Another lovely read by Jill child’s, I had previously read gracies secret which I thoroughly enjoyed so had high expectations for invisible girl and I wasn’t disappointed!
This book centres on maddie a homeless alcoholic bag lady who sleeps rough in London, she is befriended by a little girl Rosie who sees through her disheveled, unwashed state and gradually maddie becomes an integral part of Rosie’s family and her best friends Ella’s family. However this isn’t a random chance meeting and as the story unfolds you find out his maddie engineered this to reconnect with her long lost daughter! A really emotive, thought provoking book.
Thank you net galley for this advance copy to read.

This book had me hooked, but in a completely different way to the usual!

We’re introduced to a homeless lady, Maddy, who sits in her sheltered doorway watching the world go by….learning about the people that she sees. But is she there for a reason? And what has she been through to end up where she is today?

We meet Becca, a single Mum who has recently split from her controlling Husband, getting used to a life of tight purse strings and Christmas approaching….

And we meet Sarah, another single Mum living in the same block of flats as Becca. Her and Becca are friends, and their little girls are best friends but is Sarah all she seems….?

We’re taken on a heartbreaking story where these three peoples lives entertwine and the story that unravels is thought provoking and heart wrenching. I guessed a big part of the story early on but I’m sure the book is written this way, so you’re giving little hints and suggestions throughout. However, this did not in anyway stop me from wanting to read the ending. I got to one point and honestly had no idea how it was going to turn out….!

The story of Maddy and Mick really made me think of all those people that are living on the streets….how many people really do pass them by and don’t give them a thought? Why have they ended up there? What’s their story? How do they survive? Although I do try and help when I can, I think this has given me even more reason to really consider each and every person that I pass on the streets, and help them a little bit if I’m able to.

I really like Becca and her daughter Rosie – she’s just trying to do the best for her kids and their new life. Sarah drove me nuts, and I wanted to kick her up the bum quite a lot!!

This really will have you thinking, and you won’t want to put it down….wanting to get to the end to see if it finishes in the way you hope! Another fab book recommended by me.

An encounter with a homeless woman named Maddy leads Becca to invite her to spend the night. Before, she knows it, Maddy has become a big part of Becca's family's life much to the displeasure of Becca's ex-husband, her son, and her friend and neighbor, Sarah, who distrust Maddy. However, it turns out that Maddy's being in the area was more than just chance, and her secret will change lives. This is a book that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. At times, it is heartbreaking at other times heartwarming. It will restore your faith in humanity and the power of redemption. Once you have read it you will never be able to look at another homeless person the same way.

Maddy is a bag lady - as she is oft-described in this affecting ready by Jill Childs. More than that, she is a watcher. Just who is she watching and why? She catches the eye of a five-year-old little girl, Rosie.

In the very first chapter, written in first-person, which is in Maddy's voice, it is stated: "I know you. I know you in a way you can't imagine." These two sentences set the tone for the entire book. Quite swiftly, however, we get Becca's and Sarah's chapters. Each chapter is named after one of the three women.

Why is this done? Who are they and how are their lives connected?

As mentioned, Maddy is often described as a bag lady, and this bothered me. But, the author no doubt had specific reason for doing this. In actuality, Maddy was a homeless woman, and one pivotal to this story. Because one of the primary characters was homeless, her story had to be told. It doesn't take long to see how Becca and Sarah are connected; they live in the same apartment building and their little girls are best friends.

If one were to dissect the lives of Maddy, Becci and Sarah, it would be a bit painful. After all, reading about a woman forced to live on the streets, in part due to alcoholism, is difficult, to say the least. Then there is Becca, a divorced woman with little Rosie and a teen son. She is striving to make a living, all while trying to avoid her ex. Lastly with have Sarah, another single mom, and Sarah is struggling too. However, she is struggling with more than making a living. Sarah has a dark secret.

Speaking of secrets, Maddy has one of her own, and boy is it a whopper. Without spoiling this book with this review, it only makes sense that the three women are connected. I struggled through the read while making said connections. Oh, not with the book itself. I struggled because I felt their pain, all three of them. Their lives certainly were not easy and I could only hope that by the end of the book that the secrets would be revealed and resolved.

Invisible Girl is the third book that I have read by Jill Childs and, as before, I was hit right between the eyes. They are all sensitive stories, each and every one of them. I would like to add that there was a specific reason the author wrote this book, and I think she did an excellent job getting the message across. I will forever keep a few dollars in my pocket or wallet to give to the homeless. No doubt many, many of them are in that predicament due to circumstances beyond their control.

I look forward to the next compelling book by this inspiring author.

