The Things We Dont See

I’ve been a fan of Savannah’s work for a long time now, since before she published her first poetry collection, Graffiti, in 2016 and I have to say she’s only getting better and better. I read her first novel The Truth About Keeping Secrets last year and loved it so was very excited to be approved for an ARC of this on NetGalley. I knew I’d probably finish this one fairly quickly as I was familiar with Savannah’s simple, yet achingly beautiful style which is super accessible and perfect for YA. However, I’m not sure I expected to devour it quite as fast as I did. This book is unbelievably pacy and with twists and turns in every direction I could not put it down because I needed to know what happened next. Right up to the end I still wasn’t sure I knew what had happened to Roxy and I was just as confused and terrified as Mona. The fact that Mona is an intensely unreliable and at times unlikeable narrator should be off-putting, but somehow you find yourself still rooting for her to discover the truth every step of the way. If you’re a fan of mysteries, true crime podcasts, or just beautiful writing definitely pick this up when it’s out on 24th June!

Ever since finishing 'The Truth About Keeping Secrets' I have been excited for Savannah's next novel, and I was not disappointed!
The characters in 'The Things We Don't See' are what makes the story, they all have complexity to them drawing you to have almost a love/hate relationship with the majority of them. Each character is flawed, but this is a perfect reflection of what small areas such as Sandown Bay are like; even if they appear as one friendly community, everyone has their secrets which is made apparent from the very beginning. The relationships between the characters in the book are also very complex, especially between the trio of Mona, Peyton and Ellis which is explored throughout the story too.
Alongside the characters, I did become very attached to the setting and its mysteries, the setting was so perfect for this storyline and is a major part of the plot, even though it has its issues I still feel like I want to see it all for myself.
'The Things We Don't See' is just a brilliant book, it had me gripped to the point where I couldn't put it down until I'd finished. If you're into mysteries then I would thoroughly recommend it! There are many twists and turns and as soon as you think you've cracked it... I promise you, you haven't!

Hey Savannah, you've done it again!! THE THINGS WE DON'T SEE feels wildly visceral and real, with utterly believable characters, dialogue and chemistry, intertwined with BEAUTIFUL prose that reels you in and then punches you in the face. I raced through this, especially towards the end, when I also got swallowed up by the island but in the best possible way.

After previously reading and loving Savannah Brown’s other novel (and poetry collections!), I was delighted to get an ARC of this from NetGalley!
I absolutely adored this book. From the first page the writing is wonderful and the setting is so incredibly vivid. Brown manages to make the reader feel as if they themselves are in the claustrophobic Sandown. This high standard of prose is constant throughout the book.
The characters were intriguing and well developed. The main character, Mona, was difficult and stubborn and particularly compelling. Her roommate, Peyton, provided a balance to Mona and their dynamic is something I enjoyed. Ellis, their friend on the island who gets involved in the mystery too, is delightful.
The book thoughtfully explores trauma and how it shapes our identity, unravelling Mona’s past and the disappearance of her sister while she searches for another disappeared girl. The constant exploration of the effects of Celeste's disappearance on Mona were well done. I also appreciated that I didn’t guess the truth about what had happened with either disappearance. Additionally, the commentary on how true crime sleuths affect those who know the victims was interesting and valuable.