Monday 20 July 2015

Reviewed: The Lost Child by Ann Troup.







The Lost Child was published by Carina on May 19, 2015.


Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy of this book to review.



The Lost Child is an exciting and fascinating novel which is difficult to be defined by genre, but it does present the reader with a mystery that will have you rapidly turning the pages to discover more. I’m becoming more and more of a cover fiend as late and The Lost Child’s cover is stunning but I also learnt that from the first time I read that blurb, it hadn’t let me go and I just had to read this book at some point in the near future. I’m glad to say that this book lived up to my every expectation. Elaine’s mother, Jean, has passed away and though they didn’t have the best of relationships, Elaine is trying her best to fulfil her wishes by going to the one place Jean never stopped talking about, Hallow’s End, and scattering her ashes. Whilst there, Elaine is sucked in by the village and its residents, but soon discovers that there is something lingering over them all – the disappearance of a little girl Mandy many years ago which has never been fully resolved. As things become to look a little bit clearer, Elaine discovers that Hallow’s End is a place which doesn’t let you go in a hurry…

The main twist in this novel is revealed quite early on and so I was intrigued by where this story was going to be taken next. Of course, Ann knew what she was doing and we’re then brought layer upon layer of new secrets and twists which had me hooked and wondering how things were going to work out for the characters I’d become so attached to. I will say that although I enjoyed the entire book, I much preferred the first half leading up to the big mystery. I felt the first half was quite a bit more atmospheric and as the scene is set and we explore Hallow’s End, there’s a real dark and moody vibe to the area that felt so fresh in my mind and so real. The level of detail and description Ann put in to the setting was just right to me – there’s a bit of a spooky edge to her way of wording and this drew me in to the mystery to the point I knew this book wasn’t getting put down until I reached the end.

Again, that’s not to say that I didn’t like the second half of the book – it was just different. The last 50% seems to run at a much quicker pace than previously – the scene has been set and now the drama is about to reach the surface. This is where we get more of an introduction to the eccentric characters Elaine has met, though not all are quite that pleased to see her. Though she does make friends, to me it didn’t feel like the most welcoming of places and not everyone took to Elaine because they were holding back on giving someone a chance. Here we learn that everybody has a secret to hide and some will go to any lengths to protect their secret from being uncovered. I was so intrigued by this point. We seemed to be learning something new on every page and the twists kept on coming. I gave up on trying to work out what was coming next because Ann blind-sided me every time.

My favourite part to this novel was exploring the developing friendship between Elaine and Brodie – the fifteen year old girl who feels she has been held back ever since the disappearance of her sister Mandy before she was even born. Brodie appeared to feel unappreciated, especially by her mother, but she quickly finds herself a friend in Elaine and they seemed to bond so easily and naturally. They were both on opposite sides of the spectrum, personality wise. Elaine is very shy and reserved and quite envious of Brodie who possesses the ability to stand up for herself with ease, appearing to be a bit braver in the face of adversity and also quite capable of putting her foul mouth to use when needed…! I loved Brodie’s character, I thought she was a breath of fresh air in a story full of character not willing to be honest and say what they’re thinking without turning nasty. Hallow’s End, to me, felt like quite a bitter place with people I wouldn’t think were that easy to get along with, but I connected with Brodie right from the beginning.

The Lost Child was a truly gripping novel and I’m still thinking about it now, weeks after finishing it. Every secret reveal dragged me further into the story and though parts of it I could predict, others left me surprised and I loved the element of never really knowing what was about to happen next. As well as the mystery in this novel, Ann touches on family relationships and how the hold they take on you could impact you for the rest of your life. Here, Elaine doesn’t really even know how or have the confidence to be herself because her mum has died and left her feeling like there’s no place to go. Similarly with Brodie, her mum doesn’t seem to care at all yet she can’t seem to shift the hold she has on her – making friends and building her own life feels out of the question. All in all, this was a very strong debut novel by Ann Troup and I’ll definitely be seeking out more from this author in the future. The Lost Child is complex, mysterious and highly compelling reading.


Very fascinating, mysterious novel with secrets and twists hiding behind every page







a Rafflecopter giveaway



credit: Gina Dickerson at http://rosewolfdesign.wix.com/rosewolfdesign


26 comments:

  1. Anonymous20/7/15 10:33

    Thank you so much for kicking off the tour with such a fantastic review Sophie! So glad you enjoyed the book! (: xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome! Look forward to following the rest of the tour :) xx

      Delete
  2. This book sounds great, just the type of story I enjoy :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderful book and wonderful giveaway! Think I'd have to go on another book buying spree if I won the voucher! You can NEVER have too many books! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous20/7/15 14:41

    I have heard lots of good things about this book and the Author, great review. The book is on my tbr list. If I were lucky enough to win I would use the Amazon voucher to buy books, then I could take the said books to Costa and read while drinking hot chocolate! Perfect.
    Thanks for a great review and giveaway.
    Amanda.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I would definitely buy books with the Amazon voucher, but I'm not quite sure which ones!

    Thanks for the chance to win :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Books, what else?! I'd love to read this book and really like your review! x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Books,books and books :D
    Thanks for the great review and fantastic prize! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Books, of course! :) Great giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Errr ... books? Obviously! In fact I don't even remember the last time I bought anything that wasn't bookshaped at Amazon, hahaha!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is one tour I'm sorry I missed - will be adding this book to my wish list straight away, thanks for the chance to win a gift voucher for more books :) and a new kindle - mine came from the Ark!

    Dawn x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sophie this is a fabulous give-away! I would buy books, books & more books!

    ReplyDelete
  12. If I'm lucky enough to win the Kindle I'd buy some e-books

    ReplyDelete
  13. books, books and more books, and if there's any left over, maybe some PB2 !

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lots and lots of books *sighs happily and starts compiling mental list* :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. This truly feels like Christmas in July.

    If I win this giveaway I will feel like a kid in Disneyland. With friendships day around the corner, I will use the Amazon vouchers to get my friends some books and goodies on their wishlists. Ahh what a friendships day it can turn out to be if I win, lovely.

    Thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  16. If i would be lucky to win, i would purchase some books, coz it would make me happy if i have new books.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great give-away :) I would spend the vouchers on books! I have so many on my wishlist that I want to read, but one I will definitely get is The Heir because I've read the first three books and want the next so badly!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Looks like a good read.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Probably books, have so many on my wishlist. Thanks for the giveaway. Lx

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous21/7/15 22:47

    New Kindle Paperwhite --- oooh, sharper.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Definitely spend it on books-probably pre-order some! :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I would spend the voucher on books; giving some of them to my wife for her classroom.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Lots of new books on my wish list :-) Love reading.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...