Many thanks to Bookoture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Invisible Girl by Jill Childs is quite an emotional read. Although this is the first book I have read by Childs, it certainly will not be my last.

Maddy is a homeless alcoholic living in the streets of London. Maddy’s life has not been an easy one and she blames herself for things that have happened in the past, not sure if she can ever make things right again. Things slowly take a turn for Maddy when five year old Rosie takes a liking to her much to the dismay of her mother Becca. As their lives become entwined in ways Maddy could never have imagined, Maddy starts to become hopeful for a future, but will her secret, once it is revealed, have the power to destroy her?

Jill Childs takes every day issues, such as homelessness, and weaves such a powerful and heartbreaking story. I don’t think most people ever really stop to think or help someone who is homeless. There is such a huge stigma around the homeless where most people believe anyone homeless either has a mental illness or is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. While this may be true for some, it is not true for all. Jill Childs shows both the horror and compassionate side towards the homeless. Becca is at first repulsed by Maddy, not wanting her daughter anywhere near her. Did she feel sympathy? Sure, but she certainly did not go out of her way to help. It takes a five year old girl, Rosie, to open the eyes of those around her and embrace Maddy into her life treating her as a human being.

Becca is a down on her luck mother trying to do right by her daughter. Often times, barely making enough to put food on the table or presents under the Christmas tree. She has recently left her controlling husband and is basically just trying to survive day by day. To say she is one step up from being homeless is an understatement. Becca is friends with Sarah, her neighbor while sarah’s daughter, Ella is best friends with Rosie. Sarah too is keeping secrets. Secrets that could destroy her life if ever revealed. To be honest, Rosie was definitely the star of this story. Even at five years old she shows so much compassion and embraces Maddy with a childlike innocence. While I did like Becca, I think she should have been a bit more understanding towards Maddy because Becca knows what it is like to struggle financially.

Jill Childs writing flows so effortlessly and easily. Her poetic prose gripped me right from the start and I found myself having to stop as the story really impacted me in so many different ways. Childs shows the human side to homelessness. Really hitting home that these are people who have struggles in their life, but they are still people with the same feelings as anyone else. There are a few twists to this story as we try to figure out what is keeping Maddy in London and it is a real tearjerker. Near the end I was so emotional and teary eyed.

Invisible Girl is a riveting and thought provoking story that will stay with you even after the last page is read. A definite must read and one I wholeheartedly give five stars to. Outstanding!

Motherhood, broken relationships, mental health, suicide, alcoholism, , shoplifting, adoption.
Big subjects but all sensitively dealt with in Invisible Girl.
Three women are brought together through a twist of fate. Becca is struggling financially and emotionally after leaving her husband. She accidentally leaves her money at the cashpoint and fears the worst but the cash has been kept safe by a homeless woman Maddy.
Becca invites Maddy back to her home for the night as thanks. Her friend Sarah has grave concerns about this but is hiding her own secrets and doesn’t want to risk her friendship with Becca.
Later, Maddy is attacked on the streets and Becca takes her in longer term. This helps both Becca and Sarah by providing free child care so they can work. But can Maddy stay sober and stay part of the family?
There is really good character development over the course of the book. Despite their flaws, I found myself caring deeply about the women and wanting them to find the happiness that is missing from their lives.
Invisible Girl is a deeply emotional book and Jill Childs has cleverly spun the narratives together, giving each woman a voice and an insight into their psychological state which explains their motivations.
The twist is quite obvious the whole way through but this didn’t spoil the book at all. In fact, I was waiting eagerly for the characters to discover the truth so it actually increased my anticipation.
The topics mentioned in my opening line may seem overwhelming but they were all handled gently and without judgement. I am pleased that the author didn’t shy away from tough subjects or sugar coat them. By focussing on the individual strands, she presents the women’s experiences in a delicate but powerful way.

As it says in the blurb this is perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain. I went through a phase of devouring books by these authors and I totally agree.

This story is told through three female points of view...Maddy, Becca and Sarah. Each have their own issues to deal with.

This is a really well written story with relatable characters. I found this to be a story that makes you stop and think about what you’ve got yourself. An ideal book club read. I read this in a day as I didn’t want to put it down. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This book had me questioning everything. As I read it the story it became apparent that I had no idea who was telling the truth, what the truth was, and why the truths were so hard to determine. This had so many surprises and each twists just made it harder to put down. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this story and write about it.

