Invisible Girl - Lisa Jewell

Reading Challenge Category: Back catalogue book by an author I have recently discovered

Official Blurb:

MIDNIGHT. In the bad part of town, where cats prowl and foxes shriek, a girl is watching...
When Saffyre Maddox was ten, something terrible happened, and she's carried the pain of it ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn't, and now she hides and watches him, learning his secrets, invisible in the shadows.
Owen Pick is invisible too. He's never had a girlfriend; he's never even had a friend.
Nobody sees him. Nobody cares.
But when Saffyre goes missing from opposite his house on Valentine's Day, suddenly the whole world is looking at Owen.
Accusing him. Holding him responsible for Saffyre's disappearance . . .

My thoughts:

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell had me completely engrossed from beginning to end, constantly speculating on the identity of the perpetrator. The suspense and intrigue hooked me to the point where I stayed up late just to devour the final pages. However, I must express my disappointment with the ending, which fell flat and left me feeling unsatisfied. It simply didn't make sense and failed to live up to the gripping narrative that had been built up throughout the book.
One major flaw that hindered the investigation was the lack of attention given to crucial evidence such as phone records. It seemed odd that the investigators didn't explore this avenue, which could have shed light on the last person the protagonist had contacted. The focus of the investigation appeared to be solely on Owen, neglecting other potentially fruitful leads. Despite this weakness, I appreciated Owen's character growth and his ability to ask pertinent questions during his interrogations.
Another issue I encountered was the inconsistency in the book's formatting. At times, the chapters would include the character's name beneath the chapter number, providing clarity on whose perspective we were following. However, this helpful feature was not consistently applied, causing confusion for the reader. Furthermore, the division of the book into Before, After, and Now sections seemed promising at first, but the After section included a significant amount of content from before, particularly when exploring Saffyre's perspective. This rendered the sections somewhat pointless and undermined their intended purpose.
Despite these criticisms, I must acknowledge that Invisible Girl was a compelling read that managed to hold my attention throughout. It wasn't until the end when I started to analyse the plot more critically that its flaws became apparent. If you're looking for a gripping psychological thriller with intriguing character development, this book delivers. However, be prepared for a disappointing and confusing conclusion that may leave you wanting more.