Readable and compelling - really got swept up in these characters, and the writing style made it very easy to completely get absorbed into their lives and world. Kept me interested right up to the end

Missing Pieces by Laura Pearson a thrilling five-star read. This is a compelling read and one that I can’t pigeon hole into one genre, there is a lot going on in this story and just when you think you know what is happening and who your heart is breaking for, things happen and you will be left reeling and compelled to read more pages, even when I was tired and emotional I still couldn’t put it down. Each character of the family will reveal another detail of the story and what a story. I am gobsmacked that this is a debut novel, this is a talent that I am sure will only get better and better.

I loved this book. I wasn't sure I would, but I did and it barely took a few pages before I was hooked. This story is devastatingly sad, but makes for a gripping read. The characters are so well rounded and realistic. You feel yourself empathising with them all. A really well written, realistic account of how families can fall apart and com together. A must read.

This is a story about a family that falls apart and the small ways in which is begins to rebuild itself, forever changed.
This story had some difficult subject matters in, and quite raw points of views from different characters that I found bravely honest at times. It’s a story that lets you see the worst of people at their worst times.

A beautifully written and emotional story, which pulls at the heartstrings. A book about a highly troubled family, with an unexpected and satisfying conclusion. Definitely worth reading

Really enjoyed this read......very moving;gripping;very realistic characters;beautifully written.
Linda's perfect family falls apart after the death of her second child and the birth of her third. Can Linda cope?
I don't want to give any spoilers to this impressive debut novel.

This is a heartbreaking read and one that had me gripped from the very first pages. There’s something about tragedy and loss that keeps you reading. Perhaps it’s a way of working through the worries and horrors that fill a mother’s head. A catharsis; a purging of anxiety maybe.

The writing was so real and compelling, particularly in the first half, it completely pulled me in. The second half took me a while to process the transition and connect with the characters again, but by the end of the book I was with them again.

The relationship between Esme and her father is so poignant and beautiful. The scene where he laid her on her bed whispering his sorrys made my heart actually ache.

I loved Esme and wanted to wrap her in a hug both as child and adult. I liked how real she was - how her childhood flaws were revealed. Laura Pearson clearly understands the complexity of children - their vulnerable, loving, unpredictable, and even cruel nature.

A story of family love and loss, and finding hope after tragedy. This is definitely an accomplished debut novel.

Heartbreaking, touching and devastatingly written! The family is torn apart by grief and you are taken on a whirlwind journey of a family falling apart, to finally coming together
A family’s unspoken secret, a unknown sister and everyone holding themselves accountable. Brilliant. Absolutely outstanding and would recommend wholeheartedly


What if the one thing that kept you together was breaking you apart?

All Linda wants to do is sleep. She won’t look at her husband. She can’t stand her daughter. And she doesn’t want to have this baby. Having this baby means moving on, and she just wants to go back to before. Before their family was torn apart, before the blame was placed.

Alienated by their own guilt and struggling to cope, the Sadler family unravels. They grow up, grow apart, never talking about their terrible secret.

That is until Linda’s daughter finds out she’s pregnant. Before she brings another Sadler into the world, Bea needs to know what happened twenty-five years ago. What did they keep from her? What happened that couldn’t be fixed?

A devastating mistake, a lifetime of consequences. How can you repair something broken if pieces are missing?

Without doubt, one of the saddest stories I've ever read. It broke my heart.

I won't give away the plot details, but the book deals with the aftermath of a child's death, and how her loss affects her parents and siblings.

The author has captured the utter devastation and ongoing fallout of such a loss - the grief, the shock, the guilt, the what-ifs and if-onlys - and how hard - indeed impossible in some cases - it is for people to move on afterwards.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

This is a real humdinger of a novel, it hits you between the eyes and penetrates your soul. It is heartfelt, absolutely full of darkness and you really can relate to her pain.

Yes, it is a very sad story but it's written in two parts to try and balance the family dynamic. It is cleverly written and thoughtfully planned out. Definitely one to grab as soon as you can! Loved it.

Oh my goodness, this book was heart wrenching!! Every parent & child nightmare, that could happen to anyone, and this Author has captured all the characters side of their own story /feelings all in one go!! I couldn't put it down!!

