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exorcismemily's review
3.0
This was all right. The inside cover describes The Marsh King's Daughter as a psychological thriller, but I feel like that's misleading. It's more of an adventure thriller, and is borderline contemporary since it's kind of an outdoor version of Room (if that makes sense). It was such an intriguing concept, but I felt like it dragged too much in the middle. I enjoyed some aspects of it, so I would definitely try another book from this author.
canada_matt's review
4.0
Karen Dionne develops this powerful novel that will pull the reader into an adventure like few others, injecting emotion and pure cunning into each chapter. Helena has a secret that she has been keeping for many years. She is the offspring of a kidnap victim and her captor. Helena has spent the first dozen years of her life living off the land, knowing nothing else. The isolation was something Helena suspected every child experienced, as she learned how to hunt, trap, and subsist without a lick of electricity. Now grown and having fled years in the past, her father sits in prison for his crimes, as the notoriety of the events has long since deflated. The reader learns of how Helena was forced to reinvent herself and acclimate to life in the world, surrounded by others with their social rules and expectation. She has a family of her own, but has not told them about her sensationalized upbringing in a similar community of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. When word comes out that her father has escaped prison, having killed two guards before fleeing into the woods, Helena has no choice but to tell her husband the truth. While he tries to waylay the shock he feels, Helena saddles him with the added news that she will not go into hiding with them, but has chosen to scour the woods for her father, in hopes of capturing him for the state troopers. What follows is a narrative that alternates between the present and Helena’s struggles to locate her father, who has taught her everything she knew about these woods, and flashbacks to her growing up in an isolated cabin, having no idea that she was a victim of a heinous crime. Dionne pushes both stories along and shows the slow revelation that Helena made as she came to realize that the man she idolized was nothing but a sadistic control freak. As Helena tries to find her father, the past and present collide, forcing her to play a deadly game of cat and mouse, where only one will survive. Trouble is, both parties are prepare to hunt the other until all that remains is a bleeding corpse. Brilliantly paced and presented, fans across the board will flock to this piece that explores epiphanies and slow maturation with just the right amount of thrill factor to keep the reader guessing.
Having never read any Karen Dionne previously, I was not sure what to expect. While reviews and ‘currently reading’ presence is strong for this book, I cannot always take the insights of others as my own. However, for the second novel in a row, I am pleased that I was pulled-in my the whirlpool of Goodreads popularity a novel has received. Dionne does an amazing job of using the blissful ignorance of young Helena to allow her to absorb all her father wants to teach her, only to turn the tables in the present-day manhunt that takes place to locate him. The reader can see growth in both incarnations of Helena, while also understanding the depth of her victimhood throughout the narrative. Dionne lays it all out on the table, allowing the reader to weigh in and determine if Helena was a victim or simply a product of her isolated upbringing. Adding numerous layers in the form of characters, real and imagined, the story takes on a new depth as the narrative bounced between both time periods. Dionne thickens the plot and the overall story by paralleling happenings in the novel with the fairy tale of the same name penned by Hans Christian Andersen many years before. Brilliant to be able to contrast and compare, as pieces of the tale appear to begin various chapters. The story has crumbs of uniqueness as well as the typical manhunt aspects, though the delivery is so flawless that the reader cannot help but feel drawn in until the final pages. Some will bemoan that the book is falsely labelled a thriller, but I think that if enough time is taken reflecting on the plot and the building narrative, it is clear that there are scores of thriller moments on which the reader can only posit where things will go next. Surely filled with research and dedication, Dionne has blown me away with the attention to detail in this piece. I cannot think of the last time I was so impressed by a story that is so simplistic and yet so complex at the same time.
