This was a really interesting read, I think it would be best suited to an older audience as I found it too ‘mature’. I thought that it was going to be more of a mystery novel and although there was an element of that, I would say that the main themes are family relationships and identity. Overall it was a good read, I did feel for some of the characters but again, I felt that I was too young to really appreciate it.

This is Laura Pearson's debut and honestly you would think that she had been writing for years it's that brilliant. It was raw, original and full of emotion. I was hooked from the first page until the end and wanted to reach through the page and hug them. It was a brilliant and honest look at how loss can hurt and change people, and how guilt can grow and manifest into something no one can comprehend. I loved Bea and how determined she was at making sure she gave her child a good future no matter what. Well written and a great summer read.

A beautifully written tale covering the extremely sensitive subject of the death of a child. The book explores the complex emotions experienced by each family member as they battle with the tragedy of Phoebe dying. Set in two parts, the first is set in the 1980s when the incident occurred. The second part brings the story up to 2011 as secrets are revealed. Excellent book.

A really heartbreaking and emotional read that grips your heart so tight at times it feels its going to break. I feel this book will not be for everyone as its a pretty sad kinda book bot for me it was amazing written. Even though it brought out a lot of emotions I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend.

I’m going to start by saying that this is a great book. Its got interesting characters, enough suspense to keep you guessing, a good story line. I’ve read many books like this recently though, that’s all I would say by way of constructive feedback - it’s a bit similar to many books around at the moment with its plot.

Loved this book from page 1. Characters are so well developed. I felt like I was a part of their lives. This is a story of a family who loves each other more than anything but can't get past the pain. A family who needs to learn how to move on and accept what is and accept what can be. I wanted to keep reading. A sequel is needed. I want Tonkin how the all turn out!

A heart wrenching book from start to finish.

The story begins with a tragic funeral that should have been able to be avoided - pheobe (3) had lost her life. Part one of the book written during the days following the funeral tells us of the huge impact this loss has had on the family, how each of the surviving members - mother (pregnant), father and sister were dealing with their sorrow. More tradgedy ensues.
Part two, written years after brings into the story the new sister who knew little about her ‘absent’ sister begins to question what actually happened all those years ago.

A story of family, heartache and acceptance. A highly recommended read.

This is a sad book. A very sad book. A book that is sad from the beginning almost to the very end.

As such, it's not really for me. It's a hard read and depressing.

Having said that, it's written beautifully and it explores the impact of tragedy in a caring, thought out way.

If you like that type of domestic drama, you'll love this.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Slow start but then it gathers pace and you will love this! A very well written and original thriller.

This book starts with death of a child and the drama that surrounds it. The aftermath of this event is told but not in full. Fast forward 25 years and new dramas unfold waiting for the full family secret to come out. The characters have a depth to them and you can empathise with them. A great read.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and have enjoyed it very much.

The story is based around 3 sisters, one of whom died as a child, one who carried the guilt of that death to adulthood and the third which knew nothing about what happened and was finding out in letters written as if talking to the dead sister. That’s all I’m going to tell you about the story, you’ll need to read to the end to find out for yourself . I’m sure you won’t be disappointed by the outcome.

Missing Pieces is novel about how grief, mistakes, blame, and isolation can spur negative repercussions. Those repercussions affect relationships, mental health, and self actualization. The raw emotional depth of this novel is stunning. As a reader you often feel like intruder, witnessing private grief and pain, seeing how it manifests in each of the main characters.

The novel opens on August 5, 1985, 21 Day’s After, with, “The coffin was too small. Too small to contain what it did, which was not only Phoebe’s body, but a large part of Linda too.” Phoebe, the almost 4 year old daughter of Linda and Tom, sister of 7 year old Esme, has died. We continue to follow the heavily pregnant Linda, Tom, and Esme through Part I, as we count down from the day of Phoebe’s death. We experience the intimate portrayal of grief which is raw, uncomfortable, and often maddening. We live all 161 days of Part I with our main characters cycling through the stages of grief and the depths of their despair, feeling intermittently angry, betrayed, and hopeful. We witness the birth of Bea, and hope beyond hope that she will be the light to lead them out of their darkness.

