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I think we have synchronicity of feelings and irritation here. No FAIR not telling what happened in the past mystery. I had hope right up to the last page and the finding of the leaf-shaped artifact. Dang.

I'm with Deb; I think Rob somehow killed his friends accidentally or on purpose in reaction to the surge of feelings that came with kissing Jamie. He described how much bigger he had suddenly gotten, and anyone who has lived with a boy of that age knows they go through a stage where they cannot walk across a room without breaking something because they have no sense of their new size and strength and how much space they now require. So I suspect that either exuberance or hormones perhaps perceived jealousy of Peter kicked in at that moment.

And I was so annoyed with Rob at his treatment of Cassie, especially when she was willing to let it go and get back to their friendship. I think you're right about his inability to have an intimate relationship and noted Heather's line too but I don't think he's a psychopath devoid of conscience etc as defined by Cassie. He's really screwed up by what happened I think and his inner world cracks and shifts after a sexual encounter.

Jodi said: There is another book out that continues with Cassie (not sure if Rob/Adam appears or not). I did enjoy it, and ran to it gratefully after giving up on Secret History, but I have quibbles Does that reveal what happened in the woods?

I was way ticked off when it seemed they were going to blame the whole thing on Damien--mucho relieved when it turned out to be Rosalind after all--then ticked again when she essentially got away with it.

The author seems to have a really bleak essence, killing off everyone's spirit the way she did. The book could have been cut in half too--way too long for the subject matter when essentially nothing happened to further the story for great gobs of pages. It was certainly ranks above the average writing for this kind of book, but in the end, I'm not sure that counts for much when you're reading it for the mystery and want to keep moving along. The middle chunk felt like we were back in the woods with Harry and Hermione--wandering searching boring.

Why do you think it was so well received by the critics?

This is really interesting that we are reacting to the same things. Now that I don't have to worry about spoilers, I think I'll check out some of the reviews and I think I saw a place where French discussed her approach to this book (but was afraid to read before). Hmmm I think it was French.

From the little I've read over at LT today, the positives were based on the complexity of the characters, the writing, and the emotional depth, or some such.

Wasn't it interesting how we changed our feelings toward Rob as more was revealed? Man was I pissed when he treated Cassie so badly.

From what I read in an interview about her next book, The Likeness, she doesn't solve Rob's mystery there either.

I don't mind too horribly when a series allows a relationship or career question to continue, like in Three Pines with Gamache's career problems, or the development of the characters in E George or R Hill, but not to resolve the Secondary Plot line????? Hello--not cute. But she blows it off as the kind of story she (French) would enjoy, so that makes it ok?