March 9, 2010
I received and read an Advance Reader’s Copy of Arcadia Falls for Library Thing.
Recently widowed Meg takes a teaching position at the Arcadia Falls art colony in hopes of gaining financial stability, restoring her relationship with her teenage daughter, Claire, and completing her research on the authors of a lost changeling girl fairytale. This fairytale and its lessons weave their truths throughout Meg and Claire’s Arcadia Falls experience.
Carol Goodman’s voice lures you into a seductive world of fairy tales and pagan rituals, mystery and death. She weaves the past and present story threads together well and you find yourself very present in both stories. Ms. Goodman has a knack for description and atmosphere and I very much enjoyed the small college town setting and spooky woods.
I found it slightly disappointing that there were several parallels between this story and The Lake of Dead Languages: the boarding school, a mystery from the past, and the main character’s insecurities. I also felt Meg’s love interest subplot was unnecessary and didn’t really make sense. However, the author’s turn of phrase and ability to create a story within a story will always have me coming back for more of her work. I recommend Arcadia Falls if you enjoy gothic mysteries, fairy tales and myth.
| Rating | |
|---|---|
| Story |    |
| Refreshing concept and excellent description. | |
| Book Cover | |
| Intriguing and certainly makes sense as you continue to read. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Similarities to prior books aside, Carol Goodman's way with atmosphere, and her ability to effectively create a story within a story makes Arcadia Falls worth the read. | |
(Orig. Pub. at Sweet Reads 5/27/10)
