Hi everyone! To anyone who’s read this book as well, I just finished reading The Floating Girls by Lo Patrick and the biggest mystery of all was left ambiguous with a tiny clue at the last page that I can’t make sense of! I was completely swept away in the story and was really enjoying it and couldn’t put the book down only to be left feeling like the book was unfinished in the end 😭 the ending - “She was making him something. It was an Accident. Please leave Andy Alone.” I cant make sense of it at all! Did Sarah Anne make a necklace for Andy? Did Sue-Bess kill Sarah Anne or did Andy? Was Sarah Anne Spotted in the marsh with Andy? Or Nile? Please help me understand what is being implied, or what you theorize actually happened to Sarah Anne, I am so stressed by the lack of closure after being fed all these details throughout the whole thing only for them to be just disregarded in the end like they were just breadcrumbs that’s meant nothing 😭

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Aromatic-Ad8286 OP t1_issxnt6 wrote on October 18, 2022 at 1:57 PM

#132,319

Been looking for discussions about it on online but I can’t seem to find any

nkbl_dog t1_itjkp4c wrote on October 24, 2022 at 2:52 AM

#197,070

I just read the book too and have been looking for discussions. I read the last page a few times. I think Sarah Anne made the necklace for Andy, She was spotted with Andy in the marsh. I guess Andy killed her? But I don't know why. Sue bess says it was an accident.. so she knew somehow that he killed her?

Aromatic-Ad8286 OP t1_itlr7nk wrote on October 24, 2022 at 4:09 PM

#203,323

Replying to nkbl_dog (#197,070)

Thank you so much for responding, and for your insight as well! So do you think (theory-wise), that Sarah Anne would go to Andy’s house often because she wanted to see Andy? I remember reading a part where it was mentioned that Sarah Anne was going over there way before Kay did, and also a part where Andy asked Kay (I think twice) where her sister was and Kay would brush it off cos she liked him. Also, the part where Kay’s dad gets really mad and spends some time alone outside and she hears him say something like “that b*tch is gonna get it” and she heard a door close, but we don’t know who he means by ‘she’. The mother of their friend who would “pay the dad in return for leaving her son with his kids” while she fooled around / did the “groceries” or something also went unexplained. It feels like all the other stuff were just red herrings? Like how it seemed to be implied that the 2 deaths were connected, or how the mom’s dress was wet the day Sarah Anne was missing. The woman with the monkeys buried Sarah Anne in her back yard? How did it get to that point? Sarah Anne’s inappropriate behavior to the kids at school, no explanation for what led her to be that way either. So many things left cut out or with no resolution

nkbl_dog t1_itmc4zh wrote on October 24, 2022 at 6:24 PM

#205,446

Replying to Aromatic-Ad8286 (#203,323)

>before

I feel the same way about wanting more information! For me, I thought that yes, Sarah Anne was going to Andy's house to see him, not his dad because Sarah Anne mentioned Andy sometimes I think and Andy knew her as well and seemed interested in her like you mentioned.

I think that when Kay's dad got mad, he was talking about the mom. He had gotten mad at her before that ( I forgot why). I wonder if that is when he decided he was going to turn her in? I think it was definitely about mom.

I think the whole groceries thing was just something Kay added as the narrator since it happened a lot and it kinda showed the family were loners other than this arrangement when they watched the kid.

Yeah, I thought the two deaths were gonna be connected too.. I am still confused who killed Sarah Anne.. I know she made the necklace for Andy but who killed her. I guess maybe the mom was looking for her in the marsh the day she went missing, knowing that she spent time with Andy. I think it must have been Andy because Andy knew about the monkeys, maybe he knew about the bones and he is the one who put Sarah Annes bones there. OR maybe his dad helped him...???

I feel the inappropriate behavior at school was to showcase more about how weird Sarah Anne was and it kinda explained why she did not go to school and stuff. I wonder if she was touched by the mom or dad and that is why she did it.. ugh!! IDK! so many things I want to know more of- but I think that is what makes a good book.

Newandenjoying t1_itsuhqv wrote on October 26, 2022 at 1:22 AM

#230,613

I too just finished reading and I believe it was Andy. Like you, I was stuck between accepting this cliffhanger while loving the whole “leave it to the reader” feeling, and getting pretty upset that I had no conclusion. Re-reading the prologue helped me conclude it was Andy. I can’t help but think that the prologue was describing the Marsh in the perspective of the lady who owned the Monkey where it describes her living waaaaaay in the back of the Marsh who quietly witnesses everything, and according to the prologue, she ends up witnessing the murder of Sarah-Anne. I also believe it’s in her perspective because throughout the book they referenced the lady with the monkey's essentially being invisible, and the only person who knew she was living farther back was Andy. The prologue also eludes to the murder by drowning. Maybe Andy drowned Sarah for revenge? Maybe Nile?

Now, I feel like the book made it pretty clear that Nile and Clay definitely got on the boat and left for work…I was also a little skeptic about it, but if Nile went on the boat and knew Andy killed Sarah, it explains why he felt soooo bad and took the kids in.

Kay also referenced Andy’s work boots a few times then later mentioned finding the boot print in the shed.

It was either Andy or Nile…but I’m leaning more towards Andy. Sorry my notes are all over the place!