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mollyjordan's review against another edition
3.0
James Scott started out so strong and intense. I listened to this book on audio and Kate aural all has the perfect voice for the opening scenes. It’s dark, disturbing, and the reader/listener is left in the dark wondering what has happened and why. You’re ramped up to go on a man hunt centered around vengeance. Instead, it’s a story about forgiveness and redemption and it does t quite sit with what I was wanting.
The intensity putters our after a quarter of the way through. I kept listening waiting for the intensity to return, but it never really does. If this book had been a draft and Scott had figured out a way to keep the readers engaged, this could have been a 5 star book.
The ending is also disappointing. I thought I had missed something and rewound a few minutes to figure it out and unfortunately, it’s just an awful ending.
The intensity putters our after a quarter of the way through. I kept listening waiting for the intensity to return, but it never really does. If this book had been a draft and Scott had figured out a way to keep the readers engaged, this could have been a 5 star book.
The ending is also disappointing. I thought I had missed something and rewound a few minutes to figure it out and unfortunately, it’s just an awful ending.
ixnsindhu's review against another edition
4.0
Very Cormac McCarthy, dark, suspenseful with a difficult ending. Very well written.
exurbanis's review against another edition
3.0
(Fiction, Historical, Suspense)
Amazon says: “In the winter of 1897, a trio of killers descends upon an isolated farm in upstate New York. Midwife Elspeth Howell returns home to the carnage: her husband, and four of her children, murdered. Before she can discover her remaining son Caleb, alive and hiding in the kitchen pantry, another shot rings out over the snow-covered valley. Twelve-year-old Caleb must tend to his mother until she recovers enough for them to take to the frozen wilderness in search of the men responsible.”
I borrowed this from my daughter’s bookshelf during my visit, although I had previously never heard of it. It’s an odd premise, and a rather odd book although it did keep me interested enough to finish it.
3 stars
Amazon says: “In the winter of 1897, a trio of killers descends upon an isolated farm in upstate New York. Midwife Elspeth Howell returns home to the carnage: her husband, and four of her children, murdered. Before she can discover her remaining son Caleb, alive and hiding in the kitchen pantry, another shot rings out over the snow-covered valley. Twelve-year-old Caleb must tend to his mother until she recovers enough for them to take to the frozen wilderness in search of the men responsible.”
I borrowed this from my daughter’s bookshelf during my visit, although I had previously never heard of it. It’s an odd premise, and a rather odd book although it did keep me interested enough to finish it.
3 stars
sarah1984's review against another edition
4.0
16/4 - Even without reading a word of this I get a really strong feeling of (most likely unsuspicious) similarity between this and the movie The Missing. Except it's a son who is left behind instead of a daughter and they go on a journey of revenge instead of a rescue mission - it's about the feeling, not the details.
The idea that while I'm out or away from home my whole family will die (probably not due to murder by bandits) sometimes worries me, so this book has already grabbed me by the emotions, just from the blurb. To be continued...
Later - Page 43 - That poor owl, I think that's the saddest part of the whole book so far, even over the murders.
Page 56 - That's a revelation! When Elspeth talked about being a sinner at the beginning of the book I figured she was being overly dramatic (you know, she's a sinner because of lustful, covetous, envious, etc. thoughts). I never expected her to be putting it lightly when she called herself a sinner. She's more than a sinner, it seems, she's an outright criminal. To be continued...
21/4 - This was a really good book, a solid 4 stars, for the first 99% and then it was all down hill for that last 1%. That was a really bad ending to a great book. There was the slow unravelling of Elspeth's story running in the background to the main focus of the book, the hunt for the murderers, and the final reveal of all of her secrets and sins was done perfectly. But then we come to the final scene and the vagueness surrounding who was dead and who wasn't and regarding justice for his family and punishment for the murderers. Caleb's thoughts as he watched out the window don't seem to gel with his previous personality. It should have been that simple, but Scott wanted to leave the reader guessing, or wanting more, or some crap like that and so we end up with an inferior ending to a really enjoyable book.
The idea that while I'm out or away from home my whole family will die (probably not due to murder by bandits) sometimes worries me, so this book has already grabbed me by the emotions, just from the blurb. To be continued...
Later - Page 43 - That poor owl, I think that's the saddest part of the whole book so far, even over the murders.
Page 56 - That's a revelation! When Elspeth talked about being a sinner at the beginning of the book I figured she was being overly dramatic (you know, she's a sinner because of lustful, covetous, envious, etc. thoughts). I never expected her to be putting it lightly when she called herself a sinner. She's more than a sinner, it seems, she's an outright criminal. To be continued...
