Huge fan of Lisa Jewell, but this was not my favorite book. I just couldn't get into the story. For a mystery/thriller it was very slow moving. Didn't love most of the characters. Saffyre, Josh, the fox and Angelo the cat were the best part of the book. Bryn's storyline with the incels didn't seem like it fit with the rest of the book. It wasn't hard to figure out who was going to behind the attacks, especially after Saffyre's story. Was Cate blind about everything that was happening? I felt bad for Owen, he just couldn't catch a break. Everyone pointed their finger at him, just because he was extremely awkward (the date rape drugs didn't help.) This is hard review to write. The ending was OK, but not everyone ended up being properly punished for their bad activities.

Give the book a try, it just wasn't for me. I look forward reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Invisible Girl was a well crafted mystery./psychological thriller. There were actually multiple mysteries inside the main mystery. As usual, Jewell kept the pace quick and the story easy to follow. There were so many characters I was rooting for and really hoping they were not the perpetrator. I feel like everyone knows someone like Owen (33 year misunderstood virgin) and Sapphyre (teenager hiding her pain behind a happy exterior) This story makes you realize why you shouldn’t be quick to judge people and you should treat everyone with kindness. Heavy stuff for a mystery!

Mystery and thrilling at each turn. This is another wonderful catching story for people who loves being a little jumpy while they are reading.

I was so excited to get a chance to read the new Lisa Jewell book early! I LOVED The Family Upstairs and had high hopes for this one. Did I love Invisible Girl quite as much? No. But it was still an enjoyable read, and I think a lot of Lisa Jewell fans are going to love it.

We follow Saffyre, a teenage girl with a complicated family history and a dark past; Cate, a mother of two and her husband Roan; and Owen, who is arguably the most interesting character in the book (and i'm sure parts of his story are going to be polarizing for readers!)

Saffyre goes missing and Owen is the last person who saw her. As you can imagine, all of these characters are interconnected in some way, and the answer to Saffyre's disappearance isn't as cut and dry as you may think. I'd recommend going into this book as blind as possible! I was really intrigued to find out what happened next, and the turns this book takes really caught me off guard.

That being said, I think it fell just a little flat. Maybe we didn't get enough time with the characters. Or maybe some themes and ideas just weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked. But if you're a Lisa Jewell fan (or a thriller fan in general) you'll probably want to pick this up!

Content warning: self harm, sexual assault, incel culture.

Thank you Atria for the NetGalley ARC!

Another intriguing Lisa Jewell thriller! It is fast read with such interesting, full characters, and a compelling plot. I look forward to recommending this to my thriller-loving patrons!

I wanted to love this book but it fell flat for me. while I did enjoy the whodunnit parts of it, it was too slow burning for my taste. I was expecting a more thrilling storyline but I got mystery drama. I also enjoyed the multiple POVs; it was good to see the story unfold from different perspectives. Jewell also touched on important topics like sexual assault. Overall, I feel very neutral about this novel, I don't love it but I also don't hate it.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Don't judge a book by it's cover. It's often said but most of us are guilty of exactly that. The characters in "Invisible Girl" are not exception.
Owen Pick. The odd man who lives in a spare bedroom at his aunt's house. Works at a college until he is suspended for accusations of sexual misconduct made by female students. No social life. No girlfriend. No close family. He has to be hiding a dark secret, right?

Roan Fours. Child psychologist. By all appearances a loving husband, father and successful in his career. What kind of secrets might he be keeping from his wife Cate? What sort of impression might he be leaving on his to children, Georgia and Josh?

Saffyre Maddox. The invisible girl herself. Until she disappears that is. What happened to Saffyre? Did she fall victim to the sexual predator that has been stalking the neighborhood, leaving the residents in fear of walking alone after dark?

I really enjoyed "Invisible Girl," as I have many of Lisa Jewell's novels. Believable characters, realistic settings, twists and turns all the way up to the conclusion.

How easy it is for us to judge someone, carrying that judgement as far as it can go, possibly ruining a life because they're different, aren't they? You see it too, don't you? While right beside us are the monsters who look nice.

Saffyre Maddox, 17, is a loner. Her super-power is being invisible. "I have a dark past, and I have dark thoughts. I do dark things, and I scare myself sometimes." She lives in a two bedroom flat with her uncle Aaron, only 27 himself. When Saffyre was 10, "something really really bad happened" to her. She was sent to see child psychologist Roan Fours who worked with her for three years before releasing her from his care. He may be done with her, but she's not done with him. She likes to keep tabs on him and has followed him for years.

Owen Pick, 33, teaches computer science to 16 - 18 year olds. He has lived with his aunt Tessie MacDonald, 55, since his mother, Tessies's older sister, died 15 years ago. Tessie doesn't like him. She never has. He's not even allowed to go in her living room. And he'd just odd. Seems creepy.

