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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
WOW – what a damn good read this book is!! The Girl Who Came Back is gripping from start to end so be prepared to read this in one sitting.
Stoneridge, a sleepy village where everyone knows everyone else and strangers stand out, so how did six-year-old Olivia Adams disappear without a trace from her garden? After thirteen years absence, the search is over, she’s officially dead and everyone has moved on whilst living with the ghost of Olivia – that is until she comes back one day!
Her mother and father, Sarah and Dan are convinced that it is Olivia, however others aren’t so sure and think that she is after money. Olivia’s step uncle, Ashley is particularly unhappy to see her and isn’t quiet about his suspicion of her which is rubbing off on her step-father, Max.
The plot of this book is brilliantly woven together, I was constantly flitting between believing it was Olivia and suspecting it wasn’t! The characterisation was brilliant, Olivia was both convincing and shifty in equal measures so it was easy to be swayed by Ashley who was convinced she was an imposter. I enjoyed the relationship between Olivia, Nattie (her old school friend whose mother was close to Sarah) and Rhys as this brought out an emotional side of the plot as it shows what Olivia has been missing out on – true friendship.
Aside from Olivia’s story, we are also introduced to a brief history of a young girl called Lily who lives with her Dad following the death of her mother. Lily’s chapters are a short snippet into her difficult life and it is not clear how this links to the main story – I enjoyed learning about Lily alongside Olivia’s story.
This is a fantastically written, complex psychological thriller that tackles difficult subjects and emotions all in one wonderful narrative. A must-read!
Stoneridge, a sleepy village where everyone knows everyone else and strangers stand out, so how did six-year-old Olivia Adams disappear without a trace from her garden? After thirteen years absence, the search is over, she’s officially dead and everyone has moved on whilst living with the ghost of Olivia – that is until she comes back one day!
Her mother and father, Sarah and Dan are convinced that it is Olivia, however others aren’t so sure and think that she is after money. Olivia’s step uncle, Ashley is particularly unhappy to see her and isn’t quiet about his suspicion of her which is rubbing off on her step-father, Max.
The plot of this book is brilliantly woven together, I was constantly flitting between believing it was Olivia and suspecting it wasn’t! The characterisation was brilliant, Olivia was both convincing and shifty in equal measures so it was easy to be swayed by Ashley who was convinced she was an imposter. I enjoyed the relationship between Olivia, Nattie (her old school friend whose mother was close to Sarah) and Rhys as this brought out an emotional side of the plot as it shows what Olivia has been missing out on – true friendship.
Aside from Olivia’s story, we are also introduced to a brief history of a young girl called Lily who lives with her Dad following the death of her mother. Lily’s chapters are a short snippet into her difficult life and it is not clear how this links to the main story – I enjoyed learning about Lily alongside Olivia’s story.
This is a fantastically written, complex psychological thriller that tackles difficult subjects and emotions all in one wonderful narrative. A must-read!
13 years after disappearing from a small town in England, Olivia returns. This is where the story starts, which left me a bit unsettled. No tear filled angst at the loss of a child, no scattered man hunt or optimist and dedicated detective. From there the story continued to feel a bit detached. When Olivia returns she casually reveals herself to her mother. No huge cries of relief. Only her father seems to emotionally breakdown, but he was already broken by her disappearance and the subsequent fall out. No one really pushed to find out what had happened to Olivia. I never felt like the characters were very vested in the story. It was all too easy and seemed a bit unrealistic.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson.
The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson is a delightful read. I loved the premise of the story and could not put the book down. Although goodreads.com says it took me three days to read it, I read most of it in one day.
The Girl Who Came Back is a book about Olivia, who “came back” after having been missing for 13 years. She was kidnapped out of her garden when she was 6-years old, and the entire village searched for her, then memorialized her once they declared her dead.
Simultaneously, we also read the story of Lily. Her story begins at the age of 12 when her mother passes away. Her father loses himself in alcohol, and she has to take care of them both.
I loved how Olivia’s and Lily’s stories meld together in the end. I particularly enjoyed reading about Lily.
But back to the village. Oliva’s mother and other villagers are beyond excited to see Olivia. But not everyone is so happy about her return. Namely her mother’s current husband Max and his creepy brother Ashley.
