'Then She Was Gone' by Lisa Jewell

If you are going to read this book you need to set aside sufficient time for 424 pages in one reading frenzy, or, if you've got a discipline of steel, a series of reading slots in quick succession; it's compelling!
          It explores the disappearance of Ellie, a fifteen year old attractive, intelligent adolescent on the cusp of her golden future, who walks out of the family home to go to the library and is never seen again. Her family, who cannot accept the tenuous conclusion of officialdom, that she has run away, implode. The familial relationships fracture and her mother Laurel, finds it impossible to move forward, manacled by the pain of loss, regret and  the mocking of alternative futures. The discovery of Ellie's pathetic remains, mark the beginning of a series of events whose convoluted progression lead to the incremental revelation of the truth about what happened to Ellie, and who is culpable, with a discovery that allows the family to finally lay their grief to rest and return to active living.
          The book's strengths lie in its cleverly constructed plot which moves the reader forward relentlessly, answering its own inconsistencies as it progresses, in a way that poses further questions. It stretches credibility at times, but never so much that this encroaches on the reader. As we discover what has happened to Ellie, we are spared the harrowing details, which at times threaten reader engagement in such books as Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. The use of the sometimes painfully popular, multiple narrative voices, generally works here. It develops characterisation sufficiently to engender a concern for the fate of the characters, adds insight into the events leading up to and beyond Ellie's death, and creates tension as the reader sifts through the different accounts, grasping for the truth.
          The introduction of an additional narrative voice at the book's conclusion is a bit contrived, as is the rather convenient fate of that character and the slightly implausible but no less welcome letter from Ellie. It is interesting to note the author's accolade to a good editor, whose advice was clearly followed, and there are a few renown writers who would similarly benefit from being given and accepting such help. No writer is above a good edit! And this isn't a writerly criticism, but the cover is uninspired. If the book hadn't been recommended to me, I wouldn't have felt enticed to pick it up amongst a plethora of similarly shady graphics and yellow titles; it doesn't do its job. But don't be put off, this is a thoroughly good read that I definitely recommend. It will carry you through, unrelentingly, to the last page and beyond. You have been warned!

Verdict: Read