Abandoned

by Vicky Ball

Maddie has spent a lifetime struggling alone with her alcoholic mother. Her unpredictable behaviour and unreliability makes Maddie wish she had someone who actually cared about her. Tired of being the responsible one and the person who keeps it all together, Maddie longs for a life she’ll never have. Her mother’s constant thoughtless actions lead to difficulties on more than one occasion and the unwelcome presence of her Mum’s boyfriend, Nick, only adds more stress to her life. The last thing she needs is a man in the house who doesn’t know how to behave. But that all changes when Maddie discovers the real reason why her Mum drinks.

Thrown into a confusing world of secrets and family that she’s never met, Maddie discovers that there is more to life than her world.

Could a girl she has never met have the answers?

As she figures out how she fits into it all, she embarks on a pursuit of truth. Through the uncovering of more shocking realities, Maddie questions her true identity. Can she ever move past all the lies and find the truth?

More importantly, will she ever find someone who will love her like a real family should?

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2023

About the author

After teaching for sixteen years, Vicky decided she needed a new challenge. She now works as a student administrator for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology course at her local university. She has always loved writing and has been doing it for many years. She has been on numerous writing courses which have allowed her to share her love of writing with others. After the success of her first book, Powerless, she has continued in the genre of thriller and is excited to release her second novel Abandoned. She is also a passionate reader, enjoying a variety of genres, especially thrillers. She lives in North Essex with her husband, two teenage daughters, two cats and two rabbits.

Reviews

[N Bookstagram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read

Oh the twists and turns in this one! Alcohol problems, separated at birth, neglect … all rolled in with the heart wrenching angst that grips teenagers.
Easy to read, compelling characters and a plot that keeps you thinking.
Maddie is a well rounded character and I find the authors style so easy to sink into and enjoy

[Lainy J Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good storyline with some surprising twists!

[Chris Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished reading Abandoned and was thoroughly immersed in every page. The ease with which the author tackles themes such as alcoholism, adoption, disability, gay relationships, disparities in wealth, makes for a rich and challenging narrative. The contemporary and compelling characters tackling familiar everyday difficulties gripped my attention. I particularly enjoyed Maddie, the narrator’s wry and down-to-earth teenage tone. Her reflections on the world of adults, throughout the book, are apt; simultaneously amusing yet serious.

I wholeheartedly recommend Abandoned to young people, or older readers like me. Uncomfortable realities are transformed through an ingenious plot, written in a relaxed style. Dive in; you will enjoy it!

[Caroline Rebisz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book from this author which deals with some hard hitting subject matters. Parental alcohol problems, separation of twins at birth, neglected parenting and discovering one's adolescent feelings. The story has numerous twists and turns along the way. Whilst this book is primarily focused on the young adult market it can be enjoyed by all.

[Nicky Shearsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hits the perfect tone for a teenage audience with twists and turns that won't disappoint. A quick, well written read that nicely encompasses depression, alcoholism and abandonment. Another great read from Vicky Ball. She is set to take the YA market by storm.

[Sian Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding book from Vicky Ball. The short chapters from different viewpoints makes this a compelling read. This story had so many plot twists that it keeps your interest all the way through.

[Lindsey's Literary Leanings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive/Heart-breaking/Thought-Provoking

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Family Drama

Abandoned by Vicky Ball author 🍸🥂🍾🍷

When Madison and Becky attend a family funeral, it sparks a chain of events, that forces Becky to confront her past. Initially, not as concerned as she might be, and only giving into her daughter’s questioning to stop her asking, rather than seeing it as a chance to connect and accept responsibility, or realisation that perhaps, it should be something she should have told her long before now. In her skewed reality, Becky fails to see the enormity of her actions from all those years ago, but when clear headed, fears the consequences. The ramifications extend far beyond mother and daughter, farther than anyone might have thought possible. Changing both of their futures forever, sending Madison on a journey of heartache, self discovery, and a new beginning.

This novel presented me with some emotional memories and a chance to be able to relate to one of the characters in a way that I rarely get the opportunity. There are two elements of this narrative that have been and still are, mirrored within my own life. Having read ‘Powerless’ by Vicky Ball at the end of last year, I was always going to read ‘Abandoned’, but reading the synopsis, which I don’t usually do, was what made me choose it as my new read earlier this week. This has many plot twists and turns, so it is not surprising that it has many chapters. All of them, pertinent to the plot, and provide the reader with several gripping moments. However, two things slightly grated on me, the first one being the apparent lack of proof reading, and a number of inconsistencies with the plot. The synopsis also alludes only to really one part of the plot. Because it was this part I really connected with, I was a little disappointed when other threads started to take precedence. On the whole though, I thought this was a cleverly constructed, intriguing, powerful narrative with some insight into the world of two people dealing with some very difficult challenges.

The dynamic of Becky and Madison was an interesting one. I have first hand knowledge from the daughter’s point of view, although I didn’t only have one parent. Unusual dynamics or relationships with a charged situation are what really float my boat in a book. With Madison being alone with her mum, she was handed a lot of responsibility at an early age, which she should not have been burdened with, and I felt for her as I could relate to her mindset, if not with the actions she had to take. Becky is still dealing with the legacy of a difficult period in her life and the coping mechanism that she found helpful at that time, which she has never been able to let go of. Again, I have some knowledge, but not long term. Her erratic behaviour and changes in state of mind are typical, and hard to cope with, for the afflicted, or people living with them. When Madison tries to get information from her mother relating to what was being discussed at the funeral, Becky seems to be adamant that the past should be left in the past, and then suddenly gives in to Madison, like it’s a game that she can’t be bothered to play any more, not fully grasping that this might be something that Madison might want to pursue. The first slight inconsistency I spotted, although this might be a symptom of Becky’s changeable persona, was when Madison is asking about her father. Becky says that she doesn’t know who he was, but then later goes on to say that he was a creep. This could equally have been to dissuade her daughter from her line of questioning.

I thought how nice it was for Madison to have an opportunity – even if it was a funeral – to meet other members of her family. I did wonder how old great aunt Margaret was, as she seemed very sprightly and physically able, but given that Becky was a ‘young mum’, then I guess that would have been feasible. I felt it was important for Madison to have another adult in her life, especially one more able to take control. It was also good that she met James. Both of these people made her feel special and that she mattered, something she had been lacking. It is a pity though that Madison doesn’t think that she is good enough for James. I think that feeling is possibly symptomatic of her situation and the belief system that has been ingrained in her. ‘Great uncle John’ is mentioned, and I wonder if he was married to Margaret. I’m guessing not, as we don’t hear from or about him again. When they leave the funeral and Margaret puts the onus on Madison to ‘keep in touch’, I thought that was unfair given that she is the minor, Madison thinks that it’s about time someone else stepped up, and she wonders why she is having to deal with a volatile mother, and not living the life of a normal teenager. I deeply felt that.

When James says he wants to help her and she is suspicious, I was confused as to why because at that point, it was just a friendship. Maybe, however, she felt he might want recompense for helping her. It is after James and Madison meet with Joyce that I started to have my suspicions about James and his involvement in the whole story. I’m not sure if that was intended to send the reader off on a different train of thought or not. Becky’s change of perspective on what Madison trying to do, is quite exhausting, but also quite realistic. Her erratic behaviour can be true of a person such as Becky. The parent/child role reversal was used to good effect in this story and was important to show. For instance when Becky is all set to go out and happy to leave Madison on her own, but then Margaret arrives for a ‘girl’s night’ and Becky reluctantly leaves, clearly concerned about what she might miss out on and probably knowing that she should be spending time with her daughter. Also, when Becky sees Margaret’s efforts as ‘interference’. She knows that they need the help that is being offered, but Becky wants to feel that she is the parent and can manage alone, even though she relies heavily on her child. Margaret being there highlights her inadequacies. It is sad that Madison doesn’t know how to handle Margaret’s concern for her, never having been use to receiving it. Commendable though that Margaret never criticises Becky when talking to her great niece. When Becky arrives home to find that Margaret has cleaned up and made sure her child was fed, she appears grateful for the help, but then, they aren’t really her true feelings.

I thought it very strange when Madison makes it clear to James that she doesn’t do social media, I was quite shocked as I would think that most teenagers are familiar with a myriad of social platforms. Maybe it was a money thing. When they receive a response from someone who is keen to put them off their line of enquiry, I wonder now if that was from someone specific and if I was supposed to have picked up on that. Possibly Liz?

The character of Nick is vile, and I was livid that he was one of Becky’s weaknesses that she put before Madison. The number of times Becky took him back really infuriated me. Initially, I thought Madison didn’t like him because he took her mum’s attention from her, but then, that was in short supply anyway.

When Becky meets James for the first time, we are told that Madison was embarrassed at Becky’s behaviour. I can totally understand this, plus the reluctance to invite people around. It is an awful position to be in as a teenager.

When Jackie pays Becky and Madison a visit, I was pleased that she had Madison’s back, but thought it rude that when Madison entered the lounge after helping Becky, she found Jackie looking through her photo albums, without asking or, being invited. I did feel desperately sorry for Becky that she seemed to be frantic on learning that Jackie was taking Madison and Marvin to Margaret’s.
At the point which the author gave descriptive details relating to Ella, my interest was immediately piqued, due to my own situation. I admire any author who is brave enough to tackle such a subject, as it is too easy to offend nowadays by slipping up on details. James’ conclusion about Becky at this point, was one I jumped to as well. It is awful that people should think such a thing of another human being, but sadly it does happen. He does realise how awful it must sound and apologises, but Madison admits to having thought the same. When Madison very bravely asks her mother the question, she is extremely hurt and denies it. I’m not sure I would ever want to allude to someone if I suspect that of them.

