Claudia Castro is a young, rich, student at NYU – as are virtually all of her friends and acquaintances. Her life in the real world, as a minor TV celebrity, and as an influencer on the internet, appears close to perfect. But this morning she slowly awoke to discover she had a raging headache, a black eye, a cut lip, post coitial damage and no memory of the previous night. With the help of a friend, Trevor, she manages to keep out of sight for a week or so before attempting to rejoin her social network. But the appearance of a video showing her drunk and sexually compromised has devastating consequences.
At this point the story shifts from seeming to be about rich and feckless young people to one of retribution and revenge. As Claudia, and a rather unwilling Trevor, embark on this. more and more of the people – mostly rich and powerful – who surround her and the author of the video are sucked in; rather like stars that get too close to a blackhole. Guilty or innocent, everyone is damaged. So ultimately this takes on the classic attributes of a tragedy.
The writing style is good, sharp and literate and evocative of the characters (none of whom are very likeable, although I did have a lot of sympathy for Trevor, caught in a situation and a world which are not his) and their lifestyle. Each character gets a bit of background, usually a memory flashback, and further details are fed in in the same way if needed to background an event about to happen. There is an inevitability about tragedies and this plot does not deviate from that. Ultimately, this is a good read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This book opens with a heart breaking scene that was so well written you really feel what the character is going through.

You then feel the frustration as the people who caused this pain get to excuse their behaviour and when this book turns in to a revenge story I was rooting for the main character and it feels like exactly what I would’ve done in her situation.

Evokes a lot of feelings and I enjoyed this.

When Claudia wakes up, she cannot remember the past hours. When she looks in the mirror, she hardly can recognise the girl she sees. Obviously, something really bad has happened, her body can tell it, she, however, does not know what it is. She is afraid that somebody at her dorm might see her in that state, luckily it is spring break and most of her fellow students at NYU are gone, just one boy seems to be there. When Trevor sees her, he knows that the girl needs help, yet, the girl is Claudia Castro, super rich and an Instagram famous artist. But that doesn’t count, when somebody is in need, you help. And that’s what Trevor does - not knowing in what a mess all this is going to end.

“The Missing Hours” is a dark novel about the one of the nastiest crimes imaginable. Julia Dahl opens the plot with the big question about what might have happened, once this is answered, the next question follows: why? But then it becomes much more interesting to observe what the experience does to Claudia. She has been assaulted, that much is obvious, and quite often, there are only two options: either the victim withdraws completely blaming herself for what has been done to her or she fights her assailant. The author interestingly chooses to go both ways turning the novel into an intense and gripping read.

The plot is mainly driven by emotion – (unrequited) love, hatred, vindictiveness, but also despair and loneliness. The characters go through challenging times and emotions that they are unable to control, too young and unexperienced they make choices which turn out to be totally wrong, but in their state of being blinded by their feelings, the cannot respond in any other way. It is easy to understand what they do and why they do it, even if you know that nothing good can come from it.

On the other hand, the novel also raises the question about who is there when you are in need. Quite normally, it should be your family, but things are complicated with Claudia’s parents and her sister is about to give birth and surely has other things to care about. Sometimes a stranger can be your saviour, not being too close might be the best for a complicated situation.

What I really liked about the novel is how the protagonist’s conflicting thoughts are conveyed. She feels ashamed, blamed herself, is worried about what might people think of her even though she obviously is the victim. She is educated, knows exactly what to do in such a case and yet, decides not to do what is recommended. As a reader, you can see why she acts in that way and is nevertheless struggling with her choice.

A fast paced thriller which has a lot more depth than one might have expected.

The Missing Hours is a taut and cutting thriller set amongst the uber privileged, gilded youth of New York City. The novel explores the aftermath of a sexual assault on campus which is magnified and refracted both by social media and by the glamour of the victim. Julia Dahl manages to depict complex and often unlikeable characters in such a way as to force the reader to question assumptions about class, wealth, victimhood and revenge. A dark, gripping and timely read.

Many thanks to Faber and Faber and to NetGallery for an ARC.

