[REVIEW] The Lost Village

title: The Lost Village

author: Camilla Sten, Alex Fleming (translator)
genre: adult fiction, mystery
published: March 23rd 2021 by Minotaur Books
my copy: eGalley, 352 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
goodreads

The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar in this brilliantly disturbing thriller from Camilla Sten, an electrifying new voice in suspense.

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?

an absolutely atmospheric and intriguing read

That ominous cover! That intriguing synopsis! What else do I really need from this book? Does it live up to how it looks and sounds?

The Lost Village follows Alice Lindstedt, a filmmaker who wants to make a name for herself in the industry through uncovering the mysterious disappearance of almost 900 people in the small village of Silvertjärn. With her ties to the village given that her grandmother lived there until a little bit before the new pastor arrive where things started going odd, Alice, together with four others, went to this village far off the city without phone signals and somewhat feels isolated. After a day in the village, things slowly crumbled and Alice's schedule gets ruined and the completion of the film may not even matter if they do not survive the next few days.

For me, the strongest point of this novel is its atmospheric writing. It's a slow read and there's quite a slow build up in the beginning. Sten really set the ominous mood of the novel and parts of the narration feels like I'm watching one of those typical American thrillers. It's like I can get a nice feel of the village and my head just comes up with the most suspenseful sounds as I read thrilling scenes.

The mystery aspect of the story really kept me intrigued. While I didn't care about the characters until later in the novel (which is a let down for me), my motivation to find answers really kept me going. And somehow Sten didn't really disappoint. Part of it felt a bit lackluster (so maybe that's just me) but the reveal absolutely made sense. The back and forth of the narration between the present and 1959 together with the letter for Alice's grandmother, really made curious and paved the way for a good reveal.

There really is a lot more to the book than just me hinting on things. Because as always for mysteries, I don't want to spoil anything or ruin your experience in uncovering and reading about the interesting things about the story.

OVERALL, The Lost Village is an absolutely atmospheric and intriguing read. The narration is brilliant. It gives a great build up for the reveal. Although the characters feel a bit flat in the beginning, they get a bit more interesting midway in the story but still not that notable for me. Yet mystery-wise, it's still a fantastic read.

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