When Madison spends time with Margaret, she is in awe of how proficiently her great aunt is able to navigate her way around her mobile phone, yet when she takes her to Broadstairs, Madison is agitated by how long it takes Margaret to look up directions. It just seemed odd, but I guess one could take longer than the other.

I have two niggles with regards to Ella. The first is her inclination to feel sorry for herself so much to the point that she wants to end her life and her general ‘pity party’ demeanour. She had second thoughts about participating in what lead to her situation, which surely means that she had some comprehension of the outcomes. Some people find themselves in this situation, not because of any decision they made, but just because it is what it is, such as myself. Max’s attempt at consoling her with ‘You were dealt a crap hand’ is crap itself, she dealt her own cards. I thought her explanation to the little boy as to her circumstances was far too blunt. Especially when referring to what happened ‘pretty bad, but I didn’t die’. I’m surprised the little lad didn’t run off screaming! Inaccessibility to the beach is just something that cannot be avoided unless you have money to buy an expensive piece of equipment that will help you navigate sand! Kaitlyn coming to see her and banging on about the party was thoughtless at best, cruel at worst. Ella’s shopping trip with Kaitlyn is an experience I have had many times, and occasionally with people who bore the same attitude.
Ella and Madison are both equally disappointed at the progression of their connection, but just that fact alone, surely means that they in fact have the connection they both long for?! I could definitely relate to all aspects of the girls visiting the restaurant, and Ella surmising that going anywhere could quickly become a chore. Outside the restaurant where the text says ‘he smiled shyly at Madison’, I was confused for a second as to whom the author was referring. I realised who ‘he’ was, but think that there could have been more clarity. I read the book on Kindle, and there are many parts where dialogue from two separate characters are on the same line without stating who is speaking. I assume this is just down to formatting, but it was confusing at times.

Ella finds it hard at school, fitting in and people could be overly considerate of her. I can most certainly relate to that. Ella misses her old bedroom. If her parents are well off as we are lead to believe, could they not have installed a stairlift? Even in the flashback chapters, I didn’t feel that Ella showed much emotion for the fate of Sam. I would have expected her to have been distraught for some considerable time. When Max agrees to pay for Madison and Becky to go to Broadstairs for the weekend, I couldn’t believe that Becky only agreed to go because Nick had cancelled plans with her. I think in Madison’s shoes, I would have told Max to cancel it, just to spite Becky to be honest. It was very sad when Max is fussing over Ella in the restaurant and it annoys Ella, but Madison wishes that someone would fuss over her, despite the fact that Becky is there.

When Liz mumbles something to Ella that she doesn’t understand, it took me a second or two for the penny to drop. This is a very clever twist, I’m not sure I understand the reasoning behind it though. I wasn’t aware that the two women knew of each other’s whereabouts prior to the accident, unless they kept in touch all that time? Also, on that fateful night, weren’t Ella, Max and Liz all at Ella’s grandparents? Why would Liz have left? I get what the author was aiming for, and maybe I am missing something.

This is a very thought provoking novel, tackling some difficult and emotive issues, highlighting how challenging it can be to live with two very different situations, either as the person it affects or someone close, both of which I think more people should be aware.

[Molly Feltham · Rating 1 out of 5]

not very well written so hard to read. moved at the speed of light and was unrealistic to me. lots of contradictions that didn’t make any sense

[Lee Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue turns to twists and revelations in this gripping tale of long lost family…


Vicky Ball has succeeded in crafting a tale that pretty much has it all in terms of intrigue, twists and dramatic turns for ‘Maddie’ who finds out her family is bigger than she initially thought. The information she receives begins a path for her and readers in this gripping story that I very much enjoyed.

After the initial scene is set and the conflict appears in the form of a potential long lost sibling for ‘Maddie’ to try and track down, we are treated to dual points of view. Both main characters have their own lives and of course relatable problems but it appears they also have a lot in common and they may just be the missing piece of each others complex life puzzle. The concept of long lost family carries this young adult tale which I found to be both heart-warming and even quite dark in places. Vicky Ball really does strike the balance well here in a story that isn’t afraid to dive in to modern issues. There is quite a clever theme of contrast as both characters appear to be opposites in the first impression but what they really are to one another is something you’ll have to find out for yourself. For anyone who enjoys intrigue, twists and revelations carried by the theme of family, then this is the one for you!

