Rounded up from 3.5 stars

So I got this out from the library a few weeks ago, forgetting that I also had a copy of this from Netgalley. Yes, I have a problem and no, I will not do anything about it.

The story revolves around three points of view, Cate Fours, Saffyre Maddox and Owen Pick.

Cate is a stay at home mum who is trying to make the move back into work. She's married to Roan, a child psychologist. Their marriage is on the rocks. Cate is convinced he's hiding something.
Owen has never had a girlfriend. He lives a lonely existence with his elderly aunt. He's seen as an oddball by everyone.

Saffyre is a troubled 17-year-old, holding onto the hurt in her past. When she goes missing, it sets off a chain of events that no-one could predict.

When I started reading this I was kind of like, what's going on here? Who are these three people and what have they got to do with each other? It ended up taking me a while to actually get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked.

I have to be honest; I found Owen entirely unlikeable to begin with, but as the story carried on, just kind of ending up feeling sorry for him. By the end, he felt like a completely different person and ended up having the best character arc of all three of them.

Invisible Girl ended up surprising me, in a good way, and I will recommend it if you love character driven psychological thrillers.

I thought this would be great, but for me I didn’t like it as much as some of her others. It lacked excitement for me.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This was my first introduction to Lisa Jewell’s work and I am proud to announce that I ended up liking this book to an extent. First of all, I love the the missing-person trope in thriller and mystery novels and for someone who has read quite a bit of said trope, I was desperately hoping that this book wouldn’t take the easy route and end up being predictable. I can say that there were some revelations that I did not expect, and some which were pretty obvious to me. However, that didn’t really impact my overall rating for this book as I do enjoy predicting the twists sometimes.

The characters could have been written better, I think they all lacked dimension and depth, and as a result I didn’t feel for any of them nor did I really connect with any of them. The tension and pace was quite good, I was eager to read this book and for a moment I didn’t want to put it down. However, the tension and suspense wasn’t maintained throughout the book which was a bit disappointing. That being said I would still class this as a good thriller. It had all the elements that you would need in a good thriller; a solid plot, the suspicious characters, missing person, multiple POVs and a good amount of suspense.

I am quite excited to read more from Lisa Jewell.

3 stars.

In invisible girl, we have a 30+-year-old virgin, who loses his job due to claims of sexual misconduct. Reading up on incel in his newly found free time doesn’t help when a case of a missing teen literally lands in his yard. Then, there is the Fours family. They live across the street from Owen. They have always been suspicious of their neighbour from across the way. Finally, there is Saffyre. She is a former patient of Mr Fours and develops an obsession with watching him. Then, Saffyre disappears. All of the storylines will tie together, but how?

This is a well-written novel, with a good pace, a solid storyline, it’s very thought-provoking and keeps your interest throughout. There is tension, suspense, shocks and plenty of twists. The book definitely takes you into uncomfortable areas but does so for valid reasons.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

https://mams.ie/forums/topic/the-invisible-girl-by-lisa-jewell/
Oh I really enjoyed this book! It’s written so well. You just don’t know who is good or who is bad or if its that simple. The girl in question is really well written and the parents and community and other drawn into the drama, are believable and compelling. Had me hooked!! If you like tense, twisty, thrillers, this is a book for you!

This was a good read that got better as it went along.
We meet a variety of characters, all with their own secrets and lives.
Gradually their stories entwine and there are some great twists along the way.
Very enjoyable and won’t be the last I read from this author.

Don't let my rating influence your reading.

A teenager goes missing and there are a few suspects.
This is a well-written mystery but not for me. I struggled to like the characters but nothing.
Thank you Netgalley for this Arc.

Another great book by this author that has you hooked from the first pages. The plot is fast and full of twists and turns, so that you are constantly reviewing your own thoughts and theories, and plenty of great characters. Definitely recommended

Another thrilling read from Lisa Jewell. Intricately plotted with multiple strands to the story and a well rounded cast of characters which completely sucked me in. I can't help thinking that this read is particularly important after the recent shooting in Plymouth. I loved it - one I will definitely buy and re-read.

Owen Pick’s life is falling apart.

In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a geography teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel—involuntary celibate—forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.

Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbor Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.

Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears—and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.

A great domestic thriller, with characters you initially don't want to meet, but when you don't you don't want them to leave!

NO SPOILERS, but my advice is to find somewhere comfy, grabs some snacks and drinks as once you start reading this, you won't want to put it down until the very last page.

Lisa Jewell, Invisible Girl Random House UK, Cornerstone Century, 2021

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Once Lisa Jewell again presents us with social commentary, a host of characters who ring true, a story line that is feasible, and an engaging style which develops what initially appear to be everyday domestic vignettes into devastating forces with elements of a thriller.

The prologue is set on Valentine’s Night, at one minute to midnight. The characters are a red headed girl, a character in a hoodie, and a man. The person in the hoodie goes towards the two other figures, accepting the risk which is a likely outcome of the interactions.

Saffyre Maddox is seventeen, Welsh with Trinidadian, Malaysian and French from her mother. Her mother and grandmother died soon after her birth, her father left them, and her grandfather has died recently. Saffyre now lives with her young uncle, Aaron, in a high rise flat.. She is ‘university material’, but sometimes thinks of a different type of career. Having grown up with two men, she feels that she is not particularly good with girls, better with boys, but recognising that her age and prettiness leaves her vulnerable to change – perhaps she should try to find some female friends as well?

