A missing girl and so many unanswered questions…

This book definitely kept me guessing. I really didn’t know how the story was going to unfold. You get answers along the way, but there were so many unknowns. The twist and the ending were a big surprise! Lots of layers to this story and a quick and entertaining read.

The book starts with a Championship game where Coach Cass plans a "safe" lock-in with her students at the high school to celebrate the win.
You start off learning that Cass was not the "best" child herself and begin to wonder if her past will catch up with her. Meet Evie, a student who is at Manning Academy and on a scholarship because she doesn't have the best "home life". When Evie is abducted or goes missing you don't know which one at first the reader is engulfed in the world of Coach Cass's past and Evie's potential future.

Learning who was there to find Evie and who wasn't was part of the questions because Coach Cass knows that there are people who don't want her in her position as head coach. I wasn't able to pin this one on the person who had done it, and my jaw was left gaping at the end. And the reason it all happened was just one more thing that the past had in common with the future.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning of this book started strong. The missing girl, the friend from the past. The build up was great to just fall very flat. The ending didn't really fit and was disappointing.

Teachers friends, bullies are all suspects when Evie, a schoolgirl, goes missing.

This is a read that is unique in its plot and brilliant in its storytelling.

I loved how the story unfolded and the drama and suspicions just keep coming. It really is a tale that is one step ahead of the reader.

When a girl comes of missing, there are so many suspects. She was bullied in school, and the unthinkable way texting becomes part of the case points fingers at specific girls.

School, teachers, and others become prime suspects. I was completely shocked as the events unfolded.

Coach Cass has an absolute nightmare on her hands when one of her basketball girls goes missing during a lock in at the school. She desperately wants to find her student but at the same time, has secrets of her own that she definitely doesn't want coming to light.

Did You See Evie? was a good read. It was one of those where I really didn't care for any of the characters but I felt like that was kind of the point. There were a few plot points that I was able to predict based on little hints earlier in the book but I will say, I didn't actually expect Evie's disappearance to play out the way that it did. I had a few people on my radar but ended up surprised!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

"It's hard making friends with the past. It's hard carrying those memories and, thoughts and experiences into the future. But if you can somehow find a way to marry the two, something beautiful can happen."

That was a quick and fantastic read! The book is pretty laid-back and isn't too complicated. Despite its simplicity, you can still enjoy it because it is gripping and thrilling at the same time. The quotes above say all about the book and its characters. Some of the main characters remained haunted by their past. They are still tied up and unable to forgive what happened, or they haven't really changed their way of living.
I wouldn't describe it as unpredictable because if you read between the lines, you'll notice some of the twists and turns of this book, which I like to call the "mini twists". For instance, when I read about Connor suggesting Joanna to Cass as her assistant, I could sense there was something brewing between them. Maybe I just don't trust the boyfriends, especially in psychological thriller books – LMAO! Or maybe I'm just a bit of a judgemental reader.
Speaking of judging, I really felt it when Nadia, Cass's best friend, entered the scene—a lot of negative judgment. At first, I thought, "I knew Nadia was a bad news", especially after knowing she was still involved in the "dash and go" antics of hers, but this time, much bigger and dangerous. Then, things were very SUS and weird about her throughout the novel. However, this changes as I read and learn more about her. She's got a complicated history that she's still tied to, but ultimately, her character development is the most satisfying. I was just glad she finally made peace with them.
Bullying and abuse of power. It is not uncommon, and you'll see these in this novel that'll infuriate you! Just because someone is wealthy and privileged doesn't give them the right to bully others, but it is what is happening here. In addition to that, it made them get away with it for a long time because the principal covered it up. Those girls who ganged up to bully Evie learned a thing or two, but did they truly?
There are some parts that really didn't click with me, especially the early chapters, which felt a bit drawn out. The narrative was lengthy, and there was too much information that bore me. I had to skim some pages because there was nothing really going around it. But, overall, I enjoyed it, and I love that there's a closure in the end!

