The Girl Who Just Appeared

by Jonathan Harvey

London - the present

Holly Smith has never fitted in. Adopted when just a few months old, she's always felt she was someone with no history. All she has is the address of where she was born - 32B Gambier Terrace, Liverpool. When Holly discovers that the flat is available to rent, she travels north and moves in. And in the very same flat, under the floorboards, she finds a biscuit tin full of yellowing papers. Could these papers be the key to her past?

Liverpool - 1981

Fifteen-year-old Darren is negotiating life with his errant mother and the younger brother he is raising. When the Toxteth Riots explode around him, Darren finds himself with a moral dilemma that will have consequences for the rest of his life.

Moving between the past and the present, Darren and Holly's lives become intertwined. Will finding Darren give Holly the answers she craves? Or will she always feel like the girl who just appeared?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Ebooks, Adult, LGBT, Novels, Audiobook

400 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2014

About the author

Harvey was born in Liverpool in 1968. He has a brother, Timothy Harvey who is a music teacher in Chester. His first serious attempt as a playwright was in 1987. Fuelled by the attraction of a £1,000 first prize to young writers from the Liverpool Playhouse, the result was The Cherry Blossom Tree, a garish blend of suicide, murder and nuns. This effort won him the National Girobank Young Writer of the Year Award.

Feeling very encouraged, he went on to write Mohair (1988), Wildfire (1992) and Babies (1993), the latter winning him the 'George Devine Award' for that year and The Evening Standard's 'Most Promising Playwright Award' for 1994. In 1993, Harvey, premiered Beautiful Thing, a gay-themed play-turned-movie for which he won the prestigious 'John Whiting Award' the following year.

1995 saw the premiere of Boom Bang-a-Bang, at the Bush Theatre, London, originally directed by Kathy Burke. Harvey cites it as "my most comic play ever, but with some dark bits". Centred on a group of friends gathering to watch the Eurovision Song Contest, the play was a sell-out. That same year, he also premiered Rupert Street Lonely Hearts Club. Guiding Star (1998), is a portrayal of one man's struggle to come to terms with the Hillsborough FA Cup Semi-Final disaster, while Hushabye Mountain (1999) deals with a world that has learned to live with HIV/AIDS. Television and film works include: West End Girls (Carlton); Love Junkie (BBC); Beautiful Thing (Channel Four/Island World Productions); the 1999-2001 hit/cult comedy series starring Kathy Burke and James Dreyfus, Gimme Gimme Gimme (Tiger Aspect); Murder Most Horrid (BBC); and Coronation Street (ITV).

He also wrote the book for Closer to Heaven, a stage musical with songs and music written by Pet Shop Boys. Closer to Heaven ran for nine months at the Arts Theatre in London during 2001 and in Australia in 2005. In 2003 Harvey heard the singer-actress Abi Roberts perform and was so enchanted he offered to write a solo show especially for her. Taking Charlie was the outcome, staged at the 2004 Edinburgh Festival with Roberts starring, under the direction of Susan Tully. The piece was darkly comic and focused on the destructive nature of an insecure, 30-year-old addict.

Harvey is a patron of London-based HIV charity The Food Chain and a patron of the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music. His first novel All She Wants was published in 2012 by Pan Books

Reviews

[Terra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the book started off rather slow, and I convinced myself it was going to be ridiculously boring, suddenly it grabbed me, pulled me in, and made it hard to put down. When I was about 40 pages from the end and forgot it at work, I downloaded it onto my phone just so I could finish it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

www.snazzybooks.com

Firstly, can I just say: don't judge this book by its title! I feel like "The Girl a who Just Appeared" makes it sound kind of like a standard 'chick-litty' novel when in actual fact there's so much more to it!

The story is set in two different eras; the 'current day' story is told by Holly, whose adoptive parents have died so she is desperate to track down the parents who gave her up, and Darren, whose diary tells the story of him growing up in 1980's Liverpool.

I loved both narratives- Holly's is easier to read and flows better whilst Darren's is often written phonetically, as he isn't very good at spelling, and so you really have to concentrate at some points to work out what he means. I feel like this really adds to the story and serves as a constant reminder of what a bad education poor Darren has evidently had.

