#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.

What attracted me to request the book was the title - The Nowhere Child. The impression from the title is that the child belongs nowhere. The novel proved to be exactly that. A story of a young girl who had no place to call her 'real' home. Where did she belong? Kentucky, America or Australia. It was poignant, sad but also interesting. Interesting in that the child was brought up by her kidnappers and lived a very peaceful life full of love, warmth and happiness until one day her world is shattered. Through out the book, you feel you know who the kidnapper is but only in the end do you actually realise who it is. What a twist!

Looking forward to more books from Christian White.

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.

The Nowhere Child is a superb debut thriller from Australian author Christian White.
Melbourne photography teacher Kim Leamy is approached by a stranger, an American investigating the disappearance of a 2 year-old girl in Kentucky 28 years previously, a stranger who believes that Kim is that girl. Initially she refuses to believe him then after DNA evidence and her Step-father's refusal to answer questions about her past she travels to America to investigate. From there it's a roller-coaster ride of family secrets and the deeper Kim digs the murkier the story gets as it builds up to a truly scary climax, I won't mention my personal phobia but it had me cringing. To say more would be to spoil the story ,and what a story it is, very hard to believe that this is a debut. The book is pacey, there are some great characters and the writing style is fluid and it never flags. I read it cover to cover in about 6 hours,I hadn't intended to spend most of my Saturday reading but once I'd started I couldn't put it down.
An excellent read and a great new talent.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Christian White and Harper Collins for the review copy.

Absolutely superb book. Definitely not to be missed. Keeps to the usual alternate chapter then and now approach but never drops pace or interest. 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.

I absolutely loved this debut thriller and already can’t wait for Christian White’s next book!

I enjoyed the way in which The Nowhere Child was written - alternating between past and present but leaving each part on a cliffhanger. I hated having to put it down and could’ve quite easily devoured it in one sitting.

The plot itself was exciting and brought a new dimension to a child abduction. For the most part, I felt desperately sorry for Sammy’s family, particularly for Molly losing her child, however once the true intentions of the church came to light, I almost felt glad that Sammy was taken. I actually ended up taking a serious dislike to Molly, both past and present!
The real victim, I felt, was Jack. I loved his character and I’m so glad he got his happy ever after with Travis.

There were a few flaws, but nothing that detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I felt that the whole scenario of how Kim simply took Stu’s word and followed him to Kentucky a little unrealistic. If it was me, I would’ve asked for another DNA test (they can easily be faked) and I would’ve been more accepting of police help and looked at the old files myself rather than accepting what the family said happened. I almost began to expect to find that the whole scenario was a hoax - there was no valid confirmation for ages that Kim was Sammy!

I also question whether Dean would’ve risked going back to his home town so easily - surely he would’ve been recognised? Or perhaps he realised that the truth was about to come out?
Also, how was Patrick’s disappearance back in 1990 explained? Surely the police would’ve put two and two together?
There are a lot of unanswered questions, but, on the whole, this is a very good book and one that should be a bestseller in 2019!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for this ARC.