Quick and easy read but so infuriating that no one listens to the kid. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this book.

Thank you to Netgallery and Saskia Noort for the ARC. The Grown up is a Dutch to English translation about teenage Lies coming to terms with the passing of her mother. Those around her are comfortable saying her death was a suicide but Lies knows her mother better than anyone and knows this is not something she would ever do. The book follows her investigation into the real reason behind her death. I did enjoy this story - it was fast paced and held my attention, although a bit repetitive at times. It was also a bit difficult to tell when the story went from the mothers perspective to Lies perspective as there was nothing to differentiate the two (other than context clues).

Kept my interest, i was cringing when no one would listen to Lies. However it was honest as most adults do not listen to children. Lots of twists and moments that I wanted to reach in and slap Lies upside the head. Will be adding to my library.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for the ARC.

I love a thriller that immediately dives in and sets an unsettling tone like this one did. There is something so vulnerable and heartbreaking about Lies, one so young, wanting to do everything she feels is right to protect her mother. I know it can be frustrating to some readers when people withhold evidence in settings like this, but I found it believable that a child still very hurt by a divorce would go to the lengths that Lies did.


I can typically figure out patterns as mystery unfolds, but my suspicions about the ending were all wrong. I didn’t see the twist coming, but it wasn’t so far out of left field that it felt placed purely for shock value.

Hoping more of this author’s works get translated - I would read another!

A Thrilling Rollercoaster of Secrets and Suspense

This book is an absolute page-turner that I couldn't put down. The tension builds relentlessly from the moment Lies wakes up to find her mother missing, pulling you into a dark, twisted web of perspectives, secrets, and lies. The layered, believable characters make this story shine, particularly Lies, a witty, determined 17-year-old who refuses to accept the easy answers about her mother’s disappearance. Her grit and emotional depth kept me rooting for her every step of the way.

The narrative structure was a masterstroke. It shifted perspectives in a way that kept me constantly questioning who was speaking and what was real. This clever device kept me on my toes, forcing me to challenge the characters and my assumptions. The author masterfully blurs the lines between truth and deception, leaving you second-guessing everything.

And then there’s God, a disturbing yet utterly fascinating character whose presence lingers long after the final page. I found myself craving a standalone story about him, which speaks volumes about the depth and intrigue the author brings to even the most unsettling figures.

While the ending ultimately confirmed my first suspicion, it was anything but predictable. The journey to get there was so engaging that the resolution felt satisfying and bittersweet. This short, easy read delivers a perfect balance of mystery and emotion.

I can’t wait to dive into more books by this author. If you’re looking for a story that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go, this one’s for you!

3.5 STARS. This was a short and sweet translated to English murder mystery thriller that I mostly enjoyed. When Lies's mother turns up unexpectedly dead - Lies puts it upon herself to investigate the circumstances of the death. Was it a suicide as everybody believes or was it a murder - and if so, who was responsible for the murder?

Once I got further into the investigation I found this book quite hooking as I wanted to discover, alongside our protagonist Lies, what happened that fateful night. It can be a little harder to get invested into thought at the start. The book is almost entirely focused on this premise and the investigation is the majority of the book - some may appreciate the directness with little fluff whilst others may prefer greater fleshing out of other parts of the story's world - but this is completely down to preference. One of my criticisms was that it can feel a bit unrealistic for a regular 17-year-old to be investigating an entire murder/suicide mystery almost entirely on their own with no prior skills and one of the weakest parts of the novel for me at least was the detective work did feel inauthentic - clues too convenient compared to real life in order to further the investigation since it could not be written in for Lies to perform more complicated detective work given she had been written as an ordinary person. I don't mind her being ordinary at all - however perhaps I might have enjoyed if other workarounds were used instead to present a less seemingly perfectly laid out cookie trail - perhaps by having different people possessing their own expertise helping her with different parts of the mystery, or just having a longer time between breakthroughs - so that she could struggle and work for each breakthrough (e.g. by having her conduct research, follow incorrect leads, etc.). I did like the ending, although I note I was not personally not one of the people who were surprised by it and had expected it of sorts. The ending did however resolve some of the issues I had towards Lies's detective work.

