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No Child of Mine #1
No Child of Mine
Alex Lake’s life is centered on helping people. Her job as a social worker in a British seaside town is more than a career: It’s the very essence of who she is. And though there are frustrations, Alex takes to heart the rewards of placing a child in a safe and loving home. But when she encounters three-year-old Ottilie Wade, Alex is completely unprepared for the effect the sweet, shy little girl has on her. Though on the surface Ottilie seems to want for nothing—she’s perfectly healthy and lives in a very nice home—she’s mysteriously silent and asocial. Alex knows that something is not right in the Wade house. And the deeper she looks into the case, the more Alex comes to feel that she and Ottilie are being drawn together by fate.
As disturbing evidence mounts and Alex’s superiors seem unwilling to help, Alex knows she will have to risk everything—her job and the life she loves—to save Ottilie. But Alex will also have to wrestle the demons of her own past before she can secure a future for this child in need.
As disturbing evidence mounts and Alex’s superiors seem unwilling to help, Alex knows she will have to risk everything—her job and the life she loves—to save Ottilie. But Alex will also have to wrestle the demons of her own past before she can secure a future for this child in need.
560 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2012
360 people are currently reading
2988 people want to read
About the author
Susan Lewis
67 books1,203 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband James, stepsons Michael and Luke, and mischievous dogs Coco and Lulu.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband James, stepsons Michael and Luke, and mischievous dogs Coco and Lulu.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 332 reviews
March 30, 2022
Loved this book which is a strange thing to say really as each page made me feel angry and frustrated with various characters and the system. I felt like I was right in the center of the plot.
Very pleased with the ending and will continue this trilogy soon!
Five stars.
Very pleased with the ending and will continue this trilogy soon!
Five stars.
June 9, 2014
The last half was well worth the slow beginning. To think I almost quite reading this after page 50. I am so glad I didn't give up! This book was amazing, but very difficult to read at times. Just so I can get the complaining out of the way - this book is waaaaay too long. At over 500 pages I really felt like a lot of it could have been cut and it would have been much easier to read and quicker to get into. Longer is not always better.
OK that being out of the way -
The last half of this book was incredible. It was so emotional, so descriptive and had great character development. This is a story about child abuse (I was going to say "of the worst kind" but is there any better kind?) there are some pretty graphic details and the language is rough (a lot of swearing). But to be honest, that's what makes this so real. If she had left all that out it would have been just a pretty cover-up of what had happened. I was hoping for details, expecting them, and I got them.
I had guessed what was going to happen at the end (I will not give it away). Just because it was predictable to me did not take away from the story.
The characters - I did like Alex. I was rooting for her. I thought she seemed very good at her job. But the one you really fall in love with is little Ottilie! I could just picture her, what a cute and sad little girl. You just want to pick her up and hold her and tell her everything will be ok, but will it? The other surprising character I fell for was - Erica, Ottilie's mother. She is obviously a very disturbed woman who desperately needs help. I don't think anything that had happened was her fault. It she had been receiving the kind of medical help she needed instead of basically being held prisoner in her own home by her husband I don't think she would have allowed any of this to happen.
"Today, this morning, she'd finally stopped feeling like a person. She was nothing now, a no one, an entity that had no more substance or form than the voices in her head. They were silent now, but for how long?"
There were really several pieces to this story. There was Ottilie and what was happening, with Alex desperately trying to uncover what was going on. There was the Mom Erica and her deep illness. And then there was Alex's own past, there are a lot of hidden skeletons in her closet.
I am glad that the author put in so much detail about the abuse and what was happening. A lot of other reviewers complained about this but I do think it was important to really get a picture of what was going on. Like I said before it would not have seemed as real if she left out the details. There are bad things that happen in the world, not everything is roses everyday for everyone! If you want pretty - read a Romance.
But just be warned - this might be a hard book to read and there is a lot of swearing.
OK that being out of the way -
The last half of this book was incredible. It was so emotional, so descriptive and had great character development. This is a story about child abuse (I was going to say "of the worst kind" but is there any better kind?) there are some pretty graphic details and the language is rough (a lot of swearing). But to be honest, that's what makes this so real. If she had left all that out it would have been just a pretty cover-up of what had happened. I was hoping for details, expecting them, and I got them.
I had guessed what was going to happen at the end (I will not give it away). Just because it was predictable to me did not take away from the story.
The characters - I did like Alex. I was rooting for her. I thought she seemed very good at her job. But the one you really fall in love with is little Ottilie! I could just picture her, what a cute and sad little girl. You just want to pick her up and hold her and tell her everything will be ok, but will it? The other surprising character I fell for was - Erica, Ottilie's mother. She is obviously a very disturbed woman who desperately needs help. I don't think anything that had happened was her fault. It she had been receiving the kind of medical help she needed instead of basically being held prisoner in her own home by her husband I don't think she would have allowed any of this to happen.
"Today, this morning, she'd finally stopped feeling like a person. She was nothing now, a no one, an entity that had no more substance or form than the voices in her head. They were silent now, but for how long?"
There were really several pieces to this story. There was Ottilie and what was happening, with Alex desperately trying to uncover what was going on. There was the Mom Erica and her deep illness. And then there was Alex's own past, there are a lot of hidden skeletons in her closet.
I am glad that the author put in so much detail about the abuse and what was happening. A lot of other reviewers complained about this but I do think it was important to really get a picture of what was going on. Like I said before it would not have seemed as real if she left out the details. There are bad things that happen in the world, not everything is roses everyday for everyone! If you want pretty - read a Romance.
But just be warned - this might be a hard book to read and there is a lot of swearing.
