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jmj697mn's review
5.0
This book gripped me from the very first page. I read it cover to cover in just a couple of hours. This is her first novel and OH MY DAMN do I hope she writes something else. I really don't want to give too much away, but I cannot recommend this highly enough to fans of mysteries or thrillers.
jordanmia's review
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
justlily's review against another edition
DNF at page 50.
This is one of my favorite genres. I love the whole psychological thriller, totally screwed up protagonist thing.
I do not enjoy it written like this.
The author would go into painstaking detail about something...and then in the very next line have the character jump hours ahead. Skipping entire scenes, it felt. It left the book feeling full of holes and very weak. Not to mention confusing.
Not worth the time I was spending going back and forth trying to figure out what I missed.
This is one of my favorite genres. I love the whole psychological thriller, totally screwed up protagonist thing.
I do not enjoy it written like this.
The author would go into painstaking detail about something...and then in the very next line have the character jump hours ahead. Skipping entire scenes, it felt. It left the book feeling full of holes and very weak. Not to mention confusing.
Not worth the time I was spending going back and forth trying to figure out what I missed.
appleinducedsleep's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
1.75
cherbear's review
2.0
Fairly good mystery. Thoroughly suspenseful even though I thought towards the end the author stretched credulity a bit. Like, when the women all decide to go back to the house where they were imprisoned. Not sure I quite believe they would be all willing to do that, especially since it was so obviously a trap. And why didn't anyone think it a good idea to maybe tell someone where they were going. Even if they just leave a message or a note. I also kind of saw the reveal at the end. I thought something like that might happen.
I did like how the author handled the women's captivity. I was a little wary of this book because I feared there might be a lot of gory details of what happened to the girls, but she really left most of it to our imaginations. I would, however, have liked to know a little more about why Jennifer was singled out to get the worst punishment and exactly how did it differ--other than her being kept in that box. Which is absolutely horrible.
And I really wanted more details about how this psychopath could get a sentence where he could possibly be paroled in ten years. That is absolutely crazy. There was vague reference to a mistake at the lab, but to me the women's testimony alone, combined with the fact that they were found chained in his home, should have been enough. I also don't think they would have left the torture rack in his house. It would have been taken as evidence.
Overall it was a good book. Mystery novels don't need to be completely believable to be enjoyable and this one was enjoyable.
I did like how the author handled the women's captivity. I was a little wary of this book because I feared there might be a lot of gory details of what happened to the girls, but she really left most of it to our imaginations. I would, however, have liked to know a little more about why Jennifer was singled out to get the worst punishment and exactly how did it differ--other than her being kept in that box. Which is absolutely horrible.
And I really wanted more details about how this psychopath could get a sentence where he could possibly be paroled in ten years. That is absolutely crazy. There was vague reference to a mistake at the lab, but to me the women's testimony alone, combined with the fact that they were found chained in his home, should have been enough. I also don't think they would have left the torture rack in his house. It would have been taken as evidence.
Overall it was a good book. Mystery novels don't need to be completely believable to be enjoyable and this one was enjoyable.
inscribedinklings's review
4.0
This book was a good read to me. Though many people didn't like the ending, I for one found it pretty interesting. It was a page turner. The charters are not that deep. You don't feel for them as much as you should. But they do keep you on the hook with various plot twists.
Sarah and Jennifer are best of friends, here's what is different about them, they are extremely cautious. They have researched and studied about disaster that could strike and derailed it out in their journal. To them life is about survival. They just want to be safe. They have a never list. List of things never to do. For example, don't get into a stranger's car in the middle of the night.
Everything changes in college. They try to let go and live their life. They go their first party, drink too much and catch a cab. In their altered state, their defenses are down and they are abducted by a sadist. He keeps them in a dungeon with 2 other girls. He tortures them everyday. But one day Jennifer disappears. Sarah is devastated after this. She arrives hard to find the truth. After 3 years, she finally escapes. But Jennifer is gone forever.
10 years later, Sarah has graduated, has a job and her own apartment. Her captor still sends her letters. She has agoraphobia, claustrophobia and anxiety. She is still traumatised even after all these years. One day, the detective calls to her that her captor might get out early. He is up for appeal. Jennifer's body was never found. She is determined to get enough evidence to keep him in jail. She steps out of her house and plays detective. She almost dies finding the truth.
The ending was a shock. It was baffling. Over all its an interesting read.
Read it / Skip it- My verdict- Worth a read
Sarah and Jennifer are best of friends, here's what is different about them, they are extremely cautious. They have researched and studied about disaster that could strike and derailed it out in their journal. To them life is about survival. They just want to be safe. They have a never list. List of things never to do. For example, don't get into a stranger's car in the middle of the night.
Everything changes in college. They try to let go and live their life. They go their first party, drink too much and catch a cab. In their altered state, their defenses are down and they are abducted by a sadist. He keeps them in a dungeon with 2 other girls. He tortures them everyday. But one day Jennifer disappears. Sarah is devastated after this. She arrives hard to find the truth. After 3 years, she finally escapes. But Jennifer is gone forever.
10 years later, Sarah has graduated, has a job and her own apartment. Her captor still sends her letters. She has agoraphobia, claustrophobia and anxiety. She is still traumatised even after all these years. One day, the detective calls to her that her captor might get out early. He is up for appeal. Jennifer's body was never found. She is determined to get enough evidence to keep him in jail. She steps out of her house and plays detective. She almost dies finding the truth.
The ending was a shock. It was baffling. Over all its an interesting read.
Read it / Skip it- My verdict- Worth a read
liketheday's review
2.0
Zan does a good job setting up the plot, and I quite like her writing and the voice that she gives to Sarah, but a lot of the big reveals that happen depend on having concern for or just opinions about the characters, and I really didn't care about them at all.
read more...
read more...
charlestonmes's review
3.0
**3.5 stars.
I started this book while at the beach and I immediately got sucked into the storyline. I read it the rest of the day because I had to see how it ended.
Yes, some of the plot points were a little unrealistic and I wasn't exactly surprised at the twist but it was a quick easy read.
I started this book while at the beach and I immediately got sucked into the storyline. I read it the rest of the day because I had to see how it ended.
Yes, some of the plot points were a little unrealistic and I wasn't exactly surprised at the twist but it was a quick easy read.
kdurham2's review
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Sarah/Caroline lived through a horrific car accident and with her best friend made a list of things never to do to hopefully avoid any other catastrophes. Something happened one night while they were at college and they end up kidnapped and locked in a basement and tortured. The story picks up years after Sarah escapes and is thrust into a hunt for information to avoid her captor to be put out on parole. She must link up with the other two girls who survived the terror to finish what she started.
Sarah/Caroline lived through a horrific car accident and with her best friend made a list of things never to do to hopefully avoid any other catastrophes. Something happened one night while they were at college and they end up kidnapped and locked in a basement and tortured. The story picks up years after Sarah escapes and is thrust into a hunt for information to avoid her captor to be put out on parole. She must link up with the other two girls who survived the terror to finish what she started.
hmbb99's review
4.0
I picked this up for a dollar at the discount store. It was definitely worth it. I must warn you that it was full of torture and abuse of woman but it was an intriguing mystery about three women trying to understand why they were chosen as victims of this sadistic killer. There were twists everywhere in the plot. You never knew they should trust or who they should run from.