Lisa Jewel’s latest book, The Family Remains, is the story of what came next. The first book was The Family Upstairs and it told the story of four teenagers living in a house full of abuse and cult-like activities. It told how they got out of that house and how they managed to survive. Then they reconnected. This book tells what happens next. How they are all trying to be a family. How it all looks a little off and they have so many issues to overcome. Add in a murder and some bones found in a river, and things get even crazier. Told from several viewpoints and two timeframes, the story will keep you wondering. all in all, it was a satisfying conclusion and I quite enjoyed it! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers. All opinions are my own.

I always love a good sequel! This is considered a stand-alone sequel, but I still recommend reading the first before this one as it will help you understand the characters better.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

As expected, I totally devoured this novel! Lisa can do absolutely no wrong in my eyes and this novel was the perfection! I was in a bit of a reading funk and these characters brought me right out of it. Every single one of the characters has so much going on and I loved how they all tied together. Another winner from LJ! Thank you Atria and Netgalley for my free review copy.

4 Stars
Although I did not read the first book, I was intrigued and kept wanting to know ALL about this sequel. The writing was strong and I have now become a fan of Lisa Jewell.

Get ready to pay attention and see where all of this goes. You won't be disappointed.

If you haven't ready The family upstairs yet STOP go read that book and then come back! Some say this is a standalone book but I feel you will be pretty confused and won't be able to appreciate the full effect of this story if you don't read book 1 first.

Lisa Jewell's story telling will suck you in and leave you wanting more. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. This book is chilling and moving, it shows you just how far we will go to protect those we love.

Henry you complicated, dark & fascinating guy! This character stuck with me the most and I feel like i still have so much to personally work through regarding his character. Such a complex character! One minute I feel for him, I am rooting for him and the next I am shaking my head!

Love Lucy and getting to know her kids better, especially Marco's character development.

Rachel was a great addition to this book. I loved her story in this book. Her character goes through a lot and she comes out of it even stronger. (Warning there is some triggers in her storyline. Scenes of sexual and emotional abuse)

Michael, good riddance!

Welcome back Phin!

I really enjoyed this series but I am hoping it is the last i hear of these two families...!! Everyone is where they should be and moving on with their lives!

Very clever story telling, I feel this book was more of a wrap up for the family upstairs and gave the closure a lot of readers were looking for.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"The Family Remains" is a stand-alone sequel to "The Family Upstairs". I read "The Family Upstairs" in 2020 and read a summary to refresh my memory prior to reading Lisa Jewell's new book. I was captivated from the start and intrigued to find out how everything would be connected in the end.

Lisa Jewell knocked it out of the park with her sequel to The Family Upstairs. This is the sequel that I didn't even realize that I needed!!! What ever happened to those children- Lucy, Henry, Phin and Clemency? You know the ones- those unfortunate children who lived at 16 Cheyne Walk. Now many years later, they are still dealing with the aftermath of their childhood traumas. Lucy and Henry are complicated characters and one can't help but be drawn into their lives. The story opens with the discovery of human bones which indirectly leads DI Samuel Owusu to try to unravel a mystery that ties directly to the Lamb children. Meanwhile, in a parallel story taking place in the not distant past, the reader follows Rachel, a young woman who end up in an abusive marriage. How does the Rachel storyline relate to the Lambs' storyline? This is a well plotted story that will keep you engaged until the end!

Lisa Jewell just never misses. Her best yet, and has left us wanting more, sooner!
Thanks to NetGalley for sending this review copy

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell #jaylammreviews

If you are a fan of Lisa Jewell, you will love her follow up to The Family Upstairs....dare I say I liked it more!
I felt like this was a very fitting sequel to the Family Upstairs. For the reader, to know what happened to this family was essential. There were definitely some strange turns it took (ex: Henry stalking Phin) but overall I loved the story. 

