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Title: Still Missing
Author: Chevy Stevens
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Format: ARC from work
ISBN: 978-0-312-59567-8
Price/Pages: $24.99/352
Release Date: July 2010
My Review and Description:
I decided to read this book because of fellow bloggers Stacy from A Novel Source and Jenny from Take Me Away. They gave really great reviews that made this book sound heart pumping and terrifying and right up my alley.
Luckily, my bookstore had an ARC lying around that no one wanted so I snagged it!
It was a fast read but boy did it bring up a lot of emotion.
First, a brief description.
Annie O'Sullivan is a 32 year old realtor living a seemingly happy life.
She has a pesky mother, a patient boyfriend and a career that is successful.
Locking up after a routine open house, a man approaches her.
Would she mind one last tour?
Anything for a possible sale, she thought.
What follows is her abduction and year long captivity with this stranger; calculating, manipulating, violent, and terrifying.
She is locked in a remote cabin with no way of escaping. She is made to dress a certain way, eat at a certain time, use the bathroom at a certain time and read to him. Every night she is abused by him and every night she feels more and more removed from herself.
But she learns to play his terrifying game and goes through hell.
When she does eventually free herself from him she tries desperately to fit back into
her old life.
The first three quarters of the book were terrifyingly absorbing, like a train wreck you keep staring at. The entire time I was reading it I almost wish I wasn't. I kept thinking this crazy crap happens in real life. People are abducted, tortured, brain washed, and killed. The author certainly nailed the emotion of Annie and the bat shit crazy mind of the abductor.
It is told in two parts; Annie during her therapy sessions post abduction and Annie during her captivity. Very sharp and intense, the author's writing was at its finest.
The last quarter of the book, when she escapes, is where is loses it's punch. It gets wrapped up too quickly with a far fetched, unbelievable explanation. You throw in a quickie relationship with the detective on duty and poof, your awesome suspense thriller turns into a
mediocre who dunnit.
This could be a first time novelist mistake or the author's need to not leave you with such a heavy heart and head. As a reader, I was certainly looking for justice for Annie. The abductor needed an ass kicking, that's for sure. (Sorry for the sharp language but if you read it, you'll understand!) I wish, however, that it could have been resolved better.
Rating: 4 stars/ 6 stars
I do recommend this for suspense fans. Be aware that there is some graphic descriptions of violence and some plain ol' mean stuff going on in here. Not for the faint of heart or the cozy mystery lover. The ending is what prevents me from giving this book a higher rating.
It fell flat and short for me.
Author Website:
Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!
red headed book child
7 comments:
OMG, can I just say I want to read this one now!!! The bookstore was sold out, i'm going to have download it to my kindle.
Great review Michelle
that is nice read ;p
everyone seems to have given this book high marks, but still not sure if it is for me.
I'm glad you liked it for the most part... you already know that I completely agree with you about the ending! =)
Great review! Sorry to hear the ending wasn't up to par, but I so want to read this one now!
Great review :0)
you hit it right on the nose! i LOVE your review! the ending did fall a little flat, but omg, the first 3/4 of the book were a landmine! I STILL have horror thoughts about it! Excellent review there my dear!!!!
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