Member Reviews
Well.....unfortunately this is going to be about a 3.5 star for me. I did like it but I didn't love it as much as I had anticipated. It was a slow burn throughout and I found it a bit odd. I will admit it did keep my attention the entire time as I was curious as to where this was going.
A 17 year old girl goes missing and the suspects are too many to count. They are sooo many creepy people in this book that could be suspects! That was one of the problems for me. There were so many different characters that I struggled a bit to keep them all straight. Also they were all unlikable. Which honestly I love an unlikable character if they bring and interesting element to the story...but they just didn't do that for me. Look nobody is more upset than me...
The men in this book were all so creepy with the exception of maybe one. The neighborhood oddball Owen Pick made my skin crawl. The character development was really strong throughout the book and they felt real...I found myself thinking how awful it would be to be a resident of this town full of weirdos.
I did fly through this book - it defiantly held my interest. There was just too much going on that I felt the story line was scattered in a million directions. It did manage to pull together at the end but I personally felt it was just a little too odd and out there. I can't go more into details without spoilers. I am very sure that I will be in the minority here......there are a ton of 5 star reviews piling up already for this book! I just had a little trouble connecting with anyone in this story. I do love Lisa Jewell's books and I look forward to reading more for her!
This story didn't disappoint. It was a page-turner and a little bit of a slow burn. I didn't read it in one day; more like over a week. Generally, unless I want to stay up really late reading, I only read in 10-15 snippets throughout each day. It was a hard story to put down though!
My favorite part of Lisa Jewell's books, that I can ALWAYS depend on, is getting alternating chapters from different characters. I like trying to piece the storylines together; in this particular book, I found myself wondering again and again when the characters were actually going to meet up in the plotline.
I won't say much, because it's a typical Jewell thriller: lots of characters whose lives intertwine. Different points of view, different periods of time, etc. I definitely recommend it.
This was an OK mystery. It has a lot of POV characters, so it felt a little all over the place. I found the first half a little boring, not a lot of info being given out to build the mystery. But then the second half was much faster, and I enjoyed the ending.
You know that person—that man or woman—who simply fades to the background at your office/bus/class/other? You know, the one who isn’t especially noteworthy? Maybe they are a little odd, or don’t quite have the best social skills to fit in? But that doesn’t necessarily make them a bad person…or a creepy person, does it? In Lisa Jewell’s latest book, we meet a whole cast of characters who are (or can be) almost invisible at times. So when a young girl goes missing, and the oddball teacher is accused, no one is really very surprised. Lisa Jewell’s latest book is another psychological thriller that doesn’t disappoint. I wasn’t sure where it was going for a bit, and it’s told from multiple perspectives so you have to pay attention, but it’s definitely worth a read.
Note: A special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.
Owen Picks is a 30-something “incel” (“involuntary celibate) who lives in with aunt and has just lost his job over a sexual harassment allegation. Meanwhile, right across the street, lives Cate, a physical therapist and mom of two teens, who is married to Roan, a child psychologist. When one of Roan’s patients—a teen named Saffyre Maddox—disappears, suddenly it seems everyone is under suspicion. This psychological thriller is suspenseful, gripping, and maybe even a little bit disturbing, but it will definitely keep you turning those pages! I loved how it forced you to go back and forth in your head as to who was the culprit, and I also found it to be a fascinating look at the idea that people are rarely what they appear to be.
I was delighted to receive an invitation for this book! Lisa Jewell is by far one of my favorite thriller authors and is an auto-read author for me, always. This book did not disappoint. I love Jewell's writing style so much. This is a book to read in on sitting, for if you try to slowly savor it (like I did, but failed), it will eat away at you until you pick it back up. Jewell has a wonderful gift of captivation in her writing, and this is definitely in my Top 5 list of books by her.
I have read a few of Lisa Jewell's books before and she always does a great job with her mystery/suspense novels. This one is no different. In Invisible Girl, three narrators masterfully guide readers through an intriguing plot with memorable characters. We have Saffyre, a teenage girl who has not had it easy. She's been abused and orphaned, causing her to self-harm. This behavior gets her sent to see Roan Fours, a child psychologist. Her relationship with this therapist is the catalyst for a lot of the events that take place in the story. Then we have Cate, a naive, hardworking mother of two and the wife of Roan Fours. She spends her days taking care of the house and making sure dinner is ready for her husband when he gets home, whenever that might be. Every part of her identity seems to be wrapped up in her role as doting wife and mother. Finally, there's Owen. (Oh, Owen!) He's a 33 year-old bachelor who lives in his aunt's spare bedroom which is situated across the street from the Fours family's apartment. He teaches coding to teenagers at a local school and is unique in that he is a virgin. Owen's life is upended when students at his school accuse him of sexually inappropriate behavior. He is pretty sure he is innocent, but he doesn't exactly remember the night in question, so that's a problem. The accusations light a fire in Owen and kick off a series of cringe-worthy attempts to reinvent himself.