There were alternating storylines throughout this book. One being Henry and Lucy's current story, and the other being about Rachel, who has unfortunately met and fallen in love with Michael. I felt myself more drawn to Rachel's story but I loved the mix of these two storylines. 

I have come to be a loyal fan of Lisa Jewell and can't see what she comes up with next.

I really loved The Family Upstairs but I didn't really think that it needed a sequel. Sure there were some unanswered questions, but I think it's good sometimes to leave those questions unanswered and let the reader fill in the blanks. Still I was very curious about this sequel, The Family Remains, and what would happen when we jumped back into this (twisted) world.

The Family Remains focuses on several of the characters from the Family Upstairs-- mostly Henry and Lucy-- and also introduces a few new characters. The story jumps around between multiple perspectives and timelines before they all come together at the end. The description says that this is a standalone sequel, which implies that you don't need to read The Family Upstairs. But I think you definitely need to read The Family Upstairs first!

Overall, I thought The Family Remains was just okay and didn't love it nearly as much as the first book. It moved slow and I don't think that all that much really happened in the book. One of the perspectives in the book is a detective trying to figure out what happened in the past, but assuming the reader read The Family Upstairs, they already know a lot of what happened, so it felt redundant. And one of the other perspectives is a new character named Rachel, and I question whether her character was really needed to tell this story?

There were moments in this story that had me engaged and interested to see what would happen next. But after finishing the book, I'm still leaning towards my initial thought before reading that a sequel to this story just was not needed.

I didn’t remember all the details from the first book but there was just enough sprinkled in this one to jog my memory. I got sucked right back in to the family drama. It was nice to see what happened to all the teens from the previous book. Very well written!

Since I love Jewell's novels, I was excited to begin this one! As usual, it's a convoluted awesome plot that alternates in time between 2016, 2018, and 2019 beginning with the discovery of a small skull found buried in the mud. Focussing on The Lamb family (and others), it reveals hidden identities, murder, twisted family dynamics, sex, and con-men. Now who wouldn't love this combination! In typical Jewell fashion, the book keeps you guessing and gasping as truths are revealed and red herrings are thrown about. Of course it's helpful, but not necessary to have read the first in this series; it's been years for me but she "had me at hello" so enjoy!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Okay, I'll be honest and tell you that I got halfway through this book before realizing that it is a followup to her 2019 bestseller, The Family Upstairs. Which I actually think is a good thing because it means it functions as a standalone novel! But obviously, it makes it much better if you know the first book. Luckily for me, I had read it, and after I reminded myself of the synopsis of that one, I continued reading and was absolutely delighted.

Yes, there are a lot of characters, and yes there are a lot of plot twists and turns that take an extra minute to truly absorb, but this is a really compelling companion book to the first one. I highly recommend reading book right in a row, as the actions basically take place both immediately following AND intertwined with the first book.

I was very excited to receive this ARC after reading the first book The Family Upstairs!. This was a terrific intermingling with all the characters settings and timelines. She did a terrific job with expanding upon the characters depth and breath and I can’t wait to find out if there’s going to be a third book tied to the other two. The sequel definitely kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was going to happen next she is a true artist when it comes to storytelling! Thank you for the opportunity having me read this advanced reader copy and the opportunity to give my opinion on this amazing story!

I loved Lisa Jewel’s The Family Upstairs, however I honestly couldn’t remember enough of the plot /character details to enjoy The Family Remains. I felt lost most of the time, only appreciate the newer subplot.

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell is not really a thriller, but it is certainly a mystery. It is told from three perspectives: Detective Samuel Owusu, who is investigating bones found in the Thames; Rachel Rimmer, who is a wronged wife and entrepreneur; and members of the Lamb family who are somewhat dysfunctional after being raised in a horror show. The story is told in pieces, going from one narrator to another. Assuming that each of them are speaking at the same time might be an error. It is told in a relatively linear fashion from three perspectives and multiple locales. It is an interesting tale and does come to an end, almost. The bones belong to a rock star who disappeared over 30 years earlier. Only excellent detective work brought the police to the presumed place of the murder. From there it was more difficult to trace what had happened all those years earlier.

