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The Phantom Child
Is her child really missing? Or did he never exist at all?
With cracks beginning to show in her marriage, Karina thinks a short break to a luxury villa in Turkey with her husband, Ronan, and their four-year-old son, Jacob, is just what the family needs.
It’ll be a chance to relax, enjoy some good food, and more importantly to reconnect with the people she loves the most.
But on their first morning, Karina is startled to discover she’s slept in late and not been woken by Jacob.
He’s an early riser who always comes into their bed pestering them to make him breakfast.
So where is he? A needle of fear spikes through Karina’s veins.
She rushes to his room, but his bed is empty and he’s nowhere to be found in the villa.
But when she wakes Ronan, frantic with worry, and tells him their son is missing, he stares at her blankly.
He says he has no idea what she’s talking about and that they don’t have any children.
He’s certainly never heard of a boy called Jacob…
With cracks beginning to show in her marriage, Karina thinks a short break to a luxury villa in Turkey with her husband, Ronan, and their four-year-old son, Jacob, is just what the family needs.
It’ll be a chance to relax, enjoy some good food, and more importantly to reconnect with the people she loves the most.
But on their first morning, Karina is startled to discover she’s slept in late and not been woken by Jacob.
He’s an early riser who always comes into their bed pestering them to make him breakfast.
So where is he? A needle of fear spikes through Karina’s veins.
She rushes to his room, but his bed is empty and he’s nowhere to be found in the villa.
But when she wakes Ronan, frantic with worry, and tells him their son is missing, he stares at her blankly.
He says he has no idea what she’s talking about and that they don’t have any children.
He’s certainly never heard of a boy called Jacob…
361 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2024
811 people are currently reading
6810 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Wills
16 books416 followers***Book bloggers join my ARC team and never miss getting your hands on a review copy of my latest books. You can sign up here: bit.ly/bloggersalert ***
AJ Wills writes standalone psychological thrillers with twisty plots.
He’s a former journalist who wrote in his spare time, before and after work for ten years, until he was finally able to fulfil his lifelong dream of becoming a fulltime author in May 2021.
He’s never looked back and now runs a small independent publishing company, Cherry Tree Publishing with his wife, AJ McDine, also a thriller writer.
He said: “I've always loved thrillers, but psychological thrillers hold a special interest for me because they're about the scary, insane, disturbing things that happen to ordinary people - and we can all relate to them on some level.”
He lives in Kent in the south east of England.
You can download AJ Wills’s psychological thriller, His Lost Wife, for free by visiting bit.ly/hislostwife
You can find out more about him on his website: ajwillsauthor.com, his Facebook page AuthorAJWills or on his Instagram account ajwills_author
Of course, you can always contact him directly at adrian@ajwillsauthor.com, where he loves to answer messages from genuine readers.
And don't forget to follow him on BookBub for his new releases: bit.ly/BookBubAJWills
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 379 reviews
February 1, 2024
DNF at 71%
Karina has to be the most irritating FMC I've read in a long time. 🙄
Karina has to be the most irritating FMC I've read in a long time. 🙄
February 10, 2024
I received a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Zooloos Book Tours.
The Phantom Child is a twisty, mind-bending psychology thriller that grips you from the first few pages.
We follow Karina, who, as an attempt to patch up cracks in her marriage, goes off on a short break with her husband and young son Jacob to Turkey. When Karina awakens on her first morning there to find her son missing, and then her husband denying they've even had a child this sets your pulse pounding and racing through each chapter to uncover the truth. As a mother myself, this had my heart racing, and I couldn't stop reading until I turned the final page. The writing is written with depth but also spellbinding and captivating. I can't say too much without giving something away but what I will say is you need to pick this book up ASAP!
The Phantom Child is a twisty, mind-bending psychology thriller that grips you from the first few pages.
We follow Karina, who, as an attempt to patch up cracks in her marriage, goes off on a short break with her husband and young son Jacob to Turkey. When Karina awakens on her first morning there to find her son missing, and then her husband denying they've even had a child this sets your pulse pounding and racing through each chapter to uncover the truth. As a mother myself, this had my heart racing, and I couldn't stop reading until I turned the final page. The writing is written with depth but also spellbinding and captivating. I can't say too much without giving something away but what I will say is you need to pick this book up ASAP!
January 14, 2024
Wow, this was such a wild ride! I loved majority of the moments. I felt like I was going crazy with the main character. Such shocking twists. My jaw DROPPED at the main twist. I was so shook. Wonderful writing, it makes you want to keep turning the pages to try to find out what is real.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
August 16, 2024
OUCH, OUCH, OUCH, OUCH!!!
My eyes were rolling so rapidly that they actually started to hurt. 👀👀😭😭
(Fortunately, I had plenty of cold compresses on hand!)
TW: gaslighting and abuse of females.
I am a huge fan of this author and, unfortunately, this was not his best book.
Although the book was pacey, the book's unrealistic plotline was difficult to embrace.
I listened to the audiobook read by Helen Phillips, who did a fabulous job with the narration.
2 stars, rounded up.
January 6, 2024
Wow what an amazing story, I could not put this book down and I definitely see the twist coming!
January 6, 2024
Karina is living every mother’s worst nightmare when her son disappears on a family holiday to Turkey. But what is even stranger, is that no one seems to believe her. Can she find him? Or did he never even exist to begin with?
What a page turner! Filled with unlikable characters, this book is utterly chilling. I kept changing my mind as to whether Karina was totally crazy, or not, and it’s one of those stories where you feel like you can’t trust anyone.
I did find Karina, herself, unlikeable as well though. Utterly gullible, naive and unhelpful to her own plight, which frustrated me somewhat. I wanted to scream at her in points for being such an idiot! I enjoyed the fast pace, especially the ending.
A quick, easy and entertaining read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Cherry Tree Publishing for my advanced copy.
What a page turner! Filled with unlikable characters, this book is utterly chilling. I kept changing my mind as to whether Karina was totally crazy, or not, and it’s one of those stories where you feel like you can’t trust anyone.
I did find Karina, herself, unlikeable as well though. Utterly gullible, naive and unhelpful to her own plight, which frustrated me somewhat. I wanted to scream at her in points for being such an idiot! I enjoyed the fast pace, especially the ending.
A quick, easy and entertaining read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Cherry Tree Publishing for my advanced copy.
March 3, 2024
The phantom child by A.J Willis
This book is based upon a young women called Katrina who went on a holiday with her husband and her son Jacob. Upon being on holiday jacob goes mysteriously missing and when she awakes to find him missing, her husband explains to her that there never was a child. Katrina is struggling to find out what is the truth and what is the reality and is desperate to find out if her son really went missing or did he ever exists.
I found this book to be absolutely sh*t. I was so gutted as I thought this was going to be really good and interesting but all I got was disappointment. It was so rushed and to be honest didn’t make sense. There was so many bits that wasn’t needed and I just felt like this could have been so much better. The characters also just annoyed me too.
I have given this two stars just due to the fact I did find out what happened to some extent but it would be wrong to give anymore. I was torn between one and two stars.
This book is based upon a young women called Katrina who went on a holiday with her husband and her son Jacob. Upon being on holiday jacob goes mysteriously missing and when she awakes to find him missing, her husband explains to her that there never was a child. Katrina is struggling to find out what is the truth and what is the reality and is desperate to find out if her son really went missing or did he ever exists.
I found this book to be absolutely sh*t. I was so gutted as I thought this was going to be really good and interesting but all I got was disappointment. It was so rushed and to be honest didn’t make sense. There was so many bits that wasn’t needed and I just felt like this could have been so much better. The characters also just annoyed me too.