Saffyre tells us that she has a dark past has dark thoughts and does dark things. Despite this warning, she becomes a character who is lovable, with whom one wants to engage, a young woman for whom we hope it all turns out well. She tells us that something dreadful happened to her when she was ten, and she has needed counselling after her self-harming is detected by Aaron. He sends her to Roan Fours, who will become a familiar character, through his family, and interactions with Saffyre.

Roan, Cate, Georgia, and Josh are living in an apartment, while their own home in a less salubrious area is renovated. The family thought that living ‘posh’ in Hampstead would be fun. The change to a leafy quiet suburb from their lively life in Kilburn is different from their expectations. Fear about a neighbour, news of rapes on Hampstead Heath, an apartment block with abandonment lingering around it in the most graphic form of an old armchair in the drive, an empty block of overgrown grounds with a paling fence and the barks of foxes suggests that the new lifestyle has its shortcomings. Then, Georgia’s friend, Tilly, is assaulted as she leaves their flat one evening – or is she?

This novel is thick with character development. The complexities of being part of a family; an individual, whether teenager or adult; part of a community, work or school environment; and dealing with past and current trauma and challenges are drawn upon as the story moves forward. People who begin on the periphery of others’ lives are embraced by the story lines through what initially appear to be tenuous links. Assumptions about people who behave differently are questioned through subtle characterisation and meandering thoughts, sometimes leading to questionable behaviour. Assumptions about family are also laid bare as teenagers eat disparate meals; interact abrasively with parents, demand freedom from parental oversight, but phone tearfully when afraid. Adults feel guilt; demand responses from inarticulate or uncompromising teenagers and spouses; immerse themselves in work, or domestic tasks as diverse as cooking or returning unsuitable online purchases; and behave inappropriately or even unlawfully. The police become a presence, and a source of discomfit.

Lisa Jewell has no need for convoluted twists or startling outcomes. Her characters and their plot lines move forward seamlessly, providing well documented (although often unrecognised in the reader’s eagerness to find out more) reasons for behaviours and consequences. At times heartrending, at others using events and attitudes to sharply inform, and always leaving a desire to know more and to engage more fully with characters such as Saffyre, Lisa Jewell’s work is not to be missed. With its clever blend of social commentary, complex characters, thriller qualities in its drawing together skeins of events to a satisfactory conclusion, leaving an unwoven thread to exercise the mind, Invisible Girl is another winner for me.

Lisa Jewell is a favourite author of mines so I was super excited about this one and it did not disappoint. This book quickly became one of my favourites of 2020.

There are just so many people in this book not to trust. They're creepy and suspicious. Theres alot going on in the book and I found I really had to pay attention to try and work out who the real villan of the story was. I was suprised.

This book felt real, grimy and gritty making it a perfect exploration of family drama, sectrets and lies.

Thank you for my copy of this book to review.

I have read most of the Lisa Jewell books so I will admit that I requested this book based on the author rather than the blurb.

I can’t say I enjoyed this story but then I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it either. It was just ok, it kept me reading but it didn’t excite me. I found it very slow-going and lacking in any drama & suspense.

This definitely wasn’t one of my favourite Lisa Jewell books but it definitely won’t put me off reading any future ones.

So loved this book it started and I thought the story was going to go one way then it went another. Twisty turny books I love them never read a Lisa Jewell book but will again. 5/5 Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review it and Lisa Jewell for writing it.

The last Lisa Jewell I read was absolutely brilliant. I said it was Lisa at her best. Sorry to say she's gone one step better. What a book! It had me gripped, not knowing from one page to the next who was the attacker. Amazingly descriptive characters. I learned about incels which was a whole new world for me. I woke at 4am this morning just to finish it. It was SIMPLY SUPERB. Honoured that netgalley let me read it! Who knows what Lisa will come up with next!

Owen Pick’s life is falling apart.

In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a geography teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel—involuntary celibate—forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.

Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbour Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.

Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears—and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.

Wouldn't "Owen Pick & The Roan Fours" be a great name for a band?
#thataside




Invisible Girl Lisa Jewell
I have read other books by this author and have enjoyed them , likewise with this one.
It's quite a complex tale with many different subject matters / complexes and is wrote brilliantly in a way that you can well believe such things can happen to the people.
You learn about the life and troubles of three main characters.
As in her other books it's quite dark, and not all the characters are likeable. Some are frankly pretty disturbed, but that of course makes the book even more enjoyable.
A good book can be judged by getting to the end of the chapter, and thinking to yourself you will just start another , and then another.

Another great book by Lisa Jewell. Would certainly recommend it.
I did not want to put this one down, it was quite a dark tale she told this time.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a fast and 'fun' read, which was exactly what I needed (and expected) going into the book.

The plot itself offered nothing new. I appreciated the inclusion of social commentaries on prejudice, labelling, and harassment, but I don't know if it managed to address those in a perfectly good way (and maybe it didn't intend to).

If you'd like to read this book, I'd suggest not reading the summary because I think it gave too much away; not necessarily a spoiler per se, but I think the first 50% of the book would feel dragging if you had read the summary.

The overall plot itself was kind of predictable, bar a few details. The ending felt too neat and a bit messy at the same time for me. It added something (understandable, but) unnecessary for reasons I couldn't understand.

But yes, it was quite enjoyable as a quick read for me.

This is the fifth book I’ve read by Lisa Jewell, and in my opinion the darkest of those (and that includes Then She Was Gone). I wouldn’t call this book a thriller as such, more of a dark story line that gives you suspicions about the characters and leaves you wondering, perhaps even past the end of the story. Lisa Jewell’s writing is fantastic and I enjoyed the different perspectives, if anything I’d have liked there to be more character perspectives to help us see into their psyche. A dark but gripping book.