February 24, 2020
Compulsively readable, a true horror story. I had a hard time completely swallowing some things-- especially the end (although I could understand why this ending was chosen). I also had problems with a feeling of chaos with all the characters, especially Alex. That being said, the story isn't over and although there were a lot of things I didn't like, I couldn't stop reading. The author had me totally. I honestly think that I can give a true rating only after I get to the second and third book of this triology when (if) everything is pulled together.
3 stars for now
3 stars for now
December 10, 2016
4.5 stars. Oh my! What a novel! This is the first time I have read Susan Lewis, so I wasn't so sure whether I would like it. However one very telling review on Goodreads from a reader I really respect - Laurel-Rain, had given it 5 stars so that was a good start!
It's a long book, so it took me a few weeks to listen to it. It is set in a small town in England. The narration was excellent and held my attention all the way through. The only very picky thing I have to comment on was the accent of a certain character who came to visit Alex. Sorry - but that is not a New Zealand accent!
But what of the content? Well it engaged me all the way through. Alex is a social worker, and a very good one. She cares about the children she works with. She puts in long hours and it is often heart breaking and difficult. She has to contend with situations where sometimes her life is at risk. She herself had a very distressing beginning to her young life and so knows first hand being left orphaned.
She has a few minor enemies, nothing outstanding, but enough to niggle and cause damage in small but significant ways. As well as working she is into drama and enjoys directing the local club. She is in a relationship with Jason as the book opens, but even as the book opens that looks a little shaky.
Alex trusts her instincts, and she follows up a phone call about Ottilie Wade and senses that all is not well with the child. The mother is very strange and the father is domineering and seemingly holding down a very respectable job as a deputy head at a local school. The more Alex knows of him the more she suspects. She soon is keeping a close eye on Ottilie, but things move slowly and social workers have to play by the book.
When one terrible night things go pear-shaped in a big way, the press go after Alex in a big way, blaming her for what has happened. As they do! They are out to sensationalise it all and Alex has to hide away at the rectory hoping it will quieten down soon. And she has put herself in a very compromising place. Go Alex!
I will certainly be listening to or reading the follow up book to this one, although with a little break in between!
It's a long book, so it took me a few weeks to listen to it. It is set in a small town in England. The narration was excellent and held my attention all the way through. The only very picky thing I have to comment on was the accent of a certain character who came to visit Alex. Sorry - but that is not a New Zealand accent!
But what of the content? Well it engaged me all the way through. Alex is a social worker, and a very good one. She cares about the children she works with. She puts in long hours and it is often heart breaking and difficult. She has to contend with situations where sometimes her life is at risk. She herself had a very distressing beginning to her young life and so knows first hand being left orphaned.
She has a few minor enemies, nothing outstanding, but enough to niggle and cause damage in small but significant ways. As well as working she is into drama and enjoys directing the local club. She is in a relationship with Jason as the book opens, but even as the book opens that looks a little shaky.
Alex trusts her instincts, and she follows up a phone call about Ottilie Wade and senses that all is not well with the child. The mother is very strange and the father is domineering and seemingly holding down a very respectable job as a deputy head at a local school. The more Alex knows of him the more she suspects. She soon is keeping a close eye on Ottilie, but things move slowly and social workers have to play by the book.
When one terrible night things go pear-shaped in a big way, the press go after Alex in a big way, blaming her for what has happened. As they do! They are out to sensationalise it all and Alex has to hide away at the rectory hoping it will quieten down soon. And she has put herself in a very compromising place. Go Alex!
I will certainly be listening to or reading the follow up book to this one, although with a little break in between!
March 8, 2013
The author's handling of the character Erica is appaling. The words 'basket case' and 'nut job' are used in relation to people with mental health problems.
Its is also wrong on many social work fronts, for example the author seems not to be aware that the police have a specialist child protection units based in many big towns with nationwide coverage. These people are specialist trained to interview children of all ages in similar circumstances to that in the book along with social workers, because in child abuse a crime may have been committed along with harm to the child.
Erica has paranoid schizophrenia and the heroine, a social worker, fails to get her any medical help although she is quite clearly ill. In this case you don't have to wait months to see a psychiatrist in the ordinary way in this instance, but simply ring the consultant's secretary or the doctor him/herself and explain the position.
I'm quite happy to have a bit of fantasy in my books and liked the story line, but I didn't like the lack of respect for people with mental health issues. The author has done her research but I imagine it is difficult writing about social work unless you have first hand experience. She does write beautifully about emotional issues though.
Its is also wrong on many social work fronts, for example the author seems not to be aware that the police have a specialist child protection units based in many big towns with nationwide coverage. These people are specialist trained to interview children of all ages in similar circumstances to that in the book along with social workers, because in child abuse a crime may have been committed along with harm to the child.
Erica has paranoid schizophrenia and the heroine, a social worker, fails to get her any medical help although she is quite clearly ill. In this case you don't have to wait months to see a psychiatrist in the ordinary way in this instance, but simply ring the consultant's secretary or the doctor him/herself and explain the position.
I'm quite happy to have a bit of fantasy in my books and liked the story line, but I didn't like the lack of respect for people with mental health issues. The author has done her research but I imagine it is difficult writing about social work unless you have first hand experience. She does write beautifully about emotional issues though.
March 11, 2013
No Child of Mine is from Net Galley, Random House-Ballantine. Release date for this republication is May 13, 2013, but you can also get the original 2012 publication.
Alex Wade is a social worker and dedicated to her job. When she first sees little Ottilie Wade, she immediately register both concern for the child and a strange attraction.
