Member Reviews

I honestly don’t know how Lisa Jewell does it. Every time I read her new book I say that was the best one yet and every year she tops it with another tense twisty read that keeps you guessing and gasping out loud. This is one I know I can hand sell as it has everything. Fantastic

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Really great domestic thriller from Jewel. I think this is one of her best books. I was hooked from beginning to end.

Thanks a lot to NG nd the publisher for this copy.

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There isn't much not to like about this novel. It's a good story, with interesting characters, it's intense and covers some creepy topics.

I liked the fact that many of the characters in this book could be classified as misfits, the type of people that don't seem to fit perfectly into mainstream society. That just made them all the more interesting to me, and I enjoyed reading about their odd habits and their eccentricities. Also, if someone had asked me before reading this book what an "incel" was, I wouldn't have been able to tell them. I had never heard this phrase before, and so perhaps you haven't either. Well, you'll learn all about it in the read. And it's interesting.

The first half of this book did move at a slower pace than I would have ideally liked, but by the second half of the book, things had picked up nicely and I was really invested in the story. Told from three different perspectives (which I tend to love) this story was engrossing, interesting, and a good study of human nature. This is a story that didn't have any big twists and turns, and so don't be expecting that. I would describe this one as a mystery, and as a solid story told by a great storyteller.

I'll definitely be picking up whatever Lisa Jewell writes next.

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This is the story of Saffyre, a young girl who has already lost so much in her short life but mysteriously disappears one evening, leaving her older brother bereft. Saffyre is a complex and troubled teen who has been having counselling following the death of her family when she was younger, but how much of this past feeds into the mystery of her disappearance is unclear. At least to begin with. This is a complex tale which looks at both Saffyre’s past and the events which shaped her into the. girl, or rather young woman, that she is today and the weeks leading up to her disappearance, told in her own voice making the story all the more powerful and poignant at times as a result. I really liked SAffyre. Lis Jewell has, in her, created a character who is vulnerable and, yes, slightly damaged, but who also has a core strength that it is clear others often overlook. She may be the odd girl, the one others easily dismiss or forget, the epitome of the ‘invisible girl’ – present but unseen by anyone other. than her brother – but her invisibility, her rather unique nature, proves to be her greatest asset in this complex and sometimes dark tale.

In contrast to Saffyre there is one other key character who inhabits this strange and dark world that Lisa Jewell has created. Equally as misunderstood as Saffyre, Owen Pick is far from invisible. In fact his very, how shall I put this, unique nature makes his stand out like a sore thumb, particularly in a community which is seeing a rise in sexual assaults on young women. He is awkward, his character is far from what the majority would consider normal and Lisa Jewell plays this perfectly, using the who notion that different means wrong that is far too prevalent in modern society. I found myself feeling kind of sorry for Owen, even if he really is creepy as hell at times and his actions often leave a lot to be desired. But, quite like Saffyre, he has a troubled past but where one is seen as a victim, her is seen as a suspect. Stereotyping perhaps, but it has an undeniable feeling of authenticity about it.

There is a strong undercurrent of unease from the very first page. Tat feeling that something awful is going to happen that only grows stronger the further we go into the book and the more we learn about Saffyre’s character and what she has seen and experienced. The backstory of the assaults feeds into the narrative perfectly, playing out in quite a surprising way. It is fair to say that whilst the lions share of the story focuses on Saffyre and Owen, the two misfits in a very ‘normal’ community, there are a raft of characters whose behaviour will shock, surprise and often incense you as a reader. I often found myself having quite a visceral reaction to some of the characters, particularly one of Owen’s neighbours, Cate, who just happened to be married to Saffyre’s therapist Roan. For a woman who has had her own share of strange ‘episodes’ it seems, she had me biting my tongue trying not to shout ‘wind your neck in love’ at my kindle. Well meaning or just nosy? You read and decide for yourself. As for her daughter the drama queen … Don’t even get me started.

Another tense, but perfectly paced psychological thriller that kept me completely glued to the story and desperate to find out what really happened to Saffyre. And as for the ending … well let us just say that everyone finally seemed to get what they truly deserved. Definitely recommended.

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Lisa Jewel’s books are usually ‘hit and miss’ for me and this one was definitely a ‘miss’. The premise was intriguing but the story didn’t deliver, as it was slow paced and lacked mystery and suspense. The characters were not well developed and the ending was particularly disappointing and a little cringing, to be honest. I won’t rush to read another book by this author.

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I’ve enjoyed Lisa Jewell’s writing for a few years now and Invisible Girl did not disappoint! A great thriller which explores themes of family, trust, judgement and doubt. I was hooked on the story throughout and the end really packed a few punches, just when you thought the story was winding down. Great book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the chance to review this book.

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I really enjoyed this latest from the brilliant Lisa Jewell!

Full of tension and great story telling.... this is a real page turner.

Seen through the eyes of 3 main characters - Owen the local loner, a teenager called Saffyre and the family of a therapist.... all our connected in intricate ways.... leaving the reader wondering who is the really who.

Thanks for Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

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I always enjoys stories by Lisa Jewell and this was no exception. The characters were really interesting, a bit of a bunch of misfits really but as the story developed and I learned more about their circumstances, it was really quite moving in places. Lisa Jewell always adds a sense of mystery which is compelling and made it one of those stories you really need to keep reading. Really interesting character studies and a great example of how mindless talk can ruin lives.

