Review | Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

When her daughter comes home in fear after being followed by a man, Kate thought she knew who the man was. But is she right, and how far will she go to prove it? Owen lives with his aunt in a lonely existence, with no social life and a job that has placed him under suspension. But what happens when he meets like-minded men on the internet – ones who have the wrong ideas? Saffyre is a troubled teenage girl who prefers the outside world. But her curiosity leads her down dangerous roads. What happens when she gets caught up in something bigger than she knew? The lives of Kate, Owen and Saffyre will intertwine in unexpected ways, leading to a shocking conclusion.

I stride out, towards the man, towards danger, my actions my own but my fate left wide open.

Lisa Jewell does it again with Invisible Girl! She’s the master at creating complex characters in tough situations, where secrets and lies are all intertwined. This time, there’s a missing girl, a suspected man, and a family who are witnesses to the event – or are they more than that?

The book gives us three point of views from Kate, Saffyre and Owen. How they are linked is revealed through flashbacks and also through the investigation into a missing girl. The relationships are loaded and never what they appear on the surface. I liked how the book builds up their connection in a suspenseful way. While I wasn’t particularly fond of Kate as I found her as another variation of the same type of “wife” characters, I thought Saffyre and Owen were intriguing. Even though their moral boundaries seem broken at first glance, the book does a good job of humanising them and I came around to wanting them to have a happy ending.

The story deals with sexual assault, the mistreatment of women, and looks at the rise of “incels”. It made me frustrated at times so that’s down to the effective writing! I liked that the book doesn’t sugarcoat the dark side of the internet, and shows how easily people with no support system can get influenced by those with bad intentions. It shows how innocent people can get caught up in situations beyond their control because of their misplaced trust or even complacency. However, I did find the pacing a little slow and the switching between present and past could be smoother. I also wasn’t a fan of the open ending.

If you love Lisa Jewell’s books or if you‘re looking for a thought-provoking, addictive mystery, you don’t want to miss Invisible Girl.

CW: rape, sexual assault, self-harm, infidelity

I received a digital copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: Lisa Jewell

Photo by Thomas Allsop