The Nearly Girl

by Lisa de Nikolits

Fans of "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" will love this clever, fast-paced and enjoyable thriller.

Like a modern-day Joan of Arc, Amelia Fisher attempts to carve out a 'normal life', showing us how mythic the idea of 'normal' really is.

With a poetic genius for a father, an obsessed body builder for a mother, and an enchantingly eccentric group seeking the help of an unorthodox therapist, what could possibly go wrong?

A chance discovery propels Amelia and fellow therapy attendee, Mike, with whom she is in love, into a life-threatening situation instigated by the crazed doctor's own dark secret but Amelia's psychosis saves the day.

Told with warmth, humor and populated with vividly original characters, this sprint-paced novel has it all, from restraining orders to sex in office bathrooms, and a nail-biting ending.

A novel about an unusual family, expected social norms and the twists and turns of getting it all slightly wrong, the consequences of which prove fatal for some.

Genres: Fiction

312 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2016

About the author

Lisa de Nikolits is the author of twelve traditionally published novels. That Time I Killed You is forthcoming in 2026 (Level Best Books).

12. “In her new book MAD DOG AND THE SEA DRAGON, Lisa de Nikolits lends her literary talents to noir, bringing wiseguy mobsters to the new millennium. She brings wiseguy mobsters to the new millennium. She's mastered spec-fic, thrillers, sci-fi, drama, and more; and now, with MAD DOG AND THE SEA DRAGON, Lisa de Nikolits turns to noir!” – AllLitUp.ca

Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon is noir thriller. Christopher Moore comes to mind, or Carl Hiaasen with a dash of Quentin Tarantino, all bundled up in a 50's-styled gangster novel set in modern day times.

The dropdead-gorgeous protagonist, Jessica, dresses like a Hollywood movie star but she's razor sharp. She likes to hang out with Daisy, her leafy sea dragon pal while she waits for her mob boss lover, Enzo Esposito, take her out on the town. Enzo's a big fan of Weegee, the 1940's true crime photographer, and what Jessica discovers, will shock her and put her life in danger. She'll need all her wits about her to get out alive.

11. Everything You Dream is Real: "In this darkly funny, politically charged follow up, de Nikolits, always a fearless writer, taking no prisoners. Whether you've read The Rage Room or not, Everything You Dream is Real is a searing, accessible fable for our collective fears and weaknesses, as fun as it is thought-provoking."

10. The Rage Room: “In her latest captivating book, Lisa de Nikolits proffers not only a roller coaster of entertainment, but also, sharp political commentary in complicated times. The Rage Room is an intricately woven dystopian world, rich in strong female characters who easily whisk readers to a world of futuristic follies. Move over George Orwell—De Nikolits shows us how the future can be scary, exciting, and above all, female.”
—Kelly S. Thompson, national bestselling author of Girls Need Not Apply: Field Notes from the Forces

“Wow, what a ride! Lisa de Nikolits has written a pulse-pounding thriller set in a troubled future that might just be ours. We see the seeds of The Rage Room in our own digital landscape. Mind-bending yet all too believable in the hands of a masterful storyteller.”
—Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour

9. The Occult Persuasion and The Anarchist's Solution: "Lisa de Nikolits sets readers on a rollercoaster ride of clever twists and unexpected turns. The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution is a lot of fun and filled with some believable, yet zany characters. It bounces between the viewpoints of Lyndon and Margaux, a retired couple whose marriage speeds steadily downhill after Lyndon decides to call it quits and runs off. It’s the ultimate story of marriage meltdown told in a style all Lisa’s own, and this one should be on everybody’s must-read list." –Dietrich Kalteis, author of Zero Avenue

8. Rotten Peaches, "Wow. Just wow. Lisa de Nikolits’ Rotten Peaches blew me away. A dark, compulsive, and addictive story in which the characters’ secrets and needs conflict with each other and fold back in on themselves in an ever-tightening noose, Rotten Peaches will keep readers gripped until the very last page. Highly recommended!" —Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter

7. No Fury Like That, a murder mystery with excellent reviews by Metroland Media and high profile international crime writers. No Fury Like That will be published in Italian, under the title Una furia dell'altro mondo, in 2019.

