This is the story of how the impact of traumatic childhood experiences can have on every day life. We know that olfactory, auditory and visual experiences can trigger memories and blur the lines between past and present. This story evokes hope, and the power of the mind and spirit to save itself.

I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. I am not sure if anyone can say that they really loved this book because the content is hard to read, but I couldn't put it down and I really wanted to finish! The best character in my opinion was little Fiona she was so sweet. I couldn't stand Paul (the husband) and felt as though he treated Nora horribly on her road to uncover the past. This book starts with Nora seeing an apparition of a little girl and her search to find out why she is seeing her. This book is a must read for everyone even though it has triggers for abuse and rape.

NIGHT CHILD WRITTEN BY ANNA QUINN

i was utterly blown away by how Anna Quinn could take the disturbing themes of sexual child abuse, severe neglect, Alcoholism and turn them into a masterpiece of literature. This debut novel NIGHT CHILD took ten years to write. While heartbreaking and painful to read at times, I compulsively read this masterful narrative in one sitting. Nora, Margaret and David are richly constructed character development at it's ultimate best. I usually avoid books dealing with such tough subject matter and didn't realize when requesting this that the subject matter dealt with the tough issues this creative author uniquely explores.

In Anna Quinn's capable hands this book is written in stunning prose that illuminates the protagonist's Nora and Margaret's fragile psyche stemming from childhood. The events that mold and shape us psychologically early in life can be repressed and wreak havoc on us later on as an adult. This emotional story is told in vivid prose. I was captivated by how realistically Nora, Margaret and the compassionate David's character development was depicted.

Nora has been married many years to the emotionally distant Paul. They have a six year old daughter Fiona. Nora is an English teacher who one day sees a vision of a blue eyed apparition. Nora think's that she hallucinated this vision, but she sees it again and begins to question her sanity. Like peeling back the layers of an onion Nora begins to slowly uncover with her psychiatrist fragments of long repressed memories of her childhood. David is a character that I liked and admired for his empathetic style while working with Nora and Margaret. I really liked John's character. While this amazing debut may not be for everybody due to the issues it tackles, I think Author Anna Quinn handles this difficult subject matter in a highly sensitive and unique matter. I will be watching and anticipating anything she writes in the future.

A huge amount of gratitude is owed to Net Galley, the talented Anna Quinn and Blackstone for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A child's face floats in front of you speaking only one short sentence..."Remember the Valentine's dress." You've lost your mind, surely you've gone crazy. This is what Nora believes to be the case first at her school then secondly on her holiday vacation. Little does she know this warning will awake in her more than she ever deemed possible.

Mother of a six-year-old and wife of a big time commercial realtor, Nora begins to hear and see the face of this young girl desperate to share a message. With the help of a psychiatrist, Nora uncovers happenings from her past which match with this girl's message only surfacing now as her daughter, Fiona, reaches the age in which she as a child faced the occurrences.

After a hit and run accident puts Nora in a hospital forced to face these issues, the truth must be told from her therapist to her husband and brother. How will she deal with this from a psychiatric ward of the hospital? How will her husband and brother feel once they've heard these truths? How will she help her poor little Fiona who she fears is in imminent danger?

First book under her belt, Anna does a superb job of the feels here. I was grabbed by the story and felt so compelled to finish. I wanted Nora to be a strong character and was not disappointed. Very well written.

I do hope that you read it. The writing is gripping and the pace is somewhat moderate. There is no plots of murder, or dangerous things. The Night Child is a book of painful memories, and the strength the mind has to withstand it. We might be broken, but we can still fix it, so long as we ask for it. 
To all the Nora Browns in the world, we can only use hope as our floater, and resilience to propel us out to darkness.

This book is just the reviews in the summary says, beautiful and remarkable. It kept me on the edge of my seat and left me wondering what was going to happen next. I enjoyed this book so much, but at times it could be very slow! I would give it 10/5 stars if I could!

Right off I knew this was going to be an emotional read. We are told in the description that “ a terrible secret is discovered -- a secret that pushes Nora toward an even deeper psychological breakdown .”

Nora has noticed that she’s not as happy with teaching as she used to be. It used to energize her and she felt lucky to be able to do what she did. However, now the large class sizes and government requirements have left her feeling worn-out. After class one day she suddenly feels a headache coming on but then feels like someone is whispering or breathing near her and suddenly….

