Cover Image: Invisible Girl

Invisible Girl

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Member Reviews

Another excellent read from Lisa Jewell.
I would highly recommend to family and friends.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

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Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Catching up on my Netgalley books and this was a cracker. I’m so grateful to @randomhouse and @netgalley for my copy of the book.

“YOU DON'T SEE HER. BUT SHE SEES YOU.

MIDNIGHT: In an area of urban wasteland where cats hunt and foxes shriek, a girl is watching...

When Saffyre Maddox was ten, something terrible happened, and she's carried the pain of it ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn't, and now she hides, learning his secrets, invisible in the shadows.

Owen Pick is invisible too. He's never had a girlfriend; he's never even had a friend.
Nobody sees him. Nobody cares.

But when Saffyre goes missing from opposite his house on Valentine's night, suddenly the whole world is looking at Owen.

Accusing him. Holding him responsible for Saffyre's disappearance...”

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Lisa Jewell and I forgot how amazing her books are. This book was packed with deception, social injustice, mystery, revenge, trauma, and really complex characters. A brilliant combination coming together in a domestic suspense that had me gripped from the very start.

Not only did we have Saffyre and Owen’s story being told, we also had Cate Fours - mum, wife and neighbour to to Owen. Her husband was Saffyre’s therapist for 3 years. Lisa Jewell built up the characters really well in this book and I was interested in each of them right until the very end. I felt sorry for Saffyre and Owen, and Cate too now that I come to think of it.

Roan Fours... 😡

Not only did I love the characters, but the plot itself continually twisted and turned. It was tense, intriguing and mysterious. I did kind of guess the ending a little bit but this didn’t take away the enjoyment from it.

I would definitely recommend this !

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*Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* I feel bad as I finished this book a couple of months ago but somehow the end of term and Christmas and life all got in the way and I am only writing the review now. I have read a number of Lisa's books and loved them all and 'Invisible Girl' is no different. An extremely suspenseful storyline, combined with intricate and highly developed characters is a recipe for success. This book focusses on a handful of seemingly unrelated characters, Owen Pick, a suspended geography teacher, the Fours family and teenager Saffyre Maddox. As the book unfolds, their lives become more and more entwined, particularly after Saffyre goes missing and Owen is blamed for her disappearance. A brilliant, suspenseful read.

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I have become quite the Lisa Jewell fan over the years and basically have her new novels on auto-read. Invisible Girl certainly showed classic signs of Jewell's work throughout: complex characters and multiple points of view, page turning plot development and a fair amount of shocking surprises throughout. For once, I actually enjoyed a prologue - short, snappy and completely absorbed me (everything a prologue should be I just normally don't enjoy them). And from the prologue, I was hooked; excited to read a few more chapters as soon as I had chance and find out what had happened to Saffyre Maddox and how each character came together in her story. This novel was a dark insight into the everyday people that surround us in life and conveys just how little we may know about the innermost thoughts, torments and urges of our neighbours, friends and even family. There was some incredible character development in this and I shocked myself with how thought provoking I found that of Owen's, though I can't say I was as surprised by Roan's. I really liked this but I've definitely enjoyed some of Jewell's other novels more, such as The Family Upstairs and Watching You; nevertheless I'd recommend as a solid psychological thriller.

*I received an advance review copy of Invisible Girl from the publisher via NetGalley.

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We have four main characters really, Saffyre - the troubled young girl who sees her therapist Roan. Roan (doesn't feature as much as the others) who is married to Cate, a physiotherapist and loving mom and their neighbour Owen, in his thirties living with his eccentric aunt. The story splits between the characters, who all seem to have some link to each other. Roan isn't exactly as sweetness and light and he seems, Owen is a teacher, a bit of a loaner who may be a bit more creepy than he initially seems. Saffyre, the troubled youngster, a secret from her past that drew her to therapy but what is she hiding in her present and what do any of them have to do, if anything with her disappearance.

It is a bit of a slow drip suspense, I was immediately intrigued within a few chapters, we flip between characters and you wonder what if anything they have to do with each other. Saffyre is missing, is she dead? We know this from the blurb but the story flips from present day with her being missing to Saffyre's chapters - pre disappearance and the more we hear from her the more layers are unraveled.


The book looks at different themes, how quickly we make assumptions and or judgements on a small amount of information and how that can impact on a person. Manipulation, lies, love, family, relationships, friendship, corruption, hate & that is just scratching the surface. I have read Jewell before and I will read her again. A slow burner but written so you are caught from the beginning wanting to know where it is going, what they are hiding and where is Saffyre, 4/5 for me this time! It is a standalone, perfect if you haven't read this author before, good paced, thriller, suspense, tick tick tick, absolutely recommend.

