Lisa Jewell can basically write no wrong for me. Invisible Girl is a dark, character-driven, psychological thriller that challenges us to question everything we think we know about the people around us. And I loved it all. Highly recommend, especially for fans of Lisa Jewell’s previous books.⁣
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Thank you to the wonderful folks at Netgalley and Atria Books for the gifted copy of this book which was released earlier this month.⁣

Lisa Jewell has quickly become my "go to" author for all things suspenseful, dark and twisty. The Invisible Girl was another perfect installment in that collection.

The story centers around three main characters: Cate Four, a physiotherapist whose husband Roan Fours is a child psychologist; Owen Pick, a mid thirties college professor who recently lost his job due to some sexual misconduct allegations and lives with his aunt across the street from the Fours; and Saffrye Maddox, a former patient of Roan Fours, who has been following and watching Dr. Fours in hopes of re-establishing that relationship. All of these separate, yet connected, lives converge when young Saffrye goes missing and accusations are made.

This story kept me guessing and trying to uncover the truth behind it all. The pacing is always spot on with Lisa Jewell's stories and I really enjoy how she develops the plot and characters. A really terrific book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I received this book courtesy of Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This goes right up there at the top of the straight thrillers of Lisa Jewell's I have read. (My all-time favorite book of hers was one that was not a thriller, The House We Grew Up In.) I was first introduced to this author with her book I Found You. and she immediately became an author I wanted to read more of. It turned out that at that time, most of what she had written up to that point were not thrillers, and yet I enjoyed her writing in those as well. Interestingly, since I Found You, I had not really loved her more recent thrillers as much as I Found You. I enjoyed Then She Was Gone, and Watching You a lot. I was not a big fan of The Family Upstairs. But then with Invisible Girl, I was once again thrilled.

First of all, the lead characters of Owen Pick and Cat Fours (along with her teenaged daughter to some degree) were great characters. They were sort of tragic, but gave moments of much-needed humor to the plot. (Am I the only one who pictured Dwight Schrute as Owen Pick? Just me? Carry on, then,) Roan Fours and Saffyre Maddox were the standard sinister mister and scrappy young underdog characters that drive thrillers, and they were good at their plot jobs, but Owen and Cat were my favorite characters.

Saffyre disappears early on in the book and Owen Pick is the prime suspect. The author does an amazing job of both making you feel sorry for him and all his awkwardness, while still making you believe he is possibly a raging killer. It kept me off-kilter the whole book. The chapters jump back and forth between Saffyre's narrative leading up to her disappearance, Cat's narrative in present time as she suspects Owen of being behind it, while also coming to a realization that her family might not be in as strong a state as she thought it was, and finally Owen Pick's point of view where you learn about who he is, and how he became this way.

I did spend a great deal of the book wondering how it would all turn out. The ending was very satisfying to me. I loved the way the secondary characters played into the plot and how unexpected allies turned up. I don't know how Lisa Jewell can write books consistently strong once a year, but I am grateful she manages. Invisible Girl moves into second or third place for me on my list of favorites of this author.

Lisa Jewell never disappoints. My favorite from her is still (and will probably always be) Then She Was Gone, but Invisible Girl was a great story that kept me guessing till the end. I love how Jewell writes family dynamics and relationships. This book is probably most similar to Watching You, so if you liked that you will definitely enjoy this one. I loved how Jewell incorporated "incel" into this story, which made it very current and on trend in today's climate.

I have a short list of author’s that I read their next book no matter what. Lisa Jewell is one of those authors.

Once again with Invisible Girl, she does not disappoint.

Every single character in this book has some sort of secret, from tiny little secrets to big ones.

There are three main characters or groups of characters. Saffyre Maddox, the Roan family and Owen Pick. Saffyre is a young girl with a troubled past, who once saw Dr. Roan for therapy and Owen Pick who lives across the street from the Roan family.

On Valentine’s Day Saffyre goes missing.

As intriguing as the mystery is the relationships between the characters. Mother/daughter, mother/son, neighbor, friends, husband/wife, therapist and patient - the author is a master at developing, breaking apart and analyzing these relationships.

I admit, I had no idea who was the bad guy, lots of clues led to lots of possibilities. Kept me reading and guessing the whole time.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell. Lisa Jewell is a contemporary author that writes elegantly and puts you "in the book'.
The novel centers on three people - Cate, Owen, and Saffyre. Cate is a mother of two teenagers and a not so wonderful husband; Owen is a almost middle aged man with no prospects of happiness who lives near Cate and her family, and Saffrye is a young girl with issues who likes to watch other people - in particluar Cate's husband, who used to be Saffrye's doctor.
Cate's husband is a doctor who helps young children of trama and Saffryre was one of his patients. Cate suffers from anxiety; she thinks her husband has been unfaithful and although he told her that he had not been, Cate still has her doubts. Owen, a neighbor, lives with his aunt and he is just odd. He's although a professor. Owen just can't fit in and find his place in the world.
All these worlds collide when Saffyre goes missing and Owen is accused of her disappearance. The book goes back and forth with the three main characters. The thing I really liked is the depth of the voices and this book started slowly, but quickly picked up tempo.
Written very well and kept me guessing till the end. 4 stars. Very Good.