Invisible Girl was a thought provoking and at times hard read but one that had me hooked from the first page. This is my first book by Jill Childs and definitely won’t be my last.
Maddie is homeless, she is struggling with life and booze, living in bushes in the park and shop doorways. She does a good turn for Becca a young separated mum whose daughter takes an instant like to Maddie and before long she has been invited for Christmas dinner and then becomes nearly a constant resident until she takes the blame for something she didn’t do.
This is a tough read at times it opened my eyes to the homeless as it is very easy to walk past thinking they have got there through drugs or violence but this can happen to anyone and has reiterated this to me. I enjoyed following Maddie’s journey and the twists along the way kept it fresh and moving forward.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie, my initial interest in this book was completely down to the cover. How cute is that child? Seriously, I’m not that much of a kid person – I like my own (most of the time!) and that’s about it. But I’m going through a sort of pre – empty nest syndrome phase at the moment. My youngest is fifteen this year and I’m missing all those things we did together when she was small. So yeah, the cute child captured my heart.

But actually, inside, this book proved it wasn’t just a pretty cover. This is another new to me author (there’s been a few so far this year) and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I got was a surprising story of second chances and self forgiveness which I really enjoyed.

The book tells the story of three women, brought together in unusual circumstances. Becca is a newly single mother, carving a life for herself and rebuilding her shattered self esteem after a controlling marriage. Sarah, a single parent neighbour – bitter and mistrusting following a lifetime of feeling rejected. And then there’s Maddy – a middle aged, homeless woman battling alcoholism.

I’m not going to go any further into the details but this is an incredibly touching story that really captured my heart. The characters are written with depth and emotion, coming across as real people with real emotions, flaws and feelings. Maddy in particular is written very, very well – her story is fascinating and sad, as we discover what led her to become “the bag lady” and a reminder that we should never pre-judge people. I actually can’t stop thinking about her since I finished the book. Alcoholism and mental ill health are strong themes within the book and while at times graphically shocking and raw, it is written sensitively and with compassion.

I enjoyed this book, finding the writing easy to become immersed in and investing in the characters. It definitely gave me plenty to think about, reminding me that we can’t always predict how life will turn out and shouldn’t judge or make presumptions about people. If you like emotional human stories, then this is a great read which i’m happy to recommend.

I enjoyed this read. Jill Childs covered a lot of issues that made me want to continue until the end but I wasn't in love with it. I would read more books from this author.

This is an emotional story of a homeless woman who is befriended by a single mother and her young daughter. Maddy is an educated woman who has, because of tragedies in her life, ended up an alcoholic on the streets. One day she meets Rosie, a young girl, who goes to talk to her, much to the horror of her mother, Becca. When Rosie invites Maddy home, Becca and her friend Sarah forge an unlikely friendship with Maddy. As Maddy develops a bond with Rosie and Sarah’s daughter, Ella, the story of Maddy’s background is slowly revealed, bit by bit. The three women realise that they are all hiding secrets of their own from each other.

This isn’t the first book I’ve read by this author, and I knew from the previous books that this was going to be a heart-breaking and emotional story which would tug at the heartstrings and make you thankful for the life that you have. Maddy was an unexpected character – she was an older woman, educated and a Shakespeare reader, but she was also homeless and someone who has experienced grief and loss that many of us couldn’t understand. I liked her character from the beginning, but as the book progresses you begin to feel much more of a connection with her, particularly when her story begins to unfold. Becca and Sarah initially had the opinions which you would expect people to have of homeless people, and didn’t really trust Maddy and certainly didn’t want to invite her into their homes. But thanks to the innocence and trust of their children, Maddy becomes part of their family.

As I expected, this book certainly did bring tears to my eyes. It was a story of family, loss, forgiveness, grieving and new starts. The secrets which the main characters were all keeping are all sensitively revealed as we move through the story and this gives a perfect ending for these three women. This was a really interesting story in the way of seeing how people’s opinions and first impressions can be so wrong, and that sometimes people just need to be given a chance at a new beginning. Would definitely recommend.

Here's an author that will play with your emotions! Jill Childs writes her books with so much passion and beautifully written throughout, You become apart of the book. So when her lastest book came available I had to request it.

WoW......What a beautiful Book Invisible Childs was...........This is Jill's third book and it was a tough read in parts but so beautifully done.

Maddie is the main character of this book and you will learn of her life, what has happened to her to become living on the streets, she is very intelligent and very well educated. however, is a heavy drinker. She drinks to block the past out?

What has happened to Maddie to make live this way?

Maddie is watching and waiting. She has been living on the streets for many years and she has become invisible to most people passing until a sweet girl named Rosie show interest in her whilst out with her mum Becca on cold day.

There's an instant bond between Maddie and Rosie and their story starts from there.............

But, what and who is she watching on a daily basis?

I loved this book and can't wait for my next book from Jill Childs.

I highly recommend that you read this book and others by Jill especially if you love reading Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain books.

