I'm a HUGE Lisa Jewell fan, so I was ecstatic when Atria books gave me a Netgalley widget so I could read Invisible Girl. Huge thanks for the e-galley, which in no way reflects my thoughts or opinions.

One thing I love about Jewell’s writing is her character development, which was once again on point for me. I felt I really knew all the characters. I disliked some, felt bad for others, plus I just kinda have a thing for messy characters.

Invisible Girl is told in 3 POV’s, which I loved. We had Cate, Saffyre, and Owen, and we see how all theirs stories are tied together as it unfolds. I feel multiple POVs are a must in thrillers, and the 3 worked perfectly for this story.

There were a couple times towards the beginning I wasn't sure I could finish this book due to the nature of the sexual harassment, but her writing encouraged me to push forward. I appreciated that trauma was a focal point, and how healing from that trauma is crucial. I also appreciated the issue of toxic masculinity being a focal point. I do feel the Incel community could have been better represented in the book, though.

If you like domestic thrillers, I think this would be a good one for you.

Thanks to Atria for the ARC. All opinions are my own. DNF at 28%. I usually love Lisa Jewel, but this one fell super flat and boring for me. I’m not invested in the story, so I’m moving on.

A mix of domestic drama and mystery, Invisible Girl wasn’t really what I expected. I love that Lisa Jewell often pushes things juuuust a bit, having her characters step over the invisible line that other writers abide by. However, I didn’t really get those feelings from this one and I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I’d categorize this one as more like you are solving a case as opposed to going on a thriller ride via a book. If you prefer a slower burn with familiar drama, then you may enjoy this one.

TW: sexual assault, affairs, domestic abuse, discussions of rape

"There're no such things as happy endings; we all know that."

I started this read a couple days ago and was instantly hooked and zoomed through the first 23% like it was NOTHING. I was intrigued and tingled with anticipation to see what Jewell had for us this time. One of the things I love best about her writing is how intricate she is with her characters and know to expect a slow build up of layers that culminate into a full circle of thrillery goodness... predictable or not. She does the same thing here and we get introduced to several different POVs which we eventually learn how they intersect.

Here's the thing. After that first 23%, I needed it to just get somewhere. I understood there was a foundation being built but I started to get a little weary eyed. If you're looking for a super twisty thriller that's going to POW, BANG, WTF you, then this isn't it. However, if you're looking for a soft build of a thriller that DOES still surprise you, come on in - the water is warm and waiting for you.

I did think a couple plot points got a little bit muddled but it's the characters that shine and make this book brilliant. The different character arcs... the vulnerability in the flawed humanity that we can all relate to. This is where this author shines in all her work. And I appreciated the ending that gratified an inkling I had tapping at the back of my brain.

It's no secret that Lisa Jewell is one of my all time favorite authors. This is my 6th book by her and only 1 of 2 that I've rated less than 4 stars. The *problem* with reading more than a few books by an author is that they'll probably run the spectrum of AMAZING to GREAT and so while the great books are still amazing, they might not live up to other books you've read. Am I making sense? Babble much? 🤣 Then She Was Gone and Watching You still rank in my top but really, all of her books are intricate and brilliant in their own right.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Invisible Girl.

This was my second Lisa Jewell book and I really struggled with it. I liked the mutliple points of view of the characters, but it was a little too slow of a book for me. When I could read again, I wasn't so excited to pick it up again.

The ending was meh and I was diaspponted in it.

I know others loved this book, but I think it was just a little too slow for me.

I've read a few books by Lisa Jewell, and Invisible Girl is now my favorite. It was dark, gripping, and unputdownable. Lisa Jewell is a master at writing complex, morally gray characters and keeping readers guessing until the last page. I have to mention trigger warnings for sexual assault, mental illness, and self-harm. Otherwise, I will be recommending Invisible Girl to all my friends.

Invisible Girl is a captivating, engaging story about dysfunctional families, a missing girl, a loner accused of a crime, and a series of sexual assaults.

The book is told from multiple POVs and started off as a slow burn, but halfway through it, the plot's foundation is laid, the characters are fleshed out, the pace picks up, and the story becomes riveting as Saffyre disappears and leaves behind a trace of blood, pieces of her phone, and foul play is suspected.

