The Missing Pieces of Us in Aussie Readers

Aug 27, 2019 Brenda rated it liked it

Shelves: aussie-authors, contemporary-fiction, 2017-release, gift-from-gr-friend, women-s-fiction, own-read

3.5★s

Lauren, Skye and Tamara – three different women whose lives intersect. Lauren and Skye were mother and daughter, and while Lauren’s life was a busy one as teacher at her daughter’s school, Skye was a fourteen-year-old teen, sure her mother hadn’t wanted her; finding teenage angst in her friends and first boyfriend Billy. Skye’s older brother Stu seemed to get all the attention, with her dad, Dean on the sidelines. Tamara was the manager of a successful clothing shop, but was also an insecu ...more

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Mar 20, 2017 Bree T rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, australian, contemporary, aww2017

This is Fleur McDonald’s first foray away from rural romance/fiction and into the broader genre of women’s fiction or ‘life lit’. I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few of her other books and so I was quite looking forward to this one and seeing where it went.

It introduces the reader to three women: mother and daughter Lauren and Skye Ramsey as well as Tamara Thompson, the manager of a local clothing store that Skye often likes to shop in. Each of the three are struggling with something. Lauren is a This is Fleur McDonald’s first foray away from rural romance/fiction and into the broader genre of women’s fiction or ‘life lit’. I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few of her other books and so I was quite looking forward to this one and seeing where it went.

It introduces the reader to three women: mother and daughter Lauren and Skye Ramsey as well as Tamara Thompson, the manager of a local clothing store that Skye often likes to shop in. Each of the three are struggling with something. Lauren is a teacher and concerned about a young child in her class at school as well as an itchy spot on her arm. Skye is 14 and facing the pressures and stresses that friends and boys bring and Tamara is given news that she’s not quite sure how to cope with. It could also offer the chance of a new beginning with her mother, if she can let go of the past.

The core ideas are all quite good – as a pale redhead, I can relate to Lauren’s concerns about her skin, especially when she discovers a new spot that itches. She’s also a full time teacher of a busy kindergarten class and has two children of her own, the youngest of whom, Skye, is going through a bit of a ‘difficult’ stage. Connecting with Skye has become harder and harder for Lauren and at times she seems to often compare Skye to her oldest child, who is more easygoing.

Tamara is a really interesting character and at first it’s not really entirely obvious why she’s included in the story. But she has clearly had quite a hard life – many years ago she was given an opportunity to turn things around. She took that opportunity and now likes to pay it forward and so when she sees a chance to help someone else she takes it. It brings Tamara into Skye’s life in a more intimate way and because of that, into Lauren’s life as well.

And here is where I started to have a bit of a struggle with this book. I found that it was honestly, the sort of book where I ended up saying to myself “What are the odds?” several times because it’s linked together by either connections or events that are somewhat well, a bit of a stretch. I was able to guess where it was going quite a long way before it got there as well and I think that made it lose some impact and just seem a bit too orchestrated and unbelievable.

There are some serious issues tackled in this book so it’s unfortunate that it didn’t really feel as though they were explored with the depth that they could’ve been. Lauren’s diagnosis offered a lot of chances but most of what occurs, occurs off the page. That was probably deliberate but at the same time it made me feel like I wasn’t really a part of what was happening, it was all vague and left me feeling disconnected from it. I get that it brought up Lauren’s desire to connect with her biological heritage and that was quite a focus of the story but she was going through something quite alarming and a lot of it felt a bit glossed over.

But ultimately it was the way that things seemed to come together so neatly and effortlessly that I had the most problem with. So much seemed so coincidental and easy and not just the things about Lauren’s heritage. There was also a lot with Skye, her teenage daughter, that seemed quite easily fixed. Skye ends up becoming involved in a bit of a scandal and quite a lot of the fallout is glossed over as well and her relationship with Lauren seems to be magically improved.

This was just an okay read for me – some good bones but the execution felt weak and contrived at times and there wasn’t enough focus on some of the meatier issues. ...more

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Apr 04, 2017 Janine rated it really liked it

Shelves: for-review

Fleur McDonald is well known for her rural romance stories, this book is a departure from that genre into Womens Fiction and its the first of her books that I have read!

It tells the story of three women Lauren - a mother and school teacher, Skye - her teenage daughter and Tamara who is estranged from her family and going through a lot in life. The book mostly centres around Lauren and Skye. Lauren is a dedicated teacher who is so dedicated to her job that she fails to see how her daughter Skye i ...more

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Feb 22, 2025 Rina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Lauren Ramsey is a teacher whose mantra is to never let a child fall through the cracks. But Lauren is so concerned about the welfare of a little boy in her kindy class she doesn't realise her own daughter, Skye, needs help. The only person who seems to listen to fourteen-year-old Skye is Tamara Thompson, the manager of her favourite clothes shop. Tamara remembers all too vividly what it's like to be a troubled teen.

This book surprisingly attacked a lot of topics in one go! Not only it covered m ...more

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