I really got a strong sense of atmosphere whilst reading The Girl Who Just Appeared. I honestly felt like I was RIGHT THERE in 1981 when the Toxteth Riots were kicking off, and I REALLY wanted Holly to find out what had happened when she was given up for adoption. The novel addresses many tricky themes (I won't list them all here as it might give away some of the surprises) and deals with them all very well, in my opinion! There were various twists which I loved, and although I suspected a few of them I certainly didn't guess them all! The way it enveloped me when reading it made me realise what a fantastic book this is.

I just loved this novel, from the beginning to the very last page. It was emotional without being overly dramatic, touching without being cheesy, humorous without it taking away from the serious subject matter, and full of twists without being ridiculous. The characters were brilliant and so well developed by Harvey; I haven't read any other books by him but I definitely will be now!

I highly recommend this novel to anyone, I can't imagine anyone really hating it to be honest (but who knows!)

[Shatha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Calling this book mediocre would be a compliment. And I don't feel like it deserves even that.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think that the cover of this book does it justice. Not a light, frivolous book but one that had depth and texture.
An ending that I did not expect at all.
Enjoyed this.

[Helena Wildsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really exciting read that kept me gripped. Don't be deceived by the front cover and chick-lit sounding title; it's actually a very dark story but is punctuated with some light humour.

[Agi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have lately read an interview with an author, I think it was Jodi Picoult who said that the most important thing in the book is the first sentence, the first paragraph, the first page of the story, that it must be like a tornado that carry away the reader. Well, it was absolutely the case with The Girl who Just Appeared. I have read the first sentence and couldn't wait for the next, and next, and next, it had me hooked from the get - go and kept my attention and interest through the whole book.

I have smiled at the first sentence already and kept smiling or laughing out loud through the whole book, but also have dropped a few tears. This is a bitter - sweet book, sad - funny book and a wonderful read. Poignant and touching.

Holly has just buried her mother and with her father already gone and no siblings she's now alone. As she knows she was adopted, she decides to start searching for her biological mother. She has some information, her name and address where she was born, and totally unexpectedly she finds herself renting THE flat. Flat when she was born. It means she must move from London to Liverpool, leaving her job as a PA to a very moody and mean diva. In the flat Holly discovers a diary which belonged to a teenager Darren. He describes his life in this flat, his family: mother who was a prostitute and younger brother. After reading the whole diary, Holly decides that she's Darren sister. Through her new landlady Rose, who knows her biological mother, she get to know her as well and only learn that she's at care home with Alzheimer and so is of no help. But is this the whole true? Did Holly really find her family?

Of course while reading I was guessing, and you will be too, for sure, whirring your mind trying to string the facts together. But be prepared that this book is one big twist and turn and you are for some very unexpected shocks and surprises.

The story switches between now and Holly and the 80 - ies with Darren. It is clearly separated so there is no confusion at all. Both the voices of Holly and Darren are individual and both the stories are gripping and totally engaging. Darren's story is heart - breaking and mostly tough to read, as his life was not a piece of cake. It was rough, with no perspectives, grim and just sad, but still he was a great boy with a big heart and principles.
Holly was brilliant as well. I felt for her right at the beginning when she described her family, her birthday when she learnt that she's adopted and her first visit to McDonald's. She was incredible when it came to making new friends and I really adored her, she was so normal, down - to - earth, realistic character.

I have enjoyed the book thoroughly, every single moment, sad or funny. It was like a rollercoaster ride when it comes to the feelings and emotions, seriousness interweaved with a lot of humour, and it was my favourite kind of dry humour. Some of the scenes made me laugh out loud, some of them brought tears to my eyes. It was a perfect mix of those things and I couldn't dream of a better read.
The descriptions of Liverpool were brilliant and I felt as if I was there and saw this all with my own eyes.

I think what makes this book so outstanding is the fact that it is so normal. Yes, it has its dose of drama but this drama is not too overwhelming and it is written in a way that just carry you away and then you can't put this book down. It has a very original plot and has more twists and turns than a Formula 1 racetrack has turns. There were moments that I had my doubts if Holly is right but have never expected where the story is going to take me and how it's going to end.

