I feel the plot is something that has been done many times before and this take doesn't provide any new or different that could have made it stand out.

What drew me to this book was the cover. What kept me reading was the writing. First by this author but not the last

This was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it. thanks for letting me have an advance copy. I'm new to this author.

With the sad and tragic frequency of school shootings, this book felt all too real. While victims are forever remembered we don’t think often enough of those left behind especially children. The Fall of Lisa Bellow is a fictional exploration of this. Beautifully written, the author captures the voice of children and the relationship of mother daughter perfectly. Your heart aches for them as they journey towards finding their way.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this one. I really enjoyed it. All the characters were so different but combined to make a cohesive group. Tragedy can really mess with people. This story had a little bit of everything when it comes to how people deal with tragedy differently. 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book after coming across it by chance. I haven't read any Susan Perabo books before or heard of the author but after this book, I'd love to try another one by her. This book is well written with an easy story to follow. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This littel unknown gem of a book has sat on my kindle for waaaay too long! It was one of those that I really wanted to read, but for whatever reason never actually picked up. I'm so happy I finally read it! It follows the stress and aftermath of a robbery and kidnapping. The author left a lot of space for interpretation on certain things which I really liked. The characters were beautifully developed. I'm glad I finally read it, and can promote and recommend this book today.

I am sorry for the inconvenience, but I don't have the time to read this book anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

This one really missed the mark for me. The plot intrigued me and I was expecting some suspense about a child abduction and what happened after. What the book turned into was just slow and boring. And what a let down to not have any resolution in the end.

Great book, but a little bit odd - it took me a while to get into it, but I definitely recommended it. I was hoping for more resolution at the end, but the way it's written is definitely more realistic.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

DNF at 60 pages. The teenage MC seemed to me to be slightly on the spectrum and the mother also had some mental balance issues. I'm not a mental health professional, but the mother took "Momma Bear" to a whole new level and the daughter seemed off.

I didn't enjoy this one. Family drama and what seemed to be unaddressed mental health issues kind of turned me off. Not poorly written, just didn't do anything positive for me. From what I understand, there is no resolution to the teenager being kidnapped at the end of the book, and that is the only thing I really wanted to know, so not going to read the rest if there is no pay-off for me at the end.

Not saying this is a bad book, but it is not working for me. I would recommend it for those who like family drama and don't need a clear cut resolution to major plot points.

No stars, because I don't feel strongly enough to give it a negative star rating and DNF 60 pages in, so can't give it a high star rating.

Note: my review on GoodReads is no star. I can't submit a review without a star rating on NetGalley. I went with two stars since I didn't hate what I read, but I wasn't fond of it.

Sorry, just really couldn't get into this one. It was slow and didn't go anywhere for me. I finish everything, but I tried for months and couldn't finish this book.

The Fall of Lisa Bellow: A Novel by Susan Perabo (Simon & Schuster, $16).

The typical family thriller these days is about a family who lost a daughter–abducted, dead, gone–with a varying point of view. Sometimes we get the mother’s story; the father’s; a sibling; the detective’s; even, occasionally, the missing girl herself.

In The Fall of Lisa Bellow, Susan Perabo takes a slightly different tack. Meredith Oliver, an eighth grader, is by chance in a deli when a robbery takes place. So is “mean girl” Lisa Bellow. Lisa is kidnapped; Meredith is left behind. Instead of focusing on Lisa’s family, Perabo’s novel focuses on Meredith’s. We see how a family under stress copes when the absolute worst doesn’t happen–or rather, when it happens to someone else’s family instead of yours.

The characterizations of Meredith and her mother, Claire, are incredibly well-realized, and this family drama is far more subtle and intriguing than the typical fare. Put it on your list for when you want “brain candy” with some nutrition wrapped inside.

The cover and description are what initially drew me to this book. I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little so get into, but once I did I couldn't stop. Great read!

Usually once I finish a novel I forgot about it but this one calls out to me to reread and reconnect.

This one was billed as a suspenseful thriller, however, I found it more of a character study and a slow burn. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it just wasn't what I was expecting.

This story follows teenage Meredith as she tries to come to terms with a traumatic event where she was the one left behind. Themes of survivor guilt and ptsd make up this, at times, tense narrative, but unfortunately I wasn't able to really engage with the characters. Perhaps that's just where I was at the time as I know lots of others who would love this book.

A very interesting tale that held my attention all the way through. Great plot, twists and turns & the writing kept me hopping! Thanks for the opportunity with this ARC!

I felt as though the summary of this book was completely misleading. This is not at all a thriller and is barely a mystery. The book focuses on the girl that was not abducted and is so utterly absorbed in this girl and the girl's mother that the missing girl barely seems to be cared about. The characters are very self-absorbed and details about them, particularly the mother, that have absolutely no bearing on the plot are constantly included. I grew to rather dislike the characters and I did not really feel compelled by them or their story at all. Now the girl that was abducted, her I would have liked more from but the author failed in this regard. In addition, I found the writing to be bland and I can say the same for the story overall.

This book was a Did Not Finish for me. I simply couldn't connect with the characters or the setting.