I have given this two stars just due to the fact I did find out what happened to some extent but it would be wrong to give anymore. I was torn between one and two stars.
January 2, 2024
The author did a great job of building a story with such a disturbing premise! There are some BAD characters in this book! Losing a child by any means is the worst of the worst! I do think it would be impossible to convince a mother that she imagined a child, especially by the age of four, but still, the story works. The writing is fast paced, and you find yourself wondering how the heck this book will be resolved! I love this author and read his books as soon as they come out. Put this one on your list!
February 7, 2024
Karina, Ronan and Jacob go on their first family holiday to Turkey in a luxury Villa☀️. Karina remembers putting Jacob to bed, in fact she remembers everything she has done with him in his 4 years of life, or has she? Because Ronan is saying they don't have a child...and they never did.
📚Just the sound of this book drew me in, I love a whole missing child storyline in a thriller, but when the child has never excited? Sign me up.
📚The book was intense the whole way through, from the beginning when they went to the airport, to the time Jacob 'goes missing', to the aftermath of the holiday, everything was intense and fast paced which made for very easy and quick reading.
📚There were some great mini storylines in this book that all tied together really well, I felt like every character had a part to play which was great! There were a few twists that definitely shocked me, but I felt like they were also very subtle which I loved because finding things about made them more shocking in a way.
📚Overall, a great read and a very easy 5⭐ ! I would highly recommend to everyone.
📚Just the sound of this book drew me in, I love a whole missing child storyline in a thriller, but when the child has never excited? Sign me up.
📚The book was intense the whole way through, from the beginning when they went to the airport, to the time Jacob 'goes missing', to the aftermath of the holiday, everything was intense and fast paced which made for very easy and quick reading.
📚There were some great mini storylines in this book that all tied together really well, I felt like every character had a part to play which was great! There were a few twists that definitely shocked me, but I felt like they were also very subtle which I loved because finding things about made them more shocking in a way.
📚Overall, a great read and a very easy 5⭐ ! I would highly recommend to everyone.
January 5, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!
Thanks to NetGalley, Cherry Tree Publishing, and AJ Wills for the advance copy!
This novel focuses on the beginning and end of a 10-year time span in Karina McHugh’s life. Karina is a doting mother to her son, Jacob. They take a family trip with her husband, Ronan to Turkey and from there, thing get craaaaazyy! There’s no way for me to tell you much more than that without giving away spoilers 🫢😮💨 This book was a wild ride. It felt a lot like Stacy Willingham’s “All the Dangerous Things.”
AJ Wills writing style was easy to read and he paced this novel really well. There were constant twists and turns, but you were never left agonizing over the same question the entire time. Once one was answered, there was another thing that would pop up and leave you thinking and analyzing what you read all over again. This was my first novel from Wills, but I’m definitely looking forward to reading more soon!
Release date: February 1, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley, Cherry Tree Publishing, and AJ Wills for the advance copy!
This novel focuses on the beginning and end of a 10-year time span in Karina McHugh’s life. Karina is a doting mother to her son, Jacob. They take a family trip with her husband, Ronan to Turkey and from there, thing get craaaaazyy! There’s no way for me to tell you much more than that without giving away spoilers 🫢😮💨 This book was a wild ride. It felt a lot like Stacy Willingham’s “All the Dangerous Things.”
AJ Wills writing style was easy to read and he paced this novel really well. There were constant twists and turns, but you were never left agonizing over the same question the entire time. Once one was answered, there was another thing that would pop up and leave you thinking and analyzing what you read all over again. This was my first novel from Wills, but I’m definitely looking forward to reading more soon!
Release date: February 1, 2024
February 1, 2024
Wow! It is a brilliantly written psychological thriller that is addictive, suspenseful, and twisty plot. The author did a fantastic job in building the story and ramping up the tension that you will not be able to put the book down. The characters will pull you into the pages and not let go til the shocking ending. I devoured this book in two days. I thought I had it figured out, then another twist. Highly recommend to any thriller fan.
February 2, 2024
Karina wakes up on holiday to find her son Jacob gone. Her husband has no clue what she's talking about as they don't have a son. Do they?
Oh my, this book made me feel so uncomfortable, but had me gripped in its vice from the beginning. I just had to keep reading to find out what was going on. Was Jacob real? Or just in Karina's head? What a brilliantly written page turner with some shocking twists. My jaw actually dropped with the main, huge twist. I hadn't expected it at all.
Being a Mam myself I really felt for Karina. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be told my child didn't exist. She was an amazing character and I'm glad she ended up with a support network around her and she wasn't on her own.
Oh my, this book made me feel so uncomfortable, but had me gripped in its vice from the beginning. I just had to keep reading to find out what was going on. Was Jacob real? Or just in Karina's head? What a brilliantly written page turner with some shocking twists. My jaw actually dropped with the main, huge twist. I hadn't expected it at all.
Being a Mam myself I really felt for Karina. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be told my child didn't exist. She was an amazing character and I'm glad she ended up with a support network around her and she wasn't on her own.
February 16, 2024
The first part of the book really gripped me- filled with mysterious situations, dialogue, thrilling plot. Then it suddenly speeds up, skips ten years in a page and the rest of the book fell super flat to me. I liked a few of the twists in discovery the “whodunnit” part but otherwise I was so disappointed at the timeline skip, the narration that drolled on with no interactions or dialogues or adventure or exciting bits really. I think I expected a bit more in the ending, as well, at least I did up until the main character began acting and engaging in ways that really made a case of being not well seem more likely (stalking, angry outbursts, not calling police, showing up at houses, schools and workplaces for confrontations, etc). She really didn’t help her case and it didn’t seem well thought out in the storyline- I was expecting either a more revengeful heroine or a more realistic display of someone struggling in the throws of a mental crisis. But this in-between where she still came out okay in the end was just awkward to me. The twist of the switched babies and the abortion didn’t even seem to fit either- I think it was supposed to be an “aha! Surprise!” Moment at the end but it just made me go “heh?” Like, who cares at this point? The poor kid is likely to be messed up, on drugs or in therapy himself with broken relationships and low self esteem for the rest of his adult life. Who cares if he’s adopted & how it even came to be. It just didn’t work well in my opinion, it was more like an afterthought plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2023
The Phantom Child is a pulse-pounding psychological thriller that takes the reader from start to finish on the edge of their seat, never letting up. One morning, on a family vacation in a hotel by the sea far away from home, Karina wakes up to discover her son Jacob missing. Her world falls apart when her husband, Ronan, says that they've never had a child, and she becomes frantic in the search for him.
The author writes a suspenseful tale with twists and turns, in which no one knows whether the characters are real. It probes into the dark themes of love and trust and asks how far one would go to protect their kin. With shiver-making events described in an emotionally turbulent way:
Suspense and mystery fill every moment of this harrowing tale. Here, a luxury villa in Turkey provides the eerie backdrop. In the author's descriptive writing, readers will understand Karina's fright and confusion as she struggles to reconcile her lost son with what her husband is saying.
Fans of psychological thrillers will find The Phantom Child a must-read. This is a masterful exploration of paranoia, anxiety, and the ability of the mind to shape reality. These shocking revelations and haunting conclusions will stay with you long after turning the last page.
The author writes a suspenseful tale with twists and turns, in which no one knows whether the characters are real. It probes into the dark themes of love and trust and asks how far one would go to protect their kin. With shiver-making events described in an emotionally turbulent way:
Suspense and mystery fill every moment of this harrowing tale. Here, a luxury villa in Turkey provides the eerie backdrop. In the author's descriptive writing, readers will understand Karina's fright and confusion as she struggles to reconcile her lost son with what her husband is saying.
