Book Review: Lisa Jewell's Invisible Girl

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Lisa Jewell’s latest novel, Invisible Girl, in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite mystery/suspense authors and she has another winner with her latest novel, Invisible Girl.

Saffyre Maddox is a beautiful, seventeen year old living under the care of her older brother. Her childhood was marked, not only by the loss of her parents, but by a traumatic experience that led her to self-harm. Saffyre spent several years under the care of Roan Fours, a highly-regarded child psychologist. However, Saffyre remained guarded during her sessions with Roan and although he declared her fit enough to end their sessions, she never revealed the truth of her trauma. Years after her final session with Roan, she finds herself interested in his life, including following him, discovering that he has been having an affair with a young colleague. Saffyre is an “invisible Girl” hiding in shadows and even sleeping in an abandoned lot across the street from Roan’s home. She is slowly turning almost feral.

On the other side of town, Roan’s family has been renting a home in a posh, seemingly safe neighborhood. However, tensions are high when several women are sexually assaulted, including Roan’s daughter’s friend. Suspicion falls on Owen Pick, a man in his early thirties who lives across the street from Fours family. Owen is reclusive and socially awkward. To make matters worse, he has recently been suspended from work due to allegations of inappropriate behavior with the young girls that he teaches.

When Saffyre goes missing, her blood and possessions are discovered on the window outside of Owen’s bedroom window and he is arrested. However, days pass and detectives cannot find Saffyre’s body. Is Owen involved with Saffyre’s disappearance or has he been labeled guilty based on circumstantial evidence and wild accusations?

Jewell is masterful at crafting mystery and as with her previous novels, you never quite know the outcome until the very last pages. This story dives into the #metoo movement and takes a close look at the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators. It also looks at those who must confront their inappropriate behavior and take responsibility. The last few years has brought on the concept of “Cancel Culture.” I can understand the desire to “cancel” people who behave in harmful ways, but it also cancels the concept of redemption for those who are open to accepting responsibility and change. Jewell allows one of her characters ( no spoilers), someone who can change and wants to change, the opportunity to be forgiven. It’s quite a beautiful and powerful part of the story. No worries, those who should truly be punished definitely get their reckoning!

Invisible Girl is heartbreaking, surprising and affecting. It is a solid, suspenseful mystery with memorable characters. I recommend Invisible Girl along with Jewell’s other novels. She’s a fabulous writer!

Book Review: Sayaka Murata's Earthlings

Thank you to Grove Atlantic for providing me with a copy of Sayaka Murata’s latest novel, Earthings, in exchange for an honest review.

Natsuki has always felt different from other people. She is an outsider in her family with her parents favoring her older sister. She discovers the reason for her outsider status when she meets Piyyut, a stuffed hedgehog that is actually an alien from the planet Popinpobopia. Piyyut informs Natsuki that she is also from their planet, which is why she doesn’t fit-in as an earthling.

The knowledge, along with guidance from Piyyut, emboldens Natsuki to stay strong against conforming to societal pressures. But rather than simply not conforming, Natsuki uses her Popinpobopia status as an excuse to engage in taboo human behavior, such as a preteen sexual encounter with her cousin Yuu.

When Natsuki and Yuu are discovered naked in the woods, their family separates them and keeps a close eye on both of them. In efforts to keep her parent’s suspicions at bay, Natsuki eventually marries, but unknown to her family, Natsuki’s husband is also a non-conformist and has an interest in Popinpobopia. They have a sham marriage, yet are mutually committed to pushing against societies taboos. They reunite with Yuu, who is someone who likes to be a follower and has been feeling very lost in his life. The trio may be stuck on earth, but they attempt to live as much of an authentic Popinpobopia life as possible.

I’m left absolutely stunned by Earthlings and I’m struggling to unpack the experience. I’ve never read anything quite like it.

Earthlings plays with ideas of what it is to conform to society, especially interesting as from what I understand, Japanese society places a high value on conforming. However, what happens when you simply can’t conform?

Natsuki has been traumatized. She is both physically and verbally abused by her family, as her sister is shown overt favoritism. When Natsuki meets Piyyut, she is already primed to believe the Popinpobopia fantasy. It is a coping mechanism for her. This goes deeper, when she is molested by her cram school teacher. She has no one to turn to, not even her close friend, who has a crush on the handsome teacher. Natsuki is constantly receiving a message that she is bad and damaged. The only person she can trust is Yuu and when they are forced apart, her mental state crumbles further.

Is Natsuki a victim or an unreliable narrator? I’m choosing to believe that she is a victim of severe trauma and this informs her Popinpobopia fantasy. Victim, however, does not mean innocent. Often Natsuki acts in a predatory manner, including her interactions with the weak willed Yuu. There are points in Earthings where I think Natsuki has clarity that Popinpobopia is not real, yet she uses it to justify her behavior. I think she must force herself to believe it, because the reality of her situation is too horrific.

Earthlings is not for the squeamish or the prude. It is one of the most surprising, graphic, and shocking stories that I have ever read. The ending is a jaw dropper. That said, I’m left feeling that nothing was gratuitous. Ultimately, the story is about how society treats outsiders, including those who have been victimized. Natsuki transforms into something quite monstrous, however, the true monsters are both her abusers and society as a whole, who have turned a blind-eye to her pain.

Book Review- Annie Lyons' The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with a copy of Annie Lyons’ novel, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, in exchange for an honest review.

Eudora Honeysett is eight-five years old and done with life. She decides that the most dignified death would be to pursue assisted suicide through a company in Switzerland. The process is not simple. It requires doctors appointments and months of thought, during which Eudora’s otherwise predictable life changes with the addition of new friends, including an unusual little girl named Rose and a fellow senior named Stanley. As Eudora discovers that there might be more to her life than she imagined, she is forced to confront difficult issues in her past.

I loved The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett. It’s an emotional journey that had me in tears for the last quarter of the story. I had to put the book down many times, because I became overcome with emotion. The best, most memorable books are ones that shake me to the core, and Lyons’ characters are sure to stay with me for a long time.

The story alternates between the present and Eudora’s younger years. We learn that trauma from Eudora’s early years has led her to put up walls, to protect herself. Octogenarian Eudora is tough, and even has a difficult time softening towards her cat, Montgomery. Lyons carefully balances the difficult senior Eudora, with the hurt child Eudora, giving us a well-rounded, relatable character.

I was struck by how much Eudora reminded me of my mother-in-law. This is not to say that they had similar situations, but more in the general way that senior Eudora has firm ideas about how a person should behave and tends to discredit activities that others use for joy. I also found my niece, Charis, in the character of Rose. Like my niece, Rose is an absolute force of nature, who gathers other people in her orbit. It’s a wonderful quality in a person, but it also means facing criticism by those less comfortable in their own skin. Eudora tries to resist Rose, but Rose simply won’t let her.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is the perfect story to remind us to be compassionate towards others and to remember that we don’t always know the trials that other people face. It’s also a story about the importance of building our own tribe and that blood relatives are not our only family. Lyons has written an absolutely beautiful story with unforgettable characters. She is a new author discovery for me and I was thrilled to learn that she has written many other novels. I look forward to reading them all.