The Grown-Up

by Saskia Noort, Jai van Essen (translator)

A mother vanishes. A daughter searches—down a dark and twisted trail in a bestselling edge-of-the-seat thriller about secrets, lies, and a family destroyed in one terrifying instant.

Seventeen-year-old Lies wakes up to find that her mother’s bed hasn’t been slept in. Her car is parked outside. And her purse and cell phone are still by the front door. After twenty-four hours, when every possible explanation is exhausted, the reality is all too frightening for Lies. Her mother is missing.

Lies’s father and his new girlfriend chalk it up to another attention-seeking stunt. When authorities show little interest in a woman who likely walked away from her old life in favor of a new one, Lies is compelled to investigate on her own. But why would her mother abandon Lies and her younger brother? Why would her mother scrub her laptop before disappearing? And who are the strangers on her mother’s phone?

Growing more desperate with each disturbing day, Lies uncovers secrets that turn her world upside down. Nothing will stop her from getting to the truth. No matter how shocking it may be.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2025

About the author

Saskia Noort is a Dutch crime-writer and freelance journalist.

She has written articles for the Dutch editions of Marie Claire and Playboy as well as publishing three novels, The Dinner Club being published in English in 2007 by Bitter Lemon Press, translated by Paul Vincent.

Her third book, "New Neighbours", was released in May 2006 in the Netherlands and was a huge bestseller. The rights have been sold to England.

Reviews

[Hannah Bugey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of repetitive and the mom in this story was kind of naive and stupid. But other than that enjoyed this one quite a bit.

[Priskah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,0 ✨✨✨

(Audiobook)

[Katherine Strom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made lots of weird faces while reading this.

[Melissa (honeybee.reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Grown Up is a thriller that just left me with an overall weird feeling. It was truly all over the place, the pacing was off, the characters were strange and the storyline was highly predictable. There are so many things that are mentioned way too often and that are honestly entirely useless to the storyline. They had absolutely no purpose, how often can one hear about a character having bladder infections…

The characters were underdeveloped, they fell truly flat for me. I didn't feel any attachment to them and truly didn't care for them. The interactions were oftentimes awkward and gave me the ick. There was just too much about this book that didn't click for me to make me fully enjoy it. I did finish it as it was a short read, but it didn't hit the mark for me at all.

Overall, for me this thriller didn't do what it was intended to do. It was predictable, all over the place and truly awkward. It did work for other readers, so it might for you !

✨️Thank you to @fireflydistribution &. Saskia Noort for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Shan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good lol don’t waste your time

[Iris Windmeijer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het werd eens tijd om een thriller van Saskia Noort te lezen. Maar dan anders: ik las de vertaling van Bonuskind: The Grown-up. In The Grown-up. wordt de zeventienjarige Lies wakker met het gevoel dat haar moeder Jet iets is overkomen. Lies gaat op onderzoek uit, maar het blijkt ingewikkelder en gevaarlijker dan gedacht.

Toen ik begon met lezen in The Grown-up. vielen de héle korte zinnen me op. Het verhaal start vanuit het perspectief van Lies, maar het taalgebruik was simpel. Ik heb de Nederlandse brontekst er even bijgepakt en zag dat dit ook origineel zo was. Het was opvallend, maar niet vervelend: door deze korte zinnen en de korte hoofdstukken zit je zó in het boek. Ook vond ik het bijzonder om zo’n Nederlands verhaal te lezen op z’n Engels. Van de hele Nederlandse namen tot de Hollandse directheid – het geeft een heel ander gevoel aan zo’n verhaal.

Als Lies’ moeder na 24 uur nog niet terecht is, schakelen haar vader en zijn nieuwe vriendin de politie in. Zij denken dat Jet nooit echt over de scheiding heen is gekomen. Je leest over de familieverhoudingen van Lies, haar broertje Luuk en hun (vaak vechtende) ouders. Het was een vechtscheiding en de impact op de kinderen wordt duidelijk. De onderlinge familieverhoudingen zijn een interessant thema in The Grown-up..

Als Lies teksten vindt die door haar moeder zijn geschreven, wordt het vertelperspectief interessanter. Je gaat naadloos van Lies naar Jet en andersom. Dit is heel sterk gedaan en zorgt ervoor dat je gaat gissen wat er is gebeurd. Echt het sterkste punt van het boek!

