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Book Summary InformationAuthor: Chevy Stevens Edition: Hardcover Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2010-07-06 ISBN: 0312595670 Number of pages: 352 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Product features: - ISBN13: 9780312595678
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Still MissingBook Review: Great plot & voice--lots of potential here! Summary: 4 Stars
STILL MISSING is the story of Annie O'Sullivan, a woman who is determined to battle the fears and memories of the year she was held captive by a man who she only thinks of as the Freak. A first-person narrative told to her psychologist, STILL MISSING is a captivating story.
What I liked:
I loved the idea of listening in on a woman who has escaped from a year of captivity while she reveals not only her abduction story but the lingering problems that go along with it.
I loved Ms. Stevens' writing voice. Essentially, it's Annie's voice we hear. First-person point of view gives you fantastic repoir with the reader. In this novel, it's more along the lines that the reader plays the part of the psychologist.
I loved the changes that Annie goes through, mostly in her relationship with the psychologist. In the beginning, she's harsh and she goes to therapy because she thinks that she has to-she recognizes there are problems in her life that she needs to work through but everyone-media included-has been wanting the story. Not that they care about her-they just want the story.
As she talks to her psychologist and warms up to her, we learn Annie's story. And we can feel what she feels because she tells us.
What I didn't like:
Honestly, I didn't care much for the ending. In the first half of the book, I was captivated. I didn't want to put it down. The end of the novel (which I'm not going to reveal here) was kinda flat and dull. Overnight, I went from "Wow, this is great!" to "Eh, not sure about this part."
I think part of what really stirred me up in the first half of the book was Annie's conflict with her psychologist. She was her own woman-she didn't want to be condemned for what she went through or judged for the things that she did.
As she healed, she obviously had less and less of that emotional upheaval we saw in the beginning of the novel. In the beginning, if I felt that something was rushed or brushed aside, or if there wasn't as much emotion as I would have expected, it was easy to note that as perhaps a side effect of Annie's therapy. She's on-guard and she still didn't trust this therapist-so to keep herself from being hurt, sometimes she stands at a bit more of a distance, but the emotions are right there in front of her.
Towards the end, things get a great deal more personal, but that distance is still there because of the patient-therapist divide. And it is at the end that Ms. Stevens' choice of point of view doesn't necessarily work well. It's more of a "telling" what happened-than the "showing" of the climax.
I have read comments where people are saying this novel should be made into a movie. I can see that-it would be a good story and I think the ending would be a great deal more dramatic because of how it would be told.
Overall opinion:
Fantastic plot, great voice, nice and emotional twists. Ending was, eh, ok, more due to the "telling" of the story, rather than showing.
I definitely think that there is a lot for Chevy Stevens to work on-and to work towards-for her next novel. I asked my husband last night, while in the midst of reading the book, if I thought the book was that good, how was she going to be able to pull off a successful second book?
After finishing the book, I think Ms. Stevens has room to maneuver-she's got a nice strong writing background with this book. She's got room to grow-and I have a feeling this won't be the last we've heard of her.
If she comes up with another uniquely intriguing idea and another voice, I'll definitely be there for her second novel as well.
Congratulations to Ms. Stevens for a very interesting debut novel! :)
4 stars.
Summary of Still MissingOn the day she was abducted, Annie O?Sullivan, a thirty-two-year-old Realtor, had three goals: sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she?s about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent captive in a remote mountain cabin ? which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist ? is a second narrative recounting the nightmare that follows her escape: her struggle to piece her shattered life back together, the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor, and the disturbing sense that things are far from over. The truth doesn?t always set you free. Still Missing is a shocking, visceral, brutal, and beautifully crafted debut novel about surviving the unsurvivable ? and living to bear witness. Product Description On the day she was abducted, Annie O?Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals?sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape?her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor. Still Missing is that rare debut find--a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted debut novel. Amazon Exclusive: Lisa Gardner Reviews Still Missing New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after her hair caught on fire numerous times she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics, and twisted plots into a streak of 11 bestselling suspense novels, including her most recent release, The Neighbor. Read her guest review of Still Missing:
Heading to a beach? Boy do I have the book for you! Every now and then a new author comes along that totally knocks one out of the park. As a reader, I?m always thrilled to discover a great new voice. As a writer, of course I?m insanely jealous and suffer a terrible case of why-didn?t-I-think-of-that? Given that debut author Chevy Stevens is young, beautiful and talented, I?ve been gnashing my teeth for months! Still Missing represents psychological suspense at its very best. Realtor Annie O?Sullivan is abducted from an open house and held captive for a year in a remote cabin by a sadistic survivalist who considers her to be his wife as well as preferred breeding stock. His goal is to get her pregnant and live creepily-ever-after as the last man and woman on earth. Her goal is to get away from him. Now, you know Annie wins this war as the book opens with her talking to a therapist. So you may ask, where is the suspense? I can?t give you a simple answer to that, other than to say every page crackles with it. Still Missing creates one of the most haunting narratives I?ve read in years. On the one hand, survivor Annie is tough, angry, and brittle. The very worst has happened to her, and she escaped through her own ingenuity and frankly, savagery. On the other hand, survivor Annie is jumpy, terrified, and sleep-deprived. All these months later, she still can?t pee ?off schedule.? In one of the more moving scenes of the novel, she downs a gallon of iced tea in order to force herself to urinate by her own free will. She can?t do it. In addition to her compelling heroine, Stevens has created one of the best psychopaths since Hannibal Lecter?and that?s not something I say lightly. Annie refers to her captor simply as The Freak. Much like Hannibal, The Freak considers himself to be a civilized human being. Intelligent, good looking and resourceful, he?s an excellent ?husband.? He has provided a charming cabin. He supplies fresh food?sometimes so fresh that city slicker Annie must bleed it out first, but details, details. Of course he has expectations of his wife. She must be well groomed, properly garbed, and 100% submissive. All failures to comply are met with The Freak?s idea of appropriate punishment. The Freak is also thoughtful and tender. Want to stop sleeping for a few nights? Read the scene where The Freak first shaves Annie. And he means it in the nicest sort of way. Stevens skillfully juxtaposes the back story of Annie?s captivity with the front story of a woman desperately trying to reclaim her old life. As with all great suspense novels, the surprises abound. Annie thought she?d survived the worst with The Freak. But has she? As the taut cat and mouse game unfolds, you will cheer for Annie. You will hate The Freak. And you will be absolutely mesmerized by the last line of this novel. Then, most likely, you will return to page one, and start it all over again. So give yourself a summer vacation. Check out debut author Chevy Stevens, and soon you will be Still Missing.
Women's Fiction Books
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