Altogether, this book made a brilliant read for me. It has feelings and emotions, it has a heart and it's charming. The characters are brilliantly written and I have rooted for them, the situations are very unexpected ones, the plot is not predictable. This is my first book by Jonathan Harvey but I'm going to order his other books right now. He is a great writer and I loved The Girl Who Just Appeared, and I heartily recommend it.

Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.

[Suad Shamma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say I hated this book, because I didn't. I did enjoy parts of it, and I really was keen on finding out who Holly's birth mother was. However, that being said, I felt like a huge part of this book was...unrealistic. The diary, the neighbors, the random characters introduced like the Irish dude and the fly attendant were just a bit much, including Rose's really strange and submissive husband.

I liked the flashbacks when Holly was reading Darren's diary. In fact, I would get annoyed when I would have to come back to present day because, truth be told, I did not like Holly very much.

So Holly finds out at a very young age that she's adopted, and it's the happiest day of her life, because she doesn't actually like her adoptive mother very much. Fast forward many years later, Holly had moved out to work in London and her mother has passed so she has to go back and deal with the funeral arrangements. She seems extremely disconnected, and the only thing she could think of is finding her birth mother. She goes back to London, to her crazy and bizarre employer, who basically treats her like a dog. Nope. Actually, she treats the dog better than she treats Holly. And it isn't until her employer physically attacks her that she decides to quit and go looking for her birth mother in Liverpool. She rents out the same apartment that her birth mother lived in, and from there tries to find out more about her.

As luck would have it, she stumbles on a hidden diary in the kitchen of the apartment, written by her brother(?) and we are then taken through a series of flashbacks in which we find out more about the family.

The twist at the end was not very surprising to me. I figured the whole thing out halfway through, and was simply reading through waiting for Holly to catch up. I did not much like the ending either, it was all very bizarre, and the characters were quite one-dimensional. That being said, I did enjoy the book, and the writing style, and would give Jonathan Harvey another shot at some of his other books.

[Sammy Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read, , the usual ladies will love it too

[Kirstie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably could have been a bit shorter
I liked the idea of this, a girl finding out she’s adopted and sets out to find her family. The twist at the end was a bit far fetched and quite a few unanswered questions

Not terrible but not one that will stay with me

[Margaret P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start? I'm afraid no housework has been done whilst I have been glued to this page turning book All I will say is read it! Must find more by this author

[amandine]

dnf

[Eden Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start but around half way in I was gripped. The ending was completely unexpected!

[Claire Birt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book much more than I expected to.
I think I thought it was going to be a light frivolous read but it was not at all.
I loved the humour I found myself laughing out loud in places
And I loved how the author covered dark and difficult issues.
Would definitely recommend

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl Who Just Appeared by Jonathan Harvey

Oh, what an unexpected treasure this novel turned out to be, especially given that the initial 100 or so pages had severely dampened my expectations! Given that my usual reading matter is police procedurals and emotional family sagas I was excited to receive this book and had high hopes for it. Something humorous but not the usual chick-lit fodder. The premise intrigued me and piqued my interest and I have heard much praise for the comedy and charm that previous Jonathan Harvey novels have garnered and this was a book which I had to see to the end.

After the first 100 or so pages my heart sank. This is the story of Holly, a thirty something woman who was adopted as a child and never felt she completely fitted in with her home life and surroundings. Never quite fitting in with this lifestyle or at ease with her much older adoptive parents. Holly explains her emotions, causing her to always feel like girl who just appeared - with no history and living with people who she struggled to relate to and hence her desire to track down her birth mother to answer some of her unresolved questions. Initially I was put off by how ungrateful she seemed to be towards her adoptive parents, Ted and Jean. Encountering caricature, stereotypical characters who seemed to fill her life along the way (specifically the women from the church, her overly demanding boss, the wet rag boyfriend), I thought the jokes verged on lame and my interest wavered. I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this would be a contrived female audience based time filler.. Oh no, I thought... This doesn't bode well...

