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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
interesting plot but i feel like the writing style could be better.
A thrilling read of your typical child-kidnapping mystery thats grips the reader with the usual twists and turns, Christian White’s The Nowhere Child is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It’s not the type of book to wow you with literary prose or complex characters, but the story is enough to keep you wanting more. I felt as if there was a lull towards the middle of the book, especially with the letters and the development of that character, but the end picked up dramatically for a thrilling and tasteful finish.
What a fantastic book, I was captivated from beginning to end.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Dear first time authors: did you know you can describe bad/evil/unpleasant characters as something other than fat? No, you didn’t? Shocking right. I’m genuinely so over books that are objectively good being semi ruined for me because a lazy author couldn’t find a better way to convey “evil” than “fat”.
That criticism aside, this was a great book. I loved the dual timeline - always a sucker for it but especially with the way this was done a little differently - and the twisting and turning of the plot. I was genuinely surprised by some of the revelations at the end (and I did like that although it does give me a few misgivings about the authors writing: were there deliberate red herrings or was this directional change an oversight). Also give me a book with a religious cult in it and I am a happy camper!
I’m interested to read more from this author to see how he develops, I have high hopes for how his skill evolves over time. Id recommend this to folks who enjoy things like Dirt Town or The Dry.
That criticism aside, this was a great book. I loved the dual timeline - always a sucker for it but especially with the way this was done a little differently - and the twisting and turning of the plot. I was genuinely surprised by some of the revelations at the end (and I did like that although it does give me a few misgivings about the authors writing: were there deliberate red herrings or was this directional change an oversight). Also give me a book with a religious cult in it and I am a happy camper!
I’m interested to read more from this author to see how he develops, I have high hopes for how his skill evolves over time. Id recommend this to folks who enjoy things like Dirt Town or The Dry.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars.
The Nowhere Child by Christian White is an enthralling mystery that is quite clever and unique.
Thirty year old Kimberly "Kim" Leamy lives in Melbourne, AU and teaches photography. Her world is turned upside down after she is approached by an American stranger who tells her she might actually be Sammy Went, who was kidnapped in Kentucky twenty-six years earlier. After receiving information that confirms her identity, Kim travels to the United States to try to piece together the events that ripped her from her family in Kentucky. But the biggest mystery she is hoping to solve is how she ended up living in Australia.
Unable to get answers from her stepfather, Dean, Kim hopes that confronting her past in Manson, KY will untangle the truth about her life. Her reception by her birth family is not quite what she expects. Her brother Stuart has never given up hope his sister would be found. Her sister Emma tried to move forward by admitting Sammy is most likely dead. Their mother Molly clings to her faith although the fundamentalist church that is the cornerstone of her religion is no longer the powerhouse it once was. Kim's father, Jack, left town years ago and she is uncertain whether she will meet him. While Kim is not necessarily finding irrefutable proof of how ended up Australia, she does uncover a clue that raises more questions than answers.
Interspersed with the events unfolding in the present are chapters that detail the day of Sammy's kidnapping and the ensuing search for her. The Went family is somewhat fractured with Molly sometimes losing patience with her young daughter. She is deeply religious and clings tightly to the church that Jack has long since abandoned. After Sammy's disappearance, Emma is forced to grow up too soon as she discovers shocking truths about her family. Stuart does not handle the kidnapping well and he reverts to a happier time in his young life. Jack's world begins spinning out his control as he frantically searches for his daughter just as his life begins to implode.
With chapters alternating between Kim's search for answers in the present and the days after her kidnapping in the past, The Nowhere Child is a fast-paced and spellbinding mystery. The characters are interesting and well-developed but not all of them are easy to relate to or like. The plot is well-developed with just enough suspense to keep the pages turning at a blistering pace. With stunning twists and unexpected turns, Christian White brings the novel to a jaw-dropping conclusion. An absolutely brilliant debut that I found impossible to put down and highly recommend to fans of the genre.
The Nowhere Child by Christian White is an enthralling mystery that is quite clever and unique.
Thirty year old Kimberly "Kim" Leamy lives in Melbourne, AU and teaches photography. Her world is turned upside down after she is approached by an American stranger who tells her she might actually be Sammy Went, who was kidnapped in Kentucky twenty-six years earlier. After receiving information that confirms her identity, Kim travels to the United States to try to piece together the events that ripped her from her family in Kentucky. But the biggest mystery she is hoping to solve is how she ended up living in Australia.
Unable to get answers from her stepfather, Dean, Kim hopes that confronting her past in Manson, KY will untangle the truth about her life. Her reception by her birth family is not quite what she expects. Her brother Stuart has never given up hope his sister would be found. Her sister Emma tried to move forward by admitting Sammy is most likely dead. Their mother Molly clings to her faith although the fundamentalist church that is the cornerstone of her religion is no longer the powerhouse it once was. Kim's father, Jack, left town years ago and she is uncertain whether she will meet him. While Kim is not necessarily finding irrefutable proof of how ended up Australia, she does uncover a clue that raises more questions than answers.
Interspersed with the events unfolding in the present are chapters that detail the day of Sammy's kidnapping and the ensuing search for her. The Went family is somewhat fractured with Molly sometimes losing patience with her young daughter. She is deeply religious and clings tightly to the church that Jack has long since abandoned. After Sammy's disappearance, Emma is forced to grow up too soon as she discovers shocking truths about her family. Stuart does not handle the kidnapping well and he reverts to a happier time in his young life. Jack's world begins spinning out his control as he frantically searches for his daughter just as his life begins to implode.
With chapters alternating between Kim's search for answers in the present and the days after her kidnapping in the past, The Nowhere Child is a fast-paced and spellbinding mystery. The characters are interesting and well-developed but not all of them are easy to relate to or like. The plot is well-developed with just enough suspense to keep the pages turning at a blistering pace. With stunning twists and unexpected turns, Christian White brings the novel to a jaw-dropping conclusion. An absolutely brilliant debut that I found impossible to put down and highly recommend to fans of the genre.
This book didn’t feel like reading. It sped past me and I was so immersed into the story nothing else mattered. Beautifully written.