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Never Stop Looking
Six years after her husband disappeared without trace, Abbie Silvas still searches for him obsessively. Unwilling to leave her Vauxhall flat for any length of time, just in case he comes back, she lives a strange, museum-like half-life, still waiting for Nick's return, still wondering what happened to him.
But the fragile balance of Abbie's world is set to change, when Owen moves into the flat above. Newly separated, Owen too is dealing with the sudden loss of family life. Missing his children desperately, he becomes drawn to his lonely neighbour, intrigued by her sad story. Could Owen and his children's arrival prove the catalyst that will enable Abbie to let go of Nick, heal, and move on?
But Abbie and Nick's marriage was not the perfect union she remembers. Abbie is finding it increasingly hard to paper over the cracks in her memories. And the intrusion of Owen and his children will force her to confront feelings and memories that have long been frozen . . .
But the fragile balance of Abbie's world is set to change, when Owen moves into the flat above. Newly separated, Owen too is dealing with the sudden loss of family life. Missing his children desperately, he becomes drawn to his lonely neighbour, intrigued by her sad story. Could Owen and his children's arrival prove the catalyst that will enable Abbie to let go of Nick, heal, and move on?
But Abbie and Nick's marriage was not the perfect union she remembers. Abbie is finding it increasingly hard to paper over the cracks in her memories. And the intrusion of Owen and his children will force her to confront feelings and memories that have long been frozen . . .
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 23, 2014
With this, her third book, Sarah Jackman really finds her stride and I was totally absorbed by Abbie and Owen's stories. All the characters are well rounded and believable and the situations all too familiar!!
February 26, 2022
Great premise, got bored. Finished to find out what happened. Disappointed. Three stars as it was well written and could have been a great book if it had been finished as well as it had started.
April 29, 2015
This book is about Abbie's search for her husband Nick who has been missing for six years.
Throughout the book, Abbie meets stimuli that cause her to reflect, flashback, on her life with Nick. Jackman wrote beautifully and skilfully when Abbie tried to scrape every detail of their lives before Nick disappeared, and I found I couldn't put this down as I used to do the same after my second marriage fell apart.
Here's our thoughts;
– “You go over everything. You can't stop yourself. You relive the weeks and days leading up to the day he went missing. You scrutinise the evening before and the two hours of that morning – the last time you saw him. You pick each memory apart, piece by piece. You unstitch every moment until each one is laid out flat in your mind, like the flayed skin of an animal, and you examine both sides of the splayed result minutely for a flaw, a slub, a tear or pull, opening out the curled edges to reveal anything which is hidden there. You look for anything you at have missed and anything you did wrong.”
“If only you had stopped and held him close, you would have imprinted yourself on his body, like an image left on the shroud of his skin. If only you had locked your eyes onto his, you might have burnt your love against his retina like the blinding sun, leaving a smudge, a tiny spot sealed on his sight for him to remember when the hole was blasted through his memory. You would have helped him find his way back home.”
Throughout the book, Abbie meets stimuli that cause her to reflect, flashback, on her life with Nick. Jackman wrote beautifully and skilfully when Abbie tried to scrape every detail of their lives before Nick disappeared, and I found I couldn't put this down as I used to do the same after my second marriage fell apart.
Here's our thoughts;
– “You go over everything. You can't stop yourself. You relive the weeks and days leading up to the day he went missing. You scrutinise the evening before and the two hours of that morning – the last time you saw him. You pick each memory apart, piece by piece. You unstitch every moment until each one is laid out flat in your mind, like the flayed skin of an animal, and you examine both sides of the splayed result minutely for a flaw, a slub, a tear or pull, opening out the curled edges to reveal anything which is hidden there. You look for anything you at have missed and anything you did wrong.”
“If only you had stopped and held him close, you would have imprinted yourself on his body, like an image left on the shroud of his skin. If only you had locked your eyes onto his, you might have burnt your love against his retina like the blinding sun, leaving a smudge, a tiny spot sealed on his sight for him to remember when the hole was blasted through his memory. You would have helped him find his way back home.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2010
The book's cover implies this is a thriller with a love angle. There are love angles in this book, but it is not a thriller. It is about Abbie's search for he husband Nick who has been missing for six years.
Throughout the book Abbie meets stimuli that cause her to reflect, flashback, on her life with Nick. When Owen, a divorcing father, moves into the flat above new stimuli come into Abbie's life and new reflections come to light. The reader shares these reflections and sees a side to Nick that Abbie doesn't see.
Very compelling though not all the characters involved are, to me, not very convincing. I found I could not put this down and did enjoy the reading of it and the underlying story line is quite solid.
I discussed this book and suggested it was 'Black Tragedy' and was told that that is a new one?
Throughout the book Abbie meets stimuli that cause her to reflect, flashback, on her life with Nick. When Owen, a divorcing father, moves into the flat above new stimuli come into Abbie's life and new reflections come to light. The reader shares these reflections and sees a side to Nick that Abbie doesn't see.
Very compelling though not all the characters involved are, to me, not very convincing. I found I could not put this down and did enjoy the reading of it and the underlying story line is quite solid.
I discussed this book and suggested it was 'Black Tragedy' and was told that that is a new one?
March 20, 2012
Very good. Preferred the dad's story to the left girl, but a great read and thin I was meant to warm to the dad's story more.
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December 10, 2017This was a really good read, but I felt like I was left "hanging" at the end - I thought I'd end up finding out what really happened to Nick.
I felt Abbie's was a strong character- she gave so much of herself to her marriage and her search for her missing husband - she was totally devoted to Nick. Her struggles since his disappearance (six years ago) were well documented and her feelings ever so deep. During the book it becomes clear that hers and Nick's marriage wasn't all she remembered as glimpses/memories started to resurface. Eventually, little by little, she begins to regain herself and her life so that she will have something to tell Nick when he eventually returns.
I felt the book could have progressed with Abbie's story alone and felt that Owen's presence wasn't really part of the overall picture - their characters only crossed paths a handful of times and didn't really do much in developing the storyline. Having said that Owen's character did bring forth the struggles of a father separated from his children through divorce.
Overall I enjoyed the book, but was left wanting more from the storyline. I will admit to not liking some of the language and explicit detail - I guess you could say I'm a bit of a prude and don't really see the need for it.
I felt Abbie's was a strong character- she gave so much of herself to her marriage and her search for her missing husband - she was totally devoted to Nick. Her struggles since his disappearance (six years ago) were well documented and her feelings ever so deep. During the book it becomes clear that hers and Nick's marriage wasn't all she remembered as glimpses/memories started to resurface. Eventually, little by little, she begins to regain herself and her life so that she will have something to tell Nick when he eventually returns.
I felt the book could have progressed with Abbie's story alone and felt that Owen's presence wasn't really part of the overall picture - their characters only crossed paths a handful of times and didn't really do much in developing the storyline. Having said that Owen's character did bring forth the struggles of a father separated from his children through divorce.
Overall I enjoyed the book, but was left wanting more from the storyline. I will admit to not liking some of the language and explicit detail - I guess you could say I'm a bit of a prude and don't really see the need for it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews