The Girl Who Couldn't See Faces

by C.J. Bowden

How can you spot a stalker when everyone looks the same?

A twenty-nine-year-old nurse working in the over-stretched A&E Department of a London hospital suspects her boyfriend might be cheating on her. But before she can confront him, she’s violently attacked, and in desperation turns to her estranged sister for sanctuary.

Feeling safe in the security of her new home she’s finally able to begin coming to terms with the traumas of her childhood and rebuilding her relationship with her sister. But her severe face blindness means she can’t recognise faces, so can't be sure that her ex isn't worming his way back into her life.

Is he playing tricks with her mind?
Can she figure out the truth about his identity before it’s too late?

An unsettling domestic/ psychological thriller and a richly rewarding tale of sisterly affection; perfect for fans of both Gillian Flynn and Meg Mason.

294 pages, Paperback

Published January 20, 2023

About the author

The Girl Who Couldn’t See Faces is my first novel. Although the events and characters portrayed in it are fictional, the descriptions of face-blindness are based on my own experiences of living with this condition.

Fortunately my symptoms are at the milder end of the spectrum, so even though I might occasionally blank a neighbour or a casual acquaintance, when they wave at me and say hello I usually figure out who they are very quickly. From time to time though, I’ve found myself in the disconcerting situation of being deep in conversation with someone who obviously knows me really well, and yet I can’t recognise them at all.

I only realised I had face blindness five years ago, and it suddenly made sense of those embarrassing times in my childhood when people came up to me, saying my name, and I’d stare at them in puzzlement and deny knowledge of ever having met them before.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

What would you do if you couldn’t recognize the faces of the people around you?

This was such a unique read. Phoebe has extreme face blindness. She is unable to recognize her friends, her sister, or a stranger on the street. The story centers on the psycho Alfie Phoebe us dating who is trying to take advantage of her illness. Alfie is a gross human being. He plays tricks on Phoebe like disguising his voice. Phoebe is sexually assaulted at Alfie’s home and she can’t decipher who assaulted her.

I thought this book was just ok. It had its thrilling moments mainly towards the end but I found myself wanting to put it down a lot.


The Girl Who Couldn’t See Faces is available February 28, 2023.

Thank you netgalley and books go social for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Jannelies · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first time I read about prosopagnosia (face blindness) was in a book from Oliver Sacks, a psychologist who suffered from prosopagnosia himself. He wrote a couple of books about this and other psychological problems; books for the general public that are still very readable. I was attracted by the title of The Girl Who Couldn’t see Faces because I was wondering how to use this in a novel.
As a result of the fact main character Phoebe was born with this condition, she struggles through life. Her big sister Suzi is a great help, but when the parents split up and Suzi stays with their mother and Phoebe with their father, life became even more difficult. Phoebe managed to train as a nurse; she loves her job and is very good at it. She works in A&E and sees many new faces each day. As those faces belong to people she will not have to take care of very long, her condition doesn’t hinder her much. Her colleagues, friend and other people are something different. Phoebe has a boyfriend, Alfie, and sadly she doesn’t even remember his face. A fact that Alfie uses to play mind games with her and in general make her life more difficult. Why she stays with him is really beyond me. But then again, the book is about her breaking up with him and having to move out of the flat she shares with two other women and what happens to her during this process.
I can’t say I liked Phoebe a lot. She’s had a difficult life but she’s almost thirty now and I cannot see her even trying to get a grip on her life and try and have a bit of fun. She’s still living in the past and cannot seem to go forward.
Alfie is a horrible man of course and I’m glad she finally got rid of him. In the end, she finally tries to break free of her old feelings and trying to look forward to the rest of her life.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this review copy.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whew - I have so many reviews to catch up on!

This story was a bit different from what I expected. I’m not sure if this is an actual affliction but it seems there should be better ways to remember people; particularly ones you are dating or close with. I found that part too unbelievable. Nice ending though!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

[theliterateleprechaun (on an Alaskan cruise) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read about prosopagnosia (face blindness) and the dangers that arise when we can’t recognize someone - can’t tell if they are ‘friend’ or ‘foe.’

