Without You

by Saskia Sarginson

'Atmospheric, readable, beautifully evoked' Sunday Mirror From the Richard & Judy bestselling author of The Twins - Without You is a captivating blend of mystery, thriller and emotional family drama, that will leave you unsettled, even as it touches your heart.1984, SuffolkWhen 17-year-old Eva goes missing at sea, everyone presumes that she drowned. Her parents' relationship is falling apart, undermined by guilt and grief. But her younger sister, Faith, refuses to consider a life without Eva; she's determined to find her sister and bring her home alive.Close to the shore looms the shape of an island - out of bounds, mysterious, and dotted with windowless concrete huts. What nobody knows is that inside one of the huts Eva is being held captive. That she is fighting to survive - and return home.Praise for Saskia 'Outstandingly good. Part thriller, part love story, I guarantee you will not be able to put it down' Sun on The Twins'Immersive, gripping, will pull at your heartstrings' Gilly Macmillan on The Stranger'Stunning in its insight and beautifully written' Judy Finnigan on The Twins'A stunning writer with deep insight into people, their thoughts and behaviour' NZ Women's Weekly

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Contemporary

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Saskia grew up in Suffolk and now lives in London. She is the mother of four children, including identical twin girls. She has a B.A hons in English Literature from Cambridge and an M.A in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway. She's worked as a Health & Beauty Editor,freelance journalist, ghost-writer and script reader. As well as writing and reading, she loves tango dancing and dog walking,

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 A tragic boating accident and a family is left bereft, a sister is presumed dead and the younger sister refuses to believe her sister is gone. She believes her sister is on an island that used to be a home for the military, an island she and her sister used to visit. Captured by the wild man, a mythical person said to inhabit the island.

Set in Suffolk this is a story of a family in crisis. Of two sisters, far apart in age, but that have a very strong bond. The back story of the missing girl's birth and the secrets in a family that have unexpected consequences. Love within a family and faith beyond all evidence to the] contrary. A young man who is damaged by an unexpected event while fighting in Northern Ireland. It is told from multiple viewpoints which I felt let me know the characters and their thoughts wholeheartedly. The ending is ambiguous which I thought fitting for this story. A heartfelt look at a tragedy where there are no real villains.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, but ultimately unmemorable. The pacing dragged in the middle, then the end felt really rushed, with Stockholm syndrome suddenly being flung in just because. (And usually I love the moral ambiguity of Stockholm syndrome.)

Also, Sophie the au pair could have been cut out of the story altogether -- it would've saved me a lot of eyerolling. What was the point of introducing an offensively stereotypical teenage French seductress only for that thread to never go anywhere?

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Saskia Sarginson's novel, Without You, a sailing accident at sea has seventeen-year-old Eva presumed dead, and the reader gets a view of all the family members' perspectives as they deal with this tragedy. Each members' emotions are all different, ranging from blame, guilt, and denial/determination. But all the while Eva herself is dealing with strange circumstances after being rescued from sea. (Don't worry, I'm not spoiling anything- it's right there in the synopsis!) In a sense, they are all dealing with some form of emotional or physical isolation. Grief is isolating; no one feels it in the same way.

This is the first book I have read by the author Saskia Sarginson. The writing in Without You is beautiful and I enjoyed reading how the author described people, places, and experiences. It was just lovely to read. I was instantly engaged based on the writing style alone! There are a variety of emotions flowing through the varying perspectives in this novel and when these characters are going through dark times, there is a haunting feel to it. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I did find myself connecting more to Eva's character/perspective, and her younger sister Faith's character/perspective came in a close second. This is why I shelvedWithout You in the young-adult genre on goodreads, but I think it may be more of a "family drama" though. I didn't feel a strong connection to the mother and father's perspectives personally, but I could definitely identify with their individual responses to grief. I gave this book 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 on goodreads. If you enjoy reading books that fall in the genres of thriller, young-adult, and family drama, then check Without You out!

