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The Nowhere Girl
If you passed Alice on the street, you couldn’t help but smile. At how she holds hands with her husband, Jack, who she has been with since she was at university. At the adoring way she admires her three beloved boys, the centre of her universe. But if you looked very closely, you’d see how tightly she holds Jack’s hand, afraid to let go. You’d see how carefully she watches her boys, scared to look away. You’d see her smile fading in a matter of seconds, and the secret she hides behind her chestnut-brown eyes. She has told Jack that she ran away from home when she was younger – but she didn’t tell him the whole story. Her husband doesn’t know about the guilt she bears about the little sister she failed to save, the secret that torments her. Now, after a lifetime of fresh starts, Alice receives a message spelling out her past. Everything she cherishes, the world she has lovingly built, threatens to collapse in on her. Without her family, she is nothing – and Alice will stop at nothing to save them.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2020
961 people are currently reading
1818 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Trope
43 books1,886 followersNicole Trope writes psychological thrillers about families in crisis and the secrets we keep from ourselves and others. She has always been fascinated by the stories behind the headlines and published her first novel in 2012. In 2026 she will publish her 20th novel with Bookouture. She is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS, Canada and Germany. Her books have been translated into German, Italian, Polish, Hungarian and French and Japanese.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children
Current Publication: The Therapist-July 31st 2025
Next Publication: What Have You Done?-October 17th 2025
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children
Current Publication: The Therapist-July 31st 2025
Next Publication: What Have You Done?-October 17th 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
January 2, 2020
This is another gripping page turner from Nicole Trope!
It's the story of two women, Alice and Molly. Molly is a writer currently writing a book about abused children, although she had a happy childhood herself. Happily married and hoping to have a child, she has a close and warm relationship with her sister and parents. Alice ran away from an abusive stepfather and alcoholic mother when she was a teenager, but is now happily married with three children. Although she told her husband about her childhood she has not told him about the guilt she keeps hidden about her little sister. Now Alice's past is about to rear up to threaten everything she holds so dear.
Nicole Trope is a master of this type of domestic thriller, carefully eking out the clues and building up the suspense until the plot reaches a dramatic climax. It's a heart-breaking tale of two children who fell through the cracks and one that you may find difficult to put down!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC to read
It's the story of two women, Alice and Molly. Molly is a writer currently writing a book about abused children, although she had a happy childhood herself. Happily married and hoping to have a child, she has a close and warm relationship with her sister and parents. Alice ran away from an abusive stepfather and alcoholic mother when she was a teenager, but is now happily married with three children. Although she told her husband about her childhood she has not told him about the guilt she keeps hidden about her little sister. Now Alice's past is about to rear up to threaten everything she holds so dear.
Nicole Trope is a master of this type of domestic thriller, carefully eking out the clues and building up the suspense until the plot reaches a dramatic climax. It's a heart-breaking tale of two children who fell through the cracks and one that you may find difficult to put down!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC to read
February 3, 2020
EXCERPT: 'I know what you did.'
My whole body shakes. I cannot let this go on. I need to talk to Jack and the Police. I pick up my phone but then I immediately end the call. It's my fault she was there.
'Alice did a terrible thing. Alice did a horrible thing. It's all Alice's fault.'
I drop my head in my hands. 'But I didn't mean to,' I say. I didn't mean to. I was trying to help. I was trying to help. Please, I didn't mean to.' I don't know who I'm pleading with.
I stare at the email, and then I type:
'What do you want?'
Maybe this will mean a request for money or something tangible. While I wait, I check my blog but there are no new messages.
Finally, my inbox pings.
'I want everything you have, Alice. Everything.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: If you passed Alice on the street, you couldn’t help but smile. At how she holds hands with her husband, Jack, who she has been with since she was at university. At the way she admires her three boys, the centre of her universe.
But if you looked very closely, you’d see how tightly she holds Jack’s hand, afraid to let go. You’d see how carefully she watches her boys, scared to look away. You’d see her smile fading in a matter of seconds, and the pain she hides behind her eyes.
She has told Jack that she ran away from home when she was younger – but she didn’t tell him the whole story. Her husband doesn’t know about the guilt she bears about her little sister she failed to save.
Now, after a lifetime of fresh starts, Alice can feel her past playing catch-up. She is sure she is being watched, certain she is being followed. She may not be able to stop her secret coming out – but can she stop the world she has lovingly built collapsing in on her?
MY THOUGHTS: 'We frighten children with stories of monsters like vampires and werewolves but sometimes the real monsters live in your house.'
I don't know how many times I had to put this book down and walk away from it. My eyes would be stinging with tears, my body rigid with fury. I would have to walk away and breathe, just breathe, until I got myself under control.
The Nowhere Girl by Nicole Trope is an extremely emotional read. Even though I have read and loved many of her other books, nothing prepared me for the emotional onslaught I felt reading this. The neglect, the cruelty, the abuse. Trope has detailed it all. Not graphically, but still.....you know. And once you know, you can't unknow.
Trope has written a heartbreaking story of a family beset by tragedy and a mother's depression that leads her places she would never have chosen to go. Told from three perspectives: that of Margaret, the mother; Alice, her eldest daughter; and Molly, the author of a book on abused children, The Nowhere Girl is going to test you. it covers the topics of alcoholism and infertility as well as child abuse. All I can say is 'Stick with it.' It is not a book to enjoy. It is a book written to make us aware, and it certainly does that. And even though I had to put it down and walk away several times, there is no way I could have not finished this amazing read.
If any book deserves a happy ending, this is it. Does it have one? I recommend you read it and find out.
*****
#TheNowhereGirl #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband.
The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story. Her second novel, Three Hours Late, was voted one of Fifty Books you can’t put down in 2013 and her third novel, The Secrets in Silence, was The Australian Woman’s Weekly Book of the month for June 2014.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Nowhere Girl by Nicole Trope for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review an others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
My whole body shakes. I cannot let this go on. I need to talk to Jack and the Police. I pick up my phone but then I immediately end the call. It's my fault she was there.
'Alice did a terrible thing. Alice did a horrible thing. It's all Alice's fault.'
I drop my head in my hands. 'But I didn't mean to,' I say. I didn't mean to. I was trying to help. I was trying to help. Please, I didn't mean to.' I don't know who I'm pleading with.
I stare at the email, and then I type:
'What do you want?'
Maybe this will mean a request for money or something tangible. While I wait, I check my blog but there are no new messages.
Finally, my inbox pings.
'I want everything you have, Alice. Everything.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: If you passed Alice on the street, you couldn’t help but smile. At how she holds hands with her husband, Jack, who she has been with since she was at university. At the way she admires her three boys, the centre of her universe.
But if you looked very closely, you’d see how tightly she holds Jack’s hand, afraid to let go. You’d see how carefully she watches her boys, scared to look away. You’d see her smile fading in a matter of seconds, and the pain she hides behind her eyes.
She has told Jack that she ran away from home when she was younger – but she didn’t tell him the whole story. Her husband doesn’t know about the guilt she bears about her little sister she failed to save.
Now, after a lifetime of fresh starts, Alice can feel her past playing catch-up. She is sure she is being watched, certain she is being followed. She may not be able to stop her secret coming out – but can she stop the world she has lovingly built collapsing in on her?
MY THOUGHTS: 'We frighten children with stories of monsters like vampires and werewolves but sometimes the real monsters live in your house.'
I don't know how many times I had to put this book down and walk away from it. My eyes would be stinging with tears, my body rigid with fury. I would have to walk away and breathe, just breathe, until I got myself under control.
The Nowhere Girl by Nicole Trope is an extremely emotional read. Even though I have read and loved many of her other books, nothing prepared me for the emotional onslaught I felt reading this. The neglect, the cruelty, the abuse. Trope has detailed it all. Not graphically, but still.....you know. And once you know, you can't unknow.
Trope has written a heartbreaking story of a family beset by tragedy and a mother's depression that leads her places she would never have chosen to go. Told from three perspectives: that of Margaret, the mother; Alice, her eldest daughter; and Molly, the author of a book on abused children, The Nowhere Girl is going to test you. it covers the topics of alcoholism and infertility as well as child abuse. All I can say is 'Stick with it.' It is not a book to enjoy. It is a book written to make us aware, and it certainly does that. And even though I had to put it down and walk away several times, there is no way I could have not finished this amazing read.