The author examines the dangers of ‘settling for’, rape, blissful ignorance and the sisterly bond in a story that fed my curiosity and caused me to be thankful for the ability to see and understand what/who I’m seeing.

I was gifted this copy by BooksGoSocial and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl Who Couldn't See Faces is a fascinating domestic thriller. I never knew that prosopagnosia (face blindness) was a real thing. Imagine not knowing if the people you meet are friends or strangers everyday of your life. This is so much worse than I know that person but can't come up with their name.

Phoebe was born with this condition; she mostly looks at the people she knows with a blank look on her face because she struggles to decide whether she knows them or not. Her big sister Suzi stays with their mother after the parents' divorce and Phoebe with their father. Each suffered in different ways growing up and as a result have issues with relationships and each other.

Phoebe works in A&E and sees many new faces each day which does not impact her very much. But her colleagues, friend and other people are another story. Phoebe has a boyfriend, Alfie, and doesn’t recognize him. Alfie plays mind games with her and in general make her life more difficult. After she is assaulted, she breaks up with Alfie. Alfie doesn't take this very well and is determined to get what he wants and will stop at nothing until he gets it.

Phoebe meets Tom and then Robbie and likes them both. But at one point she wonders if Alfie is pretending to be Tom or Robbie, or both.

This plot is fascinating, and I just couldn't put it down. I can't even imagine having to learn how to live with this. But this adds an interesting twist in this domestic thriller. The characters are not totally likeable but after learning what they each kept secret from each other they become a little more likeable. This story escalated with every chapter. The ending really is a surprise to Phoebe and the readers are rewarded with an exciting finish.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

[Vivacious · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I hadn't heard of face blindness before, and the author did a great job of showing how tough -- and dangerous -- life can be for those living with this condition.

While the main plot line was fantastic, I had some big problems with this book. One is the fatphobia casually displayed, "It's like ... lining up at the back of the school gym ... and the only ones left are you and the overweight girl with body odour ..."

In 2023 I would have hoped not to read degrading stereotypes about fat people.

There's also Suzi, 33, and her husband, who decide to try to have a baby. "I'm already an old woman!" Suzi says. "But we're going to give it a try." Really, Suzi, you're an old woman?

My other problem with this novel is that I dislike weak heroines. Phoebe could never just say yes or no, she lied instead. At some point, she ran from a hospital into an empty lift in order to escape her maniacal ex (!). And it gets worse --- after she managed to lose him, she went to her house, where she suspected he'd been (!!!). I found her difficult to like, but the author did a great job of putting her in enough danger that I rooted for her despite my feelings.

[Diane Dachota · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusual thriller about a woman who suffers from face blindness, otherwise known as prosopagnosia. Phoebe, a young British woman suffers from an extreme case of face blindness, so extreme she can't recognize her sister, boyfriend or roommate, even when the roommate is speaking to her in a grocery store. The story is about a sociopathic man who is dating Phoebe and who takes advantage of her condition to stalk and terrorize her. Phoebe was an interesting character but not particularly likable to me. She had problems getting along with her sister and her roommates and she didn't seem to be seeking help in managing her face blindness. She is dating a man named Alfie who lies to her, makes her pay for all their meals out and disguises his voice to play games with her One day Phoebe goes to Alfie's flat and is sexually assaulted but she doesn't know if it was by Alfie or another man. After the assault, someone is stalking her and it could be Alfie or it could be someone else. Her roommates want her out so she moves into a flat owned by her sister and her wealthy husband.

I found it strange that the author made Phoebe a nurse in the emergency room of a busy hospital. She cannot recognize her own roommates yet has a job where she has to interact with dozens of people per day. Although she could read name tags or patient bracelets, it would take a lot of time and she would never know if she were talking to a patient, visitor, doctor or fellow nurse. Nothing is mentioned about her having difficult except for a few scenes where someone is speaking to her and she does not know if she knows this person. Surely someone like Phoebe would be more comfortable working with computers or with a small group of people. I also feel that people who are so afflicted would be working with a therapist to develop some coping skills.