This book was a real page turner I couldn't put it dow . It keeps you guessing right till the end of the book to find out who took Evie . Brilliant read

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Did You See Evie? by Miranda Smith. Every teacher's worst nightmare: a student is missing on your watch. Well-crafted story that keeps you guessing until the end.

This book was a pleasant suprise! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, it kept me second guessing every character and their intentions. I absolutely had no idea what was really going on, there was so many curve balls being thrown in.
It was the best time!!

Coach Cass, head coach at an elite private school, was having a lock-in inside the school gymnasium with her team to celebrate them winning the division championship. Everything was going well, even if Cass was struggling with a decision she had to take, until the morning came. Because, when she woke up, one of the girls was nowhere to be found. Evie had disappeared and Cass was trying everything in her power to find her.
Everyone had a secret they were trying to keep and honestly I hadn't expected many of them.
I absolutely loved Cass, learning about her past and seeing how hard she tried to turn her life around. I also didn't expect to love Nadia as much, but she really grew on me, her life didn't turn that well, but she did the best she could and I admire the way she handled one of the most difficult decisions you can take. There was so many complex characters who made mistakes, but honestly, for some of them, I understand why they did the things they did. Also, shout out to coach Reynolds, I knew that was going to happen at the end!

I never read this author before, but I will definitely read more. She did an amazing job with this book and the pace really suited me.

I can't recommend it enough!

Cass îs a basketball coach at the elite Manning Academy and is currently engaged to her fiancée Connor, a businessman. For Cass this role is a dream come true after coming from.a poor background with parents that left a lot to be desired and she has worked hard to dig her way out from the roots of her upbringing. The team that Cass manages is full of bright young stars and they have just won the district championships, for Cass the third championship win in four years under leadership.

There is one exceptionally talented young star, Evie, and she is the girl that shoots the final hoop to bring the winning trophy home. Most of the other girls in the team come from privileged backgrounds but Evie’s home life is anything but privileged. Her mother is frequently missing from seeing her daughter achieve her goals and their household can only be described as chaotic. Cass feels a strong connection to Evie, identifying with the similarities of their childhoods. Sadly Evie also faces bullying by the other girls due to her home life and lack of money.

To celebrate the win the Academy organises a lock-in for the girls at the school's gym for the night where they will stay over and spend time together. The school feels this is a much safer option than what many of the wealthier parents wanted which was for the girls to have a night away somewhere out of town. Unfortunately on the night of the lock-in Evie goes missing and Cass blames herself, as do many of the other parents. Twice through the night Evie had approached Cass wanting to speak to her but each time they were interrupted and the conversation never takes place.The book then focuses on where Evie now is and who may be responsible for her disappearance.

Multifaceted characters and an excellent plot ensures this twisty tale will hold your attention and I read the book in an afternoon. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all options expressed are my own.

I am conflicted about this book. On one hand, it was incredibly readable, I finished in a day. It was interesting and mostly kept my attention. I did want to find out how it ended. But the plot, pacing and characters all felt a little flat. The main character was not terribly likable and kept harping on how her backstory necessitated her silence, but I don't know if I believed it? The friend, fiance and assistant coach all seemed very one-dimensional. I also weirdly did not understand why it was about middle schoolers instead of high schoolers, that detail did not seem to match the stakes of the story. And I did not really care for the ending, it did not make sense for the motivation of the antagonist. Not bad but not very memorable.

A great read about an after school event that goes drastically wrong when one of the girls in the basketball coaches team goes missing from a locked school in the middle of the night. Coach Cass knows it’s not completely true that they were locked in as she deliberately left one of the doors open but as she tries to find Evie before the police come knocking will she get out of this with her freedom and can she trust anyone close to her as someone wants her sacked from her job and this has played into their hands. Secrets and lies from her past threaten everything but will she find the truth before it’s too late. A great page turner which would make a great tv drama. Don’t miss this one!

