I may be influenced by Weir’s film adaptation (which I had to study for year 12 Literature), but Picnic at Hanging Rock completely blew me away. Lindsay has such a dreamy, vivid way of writing and I loved how she was able to make me feel like I was one with the book. 

If you like your novels wrapped up with a neat bow, then I’m afraid this story may not be for you. Interpretations are very open-ended, but I kinda like that about this novel. I loved studying this book because I could have my own theories on what happened behind the disappearance of the girls. Murder? Kidnapping? Running away? Aliens? All of these were valid points that my Lit classmates came up with (yes, I’m serious.)

All in all, you should give this novel a try if you love mysterious novels that involve overbearing figures in the early 1900s, Australia.

This book is a tale of the unsolved disappearance of a group of schoolgirls on a picnic trip and how that shock reverberates through their community and changes other characters’ lives forever.

The points of view are all well done in terms of having different voices and showing which aspects of what had happened mattered to them. I understand from the introduction that there were originally supernatural elements that were toned down for publication and I think that was a good call. 

Due to the setting and the publication date, there are a few things that seem pretty dated, including racially insensitive language and a weird obsession with bullying one of the children for being fat.