A very dark thriller that is based on a sexual assault ( rape ) carried out by 2 Freshmen on a fellow student, and then videoed for future ‘use’
One of the men accused comes from a very privileged background and also the victim herself is from a very monied world ( not that either of those should matter but we know it does ), there are echoes of recent American College cases in the book and in fact a few are mentioned
The victim, Claudia has an ample social life and yes she likes guys, in other words she has a healthy attitude to sex, however again as we know this is often portrayed as a weakness and a reason for rape/sexual assault
The story approaches what has happened and the repercussions via many angles/stories and characters and how it affects Claudia and the people she is involved with, friend or foe and all she goes through until she finds her revenge
It is a troubling, moving, at times almost manic story but it has emotion, realness and spirit and the author has done a commendable job of not using too much shock tactics to get the story and meaning across but enough to make you pause a few times, she uses real talk and real language but not in a salacious way, hard to explain but works
Powerful read

10/10
5 Stars

I really did not like this one. I could only read the first 50 pages and then had absolutely no interest in picking this book back up. My biggest issue with this story was the fact that the main character thinks she was maybe raped (but she doesn't remember anything about that night) and then the next day a man next door starts to befriend her and hang around and she is not even a little bit suspicious? Like? How is that realistic? There is just no value for me in stories in which characters' actions and thoughts don't feel real.

Also, this felt like it would be quite a triggering story so I just didn't want to deal with that either.

Claudia Castro is a beautiful young woman who wakes up feeling sore and with things in her apartment not where she left them....what happened? and with whom?
This was a heartbreaking, shocking beginning to a book and I was fascinated to see if / how this young woman would heal. I also found the building of Claudia's trust in Trevor, her neighbour and someone who looks to protect her.
However, unfortunately, I found the rest of the book a tad confusing (it's told from lots of different points of view) and none of the characters were sufficiently in-depth to create sympathy in the reader - except, for me, the young man who befriends her.

It's basically a book about Rape, Money and Power and how individuals can look to escape any kind of justice, based upon their background and means.

The initial chapters are so well written, it's just after that I found it a difficult read to stick with.
A decent 3* Good Read though, due to the excellent descriptions of an horrendous experience.

A difficult but sensitive, thought provoking story of sexual assault and the downside of social media. Painful and possibly triggering for too many women.

My thanks to Netgalley.

This book really bored me and ending up being about nothing really.... I didn't enjoy the story at all such a disappointment

This was a really difficult subject to read. However, it was done very well. I enjoyed the story and characters. Very believed xx

A difficult story handled very sensitively. Julia Dahl has created ,not just a vibrant central character in Claudia, but a supporting cast that always feel true to life. Well written and very nicely paced, this is an engaging thriller with a fascinating central theme.

I’m not sure whether I read this book as a thriller as such because there was no mystery involved but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a good page turner.
The sensitive subject of “me too” is the main story and we follow Claudia’s first guilt then realisation that she was not to blame so she sets out for revenge.
I enjoyed this book, which was narrated from various characters point of view but sadly I was very disappointed with the ending. I felt it ended very abruptly leaving a few unanswered questions, I even reread the final few chapters incase I missed anything which I hadn’t. I felt we were left not quite knowing the answer to 1 particular crime and also what happened to a few of the characters, I felt quite confused and frustrated.
I would’ve given this a good 4 or even 5 out of 5 but the way I felt after finishing I feel I can only give 3.5 out of 5 (rounded up to 4)
#NetGalley #JuliaDahl

This was such a mesmirising read, i was totally gripped and i couldnt put it down. It was dark, it was intense and I loved it.

