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The Girl Who Never Came Home
They find her just as the sun is beginning to rise in the early morning mist. They had begun at dawn, the group of searchers keen to get going. A missing child spurred everyone on. In the end, it was a flash of colour, a bright neon pink that caught her eye. They had been looking for pink.
Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover, when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.
It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.
As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.
It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.
Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?
A heartbreaking, redemptive and beautifully crafted novel which brings to life a mother’s worst nightmare, questioning how well we ever really know the people we love the most. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kerry Fisher and Liane Moriarty will be blown away by this stirring, unforgettable tale.
Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover, when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.
It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.
As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.
It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.
Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?
A heartbreaking, redemptive and beautifully crafted novel which brings to life a mother’s worst nightmare, questioning how well we ever really know the people we love the most. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kerry Fisher and Liane Moriarty will be blown away by this stirring, unforgettable tale.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2020
1010 people are currently reading
1103 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Trope
43 books1,887 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 137 reviews
November 11, 2020
EXCERPT: They find her body after twenty-three hours of searching.
She is lying at the bottom of a small outcrop of grey-brown rock. The rock is covered in a slippery green moss and one of the searchers, a woman named Adelaide, almost loses her footing as she peers over the edge despite being a resident of the mountains and a keen hiker. She attributes her near slip to the tears clouding her view. It is a terrible thing to see. The girl lies with one leg slightly angled and her arms above her head, her eyes closed and her arms above her head, her eyes closed and her blonde hair tangled around her face, a sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks. Her phone is lying in one hand, the screen unbroken.
Unlike her.
ABOUT 'THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME': Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover, when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.
It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.
As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.
It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.
Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?
MY THOUGHTS: I always look forward to a new Nicole Trope book, and 'The Girl Who Never Came Home' is no exception. Trope manages to combine an interesting and realistic storyline that will wrench your heartstrings, particularly if you are a parent, with wonderfully relatable characters.
Having a child go missing is every parent's worst nightmare. Somehow, when you send your child off to school camp, you expect to get that child back. Trope explores what happens when that child doesn't come back, when that child is found dead, and what happens when a death that initially looks accidental, becomes something else. She explores the complicated relationships between teenage girls, between them and their families, between them and the people they 'meet' on social media. She explores the disparity between the the actuality of these girls and the image that they present to the world, the competition between and pecking order in friendships.
The Girl Who Never Came Home is a delicious, sad, emotional, exciting read, one that will have you glued to the pages as the possible identity of Zoe's killer becomes numerous as secrets are revealed and lies exposed.
The story is told from the viewpoints of Lydia, Zoe's mother; Shayna, Zoe's best friend; Bernadette, the teacher; and Jessie, Zoe's sister. Detectives Gold and Holland are the lead investigators and the tragedy takes place just outside Leura in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia. I have been there and it is spectacularly beautiful, but it would also be extremely easy to get lost, especially in the middle of the night if you were alone. But it seems that Zoe wasn't alone . . .
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4
#TheGirlWhoNeverCameHome #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.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Girl Who Never Came Home 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 and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
She is lying at the bottom of a small outcrop of grey-brown rock. The rock is covered in a slippery green moss and one of the searchers, a woman named Adelaide, almost loses her footing as she peers over the edge despite being a resident of the mountains and a keen hiker. She attributes her near slip to the tears clouding her view. It is a terrible thing to see. The girl lies with one leg slightly angled and her arms above her head, her eyes closed and her arms above her head, her eyes closed and her blonde hair tangled around her face, a sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks. Her phone is lying in one hand, the screen unbroken.
Unlike her.
ABOUT 'THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME': Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover, when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.
It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.
As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.
It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.
Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?
MY THOUGHTS: I always look forward to a new Nicole Trope book, and 'The Girl Who Never Came Home' is no exception. Trope manages to combine an interesting and realistic storyline that will wrench your heartstrings, particularly if you are a parent, with wonderfully relatable characters.
Having a child go missing is every parent's worst nightmare. Somehow, when you send your child off to school camp, you expect to get that child back. Trope explores what happens when that child doesn't come back, when that child is found dead, and what happens when a death that initially looks accidental, becomes something else. She explores the complicated relationships between teenage girls, between them and their families, between them and the people they 'meet' on social media. She explores the disparity between the the actuality of these girls and the image that they present to the world, the competition between and pecking order in friendships.
The Girl Who Never Came Home is a delicious, sad, emotional, exciting read, one that will have you glued to the pages as the possible identity of Zoe's killer becomes numerous as secrets are revealed and lies exposed.
The story is told from the viewpoints of Lydia, Zoe's mother; Shayna, Zoe's best friend; Bernadette, the teacher; and Jessie, Zoe's sister. Detectives Gold and Holland are the lead investigators and the tragedy takes place just outside Leura in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia. I have been there and it is spectacularly beautiful, but it would also be extremely easy to get lost, especially in the middle of the night if you were alone. But it seems that Zoe wasn't alone . . .
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4
#TheGirlWhoNeverCameHome #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.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Girl Who Never Came Home 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 and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
November 13, 2020
The Girl Who Never Came Home by Nicole Trope tells the story of sixteen-year-old Zoe Bloom who is found dead, after going missing from a school camping trip. Told from multiple perspectives, it becomes apparent that not everyone liked the pretty and popular teenager, and the people that were closest to her all have something to hide about that horrible night.
Believable characters and plenty of suspense and twists and turns along the way as we unravel the devastating truth behind Zoe's death. This story shows us how one person's actions can change many lives. A moving and captivating read, with some very important life lessons. Highly recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Believable characters and plenty of suspense and twists and turns along the way as we unravel the devastating truth behind Zoe's death. This story shows us how one person's actions can change many lives. A moving and captivating read, with some very important life lessons. Highly recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2024
This is Suspense/Thriller/Mystery. This book starts off slow, but I have to say the middle picks up. I had trouble getting through the beginning, and the middle and the end was so good. I did not see some of the twist and turns before they came up. Some of the characters I had trouble following, but the other characters I really loved. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
November 24, 2020
The Girl Who Never Came Home opens with the death of a young girl and then explores all the repercussions of this event on those around her as well as solving the mystery of the death itself.
One death and so many people are affected - her parents, her sister, teachers, friends and the greater community to one extent or another feel the grief. Each chapter of the book describes events from a different person's point of view and the author does a brilliant job of building each separate character. It also makes the book into compulsive reading as you want to find out what each person does next.
Of course it is also a tear jerker. Trope introduces everything she can to make you reach for the tissues right down to the death of a family pet! She covers a wide range of social issues especially the impact 0n today's teenagers of living their lives online. She also shows by the end of the book that it is possible to survive tragedy and even to come out the other side and rediscover a happy life. Nicely written and extremely readable.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
One death and so many people are affected - her parents, her sister, teachers, friends and the greater community to one extent or another feel the grief. Each chapter of the book describes events from a different person's point of view and the author does a brilliant job of building each separate character. It also makes the book into compulsive reading as you want to find out what each person does next.
Of course it is also a tear jerker. Trope introduces everything she can to make you reach for the tissues right down to the death of a family pet! She covers a wide range of social issues especially the impact 0n today's teenagers of living their lives online. She also shows by the end of the book that it is possible to survive tragedy and even to come out the other side and rediscover a happy life. Nicely written and extremely readable.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 7, 2020
Favorite Quotes:
I have a bit of a soft spot for Leeanne, for how awkward the poor girl is, with her perpetually hunched shoulders and the glasses that slip to the tip of her nose as soon as she moves her head, for how dreadful her skin is, for how she makes me see myself at sixteen. Leeanne is, as I was, the smartest girl in the year… I have often told her that as long as she sticks with her dream, she will one day be able to look back at her school years and see them as a growth opportunity rather than a trial to be endured.