Because I loved Watching You and The Family Upstairs, I jumped at the chance to review Jewell's new novel, Invisible Girl. Big thanks to Ariele at Atria Books for the e-arc!
Triggers: abuse, memory loss, animal abuse, anxiety, death, rape, stalking, trauma, violence, toxic masculinity, self-harm.
› Seventeen-year-old Saffyre Maddox goes missing on Valentine's night. Discovering her assailant will bring together unreliable characters, each with their own inner conflicts to overcome.


"I have a dark past, and I have dark thoughts. I do dark things, and I scare myself sometimes."


› Roan is a child psychologist. Actually...he was Saffyre's psychologist. After years of therapy he determined she was better and released her from his care. She then started stalking him, and found out he's been having an affair.

› When Roan's wife Cate finds a Valentine's card addressed to him she begins second-guessing her husband, worried that he may be involved in Saffyre's disappearance.

› Roan's kids, Georgia and Josh may know more than they're letting on. Georgia's friend, Tilly, was attacked and Georgia was followed home one night...do they know the suspect? Usually calm, cool, and collected, Josh has been losing his temper and acting strangely. He once met Saffyre at martial arts class - does he know what happened to her on Valentine's night?

› Owen is a computer science teacher...or...he was until he was accused of behaving inappropriately towards teenage girls, and later accused of the sexual attacks happening in the neighbourhood. Oh, did I mention he lives across the street from Roan?


"There in the playground at school, or in the sixth-form common room, all eyes were on me, but at night I did not exist, I was the Invisible Girl. Invisibility was my favorite state of existence."


› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 8.5

› Atmosphere: 8

› Writing Style: 10

› Plot: 7.5

› Intrigue: 9

› Logic: 7.5

› Enjoyment: 9

Average 8.5

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• Invisible Girl is about different kinds of families, secrets, friendship, resilience, and justice. The Family Upstairs is still my favorite Jewell novel, but Invisible Girl is a VERY close second. Highly recommend!
› Get In The Character campaign from CLIC Sargent (a UK cancer charity).
https://www.clicsargent.org.uk/


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.


*Quotes taken from an ARC copy and subject to change*

Owen Pick, a teacher in his thirties, has never had a relationship with a women. He's barely even had a successful date. He's teased by the young female students at the college where he works. He lives in a flat owned by his elderly aunt and recently has found solace on incel forums. Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family. They, frankly, find Owen creepy, especially mom Cate and her teenage daughter. Dad, Roan, a child psychologist, is too busy with work to care that much, while their teenage son is basically the only one Cate doesn't need to worry about. And then there's Saffyre Maddox. Now seventeen, Saffyre, was once a patient of Roan's. She misses their connection and seeks to maintain it by following him. Then, one night, Saffyre disappears, and it seems like Owen was the last person to see her. What truly happened to Saffyre?

After a bit of a slump with thrillers, I'm on a roll (though what's with ambiguous endings lately?). This was a creepy and ominous read! There is a lot going on here--Saffyre and her childhood issues; Owen and his many problems with women; and the complete dysfunction of the Fours family--but Jewell does a good job weaving them all together. The result is a tense and dark novel that keeps you guessing the entire time.

"I have a dark past, and I have dark thoughts." ~Saffyre

This is an engaging read, with Saffyre, Cate, and Owen turning into dynamic and unique voices. It's also ominous, with the overriding sense that something bad is going to happen. Secrets are the name of the game here, and Jewell turns the sexual predator theme on its head a bit. There's also plenty of revenge and strong women, which is great.

I wasn't a fan of the ending, which leaves things up in the end, but this is still a twisty ride with interesting characters and a different plot. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley and Atria Books in return for an unbiased review.