6. The Nearly Girl was released to rave reviews by magazines, literary journals and readers.

5. Between The Cracks She Fell was released in August of 2015 and received excellent reviews in magazines as well as literary journals. It won the Bronze IPPY Award for Popular Fiction.

4. The Witchdoctor’s Bones launched in Spring 2014 to acclaim from Canadian Living magazine and many

Reviews

[A.B. Funkhauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A HILARIOUS GONZOID JOURNEY INTO LIGHT AND DARK

The Nearly Girl by Lisa de Nikolits is one of those gems that defies genre categories. It is not a romance. It is not a thriller. But it is a journey and often a humorous one. Young Amelia is talented, complicated, twisted and kind, and she has her parents and grandparents to thank. Her father, a wealthy misanthropic poet, enjoys national acclaim but cannot endure the bonds of traditional family life. Similarly, Amelia’s mom, who pursues her physical best while pining for an unrequited and impossible love. Ethel and Ed, Amelia’s loving grandparents, are stalwarts and effective nurturers, but life has its limits even for them. Enter Amelia’s psychiatrist Dr. Carroll and a madcap therapy group that embraces a DTOT approach to problem-solving, and the engaged reader has a recipe for humor, poignancy, idiocy and enlightenment. I give The Nearly Girl a full five stars because it is fresh, unusual, offbeat and thoroughly gonzo. Something needed in these unserious overly-serious times we live in.

I purchased the paperback at a book fair and happily give my honest review.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very disjointed book. I did enjoy the descriptions of Megan and Henry, but I didn’t understand the beginning and the end with the woman who introduced her knowledge of the nearly girl. We never heard anything about her relationship with the Amelia. I couldn’t understand the point of that. And then the book really took a weird turn and seem to be more about the strange doctor and not very much about the nearly girl. Also, it became quite implausible. I was on a road trip so kept listening but got very irritated at the end. It’s extremely hard for me to understand how people rated the book as five stars.

[Tehmina Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nearly Girl is fast-paced, funny, and full of quirky characters. I don't remember the last time a book had me laughing out loud the way this one did. Thank you, Lisa de Nikolits, for this brilliant read.

[Lynda Dickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Megan meets Henry, it's love at first sight. But love isn't always perfect. Henry is a poet who uses LSD, he's slightly unhinged, eccentric, and mentally unstable. Megan's parents Ethel and Ed are very supportive, especially when she gets pregnant. But when her daughter Amelia starts behaving like Henry from an early age, Megan withdraws and becomes obsessed with body building. They call Amelia the "Nearly Girl" because she nearly gets things right but can also get them so wrong. Fast forward to Amelia at twenty-two, when she meets Mike in a group therapy session run by Dr. Frances Carroll, whose mantra is to "do the opposite thing". The members of this group of misfits each purport to be in therapy for one reason, but we find out each one has a much deeper problem. They all fall victim to Dr. Carroll's unorthodox therapy - in more ways than one. But, when Amelia discovers a shocking truth about her therapist, who will believe a mental patient?

The Nearly Girl gives us a heartbreaking look at those who suffer from mental illness and how it impacts the lives of those around them. Much like its quirky characters, this book offers a whole lot more than what you see at first glance. Based on the cutesy cover and the light-hearted beginning of the book, I wasn't expecting a thriller. But The Nearly Girl is a unique combination of literary fiction, humor, romance ... and thriller. With its truly beautiful writing and memorable characters, this book is sure to appeal to many different types of readers.

I received this book in return for an honest review.

Full blog post (24 November): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...

