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3.17 AVERAGE
3.17 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not a great thriller. Too slow paced, none of the characters are developed in any meaningful way, and the twists were anticlimactic. There were so many interesting plot points that were never developed.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A massive thank you to Harper Collins for sending me an ARC of this book. I didn't really have expectations going into this book. I'm not a massive reader of adult thrillers so I never know whether I'll enjoy them or not, but this one really peaked my interest.
Character wise I only really liked Abigail, Jess and Robert. I really felt for Abigail, she was taken from her family for seven years and then thrown back into a family she doesn't know if she can trust. Jess is always so set on being there for her cousin, and she never gave up on thinking Abigail would come back. Robert is such a good example of a step dad, and he's so good with the whole situation.
I really enjoyed the different twists and turns in this with more secrets being revealed throughout. I didn't see quite a few of them coming and that kept me wanting to read more. There were a lot of tense, dramatic scenes, which I wouldn't expect less for a story where a girl is abducted at eight years old and then returned to her family when she's fifteen.
Character wise I only really liked Abigail, Jess and Robert. I really felt for Abigail, she was taken from her family for seven years and then thrown back into a family she doesn't know if she can trust. Jess is always so set on being there for her cousin, and she never gave up on thinking Abigail would come back. Robert is such a good example of a step dad, and he's so good with the whole situation.
I really enjoyed the different twists and turns in this with more secrets being revealed throughout. I didn't see quite a few of them coming and that kept me wanting to read more. There were a lot of tense, dramatic scenes, which I wouldn't expect less for a story where a girl is abducted at eight years old and then returned to her family when she's fifteen.
I would rather slam a cabinet shut on my hand all day long than read this again. Thank yew.
Wow this book kept me twisted and turning all the way through it. I just didn’t know who to trust and what secrets were being kept at every step. I was blown away by the story and the ending. How does a family ever come back together after a child returns seven years after being abducted. After the celebrations take place how do the family learn to heal and mend. You will not be disappointed by this book.
Definitely an interesting premise for a book, and I kept reading because the author is skilled at building suspense, but I found the big surprise at the end to be pretty disappointing, but the author is obviously good at building a suspenseful story!
My thoughts: This novel started out really strong, Abigail has returned after being abducted for 7 years, Anne is so excited for her daughter to return but she is not the girl that Anne remembers and she is holding deep dark secrets inside.
Abigails characterisation was flawless - rather than a dramatic relief to be home, she remains fragile, traumatised and untrusting of those around her, but is it for good reason… you’ll have to read to find out.
My heart broke for the two younger brothers who had lived a life without their sister, only for her to suddenly return, and although they were only babies when she was abducted, you can still feel the innate sibling bond and the unconditional love between them.
Abigails relationship with Jess (her cousin) was so important throughout the book - it provided a glimmer of hope for Abigail to return to her norm - so much so that the twist toward the end of the novel really had me questioning the bond they had held over the previous chapters.
3 stars was probably a harsh rating; and really it would be closer to a 3.5 or a 4 - but I just wouldn’t recommend this as a go to thriller/mystery as I would with other great books I have read, this is reflected in my lowering of the rating.
Phillipa’s writing is exquisite however, the dialect is incredibly smooth and easy to read & I would definitely be interested in reading more of her work
Abigails characterisation was flawless - rather than a dramatic relief to be home, she remains fragile, traumatised and untrusting of those around her, but is it for good reason… you’ll have to read to find out.
My heart broke for the two younger brothers who had lived a life without their sister, only for her to suddenly return, and although they were only babies when she was abducted, you can still feel the innate sibling bond and the unconditional love between them.
Abigails relationship with Jess (her cousin) was so important throughout the book - it provided a glimmer of hope for Abigail to return to her norm - so much so that the twist toward the end of the novel really had me questioning the bond they had held over the previous chapters.
3 stars was probably a harsh rating; and really it would be closer to a 3.5 or a 4 - but I just wouldn’t recommend this as a go to thriller/mystery as I would with other great books I have read, this is reflected in my lowering of the rating.
Phillipa’s writing is exquisite however, the dialect is incredibly smooth and easy to read & I would definitely be interested in reading more of her work
Abigail had been abducted when she was eight by a busy London station and walked into a police station when she was fifteen.The story follows the messy aftermath of a missing child returning home and is told from two perspectives - Abigail’s mother Anne and Abigail’s cousin Jess. As you soon learn, there’s something that the mother and her sister have kept secret throughout the years related to the kidnapping.
Having two narrators allows us to keep our eyes on Abigail from a child and adult point of view. Anne is overwhelmed and stifled by her older sister and the pressure of being the perfect wife to her husband Robert and she’s determined to do get everything right as Abigail returns, from throwing a celebratory dinner to showering her daughter with new clothes. Yet, the distance between the two stubbornly refuses to shift.
Jess on the other hand is naive and believes things to either be black or white. She had put her life on hold, as she awaited Abigail’s return and is like a blind, overjoyed puppy who finally had gotten to be reunited with their owner.
The novel had a rocky start where there was a considerable lack of action, but the promise of a deeper mystery kept up my interest. Halfway through, albeit slowly things began to speed up. As much as I wanted to like ‘Little White Lies’ I was underwhelmed when I finally reached the end. The revelation of what actually happened on the day of the kidnapping and the reasons for it, lacked the ‘shock factor’.
With regards to the characters, it was an interesting choice to choose Anne and Jess as narrators that had the potential to work, yet for some reasons it didn’t. I never fully connected with Anne or Jess. And what they revealed about Abigail were tidbits of information that were never fully explored. I guess the author wanted to keep things in suspense by making Abigail seem curious and not fully understood. However, even after reaching the end Abigail felt like a loose end that I never really managed to grasp.
Overall, it was an okay and suspenseful read with a somewhat disappointing ending. It has the potential to keep your attention but beware, the focus primarily lies on how the closest to Abigail feel and react to the news of her homecoming not so much on Abigail nor the kidnapper and their reasons.
**Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Having two narrators allows us to keep our eyes on Abigail from a child and adult point of view. Anne is overwhelmed and stifled by her older sister and the pressure of being the perfect wife to her husband Robert and she’s determined to do get everything right as Abigail returns, from throwing a celebratory dinner to showering her daughter with new clothes. Yet, the distance between the two stubbornly refuses to shift.
Jess on the other hand is naive and believes things to either be black or white. She had put her life on hold, as she awaited Abigail’s return and is like a blind, overjoyed puppy who finally had gotten to be reunited with their owner.
The novel had a rocky start where there was a considerable lack of action, but the promise of a deeper mystery kept up my interest. Halfway through, albeit slowly things began to speed up. As much as I wanted to like ‘Little White Lies’ I was underwhelmed when I finally reached the end. The revelation of what actually happened on the day of the kidnapping and the reasons for it, lacked the ‘shock factor’.
With regards to the characters, it was an interesting choice to choose Anne and Jess as narrators that had the potential to work, yet for some reasons it didn’t. I never fully connected with Anne or Jess. And what they revealed about Abigail were tidbits of information that were never fully explored. I guess the author wanted to keep things in suspense by making Abigail seem curious and not fully understood. However, even after reaching the end Abigail felt like a loose end that I never really managed to grasp.
Overall, it was an okay and suspenseful read with a somewhat disappointing ending. It has the potential to keep your attention but beware, the focus primarily lies on how the closest to Abigail feel and react to the news of her homecoming not so much on Abigail nor the kidnapper and their reasons.
**Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.