Ik vond de ontknoping geen grote verrassing en had er misschien meer van gehoopt. Of ik hoopte bij de epiloog nog de antwoorden te krijgen die ik had – vooral de waarom. Hierdoor deed ik het boek met een beetje een onvoldaan gevoel dicht. Ik heb de epiloog de dag erna nogmaals gelezen, maar bleef met vragen zitten. Dat vond ik jammer, want verder was het een erg sterk boek!

Met sterke thematiek en vooral een heel sterk vertelperspectief heeft The Grown-up. indruk gemaakt op me. Wel had ik meer gehoopt van de ontknoping. Ik ben nu wel nieuwsgieriger geworden naar andere boeken van Saskia Noort en zet die (wel in het Nederlands) op m’n TBR.

Deze recensie verscheen eerst op https://www.readalicious.nl/recensies...
Dit boek heb ik ontvangen via Overamstel uitgevers in ruil voor een review. Dit had geen invloed op mijn mening over het boek.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an entertaining read from start to finish. The pacing is good and I was invested in the characters. If you enjoy thrillers I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Saskia Noort,Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it! Interesting characters and super messy family dynamic (I never say no to a little bit of that). Did not expect the ending

[Sonia · Rating 1 out of 5]

full of pathetic characters. which doesn't make it interesting, but also pathetic

[Tahera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book but it did leave me with a weird feeling overall. There was a lot of graphic description of sexual activities and having Lies, a teenager, read about it in her mother's diary entries, to help her figure out who was responsible for her mother's death was weird.

I received a digital ARC of the book from the author and publisher Amazon Crossing via NetGalley.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrators did a really good job on this one. However I would’ve preferred Dutch accents since that is the original language and where the story takes place. Dual POV and dual timeline were easy to follow. Overall recommend 🖤

[Rebecca RebeccasFamAndMore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventeen-year-old Lies' life has been upended by her parent's fights and subsequent divorce. She's at odds with her dad's dating life and being shuffled back and forth. One morning, she wakes up to find that her mother’s bed hasn’t been slept in. Her car is parked outside. And her purse and cell phone are still by the front door. She's missing. Her dad blows it off, but Lies is convinced she's been taken against her will or killed.

This domestic thriller has been translated and perhaps re-released because of it. I had the opportunity to listen to it via NetGalley, and let me just say, It Was Different! hahaha.

At it's core, it's a domestic suspense, but it seems this author has a knack for a darker side in the depiction of the mom's life. I didn't mind it, as it lent itself to a space I hadn't gone too deeply in books I've read from American authors. Gritty is a great adjective here. I liked the distraction and read it in ONE DAY!

[Paige Noland · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Mireya · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for the ARC copy. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.

The Grown-Up is a chilling thriller about a disappearing mother that leaves behind two children, Lies and Luuk. Except, all her things, purse, phone, even car, at still at their home. So, where has Lies' mother gone? And why has she not say anything at all like she usually does? Lies believes her mother to be in danger, and she stops at nothing to find it, not even whatever half-trues and misinformation the adult in her life want to repeat every second she tries to confront them. And so, she makes her own investigation, finding things about her mother that she never confided in Lies even when they were the closest with each other. But this doesn't deterred her, on the contrary, it spurred her on to find the truth no matter what.

A short but intense thriller that delves in the psychology of motherhood, share parenthood, having divorced parents that can't stand each other and relationships formed by meeting strangers through date apps. It explores a toxic relationship between the mother an a possible-murder-lover, who calls himself God, that challenges everything she's learnt as a psychologist but also everything she believed about herself. While I think the relationship was quite toxic and people should run away from these situations, I can see the appeal that Lies's mother saw in the other man, why she would stay and, I must say, that said relationship (toxic, full of lust, romantic at times, demanding at others) was well-done. More over since we have the mother's POV be the one to directly tells us these things: their dates, her thoughts about him, her actions leading to the day she disappeared, how much she loved her children to the point she would never abandon them, not even for God, no matter how much they could have made the relationship work.

As we have both POVs, making theories up and reduce the suspects list at the same time, it's quite easy. Not like the list is that long, like the book, but we were given enough suspects and enough motives to keep us guessing until the very end, when the truth get revealed. My only complain with jumping between POVs is that, since the mother's POV was put as diary entries that Lies read over at her computer, I would have liked a better way to distinguish between them some times, because it was not clear until you got some detail that could only be attributed to one of the two.