This was one I had high hopes on . I found it to be all over the place and just too unrealistic . The book had far too many characters and I didn’t enjoy this one at all but was too far in to quit it 🤪. I have read several by Miranda previously and would read her again , this was just a miss for me .

This thriller is an absolute page-turner, a must to include in your TBR. It's got me at the edge of my seat all way long. I couldn't believe the ending.

As a longtime fan of Miranda Smith, Did You See Evie? did not disappoint! The story follows Cass, a dedicated middle school girls' basketball coach who has just led her team to a district championship victory. To celebrate, the team holds a lock-in at school.

During the night, Evie tries to talk to Coach Cass about something important, but is interrupted—never getting the chance to share her secret. Then, Evie vanishes without a trace. As the search unfolds, Cass wrestles with a secret of her own—one that may or may not be connected to Evie’s disappearance. Consumed by guilt, she seeks answers from an old friend, Nadia, as well as the girls on the team, her co-workers, and the students’ parents.

This book was an absolute page-turner! With its gripping mystery and well-drawn characters, Did You See Evie? kept me hooked from start to finish. I highly recommend it!

I really enjoyed the twists and turns this book had. I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen, each time I was convinced I knew what had happened to Evie, the person I suspected would be revealed to not be involved!

I wasn’t the biggest lover of the characters, but then I’m not sure you were meant to feel the empathy towards any of them.

Good book

After the team she coaches wins the Championship,Cass and the team has a 'lock in' to celebrate, in the school gym.
One of the students disappears, and Cass is afraid that her past will catch up with her.

This is an intriguing novel. Cass has tried to turn her life around after having a troubled childhood.
She has lapses, like pocketing a phone that isn't hers, but on the whole, she is a caring and trustworthy person.
I certainly didn't like the mothers of the Manning basketball team, and that includes Evie's mother. She seemed uncaring and the others ... well, money doesn't buy you class or motherhood points.

Miranda Smith does a good job of developing her characters.
I just didn't agree with the 'preteen' describing the girls. They are 13-14 years old. Preteen is between the ages of 9-12. Once there is a 'teen' on the number, they are teenagers.

All in all, an engrossing read. I enjoyed the book thoroughly.

3.5/5 stars from me.

𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐯𝐢𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡. 𝐈𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬.

Known as "Coach Cass" to her PE students and basketball team, Cass has come a long way from her low-income, abusive upbringing and is now working at an elite private school in town, living out her dream as head basketball coach.

The team has just won the district championship, and the families of the girls expect a proper celebration. It's decided that Cass and her assistant will host a lock-in at the school gymnasium. Expecting nothing more than the inevitable aggravations that come with supervising teenage girls, Cass never expects her star player Evie to go missing, but that's exactly what's happened.

Cass sees a lot of herself in Evie, who has a scholarship to the school, lacks designer clothes, and has a distracted, almost absentee mother. All she can think about is that Evie had been upset, attempting to tell her something at the lock-in when they were interrupted and Evie clammed up. Cass finds out that some of Evie's teammates had been bullying her, and when she questions them, she knows they aren't telling the truth--but how can she call them out when she's a liar herself? And the longer Evie stays missing, the greater the likelihood that someone will find out what Cass did that night--something no one can ever know.

This was a page turner, and there were so many red herrings, so many layers of deception, that I truly had no idea who the culprit was or what their motive could be. Interspersed with the mystery was the age-old question: can you ever really escape your past? Can everything you worked so hard for be taken away in the blink of an eye? You won't be able to turn the pages quickly enough! Thank you to Bookouture for this thrilling early read. This title will publish April 25, 2025.

Cass has overcome her "poverty stricken" past to become a basketball coach at a successful private school. While the team is celebrating their win, Evie goes missing from the lock in at the school. Cass' past has come back to get her, making her engage in things she does not want to do. Is she responsible for Evie going missing? Why did Nadia turn up now of all times? And just what is going on with Cass assistant coach? Something seems off there. Will they find Evie alive?