abrswf's review against another edition
3.0
I spotted this book at the library and it was an engaging read. The underlying mystery is an interesting one, and I did not see the solution coming in advance. This book also realistically depicts bad actors: they aren’t scheming villiains, but selfish people who deny their own worst behavior even to themselves and rationalize the rest of it. Without spoilers, I would warn that people triggered by subjects like sexual assault and child abuse should steer clear. And this isn’t great literature: it’s basically a well written beach book.
sian_mcbride's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
books_and_planners's review against another edition
5.0
What a wonderful mystery. I will admit, it started off a bit slow. There were just a few different characters & I was having a hard time keeping them all straight. But mid-Book it took off!
It starts with a human baby’s remains being found at a building site. A reporter, Kate, latches on to the story. She comes in contact with a woman, Angela, who’s child went missing 40 years ago & she thinks this could be her baby. It is bittersweet, finding out your little girl is dead, but isn’t it better than more years of not knowing?
There is also the character, Emma, who has some anxiety & mental health issues. She sees the article about the baby & feels a strong connection to the story.
Barton takes you through the past & present through the eyes of all of these women. She will have you constantly guessing - who is the building site baby?
I had several different scenarios going through my head. It was driving me crazy to figure it out. One of my theories was right, and I figured it out right before it was revealed. Such a great mystery. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book like this that’s kept me on my toes!
It starts with a human baby’s remains being found at a building site. A reporter, Kate, latches on to the story. She comes in contact with a woman, Angela, who’s child went missing 40 years ago & she thinks this could be her baby. It is bittersweet, finding out your little girl is dead, but isn’t it better than more years of not knowing?
There is also the character, Emma, who has some anxiety & mental health issues. She sees the article about the baby & feels a strong connection to the story.
Barton takes you through the past & present through the eyes of all of these women. She will have you constantly guessing - who is the building site baby?
I had several different scenarios going through my head. It was driving me crazy to figure it out. One of my theories was right, and I figured it out right before it was revealed. Such a great mystery. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book like this that’s kept me on my toes!
willowmoulton18's review
5.0
This definitely started out slow but because there were so many details and people involved in this story I think it was needed. I honestly had no idea how it was going to end.
lux2night's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
k_west1984's review
5.0
Brilliant book, I would never of got that ending. Very clever keeps u guessing
hi_im_a_bookaholic's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was a real slow burner at first but then suddenly I was gripped. Emma frustrated me at first but there is a reason for it that is revealed later. Plenty of twists.
thegeekybibliophile's review
4.0
The Child is a multi-layered mystery with one burning question: Who is the Building Site Baby?
The story is told from the perspectives of four women:
*Emma: A reclusive, secretive woman married to a (much older) man. The discovery of the baby's remains leaves Emma obsessed with the need to know what the police know about the child.
*Jude: Mother of Emma, with whom she has a strained relationship due to events that happened when Emma was a teenager.
*Angela Irving: Her newborn baby was kidnapped from the hospital years ago, and never found. She believes the Building Site Baby might be the remains of her long-lost child... which is creating tension within her family.
*Kate Waters: Newspaper journalist investigating the story of the Building Site Baby. Will the remains prove to be that of the lost Irving child... or someone else?
For me, the book seemed to start a bit slow, and I had a momentary thought of setting it aside. I persevered, however, because I HAD to find out the identity of the baby! And I'm so glad I did, because the slow start was not at all indicative of the way the story flowed throughout the rest of the book. (To be honest, maybe the "slow" start had more to do with me being distracted by others as I read, which could easily have skewed my perception of its beginning.)
I enjoyed this story a great deal. The layers of mystery made the book even more intriguing, and it was great fun for me to try to work out all the pieces of the multiple puzzles. I did manage to figure out one thing, but there was another reveal at the end that I never saw coming. It was a fantastic twist, and I loved it!
This is the first book I've read by Fiona Barton, but I'm sure I'll be reading more from this author in the future! If you haven't read it yet? You should!
Now that my review is finished, here's an amusing story. I originally requested an ARC of this book through First to Read. I had it long enough—and read enough books in the interim—to forget that I had it. Then I noticed it on Netgalley—didn't remember I already had it—and requested it again. You have no idea how foolish I felt when I realized I now had TWO copies of the same ARC. Ah, well. It served to teach me the importance of making sure I'm not requesting a book I already have! #BookBloggerProblems, indeed. 😂
I received an advance review copy of this book from Berkley via First to Read and Netgalley.
The story is told from the perspectives of four women:
*Emma: A reclusive, secretive woman married to a (much older) man. The discovery of the baby's remains leaves Emma obsessed with the need to know what the police know about the child.
*Jude: Mother of Emma, with whom she has a strained relationship due to events that happened when Emma was a teenager.
*Angela Irving: Her newborn baby was kidnapped from the hospital years ago, and never found. She believes the Building Site Baby might be the remains of her long-lost child... which is creating tension within her family.
*Kate Waters: Newspaper journalist investigating the story of the Building Site Baby. Will the remains prove to be that of the lost Irving child... or someone else?
For me, the book seemed to start a bit slow, and I had a momentary thought of setting it aside. I persevered, however, because I HAD to find out the identity of the baby! And I'm so glad I did, because the slow start was not at all indicative of the way the story flowed throughout the rest of the book. (To be honest, maybe the "slow" start had more to do with me being distracted by others as I read, which could easily have skewed my perception of its beginning.)
I enjoyed this story a great deal. The layers of mystery made the book even more intriguing, and it was great fun for me to try to work out all the pieces of the multiple puzzles. I did manage to figure out one thing, but there was another reveal at the end that I never saw coming. It was a fantastic twist, and I loved it!
This is the first book I've read by Fiona Barton, but I'm sure I'll be reading more from this author in the future! If you haven't read it yet? You should!
Now that my review is finished, here's an amusing story. I originally requested an ARC of this book through First to Read. I had it long enough—and read enough books in the interim—to forget that I had it. Then I noticed it on Netgalley—didn't remember I already had it—and requested it again. You have no idea how foolish I felt when I realized I now had TWO copies of the same ARC. Ah, well. It served to teach me the importance of making sure I'm not requesting a book I already have! #BookBloggerProblems, indeed. 😂
I received an advance review copy of this book from Berkley via First to Read and Netgalley.
agoines's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0