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Then She Was Gone: A Novel
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Family Upstairs and None of This Is True comes an “acutely observed family drama” (People) about the lingering aftermath of a young girl’s disappearance.
Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her.
And then she was gone.
Now, her mother, Laurel Mack, is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her youngest child disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.
Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie.
Laurel is haunted by her long unanswered questions. What happened to Ellie? Did she run away from home, as the police have long suspected? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?
Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her.
And then she was gone.
Now, her mother, Laurel Mack, is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her youngest child disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.
Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie.
Laurel is haunted by her long unanswered questions. What happened to Ellie? Did she run away from home, as the police have long suspected? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?
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Community Reviews
This book was a slow burn. I think if the author would have dealt with the grief from the parents and siblings perspective, how Ellie felt being kidnapped and finding her remains.This would have been a great book.
"And I thought of the girl ... of her big brain and her perfect features, the honey of her hair tied so carelessly into a topknot, the socked feet tucked beneath her and elegant hands folded into her sleeves, the smell of her - of apples and toothpaste, of clean hair and girl - the keenness to learn, her gentleness, her perfection. She had a glow about her, a circle of light ... She was quite, quite lovely and quite, quite brilliant. And I have to confess, I became more than a little obsessed."
Genuinely good book. Certain parts were very predictable, but it was still a page-turner. Not much of a mystery/suspense reader normally, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Genuinely good book. Certain parts were very predictable, but it was still a page-turner. Not much of a mystery/suspense reader normally, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Thrillers need to strike a balance between giving enough clues while still surprising the reader. Lisa Jewell does just that in Then She Was Gone. I enjoyed the characters and could totally relate to Laurel, the mother. This was my first Lisa Jewell book and wonât be my last.
Then She Was Gone is more of a sad, suspenseful story than a traditional thriller. While it does include mystery elements, the plot twist isn’t exactly shocking—it’s more about the emotional journey. Lisa Jewell is a master at crafting stories that are equal parts nostalgic and heartbreaking, and this novel is no exception.
It’s a great pick for anyone easing into thrillers or trying to get out of a reading slump. The writing flows beautifully, and the melancholy undertones will linger with you long after you’ve finished.
Lisa herself describes the book as bizarre and I agree. I had a hard time figuring out why it was written the way it was, where the points of view were coming from, and why it jumped around the way it did. The ending saved it, the way Lisa writes a story and makes every detail line up is amazing. Although I agree its bizarre, I think it’s worth pushing through and getting to the end, the satisfaction was worth it.
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