Beautifully sad story of the Sadler family and the impact of baby Phoebe’s tragic death at the age of 3. Each of them feels responsible and carries that terrible feeling throughout, but it is not until 25 years later when Bea, who was born just after Phoebe’s death, asks older sister Esme to tell her what happened that the true events are slowly revealed. The only thing that let it down from me was the “big reveal”, although I hadn’t guessed what actually happened, the manner of her death came as no surprise.

After the build up at the beginning of the book, I was expecting to be blown away. It didn't happen. I felt this was a sad story with a happy ending which was too neat. I was quite cross when Bea's story kicked in half way through, as I thought the interim should have been explored more. I did not particularly like the characters and thought the writing was ordinary.

What happens when a sibling passes away? Pheobe is only 3 when she dies (do not want to say how as will spoil the whole story) Each family member feels somewhat responsible for this terrible accident. The story of Esme (7 at the time her sister died) How she copes, how her relationship with her parents might change, guilt. Bea is the younger sister (not born when Pheobe died) This tale is a heart wrenching view of death and how families try to deal with the aftermath. Beautifully written, I felt the sorrow the loss, but, it was written in a sympathetic way, absolutely loved it and well worth a read

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazingly emotional book

wow where to start....a parents worst nightmare, the death of a child....and this book hits every nerve going...a slow build up but you know right from the beginning the worst has happened and its the fallout from that....

the characters are well written and you feel for them and wonder how much more can life throw at them...
have to say i couldnt put the book down and hoped i wasnt on the bus in floods of tears when i found out how it all happened...

this author though is one to keep an eye out for...

In Missing Pieces Laura Pearson has vividly portrayed a father's love for his children, even in the pain of deep trauma.

A very moving read,with emotion and brings you to tears in some parts. About the demise of a family, tragedy and loss. A very well written debut.

This book moved me to tears! It’s about a family’s demise after devastating loss, but it also tells the story of a family’s survival.
Bea wants to know what happened all those years ago, when she was born. Esme tells her in a series of letters, because she can’t bring herself to talk. There’s also their father, Tom, who brings up his girls under the shadow of blame that both he and Esme feel. I really wanted them to find their happy ending, and they kept moving toward it. Bea is bringing a new life into the world; her decisions are long ranging for herself and her baby. Tom rekindles an old love; healing him. Esme discovers that she deserves to be loved.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I couldn’t put it down!

It has taken me a couple of days to write the review of this book, as I was still thinking about how moving it was, and how the characters stay with you. The main character, Essie, is complex; we learn about her from a young age to an adult, and how her life was changed beyond belief by a tragic accident at the age of 7. She suffers further trauma later in her young life. After the loss of her younger sister Phoebe, the whole family never recovers - understandably - and we learn how destructive their grief becomes, how it affects not only the existing members but also her unborn sister, whose later life is also greatly affected. The book is beautifully written, so sad and moving, yet such an endearing story, you get to know the characters intimately and feel like you just want to reach out to them. Essies Father tries his best after the death of his beloved daughter, however he is unable to act how he wants to and display his affection as his wife is truly broken. Her Mother is beyond heartbroken and cannot see a way out of her fog. She has no interest in her living daughter and the baby she is carrying. He is unable to reach her and subsequently falls into the arms of an old flame. The book jumps forward after further tragedy and we now meet the unborn sister, and find out how life has been for her until she is in her late twenties. A life changing event leads her to want to reconnect with the family she has drifted from, and it eventually makes them all complete again. The past unfolds and secrets come out, some shocking, some as expected, but always moving. This book tells the story of love, loss, sibling relationships, parental love, friendship, growing up and growing old. I found it impossible to put down and struggled to believe it was a debut novel, it was told in such an amazing way, and how cleverly it all came together. A truly beautiful read. I will absolutely be looking for this authors next book.

This wasn't for me, but I can see why some people liked it. It was marketed as a weepie of rare magnitude but I found it emotionally manipulative, as if it was trying too hard to be super-sentimental. I kept waiting to like the characters but maybe I'm not empathetic or sensitive enough - I just thought they were generally bland. Sorry but it just wasn't my thing.