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What Happened to Lucy Vale
Twin mysteries, years apart, connect two mothers and their daughters in a gripping novel of psychological suspense by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver.
Who in their right mind would move into the Faraday House, with its grim history and a generation spent rotting and untended? Rachel Vale and her daughter, Lucy.
They’ve arrived unexpectedly, yet with peculiar purpose, to Woodward, Indiana, to rent the most infamous house in town. Here, sixteen years ago, Nina Faraday vanished without a trace and her mother was found hanging from an apple tree in the front yard. It was the stuff of ghoulish fascination and dark imaginings. Old rumors are stirred up all over again by an online community of teenagers now fixated on Lucy, the new girl in school…especially when Lucy’s shattering romance with the swim team star becomes another small-town obsession.
This time the kids in Woodward will be What happened to Lucy Vale?
Parallel mysteries soon converge—about two teenage girls, nearly two decades apart, both consumed by the stories and suspicions of others. Only a mother can bring the truth to devastating light.
Who in their right mind would move into the Faraday House, with its grim history and a generation spent rotting and untended? Rachel Vale and her daughter, Lucy.
They’ve arrived unexpectedly, yet with peculiar purpose, to Woodward, Indiana, to rent the most infamous house in town. Here, sixteen years ago, Nina Faraday vanished without a trace and her mother was found hanging from an apple tree in the front yard. It was the stuff of ghoulish fascination and dark imaginings. Old rumors are stirred up all over again by an online community of teenagers now fixated on Lucy, the new girl in school…especially when Lucy’s shattering romance with the swim team star becomes another small-town obsession.
This time the kids in Woodward will be What happened to Lucy Vale?
Parallel mysteries soon converge—about two teenage girls, nearly two decades apart, both consumed by the stories and suspicions of others. Only a mother can bring the truth to devastating light.
443 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2025
1845 people are currently reading
10046 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Oliver
61 books118k followersLauren Oliver is an author, screenwriter, and media entrepreneur. She is the author of the upcoming novels THE GIRL IN THE LAKE (May 5, 2026) and its sequel, THE SLEEPWALKER (May 5, 2027). Her previous works include multiple New York Times bestselling novels for teens, including Before I Fall (which spent seventeen weeks on the list and was adapted into a feature film released by Open Road), the Delirium trilogy (a two-million-copy-selling dystopian series translated into thirty-five languages), and Panic, which she later adapted into the streaming TV show on Amazon Prime of the same name, for which she wrote every episode and served as Executive Producer. Along the way, Lauren founded the IP company StoryGiants and helped to package and edit nearly one hundred other novels. She is also the co-founder of Incantor AI, a self-scaling digital media engine built on a new and proprietary foundational model of artificial intelligence that respects copyright by providing both IP attribution and royalty shares to contributing sources. Raised in Westchester, New York, Lauren attended the University of Chicago and got her MFA from NYU. She now divides her time between Maryland and Los Angeles. Subscribe to my Substack! laurenoliverbooks.substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
August 4, 2025
This was so promising and mysterious in the beginning. I loved the format of them speaking online to each other & gossiping. I loved the fact that her mother moved her into a house with a tragic past.
Then it dragged on and on and on. Nothing exciting was really happening. The author kept inserting foreboding lines at the end of chapters that kept me reading, because I kept thinking “oh now it’s going to get good”. But in my opinion it never did.
And the ending left a lot to the imagination. Like all that and we have no idea what really happened in the end? This book was so extremely long and it gave me nothing in the end.
This is a great example of a great premise with horrible execution. If this author writes another book, it would be great to see a similar format with the chapters written by “we” and the online gossip but way more to the point and more exciting.
Thank you to Amazon first reads for the free advance copy.
Then it dragged on and on and on. Nothing exciting was really happening. The author kept inserting foreboding lines at the end of chapters that kept me reading, because I kept thinking “oh now it’s going to get good”. But in my opinion it never did.
And the ending left a lot to the imagination. Like all that and we have no idea what really happened in the end? This book was so extremely long and it gave me nothing in the end.
This is a great example of a great premise with horrible execution. If this author writes another book, it would be great to see a similar format with the chapters written by “we” and the online gossip but way more to the point and more exciting.
Thank you to Amazon first reads for the free advance copy.
September 17, 2025
Confession time: I’ll be honest, I can’t even remember why I requested both the audiobook and ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. It definitely wasn’t because of the Goodreads rating. GR hasn’t been kind to this one, and I didn’t get why until the end.
Audiobook vs. Reading
Audiobook wins. I mostly listened to this one and, despite the ending, it was a hit. This is exactly the kind of book I like to listen to. It doesn’t demand heavy focus but it keeps me entertained and gave me that “just one more chapter” feeling that carried me through boring chores. The narration by Emily Lawrence and Eva Kaminsky worked well, and I liked how their voices shifted between younger and older characters.
What Lit My Mood
Lately I’ve been in the mood for short, punchy chapters with cliffhangers that keep the pace fast. Thrillers that are more fun than heavy, and this one fits perfectly. I’m usually not a fan of high school drama or chat-style chapters, but surprisingly I was entertained. The “we” narrator chapters and the group chat format from the students’ POV actually worked for me.