While you definitely want to know the story behind Ottilie, there are sections that are difficult to read as any kind of child abuse always is. The attraction of Alex for the child is kind of weird and pounded in as if we might miss it, and I found this a distraction. Kind of "Whoa, let it go! We get it, already!" The many subplots, some of which didn't seem necessary, at least in the detail/pages they took up are not always resolved. The book would have been better if it had been severely edited and pulled together more tightly. The conclusion...unlikely.
While I really wanted to find out what happened, there were plenty of things that bothered me. The book is being republished because there is a sequel due out, but I read an excerpt that was included with the ebook and won't be reading that one.
ISBN-10: 0345547756
Original publ. 2012. Repub. 2013. print version 576 pages.
Alex Wade is a social worker and dedicated to her job. When she first sees little Ottilie Wade, she immediately register both concern for the child and a strange attraction.
While you definitely want to know the story behind Ottilie, there are sections that are difficult to read as any kind of child abuse always is. The attraction of Alex for the child is kind of weird and pounded in as if we might miss it, and I found this a distraction. Kind of "Whoa, let it go! We get it, already!" The many subplots, some of which didn't seem necessary, at least in the detail/pages they took up are not always resolved. The book would have been better if it had been severely edited and pulled together more tightly. The conclusion...unlikely.
While I really wanted to find out what happened, there were plenty of things that bothered me. The book is being republished because there is a sequel due out, but I read an excerpt that was included with the ebook and won't be reading that one.
ISBN-10: 0345547756
Original publ. 2012. Repub. 2013. print version 576 pages.
August 9, 2012
Susan Lewis is a new author to me and this is the first book I've read by her but it certainly won't be my last. This is a difficult read dealing with hard hitting subjects such as death of a child. Susan writes each subject very well. I loved Alex as a character, she was a brilliant social worker and friend and sister.
I didn't like Brian throughout the whole book for the way he acted towards Alex amongst other things which I can't reveal without spoiling the story. I found Alex's sister Gabby a bit selfish as well.
The ending of the story was unrealistic for me and there was some grammar mistakes which was a bit off putting which is why it was a four star rating instead of a five.
I didn't like Brian throughout the whole book for the way he acted towards Alex amongst other things which I can't reveal without spoiling the story. I found Alex's sister Gabby a bit selfish as well.
The ending of the story was unrealistic for me and there was some grammar mistakes which was a bit off putting which is why it was a four star rating instead of a five.
September 19, 2012
I found this book really frustrating, especially since it was Susan Lewis and I expected something a bit more smoother. At first I loved how precise it was, how everything related to real life processes and procedure for a social worker. It was obviously carefully researched or the author had experience, to know how things run and work. Which is why it was so incredibly frustrating when the ending flopped and turned out like it did. As the book progressed, the feasibility lessened, the nods to common social work practice weakened, it became more fairytale and less possible. For that, I was annoyed and therefore one of the worst books by Susan Lewis that I've read.
March 4, 2013
I just finished reading this book, which was a good page-turner and interesting as to how social services are working in England, but the end was SO VERY disappointing, lacking in moral and common sense and surreal that it completely ruined the whole novel for me. No spoilers, but taking out 3 stars only because of the crazy inappropriate ending.
January 13, 2018
Wow. It''s been a long time since I've read a book that has gripped and moved me as much as this one. Ottilie's is a truly horrific story and having a daughter myself that is close to her age I found myself really struggling to read the bits about her without feeling sick or wanting to cry. Definitely a sign of good writing! The ending swept the rug out from under my feet and I absolutely cannot wait to read the sequel. Without doubt this is one I'll be recommending to everyone!
January 17, 2017
A 4.8 for this? When I first read the tile and blurb of this book, my first thought... "Oh damn, here comes another sad story." And boy was I right.
But let me tell you, it isn't the ending that's sad. Nor was it sad that I finished this book. It was the process of this whole story that was downright heartbreaking. I have never been so glad about coming to an end of a book, in a good way. I'm not sad because I finished it. On the contrary, I felt that the ending was so perfect, that no other endings would end this book off well than this. Honestly.
THAT MOMENT. I can't describe to you fully what I felt in that moment when I read that sentence. But if I were to try and explain: 'My heart lifted, then it started to thump so hard from the shock that I couldn't differentiate shock from happiness.' My heart swelled, while reading this book. It started out with a brief introduction on who Alex is. And then, about her own nightmare. One that she has tried so hard to run away from all this time.
She was so young back then. For someone who cares so much for so many kids out there in need of her protection, she doesn't get any herself. But how could she think about herself, when so many of them are out there waiting, waiting for someone to open the door and free them from their cupboard of demons? Someone, like....Ottilie.
I have never thought about the emotional baggage and burdens that social workers have to go through at work. The emotional attachments, the nasty treatments, the stereotyping. When you are a social worker, you either see humans at it's best nature, or the worst kind. There's no in between. Sadly, it's often the latter. I can't reveal too much of the story here, but I would say it is definitely a story worth reading. Over and over again. It's just so meaningful. Though I felt that the ending was a little bit rush, but like I said, it was the process that really mattered. And I truly enjoyed reading this, the way Susan Lewis intended for her readers to. I couldn't tear myself away from the book once I started reading it. I get caught up in the book every free moment I could get, in between my work and my rest time.
This book just reminded me, how much I love Susan Lewis's works. It's been a while since I read her books. I think it's high time I get started on it, isn't it? By the way, there is a sequel to this book:
I don't know about you, but I'm so looking forward to read this. YAY!
But let me tell you, it isn't the ending that's sad. Nor was it sad that I finished this book. It was the process of this whole story that was downright heartbreaking. I have never been so glad about coming to an end of a book, in a good way. I'm not sad because I finished it. On the contrary, I felt that the ending was so perfect, that no other endings would end this book off well than this. Honestly.
