Such an emotional book! I loved it, I was hooked from the first page, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the way the story unravelled. Highly recommended, five
Stars from me!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Laura Pearson for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I read this book with lots of emotion! I loved the characters & all the feelings I felt while reading this!

I’m going to start with positives - really enjoyed the first half of the book and the quality of the writing was really good. I really detested the character of the mother and I found it really difficult to appreciate where she was coming from with the way she treated Esme. I felt it lost a bit of its momentum in the second part of the book when it was focused on the present day. I think I misinterpreted the genre of the book as I thought there was going to be a mystery around Phoebes death and there wasn’t really. It was more of a relationship/family drama. Thank you to Netgalley, Agora Books and the author for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabbed me from the first chapter. This is a story about loss, grief, and guilt. I can’t stop thinking about it and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new fresh author to try. I will be looking for more from this author.

Missing Pieces is a book in two parts: the first part follows the immediate aftermath of the death of a child, and the tragedy's impact on the family. The second part revisits that family years later through the eyes of the two remaining children: the one born into the sadness of death, and the other who blames herself for the tragedy.

It's a brave and moving book with well-wroughr characters and an in depth exploration of a family ripped apart by grief

What if the one thing that kept you together was breaking you apart?

Exploring family and love, grief and guilt, Missing Pieces follows two generations of the Sadler family, who are torn apart by the tragic death of a child. Grieving for her daughter, Linda becomes distanced from her husband, Tom, elder daughter, Esme, and even from her unborn baby. The second half of the book, set twenty-five years later, follows that baby, Bea, as she navigates not only the challenges of her family’s past, but also difficult questions about her own future.

So, it’s a book of two halves. In the first, everything slides off the rails and nothing is airbrushed. The repercussions of Phoebe’s death – and Linda’s anger at the injustice of it – is palpable from her clandestine drinking, to the breakdown of her relationships with the rest of her family. In the second, those old scars are very much present, but the unravelling of the past brings some kind of healing.

Missing Pieces is not a noisy, showy book. The tone suits the subject matter – it’s eloquent and raw, unassuming and unflinching. There is no schmaltz or melodrama – the author remains true to the characters and the threads of their relationships are woven realistically and sensitively throughout the story.

The characters’ attempts to scrabble together the ‘Missing Pieces’ are realistic and human – there is no tying everything neatly with a bow, no attempt to paper over the cracks. This is what makes the book beautiful – melancholy and thoughtful, without being bleak. Devastating and yet hopeful. Intense without being overwhelming. And compelling reading.

I certainly look forward to reading more from Laura.

Missing Pieces was well written and the characters were fleshed out pretty well. I enjoyed the story and didn't ever need to set it down and take a break because I lost my focus.

This novel ought to come with some kind of warning, advising you not to read it while on public transport. At the very least it should be the standard against which all waterproof mascaras are tested. Aside from just being a thoroughly engrossing story that touches on themes everyone can relate to (grief, betrayal, identity) it's exquisitely written. Laura has an amazing ability to take emotions that, in the hands of someone less talented, would result in hyperbole or mawkishness. Yet somehow, her succinct turn of phrase and makes the sentiments even more poignant. Even people who wouldn't normally go for this type of novel will find something to love here, and it's the kind of story that stays with you long after you've turned the final page. Highly, highly recommended.

A compelling and heart-breaking debut novel by Laura Pearson. Split into two parts, it tells the story of a family torn apart by tragedy and guilt. Twenty-five years later, the youngest daughter Bea, who is too young to remember what happened and has been kept in the dark ever since, decides she needs to exorcise the family’s grief, which has left them empty and alienated from each other. A thought-provoking and moving read, with an uplifting conclusion. .

A tremendous read. I very well written story that captured my attention from the beginning. I had a mixture of emotions whilst reading it. Sadness and happiness with a few tears along the way. What a wonderful first novel. I look forward to reading more from Laura Pearson.

