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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
sad
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:
Yes
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I'm not sure where I read about this book, but it sounded like a good thriller, and it was. I really burned through the last half, and stayed up later than usual to finish the book. The denouement was so so. Of course in these type of books one has to suspend one's disbelief.
Set in MI's UP, a mash up of European and NAI myth and fairy tales are referenced throughout.
Narrated by the now adult daughter of an abducted woman and her psychotic, narcissist "husband".
He keeps them isolated in the UP, not that far from "civilization", but never brushing with it.
She and her mother escape when she is 12, and he is found 2 years later and sent to jail, from which he violently escapes about 12 years later.
She "realizes" she is the only one who can track him down (a skill he taught her) and take him down.
Chapters alternate between describing her growing up, and her current life (which includes a husband and 2 children, none of whom know her back story).
Lots of living-off-the-land survivalist detail. David Morrell gets a special mention in the book's Acknowledgements, and he has written similar survivialist fiction himself (inspired by Geoffrey Household's "Rogue Male" - I believe that is the correct title). Morrell has attended survivalist training himself when he was much younger. Oh, and Dionne has her character name the 2 dogs in her life "Rambo"!
Good entertainment, and obviously well researched (I am not sure how much of this the author experienced herself - her promotional photo shows a somewhat overweight, middle-aged woman - but who knows what she did in her youth?). I doubt if I will read her other novel. This title does have a following it appears. First published in 2017, I still had to wait on Hold to get an ebook of it from my local PL. And when I returned it last night there was another Hold waiting to read it after me.
Set in MI's UP, a mash up of European and NAI myth and fairy tales are referenced throughout.
Narrated by the now adult daughter of an abducted woman and her psychotic, narcissist "husband".
He keeps them isolated in the UP, not that far from "civilization", but never brushing with it.
She and her mother escape when she is 12, and he is found 2 years later and sent to jail, from which he violently escapes about 12 years later.
She "realizes" she is the only one who can track him down (a skill he taught her) and take him down.
Chapters alternate between describing her growing up, and her current life (which includes a husband and 2 children, none of whom know her back story).
Lots of living-off-the-land survivalist detail. David Morrell gets a special mention in the book's Acknowledgements, and he has written similar survivialist fiction himself (inspired by Geoffrey Household's "Rogue Male" - I believe that is the correct title). Morrell has attended survivalist training himself when he was much younger. Oh, and Dionne has her character name the 2 dogs in her life "Rambo"!
Good entertainment, and obviously well researched (I am not sure how much of this the author experienced herself - her promotional photo shows a somewhat overweight, middle-aged woman - but who knows what she did in her youth?). I doubt if I will read her other novel. This title does have a following it appears. First published in 2017, I still had to wait on Hold to get an ebook of it from my local PL. And when I returned it last night there was another Hold waiting to read it after me.
Here are my main issues with this book:
1. Main character is the worst. I understand she doesn’t know any better or any different, but seriously. When she asked her mom why she doesn’t understand why kidnapping is wrong, I wanted to pull my hair out. She also treats her mother like garbage. That poor mother is the true victim here.
2. This book is neither thrilling nor suspenseful. The back cover even has a quote from KARIN SLAUGHTER who writes the most twisted messed up books I’ve ever read saying how great and thrilling this book is. I don’t understand.
3. Basically this entire book took place at the marsh in the past. I thought it was going to be more about the present where she is trying to hunt him down. I find it hard to believe that only one person found them in the 12 years they lived there.
4. There are really only 2 main characters in this book and I hated both of them. No character development of her daughters, husband, mother, grandparents, anyone.
5. The dog 😭
1. Main character is the worst. I understand she doesn’t know any better or any different, but seriously. When she asked her mom why she doesn’t understand why kidnapping is wrong, I wanted to pull my hair out. She also treats her mother like garbage. That poor mother is the true victim here.
2. This book is neither thrilling nor suspenseful. The back cover even has a quote from KARIN SLAUGHTER who writes the most twisted messed up books I’ve ever read saying how great and thrilling this book is. I don’t understand.
3. Basically this entire book took place at the marsh in the past. I thought it was going to be more about the present where she is trying to hunt him down. I find it hard to believe that only one person found them in the 12 years they lived there.
4. There are really only 2 main characters in this book and I hated both of them. No character development of her daughters, husband, mother, grandparents, anyone.
5. The dog 😭
challenging
dark
emotional
Idk if I liked this book or not tbh. Helena was deeply unlikable but still a very sympathetic character. Rambo(both of them) was a king.
I loved how Dionne blends the fairy tale with the story with Ojibwa proverbs. The suspense builds consistently through the novel but, for some reason, the denouement didn't really feel as satisfying as I'd thought it would. Definitely a good read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
