The Fours family has been living in a rented apartment while work is done on their house and living in the 'posh' neighbourhood is not what they expected. The area is quiet, with most of the residents keeping to themselves, not so different from the Fours family themselves. Dad Roan is out of the home most of the day, as are the children Georgia and Josh - it is mum Cate who is home most of the day, or running errands in Hampstead Heath. The strangest thing about their neighbourhood is the man who lives across the road, a man that Georgia said was following her home and giving her the creeps. Roan isn't bothered by the incident, and Georgia isn't particularly bothered either, but Cate is worried - especially when there are increasing reports of sexual assault in their local area.
When a young girl goes missing in their area it doesn't appear to involve them - but then it comes to light that missing girl Saffyre Maddox was Roan's patient for three years, and that she was seen in the area around the time of her disappearance by the man who lives across the road from the Fours. Owen Pick, the witness, is a teacher from a local college who has resigned from his job after students came forward with complaints of inappropriate behaviour. Owen is angry and frustrated about the whole thing and finds himself drawn into a strange new world - incels, people who are involuntarily celibate. But falling down the rabbit hole of the incel community will only bring him more trouble.
Invisible girl was an interesting, if slightly laborious, read that took a little more effort to engage with than I would normally like - but that I was glad I read all the way through. The story itself is solid, and where Jewell takes the characters is both engaging and satisfying - but it was the constantly moving around timeline that was frustrating, sometimes it was hard to tell what point of the story you were in. There is great character development and growth across the novel, and you do form a connection with the characters, but the lack of a clear timeframe and moving backwards and forwards through time is a little frustrating.
If you like the crime genre, and like challenging yourself to unravel what is happening before the big reveal at the end, then Invisible girl is the book for you. If you like books that are seamless and smooth, with a clear chronology and easy readability then Invisible girl is not for you. Best summed up as a solid crime novel, but not one of my favourites.
If you like this book then try:
- Then she was gone by Lisa Jewell
- When I was ten by Fiona Cummins
- Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
- My best friend's murder by Polly Phillips
- Hidden lies by Rachel Ryan
Reviewed by Brilla
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