Janet is a decent human being with so much to offer to anyone blessed with more humanity and self-awareness than her self-obsessed husband is able or willing to show her and her gradual discovery of the right path forward is slow but so believable. If you’re looking for a slow thriller with exceptional characters and plot (and divine writing) then definitely pick this one up, you won’t be disappointed. We find out something has happened to Janet’s daughter but we’re not made aware until quite a few chapters into the book which kept me hooked. She lives with her husband Colin who blames her solely for their daughters death and is incredibly emotionally abusive and controlling (big trigger warning for this topic!

An intensely beautiful depiction of vulnerability that instantly draws you into the world of a disturbingly fragile woman. The characters are written so well and are so rounded you feel like you are there and you feel everything the characters do.

Then, Janet finds herself involved in a train crash and, recognising the chance to do what she couldn’t all those years ago, she makes a decision. The emotional intelligence that underpins this novel is very impressive and I'll be reading more from Charlotte Levin before long, that's for sure. This is a painfully authentic reflection about the dark side of grief and loss that can seep into every aspect of life - it takes us to difficult places, but Levin offers a comforting hand to try and guide us through this journey and hope for a little bit of a light at the end. Though she does a thing that I find awful to consider, Janet is painted in such a way that it’s hard not to hope things work out for her.

When Janet is offered the chance of redemption, she grasps it with both hands, graciously accepting her unexpected elevation from insignificance to celebrity in the wake of her heroic rescue of a little girl in a train crash. It made me feel all the more invested in the story and I was rooting for Janet to finally find the strength to leave. I loved the ending too (for a while I thought we were going in a different direction, and Janet deserved so much more than that - I'm glad she got it).I thought it was a very powerful and thought provoking read , it’s definitely one I would recommend and It will sit with me for a long time I think .