A young female detective, still grappling with the sadness surrounding her older sister's sudden death years earlier, is tasked to find out what happened to Ellie, who turns up after being missing for two years.
The story is written from multiple points of view, which fills the reader in with what is going on but has the effect of slowing down the narrative and diluting some of the tension.
I have mixed feelings about this novel. It started off well, and was very gripping. But the middle sagged, I didn't feel anything for Chelsey, the protagonist, and the final twist was too ridiculous for it to be satisfactory.
Sorry, not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an advance reader copy of this book

Oh dear where to start? I'm on the fence with this one and I don't even know why. In regards to the writing style, it flowed so naturally and was really easy to fly through and get lost in..... but then it wasn't?! The writing felt really childish and disjointed for some reason, like the author gave up or cpuldnt be bothered. The characters were well written, it's going multiple povs and each voice is distinctive and clear. The plot..... hmm..... I liked it! I did! But that last twist pained me. It just didn't fit or feel like a natural progression. I'm all for shocking twists but this seemed a bit absurd. Then again, it's a fiction so these things can be excused! It was a really enjoyable book. Its more than just a thriller or a mystery, it deals with multiple social issues and family dynamics aswell and its really well done to combine all these elements without it getting messy. Overall...... I can excuse some dodgy writing and I'm sure some people will like the dramatic twist so yeah, I'd recommend

The Next Girl by Emiko Jean is an exciting novel about a detective, who is haunted by events from her past, searching for the truth behind what happened to Ellie Black.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it kept me guessing to the very end. Just when you think you have something figured out you are proven wrong.

I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries and is looking for a quick read.

Thanks to #Netgally and #Penguin General for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldnt have seen the ending coming. The book was an okay read for me. There are certain things tha dint need to be included.

Chelsey is a police officer determined to solve the case surrounding the disappearance and, two years later, reappearance, of Ellie Black. Ellie, aged 17, goes missing from a party she is hosting and has returned, injured, traumatised and unable to explain her ordeal. It is up to Chelsey to find out what happened to Ellie and who is responsible.

I read this in a couple of sittings, only stopping because I had to sleep and go to work. The story gripped me from the start and kept me guessing to the very end. I look forward to reading some of the author's other work.

This book was gripping from the start and difficult to put down. The connection of the disappearance of the girls to the investigating officers own experience of losing her sister made it more intriguing and the ending was quite a surprise.

Well this was rather a let down. I really , really didn't like the character Chelsea. Sorry but going around killing animals is not my thing. Then her attitude. Lord above, so "up herself" is a phrase often used in common parlance and this just about summed her up. Ellie's story is done well but the rest of the book felt like it was written by a teenager. The so called twist was clearly visible and well signposted. I do think authors should concentrate less on providing "a twist you won't see coming/jaw dropping/amazing/unputdownable" and just concentrate on the plot. Such a shame really

In "The Next Girl" author Emiko Jean presents a gripping story that seamlessly weaves the personal and professional challenges faced by Police Detective Chelsey Calhoun. The story follows Chelsey as she embarks on a relentless quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance and sudden reappearance of Ellie, a young girl who went missing two years ago, while also wrestling with her own demons.

Chelsey's character is beautifully portrayed, a multifaceted detective with an unwavering commitment to justice. Her life is a web of complexities, with the recent loss of her father, the impending move that her husband Noah desires, and the haunting memories of her sister's unsolved murder. These intricate layers make Chelsey a relatable and empathetic protagonist, drawing readers into her world.

The central mystery of the Ellie and her return unfolds with tantalizing twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Jean masterfully builds suspense and tension, maintaining a palpable sense of urgency throughout the narrative.

What truly sets "The Next Girl " apart is its emotional depth. Chelsey's journey of self-discovery and healing is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. The novel explores themes of grief, resilience, and the enduring power of family bonds, making it a profoundly moving read.

A really good book, I can see it becoming a tv series. It is very atmospheric and well designed. The characters are so accurate. I will be recommending this for a long time.

This fast-paced and twisty thriller has well-developed characters and an element of real life social commentary that I found refreshing in a thriller. The focus on the abducted girls and the female protagonist gave an insight into a different kind of thriller than the usual male dominated texts that I've read recently. Telling the story from multiple view points allowed the thoughts and feelings of the characters to be explored, which again gave a bit more depth to this kind of title.a full review will feature in Lyric Lounge Review closer to the publication date but altogether, I would say that is a worth while read to fans of the genre.
Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for providing an ARC for this text in exchange for an honest review.

