What do you think?
Rate this book
Girl Afraid
WARNING: FOR MATURE READERS ONLY
This book contains themes relating to child exploitation, human trafficking and underground, illegal internet subcultures. Although all subjects are handled sensitively by the author, it is not a book for younger readers, or anyone of a particularly squeamish or fragile disposition.
Poppy Riley is missing. The man who has her wants no ransom, has made no contact with her family, and has no intention to do so. His plan for Poppy is far more sinister. In a locked room, somewhere in London, the ten year girl old sits and wonders how she came to be there.
Alice wakes up to a call from Frank. He is not a friend, but he knows everything about her. He is not a kidnapper, but he knows how to get Poppy back. The worst day of her life has already started, and he is her only guide through the horror. She knows she cannot trust him, but time is running out.
All over the capital, several men are waiting for confirmation that everything has gone according to plan. Strangers to each other, they are tied by a sickening common interest. An interest in Poppy Riley. Alice and Frank have less than twenty-four hours to stop them.
This book contains themes relating to child exploitation, human trafficking and underground, illegal internet subcultures. Although all subjects are handled sensitively by the author, it is not a book for younger readers, or anyone of a particularly squeamish or fragile disposition.
Poppy Riley is missing. The man who has her wants no ransom, has made no contact with her family, and has no intention to do so. His plan for Poppy is far more sinister. In a locked room, somewhere in London, the ten year girl old sits and wonders how she came to be there.
Alice wakes up to a call from Frank. He is not a friend, but he knows everything about her. He is not a kidnapper, but he knows how to get Poppy back. The worst day of her life has already started, and he is her only guide through the horror. She knows she cannot trust him, but time is running out.
All over the capital, several men are waiting for confirmation that everything has gone according to plan. Strangers to each other, they are tied by a sickening common interest. An interest in Poppy Riley. Alice and Frank have less than twenty-four hours to stop them.
Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2013
45 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Ciarán West
9 books51 followersCiarán West is the Limerick-born author of The Boys of Summer, Sweetness Follows, Girl Afraid, A Certain Romance, and the new novel, More than Words
You can find him on his website, on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and occasionally on Wordpress, when he remembers that he has a blog.
Here's a few words from him:
"I used to believe that I didn't write in any particular genre, but I suppose I write thrillers. Or thrilling books. 'Page turners' keeps coming up as a description. And 'Slice of life', too. I like that one.
I write mostly in a conversational style with no flowery language or show-offy adverbs - I think that makes it easier to read my books if English isn't your first language - despite the colloquial, slang-heavy nature of one particular series. It wasn't initially a deliberate thing - my first book is written in the vernacular of an 11 year old, so big words were out of the question anyway, but when I did my next one - a third person narrative in adult language, I think I carried on the 'simple is best' theme, because I think it's more accessible, even if the subject matter wasn't, so much.
I try to write in different styles, but I guess that, in the end, your own style comes through, whatever you're writing. And I'm okay with that."
You can find him on his website, on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and occasionally on Wordpress, when he remembers that he has a blog.
Here's a few words from him:
"I used to believe that I didn't write in any particular genre, but I suppose I write thrillers. Or thrilling books. 'Page turners' keeps coming up as a description. And 'Slice of life', too. I like that one.
I write mostly in a conversational style with no flowery language or show-offy adverbs - I think that makes it easier to read my books if English isn't your first language - despite the colloquial, slang-heavy nature of one particular series. It wasn't initially a deliberate thing - my first book is written in the vernacular of an 11 year old, so big words were out of the question anyway, but when I did my next one - a third person narrative in adult language, I think I carried on the 'simple is best' theme, because I think it's more accessible, even if the subject matter wasn't, so much.
I try to write in different styles, but I guess that, in the end, your own style comes through, whatever you're writing. And I'm okay with that."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 5, 2013
I have a serious bone to pick with the author: After reading til 3am last night, I actually called in sick today so I could finish it. Warning: This is a book to devour in a week-end, not one to pick up on commutes or for a quick browse before bed..