Don't forget your tissues.

1. Gracie's Secret.
2. Jessica's Promise
3. Invisible child.

If I could give this book 10 stars I would

Big Thank You Bookouture, Netgalley and Jill Childs for the chance to review this book, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Maddie is watching and waiting. Living on the streets she is invisible to most people passing until a sweet girl named Rosie show interest in her. This is not the child she is waiting on but she at least realizes she is a person. She has been on the streets for years and is now looking for the one thing she lost years ago her daughter. Sometimes things happen we have no control over and we have to find away to regain control. When she lost her husband, she also lost her heart and mind. The bottle is the only thing she found to drown her hurt. Her husbands twin sister came to gather her daughter and she placed her in foster care and she was adopted. Now she is trying to find her and explain what happened. Rosie and her mom Becca play a huge role in her regaining her relationship with her daughter and granddaughter. This book was very emotional in some parts. I was very please with the ending and look forward to reading more books by Jill Childs.

𝔼𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝. ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘. 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥-𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘.

Jill Childs has written a beautiful emotional heartbreaking story that will make you think. Maddie is educated, an alcoholic, and homeless. Becca is a single mother with a teenage son Alex and a five-year-old daughter Rosie. One Day Becca and Rosie are out and about and run into Maddie, Rosie takes an immediate interest. Ultimately Becca with the urging of her five-year-old Rosie invites Maddie to dinner and a bond forms between Maddie and family. Sarah, Becca‘s best friend and neighbor is a little wary of Maddie and her intentions. What follows is a tale of secrets, lies, grief, and forgiveness.

Maddie was a very likable and relatable character who was really struggling. Grief had completely consumed her and drug her down into despair. This is where I had a little bit of a problem... everyone has hard times in their lives, of course some people have harder times than others, and I don’t mean to sound unsympathetic. But it is how you deal with those hard times that defines who you are. My ex-husband is an alcoholic and it has destroyed his relationship not only with me but his kids, so for very personal reasons I have very little sympathy or patience for people in that situation. Another thing I cannot imagine I would ever under any circumstances bring a homeless person home with me. I do realize people are homeless for many different reasons but I think the prominent reason in the US is mental health issues and I’m not sure I would want that around me or my kids. So while I really loved this book and I loved the kindness and big heart of Rosie and eventually Becca, I’m not sure if it was all together plausible. Sorry I went off on a bit of a tangent there.

The story was told from the perspectives of Maddie, Becca, and Sarah. I always enjoy books that are told from multiple perspectives I just think it gives you such insight to the entire story. All three of these characters were likable and sympathetic. They also all had flaws some a little more obvious than others. Becca was a good person but a little insecure and I wasn’t always thrilled with her parenting decisions when it came to her teenage son Alex. Sarah oh Sarah had some sticky fingers and maybe was a bit jealous of the merging relationship between Maddie and Becca. The little girls Rosie and Sarah‘s daughter Ella were both super adorable and of course added some levity to the book. This story was simultaneously heartwarming and heart breaking. A well told family drama full of secrets and lies. This is a book that I am still pondering, it definitely gave me a lot of food for thought. And the ending was quite lovely and simply satisfying!

*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

What an incredible book! It is well written and thought-provoking. It will give you all the feels.

The story is divided in three POVs which took a few chapters to get them all sorted and be able to follow the story. It seemed like the women were connected in a way but I couldn't quite figure out how. I was immediately intrigued by the story and I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to find out how it would all end. Will the secrets destroy lives?

I found it interesting to see the dynamics from between the three women as they get to know each other as well as what happens after everything is revealed.

This was my first read from the author but I will definitely check out more of her work in the future.

EXCERPT: I misjudged her. She's not as stupid as she looks. I wonder how much she knows about me. They've got my name. There can't be many Madeleine Crosbys in England. Maybe just one. I close my eyes and my body starts to shake, not with DTs this time, but with fear. What if they've got records? what if they know what really drew me to London? What if they've found out what I did?

ABOUT THIS BOOK: I know you. I know you in a way you can’t even imagine. I have been searching for you in the years since you wrote that letter – the letter that told me you were looking for me too. But now that I’ve found you, I don’t know if I can say the terrible truth of what I am. It would ruin your perfect life. It would hurt your beautiful daughter.

So, I hesitate – bide my time, for now. This morning, you’re running late and your little girl, tugged by the hand, scurries to keep up with you. She’s clean but a little scrawny. Maybe that’s because you struggle with the bills; maybe she’s just made that way.

I know what it is to have lost a child. I pray you never learn how that feels. But I can’t wait forever… and when I finally tell you my secret, will it break you like it did me all those years ago?