I was incandescent with rage…
Guilt weighs me down, slows my steps, steals my sleep and my appetite. Guilt is the only emotion I deserve to feel.
My Review:
I argue that justice was not served by the end result as the punishment was too severe and not at all deserved, and I’m referencing the true victim in this piece - and just to be clear – I’m not talking about the dead girl. There were many victims in this tale as the recently deceased teen, Zoe, was quite the heinous little madam. Zoe was vile and vicious and a monster of her mother’s creation by a lifetime of overindulgence. I despised the bratty she-devil while I deeply resented her shortsighted mother, but I had overflowing buckets of empathy for everyone else.
The storylines were taut with tension, well-crafted intrigue, and tantalizingly slow revelations. I thoroughly enjoyed the insights reaped from the multiple points of view and although there appeared to be an unending plethora of fractured and wounded people to keep up with who had been brutalized in some manner by the cruelty or repercussions of Zoe’s selfish schemes and reprehensible behaviors, it was easily done once the characters were semi-established. I found it highly interesting how they all suffered from guilt by their limited knowledge of and inactions leading up to and during the main event. This was my second foray into the sly and artful deception and cunning word-stylings of Nicole Trope and I can only hope for many more such unscrupulous outings.
I have a bit of a soft spot for Leeanne, for how awkward the poor girl is, with her perpetually hunched shoulders and the glasses that slip to the tip of her nose as soon as she moves her head, for how dreadful her skin is, for how she makes me see myself at sixteen. Leeanne is, as I was, the smartest girl in the year… I have often told her that as long as she sticks with her dream, she will one day be able to look back at her school years and see them as a growth opportunity rather than a trial to be endured.
I was incandescent with rage…
Guilt weighs me down, slows my steps, steals my sleep and my appetite. Guilt is the only emotion I deserve to feel.
My Review:
I argue that justice was not served by the end result as the punishment was too severe and not at all deserved, and I’m referencing the true victim in this piece - and just to be clear – I’m not talking about the dead girl. There were many victims in this tale as the recently deceased teen, Zoe, was quite the heinous little madam. Zoe was vile and vicious and a monster of her mother’s creation by a lifetime of overindulgence. I despised the bratty she-devil while I deeply resented her shortsighted mother, but I had overflowing buckets of empathy for everyone else.
The storylines were taut with tension, well-crafted intrigue, and tantalizingly slow revelations. I thoroughly enjoyed the insights reaped from the multiple points of view and although there appeared to be an unending plethora of fractured and wounded people to keep up with who had been brutalized in some manner by the cruelty or repercussions of Zoe’s selfish schemes and reprehensible behaviors, it was easily done once the characters were semi-established. I found it highly interesting how they all suffered from guilt by their limited knowledge of and inactions leading up to and during the main event. This was my second foray into the sly and artful deception and cunning word-stylings of Nicole Trope and I can only hope for many more such unscrupulous outings.
April 18, 2021
Review coming soon.
November 4, 2020
Zoe is just sixteen when she went on a school camping trip, but she goes missing. She had had an argument with her two best friends the previous night and she's still not returned. A search party is formed and it's not long before they find her body. The police are trying to work out what had taken place. Her mother is also wanting answers.
You can't help but feel for every single character in this beautifully written book. It's every parents worst nightmare, the thought of one of their children going missing. The story is told from multiple points of view. Zoe is your average popular teenager but she's mean and nasty too. Everyone, including Zoe, had secrets. The pace is steady as the suspense grows. There's plenty of twists in this heartbreaking story which covers some complex issues.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #NicoleTrope for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
You can't help but feel for every single character in this beautifully written book. It's every parents worst nightmare, the thought of one of their children going missing. The story is told from multiple points of view. Zoe is your average popular teenager but she's mean and nasty too. Everyone, including Zoe, had secrets. The pace is steady as the suspense grows. There's plenty of twists in this heartbreaking story which covers some complex issues.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #NicoleTrope for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 2, 2020
Zoe, a year 11 student, is on a school camping trip and goes missing. It's not long before she is found dead from a fall. What follows is the unraveling of details leading up to the tragedy. With voices from her mom, her best friend, her teacher and sister, you witness all kinds of heart ache. You also see the many sides of Zoe and uncover many secrets and lies.
As a parent, there is no greater heartache than that experienced when losing a child. This book exposes the effect of death, and life of those around us; however, I didn't feel deeply connected to anyone in the book. It was such a tragedy that impacted so many, I would have expected to feel my heart breaking as well.
3.5 stars
Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As a parent, there is no greater heartache than that experienced when losing a child. This book exposes the effect of death, and life of those around us; however, I didn't feel deeply connected to anyone in the book. It was such a tragedy that impacted so many, I would have expected to feel my heart breaking as well.
3.5 stars
Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2020
Nicole Trope is a brilliant author. This book was emotional, suspenseful, UNPUTDOWNABLE. The beginning was so powerful that I had to take a few breaths to calm my heart down.
What happened to Zoé? At 8:30am, Zoe was lost from school camp. 23 hours later she was dead. Her mother needed answers.
A mother’s love – strong and powerful – the author could capture this with a few strokes of her pen, making this book a heart wrenching tale. Suspense was weaved in, curiousity popped up when different characters close to Zoé spoke about their relationship with her.
Capturing a character in all angles within the pages of the book, bringing out the good and bad, was often insurmountable, but the author made it so easy. The scenes gelled in smoothly, revealing the various snapshots of Zoé’s life seamlessly. Only by seeing a person through everyone’s eyes, I got the idea of who Zoe was. We are human, a mix of good and bad and filled with emotions.
This was a book read at one go. How could I stop myself? Like the mother Lydia, I needed to know what happened to Zoé. I had to take a few minutes hugging myself before I could write this review.
The author’s command over words, her sensitivity to nuances, her characterization left me awed. And the emotions… Oh the feelings, they left me overwhelmed. My heart just overfloweth. One of the most fantastic reads of 2020.
What happened to Zoé? At 8:30am, Zoe was lost from school camp. 23 hours later she was dead. Her mother needed answers.
A mother’s love – strong and powerful – the author could capture this with a few strokes of her pen, making this book a heart wrenching tale. Suspense was weaved in, curiousity popped up when different characters close to Zoé spoke about their relationship with her.
Capturing a character in all angles within the pages of the book, bringing out the good and bad, was often insurmountable, but the author made it so easy. The scenes gelled in smoothly, revealing the various snapshots of Zoé’s life seamlessly. Only by seeing a person through everyone’s eyes, I got the idea of who Zoe was. We are human, a mix of good and bad and filled with emotions.
This was a book read at one go. How could I stop myself? Like the mother Lydia, I needed to know what happened to Zoé. I had to take a few minutes hugging myself before I could write this review.
The author’s command over words, her sensitivity to nuances, her characterization left me awed. And the emotions… Oh the feelings, they left me overwhelmed. My heart just overfloweth. One of the most fantastic reads of 2020.
November 15, 2020
4.5 STARS
Zoe will forever be 16 years old. She disappeared from a school camping trip. She was later found at the base of a mountain. Accident? Suicide? Murder?
Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t.
This was an extraordinary book. It's more a story about Zoe .. who she was, why she was the way she was, her secrets, her relationships with those around her. It's about her mother .. who has already lost Zoe's father to cancer. How family deaths affected everyone ... Zoe's step-father and especially her sister, Jesse.