The reader is not sure what happened to Saffyre, and the truth is uncovered slowly, but it definitely makes for good reading when we find out what contributed to her disappearance.

There are some triggers in this book about abuse, trauma, and sexually deviant behavior but it's subtle, tastefully done, and thankfully not graphic. It remind readers that there are people among us - like friends, neighbors, and even spouses - who are not normal. The incel aspects in the story were eye opening and very educational because it exposed me to a world that I know nothing about.

This book is about human nature, judgements, toxic masculinity, assault, betrayal, lies, secrets, family, love, and marriage. It has a well-laid plot that ties everything together nicely with a satisfying ending. I've read a few of Lisa Jewell's books and this one tops my list despite some of the squirm-worthy themes.

I have to say, Lisa Jewell won me over with this one. Her last book was so-so for me but this one I really enjoyed.

It's about a young girl who goes missing, a family full of secrets and a strange neighbor being accused of possibly doing bad things. I loved how Jewell intertwined all the characters and their perspectives as to what happened the night of Valentine's Day.

This is a loopy thriller with a few twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing--loved it. The ending was somewhat surprising and satisfying. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers, mysteries and more specifically domestic thrillers.

TW: sexual assault, a little body horror, self mutilation, mentions of rape, assault

Lisa Jewell tells a fascinating story in her latest novel, Invisible Girl. Jewell's story focuses on the Fours family and the people their lives intersect with. Cate Fours is the mother of a teenage son and daughter and wife of Roan, a child psychiatrist. They are temporarily living across the street from Owen Pick, a single man in his thirties that shares a home with his hardhearted aunt. Cate is very unsettled. She suspects Roan of having affair. An attempted sexual assault occurs in the neighborhood and the Fours family is on edge. Cate fingers Owen for the crime (because of a gut feeling) and points the police in his direction. When Saffyre, a former female patient of Roan's disappears, potentially the last person to see her is Owen Pick. Is Owen guilty of anything other than being socially awkward? Is Roan having an affair? Where is Saffyre? Jewell's characters are entertaining and her plot is full of amazing twists. Invisible Girl is a definite must read.

Decent thriller by the ever-imaginative Jewell. In the end, it wasn't very surprising, but her writing keeps the reader in suspense throughout so that you are kept invested to find out exactly what is going on.
I liked the three points of view, especially Saffyre's, because she was a detailed, intriguing character. Owen was also fascinating. I hate the "wrongly accused" trope, but was definitely kept wondering as to whether or not he was truly guilty once various aspects of the case were revealed, so it didn't annoy me as much as it generally would. Cate's POV was kind of a throwaway, I didn't get a really good sense of her character and she honestly didn't have much contribution to the plot overall.
I guess I just wanted more from this, like some sort of twist, but it's just a more straightforward dramatic novel as it turns out.

Invisible Girl keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who is responsible for the attacks on women in a quiet English suburb, ultimately culminating in Saffyre Maddox’s disapearance. With multiple suspects including a clinician who formerly treated Saffyre, a man accused of having deep ties with a violent sub-sect of the incel (involuntary celibate) community, and a teenaged loner, your head will spin with the possibilities, and you’ll think twice about walking home alone at night.

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Thank you to @AtriaBooks for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads: @TheWyseLibrarian
Instagram: @TheWyseLibrarian

Lisa Jewell is diving back into the world of thrillers with Invisible Girl. If you haven't read any of her previous works, I cannot recommend them enough!

A woman has gone missing, assaults are happening within their neighborhood, and the Fours family is in the center of it all. Cate has begun to notice a pattern, while Roan seems determined to convince everyone that it is all fine.

Even his patients. Saffyre Maddox didn't feel ready to stop her treatment, and now look at how her life has turned out. Then there's Owen Pick, a man whose life has been turned upside down, whose proximity to the Fours cannot be ignored.

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

If you're looking for a new thriller worth diving into, Invisible Girl is it. It's richly detailed and intense, showcasing everything that makes Lisa Jewell a master of mystery. It's an intense psychological thriller, with an infusion of family drama.

This is a novel completely full to the brim of twists, turns, and other shocking surprises. Jewell weaves in multiple narratives, concepts, and worlds in order to bring this story to life. The multiple perspectives serve to carry the story along, all while increasing the tension.