MY THOUGHTS: It is impossible not to like Maddie....but this book challenges a lot of things. Homeless people are becoming more common. Even in our small town, we now have people sleeping in the doorways of shops and under bridges at night. They roam our small main street during the day looking for handouts, begging for money. Like most I have tended to avoid them. But now I will be looking at them in a different light. What brought them to this point? What is their story?

This is Maddie's story. It is not a pretty story. It is the story of a life that spirals out of control, a woman who loses sight of herself, but a woman with a mission.

Jill Childs is excellent at taking issues in our communities and weaving a story around them. Her writing is gentle, but thought provoking. She doesn't set out to shock, or provoke, but to make us think. And she succeeds.

***.5

THE AUTHOR: Jill has always loved stories - real and imaginary. She's spent 30 years travelling the world as a journalist, living overseas and reporting wherever the news took her. She's now made her home in London with her husband and twin girls who love stories as much as she does.

Although she's covered everything from earthquakes and floods, riots and wars, she's found some of the most extraordinary stories right here at home - in the secrets and lies she imagines behind closed doors on ordinary streets, just like yours.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Invisible Girl by Jill Childs for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on my webpage sandysbookaday/wordpess.com This review and others also appear on my webpage

Maddy, the main character in the book, appears to be an intelligent, well educated woman but she is homeless, living on the streets, drinking heavily and with little prospect of a better life. What happened in her past to lead her to this terrible existence is the basis of this engrossing novel about loss, guilt, recrimination and, ultimately, hope. Rosie is a little girl who, whilst out with her mother, spots Maddy on the streets and has an instant bond with this unfortunate soul and sets out to persuade her Mum, Becca, to take the older lady into their home for Christmas. This she does reluctantly but this is only the beginning of a fascinating, heart tugging, emotional roller coaster of a ride. Becca is a single mum struggling to make ends meet as she brings up her daughter and older son, Alex. Her friend and neighbour Sarah and her little girl, Ella, who is the same age as Rosie, are close friends and the two children play together every day. Maddy developes a special bond with Ella and as the story progresses, pieces of Maddy's past slide slowly into place revealing secrets and surprises as the story twists and turns culminating in a further clever twist at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I rarely read a book in the short space of time that I read this one as I galloped through the pages eager to see the outcome for Maddy and the two families with whom she becomes involved. Jill Childs is a magnificant story teller and her stories tend to revolve around children - a subject that she deals with exceedingly well. I loved this book and can't wait for my next book from this author who is right up there with my top five favourite writers. I highly recommend that you read this book and others by Jill. You won't be disappointed.

Invisible Girl tells its story from three different viewpoints, Maddy a homeless woman and friends Becca and Sarah, single parents who live in the same apartment block, whose daughters attend the same school and are best friends. What starts with a random act of kindness ends up bringing changes to all their lives, bringing up secrets from their past and exposing links between them.
How many times have you walked past someone living on the streets or turned the other way pretending you haven’t seen them… well that’s what Becca used to do until her daughter struck up an odd kind of friendship with Maddy. After Maddy does something unexpected Becca offers her a bed for the night much to the disgust of her son Alex. Maddy then kind of becomes an unofficial member of the family, helping out when needed in exchange for somewhere safe to sleep and a decent meal.
Maddy manages to have small periods in time when she is able to stay sober. She really tries hard for Becca and her family as she senses she is needed and also is a way of redeeming her past sins. For most of the book you get the sense there is a dark reason for her drinking but the full story is not revealed for quite some time. You see her struggles to stay away from her demons but those around Becca are not always helpful as they do not trust her or her motives for being around. One of my favourite things about her is the random quotes from books that she will often be heard saying.
I am not sure about Sarah. She is clearly trying her best for her daughter but her constant justification for her shoplifting did grate on me after a while. She knows that its wrong but she just wants to be able to provide for her family. When she starts to drag Becca’s son into the deception it’s the point where I felt enough was enough. She doesn’t trust Maddy but I think that’s more because she is jealous and afraid that Becca will no longer have time for her or need her as much.
Becca frustrated me at times, purely because she seemed to have very little confidence in herself or her abilities. She had a hard time standing up for herself and was easily led into situations and decisions. She seemed to be focused on her daughter and had lost all connections with her son who seemed to resent everything she did. Rather than tacking this and being the parent she seemed to just let him do what he wanted as it was the easy option. It is only when he gets into some trouble that she finally puts her foot down.
This is a story of second chances and trying to find redemption and forgiveness for things in the past. Overall an enjoyable read

A difficult read in places.
The author has shown the struggles of the characters well. However the writing style could have been more emotive.