When Saffyre suddenly goes missing after last being seen talking to Owen outside of the Fours family home, an investigation ensues. At the same time, a series of sexual assaults are being committed throughout the neighborhood. Everyone is on high alert, especially Cate, who fears for her teenage daughter's safety. She sees Owen as the creepy, lurking predator across the street and sends the police his way. Owen has had a lot of time on his hands since being out of work and has not used that time productively. In fact, a lot of his choices end up making him look quite guilty when it comes to new accusations being made against him. Owen claims to be innocent, but (yet again) cannot completely remember what happened the night that Saffyre disappeared. Even though Owen seems to fit the requirements of a sexual predator, Cate isn't quite sure if he actually is the culprit behind these crimes. After all, there's a lot of unanswered questions she has, such as why was Saffyre, her husband's former patient, standing outside of their home the night she went missing? Where was her husband when the girl disappeared?
While I enjoyed this book, I did have a few critiques that kept this from being 5 stars. First of all, Cate's naivety was really quite annoying. She had every right to question her husband about her concerns, but she was worried that would make her seem too "crazy." I sympathized with her for the first half of the novel and then after that, I was just mad that she wouldn't stand up for herself. Secondly, the ending felt too rushed. After spending so much time building up to the climax, it felt like everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow in just a few pages. I wanted some more explanation regarding the close to the sexual assaults especially because without it, I'm just not fully buying into the last twist. It just seems really unlikely as it was presented.
Overall, the plot of Invisible Girl is really engrossing. I read the book in just a few sittings. The story is fast paced and suspenseful. There are twists that will keep you guessing. Some of the characters, Owen especially, are very original, which is refreshing when you read a lot of mysteries that all seem to recycle the same kinds of characters over and over again. This book will surely not disappoint and makes a great summer read. If you've enjoyed any of Lisa Jewell's previous works, the chances are you'll enjoy this one as well.
My Rating: ★★★★☆
At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on October 13, 2020.
*Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Lisa Jewell's latest offering, in many ways, feels like a new direction for her. The book is equally well written to her past novels, but may be even a touch more suspenseful. I flip flopped through most of the book deciding who was the guilty party. I'm sure I changed my mind at least six times. That's good authoring!
"Invisible Girl" gives helpful incite into a growing social problem . . . . aloneness. Lisa takes the reader into the minds of her characters and lets us see life and crime from a variety of angles.
This is a solid four star book.
Sitting down with a new Lisa Jewell book, is like sitting down for a cup of coffee with an old friend. ☕️☕️
You feel like you know her characters, because they are well developed, but you also know that behind that Cup of Joe, or behind those closed blinds are people with secrets that you hope to coax out of them.
Your cast for this one:
A thirty something year old virgin
A psychologist, his wife and their two teenaged children
And, a former patient of said psychologist
I won’t rehash the storyline, as enough is said in the book’s synopsis, but I will say, that after NOT enjoying “The Family Upstairs” last year, as much as her other novels, the author returns to form with a story and neighborhood reminiscent of her 2018 offering, “Watching You”.
Short chapters, and alternating POV’s made for a quick read and the
storylines in this novel of DOMESTIC SUSPENSE, were woven together into a satisfying conclusion!
Thank you to the Publisher for inviting me to read a digital ARC, through NetGalley in exchange for a candid review!
Expected publication date is October 13th, 2020.
Lots of twists and turns in this fast-paced thriller. I think Lisa Jewell’s fans will be happy with her latest book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My rating - 3.5 stars
Invisible Girl is another wonderfully-written, captivating page turner from Lisa Jewell.
The fast paced plot, expert character development and twists and turns will draw you in and not let you go.
Jewell is emerging as my favorite in the psychological thriller genre.
This is a book that will keep you awake all night until it is finished!
Add the characters:
A family of four keeping secrets from each other
A 17 year old girl with a history of being abused
A misfit neighborhood gentleman
and mix with a twisting plot to get an intense fast paced story!
Saffyre, 17 years old, is the common thread that binds the characters together. She goes missing, and the events that lead up to and occur after her disappearance will keep the reader on edge. 5 stars.
Saffyre Maddox was ten years old when something terrible happened to her and she has kept that trauma and pain secret. As an outlet for her pain, she begins cutting and her uncle (who is her guardian) sends her to therapy. After three years of therapy, her therapist, Roan Fours, feels she is ready to terminate therapy but Saffyre hasn't even revealed her painful trauma yet.
Owen Pick is a 33-year-old teacher who has never had a friend let alone a girlfriend. He lives with his Aunt who won't even let him into her living room and finds himself terminated from his job after allegations are made against him. He doesn't understand what he did wrong. He has also had a traumatic past and is viewed by others as being "odd" and "creepy".
Living across from Owen is the Fours family. Yes, the Roan Fours who just happens to have been the therapist who treated Saffyre, and his family live across from Owen Pick! What a small world! Cate Four is Roan's wife and they have two teenagers living at home.
To top everything off, women are being sexually assaulted in the area. Then Saffyre Maddox goes missing on Valentine's Day from the vicinity of Owen's home. Soon, everyone is looking at him.