Lies is an interesting character to follow, a teenager at 17 years old, she won't stop until she finds what happened to her mother and make whoever hurt her pay. This come from the close and emotional relationship the two women shared. And, at the end of the day, this is a thriller, a "what happened to this person?" type of story where, as usual, the police does the bare minimum and is other characters who have to find the truth; is a cautionary tale about dating trough apps and how, while it can happen safely, we have to be careful; but also, a story of love, mother-daughter love and how this relationships takes someone to extremes for the other person.

To sum up: I love been proven right about the culprit, and I loved this thriller, flying trough it in a few days, reading at any free minute I had because I wanted to know, wanted to find out if the mother lived or die and who might want to hurt her. The book does hit a couple of typical thriller points, so there's somethings you see coming from afar, but there's a lot of innovative things, and the characters that inhabit the story give it their own touch.
Completely recommend this one to thriller lovers and to anyone that might want to venture into the genre. Put this on your reading list, people, it won't disappoint!

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Saskia Noort’s “The Grown-Up” is a taut, unsettling domestic thriller that explores family drama, psychological tension, and the raw emotions of adolescence within a short but haunting story. Originally written in Dutch and recently translated for English readers, the story captures the messy, unpredictable nature of family and identity through the eyes of a seventeen-year-old girl caught between two broken parents.

When Lies wakes up one morning to find her mother missing with only her purse, car, and phone all left behind, she knows something is wrong. Her father dismisses her fears, assuming her mother has simply run off after another argument, but Lies is certain of one thing: her mother would never leave her and her younger brother, Luuk, behind. Determined to find the truth, she begins investigating on her own, uncovering her mother’s secret journal and a disturbing relationship with a man known only as “God.”

Told through alternating perspectives—Lies’ search in the present and her mother’s confessional entries from the past—the story explores the dangers of toxic love, the psychological toll of divorce, and the blurred line between obsession and devotion. Lies’ mother, a psychologist herself, is drawn into a manipulative and erotic relationship that challenges everything she knows about control and self-worth. As Lies delves deeper into her mother’s hidden life, she’s forced to confront not only who her mother really was, but who she is becoming in the process.

Noort’s writing (and its translation) captures a grim authenticity: the loneliness of adolescence, the desperation of fractured families, and the cyclical patterns of hurt that bind them together. The pacing was a bit uneven and the tone occasionally disjointed, particularly due to the lack of clear separation between points of view, but this did create an immersive, almost claustrophobic perspective. The result is a story that feels both intimate and unnerving.

This story has a chaotic energy that mirrors the instability of its characters’ lives. The story’s combination of psychological insight, domestic suspense, and raw emotional honesty makes it difficult to look away. Lies’ fierce determination to uncover the truth and her refusal to let go of her idealized image of her mother makes for a compelling portrait of grief and denial.

This isn’t a conventional thriller. It’s darker, messier, and more introspective, lingering less on shocking twists and more on the haunting consequences of human frailty. For those drawn to psychological realism and morally gray characters, “The Grown-Up” offers a disturbing yet thought-provoking exploration of what it means to truly “grow up.”

Overall, this is a short, gritty, and emotionally charged domestic thriller that examines the dangerous intersections of love, control, and family dysfunction.

[Diah · Rating 4 out of 5]

digital arc was provided by Netgalley and the publisher

The grown up isn't just a mystery of a missing mother, not only just a search by her daughter to find her. It's a reflection, a bitter truth on life, and how we can't control our psychological feelings. Often, most of the time, we would act by it, driven. It tells a story on how Lies, who believes that he mother won't leave her and her little brother, alone and stood by it. And when her mother is finally found, she still put her on a pedestal, unable to do the things she might did. Even when there are evidences. Lies has made up her mind, and I envy her strong headedness. Her mother is innocent, her father, flawed as he might, got seduced by another woman. Well, of course, life isn't that black and white. Lies's mother was a strong woman of her own, got herself a family, a career as a psychologist which, frankly, ironic, considering things that occur in the book.

Lies's as a 17 years old already has a mindset, that women would be divided into two: her mother and the other woman. The book struggles, greatly, with posing women at the centre, even when their actions are influenced by the male characters. In the end, I might say that Lies gets what she wanted, albeit several broken things. And Lies might be able to move forward, fine with not really knowing, further telling that our minds are powerful and selfish, catering to our whims and request. I'd like to know a future where Lies finally able to reflect and finds out, but more than anything, I hope Lies and Luuk grow up just great. Not going in a circle like their parents were.

