A good read
It has mention of rape and sexual assault
It is a well written story
Thanks NetGalley

Story is too far fetched in my opinion. I couldn’t relate to any of the characters in the story. The write up of the book made it so exciting and I looked forward to reading it but it was awful.

This novel addresses the ongoing impact resulting from a sexual assault, told from multiple character points of view. It's moderately paced and heart pinchingly disturbing to read. It's worth the discomfort because the subject is so important. It shows the damage that can be done irregardless of social status and made me wonder what I would do if it happened to me.

While this is a very important story, one that needs to be told over and over again until EVERYONE understands the concept and importance of consent, unfortunately the execution of this particular novel fell flat for me. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters, and the plot felt disjointed. I HATED the way some of the male characters talked about and to women (although, this sadly may reflect real life?). I liked what the author was trying to do, but did not enjoy the way it was done.

Claudia Castro is one of life's lucky ones, beautiful, rich, has a close family and friends and everything money can buy, but when she wakes up one morning at university covered in bruises and with no recollection of the night before, none of it is enough to stop her world crashing round her. Told from various viewpoints including Claudia, her big sister, her university friend Trevor, The Missing Hours tells a powerful story of power and abuse and how one evening can change everything for ever.

The Missing Hours is a brilliant read that blurs the lines between right and wrong and highlights the problems with the justice system, victim shaming/blaming and white, rich privilege. That's a lot to cram into a 288 page book but it works really well.

Claudia Castro was the perfect main character for this story as she is not who people would ever see as a victim. She's not even that likeable really. A rich party girl student, she likes a drink, she likes to go out and have a good time, she's blacked out whilst drinking previously. Claudia isn't perfect but we live in a world where victims are expected to be perfect. So when she wakes up after a night out with a bruised face and stinging vagina, not being able to remember anything from the night before, she wonders what has happened and who will believe her anyway.

The story quickly unfolds and takes many turns as we have different points of view from her sister and fellow student Trevor which helps show the wider impact on those around you when something like this happens. I found it to be a compelling and compulsive read and although I couldn't always agree with Claudia's actions I could certainly see what was driving her towards them.

This book is about a girl taking back her power when people try to take it away. It's thought provoking and discussion worthy. Like all books with this theme it leaves me feeling angry and wanting to help change the world.

From a distance, Claudia Castro has it all: a famous family, a trust fund, thousands of Instagram followers, and a spot in NYU’s freshman class. But look closer, and things are messier: her parents are separating, she’s just been humiliated by a sleazy documentary, and her sister is about to have a baby with a man she barely knows.
Claudia starts the school year resolved to find a path toward something positive, maybe even meaningful – and then one drunken night everything changes. Reeling, her memory hazy, Claudia cuts herself off from her family, seeking solace in a new friendship. But when the rest of school comes back from spring break, Claudia is missing.
Suddenly, the whole city is trying to piece together the hours of that terrible night.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Claudia Castro’s life is out of control, her love life is a mess, her parents are separating and her sister is about to have a baby with a man she hasn’t known for long.
One drunken night and Claudia’s chaotic life is about to get worse. She awakes hungover, a bruised face and no memory of what happened, she cuts herself off from her family and tries to piece together what happened to her.

This book had me hooked from the first page and I read it in one sitting as I needed to know how it ended. I really felt for Claudia as no one in her life was there to help or support her and Claudia was on her own to try and figure out what happened to her.

I think the book shows you the worst side of life and what people can get away with if you have money behind you. It is also easy to see how you can get wrapped up in getting revenge when maybe you should focus on yourself so you can heal.

Fantastic read, can’t wait to read more from this author.

I didn’t know much about this book at all before reading it and I’m really glad of that. The Missing Hours is a thriller with a lot of social commentary and thought-provoking content. Beware of trigger warning for sexual assault.

Claudia Castro is a well-known, beautiful, rich, NYC socialite who has spent most of her life in the spotlight. During her freshman year at NYU, a drunken night ends up with a big gap in her memory but she knows that her body has been violated. Shutting herself off from her family and the rest of the world, Claudia starts spending time with a guy who lives in her building. But then, she disappears.

Claudia’s face has been all over national news for most of her life and because of this, there will be people who believe she ‘belongs’ to anyone and everyone. I expected a #MeToo style revolution on the horizon and the book definitely has that vibe. Like the Hollywood women who came forward in that movement, Claudia’s lifestyle perhaps makes her extra vulnerable towards predatory men.

When I first met him, her new friend Trevor reeked of suspicion. I was very unsettled by him and I found myself keeping a close eye on his thoughts and reactions. He is enamoured with Claudia and seems to be willing to do anything for her. Their friendship actually strongly reminded me of that between Veronica and JD in Heathers and I was scared of a similar, crazy ending.