If you enjoy suspense thrillers with strong multiple characters, this is the book for you. I was fascinated by the varying points of view, which were each rendered with equal care and honesty - whether the plot was being driven by a child, a minder, a parent, a paedophile,... there were no cheap clichés. Each narrative was thoughtful and thought-provoking - often uncomfortably so.
West has the rare ability to illustrate mindsets and motivations through dialogue, leading to a far faster-paced story. The writing style is both sincere and wry, a bit reminiscent of Christopher Brookmyre without the whimsy. In spite of the nail-biting plot, several lines are so well-written with unexpected twists in reason that they stay with you ("Epping Forest was full of holes with men in them...")
I enjoyed his first book, Boys of Summer, and was a bit hesitant to pick up this one - strong debuts are so often followed by weaker fare. Weak this is not.
My advice: Lay in sufficient stocks of food, liquor and tobacco. Lock the doors. Switch off the phones. Tell your loved ones you've gone on a weekend retreat. And then start reading...
If you enjoy suspense thrillers with strong multiple characters, this is the book for you. I was fascinated by the varying points of view, which were each rendered with equal care and honesty - whether the plot was being driven by a child, a minder, a parent, a paedophile,... there were no cheap clichés. Each narrative was thoughtful and thought-provoking - often uncomfortably so.
West has the rare ability to illustrate mindsets and motivations through dialogue, leading to a far faster-paced story. The writing style is both sincere and wry, a bit reminiscent of Christopher Brookmyre without the whimsy. In spite of the nail-biting plot, several lines are so well-written with unexpected twists in reason that they stay with you ("Epping Forest was full of holes with men in them...")
I enjoyed his first book, Boys of Summer, and was a bit hesitant to pick up this one - strong debuts are so often followed by weaker fare. Weak this is not.
My advice: Lay in sufficient stocks of food, liquor and tobacco. Lock the doors. Switch off the phones. Tell your loved ones you've gone on a weekend retreat. And then start reading...
August 25, 2014
I packed this in at only 5%. I was totally confused by it and who's who in it. He just mentioned new people and gave you no clue whatsoever who they were or where they fitted in the scheme of things. I found I was flicking back 'n' forth looking to see if they'd been mentioned before....
I had assumed Alice was Poppy's mum but she isn't...I guess she's her nanny. It wasn't really made clear and just served to confuse when Poppy kept calling her Alice. I gave up when we started in on a new chapter with someone called Bob who hadn't appeared before. I knew I'd be having to come back to revisit this page again ONCE I learnt who he was and I'd got fed up by then.
However, it merited an extra star as I'd only spotted one dropped word from a sentence before I gave up on it which was impressive.
I had assumed Alice was Poppy's mum but she isn't...I guess she's her nanny. It wasn't really made clear and just served to confuse when Poppy kept calling her Alice. I gave up when we started in on a new chapter with someone called Bob who hadn't appeared before. I knew I'd be having to come back to revisit this page again ONCE I learnt who he was and I'd got fed up by then.
However, it merited an extra star as I'd only spotted one dropped word from a sentence before I gave up on it which was impressive.
August 3, 2017
I threw this book on the virtual woodpile in February, meaning never to return to it. I went off and wrote some other stuff- a YA novel, a sequel to The Boys of Summer, a dubious bean-flicker. Anything to not write Girl Afraid. Because I didn't like it. The narrative was all over the place, the plot was going nowhere, and the only thing I still liked was the title.
What a difference a few months made. I took another look at it in the summer, and decided that the only thing for it was to rewrite the entire thing. I put in a new narrative, changed a lot of things about the characters, and wrote a last one hundred pages that basically grabbed the reader by the scruff and said 'IT'S ON, LIKE DONKEY KONG.' With the new, neutral, and much better worded narrative, the book basically screamed along, to a finish that was straight out of a popcorn-guzzling, big budget Hollywood movie. And that's the way, aw-huh aw-huh, I liked it, apparently.
