A tale of two stories that was thoroughly gripping from the off. I don't want to give any spoilers but I would recommend you read this.

This is a good first novel. The ideas are good. I did however find it hard to empathise with the characters. I feel that there needed to be more depth to them.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

In Georgia, USA, 18 year old Anna is struggling with her feelings for her mother, a somewhat cold woman, very strict and religious. Anna has a very limited life as her mother keeps her close at all times. only allowing her to have a boyfriend because he is the son of the local pastor. But on her 18th birthday, Anna and her boyfriend manage to spend the day at the local theme park which brings back disturbing memories to Anna. Meanwhile in North Islington, 16 year old Rosie has her own problems. 15 years earlier her sister Emily disappeared and her parents have never given up the hope that sometime, somehow, Emily will return. She discovers that the trust fund set up to fund trying to find Emily is about to run out of money and feels that she has to do something to help find her sister.

The narrative is from the POV of both girls and is very well done. There is no confusing who is speaking, the voices are very distinct. It is obvious that Anna is Emily but that doesn't matter. With the introduction of a sinister religious cult and an evil, manipulative cult leader, Father Paul, the narrative twists and turns in a very satisfying and frightening way.

Did I enjoy it? I'm not sure. The similarities between this and a very high profile real life case made this a bit uncomfortable for me. Nonetheless it is well written and I am sure will do very well indeed. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

A great idea for a book. I very much enjoyed it and found myself immersed in the stories of Anna and Rosie. Both had such clear and believable voices.
The secondary characters of Mamma and Mum were also well observed and sensitively written.
I will definitely recommend this book to friends and other reviewers. I was lucky enough to read it on holiday, and I didnt want to put it down.
A good first novel and an author to watch.
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read and talk abou about #MyNameIsAnna

Brilliant story about Anna, who on her eighteen birthday sneaks to a theme park, Astroland with her boyfriend. Her fiercely protective mother would never let Anna go there. However, while there it sets off memories that Anna cannot shake. She remembers being in Astroland before.

A family in the UK are coming up to the 15th anniversary of their daughters disappearance. Emily was taken from Astroland as a toddler and they so desperately seek answers.

As the two stories collide expect a whirl of emotions.

Brilliant, fast paced and couldn't put it down. .

My thanks to Random House U.K. and Cornerstone for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Lizzy Barber’s debut novel has a premise that could easily be taken from a number of real life cases involving missing children. She has combined this emotive subject with a chilling exploration of a cult. One might hope such fanatical groups were only found in fiction.

Using the format of switching between two narrators, she explores the quest of two young women on different sides of the Atlantic to discover what happened fifteen years previously to toddler Emily Archer. This USA/U.K. switching was well handled and should increase its appeal across the pond.

Anna’s awakening comes slowly as her mother is a follower of a strict Christian sect and has raised her in a way that has echoes of Stephen King’s first novel, ‘Carrie’. (I smiled when this association was referenced by teens bullying Anna). A sequence of triggering events when she turns eighteen sets Anna on a path of discovery.

Rosie’s journey is different given that her family life has been dominated by the loss of her sister and the attendant media attention. Her investigation strayed into areas that concerned me given her vulnerability and her parents’ focus on Emily’s disappearance.

Even though I enjoyed reading it and felt it addressed important subjects, I had some difficulty engaging with the characters. It may have been that as its dual narrators were teenagers, the novel is aimed towards a younger readership. I also found the ending rather abrupt.

I have debated with myself as to its rating. I admire that Barber entered such dark territory and even if some aspects felt obvious, likely due to my addiction to American crime dramas, it was very readable. Thus 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Definitely add this book to your wish list but a pre warning you won’t want to put it down. Loved this book. It’s a story of Anna who has grown up with her mother but past memories make her question her past. Then there is a family searching for there daughter Emily who has been missing 15 years. The family are torn apart by the loss. Life stoped at the point of the disappearance. A real page turner with so much plot in it. Brilliant 💜

Slow to get into and sometimes confusing but nevertheless a great premise. I thought the ending was too rushed and I was left wondering what happens next in her life. Really a 3.5 star rating for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

This is one of those books that I felt disappointed to finish - I was frantically clicking my Kindle hoping there were extra pages hiding! I loved this story: it was one of heartbreak, loss, family, friendship, obsession, and most importantly love.
It took me a few pages to realise half the book is set in the USA and the other half in the UK but I found this really worked. We follow story from the viewpoint of 2 teenager girls with very different upbringings and I enjoyed them both equally ,which is unusual as I often end up liking only part of the story when its split. Will definitely recommend this to my book club friends.

