Review of INVISIBLE GIRL by Lisa Jewell (New Release)

 3.5 Stars

This psychological suspense novel gives the perspective of three characters (Cate Fours, Owen Pick, and Saffyre Maddox) whose lives become interconnected.

Cate and her family (husband Roan, daughter Georgia, and son Josh) have temporarily moved to an affluent neighbourhood in London.  She becomes anxious when a series of sexual assaults occur in the area; she suspects their “creepy” neighbour whom Georgia says followed too closely when she walked home one evening. 

Owen Pick is that “creepy” neighbour.  He is suspended from his job as a college instructor because of sexual misconduct charges.  Full of anger and resentment, he accidentally finds himself involved with an online incel group.  When a young girl goes missing, he soon becomes the prime suspect.

Saffyre Maddox is that missing girl.  Her chapters are narrated in the first person and focus on the past.  Once a patient of Roan Fours, a child psychologist, she becomes fixated on him even after she is discharged from therapy and begins following him.  When she learns where Roan lives, she often watches his home.  Here she also encounters Owen. 

None of the characters is likeable.  Cate is just clueless about all members of her own family and refuses to confront people when it is obvious she should be asking them questions.  Owen lacks self-awareness and, albeit unintentionally, becomes temporarily fascinated with the incel (involuntary celibate) internet community which is deeply misogynistic and promotes violence against women.  Saffyre repeatedly makes poor choices and becomes a stalker.  Roan’s behaviour towards Cate is abhorrent.  Georgia is totally self-absorbed.  Josh only plays the role of perfect child. 

Owen is the most interesting character.  He’s an awkward, socially-inept loner.  He makes poor decisions but it is obvious that all he wants is to be loved.  No one has demonstrated any real care or concern for him for years, so he behaves stupidly because he wants a sense of belonging.  Because he is odd, people rush to judgment and he becomes the target of suspicion. 

Of course Owen is used to illustrate the theme that appearances and impressions can be deceiving.  People see him as “weird” and “creepy” and only one person describes him accurately:  “gentle, civilized and thoughtful.”  That same person expresses the theme:  “people can hide a lot of darkness behind carefully constructed masks.”  This theme is also illustrated through several other characters as well.  Cate, for instance, admits she has a façade that hides “the insecure, pathetic core of her” and Saffyre speaks of having “two different personas.”  The theme is repeated at the end of the novel:  “If you looked behind the mask.  That he might actually be the bad guy, not the good guy.’”  Considering this theme, the last line of the novel suggests a frightening possibility.

Characters are developed quite well, though there are a couple of times when they make unrealistic decisions.  Saffyre, for example, hurts most the person who loves her the most?  Her explanation is weak:  “A sense that I needed to let the game play itself out, that there was a different ending, just out of sight, and that it was the right one, somehow.”  And how does a person in a caring profession reconcile himself “to causing pain to people he loved on a daily basis?” 

There are some surprising twists, though the introduction of a new character towards the last third of a novel makes at least part of the ending predictable.  Nonetheless, this is a solid psychological thriller.  Not only does it have suspense and keep the reader guessing, it also asks readers to question how well we ever really know someone. 

Note:  I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.