Kudos, Madam Dionne for offering up this idea. I will have to find time to read more of your work, as you are both a wordsmith and master of slow and steady plot development.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Having never read any Karen Dionne previously, I was not sure what to expect. While reviews and ‘currently reading’ presence is strong for this book, I cannot always take the insights of others as my own. However, for the second novel in a row, I am pleased that I was pulled-in my the whirlpool of Goodreads popularity a novel has received. Dionne does an amazing job of using the blissful ignorance of young Helena to allow her to absorb all her father wants to teach her, only to turn the tables in the present-day manhunt that takes place to locate him. The reader can see growth in both incarnations of Helena, while also understanding the depth of her victimhood throughout the narrative. Dionne lays it all out on the table, allowing the reader to weigh in and determine if Helena was a victim or simply a product of her isolated upbringing. Adding numerous layers in the form of characters, real and imagined, the story takes on a new depth as the narrative bounced between both time periods. Dionne thickens the plot and the overall story by paralleling happenings in the novel with the fairy tale of the same name penned by Hans Christian Andersen many years before. Brilliant to be able to contrast and compare, as pieces of the tale appear to begin various chapters. The story has crumbs of uniqueness as well as the typical manhunt aspects, though the delivery is so flawless that the reader cannot help but feel drawn in until the final pages. Some will bemoan that the book is falsely labelled a thriller, but I think that if enough time is taken reflecting on the plot and the building narrative, it is clear that there are scores of thriller moments on which the reader can only posit where things will go next. Surely filled with research and dedication, Dionne has blown me away with the attention to detail in this piece. I cannot think of the last time I was so impressed by a story that is so simplistic and yet so complex at the same time.
Kudos, Madam Dionne for offering up this idea. I will have to find time to read more of your work, as you are both a wordsmith and master of slow and steady plot development.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
bookswithbrittinee's review
5.0
I’m sad I didn’t read this book sooner! I loved the main character. I hated her parents. Her mother had so many chances to leave and never did until her daughter made her. Her father, at times, I had compassion for, but then he would do something awful, including killing animals. I highly recommend this book! It was a quick listen so I’m sure it will be a quick read if you get a physical copy.
bookgirl_71's review
5.0
Oh My Gosh! What a phenominal book! This story grabbed me from the first line and didn't let go till the very end. It was intense, edge of your seat, fast paced and at times quite horrifying! I did not want to 'adult' at all while reading.
"I was born two years into my mother's captivity. She was three weeks shy of seventeen."
"I never went to school, never rode a bicycle, never knew electricity or running water. That the only people I spoke to during those twelve years were my mother and father. That I didn’t know we were captives until we were not."
This story read so well that at times I thought it might be a true story. This is definitely in my top Thriller reads this year. I would encourage everyone to read this book!
"I was born two years into my mother's captivity. She was three weeks shy of seventeen."
"I never went to school, never rode a bicycle, never knew electricity or running water. That the only people I spoke to during those twelve years were my mother and father. That I didn’t know we were captives until we were not."
This story read so well that at times I thought it might be a true story. This is definitely in my top Thriller reads this year. I would encourage everyone to read this book!
fernbell's review
4.0
This was a different kind of book for me. I did like it but some content was hard to read in a way. I mean it fit for the story and you could see where the author was going with it. I have been to some of the area the author talked about so it was interesting in that aspect. I could see how someone could disappear for a long time in some of those areas. There was some twist and turns I was not expecting.
portiabturner's review
4.0
When I first started working at a bookstore, I decided that I was going to be really into psychological thrillers. And so I read and read and read them and then stopped and thought to myself, Why did I decided I needed to be this kind of reader. I really wasn't enjoying what I was reading. After I stopped and looked back on what I had read, I realized that I was really only reading these books for the twist. I was reading them because I wanted to know what was going to happen rather than for the writing or the greater story. Really, I would have been just as happy reading a plot synopsis.
So I was a little resistant when our Penguin Rep kept telling me to read The Marsh King's Daughter. And then I received a galley in the mail (along with an adorable tiny jar of jam) and I no longer had any reason to put off reading it. And while I am still not the biggest fan of this genre of book, I did enjoy this one and I'm glad that I read it because it will be a thriller that I will feel good about recommending at work.
The Marsh King's Daughter tells the story of Helena, a woman whose father abducted her mother. Flipping between her life in present day (where she is dealing with the fact that her father has escaped from prison) and telling the story of her life growing up off of the grid, Dionne masterfully weaves a tale. While the whole book was interesting, I really found myself enjoying the sections that talked about her time growing up. Dionne also weaves through Hans Christian Andersen's story of The Marsh King's Daughter to add an extra dimension to the story.
My one complaint with the book is a personal one. I have a really hard time with blood and gore but can usually deal with enough of it to be alright reading a thriller or a mystery. Because of the fact that this book was set in the marsh where Helena and her father had to hunt for food, I quickly found that I had hit my threshold for the subject. I found myself skimming sections that described in detail how animals were shot and skinned and how they died. While I understand why these passages were in here, they really took some of the shock of the human on human violence away.
