most compelling was how realistic Sol’s manipulation felt. There are no dramatic displays of power, just slow, calculated control that gradually isolates the girls and makes them question everything except him.

It is unsettling because it feels believable! The relationship between Iris and Rose brings warmth to an otherwise dark story. Their connection grows naturally and becomes the catalyst for Iris beginning to question the life she’s accepted for so long.

The story also explores how vulnerable people can be drawn into unhealthy environments simply because they are searching for safety, love and somewhere to belong. That emotional depth gives the novel far more impact than a typical thriller.

Dark, thought provoking and emotionally powerful, this is a YA novel that tackles complex themes with sensitivity while never losing sight of hope.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Where Lost Girls Go is a gripping, suspenseful novel packed with mystery, a touch of romance, and a wonderfully eerie atmosphere. The characters felt compelling and kept me invested in what would happen next. If you're interested in stories about cults and love a good thriller, this book is definitely worth picking up. Perfect for teens and young adults.

This book gripped me from the outset. The duel viewpoints of Caela (told in third person) and Iris (told in 1st person) were so well done. The twist, whilst I somewhat knew it was coming, was still a great pay off.

Caela’s story of tragedy, loss and the desire to fit in felt relatable and something I imagine most teenagers could relate too. The contrast of Iris’ reality of living in what is clearly a cult-like situation with other girls shows the price of “belonging” and makes the reader question whether it’s a better situation to be in.

I liked that a lot of the dark reality was fed to the reader in bits and pieces, it made for an intriguing read