I respect that she didn't shy away from darker elements, such as the inclusion of incels, adultery, and more. Together it makes for a complicated tale – one that takes effort to work through (as intended, I'm sure).

The tone is where Invisible Girl really shines. It's truly creepy, with this lingering sense that at any moment, everything can and will go wrong. It's beautifully done, and is a vital element to this psychological thriller.

All of that being said, I don't think that this was my favorite Lisa Jewell novel. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad! It just didn't live up to my expectations based on her previous works. Maybe that's just me? I'm not sure.

Now that I've read Lisa Jewell's latest novel, I can't help but find myself looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next. I just know that it is going to be more thrilling than ever! (Pun mostly intended).

The young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of psychologist Roan Fours. After feeling abandoned by him, she starts following him and observing him in his neighbourhood. When Saffyre goes missing, Owen, a creepy, lonely young man across the street from the Fours house is the last one to see her alive. The Fours, Owen and Saffyre stories start to intertwine and culminate on the night Saffyre went missing.. Valentine’s Day.

This gives us all the “who can you trust?” Vibes of a domestic thriller! Lisa Jewell is a master of spinning a lot of characters stories that weave together to intricately it makes for a quick, addicting read! Owen particularly is a bizarre character and his life on incel websites is hard to read about and yet you can’t put the book down!

This was one of the more thought provoking thrillers I’ve read in a while. Invisible Girl is a psychological thriller that has great emphasis on the psychological part! We see human nature, prejudice, and how our past effected our present and future in this story.

I was expecting something very, very dark from my first Lisa Jewell book, especially since the summary talks about incel forums, but this was a surprisingly wholesome read. I mean, it definitely touches on some dark topics but there's nothing in here that's overly graphic or gratuitous. And, surprisingly for a thriller, I thought there were some really likable, compelling, and genuinely good characters here. I also loved the running theme of solidarity between women; it was very subtle but it was a refreshing change from the usual sort of nihilism you find in thrillers. The mystery was was really captivating and I enjoyed watching all the loose ends come together, though I think that the very last page was a totally unnecessary "twist." The only other issue I had was with the writing, which I thought was a bit choppy and meant that I couldn't really get into the narrative fully until I was like 20% in.

Anyway, super solid thriller, definitely a 4.5 stars for sure!

4 out of 5 stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read and advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Saffyre Maddox was ten years old when something terrible happened to her life changed completely. With no other way to cope she began to self harm. After three years of therapy with Roan Fours he tells her that it is time for her to try and be on her own but the problem is she feels lost even now so she does something she shouldn't do and things take a dark turn.

Owen Pick is an odd loner who who seems to never be able to fit in with anyone. Women never seem to be interested in him no matter what he does. He seems to just give off a creepy vibe. He also happens to live right across the street Roan Fours, his wife Cate and their children. Roan is having problems with Cate. When Saffyre everyone's life is changed.

The story is told between the POVs of Cate, Owen and Saffyre. I have to say that Owen is not an easy character to like, he is extremely odd and off putting but he is an interesting character, I found myself disliking Cate sometimes because she just seems so weak. Saffyre is a very likable but lost and lonely girl.


I had a hard time deciding if this was a four or five star book but I chose to give it four because I could see where this was heading. The characters were really well developed. I may not have liked many of them but that didn't stop me from being interested in them.

I’m more than likely in the minority with this rating but this is one Jewell book I did not enjoy (granted I have only read one other one but still)

Like all thrillers I was drew in by the synopsis. A girl go missing the creepy neighbor is suspected. I’m sold. But the execution was... dragged?

I did enjoy all the different perspectives of Cate, Owen and Saffrye. But did we need 61 chapters that could have been wrapped up in about 40? Idk what’s wrong with me but I have not been liking books that drag out the plot. It could just be my mood when it comes to reading.

I’ll admit though I didn’t know who was the suspect in this story & I enjoyed the short chapters. But I found myself at the 30 ish chapter mark bored. I was ready to find out whodunnit and why.

The ending of the plot was... not exciting. It was ok but it didn’t blow my socks off. I’m disappointed that this book didn’t knock my socks off like I thought it would because The Family Upstairs was really good !! It could just be me with why I didn’t enjoy it as much. Oh I also didn’t like the talk of rape , domestic violence , the vulgar talk of women. That was a no.