"I know they don't know where she is right now," Anna whispered, brushing the hair from Alex's eyes, "but that doesn't mean..." "She's here," Alex sobbed wretchedly. "She's upstairs."
THAT MOMENT. I can't describe to you fully what I felt in that moment when I read that sentence. But if I were to try and explain: 'My heart lifted, then it started to thump so hard from the shock that I couldn't differentiate shock from happiness.' My heart swelled, while reading this book. It started out with a brief introduction on who Alex is. And then, about her own nightmare. One that she has tried so hard to run away from all this time.
If only it was just a dream, something created out of a small reality and blown into nonsense, but she knew the child was her; and that the little boy, who she'd never see again, and never would, was her brother.
She was so young back then. For someone who cares so much for so many kids out there in need of her protection, she doesn't get any herself. But how could she think about herself, when so many of them are out there waiting, waiting for someone to open the door and free them from their cupboard of demons? Someone, like....Ottilie.
Choking back the bile that rushed to her mouth, Alex tore out to the hall. "Ottilie," she gasped as she raced up the stairs. "Ottilie! OTTILIE!"
I have never thought about the emotional baggage and burdens that social workers have to go through at work. The emotional attachments, the nasty treatments, the stereotyping. When you are a social worker, you either see humans at it's best nature, or the worst kind. There's no in between. Sadly, it's often the latter. I can't reveal too much of the story here, but I would say it is definitely a story worth reading. Over and over again. It's just so meaningful. Though I felt that the ending was a little bit rush, but like I said, it was the process that really mattered. And I truly enjoyed reading this, the way Susan Lewis intended for her readers to. I couldn't tear myself away from the book once I started reading it. I get caught up in the book every free moment I could get, in between my work and my rest time.
This book just reminded me, how much I love Susan Lewis's works. It's been a while since I read her books. I think it's high time I get started on it, isn't it? By the way, there is a sequel to this book:
I don't know about you, but I'm so looking forward to read this. YAY!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2013
This book was interesting at the start, but lost the plot towards the end.
SPOILER
I was not happy with the ending as I believed that Ottilie deserved professional help for all that she'd been through, and for Alex to take her away like that was not the answer, no matter how much she wanted to come to her aid.
I wrote an email to the author to express my views, and she flatly replied that there will be a sequel.
SPOILER
I was not happy with the ending as I believed that Ottilie deserved professional help for all that she'd been through, and for Alex to take her away like that was not the answer, no matter how much she wanted to come to her aid.
I wrote an email to the author to express my views, and she flatly replied that there will be a sequel.
September 16, 2017
WARMING: This novel is about child abuse.
This is one of the most difficult books, I have ever read, it is heartbroken. I loved the main character, Alex Lake. She is a social worker, works with Child Protection, she is a hard worker and she will do everything to protect the children in her caseload.
Alex was adopted when she was three years old, she grew up feeling rejected by her birth mother, which seemed to eager to let her go and doesn’t want to have nothing to do with her.
One day, when she was at the park with her sister and niece and nephew, Alex spotted a little girl alone and went to talk to her, the little girl didn’t talk, just started at Alex, then her father came, and with a smile told to Alex that his daughter was shy. Not knowing why, Alex felt that something in the little girl’s behaviour wasn’t quite right, dismissed as beginning paranoid, she told herself that not all children are abuse.
A few weeks later, Alex receive an anonymous call at work, telling her, that they need to go and check on the Wade’s family, because something wrong is happening within that household, so Alex informed her leader and was encouraged to start an investigation.
Meeting with the family, Alex’s instincts where telling her that the child is in danger, but how is she going to prove it? Will she be able to save the child or would be too late?
Looking forward to read the second book of the trilogy.
This is one of the most difficult books, I have ever read, it is heartbroken. I loved the main character, Alex Lake. She is a social worker, works with Child Protection, she is a hard worker and she will do everything to protect the children in her caseload.
Alex was adopted when she was three years old, she grew up feeling rejected by her birth mother, which seemed to eager to let her go and doesn’t want to have nothing to do with her.
One day, when she was at the park with her sister and niece and nephew, Alex spotted a little girl alone and went to talk to her, the little girl didn’t talk, just started at Alex, then her father came, and with a smile told to Alex that his daughter was shy. Not knowing why, Alex felt that something in the little girl’s behaviour wasn’t quite right, dismissed as beginning paranoid, she told herself that not all children are abuse.
A few weeks later, Alex receive an anonymous call at work, telling her, that they need to go and check on the Wade’s family, because something wrong is happening within that household, so Alex informed her leader and was encouraged to start an investigation.
Meeting with the family, Alex’s instincts where telling her that the child is in danger, but how is she going to prove it? Will she be able to save the child or would be too late?
Looking forward to read the second book of the trilogy.
March 31, 2013
I received this book free as a first-reads in a GR giveaway.
From the very first page I was hooked in this psychological thriller. Unfortunately the thrill was the overlapping story of Anna and her daughter, Alex, with Ottilie. The story of Ottilie was heartwrenching as any child abuse story might be about a 3 year old little girl. At times it was difficult to read about.
Alex was a child placement social worker in England. She was good at her job, very good at her job. She went out on a limb, took chances in her job, and her job was her whole life. Alex was really Charlotte who had been with an adoptive family since she was a young child. Although she loved her sister, as she also had her now deceased adoptive mother and father, she had always felt a little emotionally distanced from her mother.
This story really laid out the emotional turmoil of Alex/Charlotte's life. The ending surprised me.
This book was reminiscent of one I read a year or so ago. I cannot remember the name of it but will look back through my books to figure out which one it was. **The book was "The Girl Who Disappeared Twice" by Andrea Kane. They were just vaguely similar.
