My Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I requested this novel on the strength of the description, having always been interested in family history and finding lost family members. This time it’s not a search for a missing relative. That’s already been done. Sammy Went was abducted at the age of two from her American home. The story begins with Kim Leamy being approached in a college canteen in Melbourne, Australia, by a man who says that he has traced her as this missing child and he is her brother. He has the proof. We follow the journey as the why it all happened is pieced together on two continents.

I’m not a fan of time shift stories where the action moves between the present and a past event. But here it happens in alternating chapters and you switch between different casts of characters. You need to concentrate. But the author has shown considerable skill in keeping the past and present moving in tandem. Unlike other stories of a long lost child eventually found as an adult, this isn’t about the search and the feelings of those searching, but about the rediscovered adult and the effect it has on her life and everything she has ever believed to be true. Who is she really? Can she trust her “parents”, her upbringing, any more? Which world does she fit into? The one she was born into or the one she always believed was hers.

This ingenious story plunges right in on the first page. You don’t have any of that nonsense of reading two or three chapters wondering where it’s going. It made me want to read. We are gradually shown through the past story all the ingredients that led up to the kidnapping taking place. As the novel ends Kim Leamy / Sammy Went knows that she has to reconcile these two people into one whole. It’s a thought-provoking, enjoyable read.

Kim Lamey teaches photography in Melbourne, Australia. When she is approached by a man with an American accent, little does she know that her world is about to fall apart.

Without giving away any spoilers, Kim sets off on a journey to try to make sense of everything she has just found out.

A heart wrenching tale of families, human fraility, beliefs and how circumstancesake you do things you never would have otherwise.

A lovely debut book by the author, Christian White. I'll certainly be on the lookout for more of his books.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the review copy of this book

Manson, Kentucky might be fictional but it feels very very real. It's the scene of a child disappearance and seems to be in the middle of nowhere, so it might not be somewhere you visit anyway. The Church of the Light Within in the religious family which seems to make up a large part of people's beliefs and live here. It's not a religious community but not far from it.

Add to that a missing child, and the sense of split in that community is huge. Molly, the mother gets more religious and I got a bit freaked out at the practices involving snakes! This added to the horror of a missing child for me with a strange sense that there was a lot wrong in this community back then and there might still be..

The story also takes place in Melbourne, where a photographer named Kimberly Leahy is working twenty years later. A man approaches her at the college where she teaches and claims that she is that missing child, Sammy, kidnapped from Kentucky all those years ago.

So many questions arise at this point. Could it really be that she is that missing child. Taken so far away from home to a different continent, to the other side of the world? Of course, she has to find out, and so she heads to the town of Manson to open up a few wounds. Things get dark and uncomfortable but the pace always keeps you wanting to know more.

It's quite a harrowing tale which merges themes of family, lies, cults, religious beliefs and how the past really can come back to haunt you. The writing grips from the off and never lets go. The ending was nicely done and a very good surprise!

The setting of Manson may be fictional but it's heavily influenced by the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. The dark caverns, the limited space, the claustrophobic all play a great role in the novels. And the name Manson more than rankles a few hairs on the back of your neck...

Top thriller this one. More please Mr White!

Overall I thought this was well-written and an interesting plot. I did not like the idea of a religious sect that encourages snakes to bite people; I hope that does not really exist. I also did not like the many killings, beatings and cruelty although I guess this is to be expected in a thriller drama written by a man! The ending I thought was typical - where the bad man captures one of the characters and they are left for dead waiting to be rescued - then at the last minute there was a big surprise which I did not se coming, and that gives it an extra star.

#The Nowhere Child #Netgalley
This is story about kath Leary, a photographer from Australia. Who unexpectedly finds out she used to have another life. As a little girl who went missing from a small religious town in Kentucky USA. It’s one journey kath feels she needs to go on and also she’s afraid. To a certain degree, and exited. Until she starts looking into what happened regarding herself going missing. It’s a rollercoaster of a ride with unexpected twists and turns. A really good psychology thriller. One I couldn’t put down a must read

I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent book. I was immediately drawn into the story, and the characters are engaging and realistic. There were a couple of great twists and turns at the end that took me by surprise. I can't wait for Christian White's next book!

