A group of neighbors who are strangers to each other find themselves caught up in the mystery of a series of sexual assaults in their area. Suspicion falls on Owen Pick who is a 33 year old incel living with his aunt. Saffyre is a teen who has been hanging around and goes missing and Owen is the last one to see her. Across the street from Owen is the Fours family, Roan, the child psychologist who used to treat Saffyre, stay at home mom Cate, and their two children. Each of these characters are hiding something from the others, some of these secrets are worse than others. As the story unfolds we see how certain internet communities can isolate people and make them dangerous and that events aren't always what they seem from the outside. The varying storylines are amazingly tangled and all of them are satisfactorily tied off at the end. This was an intriguing read and I really enjoyed it. I received a free ebook from NetGalley.

‘My superpower was invisibility.’

I enjoyed this a lot. All of the characters to some degree felt invisible in their lives. Jewell did a great job at making me care for these characters even though I didn’t necessarily like their behavior. The suspense built at an even pace that kept me from getting bored or figuring out the final reveal. Some of the scenarios far fetched but it was still very entertaining. 4 stars.

Lisa Jewel takes on men who treat women badly in this explosive fictional thriller. She brings incel to light:
involuntary celibates, who are members of an online subculture that define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner--a group I never even heard of before. In this book, some of the members feel that it's okay to rape women. Yikes! Moreover, she adds in a husband who seems caring enough, but is involved in one adulterous relationship after another. However, the men are not all to be grouped into one category. One of them, a thirty plus year-old teacher has been accused of doing things he says he is innocent of.

From young girls , who were sexually abused to the wife of a cheater, and his girlfriend, Lisa Jewel does a very good job of bringing out the females feelings and how they cope--or bury it under the surface.

This book is well-written and deserves a five star rating.

I really liked this one for about the first half. I was intrigued with the story and wanted to know what happened next. At about the 3/4 point, it really slowed down for me and found it to be much more of a slow burn. I will say, it did start to pick back up.

While, for the most part, I did like the story, I definitely didn’t find the ‘big reveal’ to be all that exciting. In some ways I was shocked, but I don’t think it’s one I’ll think about for long and will likely forget most of the storyline.

I’m still a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and will continue to read her books, but this one was just okay. I don’t hate that I read it, but I would have been okay skipping it.

3.5 stars

Lisa Jewell's books always draw me in. I would say they are all usually domestic or suburban mysteries rather than thrillers. This one took me awhile to get into it and I never felt fully invested. It was a quick read and I liked how it ended and how you can never trust someone on how they present themselves but rather what kind of monster they are beneath the facade they show the world.

This is a super creepy book about a troubled girl who becomes obsessed with her therapist. I thought it was great, with a lot of smart details. It really kept me on the edge of my seat up until the very end. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this twisty whodunit! This mystery kept me guessing until the very end. All the story lines were resolved well and the characters were developed nicely. I always look forward to books by this author and this one did not disappoint! Recommended for anyone who likes thriller/murder mysteries! Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for granting access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review tomorrow to my Bookstagram and companion Facebook page @thatreadingrealtor.

Invisible Girl is a slow burn of a book but still keeps your attention from the first page. I really enjoyed the change of perspective with each character. Jewell writes just enough pages for each chapter to keep you engaged and not bored before she switches perspectives. You get bits of information from each character, just enough to keep you from seeing the big picture.

I did enjoy how the story wrapped up. There isn’t really an explosive ending or a giant twist to finish things off but it was still a good conclusion to the story. I will say that it did end on an intriguing note!

This was the perfect quick read I wanted to start off October with. I highly recommend reading this one!

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I do not get the hype in this one at all! I was so excited to be able to read this one early but it just did not keep my interest and I picked it up and set it down SO many times! I had to finish it though to see how the author was going to wrap up the ending. I would still like to try and read more by this author to see if it was just the writing style of this particular book. I guess the main reason why I didn't like this book is because I could not connect with any of the main characters and didn't even care about what happened to them throughout.

