Name: Jessy Tatum's review of The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
Item: The Winter People
Rating: 4.5
Author: Jessy Tatum

Jennifer McMahon

The New York Times bestselling author of Promise Not to Tell returns with a simmering literary thriller about ghostly secrets, dark choices, and the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters . . . sometimes too unbreakable. West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that suddenly proves perilous when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace. Searching for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara's fate, she discovers that she's not the only person who's desperately looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

A Novel

The Winter People

Nicole White

Coming of age in an old farmhouse, 19-year-old Ruthie begins a search for her agoraphobic mother and discovers the century-old diary of the farmhouse's long-ago resident, a grieving mother who died under mysterious circumstances. By the best-selling author of Island of Lost Girls.

Loved the idea behind this story and enjoyed the book from the beginning. I liked the story from the past being pieced together with modern day.

In my opinion though, I was disappointed that Alice wasn’t actually the Auntie who had been taking care of Gertie all this time. I felt like the author was setting the story up to go in that direction… For me, the ending was a bit of a let down because I felt like the author really could’ve brought it home and just didn’t. I like how she left it kind of open with Kathryn though. All in all enjoyable.

Jessy Tatum

Loved the idea behind this story and enjoyed the book from the beginning. I liked the story from the past being pieced together with modern day.

In my opinion though, I was disappointed that Alice wasn’t actually the Auntie who had been taking care of Gertie all this time. I felt like the author was setting the story up to go in that direction… For me, the ending was a bit of a let down because I felt like the author really could’ve brought it home and just didn’t. I like how she left it kind of open with Kathryn though. All in all enjoyable.

Could’ve enjoyed more if the book contained quotation marks around who was speaking. Would trail off thinking it’s a thought rather a conversation and found myself having to reread the whole page constantly. Plot was amazing and great to read.

Glen

tori 👻

2.5 stars 
I wanted to love this, I really did, I read The Winter People as a part of my personal 2019 reading challenge and it fit my "book that's been the longest on your tbr" category. So yes, I wanted to love it.
The chapters about Sara were somewhat interesting and very much intriguing to read, but the ones that took place in modern time were just?? I don't know, out of place?? It felt like there were too many characters and too many storylines in such a short book.

Also, too much exposition.

altlovesbooks

This was all geared up to be a solid 4 star rating, until the author didn't stick the landing in my opinion. I found the first half or so of the book extremely engaging and creepy, and kept reading because I really wanted to know where this was all leading! I had several thoughts and expectations of who I thought the killer(s) would end up being, but none of them were fulfilled. (view spoiler)[Many of the plot devices brought up early on, the white apparition in the woods, the bone ring, even Sara's evident walking of the town at night, were only brought up once and didn't seem to tie in much with the actual ending. (hide spoiler)]

I also wasn't expecting fully fleshed out, three dimensional characters in a quick horror/thriller read, but I found a lot of the characters, particularly in the modern day setting, unrealistic and flat. Ruthie, in particular, made me scream at the book, horror movie style, with her poor decisions and lack of reaction in some places. (view spoiler)[I still don't understand Ruthie's reluctance to call the cops when her mom went missing, apart from plot convenience. Katherine's entire inclusion in the story felt unnecessary, as she was just a vehicle for the bone ring in the present day, and to be the one to call the next Sleeper. (hide spoiler)]

So I docked it a star for my dissatisfaction with where the plot ended up and the ending. At 3 stars it's still an okay book, but I doubt I'll be recommending it to friends.

A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that has weighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished. In her search for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked into the historical mystery, she discovers that she's not the only person looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

Colleen

3 Stars

I read one of McMahon's other books, The Night Sister, a couple of years ago. Although I was not impressed with that first book, the description for The Winter People caught my eye. So I decided to give it a go.

While I did like The Winter People better than The Night Sister, it was still underwhelming. I quickly came across many of the same issues I had with the other book including jumping around between multiple characters and multiple time lines, monotonous characters, a far-fetched plot, and a wasted opportunity for some creepy Gothic Horror. They had similar settings: both took place in small Vermont towns with dark secrets. While The Winter People seemed to capture an eerie atmosphere at first, I quickly became annoyed with the characters and the disjointed way the story jumped around.

The sections set in 1908 were supposed to be a diary that was later annotated by her niece, but were just a first person narrative. It never felt like a dairy. And the tone never felt genuine or accurate to the time period. Across the board there was definitely a lack of character development. Yes, this was supposed to be a Thriller, but that doesn't mean you can't delve into your characters. Honestly, even when the plot accelerated, I still was not concerned about whether the characters would live or die. Nothing in the story made me particularly invested in them.

As for the supernatural element, the lore of the story was also disappointing. At least (unlike The Night Sister) it did not suffer the overly drawn-out suspense over whether or not the supernatural element was real. But it came across as gimmicky when it was all said and done. The ending was even more farfetched and felt rushed. Just when the plot was really picking up momentum, it went off on a tangent. With that piling on top of the unsatisfactory character development, the story just did not resonate with me and certainly did not scare me.

The outline of the story had potential, but there were many missed opportunities. This could have been an eerie horror story, but it fell flat for me. While this book was more of a page-turner than The Night Sister, I was still disappointed overall. I doubt I will read any more of McMahon's work.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 2 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 2 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 2 Stars

Alexa M

wow! i had no plans to pick this up but then the audiobook came in from my library so i thought why not.. then i read it in one sitting. like right from chapter 1, i HAD to know what was going on. 
this is told in alternating timelines and i was equally interested in each. i think the timing of the POV switches were so well done, and the pacing of this book was very good! also the plot was nothing like i have ever read before. definitely spooky and i loved the atmosphere! so glad i decided to pick this up on a whim.