Note: My only complaint in this book was that it was difficult for me to differentiate between some of the perspectives at times. What helped was the fact that each chapter was someone else's perspective. This complaint may very well be limited to the audiobook experience. The narrator did not change her voice tone for any of the perspectives and there were no titles or character names accompanying the chapters, at least in the audiobook. Maybe reading the book off the page makes it easier in some way to tell which character you're reading about. Obviously, the content makes it apparent who the chapter is focusing on within the first paragraph or two so it's not a huge complaint but it was a little distracting in my personal reading experience.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Publication Date: 17th July 2014 from Little Brown/Piatkus

Thank you to the author and publisher for the review copy via netgalley.

1984 – Suffolk, England.
When 17-year-old Eva goes missing at sea, everyone presumes that she drowned. Her parents’ relationship is falling apart, undermined by guilt and grief. But her younger sister, Faith, refuses to consider a life without Eva; she’s determined to find her sister and bring her home alive.
Close to the shore looms the shape of an island — out of bounds, mysterious, and dotted with windowless concrete huts. What nobody knows is that inside one of the huts Eva is being held captive. That she is fighting to survive — and return home..

I read Saskia Sarginson’s debut novel “The Twins” and absolutely adored it so I was looking forward to the latest one with glee and gosh, it was very good indeed, I barely put it down start to finish.

Eva is missing, presumed drowned. Whilst her parents make desperate attempts to cope with their horrific loss, younger sister Faith is absolutely determined that Eva is alive and on an island, a haunting and seemingly deserted ex government property, just across the water. What nobody realises is that Faith is right…

This was basically another great family drama from Ms Sarginson – with a sibling relationship at the heart of it, multi stranded as we hear from various people at various times, it was a terrifically clever spiders web of a tale, connecting each part of the story to the next. Also using past and present to give an understanding of how things were at the time of the accident, the interconnecting lives of all the people concerned are intricately yet delicately shown.

There is great heart and style to the writing here that keeps you deeply involved with every action, motivation and emotion of the characters as they traverse the waters of some difficult times. Add to that an evocative sense of place, Suffolk comes alive within the pages and puts you firmly in the centre of the action. Exploring themes of love, loss and the meaning of family, I found this extremely addictive reading with some genuinely memorable characters.

Overall a most terrific read and comes highly recommended from me.

Happy Reading Folks!

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review, thank you.

What a beautifully written novel, Saskia Sarginson has a really good ability to weave words into an exceptional novel.

The story is that Eva has been missing, presumed dead after a boating accident she was in with her father, her mother and father are grieving and trying to move on accepting that whilst her body was never found, that in all likelihood she is dead.

But not Eva's little sister, she is convinced that Eva is still alive and living on a remote island, being cared for by the "wild man of the sea" a local legend and helped by the mythical selkies.

Guess what? She's right, well almost. Eva was rescued from the sea and is being kept on the island but there is nothing very mythical or magical about it. The book is written from multiple points of view, which makes it interesting as we get to see inside the thought and feelings of each person who was and is in Eva's life.

The book explores a fair bit of back story to the days before Eva has her accident, which helps build up more of the story. I was particularly pulled into this book and it was sitting at a strong 3 star review until I hit the 70% finished mark, from there on the book just launched into such brilliant writing and I could not stop reading, the ending was excellently done.

A great read, be patient with it at first if unsure where it is heading, I really enjoyed "hearing" the voices of the many characters, mostly from Eva's captor, I felt his character was particularly well done.

My final rating ended up at 4 stars, the last 30% of it pulling it over the line. I have not read Saskia Sarginson's first novel The Twins but intend to do so as well as watching for her next novel also.

If you like your books to have plenty of relationship exploration and dissection and enjoy something a bit different in your reading, then you may very well enjoy this one as much as I did.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read all the great reviews for this book but I had a hard time getting into the story or the characters. I kept waiting for a plot twist or some kind of climax but it lacked any kind of resolution by the end. The characters were bland and the mother especially was overly annoying with no relation to the story line. Once the novel ends and her daughter is found she seems to forget all of her prior problems with her husband and everything just magically goes back to normal. It just seemed a little unresolved. The grandmother was mentioned a lot but I could not find a reason she was introduced into the story. All in all I was very disappointed and to tell you the truth it was a waste of time. The writing however was very well done and the author has a great writing style. I will definitely give her a second chance and read "The Twins". I just hope the plot is a little more captivating....

