I was for the most part as thoroughly absorbed by The Sudden Appearance of Hope as I was by Touch; it's in surfacing from it that I can cast a critical eye backwards and say, this plot petered out, this part went on too long. But the experience of sitting with it, sinking into it, aching along with Hope as her loneliness shapes and breaks her, was wonderful, painful and moving. Though I was far more interested in her day-to-day life than I was in the sometimes creeping, sometimes whipping tendrils of a thriller's action plot, I was never bored and always invested. If you've never yet read a book by Claire North, this would be a great place to start.

This was a great book. It took a bit of time to get into it, but once you've dug into Hope's story, it's impossible to leave. What I love about this author is that she always takes these simple-yet-strange concepts and is able to make a huge story out of it. I thought it was great.

As usual, Claire North pulls together a fantastic premise and incredible characters in a great novel that pulls you in and never lets you go. A refreshingly original take on the thriller genre, which is as much fun as her other novels. Recommended!