A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 “‘Saint X’ is hypnotic. Schaitkin’s characters…are so intelligent and distinctive it feels not just easy, but necessary, to follow them. I devoured [it] in a day.” -Oyinkan Braithwaite, New York Times Book Review When you lose the person who is most essential to you, who do you become? Recommended by Entertainment Weekly, included in Good Morning …
Recommended by Entertainment Weekly, included in Good Morning America’s 20 Books We’re Excited for in 2020 & named as one of Vogue’s Best Books to Read This Winter, Bustle’s Most Anticipated Books of February 2020, and O Magazine’s 14 of the Best Books to Read This February!
Hailed as a “marvel of a book” and “brilliant and unflinching,” Alexis Schaitkin’s stunning debut, Saint X, is a haunting portrait of grief, obsession, and the bond between two sisters never truly given the chance to know one another.
Claire is only seven years old when her college-age sister, Alison, disappears on the last night of their family vacation at a resort on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Several days later, Alison’s body is found in a remote spot on a nearby cay, and two local men–employees at the resort–are arrested. But the evidence is slim, the timeline against it, and the men are soon released. The story turns into national tabloid news, a lurid mystery that will go unsolved. For Claire and her parents, there is only the return home to broken lives.
Years later, Claire is living and working in New York City when a brief but fateful encounter brings her together with Clive Richardson, one of the men originally suspected of murdering her sister. It is a moment that sets Claire on an obsessive pursuit of the truth–not only to find out what happened the night of Alison’s death but also to answer the elusive question: Who exactly was her sister? At seven, Claire had been barely old enough to know her: a beautiful, changeable, provocative girl of eighteen at a turbulent moment of identity formation.
As Claire doggedly shadows Clive, hoping to gain his trust, waiting for the slip that will reveal the truth, an unlikely attachment develops between them, two people whose lives were forever marked by the same tragedy.
For readers of Emma Cline’s The Girls and Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies, Saint X is a flawlessly drawn and deeply moving story that culminates in an emotionally powerful ending.
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*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Was lucky enough to get this for free after seeing it on BookishFirst and wanting to read the whole book, I had seen the book previously on GoodReads but it was a soso book for me as a To Be Read in the first place.
This book was odd, and not what I thought it was. at first I had little interest, read the first few chapters, was hooked, interest dropped off, and was hard to pick back up partially because of the layout but that might have been due to it being an advanced copy but it made it hard to tell when the point of view switched which was annoying and odd but not a total deal breaker so I bumped the score up to a 4 from a 3.5.
I also liked most of the characters and liked how the characters had growth, that’s super great ngl!
Saint X is slightly miraculous. Funny, chilling, moving, and throughout, deeply intelligent. We follow Emily into the depths of her obsessive quest with fascination and, in the end, rise with her as she moves on. This is an utterly original and engrossing novel written with the surest possible hand.
Here is a marvel of a book, a kaleidoscopic examination of race and privilege, family and self, told with the propulsive, kinetic focus of a crime thriller. Brilliant and unflinching, Saint X marks the debut of a stunningly gifted writer. I simply couldn’t stop reading.
This book was awesome! There is a lot of different feelings running through this book and all of te characters are well described and I just had to sit and read it until the last page. This book was like reading a psychological suspense novel, which I am certain it is. This is also a debut book for Alexis Schaitkin, and it was so good I will be waiting for her next book!
In the beginning, a wealthy family goes to a tiny island called Saint X, the mom, dad, a 7 year old little girl named Claire, and her college aged sister Alison. They are having a good time, but Claire is keeping secrets about her sister Allison, who i leading a whole different life at night when everybody is sleeping and she sneaks out.
The night before they leave, Alison sneaks out for the last time, but this time she doesn’t come back. A huge search for her discovers her body floating in a nearby cay. This is so terrifying to Claire, as she is asked questions by the police and does not say anything- she is afraid her parents will blame her for not saying anything the whole time they are there.
Clive and Edwin, their waiters from days spent at the beach have secretly been partying with Alison, and later the last night when she disappears, are arrested, but later released as their is no evidence to really convict them. However Clive is arrested when a search warrant is served at his Grandma’s house and drugs are found.
Many years later when Claire is living and working in New York, she hails a cab, and Clive is the driver! Claire feels this is a sign for her to try to talk to Clive and see what he remembers and if he did harm to her sister.
This is where Claire starts acting like she is psychologically damaged. She starts trailing Clive. After some time passes, she goes into the restaurant he goes to every single night, gets behind him in line, and she acts like she is surprised to see him. She buys him a drink and they sit down together. Claire starts going to the restaurant every other day or so, and after they leave she follows him wherever he goes.
