The Nowhere Child

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

wow this book was amazing and what a journey it took me on...have read loads of books similar to this one but this one grabbed me for some reason

it was written in the past and present as chapters...so you had the real time adventure with the background story working towards the truth....

i lost sleep over this book just because i wanted to know who kidnapped the little girl and why...loved the style of the authors writing as well...kept the storyline flowing

gonna keep an eye out for more of this authors work

Australian crime fiction is a genre i have well and truly fallen in love with.
This is a debut psychological thriller from a new author. It deals with a child that was abducted from her own home. Fast forward twenty years, a man approaches a young woman and informs her that she is the lost little girl.
Well that was me hooked. The story is set in two time periods, when the event happened and now. This is compelling reading at its best and deals with two very dysfunctional families and how they deal with explosive situation.
This book is a slow burner but I am so glad I stuck with it, it is a harrowing tale and it does pick up the pace, action and suspense. I would definitely like to read more from this author. Recommended
I would like the author, HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.

This could be possibly be the best book I've read from Netgallery, The Nowhere Child reminds me of a Gillian Flynn novel the storyline is excellent and although it burns slowly it isn't lacking in drama! I couldn't put this one down, the religion side was horrifying and I needed to know how Sammys story ended. A strong 5/5 and I look forward to seeing more work from Christian White.

It is not often that i can read a book this length within two days, but i did with 'The Nowhere Child'. Absolutely enjoyed this book from start to finish and do hope it will not be too long before there is another book to read by Christian White. I rarely write what the story is about as i prefer one to read a book for themselves, but i do recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

Brilliant book, well written, well defined characters. I really enjoyed thos book and read it in a few days as I wanted to know who kidnapped the little girl.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

Wow - this is a seriously accomplished first novel; no wonder it won a literary prize before it was even published. Go out and buy this book right now but don't start reading it until you have a few hours to spare, you will not be able to put it down. Personally I am disappointed to have finished it and i plan to harass Christian White until he publishes another literary masterpiece and I am able to read it!!

This is a wonderful debut novel from Christian White. It’s full of plot, twists and turns. I wanted to get to the end to find out what happened but I also didn’t want my enjoyment of reading it to end!

In current day Australia Kim Leamy is approached by a man who claims that she is really Sammy Went who went missing in Kentucky, USA in 1990. Kim doesn’t remember anything from this time and cannot believe that her gentle and kind late mother would ever kidnap a child.

The plot takes us on a roller coaster journey between the past and present. It’s very well written and keeps you gripped throughout. There’s also a fundamentalist cult church who handle poisonous snakes and drink poison as part of their ‘worship’. If you think that is a far fetched plot just Google ‘Cody Coots’ and you’ll see this really is a thing in this part of the world.


Christian White is an Australian author who has won the Victorian Premier’s Award, also won by Jane Harper, author of The Dry. I await more books from Christian White eagerly.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A really riveting read! I devoured the book in two sittings. It is a very absorbing read with likeable and dislike able characters. Very atmospheric of the southern states of America. I really enjoyed this. #NetGalley#TheNowhereChild

The Nowhere Child
Author: Christian White
Publishers: HarperCollins
Gripping Psychological Thriller.

This debut novel won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award, previously won by 2 authors whose work I had read and loved, and I can see why it won. I read it in 2 sittings, I really did not want to put it down. The writing was great, the characters instantly believable and the story, about a missing child, was taut and gripping with an ending which I hadn't guessed but loved. I'd recommend this to anyone and everyone.

Many thanks to the author, publishers and netgalley for giving me this digital reader copy in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

The opening of this book introduces Kim Leamy a photography teacher in Melbourne, Australia in the present time. She is approached by James Finn, a stranger from America who informs her of the kidnapping of a little girl (2 years old) thirty years ago – Sammy Went.

The following chapter takes us back to that time in a small town in America when Sammy goes missing. The plot in this period unfolds through Jack, Sammy’s father and Emma, her 13 year old sister. In this fashion we are introduced to Emma’s brother Stuart, the sheriff Ellis and Travis a neighbour and we learn of the mother’s obsession with ‘The Light Within’ a fundamentalist, cult-like group to which she belongs.

The plot follows this structure of alternating between the two time frames. We witness Kim’s confusion and disbelief as it is revealed that James (in reality Stuart, Sammy’s brother) declares that Kim is that kidnapped child.

Well done Mr White. You have presented a complex, challenging plot with a cast of interesting characters. I liked the structure; I liked the characters and most of all I loved reading this book even if the rattlesnake thing un-nerved me somewhat.

Heartily recommended.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Snakes, exorcisms, cults and much more!

Kimberley Leamy lives in Melbourne, Australia is shocked when a man approaches her while at the college where she teaches photography. He claims that she is his sister, Sammy who had been abducted when she was two years old from Manson Kentucky USA. Stuart Went gives her irrefutable evidence as to who she really is.

The story is told in two parts. The story of what happened to Sammy, how the members of the Church of the Light Within (a cult who use poisonous snakes in their services) had influenced her (biological) parents and the present, where Kim/Sammy gets to find out the story of her kidnapping. The biggest shock for her is realising that her life had been based on a lie and the people who she had always considered to be her true parents are not.

The storyline moves at a very fast pace. I found that I was making excuses to read, even waking up early, so that I could fit in at least another couple of hours before my day started. Christian White has painted a very disturbing picture of the cult and the scenes with the snakes (creatures I’m terrified of!) had me forcing myself to continue reading even though I wanted to hide under a blanket. He’s captured the family’s torment following the abduction of Sammy. Equally, he’s captured Kim coming to terms with the lie she’s lived since her abduction.

A truly memorable book and one that will continue to give me nightmares every time I hear the word snake and God forbid that I trip over one as I holiday here in Africa!

Imbali

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Kimberly Leamy is a photography teacher in Melbourne, Australia. Twenty-six years earlier, Sammy Went, a two-year old girl vanished from her home in Manson, Kentucky. The novel opens with Kim being approached by an American accountant who is convinced she was that child.

There seem to have been a lot of books about missing children over the last few years and I went in expecting a competently written, if not terribly original, story. Fortunately it was much better than expected! The characters are well-rounded, with their own quirks (and demons) and I particularly enjoyed the male characters Jack, Travis and the cop. However, it’s the setting that makes this book really stand out. Small town Manson, Kentucky is vividly brought to life, along with its weird and wonderful Church of the Light Within. Tightly plotted, with a structure that jumped regularly from then to now, this thriller kept me hooked from start to finish.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC to read and review.

I liked this book a lot. After only a few pages, I knew it was going to be good. I liked the back then and now concept, the chapter lengths were just right for this. The story flowed well, I liked the backstory sideline titbits that added to the intrigue and mystery.

This is a book worthy of a duvet day as it's frustratingly good that you just want to get answers so just one chapter while I have 5 minutes turns into sorry I'm busy.... while you read more....

I highly recommend this author. I'm looking forward to his next book.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the author and publishers for the opportunity to read this book #NowhereChild

This book is brilliant there is no other way to describe it. I started reading it not knowing what to expect. The premise a simple idea but the book turned into something more. The story has so many twists in it. From the start with Stuart to the end with Dean. Kim /Sammy lead you down her story but the past and present story telling leading you into the finale had me gripped. I was sleep deprived at the end of it but it was worth it. The ending left me with the what's going to happen to Kim/Sammy this new family, her old family, her step dad. I feel emotionally invested in her now and hope the author does do a continuation. I want to know what happens next! This was a brilliant debut and I look forward to reading more of Christian Whites work.

Wow! What a fantastic debut novel from Christian White. I finished it within a couple of hours as I couldn’t wait to get to the end of this thriller and find out what had happened.
Imagine finding out as an adult that your life to date had been a lie, and you had been kidnapped as a child and moved continent.
Torn between hurting the family she was brought up with and finding the truth, Kim Leamy travels to America to get to the bottom of the allegation from a stranger that she went missing as a toddler.
I’ve read several books about missing children, but this one was different in that it didn’t have the predictable “happy ending”.
Would thoroughly recommend this read, and will definitely keep an eye out for further books by Christian White in future.

This was a great read. Very thought provoking and intriguing. A very well thought through psychological thriller. I liked how the story went back and forth from then, when the kidnapping happened, to now when the kidnapped girl was found as an adult many years later. The book had me hooked from the very first chapter. Excellent.

Really really good! I have read only half of it so far but i cannot stop! If I did not have to sleep, work and do school runs, I would spend all day reading in the bed. The story is really fast paced, no unnecessary descriptions or dialogs. The author has a talent with all these twists and turns that keep me glued to the book! Cant wait to find to find out what happened in the end and looking forward to read more books of Christian White in the future.

One of my favourite things about reading a book is the fact you are never sure of what story the pages of a book will hold. Yes, you have the book description to give you a hint, but even so a story can take so many directions. I thought The Nowhere Child would be a straightforward “girl gets taken, and then found years later” but how wrong I was this book has so much more to offer, it’s dark, genuinely twisted, layered in mystery and intrigue. I should mention the book is the debut thriller from Australian author Christian White, and what a debut, it’s superbly plotted, and one of those books that’s a pleasure to read for all its twist and turns.