Apparently there is an earlier book in which many of the characters appear. Reading this book is not dependent on reading that one. The characters here are mostly rich, although some are downright maladjusted. Many of them use fake passports and are difficult to trace. Some motivations are a little obscure. Henry seems incapable of being Henry and Lucy is doing her best to raise her two children in a responsible manner while being emotionally dependent on Henry, her brother. It is an interesting character study of people dealing with trauma and in some cases, difficult childhoods. I found it interesting and intriguing. I recommend it if you like psychological thrillers.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Family Remains by Simon & Schuster, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone. #Netgalley #SimonAndSchuster #LisaJewell #TheFamilyRemains

"The Family Upstairs" was one of the most memorable mysteries in recent years. I'm so glad Lisa Jewell decided to revisit those characters and give them (mostly) closure. If the sequel isn't the tour-de-force of bizarre behavior that the first was, the follow up still enriches the reading experience. Reviewed in print and online for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Sunday August 14.

I have always been a big Lisa Jewell fan. Her books are always quick to pull the reader in and she will keep you guessing until the last sentence. This book just didn't do it for me though. The constant changing perspectives between characters (and there were several characters) made it hard for me to follow along at times. The plot was great, but it did move slow.

The Family Remains, by Lisa Jewell
dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0 stars

I read The Family Upstairs years ago and while I don't remember any of the details, I remember being pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed it. So I was excited to receive an ARC of The Family Remains. While it's a sequel, it still certainly can stand on its own. Get ready for a page turning thriller as you follow the twists and turns of the grown up Lamb children, a woman in an abusive marriage, and an investigator who is trying to solve a 30 year cold case.

Henry, Phin, Lucy, and Libby have all grown up in the shadow of the childhood horrors they escaped. But the past has come back to haunt them as 30 year old bones of a young woman wash up from the river. Who was the woman? Why have Henry, Phin, and Lucy all changed their names? And what is their connection to another murder - that of Michael who is Lucy's ex-husband? Will Phin/Finn escape Henry's childhood obsession with him? And will Lucy find them in time to save Henry from himself?

There are a bunch of random coincidences that seem a bit far fetched. And the last line made me chuckle. But if you suspend your sense of reality, you'll find this a satisfying end of summer read.

#TheFamilyRemains #NetGalley

The Family Remains
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/9/22
Author: Lisa Jewell
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 384
Goodreads Rating: 4.17

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Atria Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: DCI Samuel Owusu is called to the scene of a gruesome discovery. When Owusu sends the evidence for examination, he learns the bones are connected to a cold case that left three people dead on the kitchen floor in a Chelsea mansion thirty years ago. Rachel Rimmer has also received a shock—news that her husband, Michael, has been found dead in the cellar of his house in France. After fleeing London thirty years ago in the wake of a horrific tragedy, Lucy Lamb is finally coming home, her brother takes off to find the boy from their shared past whose memory haunts their present. As they all race to discover answers to these convoluted mysteries, they will come to find that they’re connected in ways they could have never imagined.

My Thoughts: I had this as an ebook but also as my BOTM. This is a sequel to The Family Upstairs, which I did not read (I do have it, just haven’t gotten to it yet). Coming into this blind was slightly confusing at first but I started to make the connections relatively soon into reading. Overall, this was a good read and I felt it was more of a mystery versus a thriller. Jewell is well known author that brings us this creative piece of work that begins as several different lives that connect. The premise of the plot was brilliant. The characters were very well developed, had layers of mystery, deception, connected, and creatively written. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, twisted, and brilliantly written. This is a masterpiece and shows the lengths we will go to for our family, how deep the connection to family is, and even if that means covering up the truth. I highly recommend picking up this book released earlier this month.