One Flaw.
Kerry Wilkinson’s Two Sisters was a 5-star book for me, and I thought The Girl Who Came Back would be the same. But there was one major thing that was bothering me the whole time.
So we know this story is about a kidnapped girl who came back (or so the title says!). So when she came back, why did the cops barely show an interest when it was such a high-profile case 13 years ago?
Don’t let that flaw dissuade you. After all, I did give it four above average stars. It’s a great book and an interesting story with twists.
I didn’t find Olivia as likable as I thought I would. However, the surrounding characters more than made up for that. I loved her friends, Nattie and Rhys. And above all, I loved her father, Dan. He fell apart after her disappearance and subsequent divorce from Olivia's mother. But he was so delighted upon Olivia’s return, that it was beautiful to see him pick himself back up and become her father again.
Set aside any judgment I made on the police matter; I highly recommend The Girl Who Came Back.
The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson is a delightful read. I loved the premise of the story and could not put the book down. Although goodreads.com says it took me three days to read it, I read most of it in one day.
The Girl Who Came Back is a book about Olivia, who “came back” after having been missing for 13 years. She was kidnapped out of her garden when she was 6-years old, and the entire village searched for her, then memorialized her once they declared her dead.
Simultaneously, we also read the story of Lily. Her story begins at the age of 12 when her mother passes away. Her father loses himself in alcohol, and she has to take care of them both.
I loved how Olivia’s and Lily’s stories meld together in the end. I particularly enjoyed reading about Lily.
But back to the village. Oliva’s mother and other villagers are beyond excited to see Olivia. But not everyone is so happy about her return. Namely her mother’s current husband Max and his creepy brother Ashley.
One Flaw.
Kerry Wilkinson’s Two Sisters was a 5-star book for me, and I thought The Girl Who Came Back would be the same. But there was one major thing that was bothering me the whole time.
So we know this story is about a kidnapped girl who came back (or so the title says!). So when she came back, why did the cops barely show an interest when it was such a high-profile case 13 years ago?
Don’t let that flaw dissuade you. After all, I did give it four above average stars. It’s a great book and an interesting story with twists.
I didn’t find Olivia as likable as I thought I would. However, the surrounding characters more than made up for that. I loved her friends, Nattie and Rhys. And above all, I loved her father, Dan. He fell apart after her disappearance and subsequent divorce from Olivia's mother. But he was so delighted upon Olivia’s return, that it was beautiful to see him pick himself back up and become her father again.
Set aside any judgment I made on the police matter; I highly recommend The Girl Who Came Back.
A real thriller that kept me on my toes. This book had so many twists my head was spinning, but in a good way. I had many theories throughout and although I figured most of it out before the end I loved that the author kept it intriguing. He didn't over describe things which made the story flow well. I would have liked a bit more backstory on the the Pittman brothers, but overall this was a great first read by this author.
I am a huge fan of Wilkinsons books and am already excited to read a new one.... once again he has not let us down!
13 years ago 6 year old Olivia goes missing and 13 years later she suddenly returns - but is she the real Olivia?
This is a real page turner told from the POV of Olivia and also a further story arc about a girl called Lily who is struggling to grow up under the shadow of the death of her mother.
Olivias appearance is welcomed by her mother, father and old friends... however not everyone is pleased to see her. Not everyone believes she is who she says she is.
Wilkinson once agian brings his magic of creating well developed, interesting characters who appeal to the reader.
A brilliant read.... I would very much reccommend it!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review :-)
13 years ago 6 year old Olivia goes missing and 13 years later she suddenly returns - but is she the real Olivia?
This is a real page turner told from the POV of Olivia and also a further story arc about a girl called Lily who is struggling to grow up under the shadow of the death of her mother.
Olivias appearance is welcomed by her mother, father and old friends... however not everyone is pleased to see her. Not everyone believes she is who she says she is.
Wilkinson once agian brings his magic of creating well developed, interesting characters who appeal to the reader.
A brilliant read.... I would very much reccommend it!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review :-)
Just WOW what an excellent read. Two stories in parallel that merge into an explosive ending that I truly didn't see coming. Characters so real that you can empathise, feel and in some cases almost smell them! A great read and totally different to Kerry's Jessica Daniels series which I also love