All of that said, if you are a plan of thrillers, this is a book you should definitely check out. I think that this book will find great success upon its release.
So I was a little resistant when our Penguin Rep kept telling me to read The Marsh King's Daughter. And then I received a galley in the mail (along with an adorable tiny jar of jam) and I no longer had any reason to put off reading it. And while I am still not the biggest fan of this genre of book, I did enjoy this one and I'm glad that I read it because it will be a thriller that I will feel good about recommending at work.
The Marsh King's Daughter tells the story of Helena, a woman whose father abducted her mother. Flipping between her life in present day (where she is dealing with the fact that her father has escaped from prison) and telling the story of her life growing up off of the grid, Dionne masterfully weaves a tale. While the whole book was interesting, I really found myself enjoying the sections that talked about her time growing up. Dionne also weaves through Hans Christian Andersen's story of The Marsh King's Daughter to add an extra dimension to the story.
My one complaint with the book is a personal one. I have a really hard time with blood and gore but can usually deal with enough of it to be alright reading a thriller or a mystery. Because of the fact that this book was set in the marsh where Helena and her father had to hunt for food, I quickly found that I had hit my threshold for the subject. I found myself skimming sections that described in detail how animals were shot and skinned and how they died. While I understand why these passages were in here, they really took some of the shock of the human on human violence away.
All of that said, if you are a plan of thrillers, this is a book you should definitely check out. I think that this book will find great success upon its release.
miieruu's review
3.0
An exciting premise, followed by great build-up, but lose the grip on the second half.
What I EXPECTED:
Helena (the main MC here) loves her psychopath father.
But her father unfortunately doesn't know how to properly love her back. And that's why his existence started to threaten Helena's current family (husband & children).
Now, Helena need to choose between to-kill, or to set her father free, even if her husband and children's life are at stake.
I expected an emotional outburst, a difficult choice to make because no matter how psycho his father is, he is STILL her father. A man that she once loved so much, back when she didn't know how wrong her family is.
What I GET:
200 pages of hunting and survival tips.
50++ pages of cheap drama with easy solution.
It's like the author wanted to rush the ending and decided to Let Helena's father shoot her first, so she could shoot him if she doesn't want to die! He's a psychopath anyway. He might want to kill his daughter because he loves her!
What a tedious, boring read. A waste of great premise.
What I EXPECTED:
Helena (the main MC here) loves her psychopath father.
But her father unfortunately doesn't know how to properly love her back. And that's why his existence started to threaten Helena's current family (husband & children).
Now, Helena need to choose between to-kill, or to set her father free, even if her husband and children's life are at stake.
I expected an emotional outburst, a difficult choice to make because no matter how psycho his father is, he is STILL her father. A man that she once loved so much, back when she didn't know how wrong her family is.
What I GET:
200 pages of hunting and survival tips.
50++ pages of cheap drama with easy solution.
It's like the author wanted to rush the ending and decided to
What a tedious, boring read. A waste of great premise.
literarymarvel's review
4.0
Uncomfortable, suspenseful, and gripping: pretty much everything you could ask for in a thriller. The story was irresistible, the characters full of life.
keeperofpages's review
5.0
“The Marsh King’s Daughter is a one-more-page, read-in-one-sitting thriller that you’ll remember for ever.” – that’s a bold statement, “you’ll remember for ever” – that’s setting the bar mighty high! But, wow, did this book exceed the bar, this book was so far above the bar, the bar is just a tiny speck to this book. This book is amazing!
Helena’s father escaped from prison at the beginning of the book, and I did wonder how Dionne was going to make Helena tracking her father last an entire novel. By incorporating Helena’s upbringing in the marshes, that’s how. Together, these past and present accounts are what made this one of the best suspense thrillers I’ve read!
I loved how strongly the emotion came through, Helena as a young girl adored her father and you could feel how happy she was at certain times growing up in the marshes; this really got to me because it just shows the innocence of a child, she had no idea what her father had done and for the first twelve years of her life, just how much he was keeping her from. I loved the parts of this book when Helena spoke about entering society – having no idea about social etiquette. And the descriptive detail of how to survive in the marshes – hunting, tracking – I loved it!