[Jim Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

South African-born writer Lisa de Nikolits' most recent book was the critically-acclaimed Between the Cracks She Fell (2015, Inanna). Canadian Living said regarding it: "This latest book from [Lisa] is a true exploration of the human spirit. Anyone who has ever felt like they've slipped through the cracks or been lost in life can relate to this captivating story." Now Inanna has released Ms de Nikolits newest novel The Nearly Girl, and it too is a captivating story about loveable, quirky characters with various neuroses trying to find and maintain love in a world that tries to suppress or compartmentalise them as "crazy".
I quite enjoyed reading The Nearly Girl, especially the bizarre therapy sessions with the unusual Dr Carroll. There is even a Hitchcockian/Twilight Zone twist near the end that I didn't see coming.
As I mentioned earlier, the entire cast is most likeable, reminding us that there are people all around us; family, friends, workmates, schoolmates that may just need some understanding and perhaps even some encouragement to "Do The Opposite Thing" to overcome their particular fears whether it may be public speaking, anger management or habitually getting on the wrong bus.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

What an odd book this is
It felt like it was a bunch of stories all thrown together

I loved the first section about Meg and Henry - i thought it well constructed and the characters both interesting and completely believable. I was fascinated and eager to read what came next for this weird couple and their little girl

And then something very odd happened. I felt like I was in a lecture that some stoned maniac had hijacked. and not in a good way.
The characters got thin and ridiculous. The plot crashed and burnt and then was revived with such huge plot holes I think whole families are living in them.

And then just when I was thinking okay, this is just odd disjointed stuff possibly like the minds of so many of the characters, the end happened. And it was an unbelievable as the characters towards the end.

Maybe I missed the point but this did not feel like a single cohesive book to me but rather some cobbled together ideas for two or three books.

The crazy-paving didn't work for me

[Heather Babcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nearly Girl is completely mesmerizing!
Lisa de Nikolits’ tale of family dysFUNction is chock full of comedy, drama and page turning suspense. Anyone who has ever felt alienated by the unwritten rules and norms of society will find a kindred spirit in Amelia, the “Nearly Girl” daughter of a female bodybuilder and a tortured poet, who believes that rainy days are just perfect for picnics on the beach and who fears that getting on the right bus will lead her to a dead end. Told with warmth, humor and populated with vividly original characters, The Nearly Girl illustrates the importance of keeping the magic in an increasingly corporate, cookie-cutter world.

[Rosemary McCracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful romp by talented Lisa de Nikolits. With a tortured poet for a father, a body builder for a mother and a dysfunctional psychiatrist for a therapist, what could possibly go wrong for The Nearly Girl's Amelia Fisher? This fast-paced thriller explores the consequences of deviating from the norm with strong female characters and a big helping of humour. Scenes with therapist Dr. Frances Carroll are nothing short of hilarious. De Nikolits is a master at creating quirky characters and plots that take readers far beyond what they expected. Fortunately, we won't have to wait long for another charmer as this author is incredibly prolific!

[Jerri Jerreat · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is definitely a quirky book, and I really enjoyed it. The first, short, part is about the parents, when young. Interesting, but it becomes fast paced and mysterious in the second part. “Amelia Goes to Therapy” could be the title of this section. The characters are well drawn, eccentric, even lovable. Well, not all are lovable... I finished the book, then opened it up again the next day and began to read it aloud to my husband. I knew he’d love it, and we laughed together often.

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I really really loved this book! This review is ridiculously long! But, rule of thumb - The longer the review the more I liked the book. I just love the language in here! It's so quirky and original. This is the second book I have read by Lisa and I guess her writing style clicks with me. The first one was - The Witchdoctor's Bones.

This is really two books that could have been separated and done as a series. The first half is about Henry and Megan (the parents of "the nearly girl") - Ohhh I loved Henry and Megan! I loved this story about them, they were so cute together. They both ended up being very strange and kind of dysfunctional but I loved their characters.

This is Henry -
"Megan's eyes rested on what she thought was a long-haired angel: a blond, tall, barefoot, lean and muscular, T-shirt-wearing angel. He seemed otherworldly, even radiant, and he moved with effortless grace."

"He's a genius," Zimmerman Bob said. "But he's a few sandwiches short of a picnic when it comes to real life."