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really would like to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK via Net Galley for allowing me to read the brilliant compelling book. I just couldn't leave it alone.

When a tragedy happens and it seems that one of their children has died at sea [I don't want to give away spoilers so I am trying to be careful here] the only one that believes she may be still alive is her little sister.

There is so much in this book. It literally picked up for me about 50% into the book, before that I felt like hurrying it up, but then it just flew, one thing after the other, and time flew with it!

Would I recommend this book? Oh yes, most definitely

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without You is a superb story full of suspense, this story is part a mystery and a thriller. It will touch every readers heart.

A family are sailing at sea when a storm hits their boat leading to one of their daughters Eva lost at sea. The parents believe Eva is dead but the youngest daughter Faith believes that her sister is alive.

I read and enjoyed The Twins by Saskia Sarginson, but I enjoyed this emotional suspense much more.

[Nick Davies · Rating 2 out of 5]

My major criticisms of this novel lie in it's blandness. An interesting plot idea - a family's teenage daughter goes missing at sea, assumed dead, but has instead been taken kidnap on a deserted coastal island off Suffolk - was rendered somewhat unremarkable by a writing style which seemed simplistic and lacking in much literary style (for all the descriptions and introspection, little of this was anything more than modestly illustrative) and a lack of any dramatic tension by virtue of the 'alternate chapters from different points of view' style meant we were always sure that the daughter was alive and would be found, 'cause that's just how a book like this always pans out. A lot of the content and the characters were not massively interesting to read, or important to the story. I've read worse, but I've read plenty of others in the genre that are more memorable and enjoyable.

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce livre est bien mais peu mémorable. C’est une lecture légère et facile à suivre, mais j’ai l’impression qu’il manquait quelque chose. C’est l’histoire de deux sœurs qui sont très proches, au fil de l’histoire, on apprend que la soeur aînée a été adoptée. Ce qui est le fond de l’histoire, mais l��évènement principal c’est que la soeur aînée est portée disparue en mer, les parents doivent faire leur deuil et essayer de faire de leur mieux pour leur fille biologique afin qu’elle est une vie normale, mais Faith, la soeur cadette, sait qu’Eva est prisonnière sur l’île, (Comment? On ne le sait pas vraiment.) mais personne ne l’écoute, croyant que c’est sa façon à elle de ne pas accepter la disparition de sa soeur. En vérité, un « Homme Sauvage » a sauvé Eva de la noyade, mais la tient prisonnière sur l’île avec lui, le temps de recevoir un message de « l’ange. » J’ai l’impression que ce livre essaie de dire que ce n’est pas parce qu’on est adopté, que notre famille adoptive n’est pas notre vraie famille. La famille, c’est plus que les liens du sang.

[Mariaan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit slow. At times it gripped me, but overall I expected a bit more.

[Kamilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I've loved Saskia Sarginson's book the Twins, this one bored me to death. I only struggled through it out of obligations and because I loved her other book so much. This book just didn't touch anything in me. I could not warm to any of the characters. I didn't feel sorry for the girl who supposedly drowned but were kept against her will, nor for the mother and father who struggled with her death. Their story, or just the writing, could not manage to raise any emotion in me. It was flat and emotionally empty.
The story starts with Eva sailing out with her father, then falling in the water when a storm hits. She come to on the shores of the island she used to visit with her younger sister. A hairy, deshivelled person is leaning over her, telling her he rescued her, then takes her to a bunker where he'll keep her for months. Meanwhile everyone else thinks she's drowned.
So we know from the get go what's happened. No mystery there. As much as it is horrible, the writing lacked emotion. And it just went downhill from there. As each character struggles with their own situation we learn about their stories, their histories. The POV changes with every chapter and while each tells their present and talkes about what is happening in the moment as the months pass from the supposed drowining, they also sink into anecdotals about what happened to them in the past.
Everyone, except the little sister, Faith, thinks Eva is dead. She keeps telling people that Eva is on the island, but noone believes her, they just think that this is how her young mind tries to cope with her sister's loss.
Then there is the abductee, Billy, who is a troubled soul, but has no connection to any of the family (except a very minor one). His relationship with Eva is weird, he is weird, then as they spend months together in isolation, Eva develops strange feelings towards him as well - as is evident upon her return. It's probably Stockholm syndrome.
This book could have been so much better if the writing was better. The emotional turmoil, for me, was not captured well, as the focus seemed to be more on the past and the sectrets the family held. I had so much curiosity and anticipation for this book and it was such a disappointment. Sad really...

[AJourneyWithoutMap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunningly beautiful and haunting, Without You by Saskia Sarginson is a suspenseful story that captures the trauma and tragedy surrounding the disappearance of a teenage girl at sea. In its wake, a family is drawn into a whirlpool of uncertainty, shaking the very foundation of the ties that bind the family together, and the persistent and unwavering hope of a forlorn and heart-broken younger sister for the return of her older sister. Crafting an incredibly compelling tale full of suspense and family drama, Sarginson’s riveting and captivating story is one of the finest that I read this year.

Just a month after celebrating her seventeenth birthday, Eva and her father Max were sailing on a sailboat when the sky darkened to black and a storm blew up out of nowhere, and Eva was flung out of the boat, and disappeared into the cold water. The extensive search to locate her went in vain, and everyone presumed she had drowned. The family is devastated. Though Eva’s younger sister Faith is adamant that her sister is still alive, she’s unable to convince any. Faith is certain that her sister has survived and is now fighting for survival on a small island off the shores of Suffolk that once housed military sites.

The initial shock gives way to anger, and Eva’s parents Max and Clara started blaming each other, and their marriage is on the verge of falling apart. It is up to Faith to risk everything and let her intuition and belief guide her to the island and rescue Eva, if she is indeed on the island as she believed. Saskia Sarginson has populated the book with endearing characters, prime among them is Billy, who you will get to meet as you read the story. His story and that of the principal character Eva is truly absorbing. Without You by Saskia Sarginson is a story about loss, faith, love and belonging.

[Signe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dear Book,

I could've done without YOU. Your lack of a single plot twist, your poorly developed characters whom I didn't care about at all and the fact that you were put together in such a bland way was really disappointing. You also introduced characters that ended up serving no purpose whatsoever (um, the au pair?). You made me feel as if I were standing by the sidelines instead of in the field.

[Sandra de koning-vd pol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zonder jou...het greep me niet echt maar toch wilde ik het uitlezen. Gedaan ;))

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. It’s 1984 and after a boating accident 17 year old Eva is missing, presumed drowned. As her dad holds himself responsible for the accident, and her mum secretly does too it’s just her younger sister, Faith, who is adamant that Eva is still alive.

I loved this book, particularly the parts about Eva and Billy. I felt the whole book was very well written and I could emphasise with each character - the mother’s devastation, the father’s guilt, even Billy’s illogical plans and reasoning. And I enjoyed the way the whole book was set in the 80’s, it just made it a little different from the current thrillers out there.

[H.A. Leuschel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully emotional and engaging read, the description of the setting adding to the nostalgic and gripping development of events and I felt for the two main characters as well as their troubled parents. If you are looking for a compelling as well as psychologically intriguing read, you'll love this novel!

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok read.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this quick, easy read.

[Tgordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good in some ways and boring and confusing in others. The premise is a missing young women from a crazy small town on the coast. She has a younger sister who thinks she’s alive on an island off the coast that the military used to inhibit. No one will help her as she’s can’t swim she’s afraid to try on her own. Meanwhile, her parents are hiding secrets that could be the key to where her sister is. It’s readable but has points that are well boring and annoying.