Helena as adult was still fighting an inner battle, while she knew her father was evil, she couldn’t deny that she had loved him as a child and watching Helena battle this notion with herself throughout the read really pulled me in to the novel. Equally, I loved how Helena was raised in isolation and when she set out to track her father, she knew isolation was what she needed again, just her and her father – one final time.
Basically, I loved this book from cover to cover – it was beautifully rich it detail, atmospheric and had a wonderfully dark psychological kick to it.
This is a crime fiction read that centres on kidnapping but it’s also so much more than that, it is so well written, certain parts, especially when Helena was describing her time in the marshes, reminded me of The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis – a literary thriller I also loved. So, if you liked that one, be sure to check this one out. As a matter of fact, regardless of reading preferences, The Marsh King’s Daughter needs to be on your reading list. It is, without a doubt, one of my favourite books of the year so far and I can’t recommend it enough.
*My thanks to the publisher (Sphere) for granting me access to a digital copy of this book via Netgalley*
Helena’s father escaped from prison at the beginning of the book, and I did wonder how Dionne was going to make Helena tracking her father last an entire novel. By incorporating Helena’s upbringing in the marshes, that’s how. Together, these past and present accounts are what made this one of the best suspense thrillers I’ve read!
I loved how strongly the emotion came through, Helena as a young girl adored her father and you could feel how happy she was at certain times growing up in the marshes; this really got to me because it just shows the innocence of a child, she had no idea what her father had done and for the first twelve years of her life, just how much he was keeping her from. I loved the parts of this book when Helena spoke about entering society – having no idea about social etiquette. And the descriptive detail of how to survive in the marshes – hunting, tracking – I loved it!
Helena as adult was still fighting an inner battle, while she knew her father was evil, she couldn’t deny that she had loved him as a child and watching Helena battle this notion with herself throughout the read really pulled me in to the novel. Equally, I loved how Helena was raised in isolation and when she set out to track her father, she knew isolation was what she needed again, just her and her father – one final time.
Basically, I loved this book from cover to cover – it was beautifully rich it detail, atmospheric and had a wonderfully dark psychological kick to it.
This is a crime fiction read that centres on kidnapping but it’s also so much more than that, it is so well written, certain parts, especially when Helena was describing her time in the marshes, reminded me of The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis – a literary thriller I also loved. So, if you liked that one, be sure to check this one out. As a matter of fact, regardless of reading preferences, The Marsh King’s Daughter needs to be on your reading list. It is, without a doubt, one of my favourite books of the year so far and I can’t recommend it enough.
*My thanks to the publisher (Sphere) for granting me access to a digital copy of this book via Netgalley*
lucylovesreading's review
4.0
Loosely based on the Hans Christen Anderson fairy tale The Marsh Kings Daughter this book follows Helena a woman who has lived a troubled past that most people don't know about, not even her husband.
She grew up in the Marsh, a secluded cabin outside civilization and the only human contact she ever knew was that of her mother and her father, who kidnapped her mother. No electricity, no modern comforts, only a stack of National Geographic magazines from the 1950's to help her learn about the world. As a young teenager she realizes her life is abnormal when a strange man comes up to the cabin on a snowmobile while her father is gone and sets into motion her and her mothers escape.
Years later with a husband and two young daughters of her own living on her fathers childhood homestead mere miles away from the prison that holds him she is put into a position where she must once again fight her father for her family and her freedom.
This was a bit slow to take off. It really picked up around the 100 page mark. I liked Helena's adult storyline much better than the childhood years only because of the suspense. However toward the end of her captivity the suspense was heightened as well. A nice quick read with a badass female heroine.
4⭐️’s
She grew up in the Marsh, a secluded cabin outside civilization and the only human contact she ever knew was that of her mother and her father, who kidnapped her mother. No electricity, no modern comforts, only a stack of National Geographic magazines from the 1950's to help her learn about the world. As a young teenager she realizes her life is abnormal when a strange man comes up to the cabin on a snowmobile while her father is gone and sets into motion her and her mothers escape.
Years later with a husband and two young daughters of her own living on her fathers childhood homestead mere miles away from the prison that holds him she is put into a position where she must once again fight her father for her family and her freedom.
This was a bit slow to take off. It really picked up around the 100 page mark. I liked Helena's adult storyline much better than the childhood years only because of the suspense. However toward the end of her captivity the suspense was heightened as well. A nice quick read with a badass female heroine.
4⭐️’s