I didn’t enjoy this book. It was such an interesting premise, but failed to execute. The novel was readable… the writing flowed, however, a writing error early in the plot ruined the anticipation and thrill of the story for me. I don’t know how to include the mistake without being a spoiler. Also, the author could have done a better job making the story line believable.

Buckle up for an emotional rollercoaster! "The Phantom Child" by AJ Wills took me on a riveting journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. Wills masterfully weaves a tale that tugs at the heartstrings, evoking a spectrum of emotions. The narrative's unpredictable nature kept me on the edge of my seat, and I was genuinely surprised by the twists that unfolded. This hauntingly poignant story earns a solid four stars for its ability to grip my emotions and deliver a narrative that defies expectations. A must-read for those who crave a literary ride that lingers long after the final page. 📖🌪️

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Cherry Tree Publishing for this ARC of The Phantom Child by AJ Wills in exchange for an honest review.

When you become a mother your whole world changes down to your sleep patterns. At the tiniest sound you’re awake checking the baby, making sure their every need is met, and protecting them fiercely. Imagine doing that and waking up one day to be told the child you’ve nurtured for 4 years didn’t exist at all.

When Karina and her husband go on vacation with their 4 year old sun Jacob her hope is that it mends her crumbling marriage. The morning is off to a rocky start and they nearly miss their flight. After landing in Turkey and settling in Karina relaxes and tries to embrace her trip that is until she wakes the next morning and Jacob has vanished. There is no trace of her son, no photos on her phone, no toys, no passport, and Ronan has made it clear she has had a mental break following a very upsetting miscarriage.

The more Karina tries to find her son the more she is convinced she really has imagined an entire life. After 10 years, rebuilding her life, and extensive psychological help she has come to terms that Jacob doesn’t exist that is until an email arrives apologizing with a photo of a boy that appears to be her son.

This is an absolute can’t put down page turner with so many twists and turns. I wish there was more …… this is a must read!



Pub Date: Feb 1. 2024

What a great story this was. Twists and turns galore and I had no idea where it was leading. A satisfactory ending answering all my questions. Highly recommended
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

the main character is unbearable and prejudiced. it’s a no for me. i dnf’d this book at like 10%.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A new author for me and the story was an easy read, fast paced and plenty of twists and turns. For me the story was not quite believable in places but nevertheless it gripped me and was a good psychological thriller. I will definitely look to read more by this author as I like the style of writing.

This story had an interesting premise, and several twists. Some bits were fairly predictable or outlandish but overall it was a quick read that was a good way to spend a rainy evening

As Karina and her husband Ronan’s marriage is on the rocks, she decides to take her family away to a luxury villa in Turkey to bring her family back together. However; one morning, she wakes up late and is instantly alarmed that her son Jacob hasn’t woken her up like he usually does. She frantically goes to check on him to see that he is gone. Karina, faced with her worst nightmare rushes to her husband to find that he has no idea who Jacob is……

Is this a nightmare that she hasn’t woken up from or is Jacob real at all?

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up!

This book is absolutely chilling! This is every mothers worst nightmare! I honestly couldn’t stop reading I was so engrossed in this story. It was very fast paced so a great read if you want something quick and suspenseful!

I really liked the authors writing style and I look forward to reading some more from him. Overall would definitely recommend

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

I throughly enjoyed the beginning of this book to the point where I could not put it down and when I had to I was itching to get back to it, the second half just seemed a bit unbelievable. I don't think for one minute the police would not have been called sooner and also did it need the final twist with Jacob? Maybe I was just looking for the perfect happy ever after. All in all a solid 4/5 as it keep me interested and I had no idea how the story was going to go. Thanks

The Phantom Child,
A J Wills
The main character is Karina, who believes she had a 4 year son, Jacob, who, whilst on a family holiday in Turkey, she one day wakes up to discover he has vanished, & without any trace of him ever having existed. She soon comes to doubt herself as to whether he was real, or whether she is losing her mind, & the story then goes on from there.
It’s a well thought out plot, & develops well, & at a great pace. Its pace is kept up throughout, which is easy to read, follow, & satisfies well as it continues, in keeping with wanting to keep reading more. It does include the sensitive theme of domestic abuse, more as in coercive, controlling, & manipulative behaviour, & whilst to some this exact story plot may seem a bit far-fetched, having my own relatable type of experience, I can easily understand just ‘how’ some spouses/ex-spouses will go to any lengths to remain in, or regain, such control, & just how under-hand & deceitful they can be, in both staying in control, & in ultimately getting what they want. I feel the characters within this plot are believable, & this plot will also keep you guessing along the way.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this, & it kept me hooked from start to finish. Based on a rating of 1-10, where 10 is the highest rating, I personally would rate this book at an 8. In my opinion, most deffo worth the read!

