When I read the blurb for this, I thought it sounded like just the kind of premise for a thriller that I like: two girls go missing from the same woods ten years apart. I also like the fact that it said it is a story told backwards. I thought that was a clever idea. And it was. The idea was clever.The pulling-it-off, on the other hand, not so much.

The backwards storytelling didn't work, for me. It wasn't believable, for a start. At the start of the book, when we are at the end of the story, the characters act as though they know less than they do at the beginning. When we reach the start of the story (end of the book), the characters' actions still don't ring true.

I didn't like any of the characters, either. Nicolette, the main character, is unlikeable. She is selfish, immature, mean. All the time, she acts like she is the one who is suffering more than anyone else. She is still, aged 28, acting liked a spoiled teenager who feels the world should revolve around her.

I found myself feeling annoyed whenever Nicolette spoke with her brother Daniel. Within a handful of words, they would start shouting at each other and blaming each other for everything that is wrong with the world.

I also take issue with the title of this book. It is misleading. "All The Missing Girls." Firstly, there are two of them. No more. That doesn't constitute using the word "all." Secondly, the second one is not a girl. She is in her mid-twenties. And, at no time are either of them actually "missing."

If I am honest, this book did get more exciting near the end. Because the main mystery, of what happened to Corinne and Annaleise, did keep itself hidden until the end. So, I wasn't sure who I could trust, and I wasn't sure whether Nicolette was in danger from Tyler or Daniel. So that was done well. But it meant, for the first 80% of the book, I just wanted to get through it as quickly as possible. But, the last 20% I was interested.

It is a fairly quick read. It is 400 pages, but it's written in short segments, so that makes it pass more quickly. Some people will really like the backwards element.

The facts of what happened to Corinne and Annaleise.

The author's style. The backwards storytelling. The characters. The characterisation.

Read something I will enjoy.

Mostly, it made me angry.

When I looked up this book on Amazon to get the ISBN number, I noticed it says this author is a NY Times Bestseller. I have to say, I'm baffled by that.

It's really frustrating. There isn't a character to like or root for.

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Created Jun 17, 2021 at 6:00am • Submit your own review...