Book Review & Giveaway: The Lost Girls (Contemporary Fiction)

The Lost Girls

by 

Jennifer Spence

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Australia
Publication Date: 29th January 2019
Pages: 352
RRP: $29.99
Format Read: Uncorrected proof copy
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

How far would you go to save someone you loved?
 
These are just two of the fateful choices a woman must face in this highly original and hauntingly evocative detective story of love and loss.

At the core of the enigmatic Stella’s story, past and present, is a mystery she is compelled to solve, a beautiful young woman who went missing fifty years ago – and a tragedy much closer to home she must try to prevent.

As Stella unravels the dark secrets of her family's past and her own, it becomes clear that everyone remembers the past differently and the small choices we make every day can change our future irrevocably.

This utterly original, gripping and mind-bending tale will stay with you long after the last page.

The Lost Girls is a contemporary time travel novel, perfect for readers that don’t normally read time travel. It is 2017 and Stella, on her way home from work, alights from the bus to find the streets are different yet familiar. She has arrived at her street only it is 1997.

Spence explores the theme of regrets. What if we could go back in time and change how we lived our life? This idea further expands to ideas of changing the past and what consequences this has on the future. A future that has already taken place! How would our memories, the ones we have made and are firmly imbedded, change?

The narrative is firmly lodged in 1997 with events of 2017 showing as Stella’s thoughts and written notes, which makes for an easier reading experience for those that find jumping back and forward in time difficult to follow.

Although, as with any time travel, you will need to suspend belief, Spence has addressed issues such as accommodation, identity and money in a believable way.

The mention of world events places the story solidly in its era and I loved the descriptions of Sydney trains, ferries and shops. All familiar landmarks for this reader!

There is a fascinating side story of the disappearance of Stella’s Aunt Linda which occurred in 1950. A compelling mystery weaving its way through the story to a startling conclusion.

This is a cleverly plotted page turner. I read it in two days. The story pulls you in and was actually causing me great anxiety. Stella was a wonderful character easily identifiable both as a 43 year old busy mum of teenagers and a 63 year old with a loving husband but some regrets in life.

The ending was superb! I can see why everyone is raving about The Lost Girls.

My Rating  5/5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


*This review is: 
Part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge
& Book #4 in the Australian Women Writers Challenge

I have a finished copy of The Lost Girls to giveaway to one lucky reader.

Enter via the Giveaway form below.

Photo credit: Jacalin King

 Jennifer Spence has worked as an English teacher, a scriptwriter of soap operas and a technical writer. She is the author of three children’s books and a crime novel. She lives in Sydney. 

 

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was - pammieS

 

Book Review: Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer

Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Publication date: 27th February 2018
Pages: 352
Format read: Paperback
Source: Own


Blurb

The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.

As weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhood, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?

Both candid and compassionate, Before I Let You Go explores a hotly divisive topic and asks how far the ties of family love can be stretched before they finally break.

My thoughts 

Two sisters, two very different life outcomes. Lexie is a doctor engaged to Sam who is also a doctor. Annie is a drug addict. Lexie is not surprised when she gets a call for help, from Annie, in the middle of the night. It’s not the first time it has happened. But now Annie is pregnant and that changes everything.
”There is no off switch to the love between sisters” - Lexie Vidler

Who isn’t intrigued by dysfunctional family stories! I could clearly see from the Facebook discussion for this book that so many readers could relate to the sisters on different levels – unparented children (when the parent is not mentally present), drug abuse, sibling connections.

The story is set in Alabama where there are strict laws on drug use in pregnancy and any woman who is reported with drugs in their system whilst pregnant faces criminal charges for child endangerment with a penalty of a jail term. This causes a moral dilemma for Lexie. Should she protect her sister from authorities or protect the unborn child.

”What Annie is facing is a nightmare – but she is my sister. I’d never want her to face this alone.” - Lexie Vidler

Lexie has brought Annie up since the sudden death of their father when their mother became mentally detached from the world. Lexie saw every one of Annie’s problems as a failure and she needed to fix it. Lexie was not used to accepting help and kept shutting Sam out however Sam was sensitive and supportive, never judgemental, he knew how to rein Lexie in when she was going too far. I was so glad that Rimmer didn’t disappoint me and Sam stayed a constant until the end. *sigh*

Lexie and Annie’s story is intense and relatable, it will make you angry and break your heart; it opens up a lot of moral issues for discussion.
The dual narration, present day told by Lexie and the past through Annie’s journal entries, had this reader switching allegiances as the full story was revealed.

I will finish with this quote from Annie. It just killed me.
” How many thousands of dollars do you sink into a person before it stops being selfless and starts being ridiculous? How many times do you bother to revive someone who is nothing but a drain on you and society?” – Annie Vidler.

What if this was your sister or brother, your own child? Would you ever stop helping someone you love?

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Content: frequent coarse language, drug use, sexual assault.

About the author

Kelly Rimmer is the USA Today bestselling women’s fiction author of five novels, including Me Without You and The Secret Daughter. Her most recent release is Before I Let You Go. She lives in rural Australia with her husband, 2 children and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil. Her novels have been translated into more than 20 languages. 

 
This book is part of the Booklover Book Reviews Aussie author challenge
and book #9 in the Australian Women Writers challenge