Book Review – Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

One of the good things about this strange year is that I have had more opportunity to read. I’ve also expanded the genres I’m reading to include Mysteries and Thrillers – a genre I’ve typically stayed away from. After seeing the hype for this book over the past few months, I decided it was time to read it. Thanks to my local library for having an audiobook copy available soon after I requested it.

The story is told in the multiple perspectives of three protagonists. Owen Pick is a man in his thirties, a virgin living in his aunt’s home for the past fifteen years. He has recently been suspended from his teaching job after being accused of sexual misconduct which he adamantly denies. He lives across the street from Cate Fours and her family – Roan her child psychologist husband, and her two children Georgia and Josh. Saffyre Maddox is a seventeen year old former patient of Roan’s who has suffered a trauma at the age of ten. When she suddenly disappears, the police fear she has been abducted and believe that Owen is behind this.  But is he?

There is a lot going on in this book which kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I enjoyed the author’s style of releasing information to the reader in a non-linear time frame. Piecing the puzzle together in this manner allowed speculation as to what has actually occurred, only to be disproved later. I felt the characters to be well-developed and complex. The book discusses the societal implications of misogyny.  I was introduced to the term incel, a community I did not know existed. Because of its importance in parenting, I appreciated that childhood trauma is a theme throughout the book and further that it addresses the impact of unresolved trauma on the child throughout their lives.

I listened to the audiobook version which was performed by Donna Banya, Katherine Kelly and Connor Swindells. I am a believer that books such as this deserve an ensemble cast and I applaud the publisher on the decision to do so. The actors’ voices are age-appropriate for the characters, articulate and easy to understand. I listened to the book at my usual 1.25x speed, and found the speed perfect for easy listening.

I highly recommend this book to those that love a good thriller or mystery. I look forward to reading more from this author.

My rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5.