The themes of small towns, social media, status, groupthink, and the vulnerability of teenagers really landed. It had me reflecting on how different school feels now compared to when I was a teen. And while the overall tone was lighter, there were some heavier moments tucked in that gave the story more weight.
Those little cliffhanger chapter endings gave me that ‘just one more chapter’ pull I always chase
I needed to know what happened to Lucy Vale, and the dual mysteries of missing girls years apart were woven together in a way that kept me hooked.
Where My Mood Flickered
The story was longer than it needed to be and started to feel repetitive. Each chapter offered tiny crumbs without much movement, and at times it felt like I was given the same crumbs.
There is a lot of build-up around Nina and Lucy Vale. Without spoiling anything, the twist wasn’t very satisfying. I understood the choice, and it didn’t ruin the book for me, but I can see why it left some readers cold. It felt like a risky move from the author, which probably explains the lukewarm Goodreads ratings.
Witchy Mood Reader Rating
Almost Aligned. The vibes showed up, the mood was there, but the magic fizzled at the end. It gave me that “one more chapter” rush I crave, but in the end the story ghosted me.
Verdict
If you want a popcorn thriller that is quick, chatty, and easy to listen to, this one delivers. The ending may not be for everyone, but it entertains in the moment, even if it doesn’t haunt you afterward.
I received a copies in audiobook and reading from the publisher through NetGalley.
Audiobook vs. Reading
Audiobook wins. I mostly listened to this one and, despite the ending, it was a hit. This is exactly the kind of book I like to listen to. It doesn’t demand heavy focus but it keeps me entertained and gave me that “just one more chapter” feeling that carried me through boring chores. The narration by Emily Lawrence and Eva Kaminsky worked well, and I liked how their voices shifted between younger and older characters.
What Lit My Mood
Lately I’ve been in the mood for short, punchy chapters with cliffhangers that keep the pace fast. Thrillers that are more fun than heavy, and this one fits perfectly. I’m usually not a fan of high school drama or chat-style chapters, but surprisingly I was entertained. The “we” narrator chapters and the group chat format from the students’ POV actually worked for me.
The themes of small towns, social media, status, groupthink, and the vulnerability of teenagers really landed. It had me reflecting on how different school feels now compared to when I was a teen. And while the overall tone was lighter, there were some heavier moments tucked in that gave the story more weight.
Those little cliffhanger chapter endings gave me that ‘just one more chapter’ pull I always chase
I needed to know what happened to Lucy Vale, and the dual mysteries of missing girls years apart were woven together in a way that kept me hooked.
Where My Mood Flickered
The story was longer than it needed to be and started to feel repetitive. Each chapter offered tiny crumbs without much movement, and at times it felt like I was given the same crumbs.
There is a lot of build-up around Nina and Lucy Vale. Without spoiling anything, the twist wasn’t very satisfying. I understood the choice, and it didn’t ruin the book for me, but I can see why it left some readers cold. It felt like a risky move from the author, which probably explains the lukewarm Goodreads ratings.
Witchy Mood Reader Rating
Almost Aligned. The vibes showed up, the mood was there, but the magic fizzled at the end. It gave me that “one more chapter” rush I crave, but in the end the story ghosted me.
Verdict
If you want a popcorn thriller that is quick, chatty, and easy to listen to, this one delivers. The ending may not be for everyone, but it entertains in the moment, even if it doesn’t haunt you afterward.
I received a copies in audiobook and reading from the publisher through NetGalley.
August 10, 2025
Thank god it was free
I couldn't relate to these characters. I found them to be boring, basic, and whiny. I had to skip pages. The most interesting was the first disappearance. It was a huge error of the author not to add Lucy's voice to the story. This was not a good read. I should have chosen a different first read. Don't make the same mistake I did. Read anything else!
I couldn't relate to these characters. I found them to be boring, basic, and whiny. I had to skip pages. The most interesting was the first disappearance. It was a huge error of the author not to add Lucy's voice to the story. This was not a good read. I should have chosen a different first read. Don't make the same mistake I did. Read anything else!
September 27, 2025
Not a page turner
This author definitely has writing skills and the book has a decent plot, but it just moved slow for me and wasn't really holding my attention as I listened. It is a fun look into the minds of a phone and socials driven younger generation.
This author definitely has writing skills and the book has a decent plot, but it just moved slow for me and wasn't really holding my attention as I listened. It is a fun look into the minds of a phone and socials driven younger generation.
August 10, 2025
I’m honestly not sure what even happened in this book. I just finished it, and I still couldn’t give you a clear answer as to what it’s about. It felt excessively long, wandering all over the place without ever reaching a point. I’m usually not one to start a book and not finish it, but I was tempted many times. The only thing that kept me going was the hope that it would all come together—that there’d be some big “aha” moment. But that never happened. I’m left feeling confused and oddly detached after finishing. It’s hard to even review because it’s so elusive, but I can’t recommend it to any type of reader.
June 30, 2025
Wow, I had never read a Lauren Oliver book before this and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this one. It was a ghost story, a coming of age drama, and a picture of a community all wrapped up in one compelling book that was hard to put down.
I was so curious to see how Oliver would bring the Discord element into the fold. While it took me a while to get into the "we" perspective and all the different Discord users, 50 pages in I could tell which bro-y comments were Topornycky's and which indignant ones were Akash's without having to look at their username.
The attention to detail given to these teens, and the storied detail of the town and its rivalries, make the world of this story feel so rich and lived in. Woodward becomes as much of a character in this story as any of the kids on the Discord server, the Vales, and the Faradays. On the whole, the narrative decisions Oliver makes for this book are creatively impressive but also speak to the larger themes of the book. I won't spoil it for you now, but you'll get it once you finish.
With this book, Oliver holds up a mirror to our greatest vulnerabilities as well as our worst impulses. It's an examination, at the molecular level, of what happens when our stories fall out of our control.
I was so curious to see how Oliver would bring the Discord element into the fold. While it took me a while to get into the "we" perspective and all the different Discord users, 50 pages in I could tell which bro-y comments were Topornycky's and which indignant ones were Akash's without having to look at their username.
The attention to detail given to these teens, and the storied detail of the town and its rivalries, make the world of this story feel so rich and lived in. Woodward becomes as much of a character in this story as any of the kids on the Discord server, the Vales, and the Faradays. On the whole, the narrative decisions Oliver makes for this book are creatively impressive but also speak to the larger themes of the book. I won't spoil it for you now, but you'll get it once you finish.
With this book, Oliver holds up a mirror to our greatest vulnerabilities as well as our worst impulses. It's an examination, at the molecular level, of what happens when our stories fall out of our control.
August 20, 2025
What Happened to Lucy Vale is very much a sign of the times we live in. Small towns, social media and social status are, more times than not, trial and jury in any event. While reading this novel, I wanted to believe I wouldn’t be one of the “followers” of popular opinion…but who knows? I am not a bad person.
Read the book, it may help you to see things through different eyes.
Read the book, it may help you to see things through different eyes.
September 11, 2025
It has been years since I heard this authors name, but I remember well her YA book series from many years ago, she writes teenagers well, good and realistic dialogue. A group of teenagers on a discord server gossip about their small town, the sports and athletes, and the new girl in town, Lucy Vale. It so happens that the Vale family is moving into the Farraday home, where a young girl, Nina Farraday went missing many years ago.
Told in alternating timelines, this book has 2 mysteries of missing girls. The cast of characters is what you would expect in a small town. I felt it dragged in the middle as it had longer exposition, a lot of unnecessary details. My favorite parts were definitely the teens chatting. This book had a very strong start, I was very engaged then it fizzled out for me. I kept re-listening to the chapter as I was zoning out, then I just wanted to get through it. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, but I can see how some would really appreciate a more ambiguous and spooky resolution.
The audiobook had good performances and this may work really well as a tandem read, whispersync audio and eyeball reading.
Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ALC. Book to be published September 1, 2025.
Told in alternating timelines, this book has 2 mysteries of missing girls. The cast of characters is what you would expect in a small town. I felt it dragged in the middle as it had longer exposition, a lot of unnecessary details. My favorite parts were definitely the teens chatting. This book had a very strong start, I was very engaged then it fizzled out for me. I kept re-listening to the chapter as I was zoning out, then I just wanted to get through it. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, but I can see how some would really appreciate a more ambiguous and spooky resolution.
The audiobook had good performances and this may work really well as a tandem read, whispersync audio and eyeball reading.
Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ALC. Book to be published September 1, 2025.
August 19, 2025
What Happened To Lucy Vale is a book that truly had an interesting and intriguing premise, unfortunately the execution did not deliver. I won't lie for about 100 pages. I was into it, it was mysterious, it had my attention and I wanted to know what was going to happen. As the story progressed I slowly realized that there was a lot of telling and nothing happening. The chapters would end on a cliffhanger and then I would be excited something twisty was going to happen.. and nothing did. So it left me consistently wanting more, wanting that twist, wanting that shock factor which I unfortunately never got. Also, this book is marketed as an adult novel, I don't feel that it is and it should be redirected as a YA novel where I think it might get more love. As the characters are mostly all young teenagers, there's a lot of high school drama, childish reactions and it just didn't give the feel of a novel directed to an adult audience.
The plot is very dragged out, I do believe this book could've probably been cut in half and made a bigger impact. It felt very lengthy for no particular reason, I just wanted to reach the end and discover the truth. Sadly, that was also very anti-climactic, I got absolutely no resolution, I don't know “What Happened To Lucy Vale” or the prior inhabitant of the house. That was a real bummer in the end, going through all of that to get nothing.
Overall, this is not a novel I will recommend to people that want an adult novel. I recommend it more for a YA audience. If you go in not expecting any major twists, turns and don't think of it as a full on thriller, this might work for you!