If any book deserves a happy ending, this is it. Does it have one? I recommend you read it and find out.
*****
#TheNowhereGirl #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband.
The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story. Her second novel, Three Hours Late, was voted one of Fifty Books you can’t put down in 2013 and her third novel, The Secrets in Silence, was The Australian Woman’s Weekly Book of the month for June 2014.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Nowhere Girl by Nicole Trope for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review an others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 12, 2020
I have never read a Nicole Trope book so was excited to get the chance to read this story.
Molly is writing a book about abused children, she had a happy childhood with her sister Lexie but has visions of herself hiding in a wardrobe.
Alice is happily married with 3 children but she had an abusive childhood. She has not told her husband everything she went through.
Told from Molly, Alice and Margaret’s perspectives. We are drawn into their difficult lives as we get to know these complex characters.
This is such an addictive read. It’s emotional and I couldn’t put it down . I would definitely read more of Nicole Trope’s books.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Molly is writing a book about abused children, she had a happy childhood with her sister Lexie but has visions of herself hiding in a wardrobe.
Alice is happily married with 3 children but she had an abusive childhood. She has not told her husband everything she went through.
Told from Molly, Alice and Margaret’s perspectives. We are drawn into their difficult lives as we get to know these complex characters.
This is such an addictive read. It’s emotional and I couldn’t put it down . I would definitely read more of Nicole Trope’s books.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
April 5, 2020
The Nowhere Girl by Nicole Trope is my first book by this author and it won't be my last.
A gut wrenching family drama that is extremely well written. The author had me feeling as if the events were happening right in front of me.
The story revolves around three women, Alice, Molly and Margaret. Their story is a riveting tale of how the traumatic events of their lives had both damaged and refined them.
Difficult subjects written with great sensitivity!
Highly Recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
A gut wrenching family drama that is extremely well written. The author had me feeling as if the events were happening right in front of me.
The story revolves around three women, Alice, Molly and Margaret. Their story is a riveting tale of how the traumatic events of their lives had both damaged and refined them.
Difficult subjects written with great sensitivity!
Highly Recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
April 21, 2020
4.5★s
The Nowhere Girl is the tenth novel by Australian author, Nicole Trope. Despite being a good mother to her three boys, forty-two-year-old Alice Stetson is plagued by feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. It’s not surprising: the abuse she suffered as a child has to have left scars. But her husband Jack is supportive and understanding, always, and she manages. Now, though, an anonymous email has triggered her anxiety and the feelings of guilt she has tried for thirty-two years to bury: “I know what you did.”
Published author, Molly Khan often finds the research for her book on child abuse confronting, but when she reads Meredith’s story on the “My Secret” blog, it resonates so strongly with her that she feels like she was present for it. It is, of course, impossible that she should have memories of what Meredith describes; and the strange dreams that follow seem so real, but it just doesn’t fit with the happy childhood she remembers having.
Margaret Henkel had only been widowed four months, and life was defeating her. There were overdue bills and there was six-year-old Alice to look after, but Adam was gone. When Vernon turned up with food and vodka and company, how could she say no?
The story is carried in three separate narrative strands: two in the present day; one over a few critical days in 1987. From the outset, what happened to the sisters is obvious, even if not how it happened, but the strength of this family drama is in the characters, their resilience and determination, and this is more than enough to keep the pages turning.
Trope is skilled at portraying the grief and despair that follows the death of a close spouse, and the vulnerability that can result in a vicious downward spiral. Insidious loss of power, acceptance of violence as the norm, denial of abuse, and dissociative coping technique all feature. There is one fail, in a crucial (but incorrect) detail on which a significant part of the story hangs, that loses this excellent novel half a star. Moving, thought-provoking and unputdownable.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture.
The Nowhere Girl is the tenth novel by Australian author, Nicole Trope. Despite being a good mother to her three boys, forty-two-year-old Alice Stetson is plagued by feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. It’s not surprising: the abuse she suffered as a child has to have left scars. But her husband Jack is supportive and understanding, always, and she manages. Now, though, an anonymous email has triggered her anxiety and the feelings of guilt she has tried for thirty-two years to bury: “I know what you did.”
Published author, Molly Khan often finds the research for her book on child abuse confronting, but when she reads Meredith’s story on the “My Secret” blog, it resonates so strongly with her that she feels like she was present for it. It is, of course, impossible that she should have memories of what Meredith describes; and the strange dreams that follow seem so real, but it just doesn’t fit with the happy childhood she remembers having.
Margaret Henkel had only been widowed four months, and life was defeating her. There were overdue bills and there was six-year-old Alice to look after, but Adam was gone. When Vernon turned up with food and vodka and company, how could she say no?
The story is carried in three separate narrative strands: two in the present day; one over a few critical days in 1987. From the outset, what happened to the sisters is obvious, even if not how it happened, but the strength of this family drama is in the characters, their resilience and determination, and this is more than enough to keep the pages turning.
Trope is skilled at portraying the grief and despair that follows the death of a close spouse, and the vulnerability that can result in a vicious downward spiral. Insidious loss of power, acceptance of violence as the norm, denial of abuse, and dissociative coping technique all feature. There is one fail, in a crucial (but incorrect) detail on which a significant part of the story hangs, that loses this excellent novel half a star. Moving, thought-provoking and unputdownable.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture.
January 25, 2020
The Nowhere Girl is a gripping family drama with some suspenseful elements and illustrates just how far we are willing to go if someone were to threaten our precious family. Alice and husband Jack have three sons Isaac and twins, Gabe and Gus. However, Alice suffered horrific abuse as a child and so grips onto her children a bit too tightly; when they depart their home Alice is filled with overwhelming anxiety, fear and paranoia about making sure she protects her children at any cost. All of this stems from the fact that she ran away from an abusive home as a child leaving her little sister Lilly at home and Alice blames herself for not been able to keep her safe from harm. Now, three decades later, someone is taunting and tormenting her and letting her know that the secret she has kept all this time is not, in fact, a secret.
The plot is told through three main characters: Alice, Margaret and Molly and the timeline runs from the 1980s to the present day. This is a profoundly emotive and moving read and is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. I was held captive in its grip right the way through but this is definitely not for the faint-hearted as the story revolves around domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. Alice has grown into such an amazing wife and mother despite all she went through; I can relate to her a little in the sense that I went through mental/emotional abuse too. I found it was very well researched and it came across as believable. I was also so satisfied with the fitting ending. An intense, emotional and absorbing read and I am sure many people will enjoy the grittiness. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
The plot is told through three main characters: Alice, Margaret and Molly and the timeline runs from the 1980s to the present day. This is a profoundly emotive and moving read and is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. I was held captive in its grip right the way through but this is definitely not for the faint-hearted as the story revolves around domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. Alice has grown into such an amazing wife and mother despite all she went through; I can relate to her a little in the sense that I went through mental/emotional abuse too. I found it was very well researched and it came across as believable. I was also so satisfied with the fitting ending. An intense, emotional and absorbing read and I am sure many people will enjoy the grittiness. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
July 25, 2020
Thanks to netgalley, Bookouture and Nicole Trope for the advance copy.
I loved this one. Took a little bit to get connected to the characters but once i did WOW. This book contains disturbing subject matter and was hard to read at times due to that. It is told from each persons point of view. Big thumbs up for Nicole Trope. I will be looking fro more books from this author.
I loved this one. Took a little bit to get connected to the characters but once i did WOW. This book contains disturbing subject matter and was hard to read at times due to that. It is told from each persons point of view. Big thumbs up for Nicole Trope. I will be looking fro more books from this author.
February 2, 2020
Alice loves her husband & her three sons. She wants to do all she can to make sure they are kept safe & never have to put up with the terrible things she went through as a child. Although her husband knows some of what she went through he doesn't know it all, he doesn't know she is haunted by the memory of her little sister & her guilt that she had been unable to save her. But now she is getting messages that someone knows what she did.