Following the death of both of her adoptive parents and fed up with the status quo of her current life in London, Holly decides to throw caution to the wind and on hearing that the very flat she was born in, 32B Gambier Terrace, Liverpool, is up for rental, she upheaves her whole world and goes in search of her birth mother and a sense of identity taking the plunge to venture north.. And this is where, for me, the story picked up. Under the floorboards Holly discovers an old biscuit tin containing fragments of a diary written by a 15 year old boy... Could this perhaps help her discover the truth? From here on in the story picked up and for me it became an absolute joy - a fast paced, well written, feel good book, with a plot which kept me hooked right until the conclusion. For a book which ventures onto a serious topic which some authors might hesitate to tackle, Harvey manages to take a humorous approach and has succeeded in making some emotional and poignant thoughts. You could not accuse him of taking a heavy hand to the subject matter or treating it insensitively.

Accept this novel for what it is, a cast of comedy characters, situations which can often border on the farcical, and just lose yourself in discovering the unravelling of this mystery. The last two thirds of the book are an absolute romp and will bring a smile to even the most hard hearted reader. Whilst I did spot what was coming a few chapters from the end, the frequent turning of events along the way kept me thoroughly engaged and entertained. A definite 4 star from me! Indulge, grab a bottle of wine and prepare for an absolute blast!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly Smith doesn't really like her life. She feels as though it's been a non-event, she can't even decide who would play her in a film of her life. Holly was adopted, her parents were older than all the others at the school gates, she didn't have much of a relationship with them.

She doesn't have much of a relationship with her boyfriend Jude either, and her boss is an absolute nightmare. When her adoptive mother dies, Holly does something unexpected. She's kept that scrap of paper with her birth mother's name and address for many years .... she's finally going to do something about it, she's going to discover who she really is.

Boyfriend dumped. Boss slapped, house-share terminated. Holly takes the train to Gambier Terrace, Liverpool, determined that she will, at last, find out who she really is.

When Holly discovers an old tin, full of yellowing papers, the story really starts to begin, and the reader is taken back to 1981 when Liverpool is in the grip of the Toxteth riots.

I really enjoy dual time narrative, as long as they are done well, and Jonathan Harvey has pulled this technique off so well in The Girl Who Just Appeared. The story unfolds and flits between the present day and 1981 seamlessly, engaging the reader in both aspects.

Jonathan Harvey writes with a sharp wit, sometimes smutty humour and great warmth. His affection for his home city of Liverpool shines though, and although I'm not familiar with the streets of that city, he really does manage to bring the place alive.

There are some serious subjects, and some poignant moments in this story, and it would be easy to trivialise these with humour, but instead, Jonathan Harvey manages to avoid this with characters and dialogue that really work so well.

Very different to my usual read, but nonetheless, very enjoyable. Well written, warm and funny.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the "quick choice" section of my local library, wanting a suitable holiday read. I had heard of the author before through television work (Lilies was amazing!)and thought this would be a light hearted humourous read, and it was, but it was also so much more! I loved the concept of this book, it begins with Holly a PA who has recently lost both adoptive parents, and deciding she wants to find out who she really is. Following an incident at work she discovers the flat she was born in is available to rent, so she upsticks to Liverpool, takes the flat and begins to discover the circumstances surrounding her birth....and its here the book takes an alarming turn when Holly discovers Darren's diary, the contents of which are both shocking and upsetting. I wasn't expecting the dark turn the story took, but the way the author wrote of Darren and his situation was heartbreaking and i literally couldn't put the book down.
I would find it difficult to describe the genre of this book, because in places it is laugh out loud, while in others you feel so desperately sad for Darren it all feels so bleak, only for the next chapter have you laughing again. The characters are totally convincing and I was able to visualise each individual; apart from the unamed man in Darren's diary - like in E.T where the adults are never fully shown only shadowy figures, or from the shoulders down. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars, only because I did predict the end and I would have enjoyed less of Holly and more of how Darren becomes the person he does, I need a sequel to this book and will be reading more from this author, loved it!

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up as part of an offer as I chose two other books and didn't know what else to read. So, going by appearance I picked this book up and can say I'm glad I did and enjoyed this book a lot.

I haven't read any of the authors previous book, so I read this book without any expectations and think it's the best way to go about reading this book, as you'll be pleasantly surprised.

This book is poignant, a little sad in places and it's also a journey of discovery with a very pleasant ending. The only problem with the book I had was Darren's writing. Now, I'm not a grammar Nazi or anything, and I understand that he wasn't well educated, but the lack of formality in his first part of the book was frustrating to me. Though I eventually got over this problem with the book, I eventually started enjoying this book for what it is, brilliant !