Each chapter is a different voice ... her mother ... her sister ... her friends .. her enemies...her teachers .... I was hooked from the first page and my interest didn't wain one iota until the very last page. It's well written, at times emotional. The characters are all expertly drawn, most are teenagers with their own sets of issues. Highly recommend for anyone who just wants a really good read.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here as unbiased and entirely my own.
Zoe will forever be 16 years old. She disappeared from a school camping trip. She was later found at the base of a mountain. Accident? Suicide? Murder?
Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t.
This was an extraordinary book. It's more a story about Zoe .. who she was, why she was the way she was, her secrets, her relationships with those around her. It's about her mother .. who has already lost Zoe's father to cancer. How family deaths affected everyone ... Zoe's step-father and especially her sister, Jesse.
Each chapter is a different voice ... her mother ... her sister ... her friends .. her enemies...her teachers .... I was hooked from the first page and my interest didn't wain one iota until the very last page. It's well written, at times emotional. The characters are all expertly drawn, most are teenagers with their own sets of issues. Highly recommend for anyone who just wants a really good read.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here as unbiased and entirely my own.
November 13, 2020
The Girl Who Never Came Home by Nicole Trope is my second novel by this author after reading and thoroughly enjoying The Nowhere Girl.
16 yr old Zoe Bloom is on a weekend school camping trip and goes missing. A search party later finds her dead from a fall. Told from the points of view of many characters, details are revealed leading up to the tragedy.
This is a gut wrenching drama that is extremely well-written. A riveting tale of how a traumatic event can affect the lives of so many. A difficult subject written with great sensitivity.
Highly Recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
16 yr old Zoe Bloom is on a weekend school camping trip and goes missing. A search party later finds her dead from a fall. Told from the points of view of many characters, details are revealed leading up to the tragedy.
This is a gut wrenching drama that is extremely well-written. A riveting tale of how a traumatic event can affect the lives of so many. A difficult subject written with great sensitivity.
Highly Recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
November 4, 2020
Lydia is determined to find out why her teenage daughter disappeared at a camping trip, especially due to the fact that her body was found after an extensive search. How could the school's organizers let a teen leave the campsite, and who is responsible for her daughter's death? Lydia wants answers and will not stop until she unravels things.
As things begin to unfold in this thrilling book, Lydia's search for answers come with heartbreak. There were things about her daughter Zoe, things that she was unaware of until her untimely death. I love that this book grabbed my attention early on, especially as twists and turns change the course of Lydia's thinking and emotions, leaving her even more bereft.
The way this story is told - Lydia's search for answers, and events leading up to Zoe's death - made this book very intriguing, and most certainly, quite sad. As a mother and a grandmother, it hurt to put myself in Lydia's shoes, so I credit Nicole Trope for the emotional devastation I felt while reading.
When I read I want to feel connected, and that is what this book did. While greatly saddened over Zoe's death, especially as things about her slowly came to light, my heart was with Lydia the entire time. This is my third book by this author, and just like the previous two books I read by her, this one was an excellent read.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
As things begin to unfold in this thrilling book, Lydia's search for answers come with heartbreak. There were things about her daughter Zoe, things that she was unaware of until her untimely death. I love that this book grabbed my attention early on, especially as twists and turns change the course of Lydia's thinking and emotions, leaving her even more bereft.
The way this story is told - Lydia's search for answers, and events leading up to Zoe's death - made this book very intriguing, and most certainly, quite sad. As a mother and a grandmother, it hurt to put myself in Lydia's shoes, so I credit Nicole Trope for the emotional devastation I felt while reading.
When I read I want to feel connected, and that is what this book did. While greatly saddened over Zoe's death, especially as things about her slowly came to light, my heart was with Lydia the entire time. This is my third book by this author, and just like the previous two books I read by her, this one was an excellent read.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
November 4, 2020
★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Nicole Trope's compelling emotional domestic drama THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME.
Nicole Trope is one of my go-to authors and I was looking forward to devouring this tale and solving its mystery. I was not disappointed. THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME is a book that works on different scopes forming a mystery of what happens to a young girl, in addition to those who remain and how they deal with their grief. And that grief takes on many forms for not only the family but also that of friends and those who were in some way connected to the girl and her initial disappearance. It also examines how one can be affected by such a sudden and tragic death and the shadows of the memories they leave behind.
What begins as an exciting prospect for some and a lot of hard work for others, ends up in being every parent's and every ever teacher's nightmare. A teenager going missing whilst on a school camp. And if that wasn't bad enough, then nothing would prepare them for what was to come. While being a mother is one of the most difficult yet most rewarding job, being a teenager in this terrifying age of social media and constant presence is probably even worse. I'm so glad my teenage years were long over before the birth of social media.
When 16 year old Zoe Bloom goes on a school camping trip to the Blue Mountains with her year 11 class, her mother Lydia never thought it would be the last time she would see her beloved daughter alive. Not only that, her final words to her daughter were those calling her a bitch. How can they be her final words to her youngest child, whom had always been the light of her life? And as Lydia swims through the tidal wave of her grief, she longs to know what really happened to her beloved Zoe and why her life was tragically cut short.
On the first night of the camping trip, Zoe settles into the cabin she shares with her best friends Shayna and Becca. But as it is a four bed cabin with one spare, the teachers place another student with the three girls. Leeanne is one of Zoe's favourite people to taunt. But this time something is different. One of them stands up to Zoe...and no one does that.
So after lights out on the Friday night, Zoe creeps out of their cabin and disappears into the bush. Someone hears her leave, someone sees her walk away...but no one stops her. The following morning Zoe is not in her bed. The alarm is raised, a search party is organised and her mother is contacted. It is a parent's worst nightmare...but one that comes true when at 6am on Sunday morning, Zoe's body is found.
The journey the reader is then taken on is through one of grief, fear, regrets, secrets and the guilt of all those who were there that night as well as those closest to her. Through the eyes of Lydia (her mother), Shayna (her best friend), Jessie (her sister) and Bernadette (her teacher) we are privy to their thoughts and the complex emotions of their private pain as secrets are slowly revealed surrounding the daughter, friend, sister and student known as Zoe. Through them, we see the Zoe as they knew her...and it slowly comes to light that it wasn't always pretty.
Zoe was a beautiful vivacious girl, but she was also a vicious bully. She took inane pleasure in belittling others less popular, less attractive, less anything in her eyes. Her cruelty was as palpable as it was uncalled for. But that never stopped Zoe. She was the star that simply had to shine the brightest while others could only bask in her shadow, and if that meant putting others down to ensure that position, even her best friends, then that's what it would take. No one could outshine Zoe.
But to Lydia, Zoe was her baby girl. She would always remember Zoe as the adorable child she had been as well as the difficult teenager she became. And sadly, she would never get the chance to become an adult, a wife, a mother or anything besides the teenage bully she died as. For her, Zoe would be forever sixteen.
To Jessie, Zoe would remain an enigma and yet she would always be her little sister. She loved her and wished she had been a better sister but Zoe didn't always make it easy. She was mean and cruel but she could also be loving and sweet. Their six year age gap meant the sisters were often strangers with Jessie busy studying medicine and Zoe wrapped up in being a teenage girl. Never again would they have the chance to be sisters. Never again would Zoe have the chance to be anything but sixteen.
There are a plethora of complex issues in this compelling tale of the mystery surrounding a young girl's death. And in this modern day and age, bullying has gone beyond the playground following their victims home via social media. No longer can one escape to the safety of their home for a much needed reprieve from the bullies. Now they can follow them everywhere, night and day in a constant stream of abuse, shaming and humiliation for all the world to see.