Molly had a happy childhood, growing up secure with her sister Lexie. After numerous miscarriages she is pregnant again & terrified she will be devastated yet again. She is writing a book about abused children. As she reads harrowing stores online she is haunted by the vague memory of being shut in a cupboard- but that never happened.
The story is told by three women Molly, Alice & Margaret (Alice's mother) Each person's account holds the attention. This dealt with some very difficult subjects & was not always easy reading but it is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
Thansk to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this great book.
.
Molly had a happy childhood, growing up secure with her sister Lexie. After numerous miscarriages she is pregnant again & terrified she will be devastated yet again. She is writing a book about abused children. As she reads harrowing stores online she is haunted by the vague memory of being shut in a cupboard- but that never happened.
The story is told by three women Molly, Alice & Margaret (Alice's mother) Each person's account holds the attention. This dealt with some very difficult subjects & was not always easy reading but it is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
Thansk to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this great book.
.
August 4, 2024
Setting: Australia; 1987 and modern day.
Alice is leading a good life with her nice house, good husband and three wonderful sons - but she is still haunted by the abuse she suffered as a child from the age of 10 at the hands of her stepfather, Vernon, which her alcoholic mother Margaret did nothing to stop. To help her cope, she writes a blog under the assumed name of Meredith to tell her story and offer support to others who have similar stories to tell. She also visits her mother, Margaret, in the care home where she lives, suffering from Alzheimers....
Meanwhile, Molly is a young woman who writes stories about child abuse and is currently hoping to get her latest compilation of stories published. She has seen Meredith's blog and has gleaned several stories from it - but also feels that Meredith's own story rings really close to home, even though as far as she is aware, she had a stable upbringing with her parents. But she is also struggling with feelings of inadequacy as she has suffered six miscarriages and wonders if she and her husband Pete are ever going to be blessed with a child...
As Alice and Molly tell their stories, we also hear of Margaret's experiences in, and leading up to, 1987 when she was in a relationship with Vernon and was an alcoholic, finding it difficult to look after her two children, Alice and Lilly....
This was another great read from this author - virtually impossible to put down, it really had me groaning with frustration to discover the ultimate denouement of these women's stories, which is gradually revealed as the book progresses - yet with a quite shocking outcome at the end. Great characters and thoroughly gripping and edgy storylines lead me to a 5-star rating for this one from one of my favourite Aussie authors - 9.5/10.
Alice is leading a good life with her nice house, good husband and three wonderful sons - but she is still haunted by the abuse she suffered as a child from the age of 10 at the hands of her stepfather, Vernon, which her alcoholic mother Margaret did nothing to stop. To help her cope, she writes a blog under the assumed name of Meredith to tell her story and offer support to others who have similar stories to tell. She also visits her mother, Margaret, in the care home where she lives, suffering from Alzheimers....
Meanwhile, Molly is a young woman who writes stories about child abuse and is currently hoping to get her latest compilation of stories published. She has seen Meredith's blog and has gleaned several stories from it - but also feels that Meredith's own story rings really close to home, even though as far as she is aware, she had a stable upbringing with her parents. But she is also struggling with feelings of inadequacy as she has suffered six miscarriages and wonders if she and her husband Pete are ever going to be blessed with a child...
As Alice and Molly tell their stories, we also hear of Margaret's experiences in, and leading up to, 1987 when she was in a relationship with Vernon and was an alcoholic, finding it difficult to look after her two children, Alice and Lilly....
This was another great read from this author - virtually impossible to put down, it really had me groaning with frustration to discover the ultimate denouement of these women's stories, which is gradually revealed as the book progresses - yet with a quite shocking outcome at the end. Great characters and thoroughly gripping and edgy storylines lead me to a 5-star rating for this one from one of my favourite Aussie authors - 9.5/10.
January 24, 2020
Ah, a book with feels and thrills.
Molly was writing a book on abused children. She apparently had a happy childhood, but had visions of being shut in a cupboard. Alice had escaped an abusive childhood, now had loving husband and kids. But they didn't know the truth. Margaret was an alcoholic and a mother of two. This was their stories.
Having read a lot of books by this talented author, I knew that Nicole Trope would take me on a ride. A master storyteller of such domestic thrillers, she could keep me hooked to this book from the beginning to end, my craving to know the secrets written in between the lines kept increasing as I tapped the kindle.
Told in multiple POV, Alice and Molly in the present, and Margaret in the past, the author laid down careful crumbs for me to follow her on this merry trail. I loved the way she linked the stories all together, giving me a book which thrilled me to the core. There were secrets hidden in all the women, and it kept me on the edge of the seat to get to know it all.
Heartbreaking issues of child abuse and domestic violence were written into the story which made me slightly emotional, I had to skip through some rough parts. But it was ulrimately a thriller which kept me captivated.
An engrossing read, barring the tough sections.
Molly was writing a book on abused children. She apparently had a happy childhood, but had visions of being shut in a cupboard. Alice had escaped an abusive childhood, now had loving husband and kids. But they didn't know the truth. Margaret was an alcoholic and a mother of two. This was their stories.
Having read a lot of books by this talented author, I knew that Nicole Trope would take me on a ride. A master storyteller of such domestic thrillers, she could keep me hooked to this book from the beginning to end, my craving to know the secrets written in between the lines kept increasing as I tapped the kindle.
Told in multiple POV, Alice and Molly in the present, and Margaret in the past, the author laid down careful crumbs for me to follow her on this merry trail. I loved the way she linked the stories all together, giving me a book which thrilled me to the core. There were secrets hidden in all the women, and it kept me on the edge of the seat to get to know it all.
Heartbreaking issues of child abuse and domestic violence were written into the story which made me slightly emotional, I had to skip through some rough parts. But it was ulrimately a thriller which kept me captivated.
An engrossing read, barring the tough sections.
February 1, 2020
This book was a difficult read and for one reason is the child abuse and rape. It was told from the point of 3 women, 2 in the present, 1 in the past and from the very beginning their stories are extremely predictable. This was a slow read and with the predictability and raw subject matter it was like pulling teeth to finish it.
January 7, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book by Nicole Trope that I have read but it certainly won't be the last. This was a gripping and well written book that kept me hooked. Great book. I recommend it.
This is the first book by Nicole Trope that I have read but it certainly won't be the last. This was a gripping and well written book that kept me hooked. Great book. I recommend it.
November 7, 2022
Good domestic thriller about a woman seeking the answers to what happened in her childhood and learns the truth is something she may not really want to know. Got a little too dark for me tbh, but on the whole it’s a good, gritty mystery with a solid ending. Very Australian as well.
April 5, 2020
The nowhere girl by Nicole Troupe.
If you passed Alice on the street, you couldn’t help but smile. At how she holds hands with her husband, Jack, who she has been with since she was at university. At the way she admires her three boys, the centre of her universe.
But if you looked very closely, you’d see how tightly she holds Jack’s hand, afraid to let go. You’d see how carefully she watches her boys, scared to look away. You’d see her smile fading in a matter of seconds, and the pain she hides behind her eyes.
She has told Jack that she ran away from home when she was younger – but she didn’t tell him the whole story. Her husband doesn’t know about the guilt she bears about her little sister she failed to save.
A brilliant read with some good characters. Lots of emotions. 5*.
Merged review:
The nowhere girl by Nicole Troupe.
If you passed Alice on the street, you couldn’t help but smile. At how she holds hands with her husband, Jack, who she has been with since she was at university. At the way she admires her three boys, the centre of her universe.
But if you looked very closely, you’d see how tightly she holds Jack’s hand, afraid to let go. You’d see how carefully she watches her boys, scared to look away. You’d see her smile fading in a matter of seconds, and the pain she hides behind her eyes.
She has told Jack that she ran away from home when she was younger – but she didn’t tell him the whole story. Her husband doesn’t know about the guilt she bears about her little sister she failed to save.
A brilliant read with some good characters. Lots of emotions. 5*.
If you passed Alice on the street, you couldn’t help but smile. At how she holds hands with her husband, Jack, who she has been with since she was at university. At the way she admires her three boys, the centre of her universe.
