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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
This book tore my heart out as I struggled so hard to not yell out loud, Tell someone! Run away!! Knowing this is based on a true story really hit me. Be sure to look up pictures online as you're reading. It really brings it home. And the ending...oh my goodness, such heartbreak!
Gosh, this book is a punch to the gut. I still haven’t read Lolita, but I have seen the 60s film adaptation, and it’s one of those literary references I’m well familiar with. But I didn’t know about the story of Sally Horner until a few years ago, and have been fascinated and saddened by the little I found on her. She was kind of like the Elizabeth Smart of her day, and any story of a child enduring what either of them did is heartwrenchjng to read. The author handled this story well, not giving graphic detail of Sally’s ordeal but giving enough for the reader to understand how horrible it was and how frightened she was of her captor. I loved the portrayal of all the other people affected by Sally’s kidnapping getting their perspective told. That added an element to the story as a whole that made the entirety of it more relatable. Maybe not a story for everyone, but certainly a well-done story of a resilient young woman who faced a despicable situation.
the author did an incredible job at capturing sally horner’s story & the trauma responses that were occurring in her body. such a devastating story but written without the explicit details that would, quite literally, break your heart to read about. i can’t even imagine
This is a tragic and truly terrible story. I'm having difficulty reading it knowing that despite the fictionalization, this is a true story. The weird mix of fact and fiction is more off-putting to me than I thought, especially given that so much of the story is told from Sally's POV. We have no idea what that poor girl suffered and I think it's such a strange choice by the author to write it this way. Either completely fiction (different names, characters, places, etc.) with inspiration drawn from this true event, or a more 'traditional' non-fiction true crime investigative book would have been better.
On top of all that, the 'characters' are so flat and one dimensional. I didn't notice at first because of the frequent POV changes but the writing is quite repetitive.
On top of all that, the 'characters' are so flat and one dimensional. I didn't notice at first because of the frequent POV changes but the writing is quite repetitive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Pedophilia, Rape, Kidnapping
Moderate: Bullying, Pregnancy
Minor: Gun violence
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tough subject matter but lovely writing. I appreciated the way the story was told and my heart is broken.
Such great writing and depth of character but so so sad.