Phoebe moves and begins dating two men, Tom and Robbie. She does not know if either of these men are her previous boyfriend Alfie. Her new neighbor Denise cautions her against dating while the stalking is still going on but she insists on dating these men although she cannot recognize them when they go on dates. The last part of the book gets exciting as Alfie becomes more and more bold in trying to take over Phoebe's life and she is trying to find out the real identity of Tom and Robbie. I found some parts exciting but some parts unbelievable such as her job where she could be putting patients at risk. I know that people really have this disease but they usually are taught some coping measures to avoid the situation Phoebe finds herself in. Thank You to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl Who Couldn't See Faces" ticked a lot of boxes for me. It's an usual and original premise - what do you do if you're trying to escape an abusive ex when you can't recognise his (or anyone else's) face? It's a quick and compulsive read and the author does a great job emphasising just how vunerable the main character is because of her face blindness. At times I found the main character a little sappy and the plot was a little predictable but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book. I would definitely read another book by this author.

It's great for fans of thrillers and fast reads. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Readwithtaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phoebe suffers from Prosopagnosia, face blindness. After an attack that left her wary of all what is around her, her mind started playing games with her, having her question and doubt the people around her if they are out to harm her. And with her prosopagnosia, it is not helping at all to be certain of what is going on. Will she be able to figure it out before it is too late?

The storyline of this for sure grabbed my attention on the spot. It was surely a unique one I haven’t read before, so I for one, was extremely excited to see how the author will play along & incorporate that in the story’s events. I can’t argue with the fact that this was well written, solid writing style, great effort was put into its research, and towards the end when things started picking & spiraling, it left me wanting to know what going to happen next and how this will end.

However, I did have some points that held me from fully getting into this one.

I don’t like this, but here it goes, just like ripping a band aid off. I really disliked Phoebe. Hear me out; I sympathized with her on the face blindness matter and how she was in a constant state of questioning, fear, and doubt. Imagine being in her shoes and going through life unable to identify the person in front of you. I get goosebumps just thinking of it, so how about actually living this reality 24/7. Going to what I disliked about her was that she came across as such a whiny person tattering on being slightly annoying. Oh, I hate myself for saying this, but I felt she was always wanting to play that “victim” role fully. I couldn’t fathom how she wasn’t open about her condition to her close circle of people and moreover, at work. I feel that was quite a dangerous thing not to disclose, specifically since she is a nurse working in ER department. The possibilities of could be mistakes that can happen. It was deceitful in my opinion. There was something about her that I couldn’t swallow.

There were a few parts which I felt were a bit farfetched, unreasonable, & glossed over. The pacing at the start was a tad slow, stagnant, & at times dragged. I had to push myself to keep picking it up, that’s why I would have loved if it had more of a punch earlier on to keep the hook. I loved the last part when the events started rumbling, suspense increasing, & things starting to really pull together. That’s the only time when I felt that “sitting at the edge of my seat” feeling which I look for in such thrillers.

Please don’t let this deter you from checking this one out. What was not up my alley, may be exactly what you need at that point of time. This is just my humble personal take.

[Storm]

I thought this was a fascinating concept, with definite moments that ticked "Thriller" boxes, but I did find myself disengaged occasionally - I think I struggled to find Phoebe likeable enough to be truly invested in her.

I loved the unique element that prosopagnosia added, but felt confused by Phoebe's job in a busy accident & emergency department and seeming lack of coping skills or methods. I didn't feel as though the difficulties facial blindness would cause in this situation were really addressed, and feel it was an odd choice for someone who needs to be able to rapidly identify patients and to quickly recall whether they had been triaged or treated yet. I may be being ignorant in that sense, but do feel that as Phoebe has severe facial blindness to the point she doesn't know if either of the new people she's dating are actually her ex-boyfriend using a different name, and with how important the facial blindness is to the plot, I feel like there should have been some more exploration of how Phoebe copes at work, or maybe any indication that in her life she's attempted to find methods to help keep herself safe other than "rely on big sister" or "hope they have scars or wild clothing". The vulnerability of Phoebe feels *too* forced in places.

Putting that aside, I did really enjoy the book. It was an unusual, unique premise and was a quick read. While there was an element of predictability past a certain point, this was a creepy, thrilling read overall and I would recommend it.