But if you looked very closely, you’d see how tightly she holds Jack’s hand, afraid to let go. You’d see how carefully she watches her boys, scared to look away. You’d see her smile fading in a matter of seconds, and the pain she hides behind her eyes.
She has told Jack that she ran away from home when she was younger – but she didn’t tell him the whole story. Her husband doesn’t know about the guilt she bears about her little sister she failed to save.
A brilliant read with some good characters. Lots of emotions. 5*.
Merged review:
The nowhere girl by Nicole Troupe.
If you passed Alice on the street, you couldn’t help but smile. At how she holds hands with her husband, Jack, who she has been with since she was at university. At the way she admires her three boys, the centre of her universe.
But if you looked very closely, you’d see how tightly she holds Jack’s hand, afraid to let go. You’d see how carefully she watches her boys, scared to look away. You’d see her smile fading in a matter of seconds, and the pain she hides behind her eyes.
She has told Jack that she ran away from home when she was younger – but she didn’t tell him the whole story. Her husband doesn’t know about the guilt she bears about her little sister she failed to save.
A brilliant read with some good characters. Lots of emotions. 5*.
December 25, 2019
Alice is the survivor of horrific childhood abuse at the hands of her step-father. Determined to do anything to protect her younger sister, she takes steps to get her sister to safety. But her plan goes horribly wrong and Alice has lived with the guilt of what she did to her sister for years. Molly is a writer researching childhood abuse survivors for her next story. Why is she remembering things that are referenced in someone else's blog?
This book was captivating. I was hooked from the first sentence and had to keep reading until I got to the end. Alice is a complex and interesting character. I felt empathy for almost every character. It's written well and each character is multi-dimensional. It had my heart racing at the the end and I felt bad I had to leave them all hanging at one point to run a last-minute holiday errand!! I also love that it's set in Australia. Highly recommend. I wish I could give it SIX stars!
Warning: there are confronting issues and scenes depicted in the book.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookoutre for the opportunity to read this book. I will be looking for others by this author!
This book was captivating. I was hooked from the first sentence and had to keep reading until I got to the end. Alice is a complex and interesting character. I felt empathy for almost every character. It's written well and each character is multi-dimensional. It had my heart racing at the the end and I felt bad I had to leave them all hanging at one point to run a last-minute holiday errand!! I also love that it's set in Australia. Highly recommend. I wish I could give it SIX stars!
Warning: there are confronting issues and scenes depicted in the book.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookoutre for the opportunity to read this book. I will be looking for others by this author!
February 9, 2020
This book was very predictable and repetitive. I just wanted it to be over. The book dealt with sexual abuse, alcoholism, secrets, domestic violence , Alzheimer’s, miscarriages, adoption and sisterly love. The bond between the sisters was the saving grace in this depressing book. The three main female characters were strong figures . Book just came together too perfectly .
February 2, 2020
The Nowhere Girl is an absolute masterpiece! Gripping and thrilling, it is in a class of its own. Though quite difficult to read because of some of the content, it is still an extremely compelling story.
Containing themes of domestic violence, child abuse, addiction and neglect, Nicole Trope's characterisation continues to impress and the trauma suffered felt very real, especially regarding Alice, the sister who never stopped reliving her childhood experiences. The Nowhere Girl is also a story about strength, courage, and survival. The story moves comprehensibly between dual timelines, from the 1980's to the present day, to recount the stories of three women, Alice, Margaret and Molly and how tragic events that occurred thirty years ago permanently changed their lives.
I found The Nowhere Girl to be very well researched and it came across as believable. Nicole Trope is a master of this type of domestic thriller and I loved the way the author slowly meted out the clues and built up the suspense until the plot reached the dramatic denouement. There was such a lot happening that I found this deftly told, stark and poignant novel really difficult to put down. I’d certainly read more from this talented author. Highly recommended and well worth five stars.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
Containing themes of domestic violence, child abuse, addiction and neglect, Nicole Trope's characterisation continues to impress and the trauma suffered felt very real, especially regarding Alice, the sister who never stopped reliving her childhood experiences. The Nowhere Girl is also a story about strength, courage, and survival. The story moves comprehensibly between dual timelines, from the 1980's to the present day, to recount the stories of three women, Alice, Margaret and Molly and how tragic events that occurred thirty years ago permanently changed their lives.
I found The Nowhere Girl to be very well researched and it came across as believable. Nicole Trope is a master of this type of domestic thriller and I loved the way the author slowly meted out the clues and built up the suspense until the plot reached the dramatic denouement. There was such a lot happening that I found this deftly told, stark and poignant novel really difficult to put down. I’d certainly read more from this talented author. Highly recommended and well worth five stars.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
January 27, 2020
What a heart wrenching story!
"She has no home. She has a house where other people live. Other people who hurt her or ignore her, other people who don't deserve children."
This is the story of 2 woman. The 1 struggling to have a baby and the other 1 trying to forget about her terrible past. A past of verbal, physical and sexual abuse. A life where a 10 year old had to make a decision that whould shape the lives of many people. It is also a story of hope and love and family.
It is beautifully written and it breaks your heart because these are things that is happening daily.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
"She has no home. She has a house where other people live. Other people who hurt her or ignore her, other people who don't deserve children."
This is the story of 2 woman. The 1 struggling to have a baby and the other 1 trying to forget about her terrible past. A past of verbal, physical and sexual abuse. A life where a 10 year old had to make a decision that whould shape the lives of many people. It is also a story of hope and love and family.
It is beautifully written and it breaks your heart because these are things that is happening daily.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
January 31, 2020
Depressing story of neglect, wife beating and child abuse with a nice outcome and an exciting climax.
February 1, 2020
Jeez, Louise!!! This story kept me reading and reading like there was no tomorrow!
How is it possible that there are such disgusting, despicable monsters on this planet? They lie, cheat and are abusive in every meaning of the word. If you are capable of acting like this, you are not worthy being called human anymore.
The might get a sentence of a few years, but their victims are left behind, having to deal with a life full of pain, heartbreak, a guilty conscience and regrets.
But on the other hand there are people who open their heart and love someone unconditionally.
Grieve can turn your world upside down and that's when you need people reaching out to you for the right reasons.
This story is very beautiful and very ugly at the same time, filled with love and hate, sadness and happiness.
I adored it and I resented it. It made my heart sing and weep. It made my eyes leak and my mouth smile. It was utterly gripping and devastating. 5 stars.
Thank you, Nicole Trope and Bookouture
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
How is it possible that there are such disgusting, despicable monsters on this planet? They lie, cheat and are abusive in every meaning of the word. If you are capable of acting like this, you are not worthy being called human anymore.
The might get a sentence of a few years, but their victims are left behind, having to deal with a life full of pain, heartbreak, a guilty conscience and regrets.
But on the other hand there are people who open their heart and love someone unconditionally.
Grieve can turn your world upside down and that's when you need people reaching out to you for the right reasons.
This story is very beautiful and very ugly at the same time, filled with love and hate, sadness and happiness.
I adored it and I resented it. It made my heart sing and weep. It made my eyes leak and my mouth smile. It was utterly gripping and devastating. 5 stars.
Thank you, Nicole Trope and Bookouture
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
January 24, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley for the request approval!
I have two different views on how The Nowhere Girl panned out so I’ll do my general review first and then hit you with the unfiltered.
General:
This book really has everything: suspense, mystery, drama, violence, heartbreak, and satisfying resolutions. The summary originally pulled me in with some vague interest but I was not ready for what lay beyond the cover (or within the e-book in my case). I was left ugly crying through the first half of the book from the vivid descriptions that made me sick without being overly graphic. The book covers a very sensitive topic but I don’t want people to shy away from it unless you really have to. I would mark it as a highly-recommended read for 2019. Nicole does a beautiful job conveying .
4/5 stars
Personal:
I loved it.. up until the second half.. It started off painful and beautiful, and hurt in all the right places. I cried, I was disgusted, I wanted someone else to read it with me so I wouldn’t be alone with ... But ruined it for me. The perfectly timed coincidences and the absolute melodrama this whole saga turned into ruined everything even more. I was hurting and then I was rolling my eyes. I find books withunnecessary unrealistic frustrate me to no end. Although I should be satisfied, I’m left feeling cheated like did - as if the book is unfinished and there is so much more we could have unpacked if we stopped focusing on .. Not bad, overall, but it left something to be desired.