The second half of the book is about Amelia (which just happens to be my favorite name!), Henry and Megan's daughter. And... of course I fell in love with her too.

This is Amelia -
"You are wearing purple feather fish hooks for earrings," Henry said, "and half of your hair is white and the other side is Kool-Aid blue. Every single fingernail is a different colour and you're covered in what I hope are henna tattoos, not because I have anything against tattoos, but because yours look like you drew them yourself with a brown sharpie."
"I did," Amelia said proudly. "Thank you for noticing."

There was great character development. I got so emotionally attached to everyone. Every new person that was introduced felt like they belonged and you very quickly got to know. The second half had a lot of characters but it didn't seem like too much. Lisa did a great job!

While the first half was a love story between Henry and Megan, the second half was "One Flew Over the cuckoo's Nest". It was all about Amelia's therapy sessions, which were hilarious and kind of sad at times.

And then... taa daa - it turned adventurous and mysterious! There is certainly something around every corner with this book! There is never a dull moment. It is quirky and fun and zany and weird, but oh so lovable! I would really love to see another book about Amelia and how she does with life. I will definitely be reading more by this author! I am a fan of Lisa de Nikolits for sure!

I started this book just before Thanksgiving making it very hard to stay attentive to the tasks I needed to do.

Five signs that you know a book is so good and "meant for you"!

1. You got out your vacuum and swiffer and intended on cleaning house for Thanksgiving until you started reading and four hours later the vacuum and swiffer are still sitting in the hallway untouched.
2. You didn't notice the time until you stop reading and realize it's 12:30 and you haven't even had breakfast yet!
3. You are highlighting half the page on every page and you're only a third of the way through the book.
4. Even though you have tons of stuff to do today you keep going back to your iPad just to sneak one more page, just one more page!
5. And lastly, you find yourself thinking about The characters Megan and Henry when you should be thinking about who's coming to dinner for Thanksgiving!


I voluntarily posted this review after receiving this book from Partners in Crime Book Tours. Thank you!

[Jo Fetsco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amelia Fisher tries to make her life “normal”, but not “boring”, after growing up with a body-building, orange (from tanning) mother and a psychotic, an often absent father who is a world-renowned poet due to the voices that he hears in his head, and a “normal” grandmother who raised and home-schooled her. She joins an eccentric group to seek help from an unorthodox professor/psychiatrist, the “inventor” of DTOT (Do the opposite thing!) and becomes embroiled in her crazed doctor’s secret life, threatening her own life. This book is so weird and has so many unusual plot twists that are too unreal and far-fetched to make the book good.

[Cynthia Greene · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the worst book I've ever read. The writing is atrocious and the characters speak/act in ridiculous ways. The audiobook dictation wasn't the problem (although it's not great either) but whoever edited this book should be fired. These characters are supposed to be American but most of the language used sounds British (or European). It was beyond just an occasional odd word, it was nonstop and formal sounding. I wish i had never wasted time on this turd and unless you're a pre-teen with bad taste or someone who a fondness for bad writing, i would strongly urge you to pass on this one. I give it two big thumbs down. 👎👎

[Terri Favro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nearly Girl is a character-driven roller coaster of a novel that asks the question, "What is normal?" or possibly, "Should we even try to be normal?" Funny, touching, sometimes heartbreaking, with a generous number of plot twists and turns, and a totally unexpected ending (at least, I didn't see it coming), the true heart of the novel is its unique cast of characters -- in particular, Henry Berlin, an 'eccentric' poet whose family relationships drive the story relentlessly forward. I think this is Lisa De Nikolits' best since "A Glittering Chaos" (which I also loved).

[Hiromi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange novel.
Not boring or irritating although not so entertaining.
3.5.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yowza! Packed with quirky characters and spun with dexterity! Great read!

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much is too much.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most unusual novel I have read in ages. It has quirky characters, unbelievable group therapy sessions, drugged zombies, and a disjointed plot. Yet I found the novel compelling reading.