I really liked some of the darker themes dealt with by the book and the particularly portrayal of the twisted relationship between Jet and God was a highlight - I can't judge it on its accuracy having thankfully not experienced anything similar firsthand - however I think portrayals of such relationships are very welcome in media to help better inform society.

Note this can be a dark book with mature content - I had a good time with it, but please consider whether it is an appropriate book for you. Thank you to Netgallery and Saskia Noort for the ARC - I enjoyed the read!

I really enjoyed reading this, it had that thriller element that I was looking for and was engaged with the description. I enjoyed figuring out what was happening and what the characters were doing. Saskia Noort wrote this well and left me wanting more.

The book follows Lies a teenager who wakes up to find her mother missing yet the mom’s car is parked outside and her purse and phone are still by the front door. When her body is found, the cops conclude that she took her own life, but Lies doesn’t buy that for a minute. When she gets a hold of her mom’s phone, she uncovers a secret and is convinced that she murdered.

This was a quick and easy read that builds up slowly. I didn’t see the end coming at all. I was engaged the entire time, however the POVs were not clear and confusing at the start of every chapter. I didn’t know who was talking until I read the context

Thank you, Amazon Crossing for the copy of The Grown-Up by Saskia Noort. I’m not sure if the translation was lacking or if it was the writing, but I had a hard time getting engaged with the characters and the story. The POV of the mother and daughter weren’t clearly separated, so it was hard to tell them apart in some instances, except for the very adult content of the mother’s POV. This book wasn’t really for me, but if you love a slow build up to a surprise ending it might be the book for you! 3 stars

When a mother goes missing, it seems like the only person who truly cares is her daughter. As Lies starts to dig into her mothers life, she will see everything isn't always as it seems in marriage. I thought this was quick thriller with a nice twist at the end. The writing style was easy to understand and the story follows through pretty easy with the point of view switch.

A short thriller about a mother who vanishes, and her daughter trying to figure out what happened. Her dad and step mom don’t believe her, the police are also skeptic so it's up to Lies to investigate. Why was her mother’s computer scrubbed clean before she disappeared and who are these strange men he mom met on tinder? The story is interesting and it goes between the mother and the daughter Lies. At times it got confusing who I was reading because one chapter was the mother and the next was the daughter. I wish it would have been a new chapter but small annoyance. A short read but a thriller non the less, the more Lies learns about her mother, her world is turned upside down

This was dark and crazy but so good! It kept me invested the entire time. I liked that it was told in dual pov too! I highly recommend!

This was a quick and easy read for me! I enjoyed the way it was written, although there were a couple of times where I wasn't sure whose perspective the story was being told from as it switches without warning. Overall I enjoyed the read and enjoyed the twist at the end.

Really enjoyed this book. The POV aspect keeps it moving at a steady pace. You’re asking yourself the whole time “who is God?”. Very easy to become attached to characters, they are written in a human way.

Really enjoyed the book, and was not expecting that twist at the end! Very good depiction of narcissism and loved the complexity and grey areas of all the characters in the story

Thank you netgalley and the publishers or this ARC of this book. This was a thriller that had me hooked with plot twists that I didn’t see coming. The character development was what hooked me, and the story’s plot kept me engaged. The pacing and themes throughout the story were well developed and I definitely will be recommending this to my book club in 2025.

Lock your doors, because this thriller gives you goosebumps! I was so shocked by the ending! It was fantastic!

I love that Saskia Noort got a translation!

I do think it is a bit unfortunate that the main character is still named Lies, which is a common Dutch name (pronounced like Lease) but for most English readers her name will be read like lies as in lying.

(She's Dutch btw not Danish.)