Beneath the Surface by Fiona Neill is a very accomplished family drama. I particularly enjoyed reading about the ups and downs of life seen through the eyes of Mia. What a cleverly written character; I loved her.

I wanted to find out what was next for the family but it’s likely the author wanted us readers to decide a future ourselves. Thoroughly recommend.

Sorry, this book was not for me. I read the synopsis and thought that I would enjoy reading it, unfortunately I found it difficult to enjoy.

I loved this book. This is about a family with flaws and secrets. I loved Mia, the 10 year old quirky youngest daughter, I loved Lily the all too perfect teenager and I also loved their dysfunctional parents. Secrets from mother Grace's past cause her to worry too much about her daughters and the more she tries to protect them, the more they pull away. It takes a final dangerous incident at the end of the book to see them begin to really understand each other. A great read!

I am in charge of our Senior School library and am looking for a diverse array of new books to furnish their shelves with and inspire our young people to read a wider and more diverse range of books as they move through the senior school. It is hard sometimes to find books that will grab the attention of young people as their time is short and we are competing against technology and online entertainments.
This was a thought-provoking and well-written read that will appeal to our readers across the board. It had a really strong voice and a compelling narrative that I think would capture their attention and draw them in. It kept me engrossed and I think that it's so important that the books that we purchase for both our young people and our staff are appealing to as broad a range of readers as possible - as well as providing them with something a little 'different' that they might not have come across in school libraries before.
This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for school so that our young people can enjoy it for themselves. A satisfying and well-crafted read that I keep thinking about long after closing its final page - and that definitely makes it a must-buy for me!

Reading the synopsis I wanted to love this book. But I just couldn’t get into the story. It’s a not for me, but am sure others will love it.

This is a story of a dysfunctional family who are drifting further apart from each other. When Lily ends up in hospital following a seizure, her mom Grace focuses all her attention to finding out what caused it and soon learns that she doesn't know as much about Lily as she thinks. Mia is a troubled child but who is ignored and pushed to the background as everybody concentrates on Lily.

The outline of the story sounded great but was very disappointing - the characters lacked credibility and no connection and the story was pretty much non-existent. It jumped from one person to the next and back in time to Grace's childhood but didn't flow so got very confusing and failed to keep your attention.

I read the first few sentences of the very first page of Beneath the Surface muttering to myself that I knew exactly where it was going. You could have knocked me over with a feather when, a couple of hundred pages down the line, it turned out I was right about absolutely everything. I think it may just be time to pack in this book reviewing thing and make my money as a fortune-teller.

I was intrigued by the blurb for this book, and for a while I was engaged with it. I had real sympathy with all the characters, who through lack of communication and misunderstanding became more and more remote from each other. Mia’s strange view of the world was completely believable,as were the description of Lilys seizures . sadly the other characters in the book were somewhat cliched , and I was just thought the physical state of the new build house was just too extreme, I also found the ending far too far fetched.

A fast-paced, intense read, a page-turner in every sense. It kept me guessing right to the final chapters.

Fiona Neill has written another insightful story about a dysfunctional family where children get caught up in the complexities of adult relationships. Although the subject matter is by no means light, the story draws you in and it feels a bit like you’re a fly on the wall - gaining insight into the minds of the family members and the secrets they keep from each other. It is the great characterisation that stands out for me, all are believable, but Lily was the most likeable for me with her rare sensitivity and highly developed emotional intelligence.
Sometimes as children turn into teenagers it can be hard for parents to respect their privacy. Grace’s controlling behaviour towards Lily due to her own poor upbringing underscores how we are held captive to our past and is one of the recurring themes in the story. Patrick, on the face of it seems more balanced and relaxed as a parent, but his financial recklessness and reliance on his brother indicates an abdication of his responsibilities as a parent and husband. Where there is a lack of openness, wrongful assumptions of what really took place can occur. All the characters are emotionally scarred, all having their own take on what happened and their reactions to the family crises.
This was a good read and I was not disappointed, although the ending for me fell a bit flat, but on reflection in some respects the book was less like a story and more like a real life account, where there isn't necessarily a happy ending or a miracle cure. This doesn't change my appreciation for the author’s superlative writing skills and I have no hesitation in recommending this as a very worthwhile and thought provoking read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK - Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read and review Beneath The Surface by Fiona Neill.

Beneath the Surface is centred around a family living in Cambridge whose eldest daughter collapses at school one day and the fallout from that incident. It starts off well and you are desperate to find out what the daughter Lily is hiding, as it’s clear she has a secret. The whole family has secrets and are ignoring the youngest member of the family Mia, who obviously needs attention. A decent read but doesn’t live up to the first quarter of the book.