[zuz · Rating 5 out of 5]

billy bro. 💔

[Tina Milledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like to read more by this author. This completely held my interest from start to finish.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather different take on the "girl goes missing" story. This story of sisters Eva and Faith reads like the deviant love child of Still Missing coupled with Enid Blyton famous five novels. But it does it with real panache. This story really hooked me and kept me reading wanting to know what happens.

The story is told in alternating narratives, those of Eva, the girl who goes missing and is held captive on an island, her younger sister Faith, whose remains true to her name in her conviction that Eva is not, as popular belief has it, dead, drowned in a boating accident with her Dad who can't remember the circumstances surrounding the accident.

We also get the take on the situation from the points of view of both their parents Dad Max and Clara their Mum, neither of whom are coping well with the loss of their beloved eldest girl.

We meet Billy too, the mystery man who rescued Eva and who is haunted by his own demons.

Faith tells the largest part of the story, she is rather a loner, finds it hard to fit in and is very much a coming of age story for both girls. We are taken back and forth in time and the setting of the main parts of the story is in the 70s and 80s both eras being portrayed particularly well. I expected a psychological thriller but its also emotionally charged and about family and secrets

Its quite a lovely story about growing up, not fitting in, loss, redemption and forgiveness. I can highly recommend it if you like a good mix of realistic characters, a gripping story with lots of off shoot storylines blended in, hints of legend and history and enough ambiguity to make you pause for thought now and again. Excellent.

My thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown book group publishers for my review copy.

[Anne-Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Begin juli verscheen het 2e boek van Saskia Sarginson Zonder Jou. Eerder schreef zij de Tweeling en in Engeland is het derde boek ‘The Other me’ onlangs verschenen.
Sarginson werkte eerst als copywriter en script editor en was ghostwriter voor onder andere de BBC voordat ze fulltime ging schrijven.

1984, Een ongeluk tijdens het zeilen op zee. Vader Max kan zich weinig meer van het hele gebeuren herinneren. Een ongeluk waarbij hij zijn dochter Eva verloor. Sindsdien is er een grote kloof tussen hem en zijn vrouw Clara ontstaan en het hele gebeuren heeft een grote impact op hun huwelijk en verdere leven. Zusje Faith is er van overtuigd dat Eva niet dood is en kan het niet laten rusten. Ondertussen, niet zo ver van huis vecht Eva voor haar leven, als gevangene op een eilandje.

Mijn eerste kennismaking met deze auteur en gelijk een zeer aangename. Een auteur die je vanaf het begin van het boek haar verhaal intrekt door een IJzersterk verhaal neer te zetten. Een verhaal dat ontzettend boeit, waarin je jezelf verliest en alles om je heen vergeet. De hoofdstukken wisselen tussen Eva, die gevangen gehouden wordt op een eiland en daar moet zien te overleven en de familie op het land die het ongeluk nog dagelijks bezig houdt.
Een prachtige setting in de 80er jaren. (met heel af en toen even een uitstapje naar eind jaren ’60) Een verhaal met veel diepgang, uitgediepte en overtuigende karakters in een verhaal dat staat als een huis en helemaal klopt van begin tot eind. Sarginson bewijst dat je ook een boeiend en (psychologisch) spannend boek kunt schrijven zonder moord en doodslag, een verhaal waarin een groot familiedrama de hoofdrol speelt. Zo ontzettend mooi en goed geschreven, dat ik wel kan zeggen : Een juweeltje!

Een enorme aanrader die van mij dan ook de volle 5 ★★★★★ krijgt!
Absolute mustread!

[Jade Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book with a truly different take on thriller, incorporating themes such as Stockholm Syndrome, rape and adoption. There are many elements to this book but it had been done so elegantly.

