The premise of this book sound really good and I appreciate that I was given an eARC of the book to read and review. Going through the synopsis of this book now I have found that this book is no longer of interest for me to read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read.

Nothing Can Hurt You is a book that is relatively hard to define. It is almost a series of short stories from the points of view of a number of different characters that in some way relate to the murder of a young college student. It is skilfully written and, although unusual in its structure and choice of narratives, the author manages to hold the book together rather effectively. I don’t think it will be everyone’s cup of tea but I really appreciated its intent and originality.

Even though this came out last summer, I'm surprised I haven't seen more of it on bookstagram. Because it feels like a very bookstagram book. A fresh new voice, feminist, punchy and sharp. It's holds a microscope up to male violence in all its shapes and forms. A timely book in its subject matter (is there ever going to be a time when this isn't a timely discussion *sigh*)

I liked the fact that our victim was almost a background character. We learn about her through everybody else's experiences. I love how the book explored how her death affects those around her and even people she never met.

I really enjoyed it and it's so well written. It did take me a little while to get into it, just to figure out what was going on and how the stories connected to each other. But a really memorable debut that I'd highly recommend. And I'd love to see what the author does next. Plus, it's only 240 pages.

Absolutely loved the premise and layout of this book. We follow Sara and the people who knew her as the tell tales of their lives as Sara was murdered by her boyfriend. It's beautiful and provides us an insight into the lives affected by one crime. The ending felt a little rushed but it was still enjoyable.

Nothing Can Hurt You seems to be only the latest book in a recent trend: books that set out to do one thing, and seemingly manage to achieve only the opposite. Because, whilst this book painted itself as one that focussed on Sara Morgan, the cacophony of voices didn't bring light to her life; instead, it only obscured her. In a book that should have shown how one person can affect the lives of so many through the butterfly effect of everyday interaction, her desires, fears, motivations were lost. Like so often in real life, Sara was absent from her own story. And that is just not acceptable anymore.

I’m giving this a solid 4/5. It’s an interesting story and well written. It kept me engaged on a snowy afternoon over Christmas and I’ll be looking for more by this author. It’s about relationships, murder and it’ll keep you awake afterwards thinking about it.

Excellent book. Unusual writing style but it worked for me. I actually couldn’t put it down asi really wanted to know what had happened and why. I really liked it.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

It is the story of murder, its impact, and the aftermath, told in a series of vignettes. How does a tragedy, particularly a senseless and violent one, affect those on the periphery of it? Those closest to it? What do they carry? How are they different? What do they think about or fear? How are they changed?

The narratives in this book are a window into the experiences of individuals grappling with grief, anger, fascination, indifference, pity, and sadness. The stories are both profound and overwhelmingly believable, common, at the same time as being horrifying and poignant.

A beautifully haunting story that will stay with you...
The story is told through those who were connected to a victim of murder, it portrays how these people whom are connected are all.leftbdealing with their loss in.different ways.

The entire concept.of this book comes together perfectly in my opinion. It is perfectly written with a unique storyline that captivates you right to the end. I would highly recommend this book!

Nothing Can Hurt You is a beautifully haunting novel that tells a story through those who knew a murder victim. It illustrates how those who were connected to a victim are left affected in different ways. So many people are covered including family members, the killer, and people not even connected to the crime like the kid the victim used to babysit and other members of the community. It is a very fascinating concept that comes together nicely. Highly recommended to readers interesting in haunting literary fiction.

Nothing Can Hurt You by Nicola Male Goldberg is a circular story featuring several characters that are all connected through the death of Sara Morgan. They may be her friends, parents, family members etc but their stories are intrinsically linked with hers some way or another.

The telling of the story flip-flops through time from past to present day and it makes us look at the theme of murder with a new lens. Should we ever empathise with the murderer? How do we learn to forgive?

Nothing Can Hurt You Is a twisting tale that spirals seamlessly and pulls you along with its narrative. It was a one sitting read because I could not put the damn book down. Nicola Male Goldberg draws you in straight away. I wish you luck trying to get away from this spiderweb of a book.

Nothing Can Hurt You by Nicola Maye Goldberg is available now.

For more information regarding Bloomsbury (@BloomsburyBooks) please visit www.bloomsbury.com.

This is a very different and unusual book. At times compelling, at others uncomfortable but consistently absorbing, it is like nothing I have ever read before. Inspired by the murder of a young woman in the late 1990s, this book doesn’t explore the murder, instead it explores the ripple effects of the murder on those impacted by it. There’s the woman who found the body, the victim’s half sister, the child she used to babysit, her best friend and a private detective. Written from their different viewpoints it makes for an immersive reading experience.

Sara Morgan was murdered by her boyfriend, Blake Campbell in the late 1990s. He was a schizophrenic who had done Acid with one of his friends the day that Sara went missing. Her body was found two days later in woodland and Blake subsequently confessed to the crime. Coming from a wealthy family his parents hired a good lawyer, arguing that it had been a psychotic episode and rather than spending time in jail he was sent to a mental institution to seek help.

Told from a multi-person viewpoint this book does take a little bit of getting into, and I say that as somebody who loves a multi-person narrative structure. It feels a little dis-jointed at times and took me until quite a way into the book to really ‘get it’, but when I did, I realised that it has taken some enormous skill to write this novel.