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"At night I did not exist, I was the Invisible Girl. Invisibility was my favourite state of existence"

💢TW : sexual assault, false arrest💢

'Invisible Girl' is a book that plays around intertwined plotlines and in the end get connected and still leave you at a cliff-hanger. Predictability was at 0 percent and excitement at 100 percent max. I thought I figured out the whole premise 30% into the book, but I was in for a surprise.

It's a story that mainly focusses on sexual assault which blows up into an investigation involving a girl who went missing; is she dead? Was she kidnapped? Did she run away? It also brings into light the various incel forums that exist in a dangerously large scale, whose main purpose is to discuss rape fantasies and how to execute them.

Truth be said, the story was scary, because it was way too close to reality. Every single incident depicted along the lines of the book was relatable to some newspaper article or case which has become unfortunately more frequent than ever. It should really have had some trigger warnings because these were disturbing.

But keeping aside the horrifying relatability, the book lived up to its hype. Unprecedented twists and unnerving characters made it un-putdownable. One of the best thrillers I've ever read!

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I have just finished this book and can honestly say that I loved it. It was the kind of book that's impossible to put down and has been the cause of many late nights!!

Saffyre, the main character, is likeable and tells us about her difficult and secretive past. Owen, teaches us not to judge people based on first impressions and Roan reminds us that not everyone is as they seem.

Some great characters, fast paced enough to keep it interesting and many twists and turns. Overall, a great read and I'd definitely recommend it.

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I enjoy reading Lisa Jewell books and was looking forward to reading this latest one of hers. I wasn’t disappointed and found it an easy read that kept you wanting to turn the page.

The Fours family have rented an expensive flat while their house is being renovated. They live opposite a rather sad character, Owen Pick, a lecturer from a local college who lives with his aunt.

Roan Fours is a child psychologist who had Saffyre Maddox as his patient for 3 years before he discharged her. Saffyre is upset as he never discovered the event that was at the heart of her problems and decides to stalk him. He isn’t a very nice character but his wife Cate is. They have a daughter and son. As the book progresses we see how all these lives intertwine and come to a dramatic conclusion.

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Thank you Atria Books for an e-digital copy of this book to read and review

Having read a few of Lisa Jewells books i had high hopes for this one as the base storyline sounded good.

There are quite a few characters that somehow their lives intertwine and towards the end i was thinking would everyone connect in this way in reality?

Roan and Cate have 2 teenage children and early in their marriage Roan had an affair, but dismissed it as just a sex thing. Then Cate discovers that Roan had had another affair and even though they've had their troubles over the affair all seems to be getting back on track, but is it?

Roan is a therapist and is treating Saffyre Maddox for self harming, but can never get to the reason behind the self harm, but Saffyre knows how to play Roan and you are lead to believe that after she is discharged from therapy that she has a crush on Roan, but has she?

Owen Pick, the bachelor, who is a 33 year old virgin and a college lecturer, lives with his aunt and who everyone thinks that he acts and looks strange and also lives over the road from Roan and Cate. When there is a spate of sexual attacks on women in the area, Cate is convinced that Owen is the is the one carrying out the attacks and notifies the police, but with no evidence no charges are bought. Owen has been accused at work of sexually harassing two students in his class and is told that he will be suspended from work and to take a part in a course on how to treat and speak to students, but Owen refuses and leaves his job. He sits alone in his room everyday and then finds an online forum for Incels that he can relate to, the thoughts and meanings are true to his own life, and the way that he thinks about women, but this leads him down a dark and dangerous path and you are left wondering how is he going to get out of the mess that he finds himself in when Saffyre suddenly goes missing.

This book was plodding along and weaving in and out of everyone's lives, but it just couldn't pick up the pace and then all of a sudden everything went rushing ahead and before you knew it you were at the end with a happy ever after ending for the characters, apart for Roan.

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I’m a BIG Lisa Jewell fan and was excited to read her latest book, INVISIBLE GIRL. It did not disappoint folks. This book was more a slow burner than her others for me. It’s told from three characters perspectives and it gradually builds momentum as you start to get to the know the characters. As you expect from a Lisa Jewell novel, there are lots of twists and turns to the story. She always manages to create this sense of dread and unease...😱 I mean, even the blurb is unsettling:

‘A story of how we look in the wrong places for bad people while the real predators walk among us in plain sight.’

Ahhhh! You tell me that doesn’t put you on edge!! 😅

I thought the last 50 pages or so were excellent and really kept me on edge. Once again, Lisa Jewell has pulled out a cracking thriller with a shocking conclusion. Really good. 😃

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WOW, what a book! This book had me gripped from the first few chapters and the constant switching between characters and first/third person made the story even more real. The way all the characters entwined to create this story and bring it to life. This is the first thriller I’ve read in a while and it did not let me down. I enjoyed seeing how the characters handled all the different scenarios and finding our more about their past and the reason why they are like it. I enjoyed the ending however I do feel a little let down about the outcome of the missing girl. All in all, a really good book of Lisa’s again - 4 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

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This book follows a series of characters following the disappearance of a young girl and the impact the disappearance has on their lives.