3.5/5 stars
I have two different views on how The Nowhere Girl panned out so I’ll do my general review first and then hit you with the unfiltered.
General:
This book really has everything: suspense, mystery, drama, violence, heartbreak, and satisfying resolutions. The summary originally pulled me in with some vague interest but I was not ready for what lay beyond the cover (or within the e-book in my case). I was left ugly crying through the first half of the book from the vivid descriptions that made me sick without being overly graphic. The book covers a very sensitive topic but I don’t want people to shy away from it unless you really have to. I would mark it as a highly-recommended read for 2019. Nicole does a beautiful job conveying .
4/5 stars
Personal:
I loved it.. up until the second half.. It started off painful and beautiful, and hurt in all the right places. I cried, I was disgusted, I wanted someone else to read it with me so I wouldn’t be alone with ... But ruined it for me. The perfectly timed coincidences and the absolute melodrama this whole saga turned into ruined everything even more. I was hurting and then I was rolling my eyes. I find books with
3.5/5 stars
February 12, 2025
Great novel! Can't wait to read another by this author!
January 3, 2020
Wow, just wow!!!!! This book was so amazing and beautifully written. It had a little bit of mystery along with pulling your emotional heartstrings at every turn. This is the second book I read by this author and boy she did not disappoint. I just love her books and can’t wait to read more by her. This is my first book for the New Year and it is already going in my top ten for the year. It was just that good.
This book was about three women who lives are connected with one another. It was about finding out the truth on what happened so many years earlier and getting past the mistakes that were made. The past always catches up with you in the end.
I want to start by saying that I loved the way this book was written. It went back and forth between three different women and their perspectives on what happened so long ago. I loved this because we got all point of views instead of just one. There is always two sides to every story and I love it when an author does it. I also liked the story line itself but I do have to say it not for the faint hearted. There are topics in this book that some people might find hard to read. I even had trouble with it and I’m as hard they come. With all that said, it also made it why I loved it so much. We need to talk about some of these issues as they are happening every day and something needs to be changed. For me this book was an emotional roller coaster that I never wanted to get off from. Once I started I couldn’t stop reading until I got to the end. This book has definitely made an impact on me and that is why it was so great.
Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
This book was about three women who lives are connected with one another. It was about finding out the truth on what happened so many years earlier and getting past the mistakes that were made. The past always catches up with you in the end.
I want to start by saying that I loved the way this book was written. It went back and forth between three different women and their perspectives on what happened so long ago. I loved this because we got all point of views instead of just one. There is always two sides to every story and I love it when an author does it. I also liked the story line itself but I do have to say it not for the faint hearted. There are topics in this book that some people might find hard to read. I even had trouble with it and I’m as hard they come. With all that said, it also made it why I loved it so much. We need to talk about some of these issues as they are happening every day and something needs to be changed. For me this book was an emotional roller coaster that I never wanted to get off from. Once I started I couldn’t stop reading until I got to the end. This book has definitely made an impact on me and that is why it was so great.
Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
January 5, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 great stars
This was a great book by a great author. I loved the flashback style, chapters told from different view points and from past and present.
Although you kind of know what’s going on for the most part, you will whiz through this book to a great finale.
All the characters are great and even Margaret’s story is touching and tragic.
Only dropped a star as it was a tad far fetched and coincidental at the end with V and Molly.
This was a great book by a great author. I loved the flashback style, chapters told from different view points and from past and present.
Although you kind of know what’s going on for the most part, you will whiz through this book to a great finale.
All the characters are great and even Margaret’s story is touching and tragic.
Only dropped a star as it was a tad far fetched and coincidental at the end with V and Molly.
April 12, 2020
WOW! I don't know where to begin with this book. Nicole Trope always manages to draw her readers in and deliver a powerful story with elements of mystery woven throughout but upon finishing it, THE NOWHERE GIRL rendered me speechless. I literally bawled for the last few chapters. It was heartbreaking, it was heartwarming, it was powerful. And I loved it!!
Trigger warning: confronting issues and scenes of child sexual abuse depicted. Also featured is domestic violence, alcoholism, miscarriage and Alzhiemer's.
Alice Stetson has a happy life. Her husband Jack is a doctor, she has three beautiful boys - 14 year old Isaac and twin 9 year olds Gus and Gabe - and lives in the affluent suburb of Greenwich on Sydney's lower north shore. But Alice's life was not always like that. Her mother was an alcoholic, her stepfather abusive and her baby sister Lilly was tragically killed whilst Alice tried saving her. In trying to protect Lilly she had inadvertently caused her death and she has lived with the guilt ever since.
No one knows this secret she carries...not even her husband. But now it seems somebody does, as Alice has been receiving emails claiming "I know what you did." And the horrors of her past come crashing back engulfing her in memories she has spent a lifetime trying to escape. And now Alice would do anything to protect her family and keep them safe.
Molly Khan is a writer researching childhood abuse for her next story. She discovers a website where survivors can share their own experiences and in doing so comes across the story of a woman who calls herself Meredith. Whilst reading the story, Molly feels a shocking sense of recognition - she remembers the cupboard, the mouldy smell, the pink blanket and "Foggy". Molly reaches for her own green stuffed toy frog she's had ever since she could remember that she called "Foggy".
Why is she remembering things referenced in someone else's story of abuse? Molly has had a happy childhood. She has two loving parents and a younger sister Lexie. She knows no one called Meredith...if that is even her real name. But she remembers these things. She can remember looking through the crack in the cupboard door and seeing "the big man" who frightened her. And the whisper of her big sister's voice saying "Go to sleep, little one" as she snuggles into her pink blanket cuddling "Foggy". Molly is also plagued by dreams of being on a long and lonely dark road with stones in her little feet. What does all this mean?
Margaret Henkel is a woman who has given up on herself. She got pregnant at 16, married the love of her life and had a baby daughter Alice whom they both doted on. But when Alice was 6, Margaret's life ended with the death of her husband Adam. And that's when the nightmare began. She started to drink to forget her pain. The vodka gave her back her Adam but took away her dignity. Soon she couldn't even get herself out of bed. Then Vernon moved in. At first he was nice and looked after them. He made sure the fridge was stocked, the bills were paid and that she had plenty of vodka. She didn't even have to do anything, Vernon took care of it all. All she had to do was lose herself to oblivion and stay in bed. But then things changed. She became Vernon's punching bag and Alice asked when was he going to leave? But Margaret was scared of him leaving them - what would she do? How would she cope? She was nothing. She was stupid. She was useless. So Margaret decided they should have a baby together and then there was Lilly.
Alice adored Lilly from the first moment she set eyes on her. She became her parent as she took care of Lilly's daily needs such as feeding, changing and protected her from Vernon's wrath. Lilly didn't even recognise Margaret as her mother but rather an occasional visitor who slept most of the time. Alice despised the mother she had once adored. She couldn't even get up and look after her children properly. At 10 years old, Alice was Lilly's parent.
And then one day...Lilly was gone. When Margaret and Vernon asked where she was, Alice just shrugged and said she was gone. Dead.
Now Margaret is in a care home in the late stages of early onset Alzheimer's and lives in a bubble. She constantly tells the staff and Alice that Adam and Vernon have visited but Alice knows that is not possible. Adam, her father, is dead and Vernon is in prison. Alice doesn't know why she visits her mother or cares for her as she clearly didn't care for her when she was a child and needed her. Half the time she doesn't even know who she is. And yet, Alice just wants her mother to apologise...for not loving her enough, for not protecting her.
Told from three perspectives throughout - Alice, Molly and Margaret - THE NOWHERE GIRL features the past and the present that is both captivating and compelling. It is clear from early on the direction this story is going but it's the journey getting there that is the most intriguing. How the ties that bind are woven together to create the tapestry that is the bigger picture is somewhat poignant.
THE NOWHERE GIRL is a complex and very disturbing tale that your heart just aches for those involved. I found myself incredibly sad for Margaret as a young girl who really had no life experience and was left without a life jacket to drown in a sea of grief after the death of her husband who had been her anchor. To be rescued by the likes of Vernon, a predator who seeks out the vulnerable and preys on their weaknesses only to find herself caught within a cycle from which she cannot escape...was just heartbreaking.
I cannot find the words to describe just how moving THE NOWHERE GIRL was. I was literally in tears during the final chapters wondering how it was all going to play out. It was heartbreaking and yet it was also heartwarming. As I reached the final page, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief at the satisfying end.
I have seen some say the story was predictable. Yes, this is true. In fact, I predicted much of it from early on but that didn't spoil it for me. I was intrigued by what the journey would deliver as I uncovered more to the secrets that were as yet unknown. I wanted to see how it would pan out, and what would become of Alice, Molly and Margaret. And discover who was taunting Alice with a message from her past. While some of it is predictable, there are others that aren't. And for me, the entire journey was a moving and powerful one that I could not drag myself from for one minute.
I have only read one other Nicole Trope and I was enamoured by that one as well. The fact that she is a fellow Australian depicting suburbs and areas known to me make her books and even more attractive prospect that I find I have to read. And I am glad I discovered her. She is fast becoming one of my favourite go-to authors and I look forward to what she has in store for us next!
Not a thriller as such, more a domestic drama with elements of mystery, THE NOWHERE GIRL is powerful, captivating, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I definitely recommend it!
I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheNowhereGirl in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Trigger warning: confronting issues and scenes of child sexual abuse depicted. Also featured is domestic violence, alcoholism, miscarriage and Alzhiemer's.
Alice Stetson has a happy life. Her husband Jack is a doctor, she has three beautiful boys - 14 year old Isaac and twin 9 year olds Gus and Gabe - and lives in the affluent suburb of Greenwich on Sydney's lower north shore. But Alice's life was not always like that. Her mother was an alcoholic, her stepfather abusive and her baby sister Lilly was tragically killed whilst Alice tried saving her. In trying to protect Lilly she had inadvertently caused her death and she has lived with the guilt ever since.
No one knows this secret she carries...not even her husband. But now it seems somebody does, as Alice has been receiving emails claiming "I know what you did." And the horrors of her past come crashing back engulfing her in memories she has spent a lifetime trying to escape. And now Alice would do anything to protect her family and keep them safe.
Molly Khan is a writer researching childhood abuse for her next story. She discovers a website where survivors can share their own experiences and in doing so comes across the story of a woman who calls herself Meredith. Whilst reading the story, Molly feels a shocking sense of recognition - she remembers the cupboard, the mouldy smell, the pink blanket and "Foggy". Molly reaches for her own green stuffed toy frog she's had ever since she could remember that she called "Foggy".
Why is she remembering things referenced in someone else's story of abuse? Molly has had a happy childhood. She has two loving parents and a younger sister Lexie. She knows no one called Meredith...if that is even her real name. But she remembers these things. She can remember looking through the crack in the cupboard door and seeing "the big man" who frightened her. And the whisper of her big sister's voice saying "Go to sleep, little one" as she snuggles into her pink blanket cuddling "Foggy". Molly is also plagued by dreams of being on a long and lonely dark road with stones in her little feet. What does all this mean?
Margaret Henkel is a woman who has given up on herself. She got pregnant at 16, married the love of her life and had a baby daughter Alice whom they both doted on. But when Alice was 6, Margaret's life ended with the death of her husband Adam. And that's when the nightmare began. She started to drink to forget her pain. The vodka gave her back her Adam but took away her dignity. Soon she couldn't even get herself out of bed. Then Vernon moved in. At first he was nice and looked after them. He made sure the fridge was stocked, the bills were paid and that she had plenty of vodka. She didn't even have to do anything, Vernon took care of it all. All she had to do was lose herself to oblivion and stay in bed. But then things changed. She became Vernon's punching bag and Alice asked when was he going to leave? But Margaret was scared of him leaving them - what would she do? How would she cope? She was nothing. She was stupid. She was useless. So Margaret decided they should have a baby together and then there was Lilly.
Alice adored Lilly from the first moment she set eyes on her. She became her parent as she took care of Lilly's daily needs such as feeding, changing and protected her from Vernon's wrath. Lilly didn't even recognise Margaret as her mother but rather an occasional visitor who slept most of the time. Alice despised the mother she had once adored. She couldn't even get up and look after her children properly. At 10 years old, Alice was Lilly's parent.
And then one day...Lilly was gone. When Margaret and Vernon asked where she was, Alice just shrugged and said she was gone. Dead.
Now Margaret is in a care home in the late stages of early onset Alzheimer's and lives in a bubble. She constantly tells the staff and Alice that Adam and Vernon have visited but Alice knows that is not possible. Adam, her father, is dead and Vernon is in prison. Alice doesn't know why she visits her mother or cares for her as she clearly didn't care for her when she was a child and needed her. Half the time she doesn't even know who she is. And yet, Alice just wants her mother to apologise...for not loving her enough, for not protecting her.
Told from three perspectives throughout - Alice, Molly and Margaret - THE NOWHERE GIRL features the past and the present that is both captivating and compelling. It is clear from early on the direction this story is going but it's the journey getting there that is the most intriguing. How the ties that bind are woven together to create the tapestry that is the bigger picture is somewhat poignant.
THE NOWHERE GIRL is a complex and very disturbing tale that your heart just aches for those involved. I found myself incredibly sad for Margaret as a young girl who really had no life experience and was left without a life jacket to drown in a sea of grief after the death of her husband who had been her anchor. To be rescued by the likes of Vernon, a predator who seeks out the vulnerable and preys on their weaknesses only to find herself caught within a cycle from which she cannot escape...was just heartbreaking.
I cannot find the words to describe just how moving THE NOWHERE GIRL was. I was literally in tears during the final chapters wondering how it was all going to play out. It was heartbreaking and yet it was also heartwarming. As I reached the final page, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief at the satisfying end.
I have seen some say the story was predictable. Yes, this is true. In fact, I predicted much of it from early on but that didn't spoil it for me. I was intrigued by what the journey would deliver as I uncovered more to the secrets that were as yet unknown. I wanted to see how it would pan out, and what would become of Alice, Molly and Margaret. And discover who was taunting Alice with a message from her past. While some of it is predictable, there are others that aren't. And for me, the entire journey was a moving and powerful one that I could not drag myself from for one minute.
I have only read one other Nicole Trope and I was enamoured by that one as well. The fact that she is a fellow Australian depicting suburbs and areas known to me make her books and even more attractive prospect that I find I have to read. And I am glad I discovered her. She is fast becoming one of my favourite go-to authors and I look forward to what she has in store for us next!
Not a thriller as such, more a domestic drama with elements of mystery, THE NOWHERE GIRL is powerful, captivating, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I definitely recommend it!
I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheNowhereGirl in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
January 18, 2020
This book is told from the perspective of three different women -- Alice and Molly both in the present time, and Margaret, mostly in the past, although her chapters cross into the present time toward the end.
Alice is a married mother of three with a horrific past. Molly is a loving and very loved daughter and sister who has had six miscarriages and wants a baby more than anything. Margaret is a non-recovering alcoholic and a mother of two, to Alice and baby Lilly, who suffers from horrible depression and lives with an abusive partner. All three are trying to come to terms with their past and their present.
I had a bit of deja vu at the beginning of this book, although I've read books by this author before, so perhaps it was just the writing style that stood out. It was fairly obvious who each woman was in relation to the others from their early chapters, which did make it harder to get through the first half or so -- I read on my phone and found myself clicking away from the book more than I should have. However, it was still intruguing to read how it would all turn out for them in the end.
Trigger warning: A lot of this book is focused on domestic violence, sexual assault, and child rape, so know that going in. It's a big focus of this one, so you'll be skimming a lot if you skip over those parts.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.
Alice is a married mother of three with a horrific past. Molly is a loving and very loved daughter and sister who has had six miscarriages and wants a baby more than anything. Margaret is a non-recovering alcoholic and a mother of two, to Alice and baby Lilly, who suffers from horrible depression and lives with an abusive partner. All three are trying to come to terms with their past and their present.