I have yet to meet a Lisa Jewell book I didn't like, and her newest one is no exception. One of the things I love most about her writing is how "unputdownable" her books are- they are addicting and completely draw you in so you can't stop reading because you need to know what happens next. There are several key players in IG- Owen, the 33 year old teacher living with his aunt who has never had a girlfriend; the Fours family which includes mom (Cate), dad (Roan) who is a therapist, daughter (Georgia), and son (Josh); Saffyre is a young girl who was a patient of Roan's for three years. After a series of assaults on women sets everyone on edge, Saffyre goes missing, and the last person to see her alive is Owen. But of course, nothing is as it seems and Jewell is a master at showcasing the tangled webs we weave. IG is full of secrets and twists, and there is a prominent lesson that you can run from your past but you can't hide, and karma has a way of sorting it all out.

Thank you @atriabooks @arielestewart for inviting me via @netgalley to read an early copy. I was then lucky enough to win this physical copy through @goodreads! Score!

This is a fast-moving character-driven psychological drama that explores childhood trauma and misogyny in a variety of forms. From incel Internet forums, to predating on younger women, to just daily forgetting that women are humans.
I loved the POV character arc of Owen Pick (although to be honest I find it unlikely) - an odd man who has never connected with women and is accused of inappropriate behavior.
I found the POV character Saffyre to be believable and sympathetic, the way she processes the world after trauma was spot on. (& her feelings about the owl? Magical!)

I’m a fan of Lisa Jewell and I like the way she structures her novels, skipping around chronologically and moving between characters seamlessly. This was no exception, and I found the way the various characters’ stories came together to be really satisfying. The female characters were most interesting to me, but the male teacher accused of inappropriate behavior with female students who manages to get tied up with some super intense incels online was surprisingly sympathetic. Jewell's pacing and character development were strong as always.

I have read a few Lisa Jewell books before and I really enjoyed them. But something about this one was just meh. A seventeen year old girl, Saffyre, is missing. She has connections to Roan, her previous psychologist and Owen, Roan's next door neighbor. The book has three POV's: Saffyre, Owen and Cate (Roan's wife). Cate and Owen's POVs are told through third person, but it's told in present tense (basically, real time). Something about this writing style just turned me off and it made it hard to connect fully with the characters. Saffyre's POV is told in the first person and there is a different timeline. The difference in voices and timelines was a little jarring.

I liked the concept of the missing girl, as well as the incel community. The problem was that the issue with the incel community was never fully developed. It was just . . . there. Mainly, it was used as a way to cast doubt on Owen. I didn't think there was a lot of suspense regarding Saffyre's disappearance either. While I was interested enough to keep reading to find out what happened, there were many periods of the story where I was just kind of bored. There were also a lot of other subplots and so much happening with the story that I didn't feel that any one part of the story really got the attention that it deserved. The end of the book was a bit much. There was so much that happened at the climax of the book and a lot of it came out of nowhere and I didn't feel fully satisfied with the ending. What happened to Saffyre was alluded to throughout so much of the story and yet it wasn't as dramatic as it should have been, given all the references to it. I also thought that the changes with Owen were too sudden and unrealistic for the character. I did actually guess one of the twists, but the surprises were things that just came out of nowhere and didn't really make sense in the grand scheme of things.

This may just be a case of "it's not you, it's me" since the book does get rave reviews from other readers. In my opinion, I think the premise of this one had a lot of potential, but the author just couldn't quite make it work.

I have read a LOT of Jewell's work, and really enjoyed this her latest! In "Invisible Girl", we have an interesting domestic thriller of a suburban family, with a father who is a child shrink, his stay-at-home wife and their two teens. Then there is the "creepy guy" across they way. And the teen patient, who the Dad released maybe too early and who may or may not be okay. They all bisect in this novel that explores uncomfortable subjects like sexual harassment, "incel forums", and child abuse (trigger warnings). Where it all goes is down a rabbit hole. I enjoyed it quite a lot & found it very engrossing, and highly recommend. Thank you to the author, publisher & NetGalley for my ARC

