Member Reviews
I love a Lisa Jewell novel, this again is a fantastic read. Full of dark themes, twists, turns and a compelling plot. It’s one not to be missed
A fantastic story. Very well written with really likeable characters. A Fantasia mysterious whodunnit xx
Another grand story from Lisa Jewell . Told from many different perspectives with an ending I couldn't guess. Well worth a read
There is no doubt that Lisa Jewell has a gift for writing an intriguing thriller. And, her latest, 'Invisible Girl' has a fascinating sounding tale to tell: Saffyre, a young girl who has turned to stalking her former therapist, Owen a rather strange man who similiar to Saffyre is also invisible to the world around him. Both of their world's combine on Valentine's night when Saffrye disappears.
Unlike Owen, Saffyre has become invisible by choice and her subsquent choices have a lasting impact on the life of Owen and also the Fours family (her former therapist and his wife and children). 'Invisible Girl' is a tale of secrets and injustice, while telling the reader that we may never really know our neighbours.
The story is told from several perspectives with many of the major characters contributing their own viewpoint to the events, However, instead of adding to the atmosphere, this approach made the storyline seem cluttered as the tale jumped back and forth in time and we witnessed the same day from several perspectives.
All in all, a slow burner, that did not stand up to the high hopes that I had upon reading the original blurb. A disappointing 3 stars for a normally 5 star author.
Thank you to Century for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Complex story which took a long time to get going, red herrings galore. Good characters but story dragged.
I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and was therefore really excited about reading this book. She has a wonderful knack for writing rounded characters that you really care about. This one focuses on a 17 year old girl named Saffyre who has psychological issues, her therapist's wife Cate and a loner called Owen.
The story is told from the perspectives of these three characters and I was equally invested in all of them. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be Owen. He is such a well-written character and I really felt for him. I found the pacing of the book perfect, there wasn't a lot of action but I was always eager to pick the book up and I was never bored.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a character-driven story.
Saffyre was only ten when something bad happened to her.
Three years of sessions with Roan, her therapist, managed to stop her from self-harming, but then he suddenly deemed her healed when she wasn't quite ready to stop the therapy.
Ever since, Saffyre has been watching Roan and learning his secrets, always in his shadow, invisible.
Owen, 33 years old, has never had a girlfriend, no one cares about him.
But when Saffyre disappears, he suddenly finds himself accused of terrible things. He's creepy, he's just lost his job on account of a suspicion of sexual harassment, but is he behind Saffyre's disappearance?
The story follows multiple perspectives; Roan's wife Cate's, Saffyre's and Owen's.
I'm a great fan of Lisa Jewel, so I requested this book without even reading the blurb, and I was so thrilled that I started reading it immediately.
It was a good book, and I really enjoyed it, it kept me interested and guessing all the way through.
The story was gripping and never got boring, with the tension steadily building up and the secrets slowly being revealed.
However, I must say that despite all of that, I don't think it stands out enough. With thrillers being a very popular genre, a book needs to be really extraordinary to stand out, and while I enjoyed it, I found it lacked the wow factor.
Still, it was a solid 3-star read, and I recommend you check it out, as well as any other books from this author.
‘Invisible Girl’ is a really interesting exploration of the first verse of Larkin’s ‘This Be the Verse’. By the end of the novel it is clear that bad parenting lingers long and its ripple effect can be devastating.
The central narrative brings to mind the real case of the Bristol teacher wrongly accused of abduction and murder back in 2010 and vilified by the tabloid press. In Owen Pick, Lisa Jewell creates a lonely, slightly eccentric sixth form college lecturer who becomes embroiled in the disappearance of teenager Saffyre Maddox and arrested by the police because he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The reader is pretty sure that, despite Owen’s memory loss caused by the stress of his detention, he’s not always honest with himself. There again, perhaps he is merely eccentric and misunderstood. It’s difficult to be certain. Owen is as he is partly because of his upbringing. Others in the novel are also struggling with family problems, whether or not they recognise this. Saffyre is grieving for family members; who is left for her to talk to about a traumatic event from her primary school days? Josh is burdened with a toxic family secret which makes him feel isolated and angry. These heavy burdens cause them to act in uncharacteristic ways.