When Ellie Black returns after being missing for two years, Detective Chelsey Calhoun must find out what happened despite Ellie's reluctance to talk about it.
On the one hand we meet Chelsey, her investigation and her own family drama, and on the other Ellie narrates everything she has been through during the two years she has been missing.
Despite having a somewhat harsh theme, it's very well paced and doesn't become overwhelming. It has a couple of surprising twists and turns that add another dimension to the narrative which is fast paced and hugely entertaining. Perhaps I would have liked more development of certain themes, situations and characters but that doesn't detract from the main plot.
Without a doubt it is an ideal book for those who are looking for a good thriller.

What a page turner!

The Next Girl had me so hooked that I really struggled to put it down. I was thinking about this book when I wasn’t with it, I was so eager to get back to it. It was like watching an episode of Criminal Minds, but the unsub wasn’t found in the episode but carries over to the next one, and you’ve got to wait a painfully long week to find out who it is (for me it was a long work day).

I really loved how this book shifted perspectives between Chelsey and Ellie. Chelsey is the detective who was assigned to work Ellie’s case. She has her own history of losing a loved one, and so she forms a connection to the missing Ellie which makes her more determined to find her. Then we have Ellie, who has returned from her mysterious disappearance, evidence of abuse all over her body, and she refuses to talk or to help the investigation in any way…what is she hiding?

And damn, the twists and turns that this story took! I was not expecting half of the turns this book took, and how Chelsey was more connected to Ellie’s disappearance as she originally thought.

This book truly broke my heart. The descriptions of what Ellie went through broke my heart. The social commentary this book made through her kidnapping was realistic, which made it even more sadder. There have been many real life cases like Ellie’s.

I enjoyed how this book showed complicated family relationships, and how what happens to us in our childhood has such a large part in shaping us, in ways we don’t even realise. It is weird to say that I “loved” this, but I liked how Jean explored how we often forget or remember situations differently to protect ourselves. Chelsey certainly had a long reckoning with her past. I think she was incredibly well written and so complex. I also feel like Jean did a good job writing about what it felt like for Chelsey, who is Japanese, to be adopted in to a fully white family.

I liked Ellie’s character and really grieved and angered for all she had been through. I don’t think we got to see as much of Ellie’s complexity as we could have, due to the narrative structure of the mystery. We learned things about Ellie in smaller bits and pieces, sometimes not at all. Still, we got to see a lot of her trauma and how this impacted her.

Overall, this was a really thrilling read. It had me feeling sick to my stomach, had me on the edge of the seat, had tears pouring from my eyes.

A special thanks to Penguin General UK and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book to review.

I really enjoyed this book - the storytelling and perspective switches really immersed us. This was a 2 day read for me only breaking to work and sleep.

I loved the FMC Chelsey and her backstory – such a strong character from the get-go.

The plot twists in this story I didn’t see coming even when I thought I knew where it going.

This is only not a 5-star read for me as I felt there was some loose ends not cleared up at the end of the story but still such a great read nonetheless.

Definitely recommend

Anyone who enjoyed the second series of BBC’s The Missing might like this one as the premise is similar. A girl who has been missing for a long time reappears, but what is she not telling her parents and the police?
The story is told from two perspectives: Ellie, the girl in question, and Chelsey, the detective charged with unravelling the mystery of Ellie’s reappearance. The most striking feature of this book is the writing style. Significant backstory from both viewpoints is revealed in brisk, quasi stream of consciousness writing.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

I’ve got mixed feelings about this book and I honestly am not sure why. Maybe it’s because some of the characters tended to get on my nerves a bit, Chelsey and Ellie for example. It was an interesting but rather unbelievable read for me. I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it – it was just an OK read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers and sorry I can’t be more positive about this one.

My Rating: 1⭐️ total let down, the ending ripped the stars away for me!!!

GoodReads Synopsis

I guess you’re probably wondering about the next girl. Because there’s always a next girl, right? A girl waiting to be taken. To be swept away. I’ll tell you about her.

Its been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun lost her sister, and shes been searching for signs of closure through other missing girls ever since. Happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.

