This was such a great read. A girl raised in Australia gets a visit from a man claiming that she was snatched as a child and is potentially her brother.
This book was cleverly written, believable and hard to put down. The reader is so easily transported into 'Kim's' life and her feelings throughout her journey of finding the truth. You get a sense of each and every character, good people, saviours, family and worshippers. I would highly recommend this book.

As a debut novel, this has to be commended., A great concept for a storyline that is reasonably well executed.

Kim, a photographer in Australia is approached by a man claiming she is really Sammy, an American child who disappeared from home at 2 years old.

The novel flips between the past to tell the story of Sammy's disappearance and the effect it had on the family and the present to describe Kim's reaction to her world being utterly shattered by finding out her upbringing was all the time hiding the lie of who she really was.

The story is enjoyable and manages to keep sufficient secrets until the closing chapters making it a real page-turner. There are areas I would have liked the author to go into more but the story didn't really suffer for the lack of depth on these areas so I can't mark it down for this.

Would definitely recommend.

there was something about this book that kept me reading. my first thoughts after finishing it were, “i really enjoyed that!”

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book...loved the format with 'then' and 'now' paragraphs, culminating in both time periods merging for the finale! Plenty of twists and turns...and snakes!!!

A great debut from Christian White. As winner of the Victorian Premier Literary Award, The Nowhere Child has big shoes to fill (previously won by The Dry and The Rosie Project) and it’s more than up to the challenge.

The plot is essentially that of a kidnapping- tried and tested - but it’s a kidnapping with a difference, it turns out the kidnapped child of some 20 years ago is one of our lead characters, and she’s not been mistreated, tortured or bullied but has been nurtured, loved and cared for. So, where to from here? That my dear is where the reading comes in.

This is a great psychological thriller, it’s taut, fast paced and unique, a great blend of family angst and unspoken menace. Thank-you Mr White for recognising the pact between author and reader as sacred and especially for ‘taking this shit seriously’, in exchange I have no hesitation in highly recommending The Nowhere Child and unreservedly saying it was well worth my time. Not to mention the shoes were most definitely filled.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Imagine waking up one morning and everything you know is a lie and there was possibly a life before in a totally different country. Kim could have been sammy. Kim journeys back to where her life could have started to meet with a family she knew nothing about. Brilliant book full of the unexpected. The book goes between what was happening at the time of the disappearance and present day. I will be adding this author to my ones to watch. 💜

A well written book based over 2 time frames and 2 Continents but not difficult to follow . A girl is approached in Melbourne by an "amateur investigator" who says he believes she is a girl called Sammy who disappeared as a 2 year old in America many years earlier , abducted from her parents who were part of a Cult religion . There are many twists and surprises as the story unfolds told from the earlier days of the abduction and her knowledge of her mother and stepfather who come under suspicion , but all is not as it seems as you think you know what is coming next .

What would you do if a stranger could prove without a doubt that you aren't the person you think you are? Would you want to know the truth and discover the who, when and how? Or would you just ignore the possibility of another life and identity?

Kim, an Australian photographer, thinks it is all some kind of sick joke when she is approached by someone who believes she is Sammy Went, a young child who went missing in the United States a few decades ago.

The premise of a missing child isn't a new one, however the author has added an extra layer of intrigue to the basic 'girl gone - girl found' storyline. Nature vs nurture and whether blood takes precedence over non-blood related relationships plays a pivotal role in this story and also for Kim. The meeting with her birth-mother is fascinating and is actually a key part of the plot.

Religion is used to control the masses, and yet simultaneously it is also a factor of comfort for many people. The majority feels as if they need to be guided and live by a set of rules written by men many centuries ago, and interpreted both now and then by men in a way that suits their own agenda.

The small town Sammy disappeared from is full of members of a religious community who use bizarre dangerous practices to prove their connection with and the existence of God. This includes the family of Sammy Went. A family torn apart by the mystery, the guilt and the secrets they keep hidden despite perhaps being able to help find the child.

It's a psychological thriller with a focus on relationships and takes the reader into the dark delusional world of cults and religious zealots. The main character struggles to connect with a past she has no recollection of and reconcile the happy childhood she experienced with her old family and her new one. It's an excellent read.

This has to be one of the most impressive novels I have ever read. That it is a first novel makes it even more impressive. It is stunning. The conception is very good; the execution is brilliant. Absolutely first class.

This is an excellent book, very well written with many twists & turns. Not the type of book I normally read but there was something about it that intrigued me from the start and I wasn’t disappointed. Fabulous!

