Still Missing
by Chevy Stevens
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Book Reviews of Still Missing
Book Review: Still thinking about this one...
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are a woman, you've probably had that uncomfortable, maybe frightening, moment of getting on an elevator alone with a strange man, or walking down a dark street by yourself and having a man come up behind you, or being the last person to leave your office building on a dark night and walking by yourself to your car. I don't care how brave you think you are, your heart beats faster or you walk a little quicker or you step back out of the elevator and wait for the next one.
"Still Missing" starts out by capitalizing on that fear. The protagonist Annie is a realtor at the tail-end of an open house she has hosted. Just as she is getting ready to close up, a successful looking man shows up acting interested in the property. Against her better judgement Annie decides to stay long enough to show him the property and because of this is abducted.
This novel explores not only the time period that she was held against her will but the physical, emotional and sexual abuse she had to endure during that time.
I appreciated the author's use of narratives of the sessions Annie had with one of her therapists to detail that abuse. The narratives also showed that the travails and calamities did not end once she returned home. Minor triumphs, major setbacks and the realization that her life would never go back to "normal".
This is an outstanding debut novel by Chevy Stevens and I hope to read much more by this gifted Canadian author in the future.
Book Review: fantastic thriller
Summary: 5 Stars
Annie was a successful real estate agent, with a caring boyfriend, when she was suddenly abducted. Her abductor takes her away to a cabin in the woods, where he keeps her hostage for over a year. Terrorized both mentally and physically, Annie finds a way to get free. When she returns to the world she had trouble adapting to her freedom, and it only gets harder when she starts to learn who is behind the abduction.
I want to be very careful not to give away spoilers for this book, because I really want you to read it. You NEED to read it. This book is so amazing, particularly for a debut novel. I loved the unique structure of the narrative. Each chapter starts out in Annie's voice, as she narrates bits of her story to her therapist, each chapter being a new therapy section. You immediately feel intimate with Annie, you are privy to her inner thoughts, and a first hand account of her horror. The amount of character development right from the gate is staggering. You literally feel as if you are her therapist. I was completely mesmerized.
The story was terrifying to read, because I know things like this really happen. But the book was incredible; I could not put it down. In fact, I read it in a day. Any lover of thrilling dramas will like this book. I was shocked to learn who it was that set this chain of events into motion, and I think other readers will be as well. Overall, a fantastic, dramatic book that will have me looking over my shoulder for weeks.
Book Review: A Thriller...But So Much More
Summary: 5 Stars
OK, I had to buy the book because it was not available on the Kindle. That annoyed me as I love my Kindle. But I needed a good book and Lisa Gardner's book was not going to be out for a few more days, so...It took a whole day to read it, but after I was finished, I knew that I had read something special.
It is a thriller...It is a perfect setting for a Broadway play...It is a story of a mother and a daughter...It is a thriller again...It is about what happens to everyone around you when you suffer...It is as good as it gets.
While I was reading the book, I kept thinking of Jodi Piccoult. The deft one liners. The ability to describe an event with a corresponding emotion. The ability to hit the nail on the head as to what everyone is thinking and going through. Chevy Stevens has a gift and we are all lucky to have her books to read in the future.
You do not need me to tell you the story of Annie and The Freak and Annie's mother and Christina and Luke and Gary. Other reviews can do that much better than I. What I can say to you is that I read about 100 books a year, most of them are thrillers. I picked up this book because Lisa Gardner reviewed it on Amazon and if she likes it, then I am going to like it. It is a great, great book. I would love to see this on Broadway. Thank you for this book. To those of you who have not yet read it, I am jealous that you will get to enjoy this book for the first time.
Book Review: Psyched Out
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an interesting novel, despite its shortcomings: Basically the writing is uneven, and in many ways pretentious. A young woman, Annie Sullivan, a realtor on Vancouver Island, Canada, is abducted by a psycho and kept captive for a year, subjected to daily rapes and severe regimentation, severe enough to drive anyone practically insane. She becomes pregnant and the baby dies after a short period of time.
The story of her year-long captivity is recounted in a series of sessions with a psychiatrist. In fact, instead of calling each new section of the book a chapter, it is called a Session. And, of course, the after-effects are recounted as well. What is unexpected is the ultimate unraveling of just why she was abducted to begin with, in a terrific twist.
The descriptions of just how unbalanced the abductor is, as well as Annie's mental torment, are excellent. What this reader found somewhat disconcerting was the language too often used by Annie, especially four letter words, which to me was excessive. Surely some of it was appropriate to mark her discomfort or anguish, but the constant repetition really could serve little purpose other than to shock the reader or display the fact that this is the author's debut. Nevertheless, this thriller is recommended.
Book Review: Emotionally Captivating
Summary: 4 Stars
Still Missing is a raw, honest, and intense read that will hook you from the very beginning. No sugar coating here, that's for sure. The way the story is told, through sessions with Annie's psychiatrist, was a smart thing to do and added much more realness for me. I was able to really connect and feel for Annie as she was pouring her whole heart out and I felt like I was right there with her in the cabin with her captor, re-living the horror that she went through. I was very repulsed by her captor who she nicknames The Freak.
Annie's voice is a strong one and gives a powerful narrative. She's a true survivor. The story is very captivating and there is a huge twist towards the end, which was very shocking and disturbing. I love twists in stories and this one definitely brought the story to a whole other level. However, I felt like the reasoning behind it wasn't a satisfying one and wasn't convincing enough. I wish it had been more believable. This was the only time I felt that something was lacking.
Overall, a great read for a debut novel. The last line of the book is probably one of my favorites. I will definitely be reading more by this author.