What would you do if you discovered your entire life was a lie? That’s the question Kim Leamy has to face when she’s approached by a man whose convinced she’s Sammy Went, a little girl who went missing twenty-eight years ago in Manson, Kentucky. In a quest for the truth she travels to Manson where Kim soon learns that some secrets are best left buried. The Nowhere Child alternate between the past and the present chapters, ensuring the reader's attention never wanes. The chapters narrated in the past explore the impact of Sammy’s disappearance on her family and the small religious community they live in. The present chapters follow Kim’s journey to discover the truth about her past. Although the theme of a child being stolen isn’t entirely new, the authors telling of the story made this book a compelling read. As one chapter ended, and another began I found myself immersed in Amy’s story, rather like Amy I was desperate to get to the truth of her disappearance.

I found the chapters told in the past to be the most fascinating part of this book, as the author scratches below the surface of Kim’s grieving family, buried secrets bubble to the surface, and relationships already fragile begin to unravel. As to the present chapters as Kim delves deeper into her past what initially presents itself as kidnapping crime mystery novel turns into something darker and far more sinister. Every character from Kim’s past has something to hide, and as each one is revealed the web the author weaves becomes more tangled.

Although some readers may consider this read a slow builder, I thought the pace was perfect; it allows the reader to get to know the various dysfunctional characters from Kim’s past warts and all. The NoWhere Child is a heart wrenching and somewhat chilling psychological thriller which explores several different themes, love, loss, scandal, and religious cults. Christian White Debut made for a compelling read with fascinating characters, the perfect location, with a mystery containing so many twists and turns it’s guaranteed to keep even the most ardent psychological thriller readers entertained. Highly recommended

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

I loved this book and felt the characters really believable so felt I actually went on the journey with Kim, I enjoyed the way the story built up in the present alongside the past to see how and what happened to Sammy when she went missing.
I was sad to finish it as felt so real I wanted to know what happened next!!

There is no surprise that this book received such a prestige award because it begins at an almighty pace and just gets faster! Australian Kim Leamy was doing pretty well for herself as a photographer. Well that was until an American stranger knocked her world from under her when he announced that she was his little sister, who had been abducted from Kentucky over 20 years ago. Now that's not something you hear everyday but after a rummage among her family photos and finding nothing of her before the age of 2 and a blood test well she can't deny what he is saying. Kim packs her bags and goes to find out more about her short life in America and the family that she was taken from.
For the first two years of her life her name had been Sammy Went and her family lived in a very over the top and pretty weird religious community with a fair assortment of snakes. God fearing, deadly snakes that judge the guilty and innocent. Whoa this felt like stepping back in time. Kim was going to have her work cut out in this tight-lipped community, that really aren't the friendliest of people. Kim is determined to find out more about her family and the reasons behind her abduction.
The story dips back and forth into the past and present day with an increasing uneasiness growing the more the two time lines are coming together. There are some pretty awesome characters in this story, not all good, but real get to you sort of people who will be a long time before they fade from my mind. And there are stories within the story that just stopped me in my tracks. Could these things really happen? The story made me have that uneasy, butterfly in my stomach feeling in so many parts and in others I felt horrified enough that if I had been there I would have been frozen in fear.
What a cracking story, perfect for the super sleuth readers and mystery seekers of the truth. It doesn't lack a few dead people either. Did I mention snakes? There are plenty of very deadly snakes! Highly recommended.
I received this e-copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher which I have reviewed honestly

It’s been a while since I read a book where I didn’t want it to end, but at the same time I can’t put it down as I have to know the ending!
I felt like I really got to know the characters of this book and they got under my skin! It was as if I was there with Kim and all the others living what they were going through. This was so well written to draw you in in this way, as so many books you just read you don’t feel what the characters are feeling. With this book you really did.
The church element was really creepy, had a very cult vibe and eeek to the snakes. This story is how I imagine the Madeleine McCann story to end. A woman living her life somewhere utterly oblivious to who she was and how it would mess up her mind if someone tracked her down and unloaded this onto her. Completely ripping her life up from under her!
This was a brilliant book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! However, I’m gutted that this is the author’s debut novel as it means there isn’t a back catalogue to catch up on!

It’s hard to imagine living into adulthood and then a bombshell explodes and you have to question everything you thought was true. The Nowhere Child is a rollercoaster ride of events and emotions as Kim Leamy travels from Australia to America in search of the answers to her identity. Christian White manages to paint great pictures of both countries in this incredible debut novel that sucked me in and spat me out. This is suspenseful thriller writing at its best. Thanks to HarperCollins for the ARC.

An awesome read. disappearing child, forbidden love, changed identities, a cult, this book has them all. the chapter alternate then and now, from the time of Sammys disappearance til modern day Kim is approached by Stuart. One book that I could not put down until the end.