Megan meets Henry at a poetry reading. He is very, very odd yet she finds herself captivated by him. He is drawn to her and soon they are a couple in a dysfunctional sort of way. When she forgets to take her birth control pills, Megan becomes pregnant. After a stormy time of relationship, Amelia is born. It becomes quickly apparent that Amelia has some of the same odd behavior traits of her father. Perhaps group therapy will help her adapt to the world better than her father was able to do.

This novel is a look at people who don't fit into the normal categories in society. Henry hears voices, writes poetry no one understands but everyone applauds, doesn't feel cold, gets up and leaves at odd hours and disappears for days. Some call him a genius. But are all geniuses in some way crazy?

It was interesting to read how Amelia tackles life in the light of her odd father. She found “normal” life boring. Because of her government support, she attends group therapy and there meets more misfits of society. But are they really such misfits? Aren't we all unusual in some way?

There are serious themes explored in this quirky novel. One is family. Because of his odd behavior, Henry has been practically disowned by his socially correct parents. At one point he says, “This is what you and I do, Mother. We hurt each other. That is how we know we are still family. When we lose the power to hurt one another, well, then we will just be strangers.” (36) There could be good discussion around that issue.

But perhaps the major theme is what it means to be normal and accepted so in society. Amelia could not be normal yet wanted to function in society. A brilliant young woman, she was studying Joan of Arc for an advanced degree. But she just could not get on the right bus to her destination. Taking a different bus was so less boring. She is told, “You can still be singularly unique, and yet do the things that the rest of the world does.” (168) There is another good point of discussion.

I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy the unusual. You'll find unusual characters and social interactions. Unusual humor and tenderness. Unusual topics to discuss. You'll find pure quirky entertainment.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Brenda Clews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nearly Girl, by Lisa de Nikolits, is a good read. What a deconstruction of 'the therapist.' I agree with her about many members of the profession and am glad to see a character like this displayed with such fierce satire. Henry and Amelia, father and daughter, as lithesome and poignant characters who could float into the sky holding balloons, are simply beautiful - they are practically poetry in their formation, descriptions, actions and foibles. Ethel and Megan, the two mothers, are great foils. And the whole family loves each other and that is the best. The therapy group who must do-the-opposite are a cast of fascinating characters. So much drama in the novel! It's breath-taking. A trans character with a gun who suicides out; a hoarder who commits suicide by arson, burning her stash; and the sex in the bathroom! It was a wild ride and I am quite blown away by de Nikolitis' writing - its gentleness, tongue-in-cheek satire, and the underlying social commentary on ideas of 'normalcy' that the therapy tradition thrives on when we are clearly full of eccentricities that not only define us but shape the ways we understand the world.

There is a subtext on the magic of eccentricity and that is everywhere in the novel, some of it pretty far out in the members of the group, and I think de Nikolitis is saying that our eccentricities are quite delightful but we have to take care of each other for we are all sensitive and delicate too. The doctor… I wouldn't call eccentric, though he, too, has an innocence about him, and I think this is because she writes from the character's perspective, which is quite an extraordinary achievement in literature if you think about it. The doctor is more of a psychopath. And perhaps this is a wry, tongue-in-cheek comment on the therapeutic traditions themselves.

What I am left with at the end of the novel is a story of sensitivity, of nuance, of eccentricity within the contexts and complexities of life where illness and death loom and of a profession that has arisen almost virus-like and which both incubates and thrives on the neuroses it creates to prolong itself, its livelihood. Poetry and analysis are not compatible modes of being and can never understand one another. In The Nearly Girl, though, they electrify the story like high tension wires pinned to the boards of Henry’s award-winning poetry in the emptied mansion in Rosedale where he lives.

