No-one weaves a yarn like Lisa Jewell. I started reading this at 11pm last night and literally did not put it down until 2.37am this morning - no way I was sleeping until the very last word.
Twists, red herrings and suspicions are thrown around left right and centre - really questioning what it means to be 'innocent'.
I have read and watched a lot of books and TV shows involving 'incels' recently, all somewhat following the same pattern. It's testament to Lisa Jewell's writing that she is the first to really find the heart, soul and realism within - the first to portray a character in all his humanity.
Whilst some elements of the book are predictable, this does not detract from the story or the suspense - I presume she wanted us to know. With all of her books, I always feel as though there's another story behind the story, and more to be discovered.
I didn't enjoy this as much as The Family Upstairs or The House We Grew Up In, but that is a matter of personal taste; those two books had something that resonated personally for me. I believe elements of this book will resonate strongly with others,
Great book, addictive reading ....early night for me tonight!!!

LISA JEWELL – INVISIBLE GIRL

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If it’s one thing this page-turner of a novel amply demonstrates, it’s that you can’t judge a book by its cover. The covers in this case being the seemingly perfect Fours family – mother Cate, father Roan, son Josh, daughter Georgia- and the weird nerd of a little man Owen Pick who lives opposite them with his aunt. But everything is not what it seems.

This is a veritable onion of a novel, with layers peeled back and revealed in dozens of short chapters following each of the well-rounded characters. The basic plot revolves round Roan and Saffyre Maddox, a self-harming young girl he was helping professionally who becomes his stalker and her disappearance, and Owen Pick, the self-doubting man accused of her murder. With the advent of social media, and tabloids knowing which emotive buttons to push to get their reader’s inevitable reactions, this story demonstrates the dangers of forming easy opinions from heresay and gossip and acting upon them as though they are facts.

I don’t want to give away plot spoilers, but one by one, secrets are revealed, and though we the reader are kept one jump ahead of the police, there are sufficient twists and turns to keep the most lethargic of readers firmly hooked. This is my first Lisa Jewell book and I really enjoyed it.

I received a free copy from Netgalley below is the blurb

"It is nearly midnight, and very cold. Yet in this dark place of long grass and tall trees where cats hunt and foxes shriek, a girl is waiting...
When Saffyre Maddox was ten something terrible happened and she's carried the pain of it around with her ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn't, and now she hides from him, invisible in the shadows, learning his secrets; secrets she could use to blow his safe, cosy world apart.
Owen Pick is invisible too. He's thirty-three years old and he's never had a girlfriend, he's never even had a friend. Nobody sees him. Nobody cares about him.
But when Saffyre Maddox disappears from opposite his house on Valentine's night, suddenly the whole world is looking at him. Accusing him. Holding him responsible.
Because he's just the type, isn't he? A bit creepy?"

Having read The Family Upstairs by the same author I was really looking forward to reading this book and it did not disappoint. The book has chapters from different characters perspectives and follows different timelines with each character. If you have enjoyed her previous books you will enjoy this one. The character I liked best was Owen, the creepy guy who lives over the road from the Fours, he has such a miserable existence, can't really say much more without giving away the story line.. Definitely a mystery to be solved with this one with things not being quite as they appear on the surface. I have to be honest though and say I prefered The Family Upstairs, however, still a good read.

3.5* A good intro to this author, though the too-many characters got a bit confusing.

This tale wasn't at all what I thought it might end up being, but it was a good intro to this author, as she put together a tale that dovetailed and meshed well, with surprises coming at me throughout.

At times, though, I was confused by the many characters that she introduced, and their seemingly non-importance to the overall arc of the tale, but here's where LJ did really well to bring all together.

I'd certainly read more from her, though I couldn't quite see this version of one of the poshest parts of London town described as it was, though of course, it takes just one bad apple...

ARC courtesy of Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

I read my first Lisa Jewell many years ago and she just keeps on getting better and better. I rate two of her previous books, 'I Found You' and 'Watching You' as two of my favourite books of the past few years. When that happens it sometimes easy to expect too much from an author but she really has pulled it off again with Invisible Girl. Troubled teen, 17 year old Saffyre has gone missing, 34 year old Owen is making a mess of his life and Cate Fours can't trust her husband. At first it seems unlikely that these three characters could come in a novel but with Lisa's genius at weaving complex storylines together it just works. A totally absorbing plot meant yet again I read it in less than 2 days. Write faster please Lisa!

It took me a little while to get into this book, but when I did I couldn’t put it down. Well worth reading and thoroughly recommend.

Lisa Jewell knows how to keep your attention. The book touches on many aspects of life. But centres around four main characters
Saffyre, a troubled teenager. She lives with her Uncle. Was abused at a young age.
Owen. A teacher who is suspended from his job at a college after accusations are made against him.
Roan Fours. A counsellor who once treated Saffyre and has secrets of his own.
Cate Fours. Wife of Roan and mum to Josh and Georgia.
After Saffyre goes missing, Owen is accused of the crime but are things really what they seem. Do others really know what happened on Valentines night?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review

This is a wonderful physiological thriller that is really well written with captivating characters. It literally consumed me and I read this book near enough straight through in a day. The storyline was intriguing, addictive and thoroughly enjoyable.