You need to own this book, if you answer 'Yes' to the following questions:
Do you like books?
Do you like excitement?
Do you like twists?
Do you like tension?
Do you hate tension?
Do you want to be indirectly educated about the darkest corners of the internet?
Do you have six dollars?
In short, I effing love this book now, much like one might love a favourite ex-girlfriend that one found again through Facebook. Or a chocolate bar that was down the back of the couch. You will love it too, I guarantee it. You'll love it so much, you'll beg your friends to read it. You'll even beg people you don't know to read it. You'll find illiterate homeless people, pay to have them learn English with a tutor, buy them a Kindle, and force them to read it. 'READ IT!' you'll scream. 'OR YOU'RE NOT GETTING YOUR SHOES BACK!'
Girl Afraid: It's so good, the author just gave it a five star review.
If you need me, I'll be over here, having no shame.
What a difference a few months made. I took another look at it in the summer, and decided that the only thing for it was to rewrite the entire thing. I put in a new narrative, changed a lot of things about the characters, and wrote a last one hundred pages that basically grabbed the reader by the scruff and said 'IT'S ON, LIKE DONKEY KONG.' With the new, neutral, and much better worded narrative, the book basically screamed along, to a finish that was straight out of a popcorn-guzzling, big budget Hollywood movie. And that's the way, aw-huh aw-huh, I liked it, apparently.
You need to own this book, if you answer 'Yes' to the following questions:
Do you like books?
Do you like excitement?
Do you like twists?
Do you like tension?
Do you hate tension?
Do you want to be indirectly educated about the darkest corners of the internet?
Do you have six dollars?
In short, I effing love this book now, much like one might love a favourite ex-girlfriend that one found again through Facebook. Or a chocolate bar that was down the back of the couch. You will love it too, I guarantee it. You'll love it so much, you'll beg your friends to read it. You'll even beg people you don't know to read it. You'll find illiterate homeless people, pay to have them learn English with a tutor, buy them a Kindle, and force them to read it. 'READ IT!' you'll scream. 'OR YOU'RE NOT GETTING YOUR SHOES BACK!'
Girl Afraid: It's so good, the author just gave it a five star review.
If you need me, I'll be over here, having no shame.
September 8, 2013
If I could give this book more stars I totally would.
My GOD. The feelings this book made me have are so varied. I felt my heart race almost out of my chest, I felt hate, compassion, revulsion and joy. Sometimes all at the same time. I also cried. Twice. And that rarely happens when I read.
Child kidnapping and trafficking is always going to be hard subject matter. But this was crafted wonderfully. It felt real, not sensationalised or movie style, but like some horrible nightmare that could really happen. At times it was a little hard to stomach, but no more so than reading any of the ever popular true life abuse books that litter shelves in your local supermarket.
I laughed, I cried. I wanted to throw my ereader at the wall and jump for joy.
I honestly didn't think I could enjoy this book as much as I had this authors previous and first effort, The Boys of Summer.
But I did.
Read it, it's a gripping ride that will have you wondering what lengths you would go to to save someone you love.
Brilliant.
My GOD. The feelings this book made me have are so varied. I felt my heart race almost out of my chest, I felt hate, compassion, revulsion and joy. Sometimes all at the same time. I also cried. Twice. And that rarely happens when I read.
Child kidnapping and trafficking is always going to be hard subject matter. But this was crafted wonderfully. It felt real, not sensationalised or movie style, but like some horrible nightmare that could really happen. At times it was a little hard to stomach, but no more so than reading any of the ever popular true life abuse books that litter shelves in your local supermarket.
I laughed, I cried. I wanted to throw my ereader at the wall and jump for joy.
I honestly didn't think I could enjoy this book as much as I had this authors previous and first effort, The Boys of Summer.
But I did.
Read it, it's a gripping ride that will have you wondering what lengths you would go to to save someone you love.
Brilliant.