But that's the only danger on the internet. Complete strangers can become anyone and what one young girl believes to be a gorgeous boy could in actual fact be a dirty old man. Children are vulnerable, easy prey and despite warnings and the best efforts to educate them to be careful, they often still get caught up in the kindness amidst the cruelty and the promises of clever deception.
Then when, after her death, Zoe was found to have been talking with a boy online, to the point of even dumping her boyfriend, questions begin to arise as to the identity of who it was she'd really been talking to. Who is Xavier? How she did they know each other? Did she meet up with him on that Friday night? Is that why she left her cabin in the middle of the night after everyone was asleep? And where is this Xavier now?
Compelling and addictive, THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME is a dark story that is emotional and heartbreaking. A perfect mix of contemporary fiction and mystery, Nicole Trope encapsulates each character that as a reader you are able to feel what they feel alongside them. She also deals with the issues facing the youth of today involving social media perfectly, showing how easy it is for the internet to play such a devastating part in destroying lives.
As with all of Nicole Trope's books, THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME is unforgettable, thrilling, emotionally charged and unputdownable. But keep the tissues handy, especially regarding Walter. I didn't shed a tear for Zoe but I bawled bucketloads for Walter.
As always, thoroughly recommended for those who love a touch of mystery to their contemporary fiction...or vice versa!
I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlWhoNeverCameHome in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Nicole Trope's compelling emotional domestic drama THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME.
Nicole Trope is one of my go-to authors and I was looking forward to devouring this tale and solving its mystery. I was not disappointed. THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME is a book that works on different scopes forming a mystery of what happens to a young girl, in addition to those who remain and how they deal with their grief. And that grief takes on many forms for not only the family but also that of friends and those who were in some way connected to the girl and her initial disappearance. It also examines how one can be affected by such a sudden and tragic death and the shadows of the memories they leave behind.
What begins as an exciting prospect for some and a lot of hard work for others, ends up in being every parent's and every ever teacher's nightmare. A teenager going missing whilst on a school camp. And if that wasn't bad enough, then nothing would prepare them for what was to come. While being a mother is one of the most difficult yet most rewarding job, being a teenager in this terrifying age of social media and constant presence is probably even worse. I'm so glad my teenage years were long over before the birth of social media.
When 16 year old Zoe Bloom goes on a school camping trip to the Blue Mountains with her year 11 class, her mother Lydia never thought it would be the last time she would see her beloved daughter alive. Not only that, her final words to her daughter were those calling her a bitch. How can they be her final words to her youngest child, whom had always been the light of her life? And as Lydia swims through the tidal wave of her grief, she longs to know what really happened to her beloved Zoe and why her life was tragically cut short.
On the first night of the camping trip, Zoe settles into the cabin she shares with her best friends Shayna and Becca. But as it is a four bed cabin with one spare, the teachers place another student with the three girls. Leeanne is one of Zoe's favourite people to taunt. But this time something is different. One of them stands up to Zoe...and no one does that.
So after lights out on the Friday night, Zoe creeps out of their cabin and disappears into the bush. Someone hears her leave, someone sees her walk away...but no one stops her. The following morning Zoe is not in her bed. The alarm is raised, a search party is organised and her mother is contacted. It is a parent's worst nightmare...but one that comes true when at 6am on Sunday morning, Zoe's body is found.
The journey the reader is then taken on is through one of grief, fear, regrets, secrets and the guilt of all those who were there that night as well as those closest to her. Through the eyes of Lydia (her mother), Shayna (her best friend), Jessie (her sister) and Bernadette (her teacher) we are privy to their thoughts and the complex emotions of their private pain as secrets are slowly revealed surrounding the daughter, friend, sister and student known as Zoe. Through them, we see the Zoe as they knew her...and it slowly comes to light that it wasn't always pretty.
Zoe was a beautiful vivacious girl, but she was also a vicious bully. She took inane pleasure in belittling others less popular, less attractive, less anything in her eyes. Her cruelty was as palpable as it was uncalled for. But that never stopped Zoe. She was the star that simply had to shine the brightest while others could only bask in her shadow, and if that meant putting others down to ensure that position, even her best friends, then that's what it would take. No one could outshine Zoe.
But to Lydia, Zoe was her baby girl. She would always remember Zoe as the adorable child she had been as well as the difficult teenager she became. And sadly, she would never get the chance to become an adult, a wife, a mother or anything besides the teenage bully she died as. For her, Zoe would be forever sixteen.
To Jessie, Zoe would remain an enigma and yet she would always be her little sister. She loved her and wished she had been a better sister but Zoe didn't always make it easy. She was mean and cruel but she could also be loving and sweet. Their six year age gap meant the sisters were often strangers with Jessie busy studying medicine and Zoe wrapped up in being a teenage girl. Never again would they have the chance to be sisters. Never again would Zoe have the chance to be anything but sixteen.
There are a plethora of complex issues in this compelling tale of the mystery surrounding a young girl's death. And in this modern day and age, bullying has gone beyond the playground following their victims home via social media. No longer can one escape to the safety of their home for a much needed reprieve from the bullies. Now they can follow them everywhere, night and day in a constant stream of abuse, shaming and humiliation for all the world to see.
But that's the only danger on the internet. Complete strangers can become anyone and what one young girl believes to be a gorgeous boy could in actual fact be a dirty old man. Children are vulnerable, easy prey and despite warnings and the best efforts to educate them to be careful, they often still get caught up in the kindness amidst the cruelty and the promises of clever deception.
Then when, after her death, Zoe was found to have been talking with a boy online, to the point of even dumping her boyfriend, questions begin to arise as to the identity of who it was she'd really been talking to. Who is Xavier? How she did they know each other? Did she meet up with him on that Friday night? Is that why she left her cabin in the middle of the night after everyone was asleep? And where is this Xavier now?
Compelling and addictive, THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME is a dark story that is emotional and heartbreaking. A perfect mix of contemporary fiction and mystery, Nicole Trope encapsulates each character that as a reader you are able to feel what they feel alongside them. She also deals with the issues facing the youth of today involving social media perfectly, showing how easy it is for the internet to play such a devastating part in destroying lives.
As with all of Nicole Trope's books, THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME HOME is unforgettable, thrilling, emotionally charged and unputdownable. But keep the tissues handy, especially regarding Walter. I didn't shed a tear for Zoe but I bawled bucketloads for Walter.
As always, thoroughly recommended for those who love a touch of mystery to their contemporary fiction...or vice versa!
I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlWhoNeverCameHome in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
December 17, 2024
“Zoe was sixteen. Zoe was beautiful, precocious, flirtatious, clever, funny, angry, defiant. Zoe was her baby and her baby is gone.”
It takes them twenty three hours to find the body of sixteen year old Zoe Bloom at the base of a small cliff, just metres from the edge of the school camp site she had been attending in the Blue Mountains. Her mother, Lydia, is devastated, and puzzled, and angry, desperate to know why her precious daughter won’t be coming home.
Unfolding from multiple perspectives The Girl Who Never Came Home is a heart rending, poignant drama about grief, secrets, betrayal, guilt and love.
Lydia is immediately a sympathetic character, the loss of a child is every parents worst nightmare, and Trope’s portrayal of a grieving mother’s volatile emotional state feels authentic. Having already lost her daughters father to cancer, this tragedy is almost more than Lydia can bear, and her grief is compounded by the questions that surround Zoe’s death.
Like most sixteen year olds Zoe was neither all one thing, nor the other - though often thought of as lively, bright, and charming, she could also be rebellious, selfish, petty, and mean-spirited. As the police investigate her untimely death they must consider all the possibilities- could it be suicide, and accident or murder?