The only downside of this book is the no-separation pov. Sometimes I was transported onto Lies's mind, others to Jet, unprompted. It hindered me fully enjoying the book, but the immaculate vibe, the loneliness, the desperation, the human way all of them acted, covered the negative experience.

Chef's kiss.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, I had a feeling that The Grown-Up was going to be right up my alley and I was not disappointed at all!

This book was a total page-turner, and had me invested from the very first chapter. The relationships between the characters and how they each coped with the situations they were put in was especially interesting to read and really well-done. I could very easily imagine the events of the Grown-Up happening in real life because it was written to be so raw and real. The protagonist, Lies, was my favorite part of this book by far, though, because she was so relatable in both good and bad ways. Even though I didn't appreciate her attitude towards her father's girlfriend at all and found her a bit annoying in some parts, I also really sympathized with her and all that she went through with her family. Lies really did feel like a teenage girl just trying to figure herself out all while going through a terrible tragedy, and her character was so interesting and sympathetic to me because of that. I think she's the sort of character that everyone can relate to at least in some capacity, really.

The only real criticism I have for this book is that the ending was a bit disappointing. The ending needed more room to breathe, I think, and maybe could've unfolded more naturally. This book really reminded me of a Gillian Flynn book in the way that the buildup to the big reveal is done really well, but the reveal itself is very underwhelming and rushed. The story builds up to a totally different reveal, but then in the last chapters the story suddenly takes a U-turn. I don't mind twists– actually, I usually love them– but the one in this book wasn't done very well and just felt very forced.

[Nae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Genres, settings, categories, themes: psychological thriller, drama, family, psychology, toxic relationships, grief, Netherlands, YA maybe?

POV: 1st person, alternating/dual (between mother & daughter)

Series/Sequencing Style: standalone

Format: audiobook

🔽🔽🔽

Overall ratings

~ Characters ~ 3-4/5 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
~ Plot ~ 2/5 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
~ Pacing ~ 4/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
~ Writing ~ 3.5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
~ Reading enjoyability & fun ~ 1/5 🌕🌑🌑🌑🌑

🔽🔽🔽

❗CW/Triggers:❗death of a parent, mental health discussions, missing parent, murder, suicide

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📝 Review/Notes 📝

Wow…I’m not really sure what to say/think. The majority of this book made me uncomfortable - the daughter reading so much about the specifics of her mother’s sex life was rough. And this “god” guy - I was not seeing the appeal and there was so much cringe in all those interactions. Why did she fancy herself “in love” with him?! And after very few interactions. I know the whole point was that it was toxic, but yeah… and that ending, wow. Now no one finds out the truth and it ends that way?! Ugh. And the dad gets away with it?? Hate that. Okay, so he’s miserable but still - and what on earth, like why/how did that even happen? I mean it was a twist, but kind of insane too.

Not really a normal mystery in the way it’s presented and how much the reader knows all along. A strange one overall.

Regarding the audiobook, I agree with another reviewer that I would’ve preferred Dutch accents - Laura sounded southern and it threw me. However, I feel like I would have been more confused without the audio narration, because the mother’s writing wasn’t really indicated in any way that was her journal when we’d randomly hear from it (so the different voices helped).

Overall, v uncomfy and that ending did not satisfy me.

[Shasta Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Amazon Crossing for the ARC via NetGalley Shelf.


This book is an absolute page-turner that I couldn't put down. The tension builds relentlessly from the moment Lies wakes up to find her mother missing, pulling you into a dark, twisted web of perspectives, secrets, and lies. The layered, believable characters make this story shine, particularly Lies, a witty, determined 17-year-old who refuses to accept the easy answers about her mother’s disappearance. Her grit and emotional depth kept me rooting for her every step of the way.

The narrative structure was a masterstroke. It shifted perspectives in a way that kept me constantly questioning who was speaking and what was real. This clever device kept me on my toes, forcing me to challenge the characters and my assumptions. The author masterfully blurs the lines between truth and deception, leaving you second-guessing everything.

And then there’s God, a disturbing yet utterly fascinating character whose presence lingers long after the final page. I found myself craving a standalone story about him, which speaks volumes about the depth and intrigue the author brings to even the most unsettling figures.

While the ending ultimately confirmed my first suspicion, it was anything but predictable. The journey to get there was so engaging that the resolution felt satisfying and bittersweet. This short, easy read delivers a perfect balance of mystery and emotion.