[Gina Buonaguro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nearly Girl by Lisa de Nikolits is a clever, fast-paced, and enjoyable read with a cast of quirky characters. They range from Henry the supremely creative poet to his estranged body-building wife and her reliable and loving mother, from the not-quite-right psychiatrist Dr. Carroll, who applies his unorthodox cognitive behavioural therapy research called DTOT (do the opposite thing) to the lovable misfits who populate his required class. And then there’s Amelia, Henry’s daughter in so many ways, who attributes her inability to conform to the norms of society to her fear of being boringly normal. The novel traces Amelia’s life, from her eccentric childhood love of birthday parties outside in the freezing rain to her current predicament of having to take Dr. Carroll’s advice to retain the funding that finances her thesis on the unconventional Joan of Arc. In the course of escaping Dr. Carroll’s clutches – in more ways than one – Amelia discovers her true self and encourages the reader to do the same.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A playful exploration of human oddities, de Nikolits's latest book asks: What are the consequences when we deviate from the norm? Centred around Amelia, a young woman who only nearly gets things right in life—she catches the wrong bus or shows up on the wrong day—The Nearly Girl features a cast of misfits who are all engaged in various forms of self-improvement. With her mother trying endlessly to improve her body and her tortured genius poet father always awaiting the voice of brilliance to speak to him, Amelia and her family are anything but ordinary. But perhaps the most compelling characters are found in Amelia's therapy sessions, where hoarders, recluses and claustrophobes alike come together in an enchantingly eccentric group seeking the help of an unorthodox psychotherapist. Yet, we learn from de Nikolits, sometimes self-acceptance is better than change. The story builds with cinematic suspense and surprises, but one thing is for sure: The only crazy thing in this world is trying to be normal.

[Mark Sunflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently reading this book. It is a book I never would have found had I not met the author at a book launch and connected with her. I purchased the book and have begun reading it. It is real, fresh and authentically engaging. The characters have a crisp realism to them. It is a surprisingly easy book to get into (I didn't think it would be). It tackles many common life issues in a frank and funny way and I am left with a great empathy for all the characters.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away but I will share that the poet Henry has an essence and presence I can really relate to. The main character Amelia (daughter of Henry) is equally as compelling as a person with her unique and engaging follies. Overall an honest and very human way of relating to the characters and ultimately ourselves.

Update: I have finished the book and I look forward to more books from Lisa. She has a fresh and inspired writers perspective.

[Andrea Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her latest novel, the The Nearly Girl, Lisa de Nikolits takes us deep into the complex workings of an extraordinary mind. Amelia Fisher, the protagonist of de Nikolits’s latest offering, reminds readers of the importance of passion and adventure in a world that wishes to keep our wilder urges contained. Like a modern-day Joan of Arc, Fisher’s attempts to carve out a ‘normal life’, take her to the fringes of social acceptability – showing us how mythic the idea of ‘normal’ really is. Through a story that surprises, page after page, The Nearly Girl will take readers on an unexpected adventure – where the lines between the rational and irrational are blurred. From hoarding to the fear of public speaking, this psychiatric thriller excavates the phobias, idiosyncrasies and character oddities that make us human at the core.

– Andrea Thompson, Over Our Heads

[Mandy Eve-Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced and illuminating story where endeavouring to conform to society's perception of normal, exposes the masks of illusion. Amelia Fisher's unconventional upbringing with an LSD addicted poet father and an emotionally distance body building mother leads her to attending sessions with a crazy doctor. Whose unorthodox method called D.T.O.T. – “Do the Opposite Thing” has significant repercussions on his patients including Amelia. A chance discovery propels Amelia and fellow attendee, Mike with whom she is in love, are plunged into a life-threatening situation instigated by the doctor's own dark secret. Hidden twists abound with growing tension culminating in a surprising ending.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the "Nearly Girl" theoretically may be the book's protagonist, almost pushed from the spotlight by her famous, largely more unusual father, from whom, presumably, she inherited her "nearly" tendencies, the story gets rocking when we sit in on group therapy. Those "nutty" characters attract the readers' attention and you want to know if therapy does them any good. You'll have to decide for yourself.
What a twist near the end!!
Madness, genius and brilliance are hard to distinguish.

I did receive a copy of this book for review purposes.

[Bradford Dunlop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story. Funny and insightful

[Jastinder Toor · Rating 3 out of 5]

do the opposite