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Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Infertility, Physical abuse, Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Kidnapping
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: April 24, 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Suspenseful • Compelling • Dark
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Ellie Mack has been missing for ten years. Her mother, Laurel, has been gripped by the hands of grief ever since, resulting in the dissolution of her marriage and a strained relationship with her other two children. Despite everything, she still holds out hope that Ellie will return one day.
When a handsome stranger named Floyd sweeps her off her feet. Before too long things have gotten pretty serious, and she is meeting his daughter, Poppy. When she sees Poppy for the first time, it takes her breath away as she has a striking resemblance to Ellie. The meeting stirs up all the unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel all these years.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After reading The House We Grew Up In I vowed to never read another Lisa Jewell book. Yet with a little encouragement from a friend and the opportunity of buddy reading it with her, I knew it was the ideal time to try again. Turns out I am glad I did.
It's been quite some time since I've picked up a thriller that held my attention beyond the first third, but this was definitely it! Lisa Jewell delivers a psychological thriller with emotional depth, and flawed, believable and well written characters. It kept me intrigued and guessing from start to finish, and I particularly valued the mother/daughter relationship. She constantly drops little hints throughout the story that eventually allows the plots to intersect flawlessly.
I don't know if it's my psychology/neuropsychology background but I always love trying to decipher the psychological aspects and how the characters brains work and the motivations behind their behaviours.
My one issue was the structure jumping around so much. The voice switched from one person to another at various parts, making it feel a tad disjointed at time. However, I admit there may not have been another option to properly flush out the narrative.
The icing on the top was Ellie's letter to help wrap things up, and leave me satisfied with the ending. The only thing I'd have wanted to change was Floyd's fate. Then She Was Gone helped me realized I like my thrillers with depth, and I'd consider for Lisa Jewell thrillers in the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Ruth Ware and Liane Moriarty
• readers who like the missing person trope
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"When I read a book it feels like real life and when I put the book down it's like I go back into the dream."
"Cooking doesn’t just nurture the recipient, it nurtures the chef."
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, Stalking, Murder
Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy
Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy
I got very frustrated with Laurel a few times. I realized while reading this book, that I do not care for naive women (or men for that matter) in a story. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders, shake her, and ask her “what are you thinking?! Are you really that stupid?!”, a few times. Maybe I am being too harsh though… I tend to assume the worse about a person, where most people assume the best, I think 🤷🏼♀️
Anyways, overall, a great mystery thriller, and I would recommend. Even made me get teary eyed at the end… which is saying a lot, for quality of storytelling.
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Pregnancy