Interesting dual narrative; convincing in both English and US voices. Suspenseful and engaging, though I felt the first half was stronger. Will definitely recommend to customers browsing psychological thrillers or Jodi Picoult type books.

A bit of a confusing read. I admit I struggled in places. The overall premise was good but I’m not sure it delivered.

Unputdownable. I devoured this in just a few hours. A missing girl, a cult, the gigs of maternal instinct all combine in this fast paced story.

I guessed who Anna was almost immediately and it’s easy to draw parellrls between fiction and news stories we know so well. But, the characterisation was fantastic and I was intrigued to see how it would end.

I wonder how they’re doing now?

Quite an odd read and a little confusing but well worth the read once you get into it. Would recommend.

It was the cover that initially attracted me to 'My Name is Anna' and after reading the synopsis I couldn't help but want to read it

Told in alternate chapters by Anna an 18 year old from Florida and Rosie, an English girl whose whole life has been overshadowed by her families grief and media attention that comes with being the younger sister of 'Emily' a child who vanished without trace 15 years previously. The dual narration worked well for me, both girls were well characterised and the storyline moved along at a good pace.

It became apparent early on where this storyline was going and despite a growing feeling of unease, every time I even thought about putting this book down I found myself picking it up again.
Dark, disturbing and at the same time totally captivating. Very hard to believe this book is a debut novel that started out as the winning entry in a crime writing competition - or actually on hindsight maybe it isn't, the prize was certainly well deserved. A though provoking read that will stay with me for a long time.
5/5 from me I loved it!

Many thanks to Lizzy Barber, Random House UK and NetGalley for the advance copy for review purposes

Two troubled young girls on different sides of the world,looking for answers. Very enjoyable story ,with good characters and a less obvious ending.

When the book starts you think you know what has happened but as the book unfolds there are twists and turns and turns in the plot. There are so many headlines these days where people go missing and this book gets behind the headlines and looks at the human cost and heartbreak.

I thoroughly enjoyed this split narrative story of separated sisters across two continents.

Anna' doesn't remember being abducted as a young child, but there's no forgetting it for the sister she left behind, even though Rosie was only a baby at the time. There's a marked contrast between their lives, with Rosie's longing for normality and anonymity (although this is overtaken by a need to find her sister and save her family during the course of the novel) and Anna's sheltered religious upbringing, which is anything but normal. I found the alternating chapters worked well and kept me turning the pages, especially once the 'clues' in one girl's narrative started to find echoes in the other's.

I thought Anna's relationship with her zealot 'mother' was handled very skilfully and the book's title really resonates in the final few pages. This is one of those stories that lingers long after you've finished reading.

This is a story of child abduction which I found to be a quite uncomfortable read, and I didn't finish it !

Anna has a feeling that she’s not been told everything about her past. Her strict, god-fearing Mamma has no baby photos to show her, and refuses to talk about the past. When Anna sneaks off to the theme park Astroland for her 18th birthday, suddenly snippets of memory jolt into place, and she remembers another self at another time.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Rosie is following every clue to find her sister who disappeared 15 years ago.

A fast paced (if somewhat predictable) thriller, I read it through in just 2 sittings. Recommended if you’re after a quick pacy read.

You put your daughter on a carousel but when it stops your daughter is gone.
The sick sinking fear that she is gone, the horror of that happening - this is the basis of this brilliantly wriiten piece of fiction.
Two girls, sisters, two very different worlds. One girl knowing her sister had been taken years previously and the other trying to figure out who she is and why her mother is so hard on her. Each chapter written individually by Anna and Rosie is so clever. I read this book over three days and it left me emotionally drained every time I put is down. I felt for each of the girls in their quest to find each other.
Both characters cleverly draw you in to their worlds. I would so highly recommend this book. It was a rollercoaster of a read, well done Lizzy please write more.