The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

 

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

Publication Date: March 23, 2021

The Lost Village is a novel about a Swedish town that was completely abandoned by its citizens back in the late 1950's. Everyone knew that the town's only source of income was its mines and that the mines had been shut down and the workers sent home. The town, Silvertjarn, was a very remote village that relied heavily on its mining resources so once that resource became exhausted most of the villagers began thinking of moving elsewhere, unfortunately they never got that opportunity. 

Alice is a modern day young filmmaker who hopes her big break is shedding light on the community of Silvertjarn. She is hoping to make a documentary film showcasing the abandoned village and hopefully trying to solve what may have happened to its inhabitants. Alice learned about the village from her grandmother, Margarita. Margarita grew up in the village, but moved away when she married. She still had family that lived in the village and was always heartbroken about their disappearance. Margarita never knew what happened to her entire family with the disapperance of Silvertjan. Alice deeply wants to solve this family mystery for her grandmother. 

Alice gathers a team of five collegues along with filming equipment and camping supplies and heads for Silvertjarn. Their plan is to spend a total of six days exploring the abandoned homes and businesses and documenting their findings to come back at a later date to make a full blown documentary. The task seems simple, but the team soon finds out that the town isn't as abandoned as they thought. 

This book kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It was a thrill ride! The thought of an abandoned village in the middle of nowhere is creepy in and of itself, but to know that its inhabitants vanished without a trace added to creepiness. I found myself looking over my shoulder while reading it, it was that creepy. I felt Camilla Sten's writing style to be completely immersive. She added just enough lulls in the story for your heart to stop racing before adding in another scare element. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur books for an advanced copy for an honest review. 

For Purchase: The Lost Village