The Tenth Girl
by Sara Faring
Publisher: Imprint
Release Date: September 24th 2019Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Historical Fiction
Summary:
Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girlis a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist.
At the very southern tip of South America looms an isolated finishing school. Legend has it that the land will curse those who settle there. But for Mavi—a bold Buenos Aires native fleeing the military regime that took her mother—it offers an escape to a new life as a young teacher to Argentina’s elite girls.
Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the imposing house—despite warnings not to roam at night, threats from an enigmatic young man, and rumors of mysterious Others. But one of Mavi’s ten students is missing, and when students and teachers alike begin to behave as if possessed, the forces haunting this unholy cliff will no longer be ignored.
One of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi’s existence. In order to survive she must solve a cosmic mystery—and then fight for her life.
Review: 4 Stars
I was really looking forward to The Tenth Girl because it looked like it was going to b creepy and it also had a boarding school setting. I loved the idea of a missing girl, a boarding school setting and a plot based on myths. I wound up really enjoying all the characters and the story. I have never read about Argentina or Patagonia, so I was hoping to learn a bit about what it is like there. The setting was a huge draw for me. This book really wound up crossing genres and I don’t even know how to properly classify it. Parts of it were eerie and horror like, and other parts were something else entirely. I really loved how original this book was and how it didn’t fit into any one box.
The characters were interesting. I wound up really enjoying their different personalities, and I especially loved all of the girls. The story switched back from the point of view of Mavi, a teacher at the boarding school, and Angel who is a ghost haunting it. I really loved the way ghostly life is depicted and how the afterlife was portrayed. It really got me thinking about life after death and the portrayal of it was quite vivid and an interesting take on ghosts. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
While I did enjoy the haunting aspect I wish that there was a bit more meat in the middle of the plot. The beginning and the ending were both spectacular, but the middle could have used a little more direction. I really wish I could talk more about the ending, because that plot twist caught me off guard and made me look at everything that had happened before then completely differently. This is one of those books that you could read a second time and see it with entirely new eyes. I found the plot twist to be really unique and very fascinating.
The eerie setting of a haunted boarding school was everything I wanted it to be. The descriptions of the land and the surrounding country side were so vivid I felt like I could easily visualize the entire setting. I was happy to learn about Patagonia and see pictures of it after talking with the author, because it was really cool to see what inspired the book. I do wish that there was a bit more to the middle of the plot and more Patagonian culture. I really enjoyed this haunting tale and its unique twist. The Tenth Girl is a perfect read for this fall season.
Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/38462717-the-tenth-girl
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Sc08NN
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tenth-girl-sara-faring/1129819251#/
Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Tenth-Girl-Sara-Faring/9781250304506?ref=grid-view&qid=1562925061244&sr=1-1
iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-tenth-girl/id1449477545
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-tenth-girl
Google Books: https://books.google.fr/books/about/The_Tenth_Girl.html?id=WWwBvgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
Giveaway
Prize: Win a copy of THE TENTH GIRL by Sara Faring (US Only)
Starts: 18th September 2019
Ends: 2nd October 2019
Author Information
Born in Los Angeles, Sara Faring is a multi-lingual Argentine-American fascinated by literary puzzles. After working in investment banking at J.P. Morgan, she worked at Penguin Random House. She holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in International Studies and from the Wharton School in Business. She currently resides in New York City.
Her first novel, The Tenth Girl, will be released by Macmillan/Imprint on September 24, 2019. Sara is represented by Sarah Bedingfield at Levine Greenberg Rostan Agency.
Author Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17694905.Sara_Faring
Website: https://www.sarafaring.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarafaring
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarafaring/
Author Interview!
An Argentinean Recipe from Sara Faring!
My abuela’s “ñoquis” in her own words… “Cocino dos papas medianas y hago el pure. Luego agrego un huevo y un pote de ricota chico. Agrego harina hasta formar una masa que no se pegue en los dedos. Luego hago los palos y corto la masa en pedacitos.”
–> “I cook two medium-sized potatoes and make purée. Then I add an egg and a small container of ricotta. I add flour until the dough doesn’t stick to my fingers. Then I make long sticks (rolling the dough out) and cut the dough into little pieces.”
Freeze or boil (and eat!) immediately. My ultimate comfort food.
[SF note: She pairs this with a delicious chicken & pepper sauce, which you can probably find me cooking this fall on Instagram @sarafaring…]
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Great review, Amanda. It sounds like the setting was atmospheric and well-realised.
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Thanks! If you’re interested in reading you should enter the giveaway!
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I’ve heard a few mixed opinions about this but one thing everyone seems to agree on is how haunting and atmospheric the writing is. Great review! 😍
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Thank you! It was a weird ending that’s for sure, but cool!
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