The Nowhere Child

4/5 Stars

Australian art teacher Kimberly Leamy is approached by an American accountant, claiming that she is Sammy Went, a two-year-old child abducted from her home in Mason, Kentucky. Convinced that the man has mistaken her for someone else, Kim brushes off the encounter. But there is something about the man's persistence that has her investigating her family's past. Soon secrets are unearthed, and Kim finds herself in Mason, KY searching for answers.

I was so incredibly lucky to have won an Advance Reader Copy (this title released on January 22, 2019) of The Nowhere Child from Minotaur Books publishing(!!!) and I never win anything, so this was a pretty big deal. I was, at the time, reading a different book so I put this guy to the side. I honestly was a bit hesitant about starting this book! I kept bringing it with me on my commute to and from work, but I just could not bring myself to open it! I think it was a serious fear of the unknown. I had never heard of this author and I had no idea what was in store. Also, since I won the book I was nervous that I wouldn't like it, because then I'd feel bad, because I felt that I was almost obligated to like it. But that's just me creating scenarios out of virtually nothing. Anyway, I'm so happy to report that I finally cracked open this book (after a week of a good stare down) and well...I wasn't able to put it down. I finished this book in three days. THREE. That's pretty dang good considering it was during the week, which is when I don't have as much time to read!

The story starts off getting right to the point. I mean within the first few pages, Kim has already been confronted by this man. The American who confronts her reveals that for 26 years, he has been searching for Sammy Went, approaching many women who turn out to be a case of mistaken identity. Kim cannot begin to fathom the idea of the woman she knows as her mother, to cross international borders with a kidnapped child in tow. However, that little voice in her head keeps telling her that it is quite odd that this man is thoroughly convinced of her true identity. Going with her gut feeling, Kim starts to unearth secrets - secrets that have been kept for 26 years.

Flashback to April of 1990, where Jack and Molly Went's youngest child goes missing. Already an estranged couple, the vanishing of their daughter stretches Jack and Molly's thinner and thinner. Molly finds solace in her cult-like church. This particular religious group that Molly belongs to plays a major part in the story. To be honest, there were a few moments when I felt myself getting a bit bored of the references and explanations of some practices, but there's all relevance in the info provided. Trust. But that's besides the point. White consistently presents flashbacks to 1990, where the reader is taken on a journey through the Went's life and the turmoil that ensued after Sammy went missing.

I love how White connects the past to the present consistently throughout the story; it takes away all of the guesswork while reading. Additionally, there's little “twists” that seem rather minuscule in the moment, but then factor in quite heavily in another part further down the timeline. I was more than satisfied with this book, and especially with how the ending transpired, and I was genuinely blindsided by the plot twist at the very end! Trust me, what you think you know, is not what you know! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves some good suspense.