From the very first page I was hooked in this psychological thriller. Unfortunately the thrill was the overlapping story of Anna and her daughter, Alex, with Ottilie. The story of Ottilie was heartwrenching as any child abuse story might be about a 3 year old little girl. At times it was difficult to read about.
Alex was a child placement social worker in England. She was good at her job, very good at her job. She went out on a limb, took chances in her job, and her job was her whole life. Alex was really Charlotte who had been with an adoptive family since she was a young child. Although she loved her sister, as she also had her now deceased adoptive mother and father, she had always felt a little emotionally distanced from her mother.
This story really laid out the emotional turmoil of Alex/Charlotte's life. The ending surprised me.
This book was reminiscent of one I read a year or so ago. I cannot remember the name of it but will look back through my books to figure out which one it was. **The book was "The Girl Who Disappeared Twice" by Andrea Kane. They were just vaguely similar.
December 4, 2019
As a retired child welfare social worker, I don't often read social worker stories, but I'm always interested in child protection practice in other counties, here the UK. It has a potentially interesting plot line, but it's way too long and repetitive. Ms. Lewis could have used a good editor.
The denoument is ridiculous and fanciful to a professional social worker; The person who needed therapy the most is Alex/Charlotte. A much better story re: child welfare in the UK is P. D. James's Innocent Blood.
The denoument is ridiculous and fanciful to a professional social worker; The person who needed therapy the most is Alex/Charlotte. A much better story re: child welfare in the UK is P. D. James's Innocent Blood.
September 8, 2014
I really love Susan Lewis books, they really get to the heart of a story very fast, you get drawn in from the very first chapter.
This book is very 'meaty' and hits you between the eyes with emotions. I related to the main character and could see how she could get emotionally involved with this little girl, it was very close to her own experiences as a child.
I won't write any more about the story as this would be unfair to anyone that wants to read this book.
This book is very 'meaty' and hits you between the eyes with emotions. I related to the main character and could see how she could get emotionally involved with this little girl, it was very close to her own experiences as a child.
I won't write any more about the story as this would be unfair to anyone that wants to read this book.
November 5, 2024
Arghh! Thank heavens I've finished this awful, overwritten book. And to think there are another 20+ by Susan Lewis .... nooooooo! Someone has just recommended PD James' Innocent Blood. When my blood has stopped running cold at the poor editing and telling not showing in this book I'll try it.
June 30, 2013
I found the book very slow to get going and not very interesting. But disappointing and as it was my first Susan Lewis book it doesn't make me want to read anyothers
November 9, 2021
Oh gawd! Where to even begin with this book! I read 50 of the 500 odd pages and had to throw it in the bin...literally the bin. I can't bare to think I would be responsible for someone else reading this.
There is perhaps the thread of a good story within these pages but it is hidden among so much that is fundamentally wrong and at times deeply offensive.
For example, on page 8.
"However there was no getting away from the fact that he was heart stoppingly handsome - at least to her mind he was - and not even the unsightly scar that puckered his right cheek would change her opinion on that".
I hated this sentence! It's offensive and how would someone with a scar on their face feel reading it.
The narration is also hideously unsympathetic towards all of the characters in need. Describing the vulnerable children in care as preyed upon until they become feral. Remarking that children from "the rough estate" should go to school or get a job to better their lives. Urm what now?!
Also within the 50 pages I read there was reference to an Asian Police Officer, this is only mentioned after a female being arrested shouts a particularly disgusting racist remark. The remark in itself was not required and I'm shocked the author would even want to share that she knows this sentence exists. Not to mention the fact that none of the characters within the book display shock or horror at its use. This particularly upset me and did not sit right at all. There is also mention of a Gay Social Worker and a Black Social worker but literally that, a reference with zero context or further discussion as to why this was a relevant point. A weak and offensive attempt at a diverse character list.
The only "good" characters encountered so far are white, middle class and live in big houses.....yawn!
This was selected by one of the members of a book group I attend and I am both looking forward to and dreading the discussion.
I don't think I have ever felt so angry at a book and an author! I will not be reading anything written by this author again.
There is perhaps the thread of a good story within these pages but it is hidden among so much that is fundamentally wrong and at times deeply offensive.
For example, on page 8.
"However there was no getting away from the fact that he was heart stoppingly handsome - at least to her mind he was - and not even the unsightly scar that puckered his right cheek would change her opinion on that".
I hated this sentence! It's offensive and how would someone with a scar on their face feel reading it.
The narration is also hideously unsympathetic towards all of the characters in need. Describing the vulnerable children in care as preyed upon until they become feral. Remarking that children from "the rough estate" should go to school or get a job to better their lives. Urm what now?!
Also within the 50 pages I read there was reference to an Asian Police Officer, this is only mentioned after a female being arrested shouts a particularly disgusting racist remark. The remark in itself was not required and I'm shocked the author would even want to share that she knows this sentence exists. Not to mention the fact that none of the characters within the book display shock or horror at its use. This particularly upset me and did not sit right at all. There is also mention of a Gay Social Worker and a Black Social worker but literally that, a reference with zero context or further discussion as to why this was a relevant point. A weak and offensive attempt at a diverse character list.
The only "good" characters encountered so far are white, middle class and live in big houses.....yawn!
This was selected by one of the members of a book group I attend and I am both looking forward to and dreading the discussion.
I don't think I have ever felt so angry at a book and an author! I will not be reading anything written by this author again.
June 4, 2017
The story of social worker Alex Lake's involvement with the heartbreaking case of Ottilie Wade was engrossing, uncomfortable and somewhat disappointing to read.