A slow burn but definitely not lacking in action, pace and suspense. Wanted to keep on reading and finding out about the kidnapped girl. The book changed from present to past and I enjoyed this. A psychological thriller well worth reading. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

What would you do if a man turned up in your life claiming to be your brother, and that you were his sister who was kidnapped 28 years previously? I suppose most of us can never know but this novel tries to show how Australian woman Kim responds.

The quality of the writing is very good (I get the feeling the author spent time and effort on it which I don't necessarily always feel from the crime/mystery genre at the moment) and really engages the reader.
While I wasn't sure about Kim's quick acceptance of her status as long ago kidnapped child, the author rationalises her acceptance through interactions with her step-father and it feels believable enough.
The action moves on very quickly and perhaps that is the most important thing as we then get to finding out what actually happened in America in 1990.

The characters are vividly brought to life and the small town setting of Manson almost feels like an extra character in its own right. As the diverse characters are slowly brought together we discover more, and much of it is really rather unexpected. Even as you think you have guessed the twist there is another twist upon it to throw you off the scent.

A worthwhile read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Kim is living in Australia when a man arrives and declares he is her brother. His sister Sammy disappeared near 30 years earlier.

The book takes you on a journey on what happened to Sammy and who is Kim really?

Once I started this book I was gripped. At times I thought I’d figured out the plot but then something happened to change my mind. Kept me going to the very end. The characters take you on their journey of discovery.

I would totally recommend this book. However, set aside some time as once you start you won’t put down.

I LOVED this book! I can’t wait to read more from this author. I found it exciting and loved the plots twists and turns. Highly recommended. Five stars from me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Christian White for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Can you imagine if, as an adult you found out you weren’t the person you thought you were. Your parents aren’t the folks you thought they were and your sister might not be your sister at all. This is the premise for Christian White’s debut novel, AND ITS AWESOME! It’s 0439 and I have just finished - yep it’s that good. Just be careful where you start this novel ie don’t start it on the bus on your way to work because you will be throwing a sickie and sitting in a bus stop/park/coffee shop until you finish. I predict this book will be HUGE! Buy it, loan it, steal it (please don’t - The Light Within would not approve), just get your hands on a copy and lose yourself for a few hours. It’s the book that book lovers dream of, the book, every budding author wished they’d written - it grabs you from the opening lines and your reality fades away as you are immersed in the unfolding story, it’s characters and the twists and turns of a superbly delivered plot. Yes, I loved it, can you tell?

Note to Author: Christian, you had me at the first paragraph and you kept me guessing right to the end. Oh and I loved your author note at the end (Completer, Finisher, like your wife), it felt very personal and was great to have insight into your world. After you have basked in the glory of this book, do the world a favour and get back to writing. I for one, can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

Thrilling, tense, exciting. This is no normal abduction story - there are many layers which go to making a great & readable tale. I didn’t guess the ending & barely stopping reading until I got there. Highly recommended.

This was clever, and believable. I like thrillers where the plot actually fits well, and this is one that works without too much fudging and deus ex machina. The characters were relatable and the writing solid. I ripped through it at speed - it's a great holiday read.

Suddenly Australian photography teacher Kimberley has her life turned upside down. An American accountant turns up and tells her she is, Sammy Went, a two-year old girl vanished from her home in Kentucky twenty six years ago.

It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel. It is a brilliantly written, is full of twists, turns and surprises, yet perfectly paced. Through the back story, we learn about attitudes in small town America, about the issues dealt with by Jack, Sammy's Dad, and how her mother retreated into the local church with its almost cult appearance, including the use of snakes. The reader is dragged along at speed as the story unfolds. KImberley herself is now threatened by the very background she was kidnapped from.

Definitely recommended - and worthy of its Victoria prize, Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a review copy.

Unfortunately I started this book one evening, and soon realised I would be going to bed very late as I wouldn't sleep without knowing who Kim really was!
An amazing debut and refreshing to read a book with a plotline that I can't recall having read before. The author paced it well and managed to create believable characters and a satisfying number of twists along the way, whilst also contemplating the deeper subjects of religion, memory and belonging. Can't wait for his next one.
Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book.

I was gripped by the first page when a stranger approaches Kim and tells her he believes she is his sister Sammy Went who went missing 20+ years ago when she was two years old and he shows her a photograph of the child.
The story goes onto look into to the lives of the Went family member who are a colourful lot.
The story unfolds to reveal the truth which I would never have guessed.
I have given this book five stars as it was a really good read and and kept me turning the pages ever faster.