The thing that stands out to me in all of this, is through doing all of this, it becomes less of trying to find out what happened to her sister. This is really what she is doing without realizing this. Claire is trying to live through the memory of her sister. Eventually Clive realizes who she is, and they have a talk about what happened and he disappears.
Claire is devastated but comes to realize that what she knew as a little girl and what she remembers now, are two totally different things.
This book was a real page turner, and I am so glad I read it. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, and I will put this book in my “read again” pile of books. The writing captued my attention from the first page to the last.
I gave this book 5 thrilling stars!
A stellar debut novel, just released by Celadon Books! This is a story that will linger with you, make you uncomfortable, challenge your way of thinking, and last for days while you process what you’ve just read. The story begins with a well off family, visiting Saint X for a family vacation. Two sisters are the center of the story, one young and one college age. Even though the family is well off, they experience much of the same feelings and experiences any of us could relate to, while they are away from home, experiencing a new land, and trying to relax together on vacation. Unfortunately, vacation for this family, ends in tragedy with the death of one sister.
What continues, is a chance to revel in the experiences of those involved in the disappearance, those who were on the island at the time of death, both tourists and locals, and how one horrible experience can affect such a wide variety of people over time, in so many different ways. This story brings together experiences and almost a recreation of a future for some characters, trying to change the direction of their lives based on secrets and what they feel they know as the truth – their truth. Sometimes memories aren’t experienced the same or remembered the same by those who were there at the same time, whether it be age or place in life or what we choose to hold on to as memories. But without a doubt, everyone is affected in some way, shape or form by this horrible occurrence, thus making a mark on the paths each chooses in life.
This book was so well woven together, flowing like the water upon the white sands of Saint X. Whose experience and memories do we truly believe in the end? Pick up this book – another great book club read if you are looking for a wide variety of topics for discussion, while having a book selection that will keep everyone’s interest, from the romance reader to the thrill seeker!
Gorgeous cover and I received this book with palm tree cocktail stirrers, very tropical! Wow what a great debut! It’s beautifully written surrounding a tragic event.
“Claire is only seven years old when her college-age sister, Alison, disappears on the last night of their family vacation at a resort on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Several days later, Alison’s body is found in a remote spot on a nearby cay, and two local men–employees at the resort–are arrested. But the evidence is slim, the timeline against it, and the men are soon released. The story turns into national tabloid news, a lurid mystery that will go unsolved. For Claire and her parents, there is only the return home to broken lives.”
Years later Claire befriends one of the men suspected of murdering Alison. This is a page turner with a few twists! Thank you to Celadon Books for the ARC.
3 stars
I was so excited to get an advance copy of Saint X. I had a love hate relationship with this debut author Alexis Schaitkin. First, I would not market this book as a thriller. It really is a character study and a mystery. I enjoyed the first section. We meet Alison who is killed on Saint X by somebody while the family is vacationing there. I felt I was on the island with her and her family. The descriptions of the island and the characters were amazing. After Alison’s parents return home with their other daughter, Claire, who is eight, the book then jumps around with little sections about people who are on the island and we move forward about twenty years to Claire, now Emily, who lives in New York and she is trying to make sense of what happened to Alison. She explores Alison’s past through Alison’s audio recorded diary. She runs into Gogo, now Clive, who is a taxi driver, in a chance encounter. Just a little too phony. I think the author really has a rough draft and needed a good editor to tighten up the story and take out many pages. I would give this author a second chance with another book to see how her writing matures. So for me, I loved parts of the book and became bored in other parts. Thank you Bookish First and Celadon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Saint X is a good effort for a debut novel but I felt as if the author was trying too hard and that detracted from my enjoyment. Author Alexis Schaitkin does a good job of zeroing in on the differences in cultures and countries and traditions and expectations, and how one event can ripple out and touch so many lives forever. When 7-year old Claire’s big sister Alison disappears and then is found to be murdered life for Claire and her parents is never the same. It isn’t the same for those accused of the murder, those who discover it, anyone touched by it in any remote way. We meet Claire again when she is in her mid-twenties and seemingly successful. Then she happens upon the man she thinks killed her sister, and she becomes more than obsessed. It’s as if she starts to descend into madness. It’s an interesting journey for Claire and those around her from there on.
But much of the book felt like the author just couldn’t get a handle on where she was going with the story or her short story background got in the way. Did she intend to be politically correct or incorrect, condescending, critical, sympathetic. I couldn’t tell. The “island talk” became irritating quickly – “she little dress, he talk to she, she come up to us, on and on. At least be consistent with it if going to do it. You can’t say, “get we fired” but then “touched his shirt.” It’s jarring. I do understand social commentary and coming of age stories, and I also understand a fair number of big words, but there are too many of them and they drag on too long and are not strung together in a way to make it as interesting as it could have been. The descriptions of the surroundings read like National Geographic articles. The story moves along at a likely intentionally slow pace but jumping from character to character as it does doesn’t really give a better picture of these people and their histories, or what they have to do with Claire’s story. There is no magic thread to tie them all together.