The characterisation was excellent throughout, and I felt the presentation of the care system was raw and realistic - rather than the 2 dimensional conveyance of problematic teens or sad children, Alex's caseload seemed accurately widespread and challenging. Ottilie's story was really difficult to read - I wanted to bundle her up and bring her home, as I felt physically ill to read some of the things her father said to her and her mother thought. Working with some vulnerable children as a teacher, this is a feeling I know well and was replicated fairly accurately.
I cannot decide whether I like Alex or not. Although she was clearly very damaged by her own childhood and obviously loved the children in her care, particularly Ottilie, her attachment to this one child, which was ultimately rooted in a wish that her own childhood never happened, seemed unfair and her actions unprofessional and unfair to Ottilie. I can see someone not working with children seeing this as her only option, but surely Alex, as a social worker, would understand her actions wrong for both Ottilie and the other children in her care? That being said, she seemed to act on the maternal caring nature that is aroused whenever a vulnerable child cries, and so I find it difficult to wholly blame her.
I was hugely disappointed with the ending - it seemed a 'happily ever after' attempt which was simply unrealistic and frankly lazy on the part of the author. The ending really let down the novel for me and cost the whole thing a star, but I did enjoy the riveting story up until the night it all went wrong, and found the presentation of abuse fair, and the characterisation excellent.
The characterisation was excellent throughout, and I felt the presentation of the care system was raw and realistic - rather than the 2 dimensional conveyance of problematic teens or sad children, Alex's caseload seemed accurately widespread and challenging. Ottilie's story was really difficult to read - I wanted to bundle her up and bring her home, as I felt physically ill to read some of the things her father said to her and her mother thought. Working with some vulnerable children as a teacher, this is a feeling I know well and was replicated fairly accurately.
I cannot decide whether I like Alex or not. Although she was clearly very damaged by her own childhood and obviously loved the children in her care, particularly Ottilie, her attachment to this one child, which was ultimately rooted in a wish that her own childhood never happened, seemed unfair and her actions unprofessional and unfair to Ottilie. I can see someone not working with children seeing this as her only option, but surely Alex, as a social worker, would understand her actions wrong for both Ottilie and the other children in her care? That being said, she seemed to act on the maternal caring nature that is aroused whenever a vulnerable child cries, and so I find it difficult to wholly blame her.
I was hugely disappointed with the ending - it seemed a 'happily ever after' attempt which was simply unrealistic and frankly lazy on the part of the author. The ending really let down the novel for me and cost the whole thing a star, but I did enjoy the riveting story up until the night it all went wrong, and found the presentation of abuse fair, and the characterisation excellent.
February 11, 2019
What a tense read, certainly not for the feint of heart. I immediately liked the main character, Alex Lake, who despite her own troubles, puts her job as a child protection worker first. When she meets Ottilie, she instinctively knows the child is in danger. And what danger. This is not an easy read, but dealt with in a head on way, that says feel lucky most of you will never experience this world. What happens to the child is not graphic, but still makes tough reading, the type that stops you sleeping soundly. Harsh, honest, and compelling reading. Would only recommend it to those brave enough, and certainly not a bedtime read.
June 5, 2020
It was quite hard to choose how to rate this book because the subject matter was so awful and some of the content quite horrific.
This book is about Alex, a social worker who is investigating the case of Ottilie - a 3 year old girl who is being sexually abused by her father and severely emotionally neglected by her mother. That isn't really a spoiler as you find out about the father from pretty much when he's first introduced. The few parts that are his thoughts are just awful.
It's very well written, very quick paced and the ending is a happy, albeit slightly implausible one.
This book is about Alex, a social worker who is investigating the case of Ottilie - a 3 year old girl who is being sexually abused by her father and severely emotionally neglected by her mother. That isn't really a spoiler as you find out about the father from pretty much when he's first introduced. The few parts that are his thoughts are just awful.
It's very well written, very quick paced and the ending is a happy, albeit slightly implausible one.
May 30, 2017
Hm. A tough subject but well written. This is one of those books that really pulls you in and you can't wait to get back to it until the final page. However, and a big one it is, I have to say the ending was disappointing to me cause it was so absurd. There were just too many things that, looking back, I see as ridiculous. That took away my overall liking of the book.
June 25, 2017
What if you knew a child was in danger & no one believed you? This book is about child abuse & how a social works is trying to rescue her. Alex Lake & Ottilie Wade have made a strong unbreakable bond that changes their lives. ( 14 out of 15 goal achieved)
May 22, 2013
No Child Of Mine
By
Susan Lewis
My "in a nutshell" summary...
Alex is a social worker and sees a child...a quiet little girl...that she can not forget....that she does not forget...that she is incapable of forgetting.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Oh how I love novels with tons of amazingly mysterious circumstances within them. This novel begins in just that way. At first Alex's life seems deceptively uncomplicated...but that begins to not be the case as the pieces of her life are made clear. She has had a nightmarish circumstance in her childhood and she still pays for it with horrible dreams.
Her relationship with Jason...her older boyfriend...is complicated. Her work is complicated and just gets even more complicated throughout this book.
Alex is one of those social workers who cares about the children she deals with. She puts them with good caregivers, she checks on them, she is brave. When she encounters Ottilie...something sort of hits her...every part of her tells her that something is not right with this child. Nor are things right with Ottilie's mother or her creepy father. Through her persistence the secret perverse world that Ottilie's father created begins to crumble bit by bit.
There are other aspects to this novel...Alex's own childhood and adoption, Alex's issues at work, her issues with Jason, her boyfriend...her feelings of never belonging and also the mystery of her own mother...she has no clue where she is or even if she is still living.
What I loved about this book...
I could not put this book down...I read well into the day and late into the night. I loved this author's writing style...it was intense and addictive. The story felt so sadly real. Ottilie was the sweetest most innocent child and the thought of the horrors she lived through at the hands of her parents...was so sad.