Imagine waking up to your child missing and your husband denies your son exists. Your husband convinces you that you’ve lost your mind and eventually you believe it. What is true?

Wow this was Unputdownable! Brilliant writing. Plot twist after plot twist.

Thank you #NetGalley

It’s not a perfect book by any means, but I enjoyed it from start to finish.

The pacing is pretty quick and there are always things happening so there’s no time to get bored. I managed to finish the entire book in 3 hours.

The premise reminded me of Flight Plan, a 2005 psychological thriller starring Jodie Foster. That one though, is easier to pull off and a lot more believable. After all, it was just a single flight.

This book spans literally a full decade.

I saw the main twist coming from a mile away, but that didn’t make this less enjoyable. What I didn’t expect is the second twist. It’s alright, though it does make me wonder why they even went through so much trouble. There were so many moments that even I felt insane for the main character.

I do like this writing style though so I’ll be looking out for more books from this author in the future!

Thanks NetGalley for the free ARC.

An easy read with plenty of twists and turns. I didn’t find the storyline particularly believable- hard to think that a child of that age could be gaslighted out of existence- but nevertheless enjoyed the story.

Hmmm i dont know how too feel about this book it was addictive from the beginning and i couldnt put it down i wanted to know what happened but the problem is i think it was obvious where it was going even if you didnt want to believe that someone could go to those lengths and do that too someone though there was a few times where i did wonder. There were enough twist and turns too keep reading and the end was a surprise POOR JACOB...

Holy smokes, what a ride. The author did a great job dropping little Easter eggs and planting all these mini twists that kept me turning page after page. At first, I thought there was no way Karina could be making up her son and having all these vivid memories. Then I started to think well maybe she is crazy, she sure is talking/acting like a crazy person lol and then then the final twist!!!!

The beginning of this is my worst nightmare. What would you do if you discovered that your child doesn't even exist!? Then it gets twister. Oh my gosh this was insane! I loved it. I couldn't put it down.

I really liked the premise of this book. A mother wakes up to find her 4 year old son missing, only to be told by everyone she knows that she never had a son to begin with. Is he missing, or did she imagine his existence completely? Unfortunately I will never know as I could not finish this book. I found the flow of this book to be off, the story and the characters never pulled me in. Everytime she had the chance to contact the police, she didn't. She just kept repeating that she needed to first prove to her husband that the kid existed and then she could report him missing. The mom in me just could not buy into this being how it would play out. I found Karina's character to be unrealistic and I didnt have any compassion or investment in her to emphathize with how she was handling it. Thank you the author and publisher for allowing me to review this book. Im sure it will find it's audience as the story premise is an interesting one.

Thank you to NetGalley & cherry tree publishing for approving me for this advanced copy.

I absolutely loved the premise for this book! It's starts off with a women called Karina, her husband Ronan & their 4 year old son Jacob. They take a family holiday abroad as things have been strained between their marriage lately & Jacob has never been on an aeroplane before. After their first day Karina tucks Jacob into bed that night & has an early night herself. When she awakes in the morning she finds her son GONE! Aswell as all of his things also gone & her husband claiming he doesn't know what she's talking about as they've never had a child.

This book really gets you thinking what would you do in that situation. When you are so convinced something is real but everyone around you acts like your crazy and there is no physical evidence, it really would make you question your own sanity and how much you can trust in yourself!

I found it very well written and good pacing so I flew through this book in a matter of days. The plot keeps you so hooked & invested you just can't put it down!

My only gripe would be that I did guess the main plot before it happened which is a shame. There was another little plot twist at the end aswell though that I really did not see coming at all.

Overall I found this a great psychological thriller that keeps you guessing the whole way through & I would definitely recommend giving it a read.

The phantom child was a gripping emotional thriller which had me guessing from start to finish. It was such a rollercoaster of a read which I wasn’t sure how it was going to end was she out of her mind or not. There was many twists and turns which made it all the more gripping. There was parts were my heart was breaking and other parts were I was gasping out loud. The twist at the end was definitely jaw dropping.

Karina goes on a luxury villa in Turkey with her husband, Ronan, and her four-year-old son, Jacob, she thinks it will be a chance to relax and get her marriage back on track after a difficult period. But on their first morning, Karina is startled to discover she’s slept in late and not been woken by Jacob. She rushes to his room, but his bed is empty and he’s nowhere to be found in the villa. But when she wakes Ronan, he says he has no idea what she’s talking about. They don’t have any children, and he’s certainly never heard of a boy called Jacob. What has happened to Jacob or is he Karina imagination.

This was a brilliant fast faced thriller which I can’t wait to recommend thanks to netgallery and the publisher for my advanced copy.