Arcadia Falls

by Carol Goodman

For two hundred years, painters, poets and musicians have come to the Catskill Mountain village of Arcadia Falls to escape the pressures of modern life and pursue their artistic visions, and Arcadia College was founded with a mission to nurture young artists and writers. When Meg Rosenthal gets an offer to teach at Arcadia College, it seems a godsend - an escape from a life that's fallen apart. She hopes, too, that Arcadia Falls will be a place where she and her daughter Sally can find some peace and reconciliation. But even though Arcadia Falls proves to be even more beautiful then Meg imagined, it is hardly peaceful. Soon she begins to realize that the public story behind the school conceals deceit, betrayal, and perhaps even murder. As Meg struggles to reconcile the choices she's made in her own life, she begins to fear that by coming to Arcadia Falls she's put herself and her daughter in danger.

• ISBN10: 0345497538
• ISBN13: 9780345497536
• Publish Date: 22 March 2010 (first published 9 March 2010)
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Out of Print: 25 September 2012
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Random House Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 355
• Language: English

Reviews

[violetpeanut]

I generally enjoyed this book. It was a little magical, a little eerie, with a little mystery and a twist I didn't expect.

The story of the changeling that is told during the first part of the book is charming and that it was woven into the atmosphere and landscape of the setting really set the scene well for the rest of the story.

I most enjoyed the entries from Lily's journal. I actually would have preferred that this book be about Lily and Vera and the school rather than about the present day characters. I was disappointed every time those sections ended and we returned to the present. I understand why the author chose to write the book this way but, for me, it really hindered the flow of the book. I understand the use of the parallel storylines but in some places things were very choppy.

I didn't completely like main character or her daughter Sally. I don't think Sally was ever really fleshed out. She was the stereotypical troubled teenager who wants her distance from her parent. I never really felt like I connected with either of them. I liked Lily much more.

The end of the book ties up all the loose ends and has a couple of surprising twists that will satisfy many readers but they seemed a little bit far-fetched to me. Also, the idea that 3 people die on a school campus and there's not more of a police presence than the one lone sheriff and not more of a public outcry and investigation seems a little ridiculous.

Overall, this was enjoyable and I would definitely check out more by this author. The scene description and metaphor within the fairy tale alone were fantastic. The atmosphere was very well done and that alone makes this worth the read in my opinion.