I didn't feel any real connection to any of the characters and I didn't feel invested in the story or the mystery. I found the switching perspectives quite jarring and felt that it disrupted the flow of the book. The pacing also felt slightly off as it seemed to move very slowly in places and then at other points felt rushed.

Overall I thought that this was ok but I didn't enjoy this as much as other books from this author.

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This is the first of Lisa Jewell’s books that I have read, but I know it will definitely not be my last! I found this to be a really fascinating and gripping read and didn’t want to put it down!

The story is told from the perspectives of Saffyre in the first person and Cate and Owen in the third person and I really liked this differing narrative. When Saffyre was ten, something terrible happened to her and she has carried the pain with her ever since. When her psychologist Roan decides she no longer needs his help and treatment, Saffyre disagrees and begins to hide from him. Invisible in the shadows she begins to learn of his secrets; secrets she could use to bring his safe, cosy world crashing down, and that of his wife Cate and their two children. Owen is also invisible. He’s thirty three years old, never had a girlfriend, or even a close friend. Nobody sees him, or cares about him. Until Saffyre disappears from opposite his house on Valentine’s night that is! Suddenly, the whole world is looking at him. Accusing him and holding him responsible because after all, he’s just the type, isn’t he?

From the beginning I found myself intrigued by the characters and the story and found myself racing through the pages to see what would happen next as the plot gradually unfolded. The different chapter perspectives were really effective and there was a real element of suspense to the story. I was gripped by the number of secrets the characters were keeping and also discovering as the novel progressed and how the characters’ lives become so entwined. There are some sensitive topics explored in this book which can make for some difficult and slightly uncomfortable reading at times, but they are relevant for the incidents at the heart of this novel and add a layer of darkness and grittiness which this story would not be the same without.

The element of openness at the end is also very clever and allows the reader to continue to think about these characters and just what might have taken place, long after reading the last page! I cannot wait to read more of Lisa Jewell’s books in the future!

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I’ve been a fan of Lisa Jewell for a long time. I adored her writing from the first book of hers I read (which was Ralph’s Party about 20 years ago!). I’ve enjoyed her moving through different genres (I loved Melody Brown about a decade ago) and when she moved into psychological thriller I was intrigued. I really enjoyed Then She was Gone and The Girls so I was excited to receive this book through NetGalley. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this book, I found the characters unlikeable and found one particular plot point (which can’t share because SPOILERS!) just inconceivable.

I do normally love this author’s work so know that this book just wasn’t for me (I’ll not be any less likely to read future books).

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Oh what a great book, I really really enjoyed. From the first page right until the very last there was never a dull moment. With short and snappy chapters each one ending on a mini cliffhanger it was certainly an intriguing read.
🙎‍♀️
I must admit,having read a couple of Jewell's novels before (The Girls and The Third Wife) and feeling underwhelmed by them I didn't have the highest of hopes but this one was on a completely different scale to those I thought.
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Great Characters, all with something about them and a plot I couldn't get enough of. Invisible Girl had a lot, it had Trauma, Infidelity, Revenge, Heartache and Misconceptions. Jewell did brilliant work of delivering a clear message - Don't always judge a book by its cover. Certainly made me think.
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Thank you #netgalley #centurybooks
and #lisajewell for approving us for an arc.
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Highly recommended. Perfect for fans of Robert Bryndza and Shari Lapena. A must read for 2021

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Great suspense novel with plenty of twists that will have you second guessing. This is my first novel by this author and I was not disappointed. I will definitely be looking for more. Recommend this to anyone looking for a good thrill!

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This is my first book from Lisa Jewell and I will be sure to pick up another in the future as I did enjoy the way she wrote.

Unfortunately I did find it a very slow burn which almost lost my attention entirely. Having to come back to it multiple times after reading other books.

I found the perspective of Owen entirely off putting with his dabble into being an incel.

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

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I've read a lot of Lisa Jewell novels recently and "Invisible Girl" doesn't disappoint. Told from several characters' perspectives, you wonder how it is all going to tie in, but it does. My only criticism (a small one at that) is sometimes it was difficult to follow the timelines as many of the events happen on Valentine's Day but you arrive there at different times during the book.

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A very well done POV that kept me guessing and has a satisfying ending. It was my first book from this author and I can see why she is so popular. Keen to see what else she has to offer

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Totally mesmerizing. I couldn’t put it down. I loved how the individual stories entwined and created alternate viewpoints which had to be explored, and ultimately deconstructed to form the whole picture. I am always a fan of Lisa Jewell books and this one is right up there for me. Not a thriller exactly but full of suspense, twists and surprises which kept me hopping from one suspect to the next.

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