Lisa Jewell | INVISIBLE GIRL

 Plot (via Goodreads):

Owen Pick’s life is falling apart.

In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a geography teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel—involuntary celibate—forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.

Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbor Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.

Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears—and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.

Review:

Lisa Jewell has done it again, folks! This may just be the most unsettling of her reads so far and I loved the narrators, the plot, and the twists and turns. This is by no means your typical "girl goes missing" story. It is so intricate and well-layered with a generous plot and some really great characters that carry this story to its chilling and well-plotted execution. These are definitely not your typical cookie-cutter characters in a story like this and I was so pleased with how they came across on the pages. 

I'll say one thing, this one kept me so immersed the entire time and its synopsis is just the tip of the iceberg. What we have here is a novel that is beautifully written, yet gritty and it really doesn't hold back with some pretty heavy things. The reveals come often and in such a genuine way that shows off how brilliant Jewell is as a story teller. The big picture of this novel is how Lisa Jewell really plays cat and mouse with her readers, leading them in one direction, having them wonder what is going on, getting a small grasp of the situation and then tearing them in a completely different direction. It is a remarkable, poignant, and chilling story that will keep you genuinely riveted throughout the multiple-POV with some sensationally vivid characters.

If you are looking for the perfect fall or winter thriller that will keep you up late into the night and put a pause on your newest Netflix binge, Invisible Girl is a refreshing and phenomenal story that is just what you need to cozy up with your favorite blanket and a generously filled glass of wine. 

Special thanks to Atria for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5