Cate, a trained physiotherapist gave up her practice when her first child, daughter Georgia, 15, was born. She also has a son, Josh, 14, and a husband Roan (father to both children) who she'd really like to trust, but can't. She's a woman who always tries to be everything she should be for others, and wonders if she's lost herself along the way.

A series of sexual assaults have been occurring in the neighborhood, a neighborhood which they all have in common. You see, Owen lives across the street from the Fours, and Saffyre often frequents the area while watching Roan. Saffyre goes missing on Valentine's Day night. Owen was the last one known to have seen her.

This novel is a delightful read with a dark atmosphere. The author reveals the characters to her readers layer by layer, challenging us to try to discern the truth about each of them and about what happened to Saffyre. Surprises are peppered throughout. The story is told through the points of view of Saffyre (1st person), Owen (narrator) and Cate (narrator).

A perfect distraction for these troubled times. I give it 4 stars and highly recommend it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

When I open a book by Lisa Jewell I know that I’m in for a rewarding reading experience. “Invisible Girl” was an engrossing psychological thriller.

The first chapters moved a little slow for me, but by the halfway mark I literally couldn’t put the book down.

Told from three perspectives, the story came alive. My favourite character had to be Owen Pick. He was just so pitiable. Everyone judged him because he was ‘different‘ – so much so that he even came to doubt himself. Saffyre Maddox was a memorable character as well. She had undergone so much loss in her young life. I struggled to bond with Cate Fours who seemed to me to be rather shallow and judgemental.

A study in human nature, “Invisible Girl” showed how we are all so quick to jump to inaccurate conclusions when fear and suspicion are added to the mix. The novel was entertaining and didactic in equal measure. It made me remember a quote that I took to heart: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Just because people’s lives might look fine, you never know what they might be dealing with privately.

Highly recommended to all those who enjoy an expertly crafted psychological thriller. Lisa Jewell never disappoints.

2.5 stars. The Invisible girl is a story about a young girl who goes missing and the mystery unfolds through several points of view. I am a HUGE Lisa Jewell fan but I was somewhat disappointed by this one. Though the book was able to keep my interest, the timelines were all over the place and I never felt very connected to any of the characters. I was hoping for a good suspenseful thriller, and this was more of a slow burn for me and there weren't many surprises.

Lisa Jewell has long been one of my favorites, and Invisible Girl was no exception. I loved the way the characters were written and the morally gray traits of some characters. I also loved how even though the mystery was “solved” in the end, there was still some ambiguity. Loved it!

Lisa Jewell doesn't follow a specific formula, per say, but her books always end making me feel some kinda way — slightly surprised, remarkably unsettled, and, believe it or not with a thriller, moderately uplifted.

The book follows three extremely different people, whose lives intersect in numerous disconcerting ways. There's Saffyre Maddox who, despite having THE COOLEST name, is really good at being invisible. She's suffered from depression due to her ever-shrinking family and a mysterious event that occured when she was younger. Then, there's Cate Fours — the seemingly perfect housewife and mother of two teens who's been walking on eggshells at home due to a rift with her longtime husband. Finally, you have Owen Pick, a loveless, down-on-his-luck screw up who's seen as shady by the perfect Fours family that resides across the street.

This book is oh-so relevant to its time. I love how the book broaches the #MeToo and Believe Women movement and how it explores how people can in fact change for the better — that is, if they are able to recognize their own trauma and want to evolve. I found myself absolutely rooting for Owen, despite learning about some of the questionable things in his past. There are bad guys in this book — then there are some truly evil people — and I had a blast deciphering who was who!

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

On Goodreads, Lisa Jewell is the 13th most followed person in the UK, and her books average a 3.91 rating. I reviewed her previous work, The Family Upstairs, and was thrilled to read her latest, Invisible Girl.

Jewell weaves an array of connected characters which show us no one is who they appear to be behind closed doors. Saffyre is a troubled teen but puts on a happy face at school. Owen is a 33-year-old, awkward professor who does not know how to interact with others. Joining them are the Fours family who hides their real selves from the outside world and from each other.

Invisible Girl is a slow burn that takes time to set up the characters and allows us to get to know them. However, it is a quick read. There was not a natural place to stop reading so I read it in one sitting. The story is told through multiple points of view, which gives greater insight into the characters.

While the characters are fully fleshed out, I did not connect with any of them. The story held my interest, but it did not pique it. Jewell's writing style is similar to her other novels.

This 200-word review will be published on Philomathinphila.com on 10/13/20.

In spite of the unsavory plot elements, this is an enjoyable read that goes down easy. It was hard to predict where the story was going, but in the end everything was wrapped up in a satisfying way. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC for review.

Lisa Jewell has become my favorite author in recent years. I have read and loved all her thrillers. She just has a way of writing that I truly love and look forward to. I was so excited to be able to read and review the eARC of her latest novel, "Invisible Girl". The premise sounded interesting and original. I was thrilled to start reading. My thrill soon faded. I hate to even say it, but this was a 3 star read for me.