This is definitely a writer to watch out for as he can certainly tell an intriguing tale that draws you in from the start.
When Kim is approached in her home town in Australia by a man called Stuart who tells her that her real.name is Sammy, that She was abducted 28 years ago from Manson USA and he is her brother, her life is not surprisingly turned upside down. The story continues in alternating chapters of Then and Now where the mystery of what happened begins to surface leaving the reader with just enough evidence to think they know who was involved and what transpired until another snippet of information is thrown in to the mix to cast doubts again. I love this types of mystery that keeps you dangling right until the very end and even then manages a final twist. A very good read!

As an Australian, I congratulate my compatriot for an engrossing read. I grew up in Melbournebut have lived most of my adult years in the UK. I have a feel for displacement as Christian so eloquently describes for our nowhere child/adult.
I understand that Christian has spent time in the movie/TV genre. The book mirrors the changing scenes in a movie, with focus on the main character then pan shots to the overall picture. As in a movie, Christian does not provide every detail and explain everything, leaving it to the reader to wonder and fill in.
We watch lots of films about state crimes where the FBI are called. I kept wondering about the efficiency of the US police. How did the Americans disappears easily. What about border control in the US and Australia? False identities.
So while I stayed awake, lapping up all the twists and turns of this book, I kept questioning and thinking beyond what we were given. I think this added to the read and left me at the end, saying to myself, "Phew, I can relax now. It's a fictional thriller."

This is a debut crime thriller set between the present day in Australia/America and the early 1990s in Kentucky.

Kim has lived in Melbourne all her life. Or, so she thinks. She is approached by a stranger one day who seems to think she is involved with the case of a missing child almost thirty years before, little Sammy Went who vanished, aged 2, in Manson, Kentucky. Only she's not just involved - this stranger thinks she IS Sammy.

This is a fast, action packed thriller that I couldn't put down. It goes back and forth between the events of 1990 in Kentucky and the present day investigation between Melbourne and Manson. I went into this fairly blind and thoroughly enjoyed it, I'd highly recommend you do the same.

Fantastic, a really well written thriller and something fresh which can be hard to find in this genre. Thanks to the publisher for granting me access via NetGalley.

Wow! I loved this book. Dark and creepy but with fantastic characters. I felt for Kim/Sammy who despite having a wonderful upbringing with a loving family discovers she was a kidnapped child. The back and current stories are compelling as you are stunningly lead to the conclusion.

I loved, loved, loved this book! I read it in one sitting and was desperate to reach the end and know what had happened. The story was brilliant and I really enjoyed Christians style of writing. I cannot wait for the next book.

This is the real deal. Gripping, surprising and well written. Like any thriller there are parts that you need to suspend belief in but overall the plot was tight, characters well developed and the story gripping. Loved the stuff about the Church of the light . It is very different from The Dry but also excellent. Only small gripe -not sure the title does it justice as it sounds like a run of the mill thriller and it is far from that.

Just wow. Could not put this book down. This plot line is unimaginable for a parent and you really feel the anguish that Jack Went gives off when Sammy is gone. Your heartbreaks for what they all go through. I had an idea of where the kidnapper came from and why but wasn’t sure of the who. A fantastic story.

Well this was a fantastic read! What a great premise - a two-year old child was taken twenty-eight years ago and that child was you!

Such a well-told story, set in small town Kentucky, where a strange religious cult has a strong foothold, it was told in the now and then format, so as Kim discovered more about her background, we found out the backstory of the people she was meeting. So much tension, such believable characters and a fabulously dramatic ending. Loved it!

What a great debut novel. It really excites me when new authors can come out with such great stories! Christian White, you definitely gave me a story worth my time :).

Now for the mystery of Sammy Went. The story is relayed as we continuously jump between the present and the past, a narrative that is carried out seamlessly and with great precision. Characters, motives and relationships all reveal themselves as the timelines head towards a point of what I suppose we could refer to as enlightenment. Not only is the mystery in itself a great journey, but we as the reader we also get to ask ourselves about what actually makes a family, is there some fluidity about right and wrong, and can bad choices be reconciled if the reasons and outcomes are likely admirable?

This is definitely one of those books that you want to keep talking about way after finishing that last page.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for a Review Copy.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This book is absolutely brilliant. I took my time reading this one as I was hooked after chapter one, so I didn’t want to rush it. The storyline is fantastic, the characters all gelled together well. A very well thought out story. A sad story with a great ending. Some good twists, but at the same time the closer to the end of the book the more you realise the actions of the people, their reasons for doing such things and what’s going to happen. 5 stars from me. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Kim thought she knew who she was - but does she really? Happily living in Australia, she is surprised when an American man turns up claiming to be her brother and that she had been kidnapped as a little girl. A gripping psychological thriller involving cults, kidnap and confusion. A great twist at the end. Highly recommended.

What a clever debut novel this is, it will keep readers engrossed.
The author must do a follow on book. I want to know what happens next!
Thankyou to NetGalley and the author and publishers

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. Really enjoyed it. Well written and full of twists. If you enjoy dark thrillers you’ll love this!