Girl Last Seen: A Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Shocking Twist

by Nina Laurin

"Two missing girls. Thirteen years apart. Olivia Shaw has been missing since last Tuesday. She was last seen outside the entrance of her elementary school in Hunts Point wearing a white spring jacket, blue jeans, and pink boots. I force myself to look at the face in the photo, into her slightly smudged features, and I can't bring myself to move. Olivia Shaw could be my mirror image, rewound to thirteen years ago. If you have any knowledge of Olivia Shaw's whereabouts or any relevant information, please contact ... I've spent a long time peering into the faces of girls on missing posters, wondering which one replaced me in that basement. But they were never quite the right age, the right look, the right circumstances. Until Olivia Shaw, missing for one week tomorrow. Whoever stole me was never found. But since I was taken, there hasn't been another girl. And now there is"--

Two missing girls. Thirteen years apart. Olivia Shaw has been missing since last Tuesday, last seen outside the entrance of her elementary school in Hunts Point. Laine forced herself to look at the face in the photo-- Olivia could be her mirror image, rewound to thirteen years ago. Did Olivia replace her in that basement? Whoever stole Laine was never found, there hasn't been another girl ... until now. -- adapted from publisher info.

• ISBN10: 145556902X
• ISBN13: 9781455569021
• Publish Date: 20 June 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Time Warner Trade Publishing
• Imprint: FaithWords
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

Book Impressions

With the likes of the Cleveland Three, and Elizabeth Smart in the news, kidnapped women who eventually are found is a hot topic. Girl Last Seen was more on the cold side. The characters were all one dimensional, particularly the two missing girls. Because of the lack of development I didn't form a connection to even care if Ella overcame her drug addiction or if Olivia was found. The plot twist was so ridiculous and I couldn't believe I had wasted my time on not only a mediocre novel but a underwhelming ending as well.  Girl Last Seen ran with a hot-buttoned topic but had nothing to back it up.

Narration Impressions

I actually quite liked Vanessa Johansson's narration, she has a pleasant pace and created distinct voices for all the book's characters. I wouldn't mind listening to another book read by her which would be a better judge.

This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews

[writehollydavis]

3.75/5 stars. I really enjoyed this thriller as a change of pace from my usual fantasy reads. However, I couldn't get as addicted to the plot as I would've liked. Laurin created a flawed yet relatable main character and presented tons of twists and turns in the story I never saw coming. And the writing style was strong as well. But for some reason, something was missing for me and I can't really explain what it is. Still, this was a good read and good debut that has you wondering what happens till the very end.