One of the most devastating parts of The Missing Hours is Claudia’s idea that she deserves the abuse she got. I know that this is a genuine thought process that many women go through in the immediate aftermath of being sexually abused. They start asking themselves questions about how they dress, how they speak and how they interact with men as well as their own sexual pasts. The fact that these women don’t immediately know that what happened to them wasn’t their faults is heartbreaking and says so much about the way that girls are raised -to be apologetic and self-critical.

Distrust of men, all men, is at the forefront of the book. The sad truth is that although not all men are dangerous, it’s often not obvious which ones aren’t. Therefore, a blanket rule of distrust can be considered sensible amongst women, especially when alone after dark. I felt that the book was acting as a warning to young female readers to stay vigilant and talk to the men close to them about the fears we face every day.

The Missing Hours is a riveting, well-written and absorbing literary thriller. I wanted nothing more than for Claudia to heal from her trauma and for the culprits to be duly punished. Themes of toxic masculinity, privilege and obsession come together to create this very gripping, timely mystery.

Claudia Castro, a student at NYU, wakes up one morning knowing something happened to her the night before but is unable to remember it.
From different perspectives, the book tells us how both those directly involved and their families react to Claudia’s rape.
The truth is that I expected another type of novel, I lacked something in the characters that seem to me a little stereotyped and the secondary plot of the Subway slasher remains undeveloped. Despite that, this is a very pleasant reading. And I recommend it.

The Missing Hours - Julia Dahl

College student Claudia wakes up with no memory of the night before, but knows something isn't right. As she pieces things together she thinks she might have been raped.

I won't say anymore about the plot, it's highly unpredictable and moves at a good pace, builds up a real momentum and is full of shocks and twists.

The characterisation is superb, not just Claudia, but her family, friends, the suspects and the suspects' family members. We get chapters from all of their perspectives, providing a real depth with memories, fears and motivations.

I was reminded of Kia Abdullah's excellent character writing and moral reflection combined with Linwood Barclay's pacy, unpredictable plotting. An absolute winning combination.

This is the first novel I've read by Julia Dahl but definitely want to read more.


Thanks to Netgalley and Faber & Faber

*Trigger warning: Mentions rape / serious sexual assault*

This is an intriguing look at life after a serious sexual assault on a freshman student, the rich and famous Claudia Castro by two friends, one very drunken night. We begin with Claudia waking up and realising that she has been assaulted the night before but has no memory of it, that is until surfaces of the night and what happened with who.

A compelling read, Julia Dahl, walks you through Claudia’s thoughts and decisions in the weeks that follow. Everything is driven by emotions of Claudia, her family and the perpetrators and their families dealing with the assault in a digital age.

I found the characters to be very realistically portrayed. Claudia is shown to be the girl who has everything initially, she has a famous family, a trust fund, and an enviable Instagram of over twenty thousand followers where she posts regularly. Everything changes after the attack, and we see the impact on her life. The guilt is followed by anger and revenge.

Chad has been infatuated with Claudia for years and doesn’t appear to carry any guilt over his actions, feeling that she deserves it after ‘leading him on’. His father knows the stakes and tries to protect him, not necessarily in the right ways.

Trevor waw the best character in my opinion, the perfect stranger who is supportive but also somewhat in love with `Claudia which leads him to some regrettable decisions. Sometimes in these situations it’s often easier to confide in a stranger.

The ending was the most disappointing part of the book and left me with many questions. I wanted to know more of what happened to the others in the book but mostly I wanted more for Claudia.

This is a book about rape, money, power and emotions. An insight into how the super-rich deal with situations, the family backgrounds and how many and power talk louder than real justice. Just to mention though, no official justice has been sought.

From the blurb I thought this would be a ‘normal thriller’ (my usual genre) but it was so much more nuanced and a captivating read about the aftermath of a crime rather than the crime itself.

I can see how Claudia felt more empowered by the end and it spoke to the appalling rate of convictions, the victim blaming that occurs and is both realistic and very topical.

I found this a very quick read but thought-provoking. It was also not mentioned that any of Claudia’s friends or 20 thousand Instagram followers were concerned when she disappears which like many other books of late speaks to the fake friendships that can be found both on and offline.

Thank you to The Publishers, Faber & Faber, the author and Netgalley for an Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fast paced, engaging read, from start to finish. Told through three points of view, Claudia, Eddie, and Trevor. Claudia wakes up one morning feeling something is not quite right. She can’t remember what had happened the night before. She is a student at NYU living in student accommodation. It’s spring break and most students have gone away, or gone home. When Claudia sees herself in the mirror she has a black eye and a cut lip, she knows something happened but what? She meets Trevor who is also studying, he has lots to cram in so hasn’t gone away for spring break. He comes to Claudia’s aid, he likes her, but whereas Claudia is from a very wealthy connected family. Trevor is not.