What I did not love...
This was...at times...a difficult topic to read and then think about. The suffering of
children...the pompousness of pedophiles...was very uncomfortable. The games Ottilie's father played with her were so sadly for Ottilie...sick and evil...I despised him as I read. It's not possible to read this book without feeling an attachment to these characters...other than Ottilie's own father and mother.
Final thoughts...
This was a beautiful book...in spite of the subject matter. I could not stop reading it. It is a story of families...sad ones who are lost and broken and without any hope at all until sometimes just a teeny bit of hope is able to work its way through by loving caregivers or even the kindness of strangers.
Thankfully...the author has more to say...there will be a sequel to this book.
By
Susan Lewis
My "in a nutshell" summary...
Alex is a social worker and sees a child...a quiet little girl...that she can not forget....that she does not forget...that she is incapable of forgetting.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Oh how I love novels with tons of amazingly mysterious circumstances within them. This novel begins in just that way. At first Alex's life seems deceptively uncomplicated...but that begins to not be the case as the pieces of her life are made clear. She has had a nightmarish circumstance in her childhood and she still pays for it with horrible dreams.
Her relationship with Jason...her older boyfriend...is complicated. Her work is complicated and just gets even more complicated throughout this book.
Alex is one of those social workers who cares about the children she deals with. She puts them with good caregivers, she checks on them, she is brave. When she encounters Ottilie...something sort of hits her...every part of her tells her that something is not right with this child. Nor are things right with Ottilie's mother or her creepy father. Through her persistence the secret perverse world that Ottilie's father created begins to crumble bit by bit.
There are other aspects to this novel...Alex's own childhood and adoption, Alex's issues at work, her issues with Jason, her boyfriend...her feelings of never belonging and also the mystery of her own mother...she has no clue where she is or even if she is still living.
What I loved about this book...
I could not put this book down...I read well into the day and late into the night. I loved this author's writing style...it was intense and addictive. The story felt so sadly real. Ottilie was the sweetest most innocent child and the thought of the horrors she lived through at the hands of her parents...was so sad.
What I did not love...
This was...at times...a difficult topic to read and then think about. The suffering of
children...the pompousness of pedophiles...was very uncomfortable. The games Ottilie's father played with her were so sadly for Ottilie...sick and evil...I despised him as I read. It's not possible to read this book without feeling an attachment to these characters...other than Ottilie's own father and mother.
Final thoughts...
This was a beautiful book...in spite of the subject matter. I could not stop reading it. It is a story of families...sad ones who are lost and broken and without any hope at all until sometimes just a teeny bit of hope is able to work its way through by loving caregivers or even the kindness of strangers.
Thankfully...the author has more to say...there will be a sequel to this book.
April 2, 2013
I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.
I very much enjoyed this book. The child abuse was difficult to read about, but in a very real world, it does happen. I thought the author did an excellent job explaining it without going into graphic detail.
Working as a social worker with children who are neglected or abused can be overwhelming, and I thought the author created Alex, the main character, as someone who was totally believable in that she did have a life outside of her job. There had to be a deviation from her intense work and Alex's efforts were to get involved in something that was the total opposite of her work. In order to keep her sanity, she had to. I think if the author had not included a segue into her private life, the book would have sorely lacked and been too intense. A few times I thought Alex got a little obsessive in her thoughts ~ but then again ~ don't we all sometimes?
I was totally thrown by the ending, and stayed up until the wee hours to finish the book ~ because I just couldn't put it down. I didn't agree with the ending ~ but I'm not the author ~ but I cheered nonetheless! It was quite intense.
I think that the referral to some people being "nut jobs" or "basket cases" by professionals ~ within the confines of their own conversation is not as professional as it should be ~ but I saw that as a stress-reliever. Sometimes when a situation is just too much, our brains just need a quick break. How many of us in our jobs have become extremely stressed and just made an off the cuff remark to a co-worker to break the tension?
Charlotte worked on her web, and when she had finished, the word TERRIFIC was written in the web. But the word wasn't for Charlotte, but for Wilbur, the magnificent pig. It never was about Charlotte.
I will highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the sequel.
(I don't care for the cover of the book, and I think it suggests a light read. I would hope the publisher/author can find a more appropriate cover.)
I very much enjoyed this book. The child abuse was difficult to read about, but in a very real world, it does happen. I thought the author did an excellent job explaining it without going into graphic detail.
Working as a social worker with children who are neglected or abused can be overwhelming, and I thought the author created Alex, the main character, as someone who was totally believable in that she did have a life outside of her job. There had to be a deviation from her intense work and Alex's efforts were to get involved in something that was the total opposite of her work. In order to keep her sanity, she had to. I think if the author had not included a segue into her private life, the book would have sorely lacked and been too intense. A few times I thought Alex got a little obsessive in her thoughts ~ but then again ~ don't we all sometimes?
I was totally thrown by the ending, and stayed up until the wee hours to finish the book ~ because I just couldn't put it down. I didn't agree with the ending ~ but I'm not the author ~ but I cheered nonetheless! It was quite intense.
I think that the referral to some people being "nut jobs" or "basket cases" by professionals ~ within the confines of their own conversation is not as professional as it should be ~ but I saw that as a stress-reliever. Sometimes when a situation is just too much, our brains just need a quick break. How many of us in our jobs have become extremely stressed and just made an off the cuff remark to a co-worker to break the tension?
Charlotte worked on her web, and when she had finished, the word TERRIFIC was written in the web. But the word wasn't for Charlotte, but for Wilbur, the magnificent pig. It never was about Charlotte.
I will highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the sequel.