3.5 Stars - rounded up.

[Farida · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smart phone could've solved all Phoebe's problems, and the book would've ended after the assault part, the nagging thought of "why does she not ask people for a photo to be able to recognize them?" kept me frustrated the whole time, at the very least, the author could jest casually mention that the book is taking place in the early 2000s or something.
.
However, even after reading inconsistencies here and there, and bearing through some unbelievable decisions from Phoebe, I can absolutely say that I LOVED the book, I couldn't put it down at all, the author was smart for making fast paced, which helped kind of distract me from any implausible part.
I wouldn't go as far and say I liked Phoebe, because I didn't, but at the same time, I didn't hate her, she was kind of a bland character, some side characters were much more interesting, like, Suzi for example.
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I really liked the backstory of Phoebe's family, it didn't have a direct impact on the storyline, apart from the fact that it was the main reason for Phoebe's low self-esteem, but it was written so well, and it did make me warm up to Suzi, who was one of my favorite characters.
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The ending was amazing, I got closure for everyone involved, and the character development for each character was satisfying for me.
So, overall, this book is success for me.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb for this book and the cover drew me in. A nurse who suffered from extreme face blindness. It deals with the terrifyingly real reality mare people face who suffer in silence from this condition.
The characters themselves were well developed told via different timelines. The story is well written. I truly felt the fear of not beingable to recognise people but this was only really concentrated on when r phoebe was attacked and she knew who by but couldn't recognise rhem after. Little was written about ger day toi day struggles and how she coped. Thus could have added more depth to the story.
The plot only introduced the idea of photos helping when it needed it. This took me out od the story as i would have believed that people would embraced technology to help. Also it was all too convenient. I too in places got confused which character was which.
I did enjoy the story overall but the sudden convenient intriduction of looking for ways to see who us who by asking people and looking at photos left me feeling flat and disappointed. Although it was a story it felt like it was just a convenient way of moving the story on because the other ideas had stopped. I liked the ending.

Thank you net gallery and publisher for my arc. This is a good read but just dont get too invested in real life remember this us a story and youll enjoy it more

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing edge-of-my-seat thriller this book was! A 30 year old single nurse living in the middle of London; working long, tiering shifts can be a tough life. Add to that her two roommates don’t particularly like her, even tease her, and definitely don’t like her boyfriend, who they consider a loser, sponging off of Phoebe’s generosity. Add to that a very estranged relationship with her only relatives, an older sister and an alcoholic Dad. And finally, add to that a case of prosopagnosia, “face-blindness”; a disorder with which she was born. She can see faces, but not recognize the face belongs to her boyfriend Alfie or her sister Suzi.

Phoebe’s life quickly goes from bad to worse when her relationship turns south, her roommates give her room to someone else, her sister berates her and bullies her, and she experiences sexual abuse. But she can’t go to the police. She doesn’t know what her assailant looks like.

Things just spiral from there and you have to hold on to the edge of your seat for the rest of this crazy psychological thriller!

I haven’t read a thriller like this one ever before and definitely not one that kept me guessing and staying up all night to read in a very long time! If you need a great thriller, this is it!! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s from me

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, C.J. Bowden, and BooksGoSocial for this special Advanced Readers’s Copy.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to even begin with this book? The premise of a main character being hartases by her bonkers x boyfriend is one that has been done a million times. But then you throw in the fact that the main character has a diagnosis of prosopagnosia, which is when someone is not able to recognize familiar faces, and that just makes this novel stand out completely and raises the stakes of this nail biting novel. I truly could not read this book fast enough. It was sooo good!!! The awful ex boyfriend is incredibly manipulative, to the point where as the reader, you aren’t sure if what you are reading is truth or not. The author made sure to include many details, but not so much to where you were drowning in unnecessary details. I also enjoyed the family drama side of the story. It explained a lot about the main character and why she was the way she was and why she allowed herself to be treated so terribly. I truly enjoyed this book and eagerly await more books from this author. I will say that there may be some triggers in this book for some readers; including domestic abuse, stalking, harassment, and sexual assault. I am truly grateful to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phoebe is a nurse and is violently attacked by someone she believes to be her boyfriend, but she is not sure it is him.
She happens to be 'face blind'. She cannot recognize anyone, and relies on their scars or their eccentric dress sense to differentiate between people.
She flees to her sister's flat to escape the stalker that is following her, and starts dating two men, and realises that one of them is her ex boyfriend, but she is not sure which one it is.

