A very different, interesting tale of Paloma, a Sri Lankan girl who is chosen by an American couple and taken to America and adopted by them. The story is in two time lines - one the early years of Paloma and then Paloma fully grown. She has a lot of issues and mixes drink and drugs which seems to confuse her as to what is going on. People are disappearing and she doesn't seem to know what is real and what isn't.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Amanda Jayatissa/Hodder & Stoughton for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A fascinating, dual-timeline thriller about a Sri Lankan orphan adopted by an affluent American couple, and how the ghosts from her past, both literally and figuratively, continue to haunt her. While a definite page-turner, the story dragged out for so long that I’d already guessed both twists—the dreadful secret Paloma was hiding, as well as the truth behind Mohini. And despite being thoroughly enjoyable, there were unaddressed plot holes, including, <spoiler>how passport authorities in two countries were so easily fooled</spoiler>.

I also wasn’t exactly sure what happened in the last scene.

Overall, though, I’d certainly read this author again!

(Review copy from NetGalley)

Dark, sinister and twisty. All the good things for a mystery. I had a good time with this one, it's definitely a lot more intense than anything I've read lately. The dual timelines of showing Paloma's time in the orphanage and how it's come back around to haunt her in the present is really effective.

It owes a lot to its unreliable narrator which is both what kept it interesting and where it falls down. She is so incredibly frutrating that even though it makes sense as pieces fall into place, it still doesn't make her narrative that easy to read. I know it was a little predicatable for some people but thankfully I was taken by surprise. Regardless even without the mystery, there's a lot of interesting things going in here. It did go way past the farfetched mark but that doesn't bother me so much as long as it's done in an interesting or entertaining way.

I got through this in one sitting so that's good for something. Might make for a good read over a relaxed weekend! Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.

I was utterly blown away by this sharp, enthralling, deeply emotional novel that was filled with twists that kept me guessing right until the end. I couldn't believe how it ended. I sat that there for hours just contemplating the novel and was still thinking about it days later, even when I had started reading something else. It was also beautifully written as well as fast paced, which is no mean feat! Would thoroughly recommend this novel to all lovers of gripping psychological suspense.

I love a good book with an unreliable narrator. This was no exception. Terrific writing, twists, turns and a lot of fun! Did not see the end coming but boy did I enjoy it!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a fabulous debt. Full of intrigue and suspense. Lots of twists and turns. REcommended.

What a gripping thriller.

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

My Sweet Girl is a darkly twisted story that keeps the reader on their toes from beginning to end. There were parts that meandered somewhat, but the pace picked up and I became gripped. Whilst the twist wasn't obvious for most of the book, I did start to have an inkling, but even so it was still not obvious which way things were going to go.

This was an ambitious story, executed, on the whole, pretty well.

An enjoyable and original take on a psychological thriller.

Perfectly adequate thriller, just maybe not for me.


I was able to see the 'twist' way too early on for me to feel any satisfaction from the reveal, the many micro-aggressions and internalized self hate also rubbed me the wrong way.

What I will say is that the potential that the author has makes me want to see more from her in the future.

This is an enjoyable read although the story is rather far fetched and not very believable there is enough mystery to keep you focused on the book and to finish it .The author scatters clues throughout which make it a challenge to try and tie the various story threads together and see where they lead
The author has a clear prose style which via enjoyable to read
I didn’t feel that the psychiatric disorder was well described and I didn’t find it believable but I did like the therapist character
I enjoyed the start of the book set in a Sri Lankan orphanage most as this felt the most authentic part of the story .By the time the body was discovered I felt the attitude started to unravel and become a bit far fetched

Loved the srilankan representation. The paranormal elements were quite creepy though hard-core horror readers might not be overly impressed.
Though I couldn't guess the very little twists that were there, when it did happen I was not surprised or thrilled by it.
This book was frankly a bit weird. But I enjoyed the humorous & matter if fact writing style.
I am not a fan of unreliable characters & I couldn't care for any of the characters in the story. I also found the plot to be average.
The author has tied up all the loose ends in the end so that was satisfactory.
Overall a decent read.

This book is set in San Fransisco and Sri Lanka and covers two timelines.

This was a very different book to what I have read a very original idea with Paloma being a very interesting character with a lot of depth.

Enjoyable read

This was such a brilliant read. The kind of read that I could brag about reading. Which, of course, I absolutely did. The storytelling was intricate, layers of fear, myth, logic, and feistiness embody this novel. The cultural aspect of the novel is one of the best parts, but I think my favourite is the uniqueness of the main character and their introspection. There was an element of unreliable narrator, and yet as a reader I knew that there was still something going on, even as the main character tries to rationalise the strange circumstances. This book is so excellently written it's difficult to put into words how glorious it is. I wouldn't change a thing about this read and I'm happy with my use of time reading it.

I had been looking forward to reading this novel, as I had read some complementary reviews, and I liked the concept of dual timelines, but I found it hard to persevere. Whilst the novel has an interesting protagonist (Paloma, a young Californian woman originally adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage) and a successful structure (by way of alternating chapters that switch between Paloma’s years in the orphanage and her current life in San Francisco, alienated from her adopted family and sinking into depression and addiction), the poor quality of writing put me off. No doubt there are young women who swear constantly, but is it necessary for readers to be exposed to printed profanities constantly, or would the novel gain by these being alluded to, rather than spelt out in full? This would also make the twist revolving around the disappearance of Paloma’s flatmate Arun stand out much more, as it should. Overall, I liked the concept of this novel but not its eventual execution and I felt this novel would have benefited from some careful cutting and editing to bring the serious themes and issues it raises into even sharper relief. I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the free ARC provided in return for this honest and unbiased review, even though I could not give five stars.

A mind game of a book!

Paloma was an interesting character trying to get out from her parents influence. AT age 30 she still feels the pain and so when she has a man called Arun rent her spare room they become friends of a sort. Until he finds out her secret and all hell breaks loose.

Mind well and truly *****ed

3.5 - 4 stars

My Sweet Girl is a really good debut told over two time lines, the plot was refreshingly different, the author kept the tension and intrigue running well throughout the book and there were lots of clever twists to keep me guessing.

It did take me a while to settle into this book, whilst I loved the orphanage setting and story I was initially irritated by the Paloma's narration of the present day, added to the fact that she is an unlikeable character, I almost gave up. Thankfully the back story compelled me to keep going, once I got into the flow this became less annoying and I ended up really enjoying this tragic, dark, spooky and twisty read with it's fabulously unreliable narrator.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give my honest opinion of this book

Paloma grows up in an orphanage in Sri Lanka she gets adopted and move to America with her newly adopted parents. It soon becomes clear that now grown, Paloma has disappointed her parents, has no friends, no job, and no boyfriend/girlfriend. Just what happened all those years ago in Sri Lanka? What does Paloma have to hide and run from. Arun her roommate seems to have found out and is blackmailing her about it, the next day he ends up dead, but after the police being called there is no body to be found!? What is happening has she imagined it? Or is it her past catching up with her. Didn't see the twists at the end coming.Loved this book. Many thanks NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.

This was definitely a very unique story which was nice. I've never come across a story with the same background premise as this one has and it was quite fascinating to read about her past and the orphanage in Sri Lanka. that alone was quite an interesting read but cutting g back to present time, the thriller/ suspense really does ramp up so I'd say this book actually covers quote a few genres rather than just being a thriller. It was also the qst story I've come across where I spent most of the book, not entirely trusting the narrator/ main character. This obviously leaves a whole world of possibilities open rather than being guided by the hand through the story, yes we may be getting told certain things but is that really the case?! It definitely get your mind working and will keep you gripped and flying through the last quarter to the big reveal!! A really nice read and a nice change fron the norm

Arun has recently moved from India to San Francisco and rents a room in an apartment belonging to thirty-year-old Paloma. Born in Sri Lanka but adopted when she was twelve and subsequently brought up in California, Paloma is very privileged. But now she is barely holding herself together and no longer has access to her parents' money and then Arun learns of her deepest and darkest secret. He is attempting to blackmail her, and she plans to pay Arun off, but then he is found dead... by Paloma. She flees the scene but returns the next day, only Arun's body isn't there.

This is a very dark, sinister début from Amanda Jayatissa and I revelled in it. It contains twist upon twist and is immensely compelling with a great protagonist in Paloma who is the quintessential unreliable narrator. The plot moves along with wicked force and the tale is told via alternating chapters set eighteen years apart. With action that never lets up, this was a novel I didn't want to take a break from. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

When she was twelve, Paloma was adopted from an orphanage in Sri Lanka by a rich, philanthropic, American couple. It is now eighteen years later and she is living in a small flat in San Francisco. Her parents appear to have recently cut her off after receiving a mysterious letter, and have gone on a tour of South-East Asia. Her therapist has prescribed strong medication which mustn’t be mixed with alcohol – but Paloma is a borderline alcoholic so seems to exist in a present which might be largely a hallucination, and from which she keeps escaping to memories of her time in the orphanage. And then one day she comes home to find her flatmate lying dead as a result of a blow to the head. But when the police show up there is body, in fact no evidence that Arun ever existed. Is she psychotic or just confused by the chemicals in her system? Is she really seeing Mohini, the ghost who supposedly haunted the orphanage? Are her memories real?
So it’s a psychological mystery like many others? Well no it isn’t. In many ways it is unique. For a start there is the story about the orphanage, the conditions in which it operates, the vying for position among the girls, the status of the staff, the role of benefactors without whom it would fall. This could be a separate book, a sociological think piece. It provides background for the mystery but it works perfectly well on its own. Secondly, perhaps more tellingly, there is a political slant in the subtly interspersed highlighting of unconscious bias due to racial and social differences.
The plot twists, of which there are several, are not original, but the writing, especially the speed with which it proceeds and Paloma’s confused and muddled thoughts, conceals them well. Speaking of the writing, this is a single viewpoint story voiced by a young woman with very specific issues and experiences prior to the start. The style and language are very convincing and I was quite happy to believe in the character. I’m not sure that all readers would be, but I’d urge them to try.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.