(I don't care for the cover of the book, and I think it suggests a light read. I would hope the publisher/author can find a more appropriate cover.)
December 16, 2014
In the end, I loved this, which says a lot, because I hated it most of the time I was reading it. This book is about social workers and their role at protecting children. I rated it 5 stars because it has been a very long time since I've read a book that really engrossed me, moved me, and ate at my soul like this one did. I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next.
No Child of Mine started off very slow. In hindsight, I think the author was trying to layout the role of a social worker so we could see how difficult it is to accomplish the goals of that job. As this was 500ish pages, I think a lot could have been left out that did not necessarily add to the overall plot line (perhaps her being a producer of a play), in my opinion. I did not hate those parts of the book, it just made it very long. The chapters in this book are long as well, and I tend to prefer shorter chapters.
Having said that....
SPOILERS:
This book deeply touched me. I've not read a book about child abuse before, and I probably never will again, frankly. It was incredibly difficult reading about Ottilie and what she endured with her parents. Every time I had to read those parts of the book, it literally made my stomach ache. I could not WAIT to be finished with it, as I just couldn't stand listening to how her parents treated her. I have a young daughter who has a favorite stuffed animal like Ottilie, and I couldn't help but think of her in this story and how devastatingly awful it would be if something like that happened to my own child. It literally felt like my heart was breaking in two for this little girl.
I am SO GLAD that both Ottilie and Alex found each other. The ending blindsided me a bit (I'm not one of those people who can predict an ending no matter how much I try). I do wish things would have played out a bit differently at the end. However, I have just purchased the sequel and look forward to discovering what happens next!
No Child of Mine started off very slow. In hindsight, I think the author was trying to layout the role of a social worker so we could see how difficult it is to accomplish the goals of that job. As this was 500ish pages, I think a lot could have been left out that did not necessarily add to the overall plot line (perhaps her being a producer of a play), in my opinion. I did not hate those parts of the book, it just made it very long. The chapters in this book are long as well, and I tend to prefer shorter chapters.
Having said that....
SPOILERS:
This book deeply touched me. I've not read a book about child abuse before, and I probably never will again, frankly. It was incredibly difficult reading about Ottilie and what she endured with her parents. Every time I had to read those parts of the book, it literally made my stomach ache. I could not WAIT to be finished with it, as I just couldn't stand listening to how her parents treated her. I have a young daughter who has a favorite stuffed animal like Ottilie, and I couldn't help but think of her in this story and how devastatingly awful it would be if something like that happened to my own child. It literally felt like my heart was breaking in two for this little girl.
I am SO GLAD that both Ottilie and Alex found each other. The ending blindsided me a bit (I'm not one of those people who can predict an ending no matter how much I try). I do wish things would have played out a bit differently at the end. However, I have just purchased the sequel and look forward to discovering what happens next!
August 4, 2014
Goodreads win from like a year ago...this was before the novel was published so this is really a review of a pre-sale book.
Surprised by the topic of the story Susan Lewis created yet true in this sickening world. This story was filled with so much details and pulls you into the story. Amazed at how well written this novel was. Some readers might find this novel hard to digest since it is very sickening to read on on some parts. However, since this book portrays a reality we all do not want to be aware about, I found this book to really grab me in a way that I was part of it. Thumbs up to Susan Lewis for writing this and really can't wait to read the sequel!
No Child of Mine is about Alex Lake, a woman with a tragic past works as a social worker for children in England who happens to be drawn towards a mysterious young girl whose father Alex finds disturbing in a most peculiar way. As an anonymous call comes through social services, Alex finds herself once again drawn to the same girl she met. Curiousty hits Alex as she finds out about the family amd behavior of the little three year old Ottilie. She is afaid and concerned for her and does everything she can to help little Ottilie, even if it means it's against all laws. Alex Lake not only gets attached to her charge, but she also experiences lost and found from her tragedy as a little girl.
Must read!
Surprised by the topic of the story Susan Lewis created yet true in this sickening world. This story was filled with so much details and pulls you into the story. Amazed at how well written this novel was. Some readers might find this novel hard to digest since it is very sickening to read on on some parts. However, since this book portrays a reality we all do not want to be aware about, I found this book to really grab me in a way that I was part of it. Thumbs up to Susan Lewis for writing this and really can't wait to read the sequel!
No Child of Mine is about Alex Lake, a woman with a tragic past works as a social worker for children in England who happens to be drawn towards a mysterious young girl whose father Alex finds disturbing in a most peculiar way. As an anonymous call comes through social services, Alex finds herself once again drawn to the same girl she met. Curiousty hits Alex as she finds out about the family amd behavior of the little three year old Ottilie. She is afaid and concerned for her and does everything she can to help little Ottilie, even if it means it's against all laws. Alex Lake not only gets attached to her charge, but she also experiences lost and found from her tragedy as a little girl.
Must read!
January 16, 2015
Alexandria spends her waking hours trying to make a difference in the lives of children. Being a social worker unfortunately exposes her to a variety of home environments, with most being less than desirable. An adoptee herself, she understands how a child can feel that they don't fit in, what it can be like to not know unconditional love. One three year old girl, Ottille, touches Alexandria's heart so deeply that she involves herself in the girl's case more than she should. In the midst of her attention to Ottille, Alexandria's boyfriend leaves her, her sister tells Alexandria that she has to move from their deceased parent's home and she finds that her birth mother whom she hasn't seen since she was 3 is looking for her. The author did good job of letting you feel her pain and uncertainties but unfortunately, for this reader, did too good of a job describing the horrors of child sexual abuse that at times I considered closing the book. All in all, it is a touching story about how a soul longs to belong and to be loved and how sometimes love comes along when and where we least expect it.
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