I did enjoy this novel, but cannot understand why Phoebe could not recognize people that she knew well, like her sister, Suzi, by their voices?
The terrifying part for me was that her ex-boyfriend was a talented accent impersonator.
I thought Phoebe was actually quite silly for not calling the police about Alfie sooner.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mierfie Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pheobe have problems, having rest bitch face, couldnt recognisez someone face, anti social, abandon childhood make her life hard. Manipulation boyfriend, fakes friends, drama queen sister. Alfie really creep me out, lie so easily, thirsty to take control, manipulatif psycho. Beth and Claire really bitch. Suzi love and care Phoebe in her own way still dramatic as ever and blame Phobe the dramatic one. I glad Phoebe find Tom, he make effort because really interesting and want to know her, not like Alfie making effort for fun and game. I really enjoy the story, i can imagine how hard for Phoebe, can recognize people like that and people easily assume she is not pleasant.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#TheGirlWhoCouldntSeeFaces #CJBowden #BooksGoSocial #NetGalley #ARC

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Domestic thrillers have been my most-read genre this year. Because of that, I'm pretty picky with the tropes that I enjoy. When I first picked it up, I was expecting another stalker story and I wasn't too excited. But the author, C.J. Bowden, threw in a twist that I didn't know was going to add so much to the plotline. The female protagonist, Phoebe, suffers from face blindness; she can see faces just fine, but she does not recognize them. How much more gripping a stalker tale becomes when the victim can't recognize the stalker! Throw in a boyfriend suspected of cheating, and decades-old family secrets and you've got a really engaging and unique domestic thriller certainly worth the read.

[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars! The premise of this book is one of the most unique I have heard in a long time. Face blindness is a disorder I've read about in school but have never seen featured in a fictional book before. There is such a huge psychological factor at play with this disorder and that made for a phenomenal thriller angle. It was a little creepy toward the end, but this just made for a better conflict resolution.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has all of the makings of a decent thriller, but it just doesn't quite get there. The setup feels as if the author learned about prosopagnosia (face-blindness) and tried to make that fit into a thriller. Yes, the social awkwardness of the disorder is present; but, to be taken in again and again by the same guy just isn't how that works! The story started slowly, but even then it seemed like some scenes were glossed over (the rape scene, in particular). By the end of the book, everything did come together with a suitable ending.

[Emily Garratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoroughly entertaining read - I found myself really looking forward to reading the next chapter and it was one of those books I found myself reading late into the night because I wanted to see what happened! Face blindness would be a real bitch!
The end felt a little jumpy and rushed - we can only assume what happened with Alfie the creep.
Overall a great read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a psychological thriller

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title and cover design intrigued me.

This was a good psychological thriller. It messed with my head, in fact, my palms were clammy while I was reading it.

I liked the protagonist and the way she talked to the reader. By contrast, the antagonist made me feel disgusted, but this was something that motivated me to keep reading, because I wanted to find out what became of this character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

[Nadia Jonesy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial. This was okay. I love British novels. I just like the brit story and the way they talk. This was just an okay thriller. I was not here nor there for me. It had a great starting but it was a bit boring in the middle. I may feel different later about it but now I think it is a 3 star.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this one, another thriller that kept me awake wanting (needing) to know how it would end. The unfolding of the story was well done and the pace was just right.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC for free by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

[Gokce G]

DNF.

While the premise was intriguing, the story dragged and I lost interest. Neither the story nor the main character managed to keep my interest, I just didn’t care about what would happen in the end.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple premise but an interesting take on stalking and domestic violence. What does it mean to not know who is behind a face, and what is the damage of a psychopath.

[Nichola Gorji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I absolutely loved it. An amazing psychological thriller with so many twists and turns I could hardly keep up! The concept was very interesting and thought provoking. A real page turner with a fantastic ending. In my opinion it would make an amazing film or series. Highly recommend this book. Massive 5 stars from me.