When a sailing accident throws 17 year old Eva Gale into the sea, everyone presumes that she has drowned. Instead, Billy, an ex military soldier has saved her life but is keeping her against her will on an abandoned island that is home to old landmines that have yet to detonate.
There are a variety of point of views; from Eva and from her family.... her father who is consumed by guilt and feels responsible for the accident, her mother who has been swallowed by sadness and her little sister, Faith, who believes Eva is still alive and intuitively knows she is on the island. The only problem is that no one will listen to her. No one will go there to investigate and search.
So Faith takes matters into her own hands with her unwavering certainty that Eva is still alive.

This is a beautifully written family drama.
Addictive, creepy, seducing and at times overwhelming. At one point during this novel I was fighting back the tears.
If you enjoy book featuring siblings relationships and strong female characters then this book is for you.

My only complaint would be that I found this book a little slow-paced and dragged on at times.

[Sara James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without You is a gripping tale of a kidnapped girl, Eva whose family believe has drowned in a boating accident, all except her sister Faith who is convinced that she’s alive and being kept by a mythological creature on a small island off the shores of Suffolk. Meanwhile, Eva is being kept in a concrete bunker — her hands and feet tied — not knowing what her kidnapper, Billy wants from her or what he’s going to do.

I couldn’t put this book down. Billy is such a complex and brilliant character. As the relationship between kidnapper and victim evolved I found myself torn, hoping on the one hand that something is resolved between them both, and on the other that her family were put out of their misery and she was discovered alive and well.

This is a story about listening to the inner self, about learning that sometimes the perpetrators of our ills are victims too. It’s about how the past forms us and how a crisis can tear a family apart or bring it together. I fell in love with Billy and dear Faith who never gives up. I loved it!

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

1984, Suffolk

When 17-year-old Eva goes missing at sea, everyone presumes that she drowned. Her parents' relationship is falling apart, undermined by guilt and grief. But her younger sister, Faith, refuses to consider a life without Eva; she's determined to find her sister and bring her home alive.

Close to the shore looms the shape of an island - out of bounds, mysterious, and dotted with windowless concrete huts. What nobody knows is that inside one of the huts Eva is being held captive. That she is fighting to survive - and return home.
This is a beautiful and haunting read,that captures the trauma and tragedy surrounding the disappearance of a teenage girl at sea. We see the effect this has on the whole family as they try to contune living.
Eva's rescuer,Billy is a complex character and as we learn more about him, it changes your views to the point you are feeling what Eva feels.
This book was hard to put down. I liked the ending and enjoyed the book.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off slow for me then towards the end I felt like the story was being rushed to end. However, it was a good story about a girl who is thrown overboard while sailing with her father. The father is rescued and Eva, the girl and his daughter, floats to an island not far off the coast of where they live. She is rescued by a man who is hiding out on the island and held against her will. It tells of their story and how the family back on the mainland deal with the lose of their child. There are some stories within stories that come out through the book to keep you interested. The part that I was struggling with is that when Faith lands on the island while looking for her sister how quickly things move. The story then becomes very vague and the story becomes very rushed. It ends open ended so you can draw your own conclusions which I liked.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read - the only reason I didn't finish it in a day is because my lunch break was over and I had to put it down! However, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thoght I was going to from reading the description. Faith seemed older than 10, although I suppose being an outcast and having a sister who is so much older than you would do that. The main problem was that Eva's whole back story felt a bit out of place and rushed - it was almost as if the book was supposed to be about a kidnapping/disappearance but the author wanted to include the viewpoints of those left behind as well and the only way to provide enough material was to dive into the past and make up something dramatic. The book was generally well written though, so it gets three stars.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised by this. The writing is evocative and I'm already drawn in by the sister relationships and the problem created in their parents marriage by the loss of one of them.

What I'm really enjoying is the setting. A very beautiful part of the Suffolk coast, perhaps not as well known as the ubiquitous Southwold/Aldeburgh bit further north but much more haunting and less freighted with fashionable bohemian types.

Reservations are too many pov's that could have been streamlined I think down to the two daughters. But also the writing sometimes lacks energy and interest. The plot is very effectively delivered however and that keeps me reading.