Until one day, local teenager Elli Black is found in Washington State woods. Two years after her disappearance, shes an echo of herself, but alive. But something’s not right about this girl. Where has she been, and who is she protecting? Chelsey has to find out. For herself, her sister and before the next girl is taken.


Ok, the premise is on point… kidnapped girls, detective with similar pain, new missing girls… something not right… ticks all the boxes and screams trapped POV if you ask me (I am sick ok what can I say). I was pretty happy for a while… but as you can see from my rating.. I became extremely unhappy at some point… let’s explore…

Good points - I was approved for a Penguin ARC which after this review I am sure wont happen again… but I gotta be honest.

Initially the writing was fairly good.. I wouldn’t say brilliant or masterpiece absolutely not but it was fine. It read well felt like it was going to be entertaining. Was there evidence that this could be a social mouthpiece for certain political or social justice agenda’s… Yes! Was I going to let that stop me read my shiny new Penguin ARC… No I was not. So I closed my eyes and screamed LALALALALALLAA I can’t hear you to some of the nonsense things I read… they were so childishly written it was hard to take some of the real and serious issues seriously… so yeah anyway I ignored it… let it go the keep got those ones…

I didn’t like the MC Chelsey much, she seemed selfish and up herself… but I don’t care about liking all the characters but I can see why her co-workers weren’t a fan. Hang on… this is the good points section.

There was the POV from multiple parties which as you know is my favourite type of book, it was all solidly one timeline no jumping just memories but the POV was from the captured Ellie Black and Chelsey. The POVs are not titled but it is simple to figure out who is who since one was trapped and kidnapped with very bad things happening to her so… thats simple.

The POV of Ellie gave us a trapped POV which as I said above is one of my fave types.. this did not last the entire book but it was sick and twisted and I loved it. Definite thriller material… I would not last in this scenario at all… kudos to the author for that horror show well played.

Sadly, the rest of it was choppy, and poorly written. Another book that kind of went off the rails at 50% writing wise. I mean it was doing ok… but then it just boarded on childish and play by play the entire time.

Sally went to the store, she looked around, she saw her friend, she waved to her friend. They talked for a while. Sally smiled and thought to herself I am a dumbass… that kind of writing.

And the story was unfolding quite ok but then BAM we had a huge plot twist and while I kind of saw it coming… it just gave me eye roll city. I was like seriously why!!! I am not going to spoil it of course but honestly come on… I despise the kind of twist we got… pure shock and no thought in my opinion.

Then of course there is a final showdown isn’t there always… and that was the kicker for me. All the blinders came flying off… all the things I was looking the other way to were punching me in the face repeatedly and I was eye rolling until I fell out of bed dizzy. The big twisty twist near the end was cringe… I hated it.

Nevertheless this was a bullshit ending… I wasn’t happy. I think some people are going to love this. I mean the reviews that are on NetGalley and GR so far are really positive not 42 pages long like mine but they are 4 or 5 stars so I do think this will be popular. I think BookTok fans and the mainstream readers should definitely check it out especially if you love a social justice moment with a simple easy read.

For those of you (Leigh, Carol and anyone with similar taste in books to me) don’t do it… this will not be for you…

Thank you to Penguin, NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I wish I liked this more!!

The next girl-
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very rarely does a book come along that you want to race through to find out the end whilst simultaneously not want to finish it too quickly. Loved the strong female leads and also the very current and well thought through points on women’s issues nowadays.
The ending- well it got me, I didn’t see it coming and was very glad of that. Nicely (or not so) tied up and like finishing a really good meal left me feeling satisfied.
Will definitely be recommending this book when it’s released

I enjoyed this book. Read it in two sittings. Good pace and an excellent twist that I did not see coming.

I found myself going back into this book several times but once i was engaged with the story i found it to be a compelling and exciting read. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy. A good four star read.

I really enjoyed this book. Read it really quickly as was easy to get into the style and rhythm of the author even with 2 different character perspective. Loved the detective and the family background, was realistic and not too far fetched, I really connected with the female perspective and comments on wider societal views of women. Pacing of the book was excellent. I enjoyed the twist, would have liked the knock-on effects of it to be developed a bit more deeply with the characters but overall thought it was great. Would read other books from this author and any subsequent with theses characters.