Each chapter reads like a short story. I found myself fully immersed in some of the character’s lives. Backstories, motivations, restrictions and emotional vulnerabilities are all perfectly portrayed, so much so that I didn’t want to leave some of the characters behind so deep was my connection.

Not only is this a book about murder, it is also a book about violence in its myriad forms and justice. It asks the question whether there is such a thing as justice, showing us the different ways which humans can hurt one another and shining a light on the impact this can have. Using a murder as a central point it examines violence against women; physical, sexual and emotional and is a searing and powerful read.

Nothing Can Hurt You is wholly unusual but pretty great. I couldn’t even say which genre it fits into as it is based upon a true crime, but is a fictional tale. It features difficult subject matter but is sensitive and it really made me think. It is a challenging read but is ultimately satisfying

This book was a little different for me. Athough I enjoyed certain parts like trying to work out if the victim's boyfriend, Blake really was the killer and then second guessing it could be the best friend, Dawn, I found myself getting confused quite a bit as the story kept diverting between the different versions of events of the characters who knew the victim, Dawn. At times, I found it hard to keep up with what was going on as the story kept changing from past to present.

Overall, it was not a bad read but think I would have enjoyed it more if I could follow the story in a more straightforward mode.

In addition, I didn't really understand the ending as it was never revealed who actually killed the victim. Or maybe it did but I just didn't see it!

A good and interesting read. I felt though that it was confusing in places and that there are still some unanswered questions.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Nothing Can Hurt You is a literary thriller seemingly based on a true story that throws the rule book out of the window and does things differently. It explores the impact of a killing on a large cast of characters, both those directly and indirectly affected and those both in the inner circle of friends and family, and those on the periphery. Highlighting the extent to which people are deeply affected by the brutal murder of a young woman in their community we are treated to multiple perspectives on the case. When the apparent murderer, the girl's boyfriend Blake Campbell, confesses to the crime stating that when he slit her throat he was high on LSD the community and family are thankful that justice will now be served, however, this feeling does not last long. The mood rapidly changes when he is acquitted due to a plea of temporary insanity linked to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Blake comes from a prominent, affluent family who are well connected and can afford to pay for a top lawyer. The characters go through a gamut of emotions as their quest for justice continues.

This is a riveting and captivating read from the very beginning and with each chapter dedicated to a single character the clever construction helped build the atmosphere. It is haunting and moving with an inevitable focus on the issue of white privilege when it comes to the law and criminality. And so the intersectionality of topics such as race, class, power and wealth and how they combine to create modes of discrimination is touched upon. It is not a thriller in the traditional sense but more nuanced and philosophical in nature showing the deconstruction of a murder, its aftermath and the ripple effect a brutal crime can have on a close knit community. I thought the writing style and structure of the story was well thought through; you can tell it wasn't just simply thrown together. Quite often having a large cast and changing perspectives can be confusing but I didn't feel any confusion at all as I raced through this in one sitting. Many thanks to Raven Books for an ARC.

I started off this book not really expecting much. It took me a while to get into it (the first chapter is not what I would traditionally expect?). But from chapter two I was hooked. It unfolded well with strong thought out characters and interesting side plots. Not a murder mystery, but you do learn more as the book goes on, filling gaps about characters, motivations and consequences. Very readable and enjoyable!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.
Round up to 3.5-3.75 stars. A very well written, interesting take on the crime/real-crime type narrative: looking at the various people orbiting the incident - some closely connected, others loosely hanging at the periphery - and exploring how it effected them, directly or indirectly, rather than a straight-forward investigation. Not as clinical as it sounds and allows for some interesting perspectives to be explored as well as ruminations on the subjects of justice and violence. Would definitely recommend giving it a go if more conventional crime fiction isn't your thing or you want to try something different.

An unusual and haunting book, this explores the impact on multiple lives after a young woman is murdered by her boyfriend, who is found not guilty by reason of insanity. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different person, with some link to the case - sometimes significant, sometimes fleeting - with real impact. One chapter comes from the perspective of the victim's sister - another from a teenage girl who barely knew her, but was babysat by her as a young child. In this way, the author explores the far-reaching effects of gendered violence, and while the woman at the centre of it all has been silenced, ensures her story is heard.

This is an interesting idea for a book - a series of narratives by characters linked to a murder victim. It explores the impact on people's lives of such a loss, from the victim's half sister, a child she used to babysit, a reporter on the local newspaper, the woman who found the body and more. Through their eyes, you see the victim and her family, the killer and the wider community.

The victim herself is Sara Morgan, a young woman killed by her boyfriend, Blake Campbell, who isn't imprisoned for the crime. The narratives exploring her death arent chronological and dot around between people and in time, with some also featuring the story of a serial killer whose victims are found in a similar time frame to Sara.

The book is beautifully written and there are some really engaging ideas, but the marketing seems all wrong. Although it is haunting, it really isn't a thriller - anyone coming to it expecting clever twists will be disappointed, I fear. It's a short book, a quick read, but far more about the impact of grief on a community than any page-turning thriller. I kept expecting the stories to come together better, whereas it really just is a series of snippets of people's lives, albeit people loosely connected to a 1997 murder victim. There are a lot of unresolved issues at the end and, for this reason, it didn't really hit the spot for me.

I would recommend you read this, but coming to it with different expectations would probably make it more engaging. I felt misled by the marketing and so disappointed the book wasn't what I thought it would be.