Fans of psychological thrillers will find The Phantom Child a must-read. This is a masterful exploration of paranoia, anxiety, and the ability of the mind to shape reality. These shocking revelations and haunting conclusions will stay with you long after turning the last page.
January 7, 2024
This was a unique premise for me, and I think the author executed it well!
I will say, there weren’t any crazy twists. You kind of picked up on everything as the story went along, so there weren’t a lot of surprises when it was revealed.
All in all, I recommend this book. It was a quick read with a unique storyline. It is eventful from the very beginning, so it’s worth a read for sure!
March 13, 2024
I enjoyed the book but kind of knew who the “bad guy” was early on. Otherwise a good book that kept my interest.
January 30, 2024
Thank you to Cherry Tree Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an advanced readers copy. All opinions are my own.
This book was phenomenal! It had me gripped the entire way through and the plot is my worst nightmare. An easy five stars and I will most definitely be reading more from this author. I finished the book in one day as it was such a page turner.
This book was phenomenal! It had me gripped the entire way through and the plot is my worst nightmare. An easy five stars and I will most definitely be reading more from this author. I finished the book in one day as it was such a page turner.
February 11, 2024
Brilliant! I read this book within one day!
January 17, 2024
This was a gaslit rollercoaster of a book!
I was seething at certain characters the whole way through - red flags galore and gaslighting to the extreme - it is very well written. I've read this in just two sittings within 24 hours as I struggled to put it down!
Huge thanks to the author for having me as part of their arc team.
I was seething at certain characters the whole way through - red flags galore and gaslighting to the extreme - it is very well written. I've read this in just two sittings within 24 hours as I struggled to put it down!
Huge thanks to the author for having me as part of their arc team.
January 5, 2024
The book is so gripping and full of suspense. It kept me on the edge of my seat. It has so many twists and turns. If you are looking for a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing till the end, this is for you. The ending completely shook me. Jacob was taken away from Karina when he was four years old. After believing all these years that he was merely an illusion. Presently after ten years, she receives a mail from mysterious person that Jacob is safe but she is in such a dilemma now, whether he is an illusion or is he really alive and she was deceived and manipulated into believing that Jacob doesn’t exist?
Many Thanks to the Author, Publisher & Netgalley.
Many Thanks to the Author, Publisher & Netgalley.
January 31, 2024
Karina, her husband, Ronan and their four-year-old son, Jacob, are off on their first holiday abroad together to Turkey. When Karina wakes up the next morning, not only has Jacob disappeared, there is no sign of him having been there. To make matters worse, Ronan is insisting that they don’t have a child at all!
I won’t say any more than this as I don’t want to give away anything about this intricate plot.
There were some good characters in this story but also some downright evil ones.
My heart went out to Karina, I couldn’t begin to imagine how I would feel if anything happened to any of my children, it is a parent’s worst nightmare.
The story had me hooked right from the start, I devoured the book! It is an intricate and well written plot. There were times where I was on the edge of my seat, my heart was pounding and I was shouting at my kindle!
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It had some superb twists along the way that left me gobsmacked.
My thanks to the author and Zooloo’s Book Tours for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
I won’t say any more than this as I don’t want to give away anything about this intricate plot.
There were some good characters in this story but also some downright evil ones.
My heart went out to Karina, I couldn’t begin to imagine how I would feel if anything happened to any of my children, it is a parent’s worst nightmare.
The story had me hooked right from the start, I devoured the book! It is an intricate and well written plot. There were times where I was on the edge of my seat, my heart was pounding and I was shouting at my kindle!
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It had some superb twists along the way that left me gobsmacked.
My thanks to the author and Zooloo’s Book Tours for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
January 22, 2024
This book is absolutely brilliant. I haven't read anything by this author before and I can't wait to read more.
All the way through I couldn't put the book down and would have flown through it in one day if it wasn't for sleep and work.