I had a bit of deja vu at the beginning of this book, although I've read books by this author before, so perhaps it was just the writing style that stood out. It was fairly obvious who each woman was in relation to the others from their early chapters, which did make it harder to get through the first half or so -- I read on my phone and found myself clicking away from the book more than I should have. However, it was still intruguing to read how it would all turn out for them in the end.
Trigger warning: A lot of this book is focused on domestic violence, sexual assault, and child rape, so know that going in. It's a big focus of this one, so you'll be skimming a lot if you skip over those parts.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.
May 18, 2020
Repetitive and predictable. How many chapters does it take to tell the reader that Margaret was a bad mother and that Alice was an abused child. Each chapter seemed to be a repeat of the previous one.
Predictable plot and silly ending.
Predictable plot and silly ending.
February 10, 2020
Before I even begin my review – please, please, please be aware of some serious potential triggers involving poor parenting (putting it lightly), domestic violence and child abuse (sexual, physical, and emotional).
The Nowhere Girl is told from three different POV: Alice, Molly, and Margaret. Alice is married to Jack and has three sons. She loves her children and her husband and her basically happy life. However, Alice suffered unimaginable abuse as a child and still struggles. Molly is happily married to Peter and has a very close relationship with her parents and her sister. She is a writer currently writing a book about abused children and desperately wants her own child despite multiple miscarriages. Margaret’s POV is mostly told in the past tense. She meets a man and falls in love, gets married, has a child, and so on. However, her life suddenly changes and she finds herself on a downward spiral complete with severe alcoholism and an abusive partner, Vernon.
This is my first time reading anything by Nicole Trope and it was a page-turner for me. The characters were raw and honest. Her imagery is so strong that there were times I felt as if I could smell what they were smelling and feel the sensations they were experiencing. Which, in a book this creepy isn’t always a good thing, yet I am still blown away by her descriptions. I think the picture she painted of Vernon’s physical appearance and odors will stay with me (unfortunately) for quite a while after reading this novel.
A good portion of this novel is a slow reveal of details about Alice, Molly, and Margaret and what has happened in their lives. It’s definitely a slow-burn as far as suspense/thrillers go, which at times felt over-written and slow. Listed as 322 pages I can’t help but wonder if it would have been as good or better if cut to 275? But I still really enjoyed this read and definitely recommend it with caveats.
Maybe something is wrong with me, but I didn’t really need the Kleenex until about the last 10-15% of the novel and they were mainly happy tears but mixed with regrets for Alice and Molly. However, I can see someone easily crying for about 75-80% of this novel because the plot and subject matter is so difficult. I, personally, was brought into this world with a very shitty mother whose picture you would probably see if you looked up “emotional abuse” in the dictionary, yet I still enjoyed this book and it held my interest. But the abuse scenes are very difficult and your stomach will turn, no matter who you are and what your life has been like.
The Nowhere Girl is hard at times and you will definitely feel emotionally taxed at the end, but it’s well-written and a great example of good psychological fiction. Again, the stand-out for me in this novel is the characters, how Nicole Trope made them come to life, and the imagery. Alice will forever be my hero for enduring what she did and carrying on with her life. She is certainly a character that I will not forget.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Nowhere Girl is told from three different POV: Alice, Molly, and Margaret. Alice is married to Jack and has three sons. She loves her children and her husband and her basically happy life. However, Alice suffered unimaginable abuse as a child and still struggles. Molly is happily married to Peter and has a very close relationship with her parents and her sister. She is a writer currently writing a book about abused children and desperately wants her own child despite multiple miscarriages. Margaret’s POV is mostly told in the past tense. She meets a man and falls in love, gets married, has a child, and so on. However, her life suddenly changes and she finds herself on a downward spiral complete with severe alcoholism and an abusive partner, Vernon.
This is my first time reading anything by Nicole Trope and it was a page-turner for me. The characters were raw and honest. Her imagery is so strong that there were times I felt as if I could smell what they were smelling and feel the sensations they were experiencing. Which, in a book this creepy isn’t always a good thing, yet I am still blown away by her descriptions. I think the picture she painted of Vernon’s physical appearance and odors will stay with me (unfortunately) for quite a while after reading this novel.
A good portion of this novel is a slow reveal of details about Alice, Molly, and Margaret and what has happened in their lives. It’s definitely a slow-burn as far as suspense/thrillers go, which at times felt over-written and slow. Listed as 322 pages I can’t help but wonder if it would have been as good or better if cut to 275? But I still really enjoyed this read and definitely recommend it with caveats.
Maybe something is wrong with me, but I didn’t really need the Kleenex until about the last 10-15% of the novel and they were mainly happy tears but mixed with regrets for Alice and Molly. However, I can see someone easily crying for about 75-80% of this novel because the plot and subject matter is so difficult. I, personally, was brought into this world with a very shitty mother whose picture you would probably see if you looked up “emotional abuse” in the dictionary, yet I still enjoyed this book and it held my interest. But the abuse scenes are very difficult and your stomach will turn, no matter who you are and what your life has been like.
The Nowhere Girl is hard at times and you will definitely feel emotionally taxed at the end, but it’s well-written and a great example of good psychological fiction. Again, the stand-out for me in this novel is the characters, how Nicole Trope made them come to life, and the imagery. Alice will forever be my hero for enduring what she did and carrying on with her life. She is certainly a character that I will not forget.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 2, 2020
I will not think about it anymore. I won’t think about her. My lost little sister with her beautiful smile, her chestnut-coloured eyes. My sister who I couldn’t protect.
If you passed Alice on the street, you couldn’t help but smile. At how she holds hands with her husband, Jack, who she has been with since she was at university. At the way she admires her three boys, the centre of her universe.
But if you looked very closely, you’d see how tightly she holds Jack’s hand, afraid to let go. You’d see how carefully she watches her boys, scared to look away. You’d see her smile fading in a matter of seconds, and the pain she hides behind her eyes.
She has told Jack that she ran away from home when she was younger – but she didn’t tell him the whole story. Her husband doesn’t know about the guilt she bears about her little sister she failed to save.
Now, after a lifetime of fresh starts, Alice can feel her past playing catch-up. She is sure she is being watched, certain she is being followed. She may not be able to stop her secret coming out – but can she stop the world she has lovingly built collapsing in on her?
****
This is my third book of Nicole's that I have read and despite it being so harrowing and desperately sad, I really really enjoyed it.
Nicole writes with such grace and understanding and really drags you into the heart of the story, so you quite often feel exhausted when you've finished.
Highly recommended.
If you passed Alice on the street, you couldn’t help but smile. At how she holds hands with her husband, Jack, who she has been with since she was at university. At the way she admires her three boys, the centre of her universe.
But if you looked very closely, you’d see how tightly she holds Jack’s hand, afraid to let go. You’d see how carefully she watches her boys, scared to look away. You’d see her smile fading in a matter of seconds, and the pain she hides behind her eyes.
She has told Jack that she ran away from home when she was younger – but she didn’t tell him the whole story. Her husband doesn’t know about the guilt she bears about her little sister she failed to save.
Now, after a lifetime of fresh starts, Alice can feel her past playing catch-up. She is sure she is being watched, certain she is being followed. She may not be able to stop her secret coming out – but can she stop the world she has lovingly built collapsing in on her?
****
This is my third book of Nicole's that I have read and despite it being so harrowing and desperately sad, I really really enjoyed it.
Nicole writes with such grace and understanding and really drags you into the heart of the story, so you quite often feel exhausted when you've finished.
Highly recommended.
January 28, 2020
This wasn’t an easy book to read. With themes of abuse, addiction and neglect it is a heartbreaking story that told of the evil that lurks inside some people and the lasting repercussions their terrible actions have on their victims. But it was also a story about courage, survival and strength. The story moves seamlessly between the dual timelines to tell the stories of three women and how tragic events that occurred thirty years ago changed their lives forever.