Edie is Claudia’s sister she goes into labour and Claudia has promised to be there along with Edie’s husband, but she is not answering her phone. When Edie checks Claudia’s social media it shows she was out drinking. What Edie doesn’t know us what has actually happened to her sister. Claudia tries to behave like nothing has happened, she remains behind closed doors until most of the bruising has gone down only going out wearing sunglasses to go and get medication from a clinic. She then takes Trevor to a party at her ex boyfriends, although Trevor feels completely out of his comfort zone.

It’s not long before a video appears on Claudia’s phone as well as Trevor’s that’s when Claudia knows exactly what happened and by who. How will she deal with it? She doesn’t contact her family, who start to worry as to where she is. How can Trevor help now?

This is an engaging read, as the difference between how easy in some ways things are if you have money such as Claudia, and those that don’t Trevor, who innocently gets caught up in things because he fancies Claudia. There are others who use their money to buy their way out of situations or try to buy their way out. But some people won’t be bought. Then there’s revenge, how far would you go to get revenge on something someone has done to you, when you know full well they will probably get off with it, and you will be made to look bad?

Definitely a good read, with quite a few twists and turns as to how things will go, choices and decisions made. I read this in one sitting completely engrossed. Not knowing how it was going to end.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #FaberandFaber for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has everything. Drama, intrigue, excitement and everything in between. I was gripped from the first paragraph.

Devoured over two days it was difficult to put down. If you are looking for a toe curling adventure this is the book for you.

Felt highly invested in the characters and plot.

Loved it, highly recommended 5 stars from me.

Claudia seems to have it all until one day she wakes up with no memory of the evening before but clearly has been sexually assaulted, then she receives a video of the assault happening,
The story is very well put together with good descriptions of the after effect of being assaulted.
Then halfway through the plot changes to Claudia getting her revenge on the boys who assaulted her, so your sympathy changes from Claudia to the boys and confuses you as you know what they did wrong but don`t like the revenge she takes.

A short story well worth the read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh I felt terrible reading about what had happened to this girl Claudia. She was wraped and she lost all her dignity. Well she has all, admires and money. She had a family that was disfuncional but also a vey concern sister. She get a very nice friend and was really good to see somenthing positive in all this drama.

Claudia was a special girl with special aproach to solve the problem. After that night she does not remember anything. But also after discovering who was the rapist we see how man with more money has different posaibilities.

Thank you Netgalley and Faber & Faber publishers for this copy in echange of an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! A great mystery that had me reading long into the night to see what happens at the end. Unputdownable! I also loved that the characters seemed so real - we've all met a Claudia in college, as well as a Chad, unfortunately. Very relatable, and very good. Thank you!

I was not expecting the darkness of this novel.

It is an exceptional read, but with very dark themes, it may not be for everyone.

A story of an influencer wakes up "missing hours" and soon finds her life of glamorous friends and exclusive parties changing into a stint in the witness box.

A strong and frankly incredible novel.

One Night Changes Everything….
The seemingly perfect life of Claudia Castro is changed in one night in this gritty, disturbing suspense with a very dark edge. The premise delivers here as the reader is taken along Claudia’s journey. Powerfully written and difficult themes handled with sleight of hand.

Claudia Castro is a young, rich, student at NYU – as are virtually all of her friends and acquaintances. Her life in the real world, as a minor TV celebrity, and as an influencer on the internet, appears close to perfect. But this morning she slowly awoke to discover she had a raging headache, a black eye, a cut lip, post coitial damage and no memory of the previous night. With the help of a friend, Trevor, she manages to keep out of sight for a week or so before attempting to rejoin her social network. But the appearance of a video showing her drunk and sexually compromised has devastating consequences.
At this point the story shifts from seeming to be about rich and feckless young people to one of retribution and revenge. As Claudia, and a rather unwilling Trevor, embark on this. more and more of the people – mostly rich and powerful – who surround her and the author of the video are sucked in; rather like stars that get too close to a blackhole. Guilty or innocent, everyone is damaged. So ultimately this takes on the classic attributes of a tragedy.
The writing style is good, sharp and literate and evocative of the characters (none of whom are very likeable, although I did have a lot of sympathy for Trevor, caught in a situation and a world which are not his) and their lifestyle. Each character gets a bit of background, usually a memory flashback, and further details are fed in in the same way if needed to background an event about to happen. There is an inevitability about tragedies and this plot does not deviate from that. Ultimately, this is a good read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.