I loved this book! This story follows a woman and her two children as they escape from their abductor. The story opens with their escape so I thought there wouldn't be many twists and we would just see the aftermath of their ordeal but I couldn't be more wrong! The narrative switches between three different perspectives, and flashes back to the past and present. This made the book so much more thrilling to read.
I loved all the twists and turns as well, I usually think I'm pretty good at figuring out a twist, but everytime I thought I'd figured it out something completely different would happen.
I'd definitely recommend this book if you were a fan of Room, I loved it!

This is a sad story reflecting on the effect of loss on a family.
A father and grandfather has been deeply affected by the loss of his daughter and his family has been even more affected by his behaviour and relationship with the press.
The possibility of finding his daughter throws everything into sharp focus again years later.
A dreadful scenario emerges revealing how the girl was abducted and kept by her abducter in awful conditions, subsequently further family drama is discovered!!
A dark story which left me feeling that the world can be a dreadful place!

This was a gripping novel, that I found very difficult to put down. Nothing in it was straightforward, and it is not until the end did you really have a full picture of what had been (or was) occurring. The story is told in the first person from three different points of view: Lena (the abducted woman), Hannah (Lena’s daughter) and Matthias (Lena’s father), with each chapter headed by the name of the narrator.
The story starts with Lena plotting to kill her abductor, then moves swiftly on to Hannah’s recounting of Lena’s accident, when they escape, and their arrival in hospital. I could not understand how Lena could leave her son, Jonathon, behind in the cabin prison. To Hannah, it was natural, since she was her mother’s favourite, and Jonathon had to clean up the stain on the carpet. What!!!? And was Lena really abducted and a prisoner, when Hannah reports Lena taking her (again leaving Jonathon drugged at home) out for day trips – including one to Paris. Hannah is a disturbed child – understandable given her highly claustrophobic and restrictive upbringing. It soon becomes clear, that she does tell the truth – but as she sees it – which may be at considerably variance with the way any normal person would understand what was happening. So, eventually you have to accept, that Hannah may be an unreliable narrator. But, is Lena always telling the truth? Is she any longer able to sort fact from fiction? She has been abducted, raped, imprisoned and had her identity obliterated. Who is she now?
The third narrator is Matthias. I could sympathise with him – having lost his daughter 17 year earlier, with no idea if she was alive or dead. But, I really disliked him and his attitude to all those around him. He actively obstructs the police investigations, then maintains they are not doing enough to find Lena. He is suspicious of everyone, and will not accept that he did not know everything about Lena’s life before she went missing. To him, Lena is still an innocent child, and anyone saying otherwise is a liar. Her ex-boyfriend is obviously guilty, despite having a water-tight alibi. He pretty much ignores his wife’s needs – though she is clearly as upset as he is.
A central theme of this book is love – love for a partner, love for a child, love for a friend, love of power and love of an idealised life.
“No matter how sick, distorted and misunderstood, it’s still love. Love that spurs us
on. That turns us into monsters, each in our own way.”
I highly recommend this book.

A really good gripping thriller which had me guessing the whole way through. It is really well written with interesting characters and a lot of twists.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Sometimes, you randomly stumble upon a book and find a treasure of a page turner with an epic story you may not have read; This is one of those books.

From start to finish I was reading on the edge of my seat, trying to make sense of what was happening, who was who and how everyone fit together. The intrigue evoked within this storyline because of those secrets we want revealed made those twists throughout shocking as they were sprung upon you when you were least expecting it! The last few chapters were like little exploding fireworks as each twist was revealed! I need to check out this authors other books!

A fantastically twisty, riveting read! Read it! Right now!

Where to even start with this book if I'm honest. This story is told from 3 POV, which may seem a lot but it is very easy to follow. I enjoyed this book and especially towards the end. In the last 40% the book moved so fast and so many twists and turns in such a short space of time I wasnt sure I could keep up. But I continued on the ride and so glad I did!

Spanning a period of 13 years the plot of this novel involves abduction, murders and house imprisonment. The central theme focusses on fathers and the unqualified love they have for their children. This, it turns out, can be both a curse and a blessing. We have one father desperately seeking Lena, his "vanished" daughter and another father effectively locking his children away from world to try and ensure they are always safe. How these fathers' stories interlink forms the core of this story. "Dear Child" is a truly chilling read that vividly portrays the psychological damage done to everyone involved - especially the two young children. One is left wondering if/how it is possible any of them can ever recover. An impressive first novel. Romy Hausmann is clearly a writer to watch.

I really enjoyed this book, and I was not sure I would. The writing style is deliberately confusing but rather than creating frustration, I just want to read more. A brilliant gripping read, would definitely recommend

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From start to finish it kept me gripped and only very near the end did I think I knew the answers only it turned out I didn't. Hannah was a particularly well written creepy character.