The twist at the end was phenomenal and I didn't see it coming but it was perfect. It was a very clever plot and it so pleased I've read this.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All the way through I couldn't put the book down and would have flown through it in one day if it wasn't for sleep and work.
The twist at the end was phenomenal and I didn't see it coming but it was perfect. It was a very clever plot and it so pleased I've read this.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 19, 2025
first 2025 book club read!
- the plot was so promising
-a lot of the dialogue and protagonist’s internal monologue was sooo repetitive like girl Katrina, we know what happened as the reader (insert plot blurb here)
- stagnant in first half but more movement in second half but the events were dramatic and non-sensible and kind of ridiculous like a sudden email from a secretive anon with a photo that had ALL the metadata intact that led Katrina to finding the exact school her son goes to, spontaneous car crash of the antagonist at the right time and moment, and confronting India at the right time when her son and Sammy were going to flee the country
- felt like the sudden domestic violence from Sammy to Katrina came out of nowhere and also his apparent obsessive goal with taking total custody of Jacob when everything that was shared to the reader said otherwise (indifferent to having a child, not really wanting to spend time with him, etc.) just felt inconsistent
- one scene I was like huh was when Sammy threw a curve ball during the altercation at the airport saying that Katrina wasn't even Jacob's real mother and saying “what about that for a plot twist?”
- the plot was so promising
-a lot of the dialogue and protagonist’s internal monologue was sooo repetitive like girl Katrina, we know what happened as the reader (insert plot blurb here)
- stagnant in first half but more movement in second half but the events were dramatic and non-sensible and kind of ridiculous like a sudden email from a secretive anon with a photo that had ALL the metadata intact that led Katrina to finding the exact school her son goes to, spontaneous car crash of the antagonist at the right time and moment, and confronting India at the right time when her son and Sammy were going to flee the country
- felt like the sudden domestic violence from Sammy to Katrina came out of nowhere and also his apparent obsessive goal with taking total custody of Jacob when everything that was shared to the reader said otherwise (indifferent to having a child, not really wanting to spend time with him, etc.) just felt inconsistent
- one scene I was like huh was when Sammy threw a curve ball during the altercation at the airport saying that Katrina wasn't even Jacob's real mother and saying “what about that for a plot twist?”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2024
First, I really loved the writing style. I felt as lost as the main character sometimes ! I loved the twists, and how it all turns out for her. However, I wonder if there will be a second book ? The end really teased my curiosity, what will happen if Jacob ends up wanting to know more about what he found.
Thanks to Netgalley and Cherry Tree Publishing for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and Cherry Tree Publishing for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.
June 16, 2024
Most convoluted and unbelievable story I’ve ever read
I read it all to the end, just to see what happened! I honestly skimmed through pages which had content of no value to the story, except they did hold beautiful descriptions of scenery etc.
The story itself is unbelievable-what mother would believe she imagined a child! As if that wasn’t far fetched enough the multiple twists at the end were about two or three twists too many.!
I read it all to the end, just to see what happened! I honestly skimmed through pages which had content of no value to the story, except they did hold beautiful descriptions of scenery etc.
The story itself is unbelievable-what mother would believe she imagined a child! As if that wasn’t far fetched enough the multiple twists at the end were about two or three twists too many.!
May 29, 2024
Too ridiculous of a plot for me, the main character was too stupid for me to like or feel sorry for her
October 15, 2024
A. J. Wills has a talent for writing stories that take a deep exploration into the dark side of human nature. Wills pulled out all the elements of a gripping psychological thriller in The Phantom Child. It was riveting. It was heartbreaking. It was suspenseful. It was emotional. It was terrifying. It had a realm of stimulating and compelling content that was captivating.
I loved how Wills considerately forewarned his readers about the triggers contained in his book such as child abduction, abortion, domestic violence, and mental health. These heavy topics were challenging to read, but were equally as thought provoking as they were compelling.
