this book was such a journey! i had so many feelings, mainly heartbreak for this poor little girl. The characters were all so unique and added to the story. The switching between past and present was timed very well, really adding to the dramatic effect and eliciting some of the big emotions attached to this story. 

This story was honestly one I enjoyed. The content was really tragic, but I loved Melody. I felt for her. The dam of her repressed memories flooding back not all at once, but trickles and bits get released with the odd chance of her being chosen out of the audience by the hypnotist. It's not what she asked for, but it's filling in the gaps in time, she never thought she would come to know. What a whirlwind of information to process and piece together! Really good book!

It was a day of many firsts when I read this book, which may have influenced the five stars I won't take back. I was travelling cross-country on a train unsupervised for the first time to spend Christmas with my Dad's side of the family for the first time.
My Mum asked the conductor, a black woman with momma bear vibes, to keep an eye on me. Momma Bear escorted me to first class and handed me a complimentary gift bag, and inside was a copy of this book. I finished it in half the journey from Carlisle to Basingstoke, reeling from the impactful theme of motherhood and flawed caregivers and how it fitted in this major stepping stone in my life.
It was the first contemporary fiction I'd ever read, in contrast to all the J.K. Rowling, Tamora Pierce, and other romantic magic-heavy adventures rattling around in my head to distract me from a tough childhood.
It was a gateway into finding the merit of stories that do the opposite of helping me escape reality and hand me the tools I needed to navigate it. The realisation that an adult in my life may be a liar and gaslighter might have saved my life, and it was this book that opened me up to that idea. I cannot thank Lisa Jewell enough.

I loved everything about this book: the character development, the dual timelines, the story arc, and the way it explored family relationship, motherhood, and mental health struggles while maintaining the suspense throughout the book. Highly recommend the audiobook.