Is he responsible? Is he a victim? Is he creepy or just a misunderstood young man who has been labeled due to his looks and demeanor? Looks can be deceiving.... Is the predator hiding in plain sight?
This book asks how well do you really know someone? Everyone has secrets, some hide them better than others. What is it like to be judged? What is it like to carry pain and hurt around with you all day? What is it like to have someone form an opinion about you without knowing you? What are the consequences of labeling someone? What are the consequences of using poor judgment? Actions have consequences but will the bad people in this book ever get caught or found out?
This was an interesting book that moved at a very nice pace. The story is told through multiple POV's and that helps us to get into the minds of the characters and to also keep the pace of the book moving right along. I found this book to be well written and thought-provoking. This is a great reminder that there is more to people than meets the eye and often the real monsters walk in plain sight.
Another solid read by Jewell.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Jewell is an excellent writer who has a way of Creating plot that is fast paced while presenting multiple characters and viewpoints while interweaving them seamlessly. All the while dealing with hard topics.
Lisa Jewell’s latest novel demonstrates the discord of justice while intertwining presumption and misidentification. Told from multiple character points of view, we witness those who struggle emotionally and some are just misunderstood but the story eventually reveals the true monsters; those sly and clever and hiding in plain sight. For fans of Alice Feeney and Wendy Walker.
For the fans of the author's previous novel - the family upstairs, I’ll have to tell you right away that this book is completely different from the previous one. This is the kind where we have a bunch of obvious suspects and then everyone ends up looking like a suspect.
Saffyre, a 17 year year old, having been sexually abused as a child, goes to the therapist Roan and this is someone with layers of personality. Once Saffyre goes missing and Oven is considered to be the main suspect and everyone is trying to find the missing girl before it gets too late. Her former therapist is our protagonist Cate’s husband. And she, at one point suspects both her husband and her son. Yes! Things get really messy and then everyone looks like a suspect to her. Unfortunately, her neighbor, Owen ,who is the key suspect is found to have been involved in really horribly incriminating situations that causes him landing in an even messier place. I kind of pitied the main lead for being so gullible and stupid and felt sorry for Owen for being suspected right away just because he looked creepy/different. So there is kind of constant confusion on who is the culprit.
I have to say I enjoyed the twists in her previous book more. Things do become slightly predictable but the ending was just amazing! Things keep being engaging throughout the book and it definitely was a fun and quick read for me.
4 stars.*
I really really like Lisa Jewell and was so excited when I saw her newest work was available as a digital ARC I've enjoy her writing style and love the twists and turns that she weaves into her stories.
Invisible Girl is no exception. In this book, we meet Saffyre Maddox, a struggling 17-year-old girl who was sexually abused by a classmate as a child. She received counseling but can't seem to shake her emotional turmoil and in the wake of the death of her grandfather she finds herself behaving strangely and stalking her former therapist.
We also meet 33-year-old awkward incel Owen Pike, who becomes embroiled in the story when either by chance or black-out drunken behavior he becomes a suspect in Saffyre's disappearance.
Saffyre's former therapist, Roan and his family are quickly embroiled in the drama and their characters are well-devised, written and developed.
I really enjoyed the writing and loved the unexpected twists.
Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers.
*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.
Lisa Jewell created an intriguing mystery with Invisible Girl. The plot moves quickly from viewpoint to viewpoint of the different characters from past to present while keeping the suspense building. With the disappearance of Saffyre and the arrest of Owen, the plot thickens and takes turns that makes the book difficult to put down until the end Great read
I devoured this novel in. 2 days! Lisa Jewell continues to deliver remarkably enjoyable and insightful reading experiences ! I am generally not a huge fan of “suspense “novels but Jewel is able to combine depth of character, insights into the human condition and relationships (in particular- family) with a riveting story that kept me reading and enthralled. I loved the intertwining storylines in this novel and the exploration of a variety of characters of different ages and genders that Jewell illuminates with her deft touch. All the characters were so believable and the story kept me guessing till the end. Much more satisfying a story than the much touted Silent Patient as Jewell shares lived as well as a thrilling story. Another winner from one of my favorite authors.
I was SO SO HAPPY to get a sneak peek of the new Lisa Jewell novel, Invisible Girl. I didn’t need to know anything about the plot, I saw Lisa’s name and I knew I was going to be in for a treat. And I was right.
From the opening pages, you are swept into the world of Saffyre, Owen, and Cate. This is a slowly unfolding drama that keeps you guessing throughout the story. I felt compassion for each character, especially Owen but it was easy to understand both Cate’s and Saffyre’s points of views.
I’ve never seen a book with a plot like this and I always love a fresh story that brings a new experience to the reader.
Take a look:
Owen Pick’s life is falling apart. In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a geography teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel—involuntary celibate—forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.
Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbor Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.
Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears—and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.
You can never go wrong with a book by Lisa Jewell! Don’t miss this novel, it’s so good!
This will be published on October 13th, don’t miss it! Pre-order here.