I loved this book. The story is fascinating and emotional, an exploration of family and grief that is very moving. The author covers many contemporary issues with depth and sensitivity. My thanks to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of how a tragedy can hang over a family and that not talking about it can often be worse than looking it in the eye. When they do start to discuss what happens it brings a resolution to some of the family riffs and shows that secrets are not good bed fellows.

I liked this book very much, although it is extremely sad. Esme's sister died in a tragic accident at home at the age of 3. Esme blames herself for what happened, though it hasn't been talked about in the family for years now. Her other sister, Bea, who was born after Phoebe's death, now finds herself pregnant, and wants to know what happened all those years ago. This is a story of guilt, extreme sadness, and finally moving on from tragedy. Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy.
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I really enjoyed this book. It is beautifully written and tells the story of Linda and her family and the aftermath of a terrible tragedy.
The book is in two parts - the time immediately after the tragedy which was so well written you could feel Linda's pain pouring from the pages and then 25 years later as one of her daughters, Bea, tries to uncover what exactly happened all that time ago.
I found myself gripped and wanting to read on to uncover what exactly had happened on that tragic day. Highly recommended.

When Tom and Linda lost their daughter Phoebe their world was torn apart. Linda is already pregnant and when her daughter Bea is born she can't bond with her, and can't relate to her older daughter Esme, Tom tries to hold the family together but is unable to get through to Linda. The second half of the book is set 25 years later when Esme and Bea are trying to come to terms with their life and broken family.

A great emotional book the story is well told and I loved the way you were kept guessing about the way Phoebe died..... definitely a book that stays with you after you have finished reading it

Missing Pieces was a fab book that I struggled to put down. I was gripped from the first page. A great book by Laura Pearson.

Received – 30 May 18
With thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph Comms for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
 
Missing Pieces
The book is set in two parts; the first spanning late 1985/early 1986 and the second set 25 years later in November/December 2011. In autumn 1985 Linda and Tom Sadler have two little girls, Esme (7) and Phoebe (3) and Linda is expecting a third child. Just before the third daughter, Bea, is born Phoebe dies in a tragic accident.

We don’t discover the circumstances of Phoebe’s death until the end of the book but we learn that the tragedy affects the other four family members in different ways with much grief, sadness and many mixed emotions felt by all, including Bea who never even knew Phoebe.

It’s a very well written book which has a realistic feel to the way the different family members reacted to and coped with the tragedy.

I sensed early on the circumstances of Phoebe’s death but it didn’t detract from the story and my wanting to know how it all turned out. I was mildly disappointed that there wasn’t more of a story to Phoebe’s death than I had sensed but then maybe I read too many psychological thrillers and expect too many twists. It’s a heavy book only to be read when you are feeling in a strong enough emotional state but I found the ending very satisfying.

This is Laura’s Pearson’s first novel and I think she has great potential to write more. It’s an excellent example of how people grieve in many different ways and why statistically marriages are so vulnerable when a child dies. I’ve seen this many times in reality and this book captures it perfectly. If it’s weren’t a subject too close to hearts I’d almost be recommending it to any parent or sibling grieving the loss of a young person.

With thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Missing Pieces really packed an emotional punch! A moving story about how a family deals with terrible loss, this book was deeply engaging and thought-provoking. I would happily read another book by this author in the future!

I want to thank Netgalley for giving me an ARC of Missing Pieces by Laura Pearson. I loved this book & couldn't put it down. It tells the story of Tom & Linda and the tragic death of their 3 yr old Phoebe and how the family copes with the loss and how it effects the other 2 sisters, Esme & Bea. I'm the oldest of 3 girls and I loved the interactions between the sisters. The story is told in 2 parts - at the time of Phoebe's death & then 25 years later. The book focuses on how each member of the family is affected by the tragedy & the characters are extremely well written.

Missing Pieces was an emotional tale about love, loss and the long-term devastation caused by a family tragedy! An enjoyable and thought provoking read!