The story is told from three POV's; Cate Fours, Owen Pick and Saffyre Maddox. The characters are so real and the story believable with so many different perspectives my head was spinning but in a good way.

Honestly, there are so many twists and turns in this story it was hard to keep up. Just when I thought I had it all sussed out in my head and I thought I knew which way this story was going, this very clever author flipped it all around and I was back to square one.

The chapters were short which I loved and the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" definitely comes to mind. There is a lesson to be learnt in this book and one that Lisa Jewel has portrayed exceptional well. This is a definite must-read.

I enjoyed reading this book. I could relate to the characters, and found them interesting. I knew at the start who I was rooting for, but had to wait right until the end to find out what had happened. It certainly kept me guessing!

Although an enjoyable enough read this falls short of Jewell's last novel "Watching You". I found myself failing to feel much empathy with the main characters. The theme is based around damaged children some of whom are now adults. The common thread is they are all now deeply scarred and understandably their behaviour can be violent or self-harming. These traits provide plenty tension-filled moments as we read of young girls and women being assaulted in the smart and leafy Hampstead . Whilst the result are plenty of twists and turns and numerous suspects, I was left feeling somewhat short-changed by the deeply complex psychological issues not being woven more tightly into the plot.

A string of sexual assaults in Cate's neighborhood make her worry for the safely of her teenage daughter, but when a young girl with ties to her husband mysteriously disappears from just outside their front door, she begins to question whether she can even trust the people closest to her.

This is a very good thriller but not a great thriller. I found myself staying up until the early hours of the morning saying “Just another chapter” until my eyes finally gave up on me. This would usually be the sign of a five-star read but the conclusion didn't feel as satisfying as I thought it would and I struggled to understand one of the character's actions. However, I enjoyed reading it and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up something else by Lisa Jewell in the future.

Thank you, #NetGalley and Random House UK for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic book from Lisa Jewell who as far as I'm concerned has never written a bad book. The characters in this story are extremely well developed and play their role magnificently. The plot is intense and creepy throughout. Excellent read.

This book had me turning pages pretty quickly. Creepy and suspenseful with very real characters. Recommended.
ARC copy

Real characters, pertinent issues, Lisa Jewell has once again produced a wonder of a book. Pick it up and you won't want to put it down again, not even at the end.

I enjoyed this story about a girl with a damaged past. She is aware of the damage that her past has done but she finds it difficult to move forward.
She moves through her life within her local area and the other characters in the book begin to join her. At first the characters are separate and gradually as she begins to know them, the links become clear.
The story shows how modern technology allows the various activities - legal or not - to develop over time, of course, particularly with the younger characters.
Recommended

It took me a little while to get in to the rhythm of this book, but it was so worth it.

I love the multi perspective aspect of the narrator's being different and having a few chapters to themselves at a time, and I really enjoyed the way time was split in to before and after the incident.

This was definitely worth the perseverance and I would highly recommend it.

I was on the edge of my seat throughout and was so pleased to see the final puzzle pieces being put together

Let me start by saying I'm a massive Lisa jewell fan. I love the quirkiness of her characters and the heart in all her stories. I struggled with this one though. I found the story had too many elements at the start, breaking up any sort of momentum and it took until half way to really understand how everything fitted together. I think there were two things that didn't work for me. The first was the characters felt very distant - maybe because we're following a few stories and flitting to different points in time. The second was the theme of the story was very dark. It all felt very depressing and hopeless. Basically, it wasn't for me - no reflection on the quality of the writing, which is excellent as always.

When I see the name Lisa Jewell on a book, I instantly want to read it. As with all her other books, Invisible Girl doesn’t disappoint. The first very short chapter had me hooked instantly. I raced through the book at every possible spare moment

I thoroughly enjoyed the book for two main reasons. So often in books, you know what has happened, then there is a “whodunnit” to solve the crime. In Invisible Girl, we have no idea what has happened, if anything at all, until the very end.
This allows you to get to know the main characters extremely well. You see their lives and experiences through their own perspective, and then also from an external viewpoint. I doubted and questioned all their behaviours, constantly changing my mind on who was guilty.

I highly recommend this book, it’s a 5* rating

Lisa Jewell had switched genres to full effect. As a previous a romantic writer, I wasn't tempted to read her books,however after a shift to mystery/ thriller writing I became a fan.
In this genre, she has excelled, this is her best yet. Vivid characters and imaginary propels the chapters along as the reader tries to figure out the outcome.
It shows how a seemingly innocent person can get out of their depth with a series of events and unsavoury acquaintances.
A tale of secrets and revenge, it's a worthwhile read.

‘Invisible girl’ is another fantastic novel by Lisa Jewell! I have read several of her books prior to this one and always find them gripping and hard to put down and this one did not disappoint.
The story follows the disappearance of Saffyre Maddox and her connections to the Four family and their outsider neighbour Owen Pick. In true Jewell fashion the focus is on the darker side of domestic life and we quickly learn that everyone involved is not telling their full story.
I loved how this book focuses on characters who present an ‘acceptable’ version of themselves to society yet their true nature lies just below the surface and how your perceptions can be quickly flipped on their heads.
The disappearance of Saffyre causes all of the characters to reveal their involvement and slowly the layers of that night come together in a very unexpected way. I really enjoyed this suspense- packed book and cannot recommend enough!