An enjoyable story told from multiple points of view, charcters are believable and the story line is relatable.

The book was not what I expected

I thought upon reading this it was going to be a psychological thriller. However it was more of a family drama

I did enjoy this book.

I engaged with the family and almost felt part of the family whilst I was reading this book

It was a good read and I will read more family dramas

Beneath the Surface is such a clever title for Fiona Neill’s latest family drama, as the main action focuses on what isn’t said, rather than what is shared. The Vermuyden family are close, but even supportive families hold secrets.

Mum, Grace endured a difficult childhood and is determined her daughters, Lilly and Mia, will enjoy the solid start in life she craved. However, this makes her an uptight, protective mother, during a time when teenage Lilly longs for freedom and to hang out with friends. I felt Neill’s depiction of the angst Lilly felt about exams and relationships rang particularly true.

Meanwhile ten-year-old Mia who, although bright, sees the world that little bit differently from most folks, unwittingly stirs up local gossip during what began as a family crisis before morphing into much more. I also found Mia’s friendship with Tas, her young traveller friend, endearing.

Finally, although there were several story strands left untied, I still found the ending satisfying. Beneath the Surface, a strong family drama steeped in secrets.

I've enjoyed all other books by this author but this one I really struggled with and sadly gave up half way through.

Thank you to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and net galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows the lives of a family for whom life is always lived a little on the edge. Grace, trying to be the perfect mum. Patrick the less than perfect husband trying to hide their money troubles and their children. Lily has always achieved and is heading towards Cambridge university when a mysterious illness upsets all her (or her mum's plans) and Mia who nobody can plan for a unique character and for me the only one who came across as having any real depth.

For me I enjoyed the mind of Mia more than how the author tried to play with the mind of the reader with the psychological thrill. This always seemed just a little underwhelming. almost as if there was another step she could have taken. I was never really on the edge of my seat and find it hard to agree with its definition as a psychological drama. It had some similarities with the other book by this author in that I feel she captures well characters with personality issues.

Having said that I never felt like i wanted to put the book down, it had some really well drawn events and I would try something else by this author.

A troubled family living in the Fens. I have read two thirds of this but cannot face anymore. It’s like wading through one of the Fenland ditches and sometimes it feels like a lecture, masquerading as a novel, I’m sorry to say. There wasn’t one single character I liked or felt any interest in. Mia spoke like an adult but behaved like a three year old, in fact the whole family were beyond irritating. Two stars for the historical parts which I did enjoy and I did like the landscape descriptions too.

When I started reading this novel I struggled. It's not a novel where I found I couldn't put it down. It's a good book about how lives change with good and bad choices over a range of generations and life styles.

Mia is the first character we are introduced to but the novel is about the three females in the family, Lily her older sister and her mother Grace.

Mia is a lovey little girl who is quirky and individual and does not meet people's expectations. She always seems to be in conflict with adults and peers in her Primary School. Her only friend is a traveller child.

Lily is a teenager in her final year of A levels, studying hard for a good University education.

Grace, the mother, is described a pushy mother. We are given the impression by the narrator, who is often Mia, that Grace pushes Lily academically and does not care about her younger daughter.

At the beginning of the novel, there is a chance finding of some artefacts, which are linked throughout the narrative in unexpected ways.

I think this is a good novel to be used under the guise of 'relationship education' in a UK School to help children to understand their peers who have a problematic home life.

I recommend the novel if you know of any teenagers who's parents are splitting up or have a very traumatic childhood. Although Mia is in primary School, the novel contains content which may not be appropriate. To any parents thinking about giving this novel to a child I would suggest that they need to read it first.

I was given the novel free by netgalley.com for my fair and honest review.

I ffinally got this book to download, howeverf I rather wish I had not sruggled. I haves read 68% of it and really cannot be bothered to continue. I find the whole thing has a nasty theme running through it and a most pretentious kid as well! More than enough reason for me not to read until the end. Sorry about this.

A story about family relationships and secrets. Grace, the over-protective mother, trying desperately to prevent her childhood traumas repeat themselves with her daughters; Patrick - the ‘means-well’ Dad who cannot bring himself to share the extent of his worries with his wife; Lilly - the daughter struck down by a mysterious illness caused by keeping secrets; and Mia: the school outsider who believes she can solve everyone’s problems.

I enjoyed this story. The protagonists were compelling and the differing viewpoints played well for the story development. A good cast of supporting characters too. So resonant of every day family live up and down the country, but written with enough intrigue to keep the reader attentive.