I'm very happy I picked up this book and that it turned out good and that it turned out better than expected. What more could you ask for right? Anyway, I highly recommend this book to new and previous readers of the authors books and can easily give this author 4 stars.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her adoptive parents die, Holly decides to search for her birth mother. All she knows is the name, and address that were featured on her birth certificate.

When the flat that she was born in becomes available to rent, Holly drops everything in London to move to Liverpool, in the hope she can do some digging and find her birth mum.

Within a couple of days in Liverpool, she finds Darren's diary.

The book then switches between the diary set in Liverpool in the 80's, written by a very uneducated young boy (if you like correct spelling and punctuation, beware there isn't any in the diary sections), and present day with Holly search.

The plot moves at a fast pace and it was a good story, that although I had pre-thought ideas after reading the blurb, this broke all of them and surprised me constantly.

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book with high hopes and thoroughly enjoyed the first part - as an adopted child I could empathise with Holly's experiences and the desire to find her birth mother. However, once Darren's story was introduced into the narrative, I felt it went downhill, as I didn't enjoy the writing style of the diary and actively looked forward to the end of those sections. The last section of the book was just preposterous. I don't wish to spoil the ending for anyone, but in my opinion it was just downright silly and left me feeling short-changed. I suppose those who have given it 5 stars were prepared to suspend disbelief, but it was a step too far for me.

For more reviews, see https://www.facebook.com/PrincessTami...

[BookMoth Bab · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just didn't have much in it for me.
The main character was unrealistic, simple and tunnel-visioned. I couldn't relate to her at all.
I guessed the ending when I still had about 170 pages left.
I really, really thought I'd like this book, then "thought" turned into "hope" and then it was just disappointment.

[Sandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up from the library thinking it would be more like Kate Morton-like present time meets past. It wasn't.
I don't think there was a 'normal' relationship or maybe even 'normal' person in the whole book. Very hard to get your head round all the deep 'issues' each person has. You keep hoping the main character will find her mother, so you carry on.
Would not recommend.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Really did.

Although, who has their birth certificate and yet doesn't know what their name was before they were adopted???

[Anna Ciddor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened on audio and skipped some gruesome bits. Otherwise, well written and humorous

[Valq · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although it was funny at some parts, but most of the events in the plot were absolutely ridiculously absurd, not to mention some of the humour felt forced. I'm quite bewildered.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in 2 parts - Holly Smith in present day London and Darren in 1981 Liverpool, I really enjoyed this book & although the ending was quite unexpected based on how the story was going, as I kept reading, I had my suspicions and they were ultimately proved correct.

In present day London, Holly is 31 years old and never felt like she fitted in with her family. At the age of 8 she was told by her mum during a trip to the West End that she was adopted and following her parents death, she's determined to find out where she came from. Armed with only her birth mother's name and the address in Liverpool where she was born, when the flat becomes available for rent, she jumps at the chance to visit her birthplace. Leaving behind her job as a Personal Assistant to an ungrateful ageing actress and everything she knows in London, Holly moves to Liverpool in the hope of being able to find her mum & the answers to all her questions, but when she arrives, she realises it's not going to be as easy as that.

However, when she discovers a tin of handwritten yellowing papers buried under a floorboard, she begins to read them & making the assumption they were written by her brother, she realises that her story has been waiting there for her ti discover for years.

In 1981, 15 year old Darren spends his days in the Liverpool flat he shares with his mum who spends her time on the streets 'earning' and his younger brother who goes to school. While Darren has no motivation to attend school or even to leave the flat, he lives in fear of the door opening to a local policeman and finds solace in pouring his feelings out on paper. However, during the Toxteth Riots, he makes a decision which he can't come back from and also starts to discover a part of him which he's been forced to hide.

This book is was such an enjoyable read, I've already added some of the authors other books to my Amazon wish list. With Darren's part cleverly written with a Liverpool accent, I could hear him talking as I read and I found it clever how the 2 characters were ultimately connected.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone to read.

[Maia Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen. She ain’t perfect, but she was DELIGHTFUL.