All things considered, I thought that this was a solid 3.5 star debut. The pacing kept me mostly interested although I did grow weary of the childish "cliffhanger" chapter endings. Repeated so often, this is a trick that loses any impact very quickly. While I wasn't fooled by the red herrings I still very much enjoyed the mystery as it unfolded since I felt the premise was a good one. This particular religious sect is one that I was unfamiliar with so there were definitely some surprises and even a few genuinely creepy moments. I would have liked to see a bit more of the wider cast of characters and the effect that such a bombshell would have on both families, or the changing relationships between the new and old siblings. I can forgive a bit of a rushed, far fetched ending but I would have appreciated a chance to care a bit more about the people who were quickly pushed into the background after such strong starts.

I enjoyed reading The Nowhere Child although it was slow in places I found it somewhat unpredictable and an intreging story. Some of that characters I couldn't identify with, some I loved to hate and a few I actually liked.
If I was in the same situation as Kim in not sure I'd jet across the world at the say so of a stranger and this made the story/protaginist a bit unreliable for myself but I understand that if the author had included Kim researching etc. This would have stalled the narrative and I probably wouldn't have finished the book.
I'd give this book the overall rating of 3.5 as I enjoyed reading it and I liked the ending.

OMG this book is amazing.Part mystery but also a part concerning now much control a church or religious organisation can have over someone's mind and decisions. The story centres around a 2 year old girl who goes missing and is found almost 30 years later by her brother in another part of the world. The question is where did she go that fateful night and who at the time was aware of this and get kept silent for their own reasons. Along the way it explores wider relationships and the part an outsider can have on a seemingly happy family along the lines of brain washing. There is also a chapter which makes you wonder if this could be a true story. I have to say I could not put this book down and will be looking forward with much anticipation to see if the author writes another in the course.

A story about some ordinary people - but extraordinary things happen.
I really enjoyed this story - the write up suggested that once started - it would have to be read in a sitting. I didn't read it in one go, but I did read it in a couple of days and found it hard to put down. While being so keen to read more, I am now sorry it is finished!
It is a good story focussing on the missing child but also tackling issues such as gay relationships 30 years ago, cult religious meetings and murder! It leaves lots to the imagination as the story ends, the reader is left wondering what next.

It is a great book and I thoroughly recommend it

It’s easy to see why Christian White won the Victorian premier literacy award, this is a fantastic debut novel.

Imagine discovering as a young adult that your life has been a huge lie, your family aren’t who you thought they were and you aren’t really you. This fast paced, chilling thriller opens up many questions and is full of suspense, twists and surprises.

A top story, great characters and intriguing plot. 5 well deserved stars.

I was sent a copy of The Nowhere Child by Christian White to read and review by NetGalley.
This is an intriguing and absorbing novel told in alternate chapters ‘Then’ and ‘Now’. The story begins in Melbourne, Australia in a chapter marked ‘Now’ with photography teacher Kim Leamy being told that she is in fact Sammy Went, a girl who went missing from her home in Kentucky, USA when she was two years old. Kim’s chapters are written in the first person which I think works really well and complements the third person ‘Then’ chapters which are concerned with the days surrounding Sammy’s disappearance. The book has a nice range of believable characters and has a good sense of place. There are some quite intense moments and I felt compelled to keep reading. I dithered a little whether to give the book 4 or 5 stars but in the end, and after some reflection, I feel that it is actually worth full marks. Enjoy!