By the end of the novel, most of the characters have worked out the origins of their anxieties and are able to move on. There is justice of sorts. However, Lisa Jewell is rarely cosy and the final pages underline her notion that it is often those whom one least suspects that do the most damage. They are weak; they thrive on others’ insecurities; they are not always stopped. Sadly, we recognise this as true.
‘Invisible Girl’ is a real page turner but it’s more than just this. It’s also a thoughtful narrative about role models, parenting and family relationships.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
I absolutely adore @lisajewelluk books. This one has been no different, I did a very happy dance this morning when Netgalley gave me this one and I have completely devoured this one over the last few hours.
Another absolutely absolutely unputdownable and gripping novel by a fantastic author. I have tried several times (unsuccessfully) to guess the ending of this one.
Another absolute delight to read which is available August 2020. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have read Lisa Jewell novels before and this author has never let me down. Her writing is mesmerising. ‘Invisible Girls’ is just as good as the others.
The story revolves around Saffyre Maddox, who tries to be the “Invisible Girl’ and the ‘Fours’ family consisting of Cate (mum), Roan (dad), Josh and Georgia. The family are living, temporarily, in a flat opposite Owen Picks and a wide-open space next to the house he lives in with his aunt Tessie. This is in the leafy suburb of Hampstead.
Something nasty happened to Saffyre when she was ten years old and she took to self-harming so was assigned to attend a psychologist, which was Roan Fours. During this time Cate thought her husband was having an affair and this caused problems for the couple.
Saffyre is the link between all of the characters and as the story unfold there are lies, deceit, revenge and a sexual predator preying on the streets around Hampstead. This all comes to a head on valentine’s day and the intertwining of the relationships and plotlines intermingle with cunning and craft. Be careful when judging people by their appearance.
Another stunning ending.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Lisa Jewell for my ARC in return for my honest review.
Brilliant Read and highly recommended.
#InvisibleGirl #NetGalley
Lisa Jewell is a perfectionist of writing psychological thrillers which put you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended.
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.
I was hooked from the starting. If you want a perfect read them ho for this book.
Characters are of top level as in her other novels and narration is flawless.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for giving me an advance copy.
This is another outstanding novel by Lisa Jewell who never fails to produce a piece of work that hooks you from the start, and keeps you guessing all the way through. The vast array of characters slowly develop as the novel moves forward, and at the same time your opinion of them begins to change.
Saffyre Maddox is ‘the invisible girl’ through choice. She doesn’t want to stand out or be noticed, especially by boys. Saffyre is still trying to come to terms with a traumatic event that happened when she was a child and with the help of her therapist, Rowan she thinks she is starting to move on.
Owen Pick lives opposite Rowan and his family and he also feels invisible, but not through choice. Living with his aunt and struggling with issues at work, he looks for support online with a group of men in a similar situation.
When events bring these people together, judgements are made based on appearances that aren’t entirely accurate, and the fallout for some is devastating.
Despite the gripping storyline, well developed characters and fast pace of the book there is also an important message.. Don’t judge people on appearances and don’t assume everyone has the same background and experiences as you. Be kind and non judgemental; you don’t know the kind of issues people are dealing with and trying to escape from.
I think this novel will stay with me for a long time and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I have loved everything Lisa has written and was so pleased to get this one in advance! Another brilliant novel, delves right into the story. I like all the different person perspectives too. Lisa is excellent at creating realistic characters; rounded yet flawed! I’m only sad I’ve finished it now!
I was thrilled to get a preview copy of the latest novel by Lisa Jewell as I am a big fan of her thrillers. Her stories are always excellent and Invisible Girl is no exception. Saffyre is a seventeen year old girl who has been through a lot of hardships. When she disappears, fingers are pointed at the 33 year old man who is always seen as a bit 'odd'. With each chapter told from a different perspective, this book is full of twists and turns and I was left guessing until the very end. Totally gripping, I would thoroughly recommend this.
Another corker from Lisa Jewell - I have been a fan since the Ralph's Party days and I don't think I've been disappointed yet.
It's no secret that I'm a fan of a first person narration and this is a great one. I've read a number of newer books that involves incels as protagonists - and its an interesting slant.
Enjoyed this book and raced through it in a couple of days - would recommend!