September 23, 2013
This book is a ride I never knew I wanted to take, but I'm so happy I did. The subject matter is touchy to be sure. Child exploitation is one of those evils that has the ability to unite the world against it. But through the talent of the author this book manages to shine a very real, very human light on the dark corners of the world that seek out such things. The characters in this work come off as so very, very real. The author has the wonderful ability to not only understand humans, but to bring them to life on the page. This has the effect of making the whole experience of reading his novel somehow more than just a literary experience. The realness of the characters on the page translates into very real feelings in the reader. You will come to loathe and love those in the book. You will become desperate to defend them and you will ache for retribution when you realize that you can't. You will want justice so badly you can taste it...
Read this book.
Read this book.
November 14, 2013
Oh my goodness... this book is entirely shocking, covering the difficult subjects of paedophilia and trafficking. When I describe it like that it doesn't sound like something that I would even consider reading... but I just couldn't put it down. I so badly wanted there to be a happy ending of some sort for Poppy and Alice.
This is so well written and engaging, despite the controversial subject, that you just have to carry on reading. I'll admit that I did some skimming toward the end, particularly once the guns made their appearance, not because I had got noted with the story or anything, simply that the descriptions of the injuries sustained by the various people was a little stomach-churning, even for me.
Well worth a read if you can get past the subject. I think my next read will be much less harrowing!
This is so well written and engaging, despite the controversial subject, that you just have to carry on reading. I'll admit that I did some skimming toward the end, particularly once the guns made their appearance, not because I had got noted with the story or anything, simply that the descriptions of the injuries sustained by the various people was a little stomach-churning, even for me.
Well worth a read if you can get past the subject. I think my next read will be much less harrowing!
September 5, 2013
When I get scared, I pull a Joey from Friends: the book goes in the freezer. I was unable to do that in this case, so it went under the kitchen sink. I read Ciaran West's first book, The Boys of Summer, and I have to say that his 2nd outing, Girl Afraid, is even more thrilling than the first.
I don't want to give anything away, suffice to say that this is a book about child abduction, good guys and bad, and the reader's heart-pounding terror. I genuinely cared about the characters, which is why I reacted so strongly and ended with an under-the-sink-book-hiding.
Please, do yourself a favour, and buy this book. Well worth the price. I am already eagerly looking forward to West's next endeavour!
I don't want to give anything away, suffice to say that this is a book about child abduction, good guys and bad, and the reader's heart-pounding terror. I genuinely cared about the characters, which is why I reacted so strongly and ended with an under-the-sink-book-hiding.
Please, do yourself a favour, and buy this book. Well worth the price. I am already eagerly looking forward to West's next endeavour!
December 12, 2013
Tough subject but a brilliant book
September 9, 2013
After reading the Debut book The Boys Of Summer I could not wait to see what Ciaran West would produce for his second novel and it did not disappoint!
His writing style in Girl Afraid is totally different but totally gripping. From the moment Alice receives a phone call right to the last page I could not put this book down. It takes you to the most seedy places on the internet you could imagine.
The way he switches between Alices fight to get Poppy back, and Poppy telling her story is seamless and you really do wonder if it could get any more disturbing (I will let you find out for yourself if it does!!)
Some of the story lines immediately make you think of real life things that have happened and for me this made the suspense even more unbearable. It really does make you question could this happen in real life??
I only put the book down as I literately could not keep my eyes open any longer, but as soon as I woke the next morning I reached for it and didn't(couldn't)put it down again until I had finished it.
What more can I say? This book will not disappoint, it will have you gripped from beginning to end, and I now can't wait to see what this very talented author comes up with next!
His writing style in Girl Afraid is totally different but totally gripping. From the moment Alice receives a phone call right to the last page I could not put this book down. It takes you to the most seedy places on the internet you could imagine.
The way he switches between Alices fight to get Poppy back, and Poppy telling her story is seamless and you really do wonder if it could get any more disturbing (I will let you find out for yourself if it does!!)
Some of the story lines immediately make you think of real life things that have happened and for me this made the suspense even more unbearable. It really does make you question could this happen in real life??
