This was an okay book for me overall. I've read many of her books, and this wasn't my favorite.

I'd expected quite a twist at the end, but there wasn't one. In fact, it seemed a bit too neat and tidy, like a HEA (happily ever after) in a romance book. The story, in general, was solid, but it was more of a mild mystery than a thriller, as I'd hoped for it to be.

I liked Owen and how creepy he was. Ron was an easy character to love to hate.

Multiple POVs and subplots made the book a bit difficult to follow at times, but things did connect in the end, though not as anticipated.

When a school teacher is accused of sexual harassment by some students, he seems a likely suspect for sexual attacks that are happening to young women in his neighborhood.. A young girl who has emotional problems sees a psychologist who lives across the street; when her treatment is declared a success, she begins following him. His son meets the girl and agrees to be her protector. One night, she sees something and decides she has to disappear and the school teacher is accused of abducting her--maybe killing her. They both have clues about what has been happening in the neighborhood, but neither one should be out sneaking around and they are trying to keep secrets. Will these secrets keep them from revealing what they know?

This is by far my most anticipated and sought after book this year. I will be out of commission today lol. .
.
SYNOPSIS:

LONDON: On a fine avenue of grand houses, big cars and electronic gates, lies a neglected urban wasteland

It is nearly midnight, and very cold. Yet in this dark place of long grass and tall trees where cats hunt and foxes shriek, a girl is waiting... When Saffyre Maddox was ten something terrible happened and she's carried the pain of it around with her ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn't, and now she hides from him, invisible in the shadows, learning his secrets; secrets she could use to blow his safe, cosy world apart.

Owen Pick is invisible too. He's thirty-three years old and he's never had a girlfriend, he's never even had a friend. Nobody sees him. Nobody cares about him.

But when Saffyre Maddox disappears from opposite his house on Valentine's night, suddenly the whole world is looking at him. Accusing him. Holding him responsible.

Because he's just the type, isn't he? A bit creepy?

INVISIBLE GIRL: A story of secrets and injustices, and of how we look in the wrong places for the bad people while the real predators walk among us in plain sight. ——————————————————
PUBLISHES OCTOBER 13, 2020

Saffyre is a girl that had a terrible thing happen at the age of 10. She goes to a child psychologist (Roan) for years and when he thinks she doesn't need him anymore, he stops their sessions. She feels invisible and feels she needs him more, so she starts stalking him and his family.
She learns some secrets and then disappears. No one know what happened and Owen, a professor that has been fired for sexual misconduct, comes in the crosshairs of the police. He swears he didn't do anything to her, but can't exactly remember. But can an invisible girl bring out the truth?

This book was kind of a slow burn and really dug into the "you don't really know a person" and those that seem good aren't always.

When Saffyre, age 17, goes missing the Fours family inserts themselves into the case. The mother and daughter believe it is the odd neighbors across the street. The father is worried about keeping other secrets and not shining light on the fact she was his patient. The son seems to be quiet and uninterested. The neighbor has accusations of his own to fight. Can anyone be taken at their word?

Though the teenagers had pretty horrible decision making skills, the plot was believable. I liked the introduction of new characters as suspects and finding out information along with the narrators. I guessed part of the conclusion ahead of time, but still enjoyed reading the story until the end.

After three years with her therapist Roan Fours, Saffyre Maddox is finally "cured" of self-harm. Yet Saffyre never revealed her worst trauma to Roan, and now she feels tossed aside. She begins secretly stalking his house, an invisible girl in the shadows. When Saffyre disappears, all attention falls on Roan's neighbor Owen Pick. For he's just the type to do such a thing - just a bit creepy.

Jewell sharply comments on our preconceived prejudices of sexual predators - the creepy man who's innocent vs the picture-perfect one who's not. Yet, knowing that Owen is (most likely) innocent takes some of the suspense out of the story. You'll still be compelled to find out what happened to Saffyre, but the book was just shy of being truly unputdownable.

I am late to the party on Lisa Jewell’s phenomenal thrillers. Her super twisty novel from last year, The Family Upstairs, was my first time reading here and WOW!

When I saw Invisible Girl was available on NetGalley, I couldn’t click “Request” fast enough, and was beyond excited when my request was accepted! It’s complex, gritty, and more than a little creepy.

Owen Pick is a thirty-something virgin who lives with his elderly aunt. When he gets suspended from his job as a geography teacher for inappropriate conduct toward his female students, he’s absolutely shocked and really doesn’t understand what he did wrong. His aunt is unsupportive – in fact, she seems convinced he’s guilty even though she doesn’t know the details. But, she’s always treated him with suspicion, relegating him to one room of her spacious apartment and generally acting like he’s a nuisance to her life.

Owen’s loneliness, isolation, and feelings of outrage over what he feels are baseless accusations, all combine to lead him down a dark path, and he soon stumbles into the online world of incels, and a charismatic forum leader named Bryn.

Meanwhile, across the street from Owen’s aunt’s apartment is the perfect family – or, at least, they seem that way to anyone who might glance their way. There’s Cate, a physiotherapist, and her husband Roan, a child psychologist. And their two children, Georgia, a confident and outgoing teenager, and Josh, a rather withdrawn and shy boy who is a couple years younger than Georgia.

And then there’s the girl who knows all of their secrets. Seventeen-year-old Saffyre Maddox was a patient of Roan’s, until he pronounced her cured and sent her on her way. Feeling alone and abandoned, she begins watching him, and then watching the whole family. It begins innocently enough as just something she does because she’s bored and lonely, but what she discovers will put her in grave danger.

I became invested super quickly in the characters, especially Josh, and to my complete surprise, Owen. Cate and Georgia felt more like filler than anything else, unfortunately. I kept expecting more depth to them, but it never came. Saffyre was really interesting, but not particularly realistic.

Overall, this book is a fascinating study on sexual assault / harassment, and really does the subject matter justice. Jewell does a fantastic job of creating a full character in Owen, when it would have been incredibly easy to make him one dimensional. I really appreciated his character arc and growth throughout the book. It was believable and hopeful.

Jewell certainly doesn’t shy away from dark themes and this book is full of them. I appreciated how she tackled the idea of predators being right in our midst and how often we fixate our fear on the wrong people – assuming the oddball, awkward guy is a threat while missing the darkness in the charismatic, accomplished man standing right next to us.

This was an engaging read that I’d definitely recommend to anyone who loves dark, twisty thrillers. I finished the book a few weeks ago and can’t say that the story itself has really stuck with me, though the themes have, and the book is absolutely worth a read.

I ғɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ “Iɴᴠɪsɪʙʟᴇ ɢɪʀʟ” ʟᴀsᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ... ᴍʏ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ғɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ: “Wᴇʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴅɪsᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ.” Tʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏ sᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ ᴛᴡɪsᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ʜᴏᴘᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ. Nᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ sɪɴɪsᴛᴇʀ ᴏʀ ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟʟʏ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ. Tʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴀ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ - ᴡʀᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ɪɴ ᴀ sᴡᴇᴇᴛ ʙᴏx ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʀᴇᴅ ʀɪʙʙᴏɴ ʙᴏᴡ ᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴘ.⠀
.⠀
Hᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ɪ ᴅɪᴅ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴡᴀs ɢᴏᴏᴅ. Iᴛ ғᴇʟᴛ ᴍᴏғᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ sᴏʟᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ᴛʜᴀɴ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ - ʙᴜᴛ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛs ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ Jᴇᴡᴇʟʟ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇs? Iᴍ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ sᴜʀᴇ ɪᴛs ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍᴇ...⠀
.⠀
Tʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴍɪsᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴀғғʏʀᴇ ɪs ᴍɪssɪɴɢ. Tʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴍᴏᴠᴇs ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ sᴀғғʏʀᴇ’s ᴘᴏᴠ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴏғ ᴏᴡᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀᴛᴇ. Tʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴀ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ᴏғ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅᴜɴɴɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴇxᴀᴄᴛʟʏ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴏ?⠀
.⠀
Gʀᴇᴀᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜʀᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀs ᴏʀ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴀᴍᴇ!⠀
.⠀
Thank you @Netgalley and @atriabooks for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion!⠀

Lisa Jewell does it again!

What a twisted little read this was. This isn’t your usual psychological thriller- this is more of an insight into people’s hidden underbellies. Their true motives,their heart of hearts. The stuff you don’t usually see because folks lock it away in the dark.

I was absolutely fascinated by this book (and repulsed in equal measures). Lisa’s characters always leap right off of the page and burrow into your psyche. But her books and her characters are always not quite as they seem and I love that.

4.5 stars.

4 Stars!

"Nothing is perfect. Even this house, she thinks, her eyes casting about the clean lines of it, is not perfect. Even now, she sees, in this newly plastered and painted room, that there is a large crack running from the point where the corners meet. And the builders left yesterday."

A young girl goes missing and they cannot find any trace of her. The neighbor across the street from the house the young girl used to stalk - Owen Pick - seems like the perfect suspect but is he really who he appears to be? All three families are now linked together to solve the mystery of the missing girl, who goes by Saffyre. Cate and Roan live in the house being stalked. On the outside their house looks perfect but on the inside it's filled with secrets between the family. Roan is a therapist so he has only been helping people, like Saffyre, right? Everyone has to come together to try to figure out what happened but in the end everyone is surprised.

This was definitely one of those books that I did not want to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen. It's really fast paced and I love when books are easy to flip through. I thought the dynamic for this booked worked well. You have multiple villains and I would argue there were three main characters, not just one (Cate, Owen and Saffyre). It was interesting reading the different view points and then having all the stories come together to find out what happened in the end. I personally was a little surprised by the ending and did not have it figured out.

If you haven't read a Lisa Jewell book yet you really should - they are always a good read! This one publishes in October so perfect time of year for a good thriller.

Thank you to Atria books for my ARC of this book.

Saffrye, a seventeen-year-old girl, goes missing on Valentine's night in an upper-class part of town. She vanishes from a neighborhood where several sexual assaults have occurred and are currently unsolved. But far from having too few clues to find her, the police have several odd puzzles pieces that just deepen the confusion of her disappearance. Saffrye was last seen outside the home of her former psychologist, Roan Four, whom she has been stalking since her treatment was ended. Equally puzzling, Saffrye's belongings have been found in a vacant lot across the street from the Four's house, including her cell phone case and traces of her blood. But the vacant lot also happens to be right next door to the home of Owen Pick, a lonely, awkward, and involuntarily celibate man who has just left his teaching position over claims of sexual impropriety. Disgruntled and feeling misunderstood, Owen has been making poor decisions in the past few months. Told from alternating perspectives and jumping between the past and the present, Saffrye, Owen, and the Four family's stories are revealed in a way that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Jewell has done it again! Perfect for readers of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley!

Another great psychological thriller by Lisa Jewell! Though this book is definitely more of a slow burn than a fast-paced thriller, it kept my attention and made me want to continue to turn the pages so that I could find out what happened next. The plot centers around a 17 year old girl who goes missing and is presumed dead. There are numerous suspects, all men who have obvious flaws and who are somehow connected to the missing girl, and the author really keeps the reader guessing as to who the actual perpetrator is. I thought I had figured out the mystery several times only to find I was completely mistaken when the author revealed another clue to the girl's disappearance. Lisa Jewell sets a dark scene and the character development is top notch. This is a captivating read and perfect for a day at the beach or to pass a rainy afternoon.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and to Lisa Jewell for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another great Lisa Jewell book that kept you wanting to read more. Saffyre is a seventeen year old girl who ends up missing, and an odd, lonely man is suspected of the crime. Did this sort of creepy man do it? Or is it someone else in Saffyre’s life or even a stranger? The Four family is mixed into the story, as the father, Roan, was Saffyre’s psychologist for a few years after a traumatic event when she was eleven.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the Advanced readers copy of this book.

I am not generally a fan of books with chapters told from different points of view (see previous review of The Guest List), however Lisa Jewell makes this format work. The way she uses the different points of view helps keep the reader in suspense.

The three points of view are from three different but relatable characters, all with their own reasons to feel invisible.

Saffyre Maddox is a teen who was traumatized when she was ten years old because of this tragedy she starts to self harm, her uncle (who is her guardian) sends her to a psychologist named Roan Fours. After three years of therapy Roan decides she is ready to stop therapy, even though she hasn't ever talked about the incident that started her self harming behaviour.

Owen Picks is a teacher, who has been suspended due to inappropriate behaviour, he is always seen as a loner, as odd and disliked. He lives with his aunt who doesn't help him or want him around, they live across the street from the Four Family.

Cate Four is married with two teenagers living in a rental until her house renovations are complete. She is the stay at home mother and wife trying to keep her family happy and moving forward. She is full of self doubt, she blames herself for picking the rental that is a less than desirable neighbourhood. She knows there is something going on with her family but for some reason she cannot figure it out.

This book keeps you guessing and takes you down some dark and uncomfortable situations but all with purpose. This novel flows nicely and keeps your interest throughout. The characters all have good and bad sides and we see all sides of these characters. There is no stand out good character, but they are all relatable.

I highly recommend this book when it is released!