Saffyre is trying to be an Invisible Girl. She is investigating the creeps in her neighborhood. And what a large number of creeps there are!

Every character in this book has a horrifying back story plus a deeply hidden secret. Even the seemingly innocent child abuse survivor, and now missing, Saffyre has secrets. She was following, and secretly videoing many of her neighbors. Was she kidnapped by one of them to protect their own secrets? Or did the local rapist add her to his crime spree? Or was the perp actually both?

There are many possible triggers in this book from child abuse, sexual assault, emotional abuse, rape, physical abuse, and other items that are spoilers. If you are sensitive to anything, it would be safer to avoid reading this book. Other thriller readers, however, may enjoy Invisible Girl. The individual twists were hard to guess but I spotted the ultimate villain from almost the first page. For that reason, 4 stars!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book just isn't for me. I decided to DNF at the end of chapter 9. Maybe I'll try again someday.

Who the heck is the “bad guy”?

Shortest Summary Ever: Saffyre Maddox is a troubled teen. Roan Four is her former therapist who lives in an idyllic, posh London neighborhood with his kinda-pretentious wife Cate and their kids. Owen Pick is that oddball neighbor across the street in an apartment - ya know the one who is quiet and “keeps to himself” (come on, we ALL have that neighbor! Maybe it’s you?) All 3 become entwined when Saffyre suddenly disappears. Secrets lurk and someone knows more than they are saying...

Thoughts: I cringed when I saw a Gone Girl comparison in the book description, so thank GAWD I completely loved this book and it was NOT all tropey (that’s a word!!!). Basically when I read that, I assumed so much about the plot but nope - tons of surprises within, nothing expected. I was drawn in, led through, and enjoyed every turn in the road - including the ones I never saw coming! 2 day read where I battled figuring out who was the “bad guy.” And even when I found out, there were STILL surprises.

Some things that read well: Saffyre dealing with issues of childhood assault. Owen dealing with his feelings of rejection by women. Cate feeling something amiss in her marriage.... it all heats to a boiling point and I never saw the ending coming.

Alternating POVs make this truly engaging because I didn’t know who was reliable. I was constantly questioning each narrator and wondering “what the whaaaat?” on numerous occasions. Definitely a best of fall 2020 pick!!

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: Mystery/Domestic Fiction

Recommend to: those who want to read the fall “it” book - this IS that book.

Not recommended to: If you’re over domestic thriller fiction or assaults on females.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for keeping me up late to run thru this book in a mere 2 days!

Seventeen-year-old Saffyre Maddox had been having a difficult time, self-harming after a traumatic incident as a child, and she was fascinated with her therapist, Roan Fours. After three years of therapy, where Saffyre never told Roan about the original incident, he pronounced her cured and terminated her visits. Feeling a deep connection to Roan compelled Saffyre to follow Roan around town, wait outside his house, and photograph him in various places. The vacant lot across the street, surrounded by a construction fence, was the perfect place for Saffyre to hide out, and her comfort with the area grew until the idea of sleeping inside made her feel claustrophobic and she brought her sleeping bag and slept outside, behind the equipment left there.

Cate Fours was never really comfortable with the flat in Hampstead, where the family had moved while repairs were being made to their home in Kilburn. Cate was concerned about her daughter Georgia, as Georgia had been followed home one evening, and Georgia’s friend Tilly reported being assaulted across the street from Cate’s flat. Her son Josh seemed to take everything in stride, still affectionate and caring, while Roan was distant and often behaved strangely.

Owen Pick, computer instructor, had recently been terminated from his position because of sexual harassment claims made by several of his students. Angry at being falsely accused, Owen got on the internet and found a group of men, also angry, called “incels,” involuntary celibates, men that wanted relationships with women but were continually rebuffed. Bryn, a leader in the group, met up with Owen and gave him a small bottle of Rohypnol, the date rape drug, in order to attack and impregnate unsuspecting women.

I was hooked from the very beginning of Invisible Girl, and enjoyed every word. The characters come alive on the pages, and people were not always what they originally appeared to be. Told from alternating viewpoints, Lisa Jewell manages to create sympathy and support for each character, and the thread of random sexual assaults in their area runs throughout, with each character responding with fear, concern, or outrage, depending on their situation.