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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I definitely wouldn't have read this one if it weren't for my job, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It's a solid thriller that's really easy to read - I almost flew through the first half, and the final hundred pages made it difficult to put the book down.
Helena grew up with her mother and her father in the marshes, not knowing that her mother had been kidnapped and they both were her father's captive. Fifteen years later, having long since escaped her father and living a new and happy life with her own family, Helena has to face her past anew when her father escapes from prison and she is the only one who has a chance of stopping him.
I really liked Helena, and the way her story unfolded. I especially liked the way her coming of age was written and found her behaviour and feelings believable throughout the book. It's not the kind of book destined to become a favourite of mine, but it is one I have no trouble recommending.
Helena grew up with her mother and her father in the marshes, not knowing that her mother had been kidnapped and they both were her father's captive. Fifteen years later, having long since escaped her father and living a new and happy life with her own family, Helena has to face her past anew when her father escapes from prison and she is the only one who has a chance of stopping him.
I really liked Helena, and the way her story unfolded. I especially liked the way her coming of age was written and found her behaviour and feelings believable throughout the book. It's not the kind of book destined to become a favourite of mine, but it is one I have no trouble recommending.
DNR. But I love the narrator - that’s the only reason I stuck this out. The author’s fixation on Ojibwe culture and language is troubling at best, and theft at worst. The father’s dubious claims to Indigeneity parallel the fairytale heritage common among pretendians. I also hate how everything Ojibwe links back to the dad - the idea that Native people kidnapped wives and this is the dad’s justification for being a pedophile reeks of colonizer logic, yet it’s referenced several times in the book. Romanticizing, stereotyping, cultural appropriation… so many things wrong here.
Unpopular opinion alert.
Sigh...It took me over a week to read this book. I alternated between listening and reading this book, but found myself avoiding picking it up again. Funny thing is, my husband has been reading this too, and he is really enjoying it.
There were some good things: the scenery description, the writing, the way in which the story was told, the suspense build up and a fantastic audio narrator. All of these are reasons why I didn't throw this in the DNF pile.
The things that bothered me are mild spoilers, so I am going to hide these in a spoiler tag.
When I read, I need to feel some kind of connection with at least one of the characters. I didn't get that here. While I was rooting for Helena, I had difficulty with her character. I never felt that she had a definite emotional connection with her husband or children. It did not come across for me. She almost seemed indifferent when her husband and kids left. She was indifferent toward her mother. I suppose that was on purpose to demonstrate how much her childhood damaged her, but it did not help me connect with her at all. Additionally, the graphic nature of this book was difficult to read in places.
Overall, I can see how this book is well liked and reviewed by others. I am certainly in the minority on this one. Don't let my review steer you away. This was a case of "it just wasn't my thing".
2.5 stars.
Sigh...It took me over a week to read this book. I alternated between listening and reading this book, but found myself avoiding picking it up again. Funny thing is, my husband has been reading this too, and he is really enjoying it.
There were some good things: the scenery description, the writing, the way in which the story was told, the suspense build up and a fantastic audio narrator. All of these are reasons why I didn't throw this in the DNF pile.
The things that bothered me are mild spoilers, so I am going to hide these in a spoiler tag.
Spoiler
When I read, I need to feel some kind of connection with at least one of the characters. I didn't get that here. While I was rooting for Helena, I had difficulty with her character. I never felt that she had a definite emotional connection with her husband or children. It did not come across for me. She almost seemed indifferent when her husband and kids left. She was indifferent toward her mother. I suppose that was on purpose to demonstrate how much her childhood damaged her, but it did not help me connect with her at all. Additionally, the graphic nature of this book was difficult to read in places.
Overall, I can see how this book is well liked and reviewed by others. I am certainly in the minority on this one. Don't let my review steer you away. This was a case of "it just wasn't my thing".
2.5 stars.
A 3.5 rating. Interesting story. Not a lot of mystery to it, but it's still a good story. No big surprise on how it ends. What I did enjoy was reading the evolution of Helena's character as she came to understand who she was and how she was brought into this world.
Well-written, gripping tale of a young woman who is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and she was help captive until she was 12 years-old.
The protagonist is a strong woman trying to overcome her childhood and raise her own children when her life is shattered. Her father has escaped from prison and she knows she is the only one with the skills to protect her and her family.
I gave to 3 stars not because of the writing, but because I felt sad to know I was entertained by a book with so much evil and death.
The protagonist is a strong woman trying to overcome her childhood and raise her own children when her life is shattered. Her father has escaped from prison and she knows she is the only one with the skills to protect her and her family.
I gave to 3 stars not because of the writing, but because I felt sad to know I was entertained by a book with so much evil and death.
Helena Pelletier's life seems picture perfect. She's a thriving entrepreneur, known around Michigan's Upper Peninsula for her jams and jellies. She successfully nurtures her two daughters, and maintains a strong bond with her doting husband, to boot. But Helena also hides a secret, something from her past that haunts her, a wickedness that runs within her very blood. When her former life threatens to destroy every beautiful thing that Helena has striven to construct, will she be able to save those closest to her before it's too late? Will she be able to save herself?
I am interested to see this play out on film. The bond between children and their parents is amazing and complicated.
This was a wild ride ---a psychological thriller with undertones from the fairytale by the same name. I enjoyed it so much! The unusual story line grabbed me from the start and did not let go. This is my first by this author, but it will not be my last!
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It took me forever to get into this. I was probably at the 80% mark when it finally pulled me in and got really good. Oh well…on to the next.