Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

At first I was unsure of the writing style and thought I may struggle to get into the book. How wrong I was. Beautifully executed storyline.

Unfortunately I don't think I will be continuing with this book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review however I just couldn't get into the story and have decided it's not for me so have decided to put it down at this stage. I'm sure others will read and enjoy in future.

Unfortunately this wasn't for me. It took me 3 attempts to get part way through the book and I found some of the storyline weird and the characters a little unbelievable - hence the 1 star.

At first I really enjoyed this book. Great mystery with a family immigrated from China with some settling in America and some in the Netherlands. About a third in it became boring, predictable, and quite frankly annoying. The annoying part was the overly flowery way of stating things by some characters. It was as if this was the movie version of how people think Chinese speak all the time. It kind of ruined it for me. The book did revive itself in the last third with many stories wrapping up in an unexpected way.. Because of the beginning and the end, and because the overall structure of the story was great, I'm giving it 4 stars though I really had to talk myself out of three.

A poignant novel, this is beautifully written and highly engaging.

It surrounds the disappearance of Sylvie after she travels to the Netherlands. Told from the perspective of a number of characters, including Sylvie herself, although it's slow to start, it soon hooks you and forces you to keep reading until the bittersweet end.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

I love the characters and how they develop in the story and how the plot is told through out the story.
The book is written in multiple narratives which means you get the story from different characters point of view which I think was a really beautiful way to write this. I actually cried a few times! I think there are also some really poignant moments regarding race through out the story and how this affected the characters lives. I would definitely recommend this book

A beautifully written story and an enjoyable read. Fascinating with great plot twists. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I enjoyed this book. It was different and well written wit interesting characters. I liked that it was written from different viewpoints.
I would definitely recommend.
Thank you Netgalley and John Murray Press for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion

Amy's sister Sylvie has vanished. She was last seen in the Netherlands visiting family but she never returned. Amy decides to try and find her but nobody seems too concerned. Amy is about to learn more about her sister and what really happening those last days.

This was an interesting read and the final conclusion is so sad. You figure it out along the way but it still hits you when you finally get to it, especially the reasons behind it. There's a couple of good twists along the way and the extracts from Sylvie give the story the depth it needed. It just seems to drag a little in the middle. The ending was good and finished the book in a way befitting of the story. An interesting mystery.

An intriguing and absorbing story concerning the disappearance of a young lady, Sylvia Lee, and her sister’s search for her. Set in the Netherlands and New York and focussing on family dynamics, it reads from different viewpoints and highlights some issues for an immigrant family.
A very enjoyable read.

Such a great escapism! Really enjoyed this book. Have been recommending to friends since! Great character development and backstories, and loved the overall plot!

This was a very different read and not something I would normally choose. However I have to say I enjoyed the book, I thought it was well told and I liked the characters. I would like to read more from the author in the future.

I was immediately drawn to this book and intrigued when I first read the blurb.
And I have to agree with most, this is a beautifully written story, that I'm glad I had the opportunity to read.
It being told from the perspective of Sylvie herself, in the lead up to her disappearance, her sister who travels from the US to look for her and her mother who decides to stay in the US, made me want to read more and more.
This was despite the fact that it did feel like it was slow to really get going in the beginning.
It has secrets and lies, as you might expect from such a story but also deals with family dynamics, loss and the struggles of being an immigrant, regardless of where they choose to live and settle.
This was the first book by Jean Kwok that I've read but I will definitely be seeking out more from her in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read Jean Kwok's previous novel Girl in translation, I enjoyed the insight into the difficulties of an immigrant family and their struggles.
Searching for Sylvia Lee is totally different although at at time when Black lives matter we also see the discrimination and prejudice against the Chinese especially in a cultural country like the Netherlands.
One of the things that appealed about this novel was the Chinese sayings which cropped up throughout, very wise and meaningful, also the food descriptions of both Dutch and Chinese food.
Story told from three different points of view with two time lines, but easy to follow.
Sylvie appears to be the attractive, successful, wealthy woman who has made a good marriage and career, Amy is the pretty little sister who has had a seemingly easy life. As the story unfolds we see that neither of these things is strictly true , deep unhappiness and secrets will come to the service as the novel gathers pace, keeping us guessing to the end..

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Well written and proof read which is a joy!

Sylvie Lee vanishes in The. Netherlands. There are lots of reasons why she might, and who might be responsible for her disappearance ... but there’s a secret that we don’t see coming. The tension builds & builds in this book. It’s told over 2 months & from the point of view of Sylvie, before she disappears, her sister who travels from the US to look for her and their mum who remains in the US. For me, I learnt lots about some Chinese traditions that I wasn’t familiar with, as well as a few Dutch ones!

I read this very quickly & enjoyed it very much. I’d definitely recommend this book.

A compelling and intriguing story. This is a new author for me, but I will be reading more from Jean Kwok. Beautifully written and well crafted, Shows immigration from a different viewpoint. Loved it. Recommended.

This is a beautifully written novel with a powerful plot. Sylvie Lee spent the first nine years of her life in the Netherlands where she was mostly raised by her grandma, she then moved to New York to live with her parents and younger sister Amy. She has built a successful career in management consultancy. When she hears that her grandma is seriously ill she returns to the Netherlands but disappears shortly afterwards. Amy is desperate to find out where she is and flies out after her. This is a wonderful story about family, family secrets and family lies.

Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Searching for Sylvia Lee by Jean Kwok is an absorbing story of the disappearance of a young woman in a foreign land and the search for her by her sister. I found the book slow to get going and considered abandoning it but persevered and can say I enjoyed it. It’s well written and focuses on the themes of ambition, family secrets and forbidden love. I always enjoy the technique of storytelling from different characters’ viewpoints and this was done exceptionally well. I’d certainly read more by this author who is new to me. My thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Searching for Sylvie Lee. Jean Kwok.

Intricate and poetic, this is a mystery with many twists and turns told by multiple narrators..

Sylvie Lee has always been the beautiful one, the clever one, the successful one, the one who has everything but now she is missing and her sister Amy cannot understand why.

Amy is the quiet sister lacking in confidence, brought up with her parents in a tiny apartment in New York’s Chinatown. Sylvie is the opposite and has been brought up in wealth by her aunt and uncle in Holland. Despite their differences the sisters love each other dearly and when Sylvie vanishes Amy is determined to find her. As she searches the facade that has been Sylvie’s life gradually and painfully falls away. Her marriage, her career, her childhood have not been the dazzling success Amy had imagined.

As the novel opens we learn that Sylvie has flown back to the Netherlands to see her beloved grandmother who is dying but some time later she has not returned and is not returning calls. The family in Holland think she has returned to New York but there, they are convinced she is still in Holland. Amy determines to find her. To solve the mystery of her disappearance.

This is a story of secrets and lies; between family and between friends and what the consequences of them can be. It’s a meditation on how we see ourselves and how others see us; a story of love and of loss but also one of hope.