✨ ️ Thank you to @fireflydistributionlines & Lauren Oliver for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The plot is very dragged out, I do believe this book could've probably been cut in half and made a bigger impact. It felt very lengthy for no particular reason, I just wanted to reach the end and discover the truth. Sadly, that was also very anti-climactic, I got absolutely no resolution, I don't know “What Happened To Lucy Vale” or the prior inhabitant of the house. That was a real bummer in the end, going through all of that to get nothing.
Overall, this is not a novel I will recommend to people that want an adult novel. I recommend it more for a YA audience. If you go in not expecting any major twists, turns and don't think of it as a full on thriller, this might work for you!
✨ ️ Thank you to @fireflydistributionlines & Lauren Oliver for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2025
I loved this book. I received a physical ARC for it at a time that unfortunately coincided with my life imploding and personal health problems taking a turn for the worse so I didn’t finish it as quickly as I would have otherwise preferred.
But man oh man, was the story every bit worth the wait. Lauren Oliver is one of my favorite authors by a long shot. Her prose is always beautiful, the way she weaves together words sings to me. And every single book she’s written asks the reader hard questions of life and the nature of the human person. Her stories delve deep and never compromise for the sake of easier reading.
What Happened to Lucy Vale is an excellent examination on the dangerous waters of herd mentality, group think, the collective conscience, whatever you want to call it really. It challenges you with hard themes of the power of the truth versus perceived truth and the assumptions made about reality when we let preconceived notions and the ideas of others do the thinking for us. “We” has its own POV in this book and it does its job for these themes beautifully.
For such heavy topics, the story is also surprisingly hilarious. Brutally and unapologetically so. The humor helped create the perfect balance where themes were given their due reverence without the book becoming preachy or taking itself too seriously.
Lauren Oliver has done it again. Splendid job, and I can’t wait for others to get their hands on this in September!!! In the meantime, I’m glad to have another one of her books sitting on my shelf 💕
But man oh man, was the story every bit worth the wait. Lauren Oliver is one of my favorite authors by a long shot. Her prose is always beautiful, the way she weaves together words sings to me. And every single book she’s written asks the reader hard questions of life and the nature of the human person. Her stories delve deep and never compromise for the sake of easier reading.
What Happened to Lucy Vale is an excellent examination on the dangerous waters of herd mentality, group think, the collective conscience, whatever you want to call it really. It challenges you with hard themes of the power of the truth versus perceived truth and the assumptions made about reality when we let preconceived notions and the ideas of others do the thinking for us. “We” has its own POV in this book and it does its job for these themes beautifully.
For such heavy topics, the story is also surprisingly hilarious. Brutally and unapologetically so. The humor helped create the perfect balance where themes were given their due reverence without the book becoming preachy or taking itself too seriously.
Lauren Oliver has done it again. Splendid job, and I can’t wait for others to get their hands on this in September!!! In the meantime, I’m glad to have another one of her books sitting on my shelf 💕
October 12, 2025
I found the constant discord messaging to be really distracting from the story. And I get that it’s such a big part of the story, but there were just so many messages that didn’t add anything or value that I just didn’t have the patience to read every message, so I didn’t enjoy the book. Fully recognize this is a personal preference here, don’t let me discourage you from reading it if the synopsis is appealing to you.
Thank you for the publisher for the gifted ARC
Thank you for the publisher for the gifted ARC
August 21, 2025
I received this book for free as part of Amazon’s first reads.
This book has such promise & then just…ended. It had tons of exposition (would almost say too much) and then the mystery never gets solved. How do you literally call the book “What Happened to Lucy Vale” and then never actually answer that question. So bummed.
I thought the format was interesting with the narrator of every other chapter being the collective of the main characters classmates “WE” and I enjoyed the use of Discord chats as added plot/info. That may be because I am chronically online & that format just works for my TikTok loving brain.
This book was pretty long & at points I was like…ok we can move it along now.
It had potential but failed to land.
This book has such promise & then just…ended. It had tons of exposition (would almost say too much) and then the mystery never gets solved. How do you literally call the book “What Happened to Lucy Vale” and then never actually answer that question. So bummed.
I thought the format was interesting with the narrator of every other chapter being the collective of the main characters classmates “WE” and I enjoyed the use of Discord chats as added plot/info. That may be because I am chronically online & that format just works for my TikTok loving brain.
This book was pretty long & at points I was like…ok we can move it along now.
It had potential but failed to land.
September 11, 2025
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO LUCY VALE? I have no idea and you won’t either when you finish the book.
The *only* reason I didn’t one star this book is because I loved the way Lauren Oliver used the WE point of view. Elin Hilderbrand uses WE as a point of view in some of her novels to capture everyday residents of Nantucket in the same manner.
I’d only recommend this book to people who don’t care about plot resolution.
The *only* reason I didn’t one star this book is because I loved the way Lauren Oliver used the WE point of view. Elin Hilderbrand uses WE as a point of view in some of her novels to capture everyday residents of Nantucket in the same manner.
I’d only recommend this book to people who don’t care about plot resolution.