I can’t wait to dive into more books by this author. If you’re looking for a story that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go, this one’s for you!

[Bhuku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Premise - Lies' parents have gone through a messy divorce and now her dad has a new girlfriend and her mom is bitter. When Lies wakes one morning to find her mom missing, her dad thinks it's just a stunt at first. As the hours tick by it becomes more and more clear that something is terribly wrong. When Lies finds her mothers' journal, in which she writes of a toxic secret relationship with a man who calls himself God, she becomes convinced that this man is behind whatever has happened to her mother.

I wasn't sure the narrative voice was for me when this started. Some of the dialogue felt a little stilted and the characters a little 2D, but the book hit its stride about 25% of the way in and from there I really got sucked in. The story is really interesting and the toxic relationship between Lies' psychiatrist mother and God had me feeling the feels right alongside Lies' mother. It's so well done.

Where I think the story falls short is that it's through the melodramatic lens of a teenager. The tendency for drama, the overstated dialogue, etc. etc. - I think that all comes down to the choice of protagonist. I think fans of YA (I'm not in a YA mood at the moment) will likely enjoy this more and I think it'd have been a 4 or 5 star for me, too, if it was told by the ex-husband or the grandmother or even the ex-husband's new girlfriend. Still, for someone who's been insta-yeeting YA recently, I never wanted to step away from this! That said, the ending infuriated me.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Stephanie Willing and Amanda Dolan. They did a great job!

Thanks, NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Booksanddrawings_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Grown-up van Saskia Noort gaat over Lies die op een normale ochtend thuis wakker wordt met het gevoel dat haar moeder Jet iets is overkomen. Als de politie zegt dat haar moeder zelfmoord heeft gepleegd geloofd Lies dit niet een gaat ze zelf op onderzoek uit.

In het verhaal worden heftige thema’s behandeld zoals zelfdoding,toxic relaties en depressieve gevoelens dus houd daar rekening mee als je dit boek gaat lezen en hier gevoelig voor bent.

Het boek begint heel interessant en spannend omdat je door de ogen van Lies beleefd hoe zij alles ervaart, en met haar mee op zoektocht gaat naar de waarheid achter haar moeders dood en geheimen. Zo leef je mee met Lies en begrijp je haar gevoelens erg goed geduurde het verhaal.

Alleen was dit boek uiteindelijk toch niet helemaal mijn ding, het verhaal begint goed alleen wanneer het verhaal vordert vond ik het verhaal minder interessant worden. Omdat ik op een gegeven moment het thriller aspect van het verhaal miste, het is meer gefocust op de toxic relatie van Lies haar moeder en bij Lies van het ontmaskeren van de dader. Waardoor ik het geheel uiteindelijk minder vond dan eerst. Maar aan het einde geeft Saskia nog wel een bizarre twist aan het verhaal die ik niet zag aankomen.

Daarom geef ik “The grown-up” van Saskia Noort 🌟🌟🌟 sterren.

Dit (e-) boek mocht ik ontvangen als recensie exemplaar van de uitgeverij in ruil voor een eerlijke recensie,bedankt hiervoor!

[Reed Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for the advanced reader copy! All thoughts are my own:

The Grown-Up switched between the point of view of Jet, divorced mother of two children, and Lies, Jet’s 17 year old daughter. When Jet goes missing, most of the family assumes it’s an attention seeking stunt, but Lies sets out to prove otherwise.

For me, this book was a bit predictable and the twists just fell flat. It was engaging all the way through, which made the twists a little more disappointing. I think some things mentioned pretty often in the plot fell empty and served no purpose at the end, like Lies’s bladder infection, the grandmother’s attitude, Tom from Tinder. Some of the characters just didn’t serve a purpose or develop into anything meaningful for me.

I think there’s plenty of potential for a lot of people to enjoy this book, maybe it was just that I guessed everything pretty early on that it wasn’t my favorite. While it wasn’t a standout for me, I’d still recommend it to others.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Grown-Up is a domestic drama/thriller that talks about how family life can be hard and traumatic and how divorces can usually damage children. Lies, a 17 year old girl sees her home life fall apart when her dad leaves, a divorce is finalized, and she and her younger brother, have to live one week with each parent, and in the case of her dad with his new partner who tries too hard to be a step-mother. Lies and Luuk hate the situation and wish everything could go back to the time the four of them were a happy family. Then their mother disappears and is finally found dead. She never accepts that her mother had killed herself and starts to dig through her mother's phone and computer and she finally finds a journal written by her mother detailing her feelings and encounters with another man (and videos and photos of those encounters) and she swears she'll find who is he and obtain justice for her mom. The story gets even more fast-paced in the last few chapters and it has a totally unpredictable ending.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Liv Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read that has been translated to English from its original origin. For some reason, this gave the story a little bit more of an edge for me.

