Author: Philippa East
Format reviewed: Paperback
Source: HQ New Voices Showcase
Publisher: HQ
Publication Date: 6th February 2020
Rating: 5 Stars
She only looked away for a second…
Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her young daughter.
But seven years later, Abigail is found.
And as Anne struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, she begins to question how much Abigail remembers about the day she disappeared…
Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her young daughter.
But seven years later, Abigail is found.
And as Anne struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, she begins to question how much Abigail remembers about the day she disappeared…
Even when I wasn't reading this, the story was on my mind, which to me is the sign of a very good book.
You've most likely, like me read books featuring missing children, what is much rarer is a book focusing on the child's return, and how they would fit back into the family.
And that is exactly what Little White Lies is about, Abigail shows up aged 15, having left the man the took her aged 8, and no one is quite sure how to treat her.
Her cousin Jess who she was always very close to seems to think that Abigail will barely have suffered, or changed, but Jess feels like a very naive and immature 15 year old generally, as though her emotional growth stopped at the point Abigail went missing.
So we get chapters from Jess's point of view and also from Anne, Abigail's mum. What is obvious from the start is something just isn't quite right with any of the family dynamics, There are things being hidden, and no one is quite sure if Abigail remembers the truth of the day she was taken.
It's an unnerving look at family dynamics, I'm not completely sure I liked that many of the characters, but I didn't hate them either, but I was very curious about them all, and I did care for them.
I'm so impressed that this is a debut novel, I loved how it was written, I kept wanting to pick the book back up when I had to part with it for real life, and there really are a great variety of little white lies, in the book.
I'm so glad I had a chance to read this book, and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for future releases from the author.
Thank you to HQ for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
You've most likely, like me read books featuring missing children, what is much rarer is a book focusing on the child's return, and how they would fit back into the family.
And that is exactly what Little White Lies is about, Abigail shows up aged 15, having left the man the took her aged 8, and no one is quite sure how to treat her.
Her cousin Jess who she was always very close to seems to think that Abigail will barely have suffered, or changed, but Jess feels like a very naive and immature 15 year old generally, as though her emotional growth stopped at the point Abigail went missing.
So we get chapters from Jess's point of view and also from Anne, Abigail's mum. What is obvious from the start is something just isn't quite right with any of the family dynamics, There are things being hidden, and no one is quite sure if Abigail remembers the truth of the day she was taken.
It's an unnerving look at family dynamics, I'm not completely sure I liked that many of the characters, but I didn't hate them either, but I was very curious about them all, and I did care for them.
I'm so impressed that this is a debut novel, I loved how it was written, I kept wanting to pick the book back up when I had to part with it for real life, and there really are a great variety of little white lies, in the book.
I'm so glad I had a chance to read this book, and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for future releases from the author.
Thank you to HQ for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
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