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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
3.75 stars
Fans of Room and Misery will devour this claustrophobic thriller.
A woman is trapped by a man named Lenn on an isolated farm in the United Kingdom. She has been there for seven years, and every time she tries to escape, something is taken away from her, and slowly, she is left with no memory of who she is. But when she gets a child, she knows she needs to escape, and then a new victim is trapped in the cellar. The stakes are high, but she knows she needs to leave. Pulse-pounding and tense, this novel is sure to have you turning the pages through the night.
Having read Room and loving it, I knew I had to get my hands on Dean's novel. The novels both have many similar elements, but Dean's novel borders more on the darker side. I've heard nothing but good things about this novel, so the hype made me want to read it even more.
This is a story of strength and resilience. It's dark for sure, but not gruesome in the way you think it is. It's scary because of how real stories like this one actually are, and for this reason, I salute Dean fro crafting such a bold novel. It's hard to turn away from the pages because all you want is for her to escape with her child. All you want to know is her next move, and it's one of this novels that makes you ask: What would I do if I was in that situation? It's a story that is heartbreaking as much as it is heart pounding. The balance between the two is exceptional.
Dean is definitely a talented storyteller. The chapters read quick and you'll for sure be able to finish this one in a few sittings. There's a twist where I didn't expect one to be and I found that very entertaining to discover. My only concern with this novel was that it did read a lot like Donoghue's Room, but it was still very enjoyable to read Overall, Dean's story makes for a gripping story with a meaningful message that is sure to have you on the edge of your seat till the very end.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Fans of Room and Misery will devour this claustrophobic thriller.
A woman is trapped by a man named Lenn on an isolated farm in the United Kingdom. She has been there for seven years, and every time she tries to escape, something is taken away from her, and slowly, she is left with no memory of who she is. But when she gets a child, she knows she needs to escape, and then a new victim is trapped in the cellar. The stakes are high, but she knows she needs to leave. Pulse-pounding and tense, this novel is sure to have you turning the pages through the night.
Having read Room and loving it, I knew I had to get my hands on Dean's novel. The novels both have many similar elements, but Dean's novel borders more on the darker side. I've heard nothing but good things about this novel, so the hype made me want to read it even more.
This is a story of strength and resilience. It's dark for sure, but not gruesome in the way you think it is. It's scary because of how real stories like this one actually are, and for this reason, I salute Dean fro crafting such a bold novel. It's hard to turn away from the pages because all you want is for her to escape with her child. All you want to know is her next move, and it's one of this novels that makes you ask: What would I do if I was in that situation? It's a story that is heartbreaking as much as it is heart pounding. The balance between the two is exceptional.
Dean is definitely a talented storyteller. The chapters read quick and you'll for sure be able to finish this one in a few sittings. There's a twist where I didn't expect one to be and I found that very entertaining to discover. My only concern with this novel was that it did read a lot like Donoghue's Room, but it was still very enjoyable to read Overall, Dean's story makes for a gripping story with a meaningful message that is sure to have you on the edge of your seat till the very end.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Kidnapping
A taut read. I finished it within one sitting, and it almost made it to 4 stars. The ending fell apart though in ridiculousness.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thriller 7/10
Horror 6/10
My feelings about this book are very complicated. The plot has a good idea and a very troubling story however the I felt that the writing made it weak. We see very little of her life before or what her items were that she lost making her hard to see as a fully fleshed out character. The entire pregnancy is so quickly passed ( obviously due to the medication) however her opinion of her pregnancy changes with little to no explanation. Nearly everything is under explained and under described. The house is given very little description and with that it is harder to understand what her conditions are visually. The entire situation of Cynthia is given no explanation, even after the fact. In her life of the ending we do not hear of her ankle yet I felt that throughout this had been her strongest consistency. Even with this personal issues I take with the writing I do understand that this could have been the intention of the writer to create a bleak and empty atmosphere but for me it felt quiet weak. These choices could have also be for the fact of the forced medication of the character but certain aspects should have been explained more such as the appearance of Lenn or why did he insist upon her being like his mother.
Horror 6/10
My feelings about this book are very complicated. The plot has a good idea and a very troubling story however the I felt that the writing made it weak. We see very little of her life before or what her items were that she lost making her hard to see as a fully fleshed out character. The entire pregnancy is so quickly passed ( obviously due to the medication) however her opinion of her pregnancy changes with little to no explanation. Nearly everything is under explained and under described. The house is given very little description and with that it is harder to understand what her conditions are visually. The entire situation of Cynthia is given no explanation, even after the fact. In her life of the ending we do not hear of her ankle yet I felt that throughout this had been her strongest consistency. Even with this personal issues I take with the writing I do understand that this could have been the intention of the writer to create a bleak and empty atmosphere but for me it felt quiet weak. These choices could have also be for the fact of the forced medication of the character but certain aspects should have been explained more such as the appearance of Lenn or why did he insist upon her being like his mother.
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes