I was drawn to this book by the cover and then the description so thanks to Netgalley for early access to this story.

I was 100% gripped from the very start of the book and raced through it desperate to follow the different threads of Fern/Flick. It was a really interesting premise and I found both equally enjoyable.

At times I struggled to instantly pick up who I was following and what was happening but that is probably a me issue and possibly because I didn't have a physical book to flick through - didn't take long to reacquaint myself though.

Thoroughly enjoyed.

Sadly couldn’t get into this at all, but I’m sure many readers who enjoy the genre will! Perhaps just wrong place wrong time for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the arc.

An interesting and enjoyable story which follows two alternative timelines. In one story Fern, the main character, stays with her mother in London and, in the other, she becomes Flick and travels around America with her father. She’s a troubled and difficult young woman, who experiences struggles in both of her alternative lives. As the two stories weave around each other very cleverly, I find myself wondering where the story is going to end for Fern/Flick. A great read!

This has a very interesting concept. Fern has a choice to make - should she stay with her mother or return to her father? Then we follow the consequences of both decisions, and Fern becomes Flick when with her mother. The underlying mystery of what happened to Uncle Rory is solved in both timelines. The character development is excellent and the plot is well- structured.

"Versions of a Girl" by Catherine Gray is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that delves into the complex dynamics of family, identity, and the choices we make in life. The story revolves around Fern, a fourteen-year-old girl who must navigate between her mother's luxurious London lifestyle and her father's more humble existence in California.

Fern's mother is portrayed as a social climber and former ballet dancer, living a privileged life in a grand London townhouse. On the other hand, her father, with an IQ of 133, leads a hand-to-mouth existence, often residing in Californian motels. The stark contrast between her parents' lives sets the stage for Fern's internal struggle.

When an unexpected visitor enters the picture, Fern is faced with a life-altering dilemma: whether to leave California and join her mother in London or stay with her father. It is at this point that the narrative splits into two versions, presenting the reader with two possible paths Fern's life could take.

Gray skillfully weaves together these parallel narratives, allowing us to witness two different versions of Fern as she grows and faces the challenges presented to her. Both versions of Fern are compelling and beautifully developed, showcasing the author's ability to create multidimensional characters.

As the story progresses, a thrilling and unexpected twist emerges: a murder that threatens to unravel the lives of both Ferns. This adds an additional layer of suspense and intrigue to the narrative, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

One of the strengths of "Versions of a Girl" lies in Gray's exploration of identity and the impact of choices on our lives. Through the divergent paths of Fern's two versions, the novel prompts readers to consider the consequences of the choices we make and how they shape our future selves.

Gray's writing is engaging and evocative, capturing the essence of both London and California through vivid descriptions. The pacing of the story is well-balanced, alternating between moments of introspection and thrilling plot developments.

Overall, "Versions of a Girl" is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that skillfully explores themes of family, identity, and the complexity of choices. Catherine Gray's storytelling prowess and the intriguing premise make this book a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction.

From The Cover📖

Do we become who we are because of our parents, or in spite of them?

Fern's mother is a social climber and a former ballet dancer who lives a plush life in a London townhouse. 

Fern's father only climbs if there's a bottle at the top, has an IQ of 133 and lives hand-to-mouth in Californian motels.

Aged fourteen, Fern has spent equal time with each of her parents. That is, until an unexpected visitor triggers a life-changing dilemma: whether she should get on a plane to London to be with her mother, or stay in California with her father. Here, Fern's narrative splices in two.

Two possible lives, one person. Each Fern will grow in wildly different, but eerily similar directions. Both must determine who they want to be - and how they deal with a thorny problem which threatens to undo them all: a murder.

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Told in the third person POV over duel timelines but with a twist we met Fern/Flick as she grows from a child into a young woman reflecting on her past and how it shaped her along with a slight mystery as to what has actually happened in the past. The twist being that about five chapters in there is a split in the “how it is now” timelines there is now two stories of the same girl each one showing what would have happened depending on a life changing decision she makes. This weaved with “how it was” timelines of which in we hear again the third person POV from her parents and other characters. All this makes for interesting reading, the layout really adds to the plot, I feel without this split the plot would have been quite weak. We move between Fern in America and Flick in London living very different lives but both lives lead the same way, it was really interesting to see this it made you think about a lot things and reflect on nature versus nature.

There is a lot going in terms of the plot, the underlaying one being the mystery of what happened to Fern/Flicks uncle this for me was really quite poorly plotted until the end in all honesty readin the more interesting parts I forgot this was a plot thread at times and it never really interested me. I found the human aspect to the plot far more interesting, there was a lot reflective writing all of which was tender and told with a truth,this where the book really levelled up into something quite fantastic.

The book comes to a conclusion that will leave readers feeling uplifted and feeling hopeful.

This a good book that will make you laugh and cry in equal measures. The writer shows real promise in her writing but I it still need a little work to make it great.

This would make a good book club pick.

Solid 3.5 stars

I enjoyed seeing the split life of Fern and how our life's can unravel and change / go down certain paths