Then She Was Gone
And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet. Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter.
Poppy is precocious and pretty – and meeting her completely takes Laurel’s breath away. Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.
What happened to Ellie? Where did she go? Who still has secrets to hide?
“When I read a book it feels like real life and when I put the book down it’s like I go back into the dream.”
First Impressions: Filled with Goosebumps
I was super excited to pick up Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, especially considering my love for thrillers. I was also reading this book at the same time as a friend of mine, so it was great to be able to talk to someone about the book while I read.
Overall, I relatively enjoyed this book. It was an intense, fast paced thriller, and at some points almost impossible to put down. Before I read the book, I tried to stay away from any summaries, since I heard that it’s better if you go into it knowing very little about the story. I was happy I did this, because I was not expecting the way this story would go. It was a very dark concept, but I enjoyed its originality. It was very complex, and had multiple layers to the story, which made it confusing at times. But, by the end of the book, it felt like all of the pieces had come together.
“If she could rewind the timeline, untwist it and roll it back the other way like a ball of wool, she’d see the knots in the yarn, the warning signs.”
The Story: A Puzzle Full of Pieces
While I felt that the story was a little predictable at times, it was still a very enjoyable read. I appreciated the layers of mystery in the story, especially the confusion surrounding Floyd. Since we knew for a fact that Ellie was missing, it was nice to have more than one mystery element to keep you on your toes.
“A man who can’t love but desperately needs to be loved is a dangerous thing indeed.”
The Characters: Conflicted Feelings
I also enjoyed learning more about the characters, especially because Jewell gave us heavy insight into each of the characters backgrounds and stories. Each character felt very strong willed and passionate, and you could easily tell what was important to each of them. It was also interesting to see how certain pieces of the story developed, especially because readers were finding out through Laurel. Even though it was relatively early when I figured out the mystery, it was still exciting to wait for the rest of the characters to catch on.
A small issue that I faced while reading was I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. I don’t know if this was because I didn’t find them relatable, or if I just had a hard time liking them. Of course you felt sympathetic for Laurel, but she was a hard character to like. I was immediately suspicious of Floyd and Poppy, and felt weird about him and Laurels relationship. Because I had a hard time caring for Floyd and Poppy, I found it more difficult to engage in the story, but otherwise, it was an enjoyable read.
“Stories,’ she says, ‘are the only thing in this world that are real. Everything else is just a dream.”
Final Thoughts: Give It a Read!
Even with my light criticisms, I still thrououglhy enjoyed the book, and would absolutely recommend it to people. It was a great thriller/mystery, and is great if you want an intense, fast paced story to keep you entertained. Please check this book out and I hope you guys enjoyed!