Finished this book in a day.
Very easy reading. and the story draws you in straight away.
It is predictable at times but the plot is engrossing and well written.
Will look out for more from this author.

Thank you netgalley, Random House and Lizzy Barber for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book almost seems predictable, you know from the blurb what's coming and start the book knowing how it will develop. So it came as quite a surprise that the book draws you in regardless and the flow between one life and another's is seemless. You know a book is good if you care about the characters and can feel their pain and joy. This cleverly written tale does just that.

Definitely worth reading, it's a 4.5 from me, leaving a little room for the next offering by this author.

Really enjoyable book telling the story of Anna who’s been bought up in America with a very religious Mother and the story of Rosie growing up in the UK with a mission sister. The story is quite predictable in that Anna is the missing sister however the story is still very well written detailing the ups and downs of both girls, how it happened as well as religious sects and how they prey on the innocent and naive. Easy to read and would highly recommend!

It is quite obvious from early on in this tale where it is going, but even finding out how it will end is not the centre of the story as far as I am concerned. Anna is introduced on her eighteenth birthday and has spent her life with her Mamma bringing her up very strictly, reading the bible, scrubbing her hands to avoid dirt and germs, holding her at arm's length but allowing her no freedom, keeping her close to home.

The chapters alternate with Rosie who lives a very different life in the centre of a loving family, but one that restricts her freedom too because they have had their eldest child abducted 15 years earlier. This mother is loving but too protective of her second daughter and life revolves round the perfect, missing daughter. Emily is no longer part of the family but all their lives are focussed on looking for her and she is perfection, or so it feels to Rosie. Lizzy Barker introduces a very interesting picture the effects a missing child has on, not only the parents, but the rest of the family - a child who was still a tot when Emily disappeared and a boy who was not even born.

A fascinating debut - can't wait to read the next offering from Lizzy Barber.

Many thanks to Netgalley/Lizzy Barber/Random House for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Gripping from the start when Anna’s story unravels as she realises she is not who she thought she was. As a reader you switch between both families’ stories - one still grieving the loss of a daughter and sister whilst the other trying to figure out who her real mother is. Absolutely fascinating. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Chilling and thrilling this story of a missing child, a creepy religious cult and the need to never lose hope is absolutely gripping. Highly recommend!

It was a really enjoyable book, from start to finish. The characters of Anna and her 15 year old sister were very well written. Reading the story from Anna’s point of view was interesting. Although her upbringing was strict, she seemed happy and content with her life. However, the unexpected flashback threw her in a spin. This showed her courage, determination as well as kindness towards her mother. I really liked how the story ended...There’s more to the story. I want to now know, how does she cope with her new found freedom as well as family? Will she stay where she is and therefore end up losing the one person who believed in her?

This was a complex story about two girls living on the opposite sides of the Atlantic. It was an interesting idea, well written and with appealing characters. The conclusion was rather obvious once you had been introduced to all the characters, which took the edge off a bit. but it was still an enjoyable story.

This is a really good debut read about Anna, who lives alone with her very strict church going Mamma and who has no real knowledge of her past. No baby photo's, no real family history and then, she begins to have flashbacks that she doesn't understand.

Alongside Anna's narrative is that of a Sister (Rosie) that Anna doesn't know she has, who live on the other side of the Atlantic and from whom Anna was taken many years ago.
Rosie tells the story from her perspective and it's heart wrenching to read how her Sister's disappearance has impacted her and her family.

The story flows well and the characters are well constructed, although, I'd like to have had more detail on the British family of Rosie, Rob and their parents. What is told is heartbreaking, it's just I didn't feel I got to know much about them.

Overall, It's a predictable read in parts, but, it's well written and compelling and it deals really well with what is very sensitive and difficult subject matter.

Many thanks to the author, Random House UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

Not an obvious thriller, this is more sophisticated than the usual. The stories of two teenage girls, one in America and one in England weave together. The author has cleverly made them very distinctive voices. The book also touches on internet trolls, the power of the media and the rise and fall of public opinion. I really liked it, although I would have liked more at the end of the book about the difficulties of adjustment.

Exciting and gripping story!


The book is set in the UK and USA and takes a bit of thought to get into the story.  It is told from the point of view of two girls, Anna and Rosie, who experienced very different childhoods from each other.  


I enjoyed the twists running through the book. The story touches on heartbreak, friendship, family, loss and love.  I would highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Lizzy Barber for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century and the author, Lizzie Barber, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of My Name Is Anna in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

I thought this book offered a good read. The storyline was well written, with engaging characters. The plot was definitely intriguing and delivers what was promised in the description. An author I will definitely read again. 3.5 stars.
Well worth a read.

