The Forgotten Ones

Author: Steena Holmes
Genre: Suspense, Canadian
Type: Trade Paperback
Pages: 348
Source: Local Public Library
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
First Published: April 1, 2018
First Line: "I always knew I was headed for hell; I just never expected it to happen like this."

Book Description from GoodReads: Elle is a survivor. She’s managed to piece together a solid life from a childhood of broken memories and fairy tales her mom told her to explain away bad dreams. But weekly visits to her mother still fill Elle with a paralyzing fear she can’t explain. It’s just another of so many unanswered questions she grew up with in a family estranged by silence and secrets.

Elle’s world turns upside down when she receives a deathbed request from her grandfather, a man she was told had died years ago. Racked by grief, regrets, and a haunted conscience, he has a tale of his own to tell Elle: about her mother, an imaginary friend, and two strangers who came to the house one night and never left.

As Elle’s past unfolds, so does the truth—if she can believe it. She must face the reasons for her inexplicable dread. As dark as they are, Elle must listen…before her grandfather’s death buries the family’s secrets forever.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

My Review: The Forgotten Ones is a compelling, complex and haunting family drama that has a wonderful tension throughout, well-drawn characters and emotionally charged issues such as tragedy, loss, secrets and a family dealing with generations of mental illness. Steena Holmes has set her story within her childhood hometown of Kincardine, Ontario and I enjoyed the local touches she sprinkled throughout the story.

This was a highly addicting read as Holmes slowly unravels the secrets of this complicated family and fills the pages with wonderful tension making readers just as eager as Elle to find the truth about her family - their secrets, lies and omissions. I had my guesses about what really happened, and, in the end, I was correct but the journey to get the answers was wonderfully suspenseful and expertly paced. The only reason I shaved off half a star from my rating is due to the ending because it didn't feel as strong as the rest of the book. I was hoping for one last twist. 

This is a compulsive, hard-to-put-down, wonderfully Canadian read that is filled with tension and illustrates how mental illness impacts entire families. I'm so glad I've found this new-to-me author and look forward to reading more of her work.  

Note: Due to the issues raised, as well as the complicated bonds between the characters, The Forgotten Ones would make an excellent book club selection.