Book Review- Lisa Jewell's The Family Remains

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for a copy of Lisa Jewell’s The Family Remains.

The Family Remains is a sequel to Jewell’s 2019 novel, The Family Upstairs. The first novel in the series ended without necessarily requiring a sequel, yet left many of the characters adrift after escaping a traumatizing situation. The Family Remains brings a sense of closure to their lives, allowing the characters time to rebuild and process. Although, of course the story is not so simple, as that would make for a very dull book!

In The Family Remains, siblings Lucy and Henry are faced with confronting their past, when Henry decided to track down an old friend. Henry is a mysterious character and it is unclear if unresolved childhood damage has turned him into a dangerous adult. Lucy, who has been living under a different identity and fears exposure, is compelled to risk her secrecy and fly to Chicago to find Henry. Exposure for the siblings is further risked when the body of a pop-star washes ashore on the Thames, a decades old murder that involves the siblings.

You do not need to have read The Family Upstairs to understand or enjoy The Family Remains. They are independent books. However, I feel that my experience of the sequel was enhanced by reading the first book. I wish I had read them back-to-back, as I had forgotten many details of The Family Upstairs Jewell does not often write sequels, but I was pleased that she decided to revisit these memorable characters and give them closure, especially Henry.

I’m a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and I have read most of her books. Although I enjoyed The Family Remains, I felt it was a little slower paced and not as engaging as her other books. Perhaps it was due to the necessary information drops to remind us of the events in The Family Upstairs. Also, the first book was very chilling and unexpected, while The Family Remains had less overall tension. It was more of a closure story than a straight-up mystery, which made me feel happy for the characters that I had grown to like, but also didn’t lends itself to the normal surprise of her other books.

One small thing that drove this California native crazy…Lucy’s family goes to burger chain In-and-Out during their visit to Chicago. This chain does not exist in Chicago! Because I knew this, it momentarily took me out of the story.

If you’re a fan, absolutely read The Family Remains. If you’re new to Jewell, read The Family Upstairs.

Book Review: Lisa Jewell's The Night She Disappeared

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced copy of Lisa Jewell’s The Night She Disappeared, in exchange for an honest review.

On the outside, it appears that despite being a young mom, Tallulah has her life on the right track. She lives with her mom, Kim, who helps with childcare, allowing Tallulah to attend classes at a local college. Zach, the father of her baby is attentive to his child and wants to marry Tallulah. No one notices how possessive Zach can be and that Tallulah is not interested in pursuing a relationship with him.

At school, Tallulah meets Scarlet, a rich and troubled classmate who lives in a creepy mansion at the edge of the village. Tallulah and Scarlet begins a secretive and unlikely friendship. Tallulah and Zach attend a party at Scarlet’s mansion and go missing the following morning. A missing person’s case, turns into a cold case, leaving Kim bereft, yet holding out hope for any information about her daughter.

A few years later, Sophie, a crime writer moves into a cottage of a nearby boarding school with her fiancé, a professor at the school. On a walk of the grounds, she finds a mysterious note to dig in the ground, where she unearths an engagement ring. The ring and a series of other mysterious notes clearly intended for Sophie, lead her to begin to pice together the puzzle of Zach and Talulah’s disappearance.

I’m a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and i’ve read most of her novels, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to read her latest. I enjoyed The Night She Disappeared and it was a quick read, but from a mystery stand-point, it wasn’t as strong as some of her other novels. The character of Sophie and her solving of the mystery was almost too convenient and therefore, the less interesting aspect of the story.

The strongest and most dynamic aspect of the story was the relationship between mother and daughter, Kim and Tallulah. Tallulah’s relationship woes and path of self-discovery as a young twenty-something were very relatable and made me connect to her character. I’m forty-four, but it brought me back to that time in my own life. Initially the intrigue and mystery surrounding Scarlett and her gothic mansion were engaging, but as more of her was revealed, it was less interesting.

Although this wasn’t my favorite of her novels, I’m still a huge fan of Jewell and recommend her books to anyone looking for a good mystery.

Book Review- Lisa Jewell's I Found You

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an advanced copy of Lisa Jewell's novel, I Found You, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Single mom, Alice Lake, notices a man sitting on the beach in front of her home. He stares off into the ocean, while the rain pours down on him, and he doesn't move for hours. Finally, overcome by a sense of compassion and curiosity, Alice goes to check on him. The man has lost his memory and does not have identification. He only knows that somehow he has a link to this seaside village in the north of England. Alice takes him in and he convinces her to hold off on going to the police, to see if he can recover his memories; memories that seem to point to something sinister. 

In a London suburb, Lily, a new bride, is worried when her husband does not return home from work. Lily has recently moved from the Ukraine and she has never met her husband's family. Not only has she never met them, but she does not have their contact information. Could Lily's husband be the man on the beach? 

LIKE- Last year I read Jewell's novel, The Girls in the Garden, and it was fabulous. I was thrilled when her latest novel, I Found You, showed up for request on NetGalley. It did not disappoint. 

I Found You is filled with unexpected twists. I truly did not anticipate where the story was heading, making it a page-turner. I blazed through it in less than a day, unable to put it down. To this end, I'm not going to discuss any specific plot points or characters, as with this novel, more than most, I think the thrill is in the mystery. I don't want to inadvertently spoil anything for a would-be reader.

In addition to a nail-bitting plot (and intense action sequences), Jewell has memorable characters and a vivid setting. What sticks with me the most is her atmospheric writing and foreboding settings. There is a mansion that is downright creepy. The strong sense of place, coupled with the excitement of the mystery, really grounded me in the story world. I read the last quarter of the novel on my Kindle in a dark room, and I was very relieved to have my husband in bed next to me. I had trouble getting to sleep last night!

DISLIKE- Nothing. After finishing I Found You, I looked up Jewell, and was thrilled to see that she has written many other books. I can't wait to read through her works.

RECOMMEND- YES!!! I enthusiastically recommend both I Found You and The Girls in the Garden. I saw mention of comparisons to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, and Paula Hawkin's The Girl on the Train : no slight to either book, I enjoyed them, but I enjoyed both of Jewell's novels even more! She's a masterful storyteller.