21/4 - This was a really good book, a solid 4 stars, for the first 99% and then it was all down hill for that last 1%. That was a really bad ending to a great book. There was the slow unravelling of Elspeth's story running in the background to the main focus of the book, the hunt for the murderers, and the final reveal of all of her secrets and sins was done perfectly. But then we come to the final scene and the vagueness surrounding who was dead and who wasn't and
Spoiler
Caleb's sudden ambivalenceSpoiler
He seemed to give up, and I kept telling him "Go back down there, save your mother if possible and then go outside, take the last two Millards by surprise and shoot them before they shoot you."chelsblack's review against another edition
4.0
Reminded me of Cormac McCarthy with punctuation. Explores the violence of human nature and the true cost of redemption.
lostinagoodread's review against another edition
4.0
This review and others can be found on Cozy Up With A Good Read
I think this was an amazing debut novel, the story and the characters were intriguing and the way that it is written really makes you think about things. We are quickly introduced to Elspeth as she is returning home to her family, and what she finds is the most disturbing scene anyone could come home to. She finds her family murdered, yet her one son is hiding in the pantry. Elspeth and her son Caleb soon leave their home and look to find revenge on those that have caused this tragedy.
The story is told in alternating viewpoints from Elspeth and Caleb, to be honest I was more interested in Caleb's part of the story. It was interesting to see how this boy had to grow up so quickly and how he took to this. Caleb has been isolated with his family his entire life and this is his first time in a town with so many people. Readers watch as Caleb grows and becomes someone far beyond his age, doing whatever he can to avenge his family, but along the way secrets also come out that make him wonder what he really knows.
Though I was interested in Caleb's portion more, Elspeth's story also gives readers a lot of history sporadically through the story. I did like how Elspeth establishes herself in this town and takes her time in being strategic with who and what she is looking for, but along the way Elspeth runs into quite a few problems that stall her ideas. Most of Elspeth's story is seeing reminders of her past in almost everything that she passes, and it really let's you understand her more.
This story really portrays family in a different way and gives readers two distinct voices in fiction. This book takes some dark turns and gives a portrayal of a dark world, where no one is innocent, no matter what. Reading about the journey and how Caleb and Elspeth's relationship grew and changed really made the story. This is one book that will keep you on the edge trying to figure out everything that is going on and what kinds of secrets can be kept and for how long. This story shows that not everything will stay hidden forever.
I think this was an amazing debut novel, the story and the characters were intriguing and the way that it is written really makes you think about things. We are quickly introduced to Elspeth as she is returning home to her family, and what she finds is the most disturbing scene anyone could come home to. She finds her family murdered, yet her one son is hiding in the pantry. Elspeth and her son Caleb soon leave their home and look to find revenge on those that have caused this tragedy.
The story is told in alternating viewpoints from Elspeth and Caleb, to be honest I was more interested in Caleb's part of the story. It was interesting to see how this boy had to grow up so quickly and how he took to this. Caleb has been isolated with his family his entire life and this is his first time in a town with so many people. Readers watch as Caleb grows and becomes someone far beyond his age, doing whatever he can to avenge his family, but along the way secrets also come out that make him wonder what he really knows.
Though I was interested in Caleb's portion more, Elspeth's story also gives readers a lot of history sporadically through the story. I did like how Elspeth establishes herself in this town and takes her time in being strategic with who and what she is looking for, but along the way Elspeth runs into quite a few problems that stall her ideas. Most of Elspeth's story is seeing reminders of her past in almost everything that she passes, and it really let's you understand her more.
This story really portrays family in a different way and gives readers two distinct voices in fiction. This book takes some dark turns and gives a portrayal of a dark world, where no one is innocent, no matter what. Reading about the journey and how Caleb and Elspeth's relationship grew and changed really made the story. This is one book that will keep you on the edge trying to figure out everything that is going on and what kinds of secrets can be kept and for how long. This story shows that not everything will stay hidden forever.
beckylej's review against another edition
4.0
Elspeth Howell's job as a midwife often calls for her to be away from her home for long periods of time. When she returns from her latest trip, she discovers that her family has fallen victim to a brutal and senseless crime. The only survivor is her twelve-year-old son Caleb, who, having hidden out in the pantry since the event, accidentally shoots his mother before realizing she is not in fact the killers returning to finish the job. Caleb immediately goes about trying to save Elspeth and nurse her back to health while vowing to track down his family's murderers.