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Owen is 30, single, alone. He lives with an aunt who barely tolerates him. He's a bit creepy as well - in the eyes of people who notice him. Saffyre is a young school girl who has her own demons to cope with after experiencing abuse when she was only 10. Owen spirals into despair after getting into trouble at work and is in a pretty awful state beginning to blame all women for his troubles.
When a pretty young girl like Saffyre goes missing in the immediate area of where Owen lives it's only natural that the focus is on Owen. Is he guilty though? What really happened to Saffyre? Great read - go and read it.

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Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite writers precisely because you can't predict the content of her books but you can rest assured they will be populated by realistic characters underpinned by a clever and multi-layered plot.

When Saffyre goes missing the locals look to the misfit Owen Pick and oh how the scene is effortlessly conjured up as the word spreads and opinions solidify in The Invisible Girl.

With the book touching on the rare subject of incels Lisa manages to engage the reader without ever telling them what to think, a fine line to walk and one I suspect was underpinned by thorough research. Will larger than life characters even those you might suspect are often worthy of some, if not sympathy, definitely compassion.

Having enjoyed each and every one of this author's books it seems trite to say her books keep on getting better, but they do!

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Invisible Girl is told from three different perspectives. There's Owen Pick, a thirty-something virgin living in his aunt's spare bedroom, who was recently suspended from his teaching job due to sexual misconduct allegations. Then there's Cate, who lives across the road from Owen with her husband, Roan and their two children. A child psychologist, one of Roan's former patients is teenager Saffyre Maddox, who hasn't been the same since she was sexually assaulted by a boy in primary school.

The book flashes between the past and present. In the present day, Saffyre goes missing on Valentine's Day night and Owen Pick is the main suspect. It's difficult to discuss any more of the plot without spoilers. But I personally didn't find this as unputdownable as I expected. While there were definitely enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, the ending felt lacklustre after so much suspense. I also felt that with the three protagonists, I didn't get enough of a connection to any of the characters. However, if you're a fan of Lisa Jewell or books that keep you guessing until the end, you'll enjoy this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

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Another great read from Lisa Jewell, which keeps you hooked from the very start. Lots of twists and turns along the way, just when you think you've worked it all out, it all heads off in a different direction and you're completely wrong.

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Psychotherapist Roan, his wife Cate and children Josh and Georgia are temporarily living in Hampstead. Also living on their road is Owen Pick, a creepy 33 year old man who lives with his aunt. A spate of sexual assaults in the area leaves everyone on edge. When a former patient of Roan's, vulnerable 17 year old Saffyre Maddox goes missing, Owen is immediately a suspect, with Saffyre's blood found on the outside window ledge of Owen's bedroom and her phone found in his garden. Owen declares his innocence and yet he is harbouring dark secrets of his own. With Roan hiding secrets of his own, will the police find out what has happened to Saffyre before it is too late?

I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell's books. They are total page turners and have often kept me up reading way past my bedtime! However, this book was just an okay read for me. I liked it, I just didn't love it. I found the plot slow moving and lacking tension, along with characters I found difficult to warm to. However, if you are a fan of Lisa Jewell's previous books, there are enough secrets, deceptions and tangled lives to keep you engaged. 3/5*

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Another utterly captivating book by Lisa Jewell. Invisible girl had me completely hooked from the start. This book was brilliantly paced, with a well plotted storyline that keeps your interest piqued . The characterisation was perfection, and the ending was absolutely brilliant. I loved this book and honestly couldn't recommend it highly enough!

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Lisa Jewell is a fantastic author and I love reading her books, this one is no exception. Definitely a page turner and as with all her books well worth a read!

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This was a good thriller set in North London.

Cate is married to Roan, a psychologist with a habit of being unfaithful. They have two teenage children, Georgia and the very gentle Josh.

However, in their peaceful part of Hampstead there has been a spate of sexual assaults which all comes to a head when schoolgirl Saffyre goes missing.

There story is quite dark with lots of twists and turns, secrets and people hiding their true selves. It was a real page turner.

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Let me first start by saying that I have heard nothing but good reviews for Lisa Jewell's work, so I was really excited to read this.
I'm a fan of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley, in terms of similar reads.
And I could not believe that this was the first book that I have read courtesy of Netgalley that was a DNF.
I read over a third of Invisible Girl and in those chapters nothing really happened.
I kept holding on thinking, 'surely something exciting is going to happen next' and nothing did.
It didn't even set the scene really, nothing happened.
The characters weren't likeable either, which made it even more difficult to keep reading.
It pains me to leave a one star review but I genuinely could not continue with this book. Maybe it was just this book but it's definitely made me think twice about reading more from the author.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Lisa Jewell does it again! She’s the master at creating complex characters in tough situations, where secrets and lies are all intertwined. This time, there’s a missing girl, a suspected man, and a family who are witnesses to the event - or are they more than that?

The story deals with sexual assault, the mistreatment of women and even looks at the rise of “incels”. It made me frustrated at times so that’s down to the effective writing! Even though not all the characters were decent, I thought the book does a good job of humanising them. The relationships are loaded and never what they appear on the surface. The mystery had me guessing until the end. If you love Lisa Jewell’s books or if you‘re looking for a thought-provoking, addictive mystery, you don’t want to miss this!

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It’s not often you get to read about what it could feel like to have circumstantial evidence piling up against you and you know the truth. This book shows sympathetically how that may appear to others while creating a mysterious plot. A very clever piece of writing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the different characters, who were very well defined - even the ones I didn’t like. This is a quick, easy read which belies the skill it must have taken to write it.

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I totally enjoyed reading this book. Couldn't put it down. Perfect read at the end of the day. Definitely recommend.

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