September 2, 2025
Look, I’m usually very generous with reviews, typically giving a 3 even if I didn’t love it because someone put time and effort into it. BUT this book really let me down. I thought we were getting a triple disappearance but instead it was a patched together mystery that was covering the real plot: high school bullying. I mean, the Discord kids basically doxxed Lucy just because she had the AuDaCiTy to be different. They literally pushed her to possibly take her own life just because she was popular and they weren’t AND NO ONE EVEN FELT BAD ABOUT IT. It’s like *shrug* we are kids, it’s ok we leaked her nudes and ruined her life. Literally no repercussions for anyone ever.
And don’t get me started that we hardly solve Nina’s disappearance, don’t solve her mom’s death and don’t even come close to solving what happened to Lucy. In conclusion, what happened to Lucy Vale? NO ONE KNOWS
And don’t get me started that we hardly solve Nina’s disappearance, don’t solve her mom’s death and don’t even come close to solving what happened to Lucy. In conclusion, what happened to Lucy Vale? NO ONE KNOWS
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2025
Anyway, I’m on my way to throw my phone into the sea.
September 12, 2025
Intriguing idea and I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading it, but aspects of the book were very frustrating.
We are in a town where everything is dominated by sport, primarily swimming. The team are hailed as heroes and everyone watches their progress. It’s always been this way, and the athletes involved seem to lead a charmed life.
This may be quite common, but in our story we are introduced to a dark side quite early on. It involves disappearing teenage girls and suspected suicides. A mystery that we as readers want to know more about, but which gets somewhat overtaken by the events of the present.
When Lucy and her mum move to the town they are immediately marked by the fact they’ve moved into the Faraday house, deserted since the daughter went missing and her mother’s body was found inside. We learn about Lucy through the observations of others in the student body. Some of the events are more easy to read about than others.
Without giving details away, Lucy’s story is key to the solving of a very old mystery. But we never really learn what happened to Lucy after the awful events that build up to her going missing.
Lots to unpick here. Some nice touches. For me it all felt a bit messy. This may have been intentional but it was hard to piece things together.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review it.
We are in a town where everything is dominated by sport, primarily swimming. The team are hailed as heroes and everyone watches their progress. It’s always been this way, and the athletes involved seem to lead a charmed life.
This may be quite common, but in our story we are introduced to a dark side quite early on. It involves disappearing teenage girls and suspected suicides. A mystery that we as readers want to know more about, but which gets somewhat overtaken by the events of the present.
When Lucy and her mum move to the town they are immediately marked by the fact they’ve moved into the Faraday house, deserted since the daughter went missing and her mother’s body was found inside. We learn about Lucy through the observations of others in the student body. Some of the events are more easy to read about than others.
Without giving details away, Lucy’s story is key to the solving of a very old mystery. But we never really learn what happened to Lucy after the awful events that build up to her going missing.
Lots to unpick here. Some nice touches. For me it all felt a bit messy. This may have been intentional but it was hard to piece things together.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review it.
September 8, 2025
#iamlucy
This story reads like it’s a teenagers diary. I wish there was a more rounded ending to Lucy, but I’m glad that Nina's story was finished. All in all it was a good read.
This story reads like it’s a teenagers diary. I wish there was a more rounded ending to Lucy, but I’m glad that Nina's story was finished. All in all it was a good read.
August 18, 2025
Im sorry but don’t read this
August 15, 2025
If you want to know what happened to Lucy Vale, this book does not tell you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2025
Started off not great, definitely picked up steam, the writing came together. Was much darker and sadder than I expected, finished strong, evoked more feelings than I thought.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2025
I tried enjoy this book. After forcing myself to keep going numerous times, thinking we were getting somewhere, it just fell flat for me. Thanks to Amazon first reads for the early copy.
September 15, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Skyskape for the chance to read What happened to Lucy Vale by Lauren Oliver. This YA thriller sounded intriguing and the author is on my TBR list so I requested it. The story was good. told in alternating timelines. I just wasn't crazy about the style of writing. It's possible I would have enjoyed it more if I was listening to the audio, as the teenagers were often chatting/texting each other. I think teenagers, and young adults would enjoy this more than I did.
Want to read
August 1, 2025love this author. story sounds good!
August 20, 2025
Small town fun read!
I found this hilarious in the “oh my gosh—that’s EXACTLY the way I was at the age!” way. The way teen reactions and conversations and priorities are shown is just so fun and real and tongue in cheek but also spot on… of course it reminded me of Waiting for Alaska (John Green) but I loved it all. I have to admit I was expecting more twists; I think there was only one small one. The rest simply couldn’t be considered surprises for many bc they (to me at least) were painfully obvious from the start. But I loved this story of a teen girl and her mom that move to a (very) small town in Indiana to start fresh. Recommend.
I found this hilarious in the “oh my gosh—that’s EXACTLY the way I was at the age!” way. The way teen reactions and conversations and priorities are shown is just so fun and real and tongue in cheek but also spot on… of course it reminded me of Waiting for Alaska (John Green) but I loved it all. I have to admit I was expecting more twists; I think there was only one small one. The rest simply couldn’t be considered surprises for many bc they (to me at least) were painfully obvious from the start. But I loved this story of a teen girl and her mom that move to a (very) small town in Indiana to start fresh. Recommend.
August 10, 2025
At 28 years old I feel too old for this book. I hated reading the conversations via discord server. I hated the teenage gossip. I wanted to like this book. I immediately picked it over the others that were available for the August Amazon first reads books. I never felt a good climax, or something truely interesting happen. Maybe because we're mainly reading from the perspective of teens and town gossip. It just kept dragging on and I just didn't feel any sort of satisfaction from this read. The writing style was not for me.
November 18, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read the ARC copy of this book.
I have been a fan of Lauren Oliver's since I first read (devoured!) the Delirium trilogy about 10 years ago. I have read some of her other books, too and really enjoyed Lauren's ability to write so well across very different genres. So you can imagine I was very much looking forward to reading her new book.
Before I start, my brain is a little all over the place with this review, so please bear with me!
One of my favourite subjects at school was English Literature, where we would be given a book to read, and we would then analyse its themes, language, characterisation, structure, etc. You would then be given a question/statement about the book (normally in a formal exam) and have to write an essay on it, using critical thinking to argue an answer, using quotes from the book to support you. I loved it.
So what the heck does that have to do with this book? This book lit up my brain with so many ideas that would be perfect for an English Literature analysis! And very few books have done this to me. So I will focus on a few of the points that hit me the most.
The structure of the book tells the story from the perspectives of Lucy Vale's Mum and 'We', with the 'We' being everyone else around Lucy - mainly school friends. This gives the reader 2 different viewpoints, and neither of them are true! We never hear from Lucy Vale herself, so her story is told through interpretation, rumour and gossip - as is so much in our world today, with conclusions being jumped to on little more than an incorrect evaluation of an overheard scrap of conversation - for example. Which is exactly what the 'We' do throughout the book and we do every day.
Alongside the telling of Lucy Vale's story, we are also being told about another teenage girl, Gina, who lived in the same house (20 years ago) as Lucy and her Mum moved into in this story. Gina disappeared, and has never been found, and we see through the 'We' the mythology that has built up around this event - ghosts, murders, drink, drugs, etc. We are given the feeling that Lucy is heading down a similar path to Gina.
But nothing has been learnt from what happened to Gina. Girls/women are not believed. They are dismissed as being liars, emotional, manipulative, or vengeful. They are placed under a microscope by the 'We' with their every action, look, word, analysed and used to make assumptions about their behaviour.
SPOILER:
This book does not have a tidy ending, and your questions aren't answered, but that isn't really the point. What Happened to Lucy Vale is the same as happens to so many girls and women in our society, and that is why we don't hear any of the story from Lucy - she is more or less irrelevant as the protagonists of the book are those who tell the story - the 'We'.
I have been a fan of Lauren Oliver's since I first read (devoured!) the Delirium trilogy about 10 years ago. I have read some of her other books, too and really enjoyed Lauren's ability to write so well across very different genres. So you can imagine I was very much looking forward to reading her new book.
Before I start, my brain is a little all over the place with this review, so please bear with me!
One of my favourite subjects at school was English Literature, where we would be given a book to read, and we would then analyse its themes, language, characterisation, structure, etc. You would then be given a question/statement about the book (normally in a formal exam) and have to write an essay on it, using critical thinking to argue an answer, using quotes from the book to support you. I loved it.
So what the heck does that have to do with this book? This book lit up my brain with so many ideas that would be perfect for an English Literature analysis! And very few books have done this to me. So I will focus on a few of the points that hit me the most.
The structure of the book tells the story from the perspectives of Lucy Vale's Mum and 'We', with the 'We' being everyone else around Lucy - mainly school friends. This gives the reader 2 different viewpoints, and neither of them are true! We never hear from Lucy Vale herself, so her story is told through interpretation, rumour and gossip - as is so much in our world today, with conclusions being jumped to on little more than an incorrect evaluation of an overheard scrap of conversation - for example. Which is exactly what the 'We' do throughout the book and we do every day.
Alongside the telling of Lucy Vale's story, we are also being told about another teenage girl, Gina, who lived in the same house (20 years ago) as Lucy and her Mum moved into in this story. Gina disappeared, and has never been found, and we see through the 'We' the mythology that has built up around this event - ghosts, murders, drink, drugs, etc. We are given the feeling that Lucy is heading down a similar path to Gina.
But nothing has been learnt from what happened to Gina. Girls/women are not believed. They are dismissed as being liars, emotional, manipulative, or vengeful. They are placed under a microscope by the 'We' with their every action, look, word, analysed and used to make assumptions about their behaviour.
SPOILER:
This book does not have a tidy ending, and your questions aren't answered, but that isn't really the point. What Happened to Lucy Vale is the same as happens to so many girls and women in our society, and that is why we don't hear any of the story from Lucy - she is more or less irrelevant as the protagonists of the book are those who tell the story - the 'We'.
September 22, 2025
'What Happened to Lucy Vale' by Lauren Oliver—thank you to NetGalley and Skyscape for the eARC.
DISCLAIMER 1:
My expectations shift by genre — in contemporary/literary fiction such as this, I focus more on writing style and deeper themes.
DISCLAIMER 2:
!For readers who want plot-driven storytelling: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
!!For readers who want psychological depth + style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Where do I begin? This mystery novel definitely did its number on me.
Nina and Lucy; Lydia and Rachel; 'we' the narrators and 'we' the readers—we all mingled inside these chapters, trying to make sense of what had actually happened, and to whom. Awful incidents, trembling and anxious motherly love, and curious yet toxic bystanders could be enough to describe this thrilling story; but this—our story—is so much more than that.
I've seen many mixed feelings about the book, and I can easily relate to all sides. For the first half of the book I was a confused third-party witnessing the confessions of bored and judgemental teenagers, who filled their time scrutinizing a total stranger. After the fifty-percent mark, the rhythm shifted, banging the puzzle pieces together faster than my ability to realize that the story was reaching its end.
I do agree that the book holds some unconventional elements (intriguing narratorial perspective, less emphasis on plot and more on the mental implications of the observers, a huge amalgam of seemingly unnecessary details), but for me, that was the icing on the cake (and I do love icing). The author effortlessly created the mental portrait of the collective mind, and did so with such grace that it was as if she was holding a mirror to society. The first-person plural narrator—we—was a very refreshing experience (my first of this kind), and the flow with which the author wrote had me stunned—the slang, the mannerisms described, the hidden psychological details held so much ground that I didn't even pay attention to the plot anymore. Yes, not much was actually happening, but the whole process of nothing and everything taking place at once made for a very unique reading experience. I entered for the plot but stayed for the writing.
The main focus is on Lucy, so why was her perspective not included? My best guess is that by doing so the author highlighted the lives of countless victims whose stories we never hear from their perspectives but rather through the eyes of the masses, with the truth altered by our own experiences and biases. This book strengthened my view of the narrator's impact on a piece of literature, and I was impressed by how the outsiders became the creators of Lucy: we saw her and knew her from our perspective, having her at the center of our attention yet never as the main character.
Although the plot doesn't really take off until much later, everything in between is worth the read, if the main storyline is not the sole purpose. Therefore, personally, it was a beautiful reading experience. It had me reach beyond reading for pleasure, and I read for analyzing instead (I am a huge fan of close-reading literary fiction). The book has a lot to offer, if one waits for the moment and dives deeply enough.
!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!! + personal theory
I'm happy we got to finally know what happened to Nina (although the book ended shortly after, and it doesn't feel like we got the closure we needed), but I am left yearning for more of Lucy and Rachel's story. To ease my mind, I just picture that it was all planned by the mother, exactly like we have assumed (even if it seems implausible), and that Lucy ended up running off to someone close to her, like Alan (now that would be a plot twist), leaving us behind, and starting anew. Rachel stayed behind to finish her book, and she concocted this plan in order to keep Lucy safe, especially after her feelings of failing at protecting her daughter. It's a far-fetched theory, but one that I'll go with for the moment. And it would make sense, because if people think she's gone, they can't torment her anymore.
On a final note, thank you, Lauren Oliver, for taking me out of my comfort zone with this story, and for making it so addictive.
DISCLAIMER 1:
My expectations shift by genre — in contemporary/literary fiction such as this, I focus more on writing style and deeper themes.
DISCLAIMER 2:
!For readers who want plot-driven storytelling: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
!!For readers who want psychological depth + style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Where do I begin? This mystery novel definitely did its number on me.
Nina and Lucy; Lydia and Rachel; 'we' the narrators and 'we' the readers—we all mingled inside these chapters, trying to make sense of what had actually happened, and to whom. Awful incidents, trembling and anxious motherly love, and curious yet toxic bystanders could be enough to describe this thrilling story; but this—our story—is so much more than that.
I've seen many mixed feelings about the book, and I can easily relate to all sides. For the first half of the book I was a confused third-party witnessing the confessions of bored and judgemental teenagers, who filled their time scrutinizing a total stranger. After the fifty-percent mark, the rhythm shifted, banging the puzzle pieces together faster than my ability to realize that the story was reaching its end.
I do agree that the book holds some unconventional elements (intriguing narratorial perspective, less emphasis on plot and more on the mental implications of the observers, a huge amalgam of seemingly unnecessary details), but for me, that was the icing on the cake (and I do love icing). The author effortlessly created the mental portrait of the collective mind, and did so with such grace that it was as if she was holding a mirror to society. The first-person plural narrator—we—was a very refreshing experience (my first of this kind), and the flow with which the author wrote had me stunned—the slang, the mannerisms described, the hidden psychological details held so much ground that I didn't even pay attention to the plot anymore. Yes, not much was actually happening, but the whole process of nothing and everything taking place at once made for a very unique reading experience. I entered for the plot but stayed for the writing.