As Elspeth begins to recover, she and her son set off to track down the criminals. But along the way, Elspeth will have to face down a guilt that has weighed heavy on her heart for most of her life.
James Scott's debut is beautifully stark and captivating. It doesn't take long to discover that THE KEPT is a gem of a story, setting in the reader's mind a certainty about the direction it will take and the characters that quickly unravels and transforms into something else.
Elspeth's story unfolds in a series of flashbacks about the births of her children, her childhood, and her husband, Jorah. And as we learn about the very pieces that make up the puzzle of this character, we also see Caleb grow from a boy into a man. Caleb's narrative also takes this same flashback approach illustrating a boy who stands out from his family. His siblings say they don't understand him and he spends more time with the animals than he does with the rest of the family.
And readers, this is an oddly quirky story as well. It's set in winter 1897 in upstate New York. Superstitions and beliefs of the time do play a big role in the book, as does the desolate and remote setting. Elspeth and her family essentially live cut off from the world, as do others in their area, and many of the characters introduced in the book are peculiar.
I'm sure the cold and snowy weather we've been having lent itself well to creating an added atmosphere for me, but I found that reading THE KEPT was a fully enveloping experience. As Elspeth and Caleb trekked through the snow, I wrapped myself more snug in a cozy blanket. As they hunted their prey I thanked my lucky stars I was safe and sound in my own house!
As Elspeth begins to recover, she and her son set off to track down the criminals. But along the way, Elspeth will have to face down a guilt that has weighed heavy on her heart for most of her life.
James Scott's debut is beautifully stark and captivating. It doesn't take long to discover that THE KEPT is a gem of a story, setting in the reader's mind a certainty about the direction it will take and the characters that quickly unravels and transforms into something else.
Elspeth's story unfolds in a series of flashbacks about the births of her children, her childhood, and her husband, Jorah. And as we learn about the very pieces that make up the puzzle of this character, we also see Caleb grow from a boy into a man. Caleb's narrative also takes this same flashback approach illustrating a boy who stands out from his family. His siblings say they don't understand him and he spends more time with the animals than he does with the rest of the family.
And readers, this is an oddly quirky story as well. It's set in winter 1897 in upstate New York. Superstitions and beliefs of the time do play a big role in the book, as does the desolate and remote setting. Elspeth and her family essentially live cut off from the world, as do others in their area, and many of the characters introduced in the book are peculiar.
I'm sure the cold and snowy weather we've been having lent itself well to creating an added atmosphere for me, but I found that reading THE KEPT was a fully enveloping experience. As Elspeth and Caleb trekked through the snow, I wrapped myself more snug in a cozy blanket. As they hunted their prey I thanked my lucky stars I was safe and sound in my own house!
becksri29's review against another edition
2.0
The Kept was a $1.99 offering from B&N for Nook readers. This was the first I've downloaded in the 5 years I've used a Nook. My expectations were not high going in, but the premise sounded like it could be interesting - just prior to the turn of the 20th century, a woman with a mysterious past comes home to her secluded country home to find her family slaughtered. Just as she begins to recover from the shock, she finds her one remaining son, who shoots her in the shoulder, suspecting she is one of the murderers returned to finish the job. Her son nurses her back to health, and when she recovers enough to ask about what happened, he hides from her the fact that he shot her. The book really picks up when they go in search of the men who killed their family, bent on revenge, but also attempting to get to know each other and salvage the bit of family they have remaining. But as they travel together, longing to form more of a bond, they each hide their sins from the other as they learn to escape their past.
The beginning of the book was actually pretty good - especially the parts told from the boy's POV. However, just as the story should be getting more exciting (and for sure, the subject matter gets meatier!), the writing starts to falter and the story becomes a bit sluggish. Parts in the third quarter of the book moved so slowly that I kept falling asleep! The very end picked up again, but the conclusion, although somewhat predictable, was unsatisfying and vague.
Overall, it was a decent book, with a great premise, but I've read better unpublished manuscripts in my old writers' group. Whenever I read novels like this, I just hope my friends get the kind of attention they deserve.
The beginning of the book was actually pretty good - especially the parts told from the boy's POV. However, just as the story should be getting more exciting (and for sure, the subject matter gets meatier!), the writing starts to falter and the story becomes a bit sluggish. Parts in the third quarter of the book moved so slowly that I kept falling asleep! The very end picked up again, but the conclusion, although somewhat predictable, was unsatisfying and vague.
Overall, it was a decent book, with a great premise, but I've read better unpublished manuscripts in my old writers' group. Whenever I read novels like this, I just hope my friends get the kind of attention they deserve.