What do you think?
The Nowhere Boy
The stunning debut novel by the Winner of the Allen & Unwin Fiction Prize 2025. An emotionally charged exploration of what happens when one moment changes everything.
A child disappears in broad daylight—and no one sees a thing.
Three-year-old Oliver, known as Apple Man, vanishes from a remote car park while his young father, Scott, carries fishing gear down to the beach. When he returns, the car is empty. His son has vanished without a trace.
Apple Man's mother, Fae, gets the call that shatters her life. Enraged with Scott and drowning in her own guilt, she is pulled back into Scott's orbit as police launch a desperate search across a wild coastline and dense pine forest. With every hour that passes, the case tightens around them—and the question no parent can bear to answer grows what if he's never coming back?
Far from the search, a grieving woman convinces herself she's been given a second chance. Tessa has lost three babies and the future she believed was hers. When she encounters a small, abandoned boy, she sees not a crime, but a miracle she cannot surrender. As the hunt intensifies, her fragile fantasy of motherhood begins to unravel.
As the pressure continues to mount, everyone involved is forced to confront the same terrifying when love becomes possession, how far is too far?
A child disappears in broad daylight—and no one sees a thing.
Three-year-old Oliver, known as Apple Man, vanishes from a remote car park while his young father, Scott, carries fishing gear down to the beach. When he returns, the car is empty. His son has vanished without a trace.
Apple Man's mother, Fae, gets the call that shatters her life. Enraged with Scott and drowning in her own guilt, she is pulled back into Scott's orbit as police launch a desperate search across a wild coastline and dense pine forest. With every hour that passes, the case tightens around them—and the question no parent can bear to answer grows what if he's never coming back?
Far from the search, a grieving woman convinces herself she's been given a second chance. Tessa has lost three babies and the future she believed was hers. When she encounters a small, abandoned boy, she sees not a crime, but a miracle she cannot surrender. As the hunt intensifies, her fragile fantasy of motherhood begins to unravel.
As the pressure continues to mount, everyone involved is forced to confront the same terrifying when love becomes possession, how far is too far?
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 23, 2026
About the author
Anne Cleary
10 books4 followersAnne Cleary was born and raised in West Auckland and moved to Tauranga in 2016. Her short stories have won places in competitions and feature in magazines and anthologies in Aotearoa and Australia. She takes creative writing workshops and co-organises Tauranga Writers' monthly event, Writers on Writing. The Nowhere Boy is Anne's debut novel and the winner of the Allen & Unwin Fiction Prize 2025.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 30, 2026
This is a book about blame, guilt and motherhood.
I connected to this book being a parent. I was concerned for the parents, Tessa, and Apple Man. The parents as they struggled with the disappearance of their child and Tessa who just couldn't think straight and was clearly in the wrong. It goes to show how one moment can change everything. Scott thought he would be ok.
I connected to this book being a parent. I was concerned for the parents, Tessa, and Apple Man. The parents as they struggled with the disappearance of their child and Tessa who just couldn't think straight and was clearly in the wrong. It goes to show how one moment can change everything. Scott thought he would be ok.
September 13, 2026
The Nowhere Boy is the first novel by prize-winning New Zealand author, Anne Cleary. A missing child is every parent’s worst nightmare, and that nightmare has just begun for Scott Andrews when he returns to the beach carpark to find his three-year-old son, Oliver, aka Apple Man, gone from the car.
What follows is much angst, guilt, recrimination, and tears, as thorough searches of Woodhill Forest and Muriwai Beach are conducted, and press appeals are made, without a single sighting of the little boy. It seems Apple Man is nowhere. Friends and family gather to offer support, to aid in the search, to feed and comfort, to worry, most of them, anyway. None of them can know that Apple Man is actually in caring hands…
Tessa Willoughby keeps telling herself that she is saving an abused child trapped for hours in an airless car, although this is a gross exaggeration of the situation, a rationalisation she uses to justify her actions. She even believes it herself, after a while. “Some people don’t deserve children, while others, who are exactly the kind of loving, nurturing adult a child needs, are deprived of having them.”
But keeping a boy not hers necessitates subterfuge, and she soon learns that consistent and convincing lying requires a good memory. And now in her sixth decade, Tessa discovers that mothering an active three-year-old who wants his Mummy and Dadda calls for more energy than she had ever imagined. How long before she tires of her altruistic deed?
Cleary easily evokes her setting, and her characters, for all their very human flaws, endear themselves to the reader. But it’s clear from the start that Tessa is mentally unhinged, something that becomes even more obvious as she muses on a (chilling) solution to the inconvenient mess in which she finds herself entangled. A gripping story with a nail-biting climax, this is a remarkable debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Allen & Unwin New Zealand.