I felt like there was something missing. The whole story seemed a bit odd and it made me feel displaced from beginning to end. So many weird and shady characters, it all felt haphazard. I kept reading, not because I genuinely wanted to know what happened to Saffyre, but to see how all this mess could possibly come together neatly.

This is told through alternating points of views, a narrative I usually like because it allows the reader to see the mystery from all perspectives. But the way this was done was so choppy it took away from the story. I had to think hard about where we last left the character. I had to stop and think how it related to the character who's chapter I had just read. It was exhausting.

This book is filled with the "dark" side of life. Sexual assault, self harm, infidelity, prejudice, misogyny, and mental illness. I applaud Jewell for bringing all these topics into a modern novel to shed light on hard subjects.

The ending seemed rushed and although I went back to read the end twice, it still feels like something was missing. It felt like from beginning to end the line was just straight and flat. No ups and downs, no thrilling revelations or twists. I just can't call this a thriller in any way, shape or form.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing me an advanced ecopy to read and give my honest review. Despite my 3 stars for this read, I am excited to read what Lisa Jewell puts out next!

"Invisible Girl" is due to be released here in the U.S. on Oct 13, 2020 so pre-order now!

Happy Reading!

Lisa Jewell brings a worthy psychological mystery-drama in Invisible Girl. An intense, twisted and creepy tale with ambiguous and flawed narrators, this book focuses on the misfits of society, and how easily people prejudge those who are not in the norm, while those who appear to fit in are the true monsters. What I love most about Jewell’s books is that every character is three-dimensional and fleshed out, so when they do something that shocks you, you feel it to the core. And this newest addition shocked me plenty, right up to the last page.

A series of attacks on young women, a missing teen, and plenty of secrets.

Told using multiple points of view - Saffyre, Cate, and Owen. Saffyre's POV is told in the past, while the others are told in the present. In the present, Saffyre is missing. Saffyre is a teen girl and former patient of Roan, a therapist. Cate is married to Roan. Owen lives in the same neighborhood as Cate and Roan. The characters are well-developed and interesting to read about.

Intriguing characters and a twisty plot combine in this suspenseful psychological thriller. Great novel for fans of this genre. Complex, dark, and captivating.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell does it again! I very much enjoyed this fast-paced gem. I’m a sucker for any book with multiple character POV’s. Thank you to Lisa Jewell, NetGalley, and Atria Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars
Another zinger from Jewell! There’s something about the way she crafts stories that I find incredibly engaging. It’s like I’m sitting inside a pressure cooker with the temperature rising and rising. I found the very ending to be a tad weaker than her usual endings, but nonetheless, a gripping and suspenseful read.
The plot includes various perspectives to tell the story of a disappearance of a teenage girl - Cate, wife of child psychologist Roan and mother of two teens, Owen, the reclusive and odd man living across the street from Cate and Saffyre, the teenager who was a former patient of Roan’s and disappears on Valentines night. It flips between past and present until the merge of the two timelines at the conclusion. It’s a little bit mystery and a lot of psychological thriller.
An unsettling story that takes the reader on a twisty ride! A definite must read for fans of this genre.
A gracious thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For a book with virtually no appealing or sympathy-evoking characters and a complex plot that gets a little hard to follow at times, I have to say that in the end, this one is well done. There's enough action and plot twists to hold my attention throughout - and the fact is, just because characters are unsavory doesn't mean they're not intriguing.

Two of the central characters are Cate Fours, a physiotherapist, and her husband Roan, a child psychologist. Together with their daughter, Georgia, they're living in temporary rented quarters while their home is being renovated. One day, Georgia returns home stressing out because she thinks someone was following her (there have been a couple of assaults on women in nearby areas, so her concern isn't totally unwarranted). Later, one of Georgia's girlfriends reports an actual assault, although she later recants.

All this is not good news for Owen Pick, a rather strange-acting dude who's never even had a date and is living in his elderly aunt's spare bedroom (totally - she won't let him in other parts of her house) across from Cate and Roan's house. Making matters worse, he's been suspended from his teaching job because a couple of students accused him of unwanted sexually-tinged behavior toward them. Needless to say, he doesn't exactly have his head on straight - making him the perfect person to get sucked into the online world of "incels," or involuntary celibates. Also needless to say, it makes him a prime suspect in the local assaults.

Then there's Saffyre Maddox, who readers learn a bit about at the beginning of the book. Turns out she was one of Roan's very troubled patients who did well enough, in his opinion, to be cut loose from therapy. Her opinion, though, is quite different. Determined to somehow stay connected, she follows him around surreptitiously - that is, until she goes missing. And surprise - the sleazy Owen is the last person to see her alive.

Once I got all the characters and time-frame flips reasonably straight in my head, I settled in and enjoyed the adventure right up to the somewhat surprising end. All told, good job! Thanks very much to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review an advance copy.