Part II opens 9610 Days After on November 6, 2011. Bea is now 26 years old, Phoebe’s death having happened before she even took her first breath, yet we continue the countdown. Why? Because the loss of Phoebe has cast a shadow over every aspect of this family and their lives. It’s caused an unending cycle of loss and pain, but Part II gives us the hope that it’s never too late to overcome your sorrows, to begin anew.

Beautifully written, emotionally raw, and brutally honest, I devoured Missing Pieces in a few short days. While I didn’t always love the characters or their choices, they were realistically flawed.

Moving and beautiful at the same time.
The death of a child is something few of us can imagine dealing with. Missing Pieces deals with the immediate aftermath of the death of the Phoebe, and her family 25 years later.
The mother's grief is almost unbearable to read, a skilful piece of writing for a debut novelist.
Despite the subject matter, I'd highly recommend this, and look forward to another book by Laura Pearson.

This is a beautiful story that centres around a tragic loss and the emotions that come into play when a loved one is lost. I openly cried (a few times) whilst reading this and really connected with the charectors. As sad as the back story is I still found it heart warming and really enjoyed the strength and courage that brought the family back together as one, very emotional and this story will stay with me for a very long time.

Loved this book, it also brought me to tears. Family, tragedy woven together but bringing all to a happy end. It was lovely.

Loved this book. Really gripping and very emotional. Its like being on an emotional rollercoaster reading this book. Really beautifully written and this had me gripped from the very beginning. Im not really one for crying, but this book had me in tears at the end. An absolute page turner of a book. This is one that you need to read!

I enjoyed this book but it was a very sad story and I felt that it dragged a little bit, in terms of the reveal. The mother's descent in the first half of the book was very difficult to read and the long-reaching aftereffects of the tragedy in the second half made it a slightly depressing read. I'm glad I read it but I'm not sure I would recommend it.

This book begins in 1985, when we meet Linda who is at her daughter, Phoebe’s, funeral. We quickly learn that Phoebe was very young when she died and that Linda is pregnant with her sibling. The exact surroundings of Phoebe’s death aren’t revealed until the very end of the book.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. It is essentially well-written and the various threads of the story jog along at a decent pace. It’s very readable. But I could bring myself to like it.

There are several reasons. Firstly, I have young children myself and I found the whole scenario disturbing. I think this is a story most parents would find discomforting. Secondly, all the main characters - with the exception of the unborn child (who is an adult by the end) - are utterly hateful. We are meant to feel sympathy for Linda, who is clearly deeply depressed, but her actions were so consistently abominable I simply couldn’t. She clearly needs help but not one person here - from her friend to the neighbour to the utterly incompetent school staff - insists she get it. Her husband Tom is if anything even more vile and so, it turns out, is her surviving eldest daughter, Esme. I didn’t like any of them and frankly felt they deserved each other. None of them are redeemed by the end, and Esme and Tom don’t appear to have learned very much, apart from having agreed Phoebe’s death wasn’t their fault. Even though, once the truth was revealed, I for one felt it absolutely was.

Is the job of an author to always make you feel happy and uplifted? No, perhaps not. The book did engender strong feelings, so is successful in that regard. As I said, the pace is good. I’ve given it three stars. Other readers may like this book more than I did, but it wasn’t for me.

Linda is a mother who is missing a child. Mourning the loss of her daughter whilst looking after another and pregnant with a third is not how she saw her life going. Following Linda through her grief you begin to question how this tragedy happened and who, if anyone, was really at fault.

The second half of the book focuses on Bea, Lindas daughter. She is now pregnant and is looking back on her family for answers about the sister she never met.

The story is a heartbreaking mystery, exploring the family constructs that change following the loss of a child. Read with a box of tissues ready!

This is an amazing book that kept me engaged and entertained for hours and hours. The characters come to life on the pages and I quickly felt like I was part of the family. I laughed and cried with them. I highly recommend this book!