Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Graphic: Death, Rape, Suicide, Kidnapping, Stalking, Pregnancy
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence
Ellie Mack has a great life as a teenager, but suddenly goes missing before her GCSEs. Her mother, Laurel, struggles with not knowing what happened to Ellie because she doesn't believe that she ran away. Years later, Laurel gets a new boyfriend, but when she meets his daughter Poppy, she can't help but be reminded of her own daughter. The book alternates between the past when it happened and the present when Ellie's mum Laurel learns more about what happened.
The parts from Ellie's POV were heartbreaking and her emotions came across in a really distinct way. I liked how there was more of a mix of POVs with more characters towards the end because it helped bring pieces of the narrative together. I think Laurel's point of view also improved as the book went on and her character developed. I did get interested at the very end of the audiobook because I wanted to see how the characters would react to the information. It was a pretty quick read, and I enjoyed the writing too. The descriptions of relationships were probably my favourite part!
Unfortunately, I found the plot reveals pretty obvious and I guessed really early in the book, which meant I wasn't eager to get to the end to see what was going to happen. This was such a huge part of the story so I was disappointed. I recently got into thrillers for the mystery and excitement, which I just found lacking in this book. It wasn't until the very end that I got interested, and it was just a bit too late. I think I also thought that the ending would be more dramatic than it was. I didn't hate the book, but I was mainly just disinterested and I'm honestly surprised that this book is so popular... (although I'm glad others were able to enjoy it)
Overall, I was underwhelmed by this book. Jewell conveys emotions well, but unfortunately I wasn't captivated by the actual plot that much and it didn't surprise me. I don't regret reading it, but I don't know if I'll read more by Lisa Jewell because I haven't liked either of the ones I read. Still, this book does have good reviews so if you're interested, don't let my review put you off. It contains content including child abuse, kidnapping, death, and grief.
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Kidnapping, Grief
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Death, Suicide
Minor: Animal death
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy
Minor: Rape
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief
The plot was a bit unbelievable, and entirely predictable - you know who has done what very early on in the book, and just need to keep reading to figure out exactly how. It also felt tense throughout without any big twist or climax, and finished feeling anticlimactic. The plot was a mixed pace, and sometimes lagged on with unnecessary repetition and explanations.
All-in-all, I would not recommend to a fan of thrillers/whodunnits. I would cautiously recommend it to someone dipping their toes into the genre, or looking for a predictable and quick (but dark!) read.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Stalking, Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Sexual assault