The Stillwater Girls

Two sisters raised in fear are about to find out why in a chilling novel of psychological suspense from the author of The Thinnest Air.

Ignorant of civilization and cautioned against its evils, nineteen-year-old Wren and her two sisters, Sage and Evie, were raised in off-the-grid isolation in a primitive cabin in upstate New York. When the youngest grows gravely ill, their mother leaves with the child to get help from a nearby town. And they never return.

As months pass, hope vanishes. Supplies are low. Livestock are dying. A brutal winter is bearing down. Then comes the stranger. He claims to be looking for the girls’ mother, and he’s not leaving without them.

To escape, Wren and her sister must break the rule they’ve grown up with: never go beyond the forest.

Past the thicket of dread, they come upon a house on the other side of the pines. This is where Wren and Sage must confront something more chilling than the unknowable. They’ll discover what’s been hidden from them, what they’re running from, and the secrets that have left them in the dark their entire lives.

• The Stillwater Girls by Minka Kent
• Published by: Brilliance Audie on April 9, 2019
• Genre: Thriller, mystery
• Listening length: 7 hours 6 minutes
• Dates listened: 7.13.2025 – 7.14.2025 (2 days)
• Format: Audiobook
• Narrators: Lauren Ezzo, Melissa Moran
• Add on Goodreads
• Purchase on Amazon
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

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Y’all, I am discovering so many amazing authors this year!! It’s so exciting! This was my first book by Minka Kent, and she is going right to the top of the list as one of my favorite new discoveries. I binge-listened to this one while I was having some “me time” and coloring in my adult coloring book. Get your minds out of the gutter! Adult doesn’t mean what ya think it means! lol

This book kind of reminded me of a book that I read many, many years ago, which was later turned into a movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Deep End of the Ocean, written by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Anywho, this isn’t a review of that book, but on Minka Kent’s amazing tale of three sisters who have been raised in a secluded area in upstate New York. Their mother has raised them to believe that the world outside their home is unsafe, full of dangers, and they must never leave the safety of their little space in the woods. But when the youngest, 9-year-old Evie, becomes ill, their mother has no choice but to leave with her and try to find medical care. Neither returns, and the two oldest daughters are left to fend for themselves. When a strange man shows up, threatening to take them away, Wren (the oldest of the three) must make a decision. She knows that she and her sister Sage must take the risk, braving the outside world, and search for their mother and youngest sister.

‘The world’s an evil place, my darlings,’ she would say as she brushed the hair off our foreheads and kissed our chubby, soap-scented cheeks at night. ‘You’re safe here. With me.’

Nicolette has a life that many would dream of. A loving marriage and a beautiful home. But one thing is missing. She’s always longed to be a mother, but an emergency medical procedure took that dream away from her almost 10 years ago. Plagued by unsettling dreams of herself with an empty stroller, she’s determined to become a mother, even if it means just being a foster parent. Her husband, Brant, seems less than thrilled about the prospect, and Nicolette is beginning to wonder if he hasn’t found someone else to have a family with. When she discovers a hidden picture in Brant’s dresser drawer of a child that has his unusual eye color, she investigates deeper, discovering secret phone calls and money transfers from her trust fund. While Brant is away on business, Nicolette is trying to unravel the mystery of her failing marriage when two young women knock on her door. What transpires next takes you on an emotional roller coaster of deceit, manipulation, and a search to find answers.

I loved the author’s writing style for this book. You get two POVs, both from Wren and Nicolette. Initially, you’re wondering how the two storylines are going to come together, because they seem so different. The author does an amazing job of getting you to feel all the emotions of the characters. You feel the isolation and fear of Wren and Sage when they are struggling on their own in the woods to survive. The shock and surprise as Nicolette pieces together who the mystery child in the photo is. You are constantly on the edge of your seat to find out what is going to happen next. I’m happy to say that even though I did kind of figure out the plot part of the missing children, I in no way saw the other plot twists that came along with the amnesia and the family betrayal. Ooof!! Gutwrenching is an understatement. So well done! I even teared up a bit at the very end, as the epilogue is revealed through Wren’s POV. I was so touched that it had this kind of ending. I would love for this book to be turned into a movie. It would be SO good!!