Invisible Girl is written from the perspectives of different characters: Saffyre Maddox, Owen Pick, and Cate Fours. The lives of these four characters seem to be separate but are interwoven in mysteries ways. Saffyre is the 17-year-old ex-patient of Cate Fours' husband, Roan, and the Fours family lives across the street from misunderstood 33-year-old Owen. Each character's life is unraveling in some way, which was an interesting aspect of the narrative. Saffyre feels abandoned by Roan when he pre-maturely ends their therapy sessions. Feeling abandoned, Saffyre begins to tail Roan (read: stalk) and unwittingly uncovers some of his secrets. While Cate Fours is recovering from a bump in her marriage and re-building her trust with Roan. Owen was just suspended from his job as a teacher due to sexual misconduct allegations, who also suffers from a case of arrested development and poor self-perception.
Lisa Jewell does a great job developing each character where they feel real in all their flaws and have distinct voices as the chapters switch from one perspective to the next. Jewell also brilliantly creates narrative tension through cliffhangers and the limited perspectives of each narrator.
The only downfall was the tension that Jewell creates seemed to sputter and slow in the last 1/4 of the book where the resolution seems to be wrapped up neatly for each character. Though not necessarily tied in a perfect knot with the perfect endings, Jewell still leaves the reader with a cliffhanger and no true resolution as to the "bad guy," which is ok...but I wanted MORE! I wanted the mask of the characters to be completely unmasked, not merely slipped.
4 out of 5 because it all felt a little too neat after the tension buildup.

Lisa Jewell has done it again. I can always count on this author to write a spine tingling, page turning thriller that I can’t seem to put down. The mystery was compelling and each character’s voice was unique and fascinating. I I was especially drawn to Owen’s story, both his personal history and the way he grew at the end of the novel, but Saffyre and Cate had riveting stories of their own. It was far from predictable and the question marks remain even after the final sentence.

A psychological exploration of the therapist client relationship. Sexual assaults are happening in a distinct area where a psychologist lives. The police investigate and make an arrest. Jewell conveys the emotion of her characters so well. A character goes missing and lives start to unravel. Builds a great sense of dread as the story progresses. Jewell is solid.
Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

3 Stars.

I'm a huge Lisa Jewell fan, so this book was a surprise to me. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I think it was a good story, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat like I had been with her previous ones. The story line wasn't all that intriguing.

A 17 year old girl goes missing, her neighbor who is a misunderstood fellow is accused of the crime, and the family down the street has a lot of secrets between them. All of these characters are interconnected and the narration switches perspective between all of them.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Lisa Jewell for providing me with an ARC.

Classic Lisa Jewell. If you’re at all a fan of her work, don’t miss this one!

Lisa Jewell has developed a few new intriguing, unforgettable characters in her latest release!

Owen Pick: A thirty-something man that just got suspended from his job at the university for inappropriate behavior with some female students. Of course, he steadfastly denies it. He claims he’s just simply “misunderstood” when it comes to the female population.

Roan Fours: A child psychologist. Who with his family is renting a home directly across from Owen.

Saffyre Maddox: living with her uncle following the death of her parents. A beautiful young woman who struggles with the incomprehensible loss of her parents. Early on she tried therapy as a patient of Roan. Unfortunately, he was unable to get to the root of her issues. But all is not lost. She may have a second chance, as she notices him outside his office and choses to follow him home.

As always, Lisa Jewell weaves a riveting story, splicing together all the characters and their stories leading to an explosive ending!

Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC to read and review.

Okay, unpopular opinion here, but I did not enjoy this one! It is such a bummer because I have enjoyed some other Lisa Jewell novels and this one sounded so good!

In this story we follow a few main characters:

1) Owen: a man in his early thirties, a virgin and living with his aunt in a spare bedroom. Needless to say, he is an odd one. He was also just suspended from his job after multiple accusations of sexual assault. Searching for a place to vent, he wanders onto a blog for incels--or involuntary celibates. He is sucked into this world and it leads him down a dark path.

2) The Fours: made up of mom, Cate, a physiotherapist. Dad, Roan, a child psychologist and their two children. The entire family has a bad feeling about Owen and their teenage daughter even says she swears he followed her home the other night.

3) Saffyre: A 17 year old with a dark secret who was a patient of Roan Fours for three years. When Roan ends his therapy sessions with her she feels abandoned and searches for ways to stay connected to him. Then on Valentine's night, Saffyre disappears and the last person to see her alive was Owen.


First, the execution of the plot was really confusing. There were so many pieces to the puzzle and they technically connected, but it was in a way that felt so forced and stretched and was just tedious to get through! We were following Owen, which everyone pointed him out as being a sexual predator because he was odd. Then all these girls started coming out of the woodwork to say he made them afraid and was weird with them. We then have this side story with him falling into the world of incel and meeting up with a creepy guy. While this is happening, Cate is dealing with her own suspicions about Roan and we learn of their martial problems while we are also noticing some weird things about her son. Meanwhile, Saffyre is obsessively stalking Roan and learning about what he is up to....it was just a lot and when everything finally comes out it was just so...crap?

I was really just bored with this one unfortunately, but will read whatever Jewell writes next!

I loved Invisible Girl. A complex thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. I was blown away by the ending. Loved all the characters. A creepy good read. I love this Authors writing and will be reading more of her fantastic books.

I give Invisible Girl 5 stars for its twisted mystery read.
I would recommend this book to Thriller Fans.