I enjoyed seeing into Jet’s world, and felt her apprehensions when it came to the dynamics of her & God’s relationship. I thought the author gave a good look into how our brains can be rewired when in abusive relationships - yet at the end, I was guessing how bad God truly was? But is that how the author wanted me to think, because that’s what a mentally manipulative partner may do?? I also felt that her struggle we mental health wasn’t so boldly highlighted, which made her outcome and end slightly surprising.

The grit and loyalty of Jets daughter was admirable. However, a 17 year old girl out to pursue her mother’s killer was rather far fetched.

As for the loser ex husband, his outcome was predictable. But I will say, God made for quite the distraction!

[Shireen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Lies, a young Dutch teen, awakens one morning to find her mother missing. Her dad isn't bothered, he just assumes it's another attention seeking stunt to get back at him after the divorce. But Lies isn't convinced and goes down a rabbit hole trying to track her mom's online activity and find any clues as to her whereabouts.

I actually finished reading this in one sitting! The prose was simple enough; it translated nicely into English. The story was thoroughly engrossing to the point that I didn't realise I had finished the book until I got there and was hoping for more storyline. But this is a succinct thriller with interesting characters and intriguing plot points.

The only thing that I found a bit confusing was there were parts where the mom was speaking in journal form and sometimes it was italicized and sometimes it wasn't. So I had to use context clues to figure out whether we'd gone back to the daughter's point of view or not. Hopefully that formatting issue gets fixed before publication.

Thanks to NetGallery for giving me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for the ARC.

I love a thriller that immediately dives in and sets an unsettling tone like this one did. There is something so vulnerable and heartbreaking about Lies, one so young, wanting to do everything she feels is right to protect her mother. I know it can be frustrating to some readers when people withhold evidence in settings like this, but I found it believable that a child still very hurt by a divorce would go to the lengths that Lies did.


I can typically figure out patterns as mystery unfolds, but my suspicions about the ending were all wrong. I didn’t see the twist coming, but it wasn’t so far out of left field that it felt placed purely for shock value.

Hoping more of this author’s works get translated - I would read another!

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read and interesting to delve into the minds of the two main characters, mom and daughter. It was choppy in spots because sometimes the narrator would change without warning but that was only a minor aggravation.
I couldn't help but wonder if sonething was lost in the translation. I've read other books that were translated for English audiences and the process takes something cultural away; to further explain, when i read a book, i want to immerse myself in the character's world. While names of streets and towns are mentioned, I couldn't get a real feel for the environment that they live in. I wasnt "there".
Overall, the mystery that the book presents is good. Some readers try to solve the riddle before reaching the end. "who dun it?" But i just take it as it comes. I can't say that the ending was a surprise... But it was entertaining.

[Renko Dekker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Grown-Up is the first book I’ve read by Saskia Noort, and it definitely won’t be the last. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect at first, but I found myself pulled in almost immediately. I received a copy from Amazon Crossing via Netgalley. Just a side note, on Netgalley, it says she is Danish, but she is definitely Dutch.

Noort has a sharp, direct writing style that really suits the psychological tension she builds throughout the story. It’s a short novel, which is unsettling at times, and very honest in its portrayal of family, trauma, and the search for truth. The only small critique is that a few parts felt a bit rushed, especially toward the end, but overall, it’s a powerful read.

As my first introduction to Saskia Noort, this book left a strong impression. I’m curious to explore more of her work.

4/5⭐️

[Heather R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lies wakes up one morning and her mother has vanished. She knows that her mother wouldn't just abandon her and her brother and she becomes convinced that this is foul play. The problem is, she's the only one. The police, her father and grandmother all believe it to be a suicide. Can Lies find out what really happened the night her mother died? 

I was drawn into the book right away and finished it rather quickly, however I didn't end up love loving it. Without giving anything away, there were a few things that I actually found a little upsetting and unfinished about the book. The twist was great, however, even though I had guessed the who, just not the how! LOL Thank you NetGalley and Saskia Noort for the ARC!