In the aftermath, Zoe’s sister, Jessie; her best friends, Shayna and Becca; the teachers supervising the camp, Bernadette and Paula, among others, are forced to examine their conscience. Trope’s portrayal of each distinct character is convincing, and as each considers what role, if any, they played in Zoe’s demise, secrets are revealed, edging the reader closer to discovering the truth.
Trope thoughtfully touches on issues common in adolescence including friendship, bullying, eating disorders, dating, risk-taking and the use of social media, but it’s the often mercurial and complicated relationships between mothers and daughters that are in focus. With the revelations that come after Zoe’s death, Lydia can’t help but wonder if she knew her daughter at all, a feeling exacerbated when she learns that Jessie too has been keeping secrets.
The Girl Who Never Came Home is an emotional, suspenseful, and compulsive read. I think it would particularly be an excellent choice for a mother-daughter book club, sure to provoke much discussion.
It takes them twenty three hours to find the body of sixteen year old Zoe Bloom at the base of a small cliff, just metres from the edge of the school camp site she had been attending in the Blue Mountains. Her mother, Lydia, is devastated, and puzzled, and angry, desperate to know why her precious daughter won’t be coming home.
Unfolding from multiple perspectives The Girl Who Never Came Home is a heart rending, poignant drama about grief, secrets, betrayal, guilt and love.
Lydia is immediately a sympathetic character, the loss of a child is every parents worst nightmare, and Trope’s portrayal of a grieving mother’s volatile emotional state feels authentic. Having already lost her daughters father to cancer, this tragedy is almost more than Lydia can bear, and her grief is compounded by the questions that surround Zoe’s death.
Like most sixteen year olds Zoe was neither all one thing, nor the other - though often thought of as lively, bright, and charming, she could also be rebellious, selfish, petty, and mean-spirited. As the police investigate her untimely death they must consider all the possibilities- could it be suicide, and accident or murder?
In the aftermath, Zoe’s sister, Jessie; her best friends, Shayna and Becca; the teachers supervising the camp, Bernadette and Paula, among others, are forced to examine their conscience. Trope’s portrayal of each distinct character is convincing, and as each considers what role, if any, they played in Zoe’s demise, secrets are revealed, edging the reader closer to discovering the truth.
Trope thoughtfully touches on issues common in adolescence including friendship, bullying, eating disorders, dating, risk-taking and the use of social media, but it’s the often mercurial and complicated relationships between mothers and daughters that are in focus. With the revelations that come after Zoe’s death, Lydia can’t help but wonder if she knew her daughter at all, a feeling exacerbated when she learns that Jessie too has been keeping secrets.
The Girl Who Never Came Home is an emotional, suspenseful, and compulsive read. I think it would particularly be an excellent choice for a mother-daughter book club, sure to provoke much discussion.
January 15, 2024
It took twenty three hours to find her body, laying in an outcrop underneath a small cliff. Zoe Bloom will be forever sixteen and remembered as the girl who died during school camp.
So what happened in those hours leading to her death? Those onsite has some valuable insight, if only they share the information with the police. Zoe's best friends were sharing a cabin with her and an argument escalated between the trio. The head teacher also noticed Zoe in the small hours, deep in a confrontation with another girl. Even Zoe's elder sister happened to be onsite, too afraid of being caught out rather than helping the distraught teen.
So did Zoe jump, fall or was she pushed? Mother Lydia's intuition tells her that her daughter would never contemplate suicide, so that rules out that area of judgement .. for the meantime. Eyes are on the teachers in charge, neglecting their duty of care. The friends are in the perfect position to answer those questions, but are reluctant to speak up in case their part in the events are frowned upon.
There's no doubt Zoe's death will set off a chain of ramifications. Lydia will fall deep into grief over the loss of a child. Jessie's guilt will eat away at her, wishing that she had another chance of being a better sister. Shayna, Zoe's best friend, will remember the past decade of friendship fondly, marred by conflict in recent months. As for passionate teacher Bernadette, her career and livelihood is put on the line as she faces disciplinary action from the Board of Education.
This was a great read with plenty of twists and turns. Each chapter is told in a different voice as they navigate the aftermath, providing insight of not only Zoe's personality, but also those vital clues that will assist in painting a better picture surrounding her death.
The general consensus is that Zoe was quite a mean and nasty person who often made some questionable choices. Still, she didn't deserve to die so young nor in such a horrible manner.
When the truth was finally revealed, my first reaction was disbelief. I just couldn't understand how far someone would go just to prove a point. Turns out the old adage 'wolves in sheep's clothing' is the case here.
This is just an oversight on my part, the constant teenage bitchiness got on my nerves at times. As a forty something woman, I'm way over the high school angst demographic. Apart from that small issue, The Girl Who Never Came Home is yet another exemplary novel by Nicole Trope that'll keep you enthralled to the last page.
4.5🌟
So what happened in those hours leading to her death? Those onsite has some valuable insight, if only they share the information with the police. Zoe's best friends were sharing a cabin with her and an argument escalated between the trio. The head teacher also noticed Zoe in the small hours, deep in a confrontation with another girl. Even Zoe's elder sister happened to be onsite, too afraid of being caught out rather than helping the distraught teen.
So did Zoe jump, fall or was she pushed? Mother Lydia's intuition tells her that her daughter would never contemplate suicide, so that rules out that area of judgement .. for the meantime. Eyes are on the teachers in charge, neglecting their duty of care. The friends are in the perfect position to answer those questions, but are reluctant to speak up in case their part in the events are frowned upon.
There's no doubt Zoe's death will set off a chain of ramifications. Lydia will fall deep into grief over the loss of a child. Jessie's guilt will eat away at her, wishing that she had another chance of being a better sister. Shayna, Zoe's best friend, will remember the past decade of friendship fondly, marred by conflict in recent months. As for passionate teacher Bernadette, her career and livelihood is put on the line as she faces disciplinary action from the Board of Education.
This was a great read with plenty of twists and turns. Each chapter is told in a different voice as they navigate the aftermath, providing insight of not only Zoe's personality, but also those vital clues that will assist in painting a better picture surrounding her death.
The general consensus is that Zoe was quite a mean and nasty person who often made some questionable choices. Still, she didn't deserve to die so young nor in such a horrible manner.
When the truth was finally revealed, my first reaction was disbelief. I just couldn't understand how far someone would go just to prove a point. Turns out the old adage 'wolves in sheep's clothing' is the case here.
This is just an oversight on my part, the constant teenage bitchiness got on my nerves at times. As a forty something woman, I'm way over the high school angst demographic. Apart from that small issue, The Girl Who Never Came Home is yet another exemplary novel by Nicole Trope that'll keep you enthralled to the last page.
4.5🌟
January 13, 2021
This is my first experience with Aussie domestic noir writer Nicole Trope and wow, I can’t believe what I’ve been missing.
Sixteen year old Zoe disappears on a school camping trip.
Not long after the rescue team find her body.
What happened?
A story where everyone is a suspect and everyone has a reason for wanting Zoe dead.
It soon becomes quite clear that the popular student was not very liked and everyone has something to hide
Nicole has weaved a addictive drama that will keep you guessing until the very end.
She introduces all the hints and clues to make it look like everyone has a motive but it soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems.
Gripping, believable and one that will totally have you hooked and almost impossible to put down, with that being said you can easily devour in one sitting.
It also keeps the reader intrigued with many questions along the way.
Told from different perspectives with each chapter a different voice to give you an understanding of how each person has reacted or is involved with Zoe, giving their thoughts and reactions to everything that is happening.
A perfect mix of mystery, domestic drama and contemporary fiction, Nicole pulls you in and won’t let go and takes you on a thrilling ride.
A stunning well written and captivating tale that will draw you into the drama and vivid lives of all the characters.
Sixteen year old Zoe disappears on a school camping trip.
Not long after the rescue team find her body.
What happened?
A story where everyone is a suspect and everyone has a reason for wanting Zoe dead.
It soon becomes quite clear that the popular student was not very liked and everyone has something to hide
Nicole has weaved a addictive drama that will keep you guessing until the very end.
She introduces all the hints and clues to make it look like everyone has a motive but it soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems.
Gripping, believable and one that will totally have you hooked and almost impossible to put down, with that being said you can easily devour in one sitting.
It also keeps the reader intrigued with many questions along the way.
Told from different perspectives with each chapter a different voice to give you an understanding of how each person has reacted or is involved with Zoe, giving their thoughts and reactions to everything that is happening.
A perfect mix of mystery, domestic drama and contemporary fiction, Nicole pulls you in and won’t let go and takes you on a thrilling ride.
A stunning well written and captivating tale that will draw you into the drama and vivid lives of all the characters.
April 2, 2021
My first Nicole Trope book, won't be my last.
Devoured this in just over a day, didn't want to put it down.
Lydia experiences every parent's worst nightmare: her 16 year old daughter Zoe goes on a school camp and never comes home.
The story is told from varying point of views: Lydia, the mother, Jessie, Zoe's sister, Bernadette, the teacher in charge, Shayna, Zoe's best friend, and the villain (with a few extra POVs thrown in when we need them.)
Watching this story unfold makes for a compulsive page-turner!
Devoured this in just over a day, didn't want to put it down.
Lydia experiences every parent's worst nightmare: her 16 year old daughter Zoe goes on a school camp and never comes home.
The story is told from varying point of views: Lydia, the mother, Jessie, Zoe's sister, Bernadette, the teacher in charge, Shayna, Zoe's best friend, and the villain (with a few extra POVs thrown in when we need them.)
Watching this story unfold makes for a compulsive page-turner!
October 2, 2020
Zoe is on a camping trip with her class, she's the average teenager who is popular. She's mean, down right nasty, she hides her brain and she's pretty. In the cabin she has her two best friends and a girl who she is really mean to, but not everything is as it seems. Zoe and her best friends get into an arguemet that fateful night and Zoe leaves the cabin. In the morning she still has not returned and they start a search party, and in that search party they find her dead. Now, the police are trying to figure out what happened and as it happens everyone has secrets including Zoe. As events unravel not everyone is as they seem and some secrets are to die for. A secret guy, a secret relationship for her sister, the elderly teacher who decides that it's not her problem, the friend who wants Zoe to understand what she does to people, a person who wants to hurt Zoe as much as she has hurt others and the other friend who really doesn't care anymore and the mother who thought she knew her daughters later finding out there are so many secrets that she didn't know. As the investigation continues to unravel and the secrets come out, the tensions rise between everyone and the death of Zoe affects more people than originally thought.
A great gripping story that had me on the edge racking my brain trying to figure out who I thought was guilty, and in the end I never would have guessed the twist. I guess looks are deceiving but definitely a great read!
A great gripping story that had me on the edge racking my brain trying to figure out who I thought was guilty, and in the end I never would have guessed the twist. I guess looks are deceiving but definitely a great read!
November 21, 2020
This book was predictable but, I liked it. Zoe, a teenager is missing from a school camp, and soon she is found dead. So many secrets in this story. I liked Lydia, Zoe's mom, a strong lady even after she went through so many things.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.
November 1, 2020
Beautiful. Poignant. Heart breaking. Stunning writing. I just could not put this book down. Felt for every single one of the characters. So well written. An exquisite triumph of a book. One that will stay with me for a long time. Please read this one.
October 18, 2020
The Girl Who Never Came Home by Nicole Trope is another compelling and thought-provoking read from this author. I just love Ms Trope's writing, and her ability to create such fully fleshed out characters and well developed storylines that will hold you on the edge of your seat. If you haven't read her novels, update your TBR list immediately.
Zoe Bloom is on a school camping trip when she goes missing one night. Told from the multiple perspectives of Zoe's family, friends, and teachers, it becomes apparent that not everyone adores the popular and vivacious sixteen year old, contrary to how it appears on her Instagram posts. Is Zoe's fate the result of a terrible accident, or does someone close to her have a more sinister agenda?
This is an interesting story that goes far beyond the typical whodunit. It
explores not only the impact of social media, but also makes a strong statement about the ripple effect that alters lives far beyond a single horrific event.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.
Zoe Bloom is on a school camping trip when she goes missing one night. Told from the multiple perspectives of Zoe's family, friends, and teachers, it becomes apparent that not everyone adores the popular and vivacious sixteen year old, contrary to how it appears on her Instagram posts. Is Zoe's fate the result of a terrible accident, or does someone close to her have a more sinister agenda?
This is an interesting story that goes far beyond the typical whodunit. It
explores not only the impact of social media, but also makes a strong statement about the ripple effect that alters lives far beyond a single horrific event.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.
September 24, 2020
This is a heart-wrenching story about a girl who disappears from a high school class camp out, with lots of twists. Zoe is known to be a very nice 16 year old girl, as well as a bully. The book explores the aftermath of her death, as experienced by her mother, sister and step-father, as well as her friends and teachers. Was her death deliberate or an accident? This is an excellent book that is definitely worth spending the time to read. I recommend it to everyone who likes a good mystery that is very realistic.I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 13, 2020
Unique presentation of a story. The beginning of the book sets the stage: Zoe goes on a school camping trip and disappears. Her body is found the morning after.
The rest of the book is like a back story, even though it takes place in the present. Various people in Zoe's life explain their relationship with Zoe and their impression of her. In each character you can sense that an important fact is being left out. At one point, it seems that everyone in Zoe's life might know something about her mysterious death. Everyone has secrets that they are holding back.
All of us are all viewed differently by people in our lives but when those views are put together they create the whole person. This is how we learn who Zoe was.
Zoe is a multi faceted character. She has a nice, sweet side but she also has a mean girl side.
Well written, very relevant to our times and culture. And, perhaps there is a lesson to be learned.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance readers copy.
The rest of the book is like a back story, even though it takes place in the present. Various people in Zoe's life explain their relationship with Zoe and their impression of her. In each character you can sense that an important fact is being left out. At one point, it seems that everyone in Zoe's life might know something about her mysterious death. Everyone has secrets that they are holding back.
All of us are all viewed differently by people in our lives but when those views are put together they create the whole person. This is how we learn who Zoe was.
Zoe is a multi faceted character. She has a nice, sweet side but she also has a mean girl side.
Well written, very relevant to our times and culture. And, perhaps there is a lesson to be learned.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance readers copy.
November 4, 2020
16 year old Zoe goes on a school camping trip with her 2 best friends. When her mom, Lydia, gets a phone call that Zoe is missing is when everything starts unraveling in this book. Zoe is not a nice person and even bullies her own friends. Treats boys like crap and other teens seem to be afraid of her.
Lydia is out in the mountains calling her daughter's name with so many other rescue helpers. But when they find Zoe's body is when Lydia just can't cope. Lydia had lost her husband many years ago and she is now remarried to a wonderful guy, Gabrielle. She also has an older daughter who is also hiding things about that night.
I was thinking all kinds of things and thinking of different people who would want to hurt Zoe. This book opened up so much about Zoe that you know she didn't deserve to die but she did deserve to be punished for her behavior.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC to review.
