Have you read a book before where the sound of the words draws you in? Each one a carefully constructed symphony of prose, ending in a musical crescendo that lulls you into a poetic dreamland.
Well….
That was the Wildling Sisters for me.
Set between two worlds, same house, the stories collide 50 years apart where the mystery of a missing 12-year-old plague an English country manor. A new family moves in the house unaware of its dark past yet still bringing their own mystery. Fifty years previous, four sisters, abandoned by their mother one summer, are forced to reside with their aunt and uncle who five years earlier lost their own daughter when she went missing. Eventually, the mystery of it all unfolds, past and present, till both worlds must meet.
Dark stories unfold until the end when everything comes delivered with a nice red bow. All questions get answered. There is no air of mystery leaving us hanging. Though I enjoyed finding out everything, it was a little rushed and I could have lived without it. Others agreed, some saying that it was just all too nice. And with a book that is set a little darker, maybe a light ending wasn’t the best option.
But the main theme throughout was motherhood. We have the absent mother of the girls, the mother who lost her child, and the mother stepping in for a dead mother. I hope that was the focus. If you remove the theme and the fact that they are in the same house, it would feel like two stories thrown together because they were too short to stand alone. Even the point of views - there are two total - are so very distinct that when they switch, you can easily read the difference.
I think Chase’s writing is the reason that I enjoyed myself. Most of my peers thought the story was dull. Nothing surprising comes out in the end - it was more of a dud - and many may give up once the excitement wears off. This isn’t a murder mystery, isn’t advertised as one, yet that is exactly what Chase wants you to believe within the first few pages as girls drag a lifeless limp body through the garden. Maybe if the beginning had been a little less dramatic, readers would have been prepared for the slower storyline. Instead, we spend the entire story wondering where the body fits into the mix.
Yet don’t give up. This story has a great gothic undertone. It doesn’t go super dark but poses a few more questions about missing girls and sex. Darker themes are my jam now and I think it’s because I’m getting older. But these moments in the story are what give it life. They breathe a realness into the story. That mixed with Chase’s prose is why I’ve ultimately given this book 4 stars.
Overall, a quick and easy read. I was able to finish it in three days with a very hectic schedule. I would place this on your summer beach list. You might just enjoy the transport back to the English countryside.
Love Kait