Anna has been brought up by her strict and religious mother in Florida who still treats her like a child. On her 18th birthday she and her boyfriend Will (the pastors son), to a local theme park behind her mothers back, where she has a heavy feeling of Déjà vu. This and other strange feelings encourage her to break up with Will as he doesn’t take her inklings seriously.
Rosie lives in England with her parents and younger brother. Fifteen years ago her sister vanished at the same theme park whilst they were all on holiday in America. She was never found and the tragedy has dominated her childhood. Rosie starts looking into it and events quickly take a sinister turn.
I felt intrigued in the story but also felt like I knew the ending already, I would have liked a bit more of Rosies story to balance things and I thought it was also a bit slow in getting to the meat of the storyline which got me a little bored and inpatient. I did persevere though and I’m glad I did as on the whole this was a well written, interesting book.

Our names are such a crucial part of our identity, so when Anna reaches her eighteenth birthday and has reason to question who she is and where she really comes from, her whole life is suddenly not what it seems. Neither is her stiflingly close relationship with her single mother, Mary.

Having been brought up to absorb specific teaching and automatically observe strict religious practices instigated by her Mamma, she begins to seek the truth and reasoning behind it all. Anna eventually discovers that their lives are rooted in puritanical teaching based on cult beliefs.

Rosie is also on a quest. Her little sister Emily went missing fifteen years ago and has never been found. With the anniversary provoking fresh publicity and the threat of trust funds about to dry up, her parents might be tempted to call off investigations into Emily’s disappearance and try to resign themselves to life without her.

Taking matters into her own hands, Rosie anonymously joins internet chat forums still pondering the mystery of Emily’s disappearance. In the process, she meets people who have ideas about the case, and some who are able to provide information themselves when she tracks them down. She also puts her life in peril by getting close to the truth.

It is clear fairly early on in the book what links Anna, Rosie and Emily to one another, though it takes time to unravel the story and for their lives to converge. And to dig deeper into the sinister religious cult, led by the charismatic but unsavoury Father Paul, that holds Anna and Mamma in its thrall.

Although I would have liked to have had Rosie’s family explored more and seen how Anna coped beyond the great reveal itself, this excels as a dark, disturbing, captivating and twisty story, maintaining interest and intrigue to the end.

The book is told by Anna and Rosie, two teenagers attempting to discover what happened to Emily, who was abducted from a fun park years ago.
When Anna reaches 18 years of age, she decides to try and find out what happened to Emily, wondering what secrets have been withheld. Anna’s mother is a strict disciplinarian, always checking up on her, unable to show love, and Anna is convinced she is holding something back.
In places I found the story difficult to follow – it’s slow moving at first and confusing. As one girl begins to uncover secrets of what happened to Emily, it goes to the next the chapter told from the other girl’s viewpoint, which takes the story back to the beginning. Rather than making the book become more exciting and dramatic, it becomes frustrating to read.
The book addresses a disturbing subject, and is quite chilling in places.

Review left at Amazon 1/11/2018
https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/create-review/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_wr_but_top/thankyou?asins=B07CN8RM2L&channel=glance-detail-thankyou

I really enjoyed this book and found it very hard to put down .The story centres around Anna who at 18 after a visit to an amusement park finds it has triggered past memories about her missing sister Emily who 15 years before had disappeared from the park and had not been seen since .The story starts slowly and gradually builds up to a somewhat predictable ending but still a very good read .Many thanks to the Publisher .the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review

A compulsive page turner, that leaves you wanting. As a first novel, Lizzy Barber has done a magnificent job in creating a world where you simply need to know more; Just how on earth did Anna end up in the USA with this strange mother? What has any of this got to do with Rosie and her missing sister across the Atlantic ocean? The narration sets both scenes perfectly, and takes you on a rollercoaster read, from a life of banality, oppression, love, to intrigue, suspense, and a longing to find out more by the end.

This was a great book and kept my attention all the way through - as the book progressed there were numerous points where I couldn’t read fast enough!!!

This book tells the stories of Anna and Emily. Anna lives with her mother in Georgia, USA - her mother is very religious and very particular about cleanliness. Anna has just turned 18 years old and in her first visit to an amusement park with her boyfriend she triggers suppressed memories.

Rosie is 16 years old and lives in England with her brother and their parents. When Rosie was just one year old her older sister Emily disappeared from an amusement park in Florida. Fifteen years later it is taking its toll on her family and they are still no closer to finding out what happened to Emily.

I enjoyed this book however I felt that the ending was a bit too rushed and would have benefited from being drawn out a bit more. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of the book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I had seen a film or tv show with a similar premise and so this peaked my interest. Whilst they were not the same except for the basic concept I found this an amazing story and really powered through reading it... I couldn't put it down.It is written very well and really captures the scene it sets out for you. There are times when I was frustrated finding that it just isn't how I would have done it / been and so I think there is a lean towards more of a YA fiction rather than a full on crime/thriller/drama type novel. Nonetheless I enjoyed it and recommend it, if nothing else for storytelling language and imagery.

A tale of two young women who have decided to find out the truth about themselves and each other, one on each side of the Atlantic. They approach things in completely different ways but with a single-mindedness that suggests there is much more to their search than first meets the eye.

As their stories progress they each learn more about their strengths and weaknesses whilst drifting closer and closer to each other. The denouement is an perfect statement of individuality.