‘The dark deserted country lanes send shivers down my spine, no one out here to save me. We twist and turn round endless corners, making me feel sick. I stare off into the distance but I can’t see anything beyond the circle of light from the headlight…’

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book after Vicky Ball went viral on Twitter for her post where she was thrilled she sold 3 of her books. At the beginning, it took sometime to get used to the main character's adolescent perspectives but I soon found Maddie to be a mature and wise 15-year-old with astute observations on how adults can be immature and selfish. One sentence in the book that made me chuckle was when Maddie wondered why adults keep saying "great" even when things are far from being great. I'm guilty of doing that as a 33-year-old! I liked that the book was told from two different perspectives: both Maddie and Ella. It was sad to read the casual ableism Ella was subjected to and how she was forced to be so strong and brave despite how tragic her life turned out to be. Ball also realised how unlikeable some characters were and it was a relief when one particularly insufferable character ended up dead. The only thing that irked me was how quickly everyone expected Ella to forgive her abhorrent adoptive mom. That aspect of the story could have been dealt with a lot more sensitivity and care but Ball chose to focus on Maddie as the main character. Nevertheless, I found myself hooked on to the story's multiple twists and turns and wanted to know what happened next. This was a satisfying read.

[M.H. David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vicky Ball’s second book, much like her first, tackles some challenging and unfortunate situations that we tend to overlook, or ignore. Using her main character, Maddie, as a vessel, the author masterfully captured the feeling of growing up in an alcoholic home and feeling like there is nowhere turn and nowhere to run. Then, a small glimmer of hope, something to grasp onto and fight for is dropped into Maddie’s life in the form of a family she never knew she had. But when Maddie goes in search for this hope, she doesn't find exactly what she expected. I really enjoyed the way the story moved fast and the way that the characters spoke with one another in a very real way. I did have some trouble resonating with the characters at the beginning, but I attribute that mostly to the fact that the target audience is more teen/young adult, which I am not. However, once the majority of introductions were completed, I was completely drawn in and could not put it down. Well done!

[N.S. Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review first appeared on my blog - https://nsfordwriter.com - on 7th October 2023.

A compelling novel for young adults, packed full of emotional drama, Abandoned is the author's second book and in my opinion it's even better than her debut. I was kept turning the pages to find out what happens to the two main characters, 15-year-old girls with very different backgrounds but who have a surprising and tragic connection to each other...

The story begins from the perspective of Maddie, who has a difficult home life with her alcoholic mother. A dreadful secret is revealed at a family funeral, which sends Maddie on a rollercoaster journey of discovery. Halfway through, we change to the perspective of Ella, who is recovering from a terrible accident and whose world is about to be turned upside down again. The story is well-written and sensitively portrays topics such as alcoholism, domestic abuse, physical disability, coming out and adoption. Some of the coincidences were a bit too convenient, I felt, but they did ensure that the story had a lot of conflict. Occasionally, I wasn't entirely convinced by the narrative voices (would teenagers really call their peers 'teenagers'?) and the dialogue could have been more clearly differentiated from other sentences, as sometimes I had to re-read carefully to work out who was speaking, but despite these minor issues, I was very impressed.

[Margot Vanderstraeten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I am too old for this book? I don’t know. There’s like a span of a year in this book in which:
- girl finds out she’s part of twins
- girl finds said twin sister without much of an effort
- twin sister had just been in an accident and lost her legs, boyfriend died
- apparently the twins’ dad adopted one of the girls without knowing it’s his actual child
- adoptive mom had apparenlty demanded that birth mom gave away one of her daughters
- adoptive mom was the culprit in the hit and run of her own daughter
- birth mom dies from another car accident

I mean … 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abandoned, the story of two teenage girls, worlds apart but connected by something stronger than either of them imagined, is a powerful story full of interesting, flawed characters whose lives are turned upside down by a life-changing secret. The two main characters, 15 year olds Maddie and Ella are both strong willed, determined, relatable leads whose challenges, tragedies and heartbreaks lead us ultimately to a tale of love, hope and new beginnings. A captivating read.

[Kit Derrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great follow up to her first book Powerless. Abandoned is a page turned, drawing you in to the life of a fifteen-year old girl who is the grown-up in the household of her and her alcoholic mother. Its hard to talk about a plot with twist after twist after twist without spoilers, but this is one story when you’re highly unlikely predict what comes next. Sensitive issues are dealt with delicately, and you’ll be gunning for a happy outcome for Maddie, the first of two main characters.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book , I couldn’t put it down after starting it, I do not want to spoil anything for anyone else who hasn’t read it yet but if you are looking for a read that is entertaining, compelling, yet also so true to life and genuinely raw in its honest portrayal of such sensitive subjects, this is the book for you. I hope that everyone who has the opportunity to read it is able to do so, you will not regret it.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is the second book of the author. Now off to read the first one!!

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great second read from this author! Such a great storyline and the twists just kept coming. I hope there will be more books from Vicky Ball!

[Roxi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, some plot twists I didn't see coming.

[Linda Fallows · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. Plenty of twists and turns. A must read for fans of Jodi Picoult, Martina Cole, etc.