I only put the book down as I literately could not keep my eyes open any longer, but as soon as I woke the next morning I reached for it and didn't(couldn't)put it down again until I had finished it.
What more can I say? This book will not disappoint, it will have you gripped from beginning to end, and I now can't wait to see what this very talented author comes up with next!
August 11, 2016
I seem to be in the minority with this book because I really didn't like it - in fact I very nearly didn't finish it. The opening premise was intriguing - Alice, PA to a famous film star, receives a call from a mystery man who seems to know all about her saying that his daughter, Poppy has been "taken" and he can help get her back. However, from the point that it becomes apparent why she has been taken intrigue turned to dislike for me. I found the scenes of violence, particularly sexual violence, disturbing and sickening. Also, I wasn't convinced that Alice and Poppy would react in the way depicted at the end of the book.
January 6, 2014
Yet another disturbingly good read by this author. I enjoyed the boys of summer more than this one only because this book drops below darkness, entering the sick minds of pedophiles. Still this book was intense & a great read, just makes u want to keep your kids locked up at home away from the rest of the world!
September 7, 2013
A fantastic read; hard to put down there is some very disturbing imagery but the story is well worth it. Not for the faint of heart, and don't start it if you have an early day....you'll be forcing yourself to stop ..
Well done, Mr. West...I look forward to the next.
Well done, Mr. West...I look forward to the next.
October 8, 2013
wow what a story loved every page!
December 30, 2017
I would go 1 1/2 stars if Goodreads allowed because I did skim through the last 40% since I wanted to find out what happened to Poppy. Spoiler alert - what happens to Poppy is ridiculous. A good editing would have helped this story a lot, there were so many characters to follow and the author was pretty in depth with each, not to mention a lot of misplaced words, although no misspellings which is a nice change of pace for an ebook. I didn't go low on the rating because of the subject matter or because I thought it was too disturbing, more because it was just too much info. At times I felt like I was reading Internet Pedophilia For Dummies. I wasn't looking for a "how to" book, I just wanted to be entertained. My other complaint is that Alice's behavior was completely unbelievable and it was hard to immerse myself in a story while rolling my eyes.
January 9, 2014
Girl Afraid is a gripping, terrifying ride. It's a very dark look into a very dark world -- one that I was not actually prepared for, and probably wouldn't have taken if I'd known what I was in for. That speaks both to the author's skill and to my own sensitivity to the subject matter. But since the review should reflect the quality of the author's work and not my own personal history, I'll keep to the book.
Alice is awakened one morning by a terrifying phone call. Poppy, her boss' daughter, has been taken, and the mysterious man on the other end is the only person who seems to be able to help her. The kidnappers aren't asking for a ransom; they have a much darker purpose.
The story is told from various characters' points of view, and West does a good job of jumping from POV to POV without unduly confusing the reader, which is hard to do. There are a few plot points here and there that felt a little forced, but it's a tight story overall. I don't know how much in-depth research the author invested into how the "dark net" functions, but the picture he painted was plausible to the point of turning my stomach.
Is Girl Afraid well-written? Very. Ciarán West delivers fast-paced, tightly-woven action. But I do so wish I hadn't read it. The author did too good a job of drawing me into his world -- one that I wish didn't exist, but know probably does.
Alice is awakened one morning by a terrifying phone call. Poppy, her boss' daughter, has been taken, and the mysterious man on the other end is the only person who seems to be able to help her. The kidnappers aren't asking for a ransom; they have a much darker purpose.
The story is told from various characters' points of view, and West does a good job of jumping from POV to POV without unduly confusing the reader, which is hard to do. There are a few plot points here and there that felt a little forced, but it's a tight story overall. I don't know how much in-depth research the author invested into how the "dark net" functions, but the picture he painted was plausible to the point of turning my stomach.
Is Girl Afraid well-written? Very. Ciarán West delivers fast-paced, tightly-woven action. But I do so wish I hadn't read it. The author did too good a job of drawing me into his world -- one that I wish didn't exist, but know probably does.
September 29, 2013
Awesome
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews