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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
I was going to click on 4 stars for the majority of this book but then I actually cried when it ended and I thought you know what, f- it, if after having a reaction like that I still dock the book of stars on unexplained grounds then I'm just being a grouch. LET ME TELL YOU, I love books based on true crime and real incidents, and so when I heard of this book I knew I was going to read it. But what I DIDN'T know was that I would actually enjoy it so much. So here's a small (or maybe not so small) explanation of everything that makes this book awesome, and why you should read it even though it will probably rip your insides to pieces at least once.
The great and yet extremely scary thing about this book is how easily a child can be kidnapped. Some little lies here and there, a kind smile, and because of young girls' trusting nature and easygoing personality, they're snatched away just like that, sometimes never to be seen again. While reading this book I couldn't even imagine the depth of the grief and terror Ella Horner was facing every single day, and I was amazed by the fact that she didn't just succumb to it and lie in bed all day. She wasn't perfect, yes, and perhaps she spent a little too much time pining over the death of Russell, but are any of us really perfect? While reading this book I kept being reminded that these were REAL people who actually went through this and it blows my mind and breaks my heart that this isn't even that rare an occurrence, and yet some have enough strength of character to recover from it afterwards. I honestly don't think I'll ever be a parent because I'd lie awake at night for 18 years and perhaps even more, thinking about all the horrible ways my kid could be hurt, abused, and taken away from me.
Sally was so wonderfully written. Her inner conflict, her turmoil and confusion, all perfectly captured the mind of an 11-year-old who's lost in the sinister web of lies spun by her kidnapper, who slowly grows into a young teenager and gathers courage from her ordeals instead of giving up and falling into the never-ending pit of despair which comes from suffering. She saw the positive in everything wherever she could and it shattered my soul to see her betrayed so many times, often by circumstance if not by malicious intent. I love that the story kept going after "and then they were reunited and lived happily ever after" and focused on the way that the events in our live may change our personality but never change who we actually ARE. I shed real tears when Ella and Sally acknowledged the hardships of reconnecting with each other after so much emotional and physical trauma.
Ruth was an amazing character. As much as people like Frank give me the creeps, people like Ruth give me some modicum of piece and a small amount of joy, knowing that some go out of their way to help simply because they know it's the right thing to do.
Every single time Frank LaSalle was brought up my skin crawled and I felt disgusted which just shows how horrific the situation was and also how well it was written by Greenwood. The ending, especially where were such jaw-drop moments for me because can a single human individual really be so inhumane, so cruel, and so sadistic as to enjoy the discomfort and suffering of others to such a large extent? It makes me shudder to think that people like that exist in this world and that it's a matter of simple chance of whether or not you run into them.
Also this has less to do with the novel and more to do with the real Sally Horner case but OH MY GOD
TLDR: I love this book, it's amazing, don't trust the pretty cover because it will draw you in and then break your heart. Anyone who's into true crime, kidnapping, or powerfully emotional novels is sure to love this book.
The great and yet extremely scary thing about this book is how easily a child can be kidnapped. Some little lies here and there, a kind smile, and because of young girls' trusting nature and easygoing personality, they're snatched away just like that, sometimes never to be seen again. While reading this book I couldn't even imagine the depth of the grief and terror Ella Horner was facing every single day, and I was amazed by the fact that she didn't just succumb to it and lie in bed all day. She wasn't perfect, yes, and perhaps she spent a little too much time pining over the death of Russell, but are any of us really perfect? While reading this book I kept being reminded that these were REAL people who actually went through this and it blows my mind and breaks my heart that this isn't even that rare an occurrence, and yet some have enough strength of character to recover from it afterwards. I honestly don't think I'll ever be a parent because I'd lie awake at night for 18 years and perhaps even more, thinking about all the horrible ways my kid could be hurt, abused, and taken away from me.
Sally was so wonderfully written. Her inner conflict, her turmoil and confusion, all perfectly captured the mind of an 11-year-old who's lost in the sinister web of lies spun by her kidnapper, who slowly grows into a young teenager and gathers courage from her ordeals instead of giving up and falling into the never-ending pit of despair which comes from suffering. She saw the positive in everything wherever she could and it shattered my soul to see her betrayed so many times, often by circumstance if not by malicious intent. I love that the story kept going after "and then they were reunited and lived happily ever after" and focused on the way that the events in our live may change our personality but never change who we actually ARE. I shed real tears when Ella and Sally acknowledged the hardships of reconnecting with each other after so much emotional and physical trauma.
Ruth was an amazing character.
Spoiler
I knew the moment she faced Frank's gun head on, without an ounce of fear on her face, and acknowledged that she would be willing to die for a young girl who she didn't even really know or owe anything to, that I loved her.Every single time Frank LaSalle was brought up my skin crawled and I felt disgusted which just shows how horrific the situation was and also how well it was written by Greenwood. The ending, especially where
Spoiler
he winked at her in court, smiled at Ella, and sent Sally flowers after she diedAlso this has less to do with the novel and more to do with the real Sally Horner case but OH MY GOD
Spoiler
when I realized that she died only a couple years after coming back home I was devastated. This isn't even something insidious, sinister, or mysterious where you can point your finger at a single entity and say "he did it, what an awful person", but just how cruel fate can be sometimes. A young girl's entire childhood and future stolen, once by a pervert and then again by luck. If she'd gone home with Gloria, if she hadn't been distracted by the shooting stars, if she hadn't asked Eddie to pull over...it's driving me insane that such small things could end a life. Also it's 3am when I'm writing this so if I sound overly distraught or nonsensical you now know why.TLDR: I love this book, it's amazing, don't trust the pretty cover because it will draw you in and then break your heart. Anyone who's into true crime, kidnapping, or powerfully emotional novels is sure to love this book.
Thanks Laura. If I ever have children they will be so bubble wrapped now.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
This is a very difficult book to listen to. It’s very well written, well researched, and it gives Sally Horner a voice, which she deserves, but it is so incredibly difficult to hear. If you have kids around Sally’s age, I wouldn’t recommend reading it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow this was a hard book to read due to the subject matter, but it was well written and I love how we got a view from different characters in the chapters and at the end there was one for all of them wrapping things up.
When 11 year-old Sally Horner steals a notebook from the local Woolworth’s in 1948, she has no way of knowing that 52 year-old Frank LaSalle, fresh out of prison, is watching her, preparing to make his move. Accosting her outside the store, Frank convinces Sally that he’s an FBI agent who can have her arrested in a minute—unless she does as he says. This chilling novel traces the next two harrowing years as Frank mentally and physically assaults Sally while the two of them travel westward from Camden to San Jose, forever altering not only her life, but the lives of her family, friends, and those she meets along the way. review: This book was the best I read this month. Knowing that it’s based on a true story, it was incredibly hard to read at times. To know that something like this happened and that there are so many more of these stories out there now was absolutely chilling. The author did a phenomenal job of telling this tragic story in a way that was both heart-wrenching and eye-opening. After I finished this book I went down the rabbit hole to learn more about this story and Sally Horner. Be prepared to want to do the same once you finish! rating: 4.5 out of 5 ⭐️
I literally have no idea what to classify this as... Its a novelization of a true crime book?
Is it true crime? Is it non fiction? Am I real?
Is it true crime? Is it non fiction? Am I real?
Okay. This book was INTENSE. I went into this one blind, it was gifted from my grandma who said “this is a really good book.” OKAY GRANDMA.
This book is just overall devastating. I wasn’t prepared to go on an emotional roller coaster and this book is exactly that.
This is a heavy book. It’s a fictional telling of a true life story of a kidnapping in the late 1940’s. Back when everyone was SO f’ing trusting! GAH! If you are looking for a happy story, this is not it.
All that aside, grandma was right, it was a really good book. I think you just have to know what you’re in for beforehand.
I definitely think there should be a warning about sexual assault on this one.
This book is just overall devastating. I wasn’t prepared to go on an emotional roller coaster and this book is exactly that.
This is a heavy book. It’s a fictional telling of a true life story of a kidnapping in the late 1940’s. Back when everyone was SO f’ing trusting! GAH! If you are looking for a happy story, this is not it.
All that aside, grandma was right, it was a really good book. I think you just have to know what you’re in for beforehand.
I definitely think there should be a warning about sexual assault on this one.
I’m wasn’t even sure how to rate this one because it was horrifying and terrible but I couldn’t stop listening. The fact that this is based on a true story makes me sick
I would rate this a solid 4.5 stars. Definitely not for the faint of heart due to the descriptions of Sally's abduction, this was an excellent read. Sally is a sweet and naive child, which is completely realistic when you consider she's only 11 and the story is set in the late 1940s. I loved this story, not for the plot, but for the characterization. Greenwood does a wonderful job of moving through several narrators and giving their perspective on Sally's abduction. The characters are realistic and sympathetic, and I spent a great deal of the book hoping that this was the point where Sally would be saved. Based on a true story, I highly recommend reading the Hazlitt article that inspired the book (but wait until you finish "Rust and Stardust" because the article will spoil the book). By the end of the book, I'd gone from hope to fear to sadness and everything in between. For those unsure about reading about Sally's abduction, the author does an excellent job of letting you know what's happened to her without going into horrible detail. While the thought of what she experienced is incredibly difficult, the author does not exploit it.