What follows is much angst, guilt, recrimination, and tears, as thorough searches of Woodhill Forest and Muriwai Beach are conducted, and press appeals are made, without a single sighting of the little boy. It seems Apple Man is nowhere. Friends and family gather to offer support, to aid in the search, to feed and comfort, to worry, most of them, anyway. None of them can know that Apple Man is actually in caring hands…
Tessa Willoughby keeps telling herself that she is saving an abused child trapped for hours in an airless car, although this is a gross exaggeration of the situation, a rationalisation she uses to justify her actions. She even believes it herself, after a while. “Some people don’t deserve children, while others, who are exactly the kind of loving, nurturing adult a child needs, are deprived of having them.”
But keeping a boy not hers necessitates subterfuge, and she soon learns that consistent and convincing lying requires a good memory. And now in her sixth decade, Tessa discovers that mothering an active three-year-old who wants his Mummy and Dadda calls for more energy than she had ever imagined. How long before she tires of her altruistic deed?
Cleary easily evokes her setting, and her characters, for all their very human flaws, endear themselves to the reader. But it’s clear from the start that Tessa is mentally unhinged, something that becomes even more obvious as she muses on a (chilling) solution to the inconvenient mess in which she finds herself entangled. A gripping story with a nail-biting climax, this is a remarkable debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Allen & Unwin New Zealand.
July 5, 2026
When three-year-old Oliver vanishes without a trace from a remote coastal car park while his father is distracted, his parents, Fae and Scott, are plunged into every parent's worst nightmare. As the police launch a desperate search through the wild terrain, the story shifts between the frantic, guilt-ridden perspective of the family left behind and the deeply unsettling point of view of the person who took him. Tessa, a grieving woman who has suffered the tragic loss of three babies, discovers the small boy and convinces herself she has been given a second chance. In her fractured mind, she isn't committing a crime; she believes she is rescuing an abandoned child and embracing a miracle.
This book was absolute perfection! I loved having both points of view, getting the raw emotion from the family who lost their child alongside the complex perspective of the kidnapper was so so good. I thought it was so incredibly interesting how the kidnapper genuinely believed she had done absolutely nothing wrong. It is one of those rare books where I found myself completely hooked into the mind of the kidnapper. While the chapters following the devastated family were amazing, getting to explore that unhinged, deeply rationalized other point of view is exactly what made this book top-tier!
This book was absolute perfection! I loved having both points of view, getting the raw emotion from the family who lost their child alongside the complex perspective of the kidnapper was so so good. I thought it was so incredibly interesting how the kidnapper genuinely believed she had done absolutely nothing wrong. It is one of those rare books where I found myself completely hooked into the mind of the kidnapper. While the chapters following the devastated family were amazing, getting to explore that unhinged, deeply rationalized other point of view is exactly what made this book top-tier!
June 25, 2026
Big thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
The Nowhere Boy is the first book by New Zealand author Anne Cleary.
A storyline of missing children in a crime novel is a common theme in many narratives but what this one does slightly different is we get points of view from three perspectives.
The mother of the child, the father and the disturbed kidnapper.
Three year old Oliver aka Apple Man disappears during daylight from a car in the forest.
Father, Scott is fishing and when he returns to his car his son is gone.
Mother, Fae gets the dreaded phone call and the guilts start to surface.
Kidnapper, Tessa has already lost three kids and when she sees an abandoned child she takes matters into her own hands.
Three people, three dissimilar scenarios but one thing in common, the love given to a child.
This book won a fiction prize and for me it lacked something that contributed to my reading experience.
The pacing is ok, it does lose a little energy in the middle and not much happens for the rest of the story.
I expected a twist or a surprise or something but it seems to just finish.
I get the author wanted to build characterisation as it’s equal about the parents as well as the abductor.
It’s not an eventful read but it’s ok for what it is.
The Nowhere Boy is the first book by New Zealand author Anne Cleary.
A storyline of missing children in a crime novel is a common theme in many narratives but what this one does slightly different is we get points of view from three perspectives.
The mother of the child, the father and the disturbed kidnapper.
Three year old Oliver aka Apple Man disappears during daylight from a car in the forest.
Father, Scott is fishing and when he returns to his car his son is gone.
Mother, Fae gets the dreaded phone call and the guilts start to surface.
Kidnapper, Tessa has already lost three kids and when she sees an abandoned child she takes matters into her own hands.
Three people, three dissimilar scenarios but one thing in common, the love given to a child.
This book won a fiction prize and for me it lacked something that contributed to my reading experience.
The pacing is ok, it does lose a little energy in the middle and not much happens for the rest of the story.
I expected a twist or a surprise or something but it seems to just finish.
I get the author wanted to build characterisation as it’s equal about the parents as well as the abductor.
It’s not an eventful read but it’s ok for what it is.
July 1, 2026
This book held me totally absorbed from start to finish. I read it in two days. The author has ‘hands down’ deserved to be the winner of Allen & Unwin’s fiction prize. The characters are still fresh in my mind a day later. The young couple, Scott and Fae with their guilt, but total love for Apple Man… to Tessa who believes she has the best of intentions towards the wee boy. Drop-kick Woody and Cilla, are portrayed as being unbelievably selfish… and we’ve all seen these type of people in real life.
