Review: I Looked Away - Jane Corry

Title: I Looked Away
Author: Jane Corry
Published: June 2019
Source: Library checkout
Star Rating: 5

Every Monday, 49-year-old Ellie looks after her grandson Josh. She loves him more than anyone else in the world. The only thing that can mar her happiness is her husband's affair. But he swears it's over now, and Ellie has decided to be thankful for what she's got. 

Then one day, while she's looking after Josh, her husband gets a call from that woman. And just for a moment, Ellie takes her eyes off her grandson. What happens next will change her life forever. 

Because Ellie is hiding something in her past. 

And what looks like an accident could start to look like murder...[Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

I've seen this book featuring more and more online in the last few weeks, and I knew there was a lot of people loving it. Normally, book hype worries me and often leaves me disappointed. It always makes me want to read a book, but my expectations are often set too high, so I was very intrigued to see what I thought of this one. I was expecting a typical domestic thriller, but this was so much more.

It truly blew me away, everything about it - the writing, the topics covered, the twists, the characters – everything was so well executed. It felt like I was walking alongside the characters, living each moment with them, worrying with them and very eager to learn more. I don’t want to give anything away by delving into the topics this book covers, but everything was so well researched and sensitively written. I think this book is best experienced when you know as little about it as possible – it's such a fantastic read when you get to watch everything unfold, and have little parts of the story reveal themselves as you go along. At one point, I was reading on my lunchbreak at work and literally gasped out loud (I never do this!) and had to sit for a few moments whilst I took everything in.

It's had such an impact on me since finishing, I can't stop thinking about it! I want to keep talking about it to people who've read it and encouraging everyone else to pick it up as well. I honestly think so many people would enjoy this book, even if thrillers aren't your preferred genre. This has a lot more going on beneath the surface and does a fantastic job at tackling current issues in the UK.

5 solid stars from me, and a big shout for you all to go and read it!