Schoolgirl Missing by Sue Fortin (ARC)
Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller
Read: 2nd January 2019
Purchase: Amazon
(release date 10th January 2019)
★★★ 3 stars
Having thoroughly enjoyed "Sister Sister" by Sue Fortin previously I was excited to read SCHOOLGIRL MISSING. I mean, the title was enough to entice you. However, although it was a fast read that I sped through, it didn't live up to the hype I'd built for it and therefore I found it a little disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it...but some of the story just seemed a little unbelieveable. And the characters? I could't bring myself to like them very much at all. They all had an agenda - all except Poppy.
The story is centred around the disappearance of Poppy on a family boat trip leaving parents dad Kit and step-mum Neve worried. Although the story is essentially about Poppy's disappearance, this actual incident takes up little of the story.
We begin with a little background and a glimpse into their family life, and it is clear from the outset that Poppy is not like normal teenagers. Though she is 14, she is still very young and a little naive. When we first meet Poppy, she seems as though she has a form of autism due to her direct and literal nature. She cannot tell a lie and she is far more observant than one would believe of a normal 14 year old, who are generally far to wrapped up in themselves to observe anything that isn't related to them. It's not until the narrative explains that her mum died in childbirth with Poppy very nearly dying also, having been starved of oxygen and resulting in a form of brain damage.
When Neve married Kit some years later, she adopted Poppy as her own though she craved a child of her own. Kit, distraught over the death of his first wife and near loss of Poppy, declared from the outset "no children". Neve thought with time he would soften and they would have a child of their own, but Kit stood firm and refused to even discuss the matter. He knew Neve had suffered a miscarriage in her previous marriage, so I thought he would be a little more sensitive to Neve's needs and desire for a child. It was at this point I disliked him. To not even consider her feelings, despite what he has been through. This was not just about him but in Kit's eyes it was. He was controlling and deceitful. Even moving to a village far away from where Neve worked so the commute would be too much for her so she would give up her job and stay home for Poppy.
But Neve wasn't much better either. She had secrets from her past she hadn't shared with Kit. Though some things are best left in the past these were such major events to not share them with your husband is not normal. Added to that she was manipulative and just as deceitful as Kit! As much as Kit didn't appear sensitive to her feelings towards having a baby, Neve didn't seem to care much about his fears of losing another wife and a child through childbirth. Neve wanted a baby so bad it appeared she would do anything and manipulate anyone. Would she? She certainly seemed so. But does anyone really want a child THAT much? To hell with everyone else? Either way, Kit and Neve are completely dysfunctional that by the end I figured they deserved each other.
Then there are the supporting characters, I guess you could call them. The artist guy where Neve does her art therapy (what is his name? I've forgotten already!) - I didn't like him either. He just wanted to get into Neve's pants and declared he could make her happy. Neve was stupid enough to consider it! But how far would he go to win Neve's heart? And Lee. Well, we know from early on in the story that he has a history with Neve so I'm not spoiling anything for anyone by mentioning it. If anything, he was probably the one I disliked least...lol...if that makes sense. He may be a "wrong'un" and on the wrong side of the law but his crimes are petty for the most part. With Lee you knew where you stood with him, even when you didn't. I still didn't like him but I'd trust him further than I would trust Kit.
Then Neve's past came to light and I found myself sympathising with her. I could relate to her estrangement with her brother so well. Though the circumstances for their estrangement is different to my own, I could feel her pain, her loss and her sorrow. It was this part of the story that I found myself really connecting with Neve and understanding her a little better. But then in comes Kit and everything went off tangent.
Throughout the story, I found it hard to picture Poppy with a smile as she always appeared so serious and, despite her disability, I found it hard to like her. But then I found it hard to like anyone in the story. And I mean ANYONE! None of them were truthful about anything. None of them were likeable.
For the most part, the story is pretty believeable. But then it goes off the wall and it left me thinking "What the...?" There wasn't really an element of closure and it leaves you wondering what actually happened. It's not an ending you would really expect and there isn't enough to milk a sequel out of it either so as a reader we are left with questions. I guess you could say it was a clever way to end it - leaving readers guessing - but I'm in two minds about it.
Overall, SCHOOLGIRL MISSING is a good read - though it is more about the who, the how, the why than the actual disappearance - and very fast paced. It is thrilling, intriguing and enjoyable. I just didn't like anyone which made it hard to really enjoy it - added to that, having no closure at the end. If there was a breathtaking ending it would have sealed it as a brilliant read. However, I will leave it up to the individual and see what YOU think. The ending was clever, but was it enough? I am still in two minds about it.
Thank you to #SueFortin, #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK for an ARC of #SchoolgirlMissing in exchange for an honest review.
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