This high intensity, emotional story set in beautiful New Zealand is simply fantastic. It’s five stars from me!!
This high intensity, emotional story set in beautiful New Zealand is simply fantastic. It’s five stars from me!!
August 6, 2026
Solid NZ fiction. Realistic characters and we love a local story.
June 26, 2026
I love a book set in a location that’s familiar to me! The Nowhere Boy is a new crime novel set on Auckland’s rugged West Coast, where the cliffs are rugged, the black sand beaches are wild and people actually do go missing from time to time.
The book is about the abduction of a little boy. It’s not a whodunnit - we learn very quickly what has happened to him. Instead, it explores the question of what you do when you’ve spontaneously abducted a child and then the realities sink in of how hard it’s going to be to get away with it.
A big part of the novel is also the impact on the child’s parents. Fae and Scott are both young – she’s still a teenager, he’s not much older. They tried to make a go of it when she found out she was pregnant but not surprisingly that didn’t last, so now she’s a solo mother and he has occasional custody. It’s on his watch that little Oliver (known as Apple Man) goes missing.
The book has an excellent sense of place and I really like the way Anne Cleary writes. I felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book and she does a great job of putting you inside everyone’s head. Although having said that, it is one of those books when you don’t particularly like any of the characters and I couldn’t help but worry about what Apple Man’s future life would look like even if he did make it back to his parents.
While the pacing is a little uneven, I was always curious to know how things would be resolved and towards the end as the tension ramped up, I could NOT stop reading.
The book is about the abduction of a little boy. It’s not a whodunnit - we learn very quickly what has happened to him. Instead, it explores the question of what you do when you’ve spontaneously abducted a child and then the realities sink in of how hard it’s going to be to get away with it.
A big part of the novel is also the impact on the child’s parents. Fae and Scott are both young – she’s still a teenager, he’s not much older. They tried to make a go of it when she found out she was pregnant but not surprisingly that didn’t last, so now she’s a solo mother and he has occasional custody. It’s on his watch that little Oliver (known as Apple Man) goes missing.
The book has an excellent sense of place and I really like the way Anne Cleary writes. I felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book and she does a great job of putting you inside everyone’s head. Although having said that, it is one of those books when you don’t particularly like any of the characters and I couldn’t help but worry about what Apple Man’s future life would look like even if he did make it back to his parents.
While the pacing is a little uneven, I was always curious to know how things would be resolved and towards the end as the tension ramped up, I could NOT stop reading.
July 11, 2026
Three year-old Oliver, nicknamed Apple Man, disappears from dad Scott’s car on Muriwai Beach and an urgent search gets underway. Scott is horrified and blames himself, Mum Fae (only 19 herself) is shattered but Tessa feels like she’s finally been given the chance to be a mum - something she’s desperately wanted her whole life. We follow all three as Apple Man’s disappearance is investigated and see the effects of the situation have on them.
What an excellent story this was!!! My heart was literally in my throat the whole time I was reading this and I couldn’t put it down. I really felt for Fae and Scott - so young themselves but so in love with their son and just desperate to get him back. Tessa was super frustrating and I genuinely felt no sympathy towards her and her unfounded judgement of Apple Man‘s parents. Fae’s mum Cilla was horrible - thank God Scott‘s mum was lovely! The pacing of this was great too - it didn’t have any unecessary detail bogging it down and the tension was THICK. The emotions experienced by all involved were raw and real, and above all the love these parents had for their son shone through. Overall, an excellent thriller from a debut author. I cannot wait to see what Anne writes next!
Thanks to @allenandunwinnz for sending me a copy to review ❤️
What an excellent story this was!!! My heart was literally in my throat the whole time I was reading this and I couldn’t put it down. I really felt for Fae and Scott - so young themselves but so in love with their son and just desperate to get him back. Tessa was super frustrating and I genuinely felt no sympathy towards her and her unfounded judgement of Apple Man‘s parents. Fae’s mum Cilla was horrible - thank God Scott‘s mum was lovely! The pacing of this was great too - it didn’t have any unecessary detail bogging it down and the tension was THICK. The emotions experienced by all involved were raw and real, and above all the love these parents had for their son shone through. Overall, an excellent thriller from a debut author. I cannot wait to see what Anne writes next!
Thanks to @allenandunwinnz for sending me a copy to review ❤️
September 13, 2026
The Nowhere Boy is the first novel by prize-winning New Zealand author, Anne Cleary. The audio version is narrated by Ruby Hansen. A missing child is every parent’s worst nightmare, and that nightmare has just begun for Scott Andrews when he returns to the beach carpark to find his three-year-old son, Oliver, aka Apple Man, gone from the car.