With the exception of the prologue and chapter 1, I basically read this in two sittings. Honestly, I would’ve read it in one if it hadn’t been 2am on the day of a 9 hour road trip. It was so heartwarming and wholesome, I just couldn’t put it down. I was also grinning practically the whole time because the characters were so likable and amusing. Especially Iggy. I would die for that man. I also loved his friendship with Holly from start to finish. And Jax was just so out of left field…I loved her too. These two provided some levity to the heavier elements of the plot, which was really needed.

Speaking of the plot, I thought I knew where it was going. Turns out I didn’t. Which is great. I can’t comment on the accuracy of where it went (I’ll leave that to other reviewers), but I was not expecting it. (Sorry for being vague I really don’t want to spoil anything.) There were lots of bits that just came out of nowhere, but somehow it worked altogether.

I will say, I don’t think the pacing was great. There were bits that seemed unnecessary, details that weren’t emphasized that I wish would have been, some loose-ish ends. And I’m not sure that the realizations Harvey tried to say that Holly had were anything more than afterthoughts. There are heavy topics covered in this book, but done so in a very lighthearted way that doesn’t leave room for the depth needed for significant character development. It’s very Hallmark but…also not? Hallmark with a bit of an edge? I don’t know.

I don’t think this book is life-changing, or that it’s really even going to make you think much about its more serious topics. But that’s okay. It is such a fun and cozy read; a nice little escape into a world where things work out. If you’re looking for something like that, or a beach/lazy Saturday read, definitely give this a shot. I promise you’ll at least feel a little amused and maybe even a bit warmth in your chest to boot.

[rachelle (m00dreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Damn.

I wasn't expecting much from this book, going in - especially as the first 70 pages or so were a bit of a snooze.

But did it knock the breath out of me in more ways than one. I soon found myself immensely hooked with the story, and then I was racing through the pages to get answers to the overarching mystery that is Holly's heritage and how it all connected with Darren; and when I got to the conclusion, I found that all that anticipation was more than worth it. A perfectly satisfying ending that honestly even went beyond what I had hoped for.

The intersecting storylines were weaved together masterfully, the characterization was distinct and fleshed out; but most importantly, the themes were handled with all the tact necessary for their sensitive nature.

I never saw the twists coming. And I most certainly never expected to feel all warm and teary-eyed by the time I turned the last page.

[Aishani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that has been lying on my shelf that I just decided to pick up and read. I could not have anticipated the plot and turn of events throughout which made me even more curious to keep going as I started reading it.

Though a very pleasant and almost easy read, the storyline has a balance between heart tugging moments and that nice bit of humour. In the first half, being introduced to the second character was a bit difficult to understand but as you get used to the change in writing it all falls into place. The book sheds light on acceptance of who you are first and foremost and even though it feels at a point that all hope is lost, the revelations/twist lets you breathe a sigh of relief.

Overall, it is unlike any storyline of the books I personally have read before so it was nice to read something different which added to my enjoyment of it.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up in a charity shop for 50p and I wasn't sure I would enjoy it. And from the first couple of sections, I thought I was right. Holly seems to be a really insecure, ungrateful and self-centered person, and I really couldn't relate to her bitterness and general attitude to life at all. I was somewhat interested by Darren's opening, but I found it so difficult to read his diary entries I'll admit I nearly gave up. Further, there were plenty of things about the plot that I found really annoying and inconsistent. But as the story developed, I did find myself being hauled into the parallel Liverpudlian dialogues, in particular Darren's poignant situation, and the author dropped just enough hints that I was able to put together the pieces of the mystery as I read on. Not one to rave about, but it was a surprisingly pleasant summer read which exceeded my expectations.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave up on this book because I didn't know much about the UK and I could not, for the love of God, understand what Darren was saying in his chapter. Yikes. However, the thought of abandoning this book made me feel guilty so I kept reading and reading until I finally got hooked around... chapter 9 or 10.

Overall, it was a well-written book. I certainly did not expect the twist at the end. But do I recommend this, despite the fact that Darren's chapter was hard to read? Sure, if you're patient enough to try and understand it. Plus, it's all worth it when you find out about Holly's past.
*sheepish smile emoji*