Similar to other novels by Wills, the storyline he created was well developed with the most unlikable characters. Unlike the majority of the characters, Karina was the most likeable of them all. She was a complex woman. On the one hand, she suffered a mother’s worst nightmare, but on the other, there was something that wasn’t quite right about her. Either way, being a mother myself I related with her and therefore I quickly became invested in her plight to find her child.
Likewise, Wills fabricated a plot that had my head spinning. I found myself in an intricate guessing game of who/what to ascertain was real and what to ascertain was false. Aside from the mind boggling guessing game, and what I initially predicted would happen, I was thrown for a loop in the culminating chapters. I didn’t see the end twist coming at all. It was a shocking reveal.
My only qualm was that there were times that I found the dialogue was redundant. Surprisingly, despite the repetitive dialogue, I was throughly engaged and at the edge of my seat speculating what would transpire.
In addition to the complex characters and distinct turn of events, this story hit me emotionally hard at various points while I was reading. More specifically, I became emotional over Karina’s heartbreaking circumstances. I couldn’t help but have much empathy for Karina.
All in all, The Phantom Child was a suspenseful and masterful exploration of paranoia, anxiety, and the ability of the mind to shape reality. Wills skillful writing style originated the perfect tone for this terrifyingly emotional psychological thriller.
I loved how Wills considerately forewarned his readers about the triggers contained in his book such as child abduction, abortion, domestic violence, and mental health. These heavy topics were challenging to read, but were equally as thought provoking as they were compelling.
Similar to other novels by Wills, the storyline he created was well developed with the most unlikable characters. Unlike the majority of the characters, Karina was the most likeable of them all. She was a complex woman. On the one hand, she suffered a mother’s worst nightmare, but on the other, there was something that wasn’t quite right about her. Either way, being a mother myself I related with her and therefore I quickly became invested in her plight to find her child.
Likewise, Wills fabricated a plot that had my head spinning. I found myself in an intricate guessing game of who/what to ascertain was real and what to ascertain was false. Aside from the mind boggling guessing game, and what I initially predicted would happen, I was thrown for a loop in the culminating chapters. I didn’t see the end twist coming at all. It was a shocking reveal.
My only qualm was that there were times that I found the dialogue was redundant. Surprisingly, despite the repetitive dialogue, I was throughly engaged and at the edge of my seat speculating what would transpire.
In addition to the complex characters and distinct turn of events, this story hit me emotionally hard at various points while I was reading. More specifically, I became emotional over Karina’s heartbreaking circumstances. I couldn’t help but have much empathy for Karina.
All in all, The Phantom Child was a suspenseful and masterful exploration of paranoia, anxiety, and the ability of the mind to shape reality. Wills skillful writing style originated the perfect tone for this terrifyingly emotional psychological thriller.
January 7, 2024
Flew through this book in one day! This was very well written and kept me intrigued the entire time. I did think that some of the plot lines were rushed and wished I had a little more detail but it wasn’t anything that left me with questions. There were quite a few twists that I definitely didn’t see coming! All in all this one was very good!
THANK YOU to the author, Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
THANK YOU to the author, Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2024
Wow, I just finished this book and I feel like I have no thoughts. I was so mad around 60% thinking how the FMC could do this and once I finished and it all came full circle, I felt like I was the one who was being gaslight. I am really glad I stuck this one out because it ended up being a really good thriller.
Thank you Netgalley for this arc :)
Thank you Netgalley for this arc :)
May 8, 2024
A little drawn out
So this was an interesting storyline and that's what lured me in, but it was a little drawn out for me. I was ready for the twist to come and I just kept on waiting. There was a couple times I just wanted to go to the end and skim the rest of the chapters. Overall okay book.
So this was an interesting storyline and that's what lured me in, but it was a little drawn out for me. I was ready for the twist to come and I just kept on waiting. There was a couple times I just wanted to go to the end and skim the rest of the chapters. Overall okay book.
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