What follows is much angst, guilt, recrimination, and tears, as thorough searches of Woodhill Forest and Muriwai Beach are conducted, and press appeals are made, without a single sighting of the little boy. It seems Apple Man is nowhere. Friends and family gather to offer support, to aid in the search, to feed and comfort, to worry, most of them, anyway. None of them can know that Apple Man is actually in caring hands…
Tessa Willoughby keeps telling herself that she is saving an abused child trapped for hours in an airless car, although this is a gross exaggeration of the situation, a rationalisation she uses to justify her actions. She even believes it herself, after a while. “Some people don’t deserve children, while others, who are exactly the kind of loving, nurturing adult a child needs, are deprived of having them.”
But keeping a boy not hers necessitates subterfuge, and she soon learns that consistent and convincing lying requires a good memory. And now in her sixth decade, Tessa discovers that mothering an active three-year-old who wants his Mummy and Dadda calls for more energy than she had ever imagined. How long before she tires of her altruistic deed?
Cleary easily evokes her setting, and her characters, for all their very human flaws, endear themselves to the reader. But it’s clear from the start that Tessa is mentally unhinged, something that becomes even more obvious as she muses on a (chilling) solution to the inconvenient mess in which she finds herself entangled. A gripping story with a nail-biting climax, this is a remarkable debut.
What follows is much angst, guilt, recrimination, and tears, as thorough searches of Woodhill Forest and Muriwai Beach are conducted, and press appeals are made, without a single sighting of the little boy. It seems Apple Man is nowhere. Friends and family gather to offer support, to aid in the search, to feed and comfort, to worry, most of them, anyway. None of them can know that Apple Man is actually in caring hands…
Tessa Willoughby keeps telling herself that she is saving an abused child trapped for hours in an airless car, although this is a gross exaggeration of the situation, a rationalisation she uses to justify her actions. She even believes it herself, after a while. “Some people don’t deserve children, while others, who are exactly the kind of loving, nurturing adult a child needs, are deprived of having them.”
But keeping a boy not hers necessitates subterfuge, and she soon learns that consistent and convincing lying requires a good memory. And now in her sixth decade, Tessa discovers that mothering an active three-year-old who wants his Mummy and Dadda calls for more energy than she had ever imagined. How long before she tires of her altruistic deed?
Cleary easily evokes her setting, and her characters, for all their very human flaws, endear themselves to the reader. But it’s clear from the start that Tessa is mentally unhinged, something that becomes even more obvious as she muses on a (chilling) solution to the inconvenient mess in which she finds herself entangled. A gripping story with a nail-biting climax, this is a remarkable debut.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Missing children are a common trope in crime novels, both here in Australia and in New Zealand where The Nowhere Boy is set. Having already read Paper Cage (Tom Baragwanath) and In the Clearing (J.P. Pomare), plus countless Australian versions, I felt like I'd already read this book right from the start.
The Nowhere Boy explores what happens to a child, Apple Man, after he is left unattended in a car by his young parent, and stumbled upon by an entitled woman who was unable to bear her own child: "Apple Man misses his mummy and daddy, but only in the same way an abused dog is faithful to its master, no matter how much it has suffered." It's amazing what we can justify if we want it badly enough. Tessa's supposedly moral actions in the child's best interests take a darker turn later in the novel. I think a more skillful writer may have made her more likeable, instead she seemed bitter right from the beginning: "Tessa could check Martin's Facebook to find out. Proud parents made sure everyone got an eyeful of their adorable children."
The writing is okay, as is the book's pacing. I didn't find myself looking forward to going to bed to read the next installment. There were some specifically New Zealand terms, like "gapped it" that I had to look up.
With thanks to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin NZ for sending me a copy to read.
The Nowhere Boy explores what happens to a child, Apple Man, after he is left unattended in a car by his young parent, and stumbled upon by an entitled woman who was unable to bear her own child: "Apple Man misses his mummy and daddy, but only in the same way an abused dog is faithful to its master, no matter how much it has suffered." It's amazing what we can justify if we want it badly enough. Tessa's supposedly moral actions in the child's best interests take a darker turn later in the novel. I think a more skillful writer may have made her more likeable, instead she seemed bitter right from the beginning: "Tessa could check Martin's Facebook to find out. Proud parents made sure everyone got an eyeful of their adorable children."
The writing is okay, as is the book's pacing. I didn't find myself looking forward to going to bed to read the next installment. There were some specifically New Zealand terms, like "gapped it" that I had to look up.
With thanks to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin NZ for sending me a copy to read.
June 15, 2026
3.5 stars
When three-year-old Oliver vanishes from a remote beach car park, a desperate search begins across New Zealand’s rugged coastline. As his parents grapple with guilt and grief, another woman becomes convinced the missing child is the answer to her own heartbreak.
Set against a distinctly New Zealand backdrop, this is a story of grief, hope, desperation, and the lengths people will go to when they’re searching for something they’ve lost.
This one had a really compelling premise, and I thought the characters felt genuinely human—flawed, frustrating, and believable. Tessa in particular had me internally yelling at the pages more than once, but that’s also what made her feel so real.
The New Zealand setting was one of my favourite parts of the book. It felt authentic and grounded, and added a lot to the atmosphere of the story.