Lydia is out in the mountains calling her daughter's name with so many other rescue helpers. But when they find Zoe's body is when Lydia just can't cope. Lydia had lost her husband many years ago and she is now remarried to a wonderful guy, Gabrielle. She also has an older daughter who is also hiding things about that night.
I was thinking all kinds of things and thinking of different people who would want to hurt Zoe. This book opened up so much about Zoe that you know she didn't deserve to die but she did deserve to be punished for her behavior.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC to review.
November 22, 2020
Book Description:
They find her just as the sun is beginning to rise in the early morning mist. They had begun at dawn, the group of searchers keen to get going. A missing child spurred everyone on. In the end, it was a flash of colour, a bright neon pink that caught her eye. They had been looking for pink.
Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover, when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.
It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.
As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.
It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.
Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?
A heartbreaking, redemptive and beautifully crafted novel which brings to life a mother’s worst nightmare, questioning how well we ever really know the people we love the most. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kerry Fisher and Liane Moriarty will be blown away by this stirring, unforgettable tale.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Girl Who Never Came Home' by Nicole Trope.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 4th November 2020
This is the first book that I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis. The book was advertised with the statement that fans of Jodi Picoult and Kerry Fisher will be blown away by it. I'm a MASSIVE fan of both of these authors so it will be interesting to see if the story lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 33 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Sydney, USA 🇺🇸.
This book is written in a mix of first and third person perspective and the main protagonists are Shayna (Zoe's best friend and first person perspective ), Bernadette (Zoe's teacher and first person perspective), Jessie (Zoe's sister and third person perspective) and Lydia (Zoe's mum and third person perspective ). I enjoy books written in both first and third person with several protagonists as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. You alse get to bond more in first person perspective with the character. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written and the fact that the author has used both first person and third person perspective as well as many protagonists could have been a disaster but it has worked fantastically!!! It has been brilliant to see so much of the picture and see how so many characters are thinking and feeling.
The storyline itself is a slow burner and I think of it hadn't had been it may jot have worked as well. The author slowly feeds you information throughout so you can rule people out or build on what they know. It really did fit the plot perfectly. It is packed with secrets, suspense, lies, revelations, shocks and surprises. I didn't work out who the mystery character talking was until about 75% which is brilliant, nothing worse than working it all out straight away. I only worked it out then as the author wanted the reader too and even then there was still some mystery left to it. I think the flashbacks throughout also worked really well and it was interesting to discover all the bits together. It felt very much like working on a jigsaw but having the last piece withheld from you until just the right time and then BOOM everything makes sense.
Ahhh... Now onto the characters!!! What a mixed bunch we have here! Again, the story wouldn't have worked otherwise. My thoughts really did go out to both Jessie, Lydia and Leanne. I did feel sorry for Bernadette but she seemed to be the type of teacher who wouldn't have been on my favourites list if I'm honest. Unfortunately, and I now this will sound horrid but hey its an honest review, I didn't like Zoe and I can't say I felt at all sorry for her. I probably won't go as far as to say she deserved it..... Mmmm.... BUT she was a full on bully and after being bullied myself I can't scrape any sympathy for her. She had a nice life with a nice family so, yeah, no excuse for being a mega female dog!! Anyway, moving on, the characters were all very well developed and did work well together. It was interesting to see how they all developed throughout the storyline and I hope that Jess finds her happiness.
Overall a slow burning psychological jigsaw puzzle packed with suspense, lies, drama and much more!!
Genres covered in this novel include Suspense, Coming-Of-Age Story and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as .
301 pages.
This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Girl Who Never Came Home' by Nicole Trope.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 4th November 2020
This is the first book that I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis. The book was advertised with the statement that fans of Jodi Picoult and Kerry Fisher will be blown away by it. I'm a MASSIVE fan of both of these authors so it will be interesting to see if the story lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 33 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Sydney, USA 🇺🇸.
This book is written in a mix of first and third person perspective and the main protagonists are Shayna (Zoe's best friend and first person perspective ), Bernadette (Zoe's teacher and first person perspective), Jessie (Zoe's sister and third person perspective) and Lydia (Zoe's mum and third person perspective ). I enjoy books written in both first and third person with several protagonists as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. You alse get to bond more in first person perspective with the character. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
Secrets. Suspense. Lies. Revalations. Surprises. Shocks. Slowly feeding information. Slow burner. Flash backs.
Overall
Genres covered in this novel include Suspense, Coming-Of-Age Story and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as .
301 pages.
This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheGirlWhoNeverCameHome #Bookouture #NicolaTrope #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@NicolaTrope @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__... on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheGirlWhoNeverCameHome #Bookouture #NicolaTrope #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@NicolaTrope @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
Author Bio:
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 between raising three children, working for her husband and renovating houses, she has published six novels. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
https://www.facebook.com/NicoleTrope/
https://twitter.com/nicoletrope
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3jtSzhb
Apple: https://apple.co/3gsiPry
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3k6gbds
Google: https://bit.ly/3fqkmwW
They find her just as the sun is beginning to rise in the early morning mist. They had begun at dawn, the group of searchers keen to get going. A missing child spurred everyone on. In the end, it was a flash of colour, a bright neon pink that caught her eye. They had been looking for pink.
Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover, when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.
It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.
As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.
It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.
Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?
A heartbreaking, redemptive and beautifully crafted novel which brings to life a mother’s worst nightmare, questioning how well we ever really know the people we love the most. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kerry Fisher and Liane Moriarty will be blown away by this stirring, unforgettable tale.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Girl Who Never Came Home' by Nicole Trope.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 4th November 2020
This is the first book that I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis. The book was advertised with the statement that fans of Jodi Picoult and Kerry Fisher will be blown away by it. I'm a MASSIVE fan of both of these authors so it will be interesting to see if the story lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 33 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Sydney, USA 🇺🇸.
This book is written in a mix of first and third person perspective and the main protagonists are Shayna (Zoe's best friend and first person perspective ), Bernadette (Zoe's teacher and first person perspective), Jessie (Zoe's sister and third person perspective) and Lydia (Zoe's mum and third person perspective ). I enjoy books written in both first and third person with several protagonists as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. You alse get to bond more in first person perspective with the character. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written and the fact that the author has used both first person and third person perspective as well as many protagonists could have been a disaster but it has worked fantastically!!! It has been brilliant to see so much of the picture and see how so many characters are thinking and feeling.
The storyline itself is a slow burner and I think of it hadn't had been it may jot have worked as well. The author slowly feeds you information throughout so you can rule people out or build on what they know. It really did fit the plot perfectly. It is packed with secrets, suspense, lies, revelations, shocks and surprises. I didn't work out who the mystery character talking was until about 75% which is brilliant, nothing worse than working it all out straight away. I only worked it out then as the author wanted the reader too and even then there was still some mystery left to it. I think the flashbacks throughout also worked really well and it was interesting to discover all the bits together. It felt very much like working on a jigsaw but having the last piece withheld from you until just the right time and then BOOM everything makes sense.
Ahhh... Now onto the characters!!! What a mixed bunch we have here! Again, the story wouldn't have worked otherwise. My thoughts really did go out to both Jessie, Lydia and Leanne. I did feel sorry for Bernadette but she seemed to be the type of teacher who wouldn't have been on my favourites list if I'm honest. Unfortunately, and I now this will sound horrid but hey its an honest review, I didn't like Zoe and I can't say I felt at all sorry for her. I probably won't go as far as to say she deserved it..... Mmmm.... BUT she was a full on bully and after being bullied myself I can't scrape any sympathy for her. She had a nice life with a nice family so, yeah, no excuse for being a mega female dog!! Anyway, moving on, the characters were all very well developed and did work well together. It was interesting to see how they all developed throughout the storyline and I hope that Jess finds her happiness.