The three narrators were complex, fractured and tragically real.I liked Alice. Reading what she went through as a child was devastating but I admired her strength and that she’d managed to build a happy family of her own instead of repeating her mother’s mistakes. I also admired that she still visited her ailing mother despite the agony it caused her and felt a deep sense of injustice for the fact she would never get the acknowledgement or apology she deserved. Molly was the character I related to most of all, having suffered a similar pain in trying to have children myself. It seemed immediately obvious who Molly was, and my heart hurt for what was to come when she ultimately learned the truth of her birth and dreadful past. I found myself on edge when reading her chapters because I was anticipating it happening and scared she would face another tragedy with this pregnancy. Margaret was certainly not a likeable character but I liked the author’s decision to give her a voice. It meant that instead of simply being an evil villain we see the nuance to her character, see the broken and weak woman inside and learn why she ended up the way she did. Her story is tragic and I definitely had mixed feelings about her. While there was some empathy for what she’d gone through as a child and the devastating loss of her husband, I couldn’t shake my anger at what she allowed to happen to her own children: her nonchalance at their existence and focus on her own pain being eased. I wanted to scream at her to stop being so bloody weak and protect her children. Her story helped show how addiction ravages more than the person addicted. I think she was let down by the system as well as her children, as if the authorities had noticed what was happening to the kids, they would have seen what was happening to her too. With help all of them could have had a very different life.
This was the first time I have read a book by this author and I will definitely be reading more. She wrote about a multitude of tragic and difficult subjects and every one was written with skillful sensitivity. She portrayed their pain vividly and made them all so real it was easy to forget I was reading a work of fiction rather than a harrowing true story. The story started slowly, steadily picking up pace until it was so tense and compelling that I couldn't tear myself away.
The Nowhere Girl is a deftly told, stark and poignant novel. Despite its bleak themes it is also a hopeful story of forgiveness and the healing power of love. It is a powerful and emotional story that I would recommend.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
This wasn’t an easy book to read. With themes of abuse, addiction and neglect it is a heartbreaking story that told of the evil that lurks inside some people and the lasting repercussions their terrible actions have on their victims. But it was also a story about courage, survival and strength. The story moves seamlessly between the dual timelines to tell the stories of three women and how tragic events that occurred thirty years ago changed their lives forever.
The three narrators were complex, fractured and tragically real.I liked Alice. Reading what she went through as a child was devastating but I admired her strength and that she’d managed to build a happy family of her own instead of repeating her mother’s mistakes. I also admired that she still visited her ailing mother despite the agony it caused her and felt a deep sense of injustice for th/e fact she would never get the acknowledgement or apology she deserved. Molly was the character I related to most of all, having suffered a similar pain in trying to have children myself. It seemed immediately obvious who Molly was, and my heart hurt for what was to come when she ultimately learned the truth of her birth and dreadful past. I found myself on edge when reading her chapters because I was anticipating it happening and scared she would face another tragedy with this pregnancy. Margaret was certainly not a likeable character but I liked the author’s decision to give her a voice. It meant that instead of simply being an evil villain we see the nuance to her character, see the broken and weak woman inside and learn why she ended up the way she did. Her story is tragic and I definitely had mixed feelings about her. While there was some empathy for what she’d gone through as a child and the devastating loss of her husband, I couldn’t shake my anger at what she allowed to happen to her own children: her nonchalance at their existence and focus on her own pain being eased. I wanted to scream at her to stop being so bloody weak and protect her children. Her story helped show how addiction ravages more than the person addicted. I think she was let down by the system as well as her children, as if the authorities had noticed what was happening to the kids, they would have seen what was happening to her too. With help all of them could have had a very different life.
This was the first time I have read a book by this author and I will definitely be reading more. She wrote about a multitude of tragic and difficult subjects and every one was written with skillful sensitivity. She portrayed their pain vividly and made them all so real it was easy to forget I was reading a work of fiction rather than a harrowing true story. The story started slowly, steadily picking up pace until it was so tense and compelling that I couldn't tear myself away.
The Nowhere Girl is a deftly told, stark and poignant novel. Despite its bleak themes it is also a hopeful story of forgiveness and the healing power of love. It is a powerful and emotional story that I would recommend.
The three narrators were complex, fractured and tragically real.I liked Alice. Reading what she went through as a child was devastating but I admired her strength and that she’d managed to build a happy family of her own instead of repeating her mother’s mistakes. I also admired that she still visited her ailing mother despite the agony it caused her and felt a deep sense of injustice for the fact she would never get the acknowledgement or apology she deserved. Molly was the character I related to most of all, having suffered a similar pain in trying to have children myself. It seemed immediately obvious who Molly was, and my heart hurt for what was to come when she ultimately learned the truth of her birth and dreadful past. I found myself on edge when reading her chapters because I was anticipating it happening and scared she would face another tragedy with this pregnancy. Margaret was certainly not a likeable character but I liked the author’s decision to give her a voice. It meant that instead of simply being an evil villain we see the nuance to her character, see the broken and weak woman inside and learn why she ended up the way she did. Her story is tragic and I definitely had mixed feelings about her. While there was some empathy for what she’d gone through as a child and the devastating loss of her husband, I couldn’t shake my anger at what she allowed to happen to her own children: her nonchalance at their existence and focus on her own pain being eased. I wanted to scream at her to stop being so bloody weak and protect her children. Her story helped show how addiction ravages more than the person addicted. I think she was let down by the system as well as her children, as if the authorities had noticed what was happening to the kids, they would have seen what was happening to her too. With help all of them could have had a very different life.
This was the first time I have read a book by this author and I will definitely be reading more. She wrote about a multitude of tragic and difficult subjects and every one was written with skillful sensitivity. She portrayed their pain vividly and made them all so real it was easy to forget I was reading a work of fiction rather than a harrowing true story. The story started slowly, steadily picking up pace until it was so tense and compelling that I couldn't tear myself away.
The Nowhere Girl is a deftly told, stark and poignant novel. Despite its bleak themes it is also a hopeful story of forgiveness and the healing power of love. It is a powerful and emotional story that I would recommend.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
This wasn’t an easy book to read. With themes of abuse, addiction and neglect it is a heartbreaking story that told of the evil that lurks inside some people and the lasting repercussions their terrible actions have on their victims. But it was also a story about courage, survival and strength. The story moves seamlessly between the dual timelines to tell the stories of three women and how tragic events that occurred thirty years ago changed their lives forever.
The three narrators were complex, fractured and tragically real.I liked Alice. Reading what she went through as a child was devastating but I admired her strength and that she’d managed to build a happy family of her own instead of repeating her mother’s mistakes. I also admired that she still visited her ailing mother despite the agony it caused her and felt a deep sense of injustice for th/e fact she would never get the acknowledgement or apology she deserved. Molly was the character I related to most of all, having suffered a similar pain in trying to have children myself. It seemed immediately obvious who Molly was, and my heart hurt for what was to come when she ultimately learned the truth of her birth and dreadful past. I found myself on edge when reading her chapters because I was anticipating it happening and scared she would face another tragedy with this pregnancy. Margaret was certainly not a likeable character but I liked the author’s decision to give her a voice. It meant that instead of simply being an evil villain we see the nuance to her character, see the broken and weak woman inside and learn why she ended up the way she did. Her story is tragic and I definitely had mixed feelings about her. While there was some empathy for what she’d gone through as a child and the devastating loss of her husband, I couldn’t shake my anger at what she allowed to happen to her own children: her nonchalance at their existence and focus on her own pain being eased. I wanted to scream at her to stop being so bloody weak and protect her children. Her story helped show how addiction ravages more than the person addicted. I think she was let down by the system as well as her children, as if the authorities had noticed what was happening to the kids, they would have seen what was happening to her too. With help all of them could have had a very different life.
This was the first time I have read a book by this author and I will definitely be reading more. She wrote about a multitude of tragic and difficult subjects and every one was written with skillful sensitivity. She portrayed their pain vividly and made them all so real it was easy to forget I was reading a work of fiction rather than a harrowing true story. The story started slowly, steadily picking up pace until it was so tense and compelling that I couldn't tear myself away.
The Nowhere Girl is a deftly told, stark and poignant novel. Despite its bleak themes it is also a hopeful story of forgiveness and the healing power of love. It is a powerful and emotional story that I would recommend.
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