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors and I am always extra excited when she is ready to publish a new book. I was supper happy when I was approved for an ARC of Invisible Girl and I could not wait to dive in a devour it. This said the Invisible Girl was not my favorite of Lisa Jewell’s books. It was a solid 3 stars read for me, which in my rating scale means it was a well written story with a well-developed plot and characters, however it was just average. Just OK. I did not find the mystery of this novel exciting and it actually felt like I was reading any other average book in this genre. I guess I was expecting something more spicy and thrilling. However, I still enjoyed this book and I am still a devoted fan of this author’s work. I can’t wait for her next novel and I am hoping it will be as good as her previous books.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Saffyre Maddox is missing. Who made her disappear? Was it Roan the child therapist who helped her when she was younger? Was it his 14 year old son Josh who appears to have many secrets? Was it Owen who has been arrested for her disappearance because her blood was found on the wall outside his window? Secrets abound and keep you suspecting everyone.How well do you know the people around you? Would you like be to judged for something you didn't do? Monsters hide in plain sight but how can you identify them? An excellent read that makes you consider your own strengths and how how you might react when things go awry.

Invisible Girls is a thrilling Easter egg hunt of carefully hidden clues that lead to the most significant golden egg of all-time.

What I Loved

The shorter answer would be to the question of what didn’t I love but raving about what I love about a book must be done no matter how much time it takes to list. This is the second book by Lisa Jewell that I have had the pleasure of reading. Each time I finish one of her books, I am in awe how she takes a bunch of seemingly random clues presented throughout the story and brings them together into a jaw-dropping conclusion that makes the story the quintessential thriller that it is.

I loved the underlying theme of invisibility and masks that winds its way through the story and exposes itself in unexpected and illuminating ways. It is so easy to be invisible in today’s society. Pull your hood up, and no-one takes the time to look beyond it to who you are. When characters are exposed, they put on a mask to hide inner demons and other parts of their being that they do not wish to reveal. Sometimes that is an inner evil that threatens other members of society, and sometimes it is a deep-rooted pain that has taken hold and is hard to face.

I loved many of the characters. They are all so well-developed, reliable, and intriguingly complex as you realize what their mask is covering. My favorite character, though, has to be Saffyre. The only one of the three narrators whose story is told in the first person. I always admire survivor-type characters – ones that take the whole bucket of lemons that life has given them and make a profitable lemonade stand. Despite her mental health issues, her strength, determination, and fighting-spirit shine through the page. She is independent and has a strong moral compass that makes her want to make the world right for those around her.

I also love how the perspective alternates between three characters, yet only one speaks in the first person while the other two narrate in third person limited. I have never seen this used before, but it helps keep the story clear about whose point of view you are reading through. I can easily be confused by multiple narrators, but this technique allowed me to keep everything clear without losing the unreliability that kept me guessing until the end.

I love the ending that leaves all sorts of creepiness in its wake. I closed the book, and chills went up my spine at the very shocking and disturbing conclusion. That is my favorite part of the story and the part that will stay with me for some time to come.

To Read or Not to Read

If you love psychological thrillers, your reading list will not be complete without this book on it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I have always been a fan of Lisa Jewell, and this is another one that did not disappoint.

This story follows Saffyre a girl that is troubled and sees a psychiatrist...who happens to be the husband of one of the main characters. Also involved is an out of place 30+ year old man, Owen, who lives in the neighborhood.

When Saffyre disappears, Owen is the main suspect...but is there more to the disappearance that meets the eye?

Suspenseful...couldn't put down!

Lisa Jewell is the MASTER of domestic thrillers. Invisible Girl is the story of Saffyre Maddox, Roan Fours and his family, and Owen...the strange man across the street.

As with most of Jewell's books, the timelines are a little off - until they meet in an explosion of tension, plot and drama. Self harm, infidelity, sexual assault, and incels are all discussed so be forewarned if you are sensitive to any.

Excellent story-telling from my Queen, Lisa Jewell.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, but I did think The Family Upstairs was better. A solid 3 star read from an author I'll keep looking for.