Unfortunately, the middle section lost a bit of momentum for me. The pacing slowed down considerably, and there were points where I found myself skimming just to keep the story moving.
While it wasn’t a standout read for me, it was still an enjoyable one. A solid story with strong character work and an emotional core that kept me invested, even when the pacing occasionally wavered.
I received an advanced copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
When three-year-old Oliver vanishes from a remote beach car park, a desperate search begins across New Zealand’s rugged coastline. As his parents grapple with guilt and grief, another woman becomes convinced the missing child is the answer to her own heartbreak.
Set against a distinctly New Zealand backdrop, this is a story of grief, hope, desperation, and the lengths people will go to when they’re searching for something they’ve lost.
This one had a really compelling premise, and I thought the characters felt genuinely human—flawed, frustrating, and believable. Tessa in particular had me internally yelling at the pages more than once, but that’s also what made her feel so real.
The New Zealand setting was one of my favourite parts of the book. It felt authentic and grounded, and added a lot to the atmosphere of the story.
Unfortunately, the middle section lost a bit of momentum for me. The pacing slowed down considerably, and there were points where I found myself skimming just to keep the story moving.
While it wasn’t a standout read for me, it was still an enjoyable one. A solid story with strong character work and an emotional core that kept me invested, even when the pacing occasionally wavered.
I received an advanced copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 6, 2026
The Nowhere Boy is the debut novel of Anne Cleary and winner of the Allen & Unwin fiction prize.
The story starts off with three-year-old Oliver, nicknamed Apple Man, who vanishes from his car seat while his father is carrying fishing gear down to the beach. When the father returns back to the parking lot, he is horrified to see that his son is gone.
In the novel, we are given the perspectives of several different characters, including Apple Man’s separated parents, Scott and Fae, as well as the kidnapper herself. It was quite interesting to see the world from the kidnapper’s point of view, and how she mentally justifies her decisions. Reading through the parents’ perspectives, we can easily see how grief and guilt impacts their lives and relationships with one another. Something else I found interesting is how most of the characters have flaws, and how they change during the aftermath of the situation. My absolute favorite character in this book was Lizzie, Scott’s mother. I liked to compare Lizzie’s personality and approach to Cilla’s, who is the chaotic mother of Fae, and was glad when Fae started making these comparisons too.
This book is seriously engaging and fast-paced, and I really enjoyed reading it.
The story starts off with three-year-old Oliver, nicknamed Apple Man, who vanishes from his car seat while his father is carrying fishing gear down to the beach. When the father returns back to the parking lot, he is horrified to see that his son is gone.
In the novel, we are given the perspectives of several different characters, including Apple Man’s separated parents, Scott and Fae, as well as the kidnapper herself. It was quite interesting to see the world from the kidnapper’s point of view, and how she mentally justifies her decisions. Reading through the parents’ perspectives, we can easily see how grief and guilt impacts their lives and relationships with one another. Something else I found interesting is how most of the characters have flaws, and how they change during the aftermath of the situation. My absolute favorite character in this book was Lizzie, Scott’s mother. I liked to compare Lizzie’s personality and approach to Cilla’s, who is the chaotic mother of Fae, and was glad when Fae started making these comparisons too.
This book is seriously engaging and fast-paced, and I really enjoyed reading it.
July 27, 2026
This was my holiday read, and I read it with ease over the course of a week while waiting for delayed flights and during layovers. It was the most enjoyable book I’ve read in months. It kept me interested and engaged throughout, and by the time I boarded my last flight home, I couldn’t wait to finish it.
The book explores the guilt of motherhood, something I could relate to deeply. We lost our first baby, and I often wonder whether, without that heartbreaking experience, we would have understood just how serious and life-changing parenthood really is.
I could also relate to Tessa, who had many ideas about what she thought motherhood would be like, only to discover that the reality is far more challenging than you ever imagine. I also connected with the family dynamics throughout the story—the idea that you are only as good as what you know and what your upbringing has allowed you to understand.
I loved discovering that the story was set in New Zealand, and from beginning to end, I could see it playing out as a movie in my head. I would love to see it brought to the big screen!
A well-deserved winner of the Allen & Unwin Fiction Prize. I’ll definitely be looking out for this author’s future books.
The book explores the guilt of motherhood, something I could relate to deeply. We lost our first baby, and I often wonder whether, without that heartbreaking experience, we would have understood just how serious and life-changing parenthood really is.
I could also relate to Tessa, who had many ideas about what she thought motherhood would be like, only to discover that the reality is far more challenging than you ever imagine. I also connected with the family dynamics throughout the story—the idea that you are only as good as what you know and what your upbringing has allowed you to understand.
I loved discovering that the story was set in New Zealand, and from beginning to end, I could see it playing out as a movie in my head. I would love to see it brought to the big screen!
A well-deserved winner of the Allen & Unwin Fiction Prize. I’ll definitely be looking out for this author’s future books.
July 10, 2026
I have the pleasure of knowing Annie and read some of the early chapters of 'The Nowhere Boy' when we were part of a small writing critique group together. Even then, I knew these characters would one day find their way into a published novel. Seeing Anne Cleary win the Allen & Unwin Fiction Prize is such well-deserved recognition of her talent.
'The Nowhere Boy' is an emotionally gripping exploration of parenthood, the relentless pressures of raising children, the heartbreak of loss, and the extraordinary lengths some will go to in order to become a parent. Beginning with the disappearance of three-year-old Oliver (aka Apple Man), it asks difficult questions about love, guilt, and what it really means to be a family.
Annie has an extraordinary gift for writing characters. None of them are especially likeable, yet somehow you end up caring deeply about every one of them. She also captures the grit, humour, and unmistakable West Auckland spirit so vividly that it almost becomes another character in the story. It's a beautifully written debut, and I can't wait to see what Annie will write next.
'The Nowhere Boy' is an emotionally gripping exploration of parenthood, the relentless pressures of raising children, the heartbreak of loss, and the extraordinary lengths some will go to in order to become a parent. Beginning with the disappearance of three-year-old Oliver (aka Apple Man), it asks difficult questions about love, guilt, and what it really means to be a family.
Annie has an extraordinary gift for writing characters. None of them are especially likeable, yet somehow you end up caring deeply about every one of them. She also captures the grit, humour, and unmistakable West Auckland spirit so vividly that it almost becomes another character in the story. It's a beautifully written debut, and I can't wait to see what Annie will write next.
August 24, 2026
I am always drawn to books by AUS/NZ authors and this author was raised in West Auckland/New Zealand. It is her crime debut.
A child disappears in broad daylight, three year old Oliver, known as Apple Man. He is in a remote carpark while his father, Scott, carries fishing equipment to the beach but when he returns, the car is empty. His mother, Fae, is distraught. Both young parents carry a lot of guilt and as the hours pass, don't know if they will get their child back. Early on in the story, we find out that Tessa, who has lost three babies, has now encountered this young child, believing it is a miracle she has found him.
This wasn't so much of a who dunnit but a question of why and an exploration of their backstories, parenthood and the way it impacts everyone's lives. I felt some parts of the story were slower than I am generally used to in a crime/mystery. That said, I flew through this in a day. I really enjoyed the writing by the author and I look forward to more by her.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for this gifted review copy.
A child disappears in broad daylight, three year old Oliver, known as Apple Man. He is in a remote carpark while his father, Scott, carries fishing equipment to the beach but when he returns, the car is empty. His mother, Fae, is distraught. Both young parents carry a lot of guilt and as the hours pass, don't know if they will get their child back. Early on in the story, we find out that Tessa, who has lost three babies, has now encountered this young child, believing it is a miracle she has found him.
This wasn't so much of a who dunnit but a question of why and an exploration of their backstories, parenthood and the way it impacts everyone's lives. I felt some parts of the story were slower than I am generally used to in a crime/mystery. That said, I flew through this in a day. I really enjoyed the writing by the author and I look forward to more by her.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for this gifted review copy.
July 27, 2026
10 second review: The Nowhere Boy by NZ author Anne Cleary.
Every parents worst fear is their child going missing, or being taken. 3 year old Oliver (Apple Man) disappears after his young father leaves him in the car while he takes his fishing gear down to a remote beach. When he returns, Apple Man is gone. One thing I’m kind of relieved about is we are not kept guessing about where Apple Man is, we know from the get go that a self righteous and slightly unhinged woman, Tessa, believes she’s doing him a favour by taking him. I found the dynamic between Apple Man’s separated parents interesting, they are both so young and while they love their child, he just seems to be an inconvenience (which I found so sad). This book could have turned into a police procedural about the hunt for Oliver, and I’m glad it didn’t, I found the perspectives of his parents and his kidnapper really gripping.
4 ⭐️
Every parents worst fear is their child going missing, or being taken. 3 year old Oliver (Apple Man) disappears after his young father leaves him in the car while he takes his fishing gear down to a remote beach. When he returns, Apple Man is gone. One thing I’m kind of relieved about is we are not kept guessing about where Apple Man is, we know from the get go that a self righteous and slightly unhinged woman, Tessa, believes she’s doing him a favour by taking him. I found the dynamic between Apple Man’s separated parents interesting, they are both so young and while they love their child, he just seems to be an inconvenience (which I found so sad). This book could have turned into a police procedural about the hunt for Oliver, and I’m glad it didn’t, I found the perspectives of his parents and his kidnapper really gripping.
4 ⭐️
August 11, 2026
Three year old Oliver, known as Apple Man, is going fishing with his father, Scott. When arrive at the beach he has fallen asleep and Scott leaves him in the car while he takes the fishing gear down to the water. Apple Man wakes and begins to cry, attracting the attention of Tessa who has lost three babies and sees this as a chance to finally become a mother. She abducts the boy, not seeing it as a crime.
