How did you feel about the book taking a bit to connect?

THE SURVIVORS took a bit to connect with, but once you figured out who was who and what the town and the people who lived there were going through, the tension ramped up.

How did you feel about the book taking a bit to connect?

I actually made a chart of the characters because figuring out the connections was a bit difficult at the beginning, but once I did that it was much easier to "connect". It didn't bother me or affect my opinion of the book.

I thought it was a little hard to get into the story line of the book too and I thought there were some dry parts where I was a little uninterested. Did anyone else find that also?

That is a good idea, robertaw.

Thanks.

I got into "The Survivors" right away, perhaps because I a familiar with Harper and her pacing is consistent in all of her books: deliberate, methodical but very worthwhile.

That was my first book by her, paulak.

That might be the reason..thanks.

Yes, Rebecca L., it was difficult to connect at first.

I definitely had a problem. Took me awhile to figure out who was who and who belonged with who. I don't know why. Maybe the characters were introduced kind of shallow and too fast.

That aspect of the book drew me in, totally appealed to me. As one problem was being laid out for me, I had other questions on my mind. It was rather like origami in reverse; I kept unwrapping the puzzle and getting more and more clues. First, the death of Bronte, then the puzzle of Finn, then the death of Gabby which was an undercurrent, just waiting to be explained. Wow, talk about a conjurer! Jane Harper is a sublime one! I hate it when books get to tricky with too many plots so that the reader is perplexed. This book was just right!

I never really connected with the characters or the story. It was almost like there were too many ancillary characters and stories. Perhaps a chart would have helped.

There were quite a few characters.

Thanks for your thoughts, Upstatenyer

I do not recall if Harper introduces any of her other novels with a Prologue, but finding that here threw me immediately. I had to read it a couple of times and then put the book down and come back to it later. I think this is related also to the fact that the novel is not settled in the dry, hot sun of Australia, but she has moved her readers to Tasmania and to a sea-side community - "water, water everywhere" and lots and lots of people to drink it - to borrow from Coleridge. So many characters and two plot lines ten years apart made it more complicated for me than her earlier works - but this is proof of her growth as a writer and mean lots of positive work is ahead for her readers. Very exciting to think about!

The prologue pulled me in right away...did not have any problems connecting. I kept looking for some reference to the prologue. What a red herring. It was a slow and meandering story. Not my kind of fast paced thriller. A good read nonetheless. A surprise ending! I would like to read another one of her books...

I agree RobertAW, I wrote down a list of characters too! The names were also unusual, which I though would make me remember better, but they didn't! I also had a hard time getting the age groups correct. I guess I was slow. I thought there were too many extraneous characters.

I liked the slow burn of the book. Jane Harper knows how to set up a plot. I’ve loved all of her books. The atmosphere is intriguing. The characters are approachable. I felt empathy.

I have a 50 page rule about books. If it were not for the fact that I said I would read it, I might have dumped it. I'm glad I didn't. But I liked to be "hooked" much sooner than I was.

linz...I have the 50-page rule too.

It did take time to connect, but I'm glad I kept going too.

I liked the pace of the novel and thought from the beginning there is more than meets the eye. I felt the tension that underlying the relationships from the the beginning and liked that we got to understand the characters a little more before the complications arise.

I also had to make a list of the characters but it didn't take away from the experience of reading the book. I really enjoy this author's books so I trust her when starting a new one.

I have read all of Jane Harper's mysteries and enjoyed them. It always takes me a while to get into her books, because there seems to be a large group of characters that you need to know about. I have the patience for it, because I feel like the payoff works.

This was my first book by Jane Harper so I wasn't used to all the characters.

It turned out to be a good read, though.

Thanks, kateg.

I love the way Harper builds complex characters. Her books can be savored instead of just read!

It will lose some readers because it takes a while to take hold--defying industry advice to hook the reader. Good thing it's not her first novel and she already has a following. I committed to read it through but it is frustrating when it takes so long to become invested.

I thought it was pretty slow at first. I did have to concentrate to keep the characters straight at the beginning. Once the story got going, I enjoyed it.

This was my first book by Jane Harper. I also made a character list.
I enjoyed the book and felt all the different characters helped present the events of the past that haunted so many. It made me think of the old saying “ There is your truth and there is my truth and the real truth lies somewhere in between.”

I also make a list of characters as they appear in the story and make the connection as I go along. Having read this author before I knew her writing style and was not bothered by her slow, meticulous pace in unfolding the story. She is a master at slowly building the tension right through to the very end. I am always surprised by the ending.

Taking time for the book to connect gave me time to think about all of the options, much as if I were a newcomer to the village. I let Kieran and the author dole out the info as I wondered what more was to come. It was a good way to build suspense.

I was hooked right from the start. I enjoy Harper's writing and have read most of her books and was ready to just settle in for the ride. I was excited to read this book.