Owen Pick is a thirty-year-old man who lives with his aunt and has never had a romantic relationship. One day, he was accused of sexual assaulting and behaving inappropriately with some of his students, but he denies it and he left his job. Owen lives across the street from Cate and Roan Fours and their two teenage children. Roan is a child psychologist. On Valentine’s Day, Saffyre Maddox, one of Roan’s patients, goes missing. She was last seen alive by Owen outside of Roan and Cate’s home, making him their prime suspect. All signs point to Owen having something to do with Saffyre’s disappearance, but is he guilty?

Lisa Jewell’s books have a unique thriller layout. The main crime or incident of the thriller doesn’t happen until a few chapters into the story. The first part introduces the characters living their day to day lives. Most thrillers begin with the crime or inciting incident hooking the reader into the story. Though the main incident doesn’t happen for a few chapters, the characters all seem guilty and suspicious of something. They each seem to be hiding a dark secret. With this layout, the reader can get to know the characters before the main incident happens.

I was surprised at the ending. I was sure that all signed pointed to one character, but I didn’t guess correctly. It was a complicated ending, involving a few different parts. When I read a thriller, I prefer a clear, final ending, so this ending didn’t satisfy me.

Though I didn’t really like the ending, I enjoyed reading this twisty thriller.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a tangled web she weaves! Lisa Jewel keeps you guessing in her new thriller, “Invisible Girl”! What appears obvious is probably not so, and who seems the most suspicious is actually heartwarmingly human.
We meet Saffyre, a young teenager who has watched almost every member of her family die. She lives with her uncle, a gentle and kind-hearted man. She dwells on her therapist to a degree that is simply not healthy. She prefers to sleep outside in a vacant lot, unprotected and unaware of others who are watching her. So it’s no surprise when she disappears, leaving a broken phone and traces of blood at her last known location.
It all seems pretty cut and dry until Lisa starts pulling back that gauzy curtain she laid over all that she has just told you, making you question everything you felt sure you had figured out way before the book ends. Ha, wrong again!
This is why I love this author- she sneaks up behind me and startles me every time. You try it. You’ll love it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Saffyre Maddox feels abandoned by Roan, her therapist of 3 years. He felt that she was better, but it turns out that he never really got to the root of Saffyre's problems. Because of this, she starts to follow Roan. She learns a lot about his family and what he is hiding from them. Then Saffyre disappears. The police believe it was Roan's neighbor, Owen. He was the last person to see her alive. The search is on to find Saffyre and get charges pressed.

This one was a slow burn for about the first half of the book for me. I stuck with it though, because I have always enjoyed Lisa Jewell's book. I am glad that I did. It really grabbed me durnig the last half, when more twist came into play. The ending was a surprise and the final touch she added was a bit sinister.

Roan Fours is a married child psychologist with two children. Saffyre Maddox is one of his former patients who lives with her uncle and grandfather. Owen Pick lives with his aunt across the road from the Fours. As the story unfolds these lives collide in unexpected and devastating ways.

I liked Invisible Girl. It is well-written, with an intricate plot and timelines that the author manages quite well. It is a story about strangers that are brought together through a series of circumstances and the way the plot weaves around these characters is masterful. All of the characters are well-drawn, even the minor players. In some ways the lesser characters were actually my favorites. Especially Aaron. Every child should have an Aaron in their lives! All the characters are interesting and they add layers to the story that helps the reader connect with them. As a result, Invisible Girl is much more character oriented than many of the suspense books I’ve. In my mind, this is one of several reasons Lisa Jewell’s newest book is a standout.

This is a 4.5 star book for sure.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the last two Lisa Jewell novels I read (Family Upstairs and Watching You). They were good but not too memorable or ones that I constantly recommend to others. I was hesitant to pick up Invisible Girl due to my previous experience with her books as well as all the mixed reviews I’ve seen specifically on bookstagram. But as some of you know, when a book has a ton of mixed reviews, I tend to love it. I’m usually in the minority. And that’s exactly what happened with this one.

I really enjoyed Invisible Girl. A lot more than I thought I would. This is definitely Jewell’s darkest novel yet (from what I’ve read and heard) and it totally worked in my favor. While the subject matter is very bleak and hard to read at times, I thought this was a well rounded and written thriller that took a dark and not talked about topic, the incel community, and used it perfectly as a plot device. This story is sad at times and it definitely uses a lot of language towards women that is hard to digest but it’s real. Things like this happen to women all the time.

I honestly couldn’t put this book down. I kept thinking about it when I didn’t have the chance to read. And when I picked it up again it was 100% twisty and a complete page-turner. Everything was tied up nicely with a bow in the ending except for one little thread that keeps you wondering. I love endings like this. Ones that make you think and question everything you read.

I can understand why some may not like this due to its harsh language and subject matter. But if you’re able to get past this, it’s a great thriller and maybe one of the best ones I’ve read this year. I highly enjoyed and recommend wholeheartedly!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️