I enjoyed reading the book as it is well paced, however while some of the characters are believable (the teenage parents, Scott and Fae), others are implausibly awful (Fae’s mother and stepfather). There were a few instances too, of flaws in the plot. I was sufficiently intrigued to stay up late to finish it, but overall it was a mixed experience for me.
I enjoyed reading the book as it is well paced, however while some of the characters are believable (the teenage parents, Scott and Fae), others are implausibly awful (Fae’s mother and stepfather). There were a few instances too, of flaws in the plot. I was sufficiently intrigued to stay up late to finish it, but overall it was a mixed experience for me.
July 4, 2026
I enjoyed this book. It made me anxious and I had to binge read it so I knew how it all turned out, possibly because I have children of my own and having one of them go missing would truely be my worst nightmare!
I felt invested in the story and in the characters despite not actually liking a single one of them (apart from Ray).
This was a really easy book to read, I felt like I was flying through the pages. I did get a little bored in the middle, not a lot happened for a while and the ending felt a little rushed.
Overall this was a great debut novel and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
I felt invested in the story and in the characters despite not actually liking a single one of them (apart from Ray).
This was a really easy book to read, I felt like I was flying through the pages. I did get a little bored in the middle, not a lot happened for a while and the ending felt a little rushed.
Overall this was a great debut novel and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
July 18, 2026
🧩 Missing child mystery
👩👦 Family drama
🤫 Buried secrets
🕵️ Small-town mystery
⏳ Dual timelines
💔 Grief and loss
⚖️ Moral ambiguity
🔍 Police investigation
🌊 Atmospheric coastal setting
🧠 Character-driven psychological suspense
The stunning New Zealand coastal setting made this such an immersive read. I could so easily picture every scene, which added so much to the atmosphere.
What really stood out wasn't the mystery or the twists, but the emotional journey. Anne Cleary explores grief, guilt and forgiveness with so much heart, creating flawed, believable characters whose stories stayed with me long after I finished.
👩👦 Family drama
🤫 Buried secrets
🕵️ Small-town mystery
⏳ Dual timelines
💔 Grief and loss
⚖️ Moral ambiguity
🔍 Police investigation
🌊 Atmospheric coastal setting
🧠 Character-driven psychological suspense
The stunning New Zealand coastal setting made this such an immersive read. I could so easily picture every scene, which added so much to the atmosphere.
What really stood out wasn't the mystery or the twists, but the emotional journey. Anne Cleary explores grief, guilt and forgiveness with so much heart, creating flawed, believable characters whose stories stayed with me long after I finished.
August 30, 2026
Legitimately this is every parent’s worst nightmare.
A child disappears, and from there The Nowhere Boy becomes one of those books where you kind of just feel sick throughout wondering how it is going to end.
What was wild for me was how much empathy I felt for Tessa. I could understand her, I felt for her, and for so much of the book I was sympathetic to how her mind was working.
And then the ending happened.
Let’s just say my feelings changed.
Dark, unsettling and the kind of story that makes you imagine the absolute worst-case scenario as a parent. This one definitely kept me reading - I finished it in one day!
A child disappears, and from there The Nowhere Boy becomes one of those books where you kind of just feel sick throughout wondering how it is going to end.
What was wild for me was how much empathy I felt for Tessa. I could understand her, I felt for her, and for so much of the book I was sympathetic to how her mind was working.
And then the ending happened.
Let’s just say my feelings changed.
Dark, unsettling and the kind of story that makes you imagine the absolute worst-case scenario as a parent. This one definitely kept me reading - I finished it in one day!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
New Zealand fiction, and a very human drama.
3 year old Oliver Andrews, nicknamed "Apple Man" is the son of very young parents. Asleep in the car, his father Scott leaves him there. When he returns, Apple Man is gone. Every parents nightmare and that's one half of this story.
The other half is Tessa. A woman grieving lost pregnancies. She finds the abandoned (in her mind) child, and decides to save him, and give him a better life.
A tragic tale in the most part from both aspects, I found this a compelling read.
3 year old Oliver Andrews, nicknamed "Apple Man" is the son of very young parents. Asleep in the car, his father Scott leaves him there. When he returns, Apple Man is gone. Every parents nightmare and that's one half of this story.
The other half is Tessa. A woman grieving lost pregnancies. She finds the abandoned (in her mind) child, and decides to save him, and give him a better life.
A tragic tale in the most part from both aspects, I found this a compelling read.
June 23, 2026
The Nowhere Boy is an emotional and gripping read about every parent’s worst nightmare…their child disappears in broad daylight and no one has seen a thing.
🍎 The narrative was compelling in this book and there are so many layers to each of the characters. The story being told from three perspectives was so good, and really draws you in through their thought processes and actions.
I don’t want to give spoilers, but these three different views certainly changed my perspective of each character as the story unfolded, which I really appreciated. I became so invested in the story and whether Apple Man would be reunited with his parents. The way it’s written keeps you guessing until the last few chapters what the outcome will be.
