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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
4.5 STARS
"What a gruesome miracle life is."- Dear Child.
REVIEW: Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Romy Hausmann for proving me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Dear Child" in exchange for an honest review! This book follows Lena and her children's story as they are captured and held to strict rules by their father. Every part of their day is determined by strict rules regarding eating, sleeping, and even set times where they are allowed to use the bathroom. However, one day Lena manages to escape, but she isn't able to avoid the nightmare for long.
This book was a wild ride. I read a lot of thrillers, and *usually* I am able to guess some twists or aspects of the story, however, I was not able to guess a single twist in this book. That in itself is amazing. The twists were done so well and really enhanced the plot of the book. I also liked how this book followed two different timelines: the past where Lena was held captive, and the future where Lena is able to escape. This back-and-forth adds to the mystery of the book, as the reader is kept in the dark about what all the characters know. This was definitely a page-turner and a well thought out thriller! I am rating this book 4.5 stars overall, but have rounded it down to four stars for review purposes. Overall, I would recommend this book to others who love thrillers or mystery novels, or those who enjoyed the book/ film "Room". The. I would also recommend going into this book as blind as possible so that you are able to enjoy all the dark twists and turns.
"Sometimes there simply isn't a reason...Sometimes two people cross paths in a most unfortunate way and all you can do is accept this and somehow carry on."- Dear Child.
SYNOPSIS: In a windowless shack in the woods, Lena's life and that of her two children follows the rules set by their captor, the father: Meals, bathroom visits, study time are strictly scheduled and meticulously observed. He protects his family from the dangers lurking in the outside world and makes sure that his children will always have a mother to look after them.
One day Lena manages to flee--but the nightmare continues. It seems as if her tormentor wants to get back what belongs to him. And then there is the question whether she really is the woman called "Lena," who disappeared without a trace 14 years ago. The police and Lena's family are all desperately trying to piece together a puzzle which doesn't quite seem to fit.
"What a gruesome miracle life is."- Dear Child.
REVIEW: Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Romy Hausmann for proving me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Dear Child" in exchange for an honest review! This book follows Lena and her children's story as they are captured and held to strict rules by their father. Every part of their day is determined by strict rules regarding eating, sleeping, and even set times where they are allowed to use the bathroom. However, one day Lena manages to escape, but she isn't able to avoid the nightmare for long.
This book was a wild ride. I read a lot of thrillers, and *usually* I am able to guess some twists or aspects of the story, however, I was not able to guess a single twist in this book. That in itself is amazing. The twists were done so well and really enhanced the plot of the book. I also liked how this book followed two different timelines: the past where Lena was held captive, and the future where Lena is able to escape. This back-and-forth adds to the mystery of the book, as the reader is kept in the dark about what all the characters know. This was definitely a page-turner and a well thought out thriller! I am rating this book 4.5 stars overall, but have rounded it down to four stars for review purposes. Overall, I would recommend this book to others who love thrillers or mystery novels, or those who enjoyed the book/ film "Room". The. I would also recommend going into this book as blind as possible so that you are able to enjoy all the dark twists and turns.
"Sometimes there simply isn't a reason...Sometimes two people cross paths in a most unfortunate way and all you can do is accept this and somehow carry on."- Dear Child.
SYNOPSIS: In a windowless shack in the woods, Lena's life and that of her two children follows the rules set by their captor, the father: Meals, bathroom visits, study time are strictly scheduled and meticulously observed. He protects his family from the dangers lurking in the outside world and makes sure that his children will always have a mother to look after them.
One day Lena manages to flee--but the nightmare continues. It seems as if her tormentor wants to get back what belongs to him. And then there is the question whether she really is the woman called "Lena," who disappeared without a trace 14 years ago. The police and Lena's family are all desperately trying to piece together a puzzle which doesn't quite seem to fit.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tatsächlich mal etwas ganz anderes als das, was man sonst bekommt, wenn Thriller draufsteht. Der Nervenkitzel kommt nicht wie so oft in diesem Genre von blutigen Morden, sondern vielmehr von der Tatsache, dass sich das alles unglaublich real anfühlt, als könne Lenas Erlebtes auch jeden Moment die Leser*innen treffen. Der Plot war, abgesehen von einigen Stellen im Mittelteil, spannend und hatte ein schönes Tempo, was gerade der Perspektivwechsel und den vielen, kleinen Plottwists zu verdanken ist. Die Auflösung empfand ich zwar als schlüssig, aber - vielleicht gerade wegen des Hypes? - dann doch eher unspektakulär. Die Grundidee war nicht schlecht, allerdings erinnerte mich das Konzept doch etwas zu sehr an Emma Donoghues [b:Room|7937843|Room|Emma Donoghue|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554546259l/7937843._SY75_.jpg|9585076] und so ganz konnte sich Hausmann am Ende nicht davon abgrenzen. Dennoch ein gelungenes und empfehlenswertes Debüt.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The book was a great mystery in my opinion. It was well written and fast paced. I just wanted to read all night and find out all the answers. The ending was phenomenal. It was confusing though. So that's why it's not 5 starts, but 4,75.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fantastic read. I loved the alternating character POVs in this book. It kept me engaged and made it hard to set this book down.
My only complaint is that the monologue of the bad character at the end is super long and a little corny. Just kinda plays into the “big bad villain gives a long speech” trope. So I found myself skimming a bit there.
That wasn’t too bad, though. Overall, I loved this book.
My only complaint is that the monologue of the bad character at the end is super long and a little corny. Just kinda plays into the “big bad villain gives a long speech” trope. So I found myself skimming a bit there.
That wasn’t too bad, though. Overall, I loved this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Rape, Violence
Minor: Suicide
i saw a review saying that this book was like gone girl meets room. i don’t agree with the comparison to gone girl, in gone girl the characters are morally bad yet unlikable. in this book, the characters are objectively morally good, but very unlikable. the dad for one is incredibly annoying, he’s hard headed to a point that it’s hard to read. obviously he is a grieving father going through a lot but he has zero empathy for the others around him. hannah is a weird girl and she grew up in captivity so obviously she sees the world differently. she ends the book still being complacent i wish we could’ve gotten an epilogue where she comes to terms with what happened to her and the evil that went on around her. jasmine is the only likable character that actually has some common sense.