Lisa Jewell’s latest book is the story of misfits in society, the story of desiring acceptance and love, the story of betrayal and lies and deception, and the story of secrets. It is a multi-layered story told from the point of view of three main characters. Cat Fours, the wife of Roan and mother of self-centered Georgia and spoiled Josh, is a woman who knows something is wrong but chooses to ignore it rather than confront. Saffyre Maddox is a teen who was abused as a young child and is still suffering from that physical assault. She sat under the therapy of Roan Fours, but since he didn’t cure here, she has decided to stalk him. The final narrator was the most unreliable but also the most interesting. Owen Pick is a complete misfit, a thirty something who has yet to find his place in the world. Fired from his job as a geography professor, Owen lives with Tessie, a relative who seldom interacts with him. Owen is part of an online group known as the incels, a group of involuntary celibates, something that I had never heard of before and I’m not sure that I want to know more about them now. Dark! Very dark! When Saffyre disappears, Owen is naturally the first suspect and is picked up, questioned and finally charged. Owen continues to declare his innocence, Cat continues to turn the other way and refuse to acknowledge that evil may exist under her roof, and Saffyre is still missing. This is not really what I would call a thriller, but rather a psychological family drama. It was thought-provoking throughout, especially at the end, when I closed the book and continued to reflect on the deceptive appearances that are a central theme. Who is in my life who wears one face and hides the real person inside? I really enjoyed this book, but not with a happy feeling at the end. The book is too dark with multi-faceted themes to leave me with contentment at the end. However, it left me with a lot to ponder. Fans of Lisa Jewell and psychological mysteries will really enjoy this fast-paced book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This kept me entertained from the beginning. It was your pretty run of the mill story, but I really enjoyed how it ended! That's a big thing for me, so I'll bump it up to 4 stars.

I'm just going to say it - Lisa Jewell is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Her latest book, Invisible Girl, is a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end.

This was one of those books that I couldn't put down. Right away, Jewell drew me in to the lives of her characters. Each one was unique and interesting. Mystery surrounds them all, so it's never clear until the end who is responsible for Saffyre's disappearance. 

I've found that a lot of family dramas/psychological thrillers will be slow to start before they pick up the pace. That is never the case for Invisible Girl. With so many well-placed hints and red herrings, Jewell keeps her readers on the edge.

With its fast pace and interesting characters, I definitely recommend Invisible Girl. 


Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the review copy.

Four out of five stars.

I can always rely on Lisa Jewell to write a binge worthy book that I cannot out down! Saffyre Maddox was only ten years old when something horrible and traumatic happened to her. Burying the trauma and holding the secret inside she goes to cutting to release her inner turmoil. Her uncle and her guardian decides to send her to therapy hoping it will help her. There she meets her therapist Roan Fours. After three years of therapy he decides she’s ready to move on, yet Saffyre never revealed her painful secret. Owen Pick is a lonely 33 year old teacher who doesn’t have any friends or a girlfriend and lives with his aunt, having lost his job after a few students made allegations against him, others think of him as creepy and he has own painful secrets. Roan Fours his wife Cate and their two children live across the street from Owen. The tension begins to build in their town when woman who are walking alone are being sexually assaulted. Saffyre feels like the invisible girl who hides in the shadows, she soon becomes obsessed with her former therapist Roan and begins to follow him. What secrets does he keep? what does he do when he’s away from his family? When Saffyre disappears on Valentine’s Day in the vicinity of the The Fours home and Owens , Soon Owen finds his life turned upside down. Is Owen the culprit? Looks can be deceiving. What was really going on with Saffyre? This book asks the question do you really know someone? Some people are capable of hiding secrets better than others. Are people to quick to judge someone just by their appearance . This book was told in the POV of Saffyre, Cate and Owen. Five stars!!

In Invisible Girl, Lisa Jewell once again zeroes in on the confines of a small residential block, sweeping us into a quaint London neighborhood where neighbors and family members alike are all suspect and sketchy, and everyone is judging everyone. For Cate's family, it starts as the normal stuff of commenting on how the lonely guy across the street is creepy and wondering why her husband never seems to be home, but then stuff gets real as a string of rapes happens very close by, and a girl who was under the care of Cate's husband goes missing.
For a thriller, it was wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy, and satisfying way, while still keeping the reader guessing in true Lisa Jewell fashion.

Sigh.... I wanted to love this one, but I just did not.

I was disappointed in The Family Upstairs and was hoping this one would redeem itself, but it was just too disjointed for me.

Too many characters with too many problems. But I did LOVE creepy Owen and young Saffrye. Great characters. Roan was also easy to love to hate.

Hopefully I'll like Jewell's next book as she is one of my favorite authors overall.