This was a book I needed to keep on reading - and read in two sittings. I liked the layout - one chapter in the present, one in the past when two year old Sammy Went disappeared in Manson, USA. We learn new nuggets of information in each chapter. The present is the life of Kim Leamy in Melbourne, Australia whose world is turned upside down when a stranger appears telling her she is Sammy, and he is her older brother Stuart! we learn how dysfunctional the Went family really was, with mum, Mollie part of a religious cult, The Light Within, who handle venomous snakes to show God is looking after them. They're led by Rev Dan Creech' whose sister Becky seems to be caught up in the saga. Dad Jack has his own secrets. The truth of Sammy's disappearance comes to light in a way that affects the present. I felt for Kim, she had a normal upbringing in a happy family in Australia, and suddenly is presented with this unbelievable scenario. And isn't welcomed to the family too warmly - "mum" doubts her identity, as far as she is concerned, Sammy died 28 years previously. And the events and revelations that followed that time split the family for good. I'd love to see this as a TV drama or film. #netgalley #thenowherechild

Brilliant book. Not to be missed. One rollercoaster of a ride. I kept thinking I would reach a point where the book would lose the way for me but it never did. I am often disappointed when there is not a good twist at the end but not with this.

The nowhere child by Christian White is a five star read.
What do you do when a man who travelled halfway around the world tells you he believes you’re actually a child who went missing 28 years ago? That is the question Kim Leamy must ask herself. When she starts digging into her past she starts to have more questions than answers, flying to America to get to the bottom of the mystery, Kim meets her siblings and her half crazy mother who denies who she is. This story give me the chills, you were given the story as it was happening now and from 28 years in the past, every word pulls you in and grabs all your attention. I loved this book and look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.

WOW! Fantastic debut from the author. I devoured this book in a matter of hours. I highly recommend this great book and look forward to future books from Christian White.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

The Nowhere Child by Christian White is a thriller with quite a few twists and turns.
Kim Leamy is approached by a stranger in a coffee shop in Australia. He tells her that he thinks that she is Sammy Went a child who disappeared from her home in Kentucky over twenty years ago when she was two years old.
Kim then starts to look into this to see if there could be any truth in the story.
This book was told in two timelines, one chapter in the past, the next chapter in the present. I'm not a fan of this type of story and it did impact on my enjoyment of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

You believed a story that happened years ago .
That little one is you .
Little Sammy west went missing from her house about 20 years ago .
It was a small village with a deeply religious town .
Kim Leary is a photography and she is believing in being Sammy West
I had an ARC from Harper Collins

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction for a review copy of The Nowhere Child, a stand alone thriller set mostly in Kentucky.

When Australian photographer Kim Leamy is approached by James Finn she has no idea of the bombshell he is about to drop. He claims that she is Sammy Went, an American who was kidnapped as a two year old twenty eight years ago in 1990.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Nowhere Child which has an intriguing premise and backs it up with a very readable style and a plot full of twists and turns. The narrative alternates between Kim’s present day experience, told in the first person and the events of 1990 when Sammy disappeared, told from multiple points of view. I’m not always a big fan of this approach but it works reasonably well here with each storyline unfurling almost independently until all the pieces are pulled together at the end.

I understand that this is a debut novel which perhaps explains some of the events that don’t quite hang together logically, not that I noticed at the time because I was so caught up in it but which, on reflection, jar slightly. Nevertheless it is a very creditable start and I look forward to reading more from the author. I particularly like the tone of the novel which is inviting, free flowing and very easy to read. It is not a profound novel in that it doesn’t go in for analysis or social commentary (and there are times when the author could have indulged), preferring to let the plot do the entertaining which is a good move as it is a very enjoyable read.

As the novel is billed as a thriller the characterisation is developed to meet the needs of the plot. Kim/Sammy is the most developed character and she manages well in a situation she has not asked for and has been thrown into. There are no histrionics and she seems able to go with the flow so how she feels overall is not always clear but she is easily able to articulate her reactions to each individual event.

The Nowhere Child is a promising debut and a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Very well written for a debut novel. Took me a little while to get right involved with the storyline as it was not what I was expecting. Excellent premise. Twists and turns and a few red herrings. I look forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.