Social Media Icons

Thursday, March 22, 2018

REVIEW: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell @atriabooks @lisajewelluk #CJSReads

Then She Was Gone
by Lisa Jewell

🎕 AVAILABLE 4/24/18 🎕

Thank you SO much to Atria Books for these copies in return for our honest opinions.  The #CJSReads trio is extremely excited to tell you our thoughts on this AMAZING psychological thriller - you are in for a TREAT!



Publisher:  Atria Books
Publishing: April 24, 2018
Pages: 368
Genres:  Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Crime
Hardcover
Standalone

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ten years after her teenage daughter disappears, a woman crosses paths with a charming single father whose young child feels eerily familiar, in this evocative, suspenseful drama from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell—perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins and Liane Moriarty.

Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic post-exams summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her.

And then she was gone.

Now, her mother Laurel Mack is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.

Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie. And now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to put to rest begin to haunt Laurel anew. Where did Ellie go? Did she really run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?

My Review:

Emotional, dark, moderately paced, mysterious and slightly predictable. 

As a huge fan of Lisa Jewell, I was delighted to get a copy of this book in advance. Like cartwheels and Snoopy dance delighted! I certainly wasn't disappointed and she is a go-to auto-buy author for me!

All the way through the first half of the book it was pretty glaringly obvious what was going to come. I did think there were some plausibility issues scientifically speaking that may have been a little out there but really, in psychological thrillers, you kinda have to take those with a grain of salt. As things began to be revealed, although not quite as shocking as I prefer, I was so fully invested that I just felt along with Laurel and Poppy. FEELINGS, y'all! The ending is beautifully emotional and really tugged at my heart strings (yes, you guys, I do have a heart - weird, I know!). 

Now, because of the above and the comparisons to Lisa's extremely popular book, I Found You, I'm going to expect to see lower ratings for this book from some reviewers. But NOT FROM ME! I actually think I'm in the minority in putting this book above I Found You. 

The story is told mainly through Laurel's POV as we see the past and present over the loss of Ellie and how it not only created ripples in her marriage and her relationships with her other children, but within herself and the ability to feel at all anymore. We do get a smattering of other POVs here and there but this didn't not distract or become confusing in any way. To be honest, my favorite prospective to read was Noelle's - I just love disturbing minds.. I CAN'T HELP IT! And I'm absolutely in love with Poppy and her precociousness. The last half of the book is what completely sucked me in. I was on the fence until I reached this last half and then I couldn't put it down. COULD NOT!

If you're looking for a punch you in the throat kind of thriller with surprising twists everywhere, this isn't the read for you. However, if you enjoy psychological thrillers with an emotional feel and a touch of domestic darkness, you'll be happy with this read. While predictable, the way it all came together did surprise me in its own beautiful way.


★★★★★

Jessica's Review:


Last year I was introduced to the writing and great storytelling of Lisa Jewell with I FOUND YOU. I absolutely loved that one, so when I saw she had another release coming I knew I had to snag a copy! Considering the almost 400 page length, this one read very fast and the second half completely sucks you in. 



I would classify this as more women's fiction or contemporary fiction and a little less on the thriller side, but that doesn't take away from the novel. So that would be worth knowing before starting - if you're looking for a crazy thriller like I FOUND YOU, then you may end up disappointed in the end. The characters were so real, the emotions were raw, and the story came together so well at the end. 


Laurel Mack has the perfect teenage daughter. A smart girl, had a loving boyfriend, and close with her other siblings. At only 15 years old, Ellie disappears. Ten years later, Laurel is still trying to move on and piece her life back together. With a missing daughter, a divorce, and no new clues, she feels that it will be impossible to lead a normal life. Then one day, she meets a charming and handsome man, Floyd. When she meets his daughters, the youngest one, Poppy, stops her in her tracks. She has a striking resemblance to Ellie. 


More questions pop up and Laurel is brought the emotional ringer trying to find out more about Floyd and why Poppy reminds her so much of her missing daughter. This one definitely had a more predictable ending, but that didn't take away from the reading experience. I can see Lisa Jewell fans being split on this one, especially if they are wanting something more along the lines of I FOUND YOU. 
I give this one 4/5 stars!

Sam's Review:


I really love a novel that is a nice blend of suspense and women’s fiction.  I find them to be such a nice breath of fresh in air in a genre saturated with serial killer and psychological thrillers (mind you, I enjoy those as well!). 

After reading the synopsis of Then She Was Gone, the newest publication by Lisa Jewell, I knew this would fit that bill for me.  Having read several of Jewell's other novels, I was excited to dive into this one.  Just as entertaining as her others, I flew through my reading but, truthfully, I didn't find it to be as suspenseful as some of the other novels I have read by Jewell.  I actually found it to be quite predictable but still incredibly entertaining.

Let me break it down a bit further.

So, the novel follows Laurel Mack, who is still reeling after the disappearance of her daughter, Ellie, 10 years prior.  She has never been able to fully move on and this has ultimately affected most of her relationships.   This begins to change when she meets Floyd and she finally starts to feel like herself again.  However, Floyd’s nine-year-old daughter unsettles Laurel when she realizes she shows a startling resemblance to Ellie.   All those memories of Ellie comes flooding back pushing Laurel to find out once and for all what happened to her daughter. 

I loved the writing style of Jewell, as I always do! Something about her writing is so easy to digest.  It is sort of like chatting to a good friend.  I really like that I can start one of her novels and them just sort of settle in and enjoy the ride.

However, like I said above, I found this novel lacking suspense.  To me, it read more like women’s fiction or contemporary family drama.  I enjoyed it.  I wanted to know what happened.  I just feel like it was a bit misleading in this genre.   Also, I felt like it was very predictable.  I was able to guess what have happened very early on in the novel but was still interested to see whether or not I was correct.

Overall, I really like this novel as an easy read and will continue to read more Lisa Jewell.  If you are looking for an on the edge of your seat style suspense, this will be lacking but I would highly recommend if you are looking for a well-rounded and developed story.


3.5/5 stars.

No comments

Leave a Comment