Overall I found it a fast-paced and tense debut that was hard to put down.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for a copy to review.
🍎 The narrative was compelling in this book and there are so many layers to each of the characters. The story being told from three perspectives was so good, and really draws you in through their thought processes and actions.
I don’t want to give spoilers, but these three different views certainly changed my perspective of each character as the story unfolded, which I really appreciated. I became so invested in the story and whether Apple Man would be reunited with his parents. The way it’s written keeps you guessing until the last few chapters what the outcome will be.
Overall I found it a fast-paced and tense debut that was hard to put down.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for a copy to review.
September 20, 2026
Three-year-old Oliver, known as Apple Man, disappears from a remote car park while his young father, Scott, carries fishing gear down to the beach. When Scott returns, his son is gone.
I really enjoyed this one! It’s tense, emotional and raises some really uncomfortable questions about parenting, guilt, grief and how far someone will go when love becomes obsession. I especially loved the different perspectives and watching the tension build as the search closes in.
A gripping debut that definitely had me turning the pages!
I really enjoyed this one! It’s tense, emotional and raises some really uncomfortable questions about parenting, guilt, grief and how far someone will go when love becomes obsession. I especially loved the different perspectives and watching the tension build as the search closes in.
A gripping debut that definitely had me turning the pages!
September 4, 2026
A great read. A young boy is left in a car for longer than intended, and when the father returns, the boy has vanished. We soon learn who has taken him, and the story unfolds through the eyes of the parents, Scott and Fae, and via Tessa, who soon finds that the realities of minding a toddler differ somewhat from the dream of having a child.
No one undergoes training to be a parent and the reader is left to decide on what makes a good parent.
No one undergoes training to be a parent and the reader is left to decide on what makes a good parent.
September 19, 2026
The Nowhere Boy
Appleman has been abducted from the middle of nowhere. We follow his parents journey and that of his abductor.
The split point of views and movements of this story keep the readers interest and intensity climbs towards the end.
A parents worst nightmare with plenty of reflection and growth forced on them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending me this in a giveaway!
Appleman has been abducted from the middle of nowhere. We follow his parents journey and that of his abductor.
The split point of views and movements of this story keep the readers interest and intensity climbs towards the end.
A parents worst nightmare with plenty of reflection and growth forced on them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending me this in a giveaway!
July 17, 2026
A page turning reflection on being human; criminal actions don’t necessarily arise from criminal intent. Whilst not being particularly enthused by The Nowhere Boy, I found myself quite keen to have another read to see how it turned out. Well written, it speaks to the ambiguity and dilemmas of being human. I’ll be happy to read more from Ann Cleary . . .
August 28, 2026
I listened to the audiobook so might have affected my experience.
The story was interesting/made me want to keep listening. But a lot of things irked me. The nickname 'appleman' - was sick of hearing it after the first 5 times.
The ending was weird/meh.
Very kiwi language etc though which was cool.
The story was interesting/made me want to keep listening. But a lot of things irked me. The nickname 'appleman' - was sick of hearing it after the first 5 times.
The ending was weird/meh.
Very kiwi language etc though which was cool.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 ⭐
Every parents worst nightmare is having their child go missing. Not knowing what has happened. Have they wandered off, or have they been taken?
Scott only left his son, known as Apple Man, for a few minutes. He was asleep and Scott didn't want to wake him, but when he goes back to the car, the door is ajar and Apple Man is gone. He can't have gone far.
Fae gets the call every mother dreads telling her that her son is missing. How has this happened? She can't believe Scott could let this happen.
Thrust into a situation that no parent should encounter, Fae and Scott blame each other as well as themselves. Where is their little boy?
Tess can't believe that she will finally be a mother. She will look after this child. She won't leave him alone. They didn't deserve him.
With an ever increasing sense of dread building as the story progressed, this was a sharp and well paced read.
Every parents worst nightmare is having their child go missing. Not knowing what has happened. Have they wandered off, or have they been taken?
Scott only left his son, known as Apple Man, for a few minutes. He was asleep and Scott didn't want to wake him, but when he goes back to the car, the door is ajar and Apple Man is gone. He can't have gone far.
Fae gets the call every mother dreads telling her that her son is missing. How has this happened? She can't believe Scott could let this happen.
Thrust into a situation that no parent should encounter, Fae and Scott blame each other as well as themselves. Where is their little boy?
Tess can't believe that she will finally be a mother. She will look after this child. She won't leave him alone. They didn't deserve him.
With an ever increasing sense of dread building as the story progressed, this was a sharp and well paced read.
June 28, 2026
An interesting book that did not grab me enough. I found it hard to like any of the characters. I am not sure why it won awards other than its a study in people's pain and loss and what they would do.
August 4, 2026
At first I didn’t pick this up because the name “Apple Man” did not match with the idea of a 3 year old - however when I did read it, I read it in one go (except when I got stressed near the end and needed a 30 second breather lol)
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