The synopsis leads us to believe this is the story of the girl who was murdered and how her sister came to know her. But it spends far too much time on other people; every time a character is mentioned there is a long story about that character making this more a book of short stories than a cohesive tale with feeling. Again, most of the time I felt as if I was reading an exam or a term paper or an article submitted for a job. The author seemed to be trying so hard to cover every single thing, to not disappoint, that I was in fact disappointed.
Thanks to Celadon Books/Macmillan for providing an advance copy for my honest review. Saint X was an interesting study of the world and the people in it and I do look forward to author Schiatkin’s future works as she becomes a more seasoned novelist.
Well reviewed as a literary thriller.
Claire, who now goes by her middle name Emily, has grown obsessed with her sister Alison’s death. It is taking over all aspects of her life. So Schaitkin reveals the story in the time Alison was alive and the media spectacle that followed, to the current time, where Emily is living out her story. Saint X is also told in multiple points of view, to give us Clive, a man who was a suspect in Alison’s disappearance.
For me, there’s a story here, but then there are dozens of side stories, of Clive, Alison, and Emily’s life that meander along and don’t necessarily relate to the arching story or move the story forward. I requested this book because it kept being advertised in my email, recommended by various editors and while the writing is indeed lyrical, there isn’t much of a story. The description of the island, Saint X, are vivid and rich. Other’s are saying it’s a slow-burn mystery and I guess that is apt, though you definitely don’t leave the book feeling as satisfied as you would hope.
BOOK REVIEW
Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
Publication Date: February 18, 2020
352 pages
-DESCRIPTION-
A college age girl goes missing, and is subsiquently found murdered, on the last night of their family vacation. The younger sister, 7 at the time of the murder, later runs into one of the men accused. She then goes on an obsessive quest to find the murderer.
-THOUGHTS-
1. This was definitely a slow burn type of book. Which I am ok with. Do not go into this thinking it’s some type of page turning thriller. It’s just not the case. But again, thats ok.
2. In the end, the main points really are more about the country’s obsession with young, wealthy, girls being kidnapped or murdered. How differently these cases are handled. How much more the media collectively values these lives.
-RATING-
I recommend this book.
-SIMILAR RECOMMENDED READS-
The Perfect Couple
The Wife Between Us
The Woman in the Park
Saint X lives up to its hype! This gripping psychological drama and coming of age story explores the aftermath of those whose stories are forever intertwined due to a tragic murder. I stayed up late into the nights turning pages to follow Claire on her search for the truth about her sister’s murder. The ending is truly mindblowing! This book stays with you long after you finish it and is sure to create quite a discussion about many relevant topics, including privilege, in book clubs. Thank you, Celadon Books, for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I definitely see Saint X becoming an instant bestseller!
When Claire is only seven years old, her eighteen year-old sister Alison disappears and is found dead when their family takes a vacation on a Caribbean island. This book takes place mostly in NYC where Claire, now called Emily, is a young adult working at her first job. By happenstance, she runs into one of the men from the island who was accused of killing her sister, but was not convicted due to lack of evidence. She befriends this man to learn more about what happened to her sister, to the detriment of her own mental health. The initial impression of this book was that it would be a fast paced thriller with a stunning conclusion. However, it is more a commentary on unresolved grief, the assumptions that are made based on race and class, and how one event can shatter the lives of so many. It could still be categorized as a mystery. I found the multiple points of view valuable in understanding the characters and events. Even though, at times, Saint X did not move quickly, it was still a compelling and interesting the read.
“…There is nothing the truth can give you that you cannot give yourself… in the end, you just have to decide. To live. To continue.”
Above all, Alexis Schaitkin’s Saint X is an exploration of how one singular event can reverberate in the most interesting and unpredictable ways. Claire was only seven when her 18-year-old sister, Alison, disappears on the island of Saint X. Years later, Claire has a chance interaction with one of the men who may have been involved. As she begins to become increasingly obsessed with this man and his secrets, her own ability to cope with her sister’s loss becomes untenable.
This novel is so much more than just its seminal event. It’s a whodunit, wrapped in a coming-of-age story, bound with threads of white privilege, implicit biases, and the comforts and complacency that come from socioeconomic privilege. It posits various ways that individuals process and deal with trauma and deceit. There are so many delicious layers to this story, so many truths, so many perspectives, and the narrative unfolds in an enthralling way.
In my opinion, Saint X is a triumphant debut. I cannot wait to read what Schaitkin comes up with next.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**
Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin is a fabulous, gripping, and intricate thriller that has a dash of mystery thrown in to top off this delightful read.
