ARC Review: The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

 

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

Publication Date: March 23, 2021 by Minotaur Books

Source: eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.

Genre: Horror

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened.

But there will be no turning back.

Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice:

They are not alone.

They’re looking for the truth…
But what if it finds them first?

Do you ever stay up super late to finish a book? It’s 2:30 in the morning, and you have work in a couple hours, but you don’t care because you have to know how the book ends!  The Lost Village was one of those books that kept me up into the early morning hours. The story was so engrossing and I had to know how it would end. 

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The Lost Village is set in a small mining town where the residents all mysteriously vanished in 1959. What happened to these people? How the heck does an entire town disappear?? The main character, Alice, and her friends explore the village and attempt to find out what really happened all those years ago. As I was reading, I wanted to shout at these characters: “Do not go into that building! Just don’t! Don’t open that door! In fact, just get in the van and get out of there!” It drove me a little crazy whenever one of the characters would barge right into one of the abandoned buildings without really thinking of the horrors that could be lurking inside.

This story is also told in the past where it follows one of the families that vanished in 1959. I loved the dual timelines in this book and it definitely made it a more interesting read. 

The Lost Village was a creepy story, but it also had some really heartbreaking moments. This was more than just your typical horror/mystery/thriller. Some parts were a little predictable, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book. I can definitely see this being made into a movie! I recommend this book, especially if you love a good atmospheric and chilling story.

Thanks for Reading!