Izza

Janice Hopper

** spoiler alert **
           I found the first part of this story engrossing. But the characters lost me toward the end. 

Seriously, have these characters never read "The Monkey's Paw"? And the introduction of one character toward the end was a big "Bwuh???" 

And it seems like there were 3 or 4 characters whose stories just... stop, with no resolution. Or maybe it was just where my frustration got the better of me, and I stopped paying close attention. 

3 stars, because it was gripping in the beginning.

Cheri McElroy

Sonja H

Ein paar Längen hat das Buch, aber alles in allem ist es schön gruselig, spannend und unterhaltsam.

Stark Koenig

Man oh man, I find it really frustrating when an otherwise good thriller is ruined by employing casual, unquestioned racist stereotypes. (view spoiler)[ I had hoped in the beginning when the character of Auntie was introduced that her Métis heritage would be used to reveal the hatreds and racist assumptions of the small white town, but no, what it did was reveal the underlying racist assumptions of the author herself. Rarely is there a description of Auntie that doesn't include some comparison to a wild animal or the sound of the wind, or a reference to her animal skin clothing and small, sharp teeth. She's basically stripped of her humanity and described as some kind of evil animal spirit being, which is such a tired and damaging stereotype of indigenous people, it has no place... well, anywhere, but especially in a book published so recently. Like, really? Ugh. And you know, I didn't even mind the clunky dialogue that folks here have complained about, when the long lost relative showed up with a gun to threaten everyone into making really bad decisions on a dark wintry night; I was otherwise very committed to the thrill ride of this book. But the racism, you know, it just ruined it. Really unfortunate.  (hide spoiler)]

Amanda 

This book was a true page turner. A spine chilling tale filled with just the right amount of mystery. Loved the different timelines and that the chapters where from a different characters pov. Highly recommend! 

This was really good! I enjoyed the mystery of the story, trying to figure out what exactly was at play. While I'm mostly satisfied with the conclusion, I did find a couple things hard to believe, namely (view spoiler)[that Candace would've let Alice and James keep Ruthie when she thought they murdered Ruthie's parents. It was dismissed as "oh my husband didn't want another mouth to feed" but COME ON WOMAN (hide spoiler)]. I also found (view spoiler)[Candace to be a bit of a caricature once she was revealed to be the antagonist of the story. She was practically twirling an invisible mustache talking about how much she wanted MONEY and how much MONEY drove her actions, like come onnn. (hide spoiler)]

I did really enjoy the parallel storylines of the past and present, though when the book got going, there were lots of cliffhangers and then it'd switch to the other timeline! It kept me interested for sure, even though I was always a bit annoyed when it switched because I'm impatient.

Overall, it was a fun read!

Whitney Leno

** spoiler alert **
           I love a book where the author makes the paranormal element a true paranormal element. McMahon did not hit us with a Scooby-Doo twist where the "ghost" is a guy in a mask. This was my first Jennifer McMahon novel and good lord am I hooked. She has an addictive writing style where I felt myself compelled to keep turning the page. Also! the author lives in my home state and town! Very cool to see some Vermont authors!

Trish 

Brandy Allen

Adrianna Giunta

I picked this up after seeing gabbyreads rave about it on her channel. She was totally right! I LOVED this. After reading pet semetary I was kind of sad to think I might never find a book with such a unique premise but this satisfied my cravings for that creepy atmosphere. I didn't find myself feeling very attached to the characters honestly but the story itself made up for that. A new fave!

Tanya Sutton

This was just as spooky and atmospheric and I had hoped it would be. With a totally immersive story line and fantastic writing, the book asks what lengths people are willing to go to in order to see their loved ones again. This is my favorite McMahon novel and I'd highly recommend it.

This would have gotten 5 stars if it didn't get clunky in the middle. Candice really threw in a wrench that made things worse.

Otherwise I think it was great! I listened to the audiobook on 2x speed and loved it. It's a weird, one of a kind book that doesn't know if it wants to be Pet Semetary or a weird less than cozy mystory. I'd say check it out if you want a fast read for a winter book, preferably on a snow stormy night.

Tayler Park

Holy shit! This book was fucking fantastic. I even got my mom reading the book and we both read it together. My mom would text me updates about which part she got to & how she was freaking out. She dreamed about it in her sleep and I wanted to stay up all night reading it. It was absolutely perfect and I’m so happy I read it.

NaTasna Jiggetts

I only read this book because it was the choice for my book club. This is typically not my genre (ghost, zombies, the living dead), so it was new to me and since I did this via audible it was a bit weird. Going back between 1908 and the present time was interesting and know that things were taking place in the same house made it more interesting. I do feel if I were to actually read this book then I may have a different aspect of it. Since listening and reading to me are very different. The ending did get a bit confused because I had to remember who did what and how it fit into the timeline and hoe someone was related to Sarah. I mean we still do not know if there are more sleepers out there, I mean mean know of at least 2!.......

Samantha Patton

This book was creeeepppyyy! The pacing had me flipping through so fast. It was a great read.

Kelsey Holtaway

This book could have done what it set out to do without an "indigenous curse" plotline. It's harmful and ignorant and lazy and tired and it didn't do anything to serve the plot.

Jacklyn O’Brien 

Whatever I expected from this book, was not this. I liked Sara's storyline the best, but was rooting for Ruthie to uncover her family's secrets and find her mother. It definitely took a turn for the creepy and after reading I still find myself wondering "what did I just read?"

Nicole White &
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

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Nicole White &The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

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