The Missing Hours is a book that will infuriate many readers. Though it is a book focused on a deeply triggering topic, our character takes action and this could seem a positive step. However, by the end it’s fairly evident that little has changed for our main character and such an incident could easily reoccur.
The book opens with a graphic account of our main character, Chloe Castro, waking up the night after an evening out. From the description of her it’s clear she’s been attacked, but we’re not given the full horror until later. Chloe is a girl who, on the surface, seems to have it made. She’s from a wealthy background, is friendly and doesn’t have to worry about much. But, the Chloe we meet at the start of the book is one who is very far from okay and who you cannot help but feel sorry for.
The attack that took place on Chloe was perpetrated by people she knows, a guy she dated in the past and a new acquaintance from college. One raped her, the other forced her to perform oral sex and they filmed it. This sickening act is described a number of times as one of them sends the video to Chloe and a couple of her friends.
I found the way this incident was treated fascinating. Chloe’s initial reaction is to hide away and though she deals with some of the practical issues arising from such an incident, the emotional impact is ignored. Once the video is released, family members try to step in and prevent anyone learning of it…and the focus is very much on damage-limitation. I struggle to understand how anyone could see such a film, know a criminal act had been committed and not do anything to challenge it.
Certain people within the book blame Chloe and there are some distressing moments that clearly indicate why so many victims never bother to report such events. Chloe is in the position that many might envy…she has the money and means to do something about her attackers.
Vengeance is a key element of the book. While Chloe’s actions cannot be condoned, they are understandable and those impacted are such unpleasant characters that you almost feel like turning a blind eye.
This is a murky read, nothing is clear cut and I liked the way we are presented with the facts and left to judge for ourselves. However, it still felt as if the victim was to blame for things and I found it hard to deal with the lack of closure by the end.
I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication and it’s one I would, with caution, recommend.

Despite mixed reviews, I enjoyed this book. It is thrilling and easy to read. It centres around Claudia a girl who is a party animal and the fact that she wakes up one morning to find she has been raped. She declares revenge but this second half is not as gripping as the first. To say much more would spoil the plot.

After reading the description, and some of the ‘advance praise’ lines I thought this would be a terrific read. ‘Wickedly intense dark thriller, timely and explosive, about justice and survival.’ Sounded great, but didn’t live up to my expectations. I enjoy a book where I can relate to, and feel empathy with, at least some of the characters. In this story there wasn’t one single character I liked or cared about. In the description we’re told that Claudia cuts herself off from her family, seeking solace in a new friendship with Trevor. No she doesn’t, she just uses him – and I disliked her even more after that.
The writing was just about OK, but I found the whole story too far-fetched with nothing in the plot that I found exciting or thrilling. At times it seemed to go off in tangents that served no purpose, and I lost interest quite quickly. I had to force myself to keep turning the pages, and was happy to get to the end. It was an uncomfortable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Gossip Girl, but make it a thriller. The Missing Hours is about privileged, wealthy people making bad choices and the validity of this spending and partying was dealt with a little heavy handedly at times but there was still a lot to enjoy in this story of revenge set in contemporary New York.

Claudia Castro decides to stay at NYU for spring break. After a night out, she wakes up with bruises and realises she's been raped. Fellow student, Trevor, keeps her company but instead of leading to a relationship, he ends up involved in her revenge mission.

I thought Claudia's sister, Edie's difficulties with breastfeeding her newborn were very well written. There were a few threads in the novel. The fact that coming from a wealthy family can potentially buy you out of trouble and having friends/family as lawyers was definitely a bonus in their situation. The subject of rape was tackled sensitively, although I wish Claudia had got the police involved initially, as this would have sent a clear message to other girls/woman to do the same.

This was a good read, but it just didn't have that spark for me that had me fully engaged. However, I think it would appeal more to a younger/American reader.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This really wasn't what I was expecting and it touches on a lot of topics that may trigger some. In saying that, it handles them realistically and honestly and is a good reflection of today's society.... sadly! It is a really good premise and very well written. It doesn't throw in violence or brutality for shock value and just centre itsself around that, its so so much more and focuses on the aftermath, the recovery and the fight of right against wrong. A very absorbing book that will keep you engaged until the end

I requested The Missing Hours after recommendations on twitter and I found it to be a timely, intense and compelling read. It looks at the aftermath of a rape and explores issues of privilege, dysfunctional families, misogyny and revenge. I loved Dahl's writing style and was immediately gripped and consumed by this novel. I did find the second half of the novel less convincing than the first and this prevented it from being a 5 star read for me. However I would still highly recommend it and look forward to reading the author's next novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.