“And Then You Were Gone” by Ivy Logan

Have you ever felt alone even knowing that there are people who love and support you? Have you ever felt the pressure become too much to bear?

Nina, in “And Then You Were Gone” by Ivy Logan, goes through an even worse experience. She has to watch her daughter Sophie suffer while trying to walk on the thin ice of respecting her child’s privacy and searching for ways to help.

Nina has had her share of disappointment in love and life, but now she is content with what she has. Her daughter Sophie is the most important person in the whole world for her. And her career as a fantasy writer fills the rest, making her feel fulfilled.

Nina recognises the signs that something is wrong in Sophie’s life. Alas, like most teenagers, Sophie believes that her mother is the last person who can solve her problems. But she doesn’t take into account that her mom is a writer, a person whose imagination works differently. The girl can’t imagine to what lengths Nina would go to help her get out of the vicious circle where her friends-turned-enemies herded her.

On the canvas of this tightly-knit small family’s ordinary life, the author draws a thought-provoking story. With every brush stroke – book chapter – Ivy Logan unravels the path of a girl from being a generally happy teenager to a tormented soul stuck in the aftermath of the trauma she experienced.

To me, both Nina and Sophie felt very relatable. As a teenager, I experienced bullying, but, fortunately, not from my close circle. Besides, I was lucky that older friends stood up for me. Even though those few episodes didn’t cause irreparable damage to my psyche, the fact that decades later I still vividly remember them speaks for itself.

And now, as a mother, I can acutely feel Nina’s desperation which made her turn to extreme measures. Her plan didn’t work out as she planned, but in the frenzy of trying to help her daughter, it is understandable that she didn’t think about the variety of consequences her actions could lead to. Moreover, she did what she did to help herself find the solution. She didn’t expect her writing gift to turn against her.

I highly recommend this book to everyone who appreciates an emotion-evoking story that tugs on your heartstrings and makes you look at seemingly usual things from a new perspective.