“In front of her, a girl’s face, a wild numinous face with startling blue eyes, a face floating on top of shapeless drapes of purples and blues where arms and legs should have been"

When Nora locks eyes with the girl she feels a terror rush through her like she’s never felt before. But as quick as the face appeared it disappears. She tells herself she’s just tired, that it must be her imagination, that it must have been a hallucination. The next day she goes on vacation with her husband and six-year-old daughter, Fiona. She’s convinced herself that what happened was brought on by exhaustion. But then it happens again, and this time she doesn’t just see the girl’s face…she hears her voice.

“Remember the Valentine’s dress”

She feels like she’s going crazy….

Sometimes memories start to resurface when we least expect it and in ways we never would have anticipated.

“It’s the secrets that make us sick; it’s the telling that heals”

I was pulled in to the story, invested in the characters and anxious to know how things would turn out. However, this book was even more emotional than I expected. It deals with many very important issues but readers should be aware that the subject matter may be triggering for some. It's quite descriptive and I did find some parts very difficult to read.

Although I wouldn’t classify this as a suspense novel, it’s definitely an interesting psychological read about the strength and resilience of the human mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for this review.

Nora is a high school English teacher. She's married and has a young daughter. One day after class, a face of a child suddenly appears. Nora experiences a sudden terror, and the face returns a few days later. She begins to see a psychiatrist to discover what this could mean and what secrets lay beneath seeing this little girl.

This is a quick read. Without giving too much away, it all happens so fast. The time span is over several months, and at times it feels like the story is moving faster. The book is good, but I felt like the story could have been much more had the author gone deeper. (Nora's marriage, how some secrets affected aspects of her life, the super short story line involving one of her students) I wanted more from that. The story the readers are given is good, but with some extra work, it could have been great.

I enjoyed this novel. I found it easy to connect with each of the characters. I appreciated the way 5he story was told, because it offered insights from each of the characters without getting repetitive.

Even though this book is a challenging read because of the subject matter - child abuse and sexual violence - the author masterfully highlights the main character's fragile state and the ways her mind went to protect her. It was a captivating read. Thank you to Anna Quinn for an extremely well-written novel. I would highly recommend that Night Child be on anyone's must read list.

This book was not what I expected. Nora's vision in her classroom made me think the story would be about ghosts and hauntings. Instead, it's a powerful story about Nora's own personal ghosts and her journey to process repressed memories of her childhood.

In every chapter, Nora remembers new details from her past. Her secrets come to the surface and she struggles to face the demons. I loved Nora and felt such heartache for her with each battle she faced. Anna Quinn's account gives a very real and raw insight into Nora's trauma. I also liked her psychiatrist David, her friend John and her brother James. They were well developed and they gave the story hope.

Anna Quinn's writing is excellent and flows easily through Nora's story. The content becomes difficult to read as the story unfolds, but Quinn proves exceptional at handling such a tender subject and the damage that child abuse can do to the young psyche. I was so invested in Nora that I held my breath and kept reading. I finished this in one afternoon but the story will stay with me for a long time.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

The synopsis of this novel is right up my alley, including the Seattle setting and the suggestions of the supernatural. However, the writing is, unfortunately, very much not what I enjoy.

From the beginning, I did not like the present tense. The characters had no development before the author expected me to identify and sympathize with their experience, and so I didn’t.

I did not read very far before determining that this novel isn’t for me, so I’m not going to do an official review on my site or goodreads, as I feel I didn’t read enough to provide a fair review.

Thank you for the opportunity.

I had high hopes for this novel and it gets off to a somewhat promising start. In terms of genre, it is somewhere between a psychological thriller and a mystery. For the first half of the book, the layers unfolded slowly and the pace kept me reading. However, once I realized what was happening, the story dropped off so abruptly, it was difficult to finish. The characters are very flat, the subject matter difficult, and ultimately it lacked the depth necessary to make it believable. The end is so abrupt and rushed it doesn't match the slow pace of the first half. Disappointing.

This is an atmospheric and chilling read. Great attention to detail from the author and a wonderful premise that definitely did not disappoint. If you enjoy a chilling read rather than scream out loud horror, you'll enjoy this book. Anna Quinn has crafted a pageturner that never hints too heavily about what is coming next and simmers gently with menace. This was a perfect Halloween read that kept me turning the pages long into the night and had me checking the landing before going upstairs to bed. Thoroughly recommended if you like chills rather than gore.

Unable to review as it is too bleak for me I'm afraid. The child abuse and alcoholism were not something I want to read about in quite so much detail and it's not a book I would recommend so I won't post a public review.

This was a powerful story about a very difficult topic. I thought the evolution was described very well. I am glad I read it but I fear it may be triggering for many.

This book was both creepy and heartbreaking. Excellent debut novel

There will be some minor spoilers in this review, so be aware!

Being a survivor of sexual child abuse, like the main character in this novel, this is a subject that touches me profoundly whenever I read about it.
I did not know before starting the reading this would be the theme. Perhaps if I knew I'd not have requested the book but I understand that telling this on the blurb would spoil the reading for many. It is a difficult thing, to let your future readers know what the story is about without telling too much. I understand that.

That said, this is a terribly sad story. Not just due to the matter it deals with but the entire novel is quite depressing. There isn't a single uplifting event or character throughtou the reading and it can have a heavy effect on many readers, I imagine, hence another warning. It was hard for me to keep reading because it felt all so oppressive, so depressive, it is not for the faint of heart.

The abuse is treated with psychological delicacy, with respect in the approach and I got the feeling that the author either works in the area or has a lot of experience in it because it feels real. It feels maybe too real in some parts.

However, there was an amateurish feeling in the writing. I can't quite point exactly what gave me this impression but the fact is that I felt like reading an inspired student's attempt at a refined draft more than a published novel. I think the dialogues played a great part on that feeling; the therapist sounded better and more credible but the other dialogues, specially Fiona's, lacked something. That made me feel a bit disconnected from the characters and the story itself which is a shame. I respect the author for dealing with such a dark subject and for approaching it the way she did but in the end I don't think this was ready for publication. I think some other editing rounds could have polished it more and made this a 5 star novel. As it is the most I can give is 3.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Anna Quinn's novel took me on a path of pain and discovery. Quinn's main character, Nora, has a vision one day after her last English class leaves the classroom. She sees the face of a young girl hovering in front of her. This begins a story that grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. I used all of my own experiences in life to imagine why Nora would have a hallucination. My first thought was a brain tumor as that is a source of pain and grief in my family. I suppose that was my fear, but I couldn't square this with heavy emotional pain Nora seemed to carry with her.

Nora is a good teacher, an empathetic adult in a world of high school teenagers. Nora lives in Seattle with her husband, Paul, and their six-year-old daughter, Fiona. Nora's closest friend and supporter is John, her principal. He is one of the few people Nora trusts with her emotions and concerns. But her visions remain a secret that she tells no one. The girl's face appears again and then more frequently. Nora sees doctors and goes through a barrage of tests. I waited and read and kept reading.

Eventually, Nora must confide in John after her behavior changes in class and she is becoming worn down physically and emotionally with her secret. I understand the toll that keeping a secret has on people. Nora's secret is something she is cognitively aware of and must seek help from a psychiatrist. I hoped David, the doctor, could help Nora. I wanted her to get to the bottom of all her questions and fears. I wanted her to be healed so that she could be with her loving daughter and make a decision about her relationship with her husband.

I took this painful journey with Anna Quinn's character. I am impressed that this is a first novel, knowing it must have been extremely difficult to write. Often, this book was difficult to read. It was intense and filled with suspense, with bogeymen around every corner. If anyone wants to know what some people suffer in their lifetime and the price they must pay to save themselves, this is an important book to read. I recommend it unconditionally.

Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Publish date January 30, 2018.

The Night Child leaps into action, with the protagonist, Nora, seeing an apparition of a little girl. Her mental state, marriage, and relationship with her daughter and brother head into a downward spiral as she comes to grips with memories of her horrifying past. The book's cover, title, and opening scene led me to believe it was a contemporary ghost story or paranormal fiction, and I debated abandoning it altogether. Within a few pages, I was sucked into Nora's story. While it is a page-turner, I would have liked to have gotten to know more about the kind of woman Nora was before her psychotic break. The ending of Night Child is subject to interpretation, which will make it popular with book clubs with members who are willing to explore topics of sexual abuse, suicide, mental illness, and alcoholism.

I am grateful to Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of The Night Child provided to me in exchange for an honest review.