There are several things that I love about this book:
1. I enjoyed the initial premise of the mystery surrounding the disappearance and loss of Claire’s big sister, Alison, and the questions that are presented secondary her death.
2. I find it fascinating that while I was initially drawn into the book due to the initial plot, I found that that is only a fraction of the journey through this book. One finds themes presented that take the reader through not only the young girl’s death, but also the aftermath: what happens to the interrogated, what happens to the family members after such a devastating and tragic loss, how one copes with not only a murder of a loved one, but also a murder that does not have an answer, and what happens/how said events affect individuals long-term.
3. I enjoyed the pace of the book, the twists and turns, and I was satisfied with the ending.
4. I also actually enjoyed (in a way) disliking some of the characters ( adult Claire and Alison). To find them imperfect, spoiled, and selfish made them more real to me.
5. I enjoyed being able to read alternate points of view, not only from Claire and Clive, but also little snippets from other characters as well. It gave the reader a better, well-rounded peak into this story.
6. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the landscapes of this imagined island in the Caribbean and of NYC. The author was able to actually create an image so that I actually felt as if I was there.
This is an excellent book that weaved a complicated and intricate tale that kept me interested till the end. Yes, this is a murder/mystery/thriller, but the author was able to add so much more. And that, ladies and gentlemen sets this book apart from others and will keep it fresh in my mind for many months to come.
Excellent 5/5 stars.
I received a copy of this ARC from the publisher, thank you I really enjoyed the book and this is my honest review.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from this book, and was the first book I have read from this author. Actually I had never heard of them before. This book protrays things that have actually happened before but it isnt about the event, wealthy family visits tropical island and one doesnt leave alive. Having said that, this isn’t the main storyline in the book it is more centered around the younger sister what she grew up believing and what will transpire once she grows up by accident comes across one of the men she believes is responsible for her sisters death. What is truth, what is fiction that is up to us to decide from what we can gather from reading the book. I would certainly recommend this book to others. #ReadSaint# #CeladonReads
Thank you in advance to Celadon Books for sending me this novel to review. A positive review was not required and all views are my own.
“Saint X” is a fictional Caribbean Island. And, while some reviewers will immediately think of Natalee Holloway’s 2005 disappearance from Aruba – readers will be surprised to learn that Schaitkin did not use that as her guide. Yet, some readers might draw the parallel and will be disappointed.
“Saint X” is told from multiple POVs – Claire/Emily, Clive, and several minor characters in a bold face type usually at the end of a “chapter”. Though often it is hard to tell which POV is narrating the “mystery scenes”. Rather than number her chapters, Schaitkin names them to coincide where the story is taking place.
Claire is seven (7) years old when her college age sister Alison disappears on the last night of the family’s vacation on the Caribbean Island of Saint X in 1995. Alison’s body is discovered several days after she went missing.
The Thomas family makes a move out to Pasadena, where Claire becomes Emily – using her middle name.
Her life is changed and not quite the same. Her family still wants the truth of Alison’s death and more so when suspects are found but released when the evidence and timeline doesn’t align with the facts. Ultimately it is decided that Alison’s death was an accident – but her parents refuse to accept that.
Now, as an adult, Emily is living in New York and soon connects with one of the suspects in her sister’s disappearance and murder. It is more by accident than actual planning.
Emily is determined to find the truth about her sister’s death – to get to the bottom of it. It turns from a fact-finding mission to an over-consuming obsession that overwhelms not only her personal life, but work life as well as she lags behind in her work responsibilities so much so that it has dire consequences. Emily is also learning that the Alison she knew isn’t the one that she gets to know. Still, she can’t let go.
Alison, in death, has consumed Emily’s life. Emily begins dogging Clive, trying to get him to slip up, find something that can convince her that he murdered her sister.
But, just as Emily thinks she’s learned the truth – only it’s a truth she’s always known. Readers will be surprised to learn the truth as well. And, in the end, Emily/Claire learns that the truth sometimes does nothing for us. Is seeking closure about hanging on, or letting go?
The end was not what I was expecting, then again that’s probably what the writer had intended. It was a different and unique novel. I was expecting one ending and wound up with an entirely different ending.
Schaitkin weaves in the past and current stories of other characters central to the story – Clive as well the minor voices we hear in it, mostly at the end of a chapter. Though, at times it seems unnecessary and can clutter up the story. It does well to describe the differences between the islanders who live there from day to day and the vacationers.
As one reviewer stated – it was like they were reading, yet making no progress. After reading that review, I will state that I felt the same way. I do believe that some of the writing could’ve been halved and the story would’ve worked out the same.
If you’re looking for a murder-mystery, you won’t find it in this novel. There is no intrigue. In fact, I’m not sure what it is. I don’t know if that is good or bad.
This would probably be a great weekend read from the library for a change of pace depending on your preferred genre.
“Saint X” is Schaitkin’s debut novel