The main focus is on Lucy, so why was her perspective not included? My best guess is that by doing so the author highlighted the lives of countless victims whose stories we never hear from their perspectives but rather through the eyes of the masses, with the truth altered by our own experiences and biases. This book strengthened my view of the narrator's impact on a piece of literature, and I was impressed by how the outsiders became the creators of Lucy: we saw her and knew her from our perspective, having her at the center of our attention yet never as the main character.
Although the plot doesn't really take off until much later, everything in between is worth the read, if the main storyline is not the sole purpose. Therefore, personally, it was a beautiful reading experience. It had me reach beyond reading for pleasure, and I read for analyzing instead (I am a huge fan of close-reading literary fiction). The book has a lot to offer, if one waits for the moment and dives deeply enough.
!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!! + personal theory
I'm happy we got to finally know what happened to Nina (although the book ended shortly after, and it doesn't feel like we got the closure we needed), but I am left yearning for more of Lucy and Rachel's story. To ease my mind, I just picture that it was all planned by the mother, exactly like we have assumed (even if it seems implausible), and that Lucy ended up running off to someone close to her, like Alan (now that would be a plot twist), leaving us behind, and starting anew. Rachel stayed behind to finish her book, and she concocted this plan in order to keep Lucy safe, especially after her feelings of failing at protecting her daughter. It's a far-fetched theory, but one that I'll go with for the moment. And it would make sense, because if people think she's gone, they can't torment her anymore.
On a final note, thank you, Lauren Oliver, for taking me out of my comfort zone with this story, and for making it so addictive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2025
When I was in high school, I was a big Lauren Oliver fan. So, as an adult. I was really excited to see a new release after having not seen one in so long. Unfortunately, that’s where my excitement for this story ends.
I thought the idea of this book was really cool, but the execution just wasn’t there for me. The regular cliffhanger chapters where nothing happens after the cliffhanger routinely annoyed me. I stopped getting excited to start a new chapter. It felt like being gaslit into thinking something exciting was about to happen, and then of course nothing did happen.
In fact, nothing happens in large portions of this book. I kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and then nothing happened. The ending somehow felt incredibly rushed even though there was all the time in the world for it to play out. And then, it wasn’t overly exciting.
I don’t know if I outgrew Lauren Oliver or if this book was not marketed for the right age group, but I did not particularly enjoy this book.
Thank you very much to Skyscape and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought the idea of this book was really cool, but the execution just wasn’t there for me. The regular cliffhanger chapters where nothing happens after the cliffhanger routinely annoyed me. I stopped getting excited to start a new chapter. It felt like being gaslit into thinking something exciting was about to happen, and then of course nothing did happen.
In fact, nothing happens in large portions of this book. I kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and then nothing happened. The ending somehow felt incredibly rushed even though there was all the time in the world for it to play out. And then, it wasn’t overly exciting.
I don’t know if I outgrew Lauren Oliver or if this book was not marketed for the right age group, but I did not particularly enjoy this book.
Thank you very much to Skyscape and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2025
I unexpectedly loved the “we” - the class Discord server that was semi-anonymous and didn’t include the popular crowd or the swim team but also changed both membership and tone as the plot developed. The distribution of personalities and values among the group (like the far-right conspiracy theorist moderator and the hippie girl living in a commune) gave a variety of perspectives and allowed the different users to clash in a way that felt pretty true to life.
But the plot itself, and Lucy Vale, felt a little like an afterthought. I probably would have enjoyed the book much more just from the POV of the discord server, because then the lack of focus would have made a lot of sense.
Also throwaway HP reference?? In 2025?? Pass
{Thank you Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
But the plot itself, and Lucy Vale, felt a little like an afterthought. I probably would have enjoyed the book much more just from the POV of the discord server, because then the lack of focus would have made a lot of sense.
Also throwaway HP reference?? In 2025?? Pass
{Thank you Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
September 26, 2025
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of “What Happened to Lucy Vale”.
This is a very slow paced mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young girl 16 years prior and the apparent suicide of her mother soon after. The story is in present time going back and forth from the perspective of high school students and Rachel who has recently moved back to town with her teenage daughter, Lucy.
I felt like there is a lot of fluff back and forth jumping around the controversy of the disappearance of Nina from 16 years ago and the “new girl” Lucy. I honestly really struggled to get through this one because it seemed to drag on for a bit in parts of the student perspective. I would say this is a much tamer book for someone who is new to mystery thrillers. I feel like this read more like an YA book than an adult novel.
This is a very slow paced mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young girl 16 years prior and the apparent suicide of her mother soon after. The story is in present time going back and forth from the perspective of high school students and Rachel who has recently moved back to town with her teenage daughter, Lucy.
I felt like there is a lot of fluff back and forth jumping around the controversy of the disappearance of Nina from 16 years ago and the “new girl” Lucy. I honestly really struggled to get through this one because it seemed to drag on for a bit in parts of the student perspective. I would say this is a much tamer book for someone who is new to mystery thrillers. I feel like this read more like an YA book than an adult novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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