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leahralph's review
5.0
A gripping story of two women, Alice and Molly.
Alice is happily married with three children despite escaping an abusive and sad childhood. Molly is writing a book about abused children despite having an idyllic childhood. When these women cross paths Alices last returns to haunt her. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.
Alice is happily married with three children despite escaping an abusive and sad childhood. Molly is writing a book about abused children despite having an idyllic childhood. When these women cross paths Alices last returns to haunt her. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.
spikeyfish's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
shelleyann01's review
2.0
2.5 Stars
I have read and enjoyed other Nicole Trope books but, sadly, this did not live up to the standard of her previous books. The story was a little predictable and a lot of coincidences happen. The characters acted pretty much as they were expected to from the very beginning. The ending tied a nice little bow around everything, but it was way too neat. Much of the writing was repetitive and without giving away too much, I will say that the use of a dream sequence feels like a cop-out. I can deal with one or two strategically-placed dreams in this kind of story where one expects to suspend a certain amount of belief, but using a dream for almost the entire exposition of one of the two major plots seems like cheating.
The characters were not fleshed-out and seemed banal. I am normally a Nicole Trope fan so I don't want to be overly-critical. However, this book reads more like one she had to write simply to meet her obligation to her publishers rather than something she had any true inspiration to create. I am hoping she or her editors have tweaked the final product. If you are new to Nicole Trope, don't do this one first, she has many better options which will enthrall you.
Thank you NetGalley, Nicole Trope and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.
#TheNowhereGirl #NetGalley
miss_mary's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bibliotreasures's review
4.0
This wasn’t an easy book to read. With themes of abuse, addiction and neglect it is a heartbreaking story that told of the evil that lurks inside some people and the lasting repercussions their terrible actions have on their victims. But it was also a story about courage, survival and strength. The story moves seamlessly between the dual timelines to tell the stories of three women and how tragic events that occurred thirty years ago changed their lives forever.
The three narrators were complex, fractured and tragically real.I liked Alice. Reading what she went through as a child was devastating but I admired her strength and that she’d managed to build a happy family of her own instead of repeating her mother’s mistakes. I also admired that she still visited her ailing mother despite the agony it caused her and felt a deep sense of injustice for th/e fact she would never get the acknowledgement or apology she deserved. Molly was the character I related to most of all, having suffered a similar pain in trying to have children myself. It seemed immediately obvious who Molly was, and my heart hurt for what was to come when she ultimately learned the truth of her birth and dreadful past. I found myself on edge when reading her chapters because I was anticipating it happening and scared she would face another tragedy with this pregnancy. Margaret was certainly not a likeable character but I liked the author’s decision to give her a voice. It meant that instead of simply being an evil villain we see the nuance to her character, see the broken and weak woman inside and learn why she ended up the way she did. Her story is tragic and I definitely had mixed feelings about her. While there was some empathy for what she’d gone through as a child and the devastating loss of her husband, I couldn’t shake my anger at what she allowed to happen to her own children: her nonchalance at their existence and focus on her own pain being eased. I wanted to scream at her to stop being so bloody weak and protect her children. Her story helped show how addiction ravages more than the person addicted. I think she was let down by the system as well as her children, as if the authorities had noticed what was happening to the kids, they would have seen what was happening to her too. With help all of them could have had a very different life.
This was the first time I have read a book by this author and I will definitely be reading more. She wrote about a multitude of tragic and difficult subjects and every one was written with skillful sensitivity. She portrayed their pain vividly and made them all so real it was easy to forget I was reading a work of fiction rather than a harrowing true story. The story started slowly, steadily picking up pace until it was so tense and compelling that I couldn't tear myself away.
The Nowhere Girl is a deftly told, stark and poignant novel. Despite its bleak themes it is also a hopeful story of forgiveness and the healing power of love. It is a powerful and emotional story that I would recommend.
The three narrators were complex, fractured and tragically real.I liked Alice. Reading what she went through as a child was devastating but I admired her strength and that she’d managed to build a happy family of her own instead of repeating her mother’s mistakes. I also admired that she still visited her ailing mother despite the agony it caused her and felt a deep sense of injustice for th/e fact she would never get the acknowledgement or apology she deserved. Molly was the character I related to most of all, having suffered a similar pain in trying to have children myself. It seemed immediately obvious who Molly was, and my heart hurt for what was to come when she ultimately learned the truth of her birth and dreadful past. I found myself on edge when reading her chapters because I was anticipating it happening and scared she would face another tragedy with this pregnancy. Margaret was certainly not a likeable character but I liked the author’s decision to give her a voice. It meant that instead of simply being an evil villain we see the nuance to her character, see the broken and weak woman inside and learn why she ended up the way she did. Her story is tragic and I definitely had mixed feelings about her. While there was some empathy for what she’d gone through as a child and the devastating loss of her husband, I couldn’t shake my anger at what she allowed to happen to her own children: her nonchalance at their existence and focus on her own pain being eased. I wanted to scream at her to stop being so bloody weak and protect her children. Her story helped show how addiction ravages more than the person addicted. I think she was let down by the system as well as her children, as if the authorities had noticed what was happening to the kids, they would have seen what was happening to her too. With help all of them could have had a very different life.
This was the first time I have read a book by this author and I will definitely be reading more. She wrote about a multitude of tragic and difficult subjects and every one was written with skillful sensitivity. She portrayed their pain vividly and made them all so real it was easy to forget I was reading a work of fiction rather than a harrowing true story. The story started slowly, steadily picking up pace until it was so tense and compelling that I couldn't tear myself away.
The Nowhere Girl is a deftly told, stark and poignant novel. Despite its bleak themes it is also a hopeful story of forgiveness and the healing power of love. It is a powerful and emotional story that I would recommend.
nietzschesghost's review
4.0
The Nowhere Girl is a gripping family drama with some suspenseful elements and illustrates just how far we are willing to go if someone were to threaten our precious family. Alice and husband Jack have three sons Isaac and twins, Gabe and Gus. However, Alice suffered horrific abuse as a child and so grips onto her children a bit too tightly; when they depart their home Alice is filled with overwhelming anxiety, fear and paranoia about making sure she protects her children at any cost. All of this stems from the fact that she ran away from an abusive home as a child leaving her little sister Lilly at home and Alice blames herself for not been able to keep her safe from harm. Now, three decades later, someone is taunting and tormenting her and letting her know that the secret she has kept all this time is not, in fact, a secret.
The plot is told through three main characters: Alice, Margaret and Molly and the timeline runs from the 1980s to the present day. This is a profoundly emotive and moving read and is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. I was held captive in its grip right the way through but this is definitely not for the faint-hearted as the story revolves around domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. Alice has grown into such an amazing wife and mother despite all she went through; I can relate to her a little in the sense that I went through mental/emotional abuse too. I found it was very well researched and it came across as believable. I was also so satisfied with the fitting ending. An intense, emotional and absorbing read and I am sure many people will enjoy the grittiness. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
The plot is told through three main characters: Alice, Margaret and Molly and the timeline runs from the 1980s to the present day. This is a profoundly emotive and moving read and is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. I was held captive in its grip right the way through but this is definitely not for the faint-hearted as the story revolves around domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. Alice has grown into such an amazing wife and mother despite all she went through; I can relate to her a little in the sense that I went through mental/emotional abuse too. I found it was very well researched and it came across as believable. I was also so satisfied with the fitting ending. An intense, emotional and absorbing read and I am sure many people will enjoy the grittiness. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
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