Eerie, surprising and creepy thriller with a unique voice, and enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested. "Room" meets "Gone Girl" is an accurate description. An intense and emotional, page turning thriller that stays with you long after the last page have been turned.

A fresh take on your typical abduction novel. This story starts when the abductee manages to escape, but who is she and is her horror truly over?

A well-written, addictive and dark novel which is a definite must-read for any thriller fan. Fast paced and gripping, the many dramatic twists and turns will leave you hooked to the very last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I found this book to be a good read, just not a great one. It is told by different characters from their perspective which, for me, made the book harder to follow. Lena, a 23 year old student goes missing and police investigate and cannot find any trace of her. 13 years later a woman is knocked down by a car by a car and taken to hospital with a young girl who is thought to be her daughter. DNA confirms the young girl is Lena’s daughter, yet the woman she was with isn’t Lena. The book had believable characters, some I liked and others I didn’t. It held my attention from the beginning and at times I thought waffled on a bit and could have been a shorter read. Quite a few turns in the story and when the abductor was revealed at the end I was surprised by who it was. 3 stars

Dark story and I had empathy for all the characters except of course the controlling villain.
I usually steer clear of story’s of abuse or locked up people in cellars ,I was sent this to read and thought I’d give it a try
Luckily this wasn’t gratuitously done ,no long scenes describing trauma but this is told without doing that .you do know what goes on enough to feel their dread confusion from being trapped and then for the children released and the world feels more like a prison to them
I do wonder what happened after for the main lead and the children and how they go on to develop .hannah was clearly becoming like her father a bit ,controlling and potentially developing as an adult like her father .
Three stars as well done and well written just not one that gripped me
It’s a story of survival ,escape, and aftermath.The sense of feeling safe is a lot to do with our experiences or lack there of and as children how we are conditioned to think something is ok and not question it and how easily we can moulded .
Ty netgalley and publishers for this advance copy

A young women escapes her captor where she has been held for sometime with two children. She is struck by a car and is brought into hospital, where her identity is difficult to establish. She is with a little girl whose identity is soon confirmed. There is lots to keep you hooked in this book and plenty of blind alleys. I did find the prose a little stilted at times but it was an entertaining book

This is a gripping suspense novel, and its twists keep you guessing right till the end. A young woman, missing for 13 years, but is she who she says she is? And if not, why not? What happened to the woman who went missing? Told from multiple perspectives, Romy Haussman weaves a terrific tale. The translation (from German) was also decent.

However, there were a few things that didn't work for me. For one, the father's character -- he was a bully, particularly to his wife, and dismissed every single one of her concerns and demands. Second, there was a weird place where he commented on the figure of his daughter, which was quite creepy.

The other thing is a question: if Hannah had been brought to meet her grandfather a number of times, why did he not recognise her or at least remark on her resemblance to his daughter?

(Review copy from NetGalley)

Student Lena Beck went missing 14 years ago in Munich after going to a party. When a young woman is bought into hospital after a hit and run accident, the child Hannah she is with calls her mommy and says she is called Lena, they live in a cabin in the woods with her brother Jonathon and their dad.

Lena’s dad has never given up looking for his daughter and pesters the police for more information, he is hopeful that Lena is still alive. The suspense builds as he rushes to the hospital only to find out the injured woman is not Lena.

I’m not normally a fan of kidnapped themed books, but this one drew me in straightaway and kept me captive until the end. Told from 3 people’s points of view it keeps you guessing with lots of reveals and red herrings along the way.

A thrilling book with a surprising ending. I will look out for this authors next book with great anticipation!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Certainly a surprise and a very different style of writing. Deliberately confusing at times which added to the air of confusion that lay within the main characters about their plight. Very sparsely written and the style felt very Germanic and harsh which again merely added to the empathy and visceral fear bound up in the process. Some books are not read for pure enjoyment but still render a new truth to the serious reader. I felt most drawn to Hannah who would eventually adjust but who knew no other existence than the one she was allowed.

Like many other reviewers, I seem to be conflicted and feeling a number of muddled emotions. I sat for a long time after finishing 'Dear Child' just thinking and trying to decide in my head how I felt about it. It's gripping, thought provoking, heart wrenching and highly intelligent. Although this isn't the usual book I'd find myself reading, the cover and description did quip my interest and I'm glad that it did as for a debut novel it's fantastic. I did find myself struggling to begin with to really connect with the characters and become invested in their stories, but half way through this all changed and I found myself hooked. This is a hard review to write as I still find myself trying to get my head around all the twists and turns that this novel gave, especially the ending which I did not see coming. All I can suggest is that people read 'Dear Child' for themselves and experience what I did.

I enjoyed this book and the twists around the identity of the captives were gripping.
Fans of Room will enjoy this.

Hmm I did enjoy this book which gives a different perspective to the very popular person imprisoned tales of which there have been several recently. I don’t know if it’s just me but I did find the ending slightly confusing as to the identity of the perpetrator but overall I found this an interesting read.