Overall a slow burning psychological jigsaw puzzle packed with suspense, lies, drama and much more!!
Genres covered in this novel include Suspense, Coming-Of-Age Story and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as .
301 pages.
This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Girl Who Never Came Home' by Nicole Trope.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 4th November 2020
This is the first book that I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis. The book was advertised with the statement that fans of Jodi Picoult and Kerry Fisher will be blown away by it. I'm a MASSIVE fan of both of these authors so it will be interesting to see if the story lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 33 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Sydney, USA 🇺🇸.
This book is written in a mix of first and third person perspective and the main protagonists are Shayna (Zoe's best friend and first person perspective ), Bernadette (Zoe's teacher and first person perspective), Jessie (Zoe's sister and third person perspective) and Lydia (Zoe's mum and third person perspective ). I enjoy books written in both first and third person with several protagonists as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. You alse get to bond more in first person perspective with the character. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
Secrets. Suspense. Lies. Revalations. Surprises. Shocks. Slowly feeding information. Slow burner. Flash backs.
Overall
Genres covered in this novel include Suspense, Coming-Of-Age Story and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as .
301 pages.
This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheGirlWhoNeverCameHome #Bookouture #NicolaTrope #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@NicolaTrope @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__... on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheGirlWhoNeverCameHome #Bookouture #NicolaTrope #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@NicolaTrope @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
Author Bio:
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 between raising three children, working for her husband and renovating houses, she has published six novels. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
https://www.facebook.com/NicoleTrope/
https://twitter.com/nicoletrope
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3jtSzhb
Apple: https://apple.co/3gsiPry
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3k6gbds
Google: https://bit.ly/3fqkmwW
January 14, 2024
Total page turner for me!
July 8, 2024
Rating 4.25
November 7, 2020
This emotionally charged thriller is written in chapters that alternated between four,vivid female characters Jessie (Zoe's sister) Lydia (Zoe's Mother) Shayna (one of Zoe's best friends) and Bernadette (the teacher who was in charge of the camp on the night that Zoe disappeared. Three of them were harbouring secrets and feelings of guilt about events on that fateful Friday night when Zoe disappeared, secrets that they were reluctant to reveal for their own personal reasons. The character I felt a lot of sympathy for was poor Jessie, she had lost her father at a young age,had just lost her sister and after she revealed her personal secret she received no support from Lydia, who just seemed to be wallowing in her own grief with no thought for how much Jessie and her step father Gabriel were also suffering. I understand that she had just lost her perfect, beautiful daughter (a daughter who was not the angel her mother thought she was) but I thought she was quite selfish and self absorbed at times but then,I suppose grief affects different people in different ways. I can't say that I liked Bernadette very much but I didnt think that the way that she was treated by the school was very fair considering the fact that she wasn't the only teacher at the camp,the word scapegoat sprang into my mind. They say that your school days are the best days of your life, I loved school, it got me away from my mother. Way back when I was at school, if you were bullied, once you got home,you could forget about the name calling and teasing until the next day. But now in the days of the internet and smart phones, victims can be bullied at any hour of the night or day and the bullying has reached a whole new level of nastiness and can even be degrading. It is far too easy for unscrupulous people to hid behind fake identities and victimize their chosen victim from behind the unanimity of their chosen screen. Interspersed throughout the book and written in italics were chapters that narrated by a character who definitely didn't like Zoe very much and had devised a plan to teach her a lesson but who was that person and why did they dislike Zoe so much. The teenage characters were a realistic mix of teenage angst,hormones, bullying, backstabbing,young love, disagreements, ghosting and support. But what had happened to Zoe on the fatal Friday night? Was her death an accident or murder? Did she get lost in the dark and fall to her death or is there a murderer hiding in plain sight?
This is a extremely well written, captivating story that causes the reader to experience a wide range of emotions, I was almost in tears at one point. I hooked into this enthralling story from the first page, drawn into the lives of the author's vivid character's and their fictional but realistic world. The twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing and frantically turning the pages, I would have read the whole book in one sitting if my brain and eyes had been cooperating.I absolutely loved this brilliant book, worth far more than five stars and very very highly recommended.
This is a extremely well written, captivating story that causes the reader to experience a wide range of emotions, I was almost in tears at one point. I hooked into this enthralling story from the first page, drawn into the lives of the author's vivid character's and their fictional but realistic world. The twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing and frantically turning the pages, I would have read the whole book in one sitting if my brain and eyes had been cooperating.I absolutely loved this brilliant book, worth far more than five stars and very very highly recommended.
July 31, 2022
The words from the book blurb sum this book up perfectly which I quote herewith "A heartbreaking, redemptive and beautifully crafted novel which brings to life a mother’s worst nightmare, questioning how well we ever really know the people we love the most." . I couldn't have described it any better if I tried.
It was truly well written and the characters all well developed. I was literally captivated by the story from start to finish. The story does deal with some sensitive difficult topics, such as bullying, which some readers may find upsetting but I truly feel that the author has done very well in the telling of such a story as this.
The story is told from the perspective of a number of characters, to include the Mother, sister, teacher and two best friends of Zoe’s, I liked that it was done that way as it bought different things to the story and let’s you get to know each of the characters individually. I truly felt sorry for the teacher Bernadette, as she was out in a difficult situation which was for the most part out of her control, but I’m glad she survived the ordeal and came out the other side come the end. As for character L (I’ll not name her here as I don’t want to risk letting out any spoilers), so I’m probably in the minority here but I truly felt for L, all that she had to go through, yes she made a mistake but she was a victim in a big way to bullying, I was shocked at the end, I personally don’t think she should have got 6 years, especially given her age and the circumstances.
Anyway despite that, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story, was fully entertained and engaged from start to finish.
Nicole Trope is fast becoming one of my favourite go to authors, I will definitely be looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
It was truly well written and the characters all well developed. I was literally captivated by the story from start to finish. The story does deal with some sensitive difficult topics, such as bullying, which some readers may find upsetting but I truly feel that the author has done very well in the telling of such a story as this.
The story is told from the perspective of a number of characters, to include the Mother, sister, teacher and two best friends of Zoe’s, I liked that it was done that way as it bought different things to the story and let’s you get to know each of the characters individually. I truly felt sorry for the teacher Bernadette, as she was out in a difficult situation which was for the most part out of her control, but I’m glad she survived the ordeal and came out the other side come the end. As for character L (I’ll not name her here as I don’t want to risk letting out any spoilers), so I’m probably in the minority here but I truly felt for L, all that she had to go through, yes she made a mistake but she was a victim in a big way to bullying, I was shocked at the end, I personally don’t think she should have got 6 years, especially given her age and the circumstances.
Anyway despite that, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story, was fully entertained and engaged from start to finish.
Nicole Trope is fast becoming one of my favourite go to authors, I will definitely be looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
November 4, 2020
They find her just as the sun is beginning to rise in the early morning mist. They had begun at dawn, the group of searchers keen to get going. A missing child spurred everyone on. In the end, it was a flash of colour, a bright neon pink that caught her eye. They had been looking for pink.
Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover, when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.
It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.
As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.
It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.
Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?
This book was an enjoyable read.
I loved how it was narrated by several different characters. Even though some of those characters were truly unlikeable.
There were lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing and it shows you how one persons actions can effect many lives.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.
Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover, when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.
It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.
As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.
It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.
Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?
This book was an enjoyable read.
I loved how it was narrated by several different characters. Even though some of those characters were truly unlikeable.
There were lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing and it shows you how one persons actions can effect many lives.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews