Still Missing
by Chevy Stevens
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Book Reviews of Still Missing
Book Review: Disappointed
Summary: 2 Stars
I was extremely excited to read this book as soon as I started seeing the advance press for it, and purchased it the day it was released. When I finished it, I was extremely disappointed. The protagonist, Annie, lacked any depth or nuance (unless Ms. Stevens was trying to show her as someone under extreme stress and afraid to go deeper into what she was feeling - if so, that's a brilliant strategy, but it missed the mark), and The Freak seemed to be a compilation of characteristics of psychologically scarred individuals gone bad seen in other fiction and media. Their relationship seemed to be built for a movie script, and has been seen before. The ending felt contrived.
All of that being said, the book is a quick read, and the device Ms. Stevens uses to convey the story - using Annie's sessions with her therapist as chapters - was unique and interesting. I am sure I would read another of Ms. Stevens' books - she is a good writer, and has a strong sense of voice - but this didn't live up to the hype.
Book Review: TERRIFYING, BUT HARD TO LET GO!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was mesmerized from the first word to the very last word. After the last word I was left thinking about this novel for days. This is how I know I have read an incredible and extremely well written story.
This a terrifying book about the brutal abduction of realtor Annie O'Sullivan from a routine open house. Every chapter in the book is a "session" with her psychiatrist as she tells the story of her abduction and the aftermath that leaves her "still missing". I absolutely could not put this book down! As difficult as some scenes are to get through I had to know what next? How? Why?
Amazons review is right on ..."shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted"...
Books with similar themes recommended Heartsick by Chelsea Cain and Lucky: A Memoir by Alice Sebold.
Book Review: mixed review
Summary: 3 Stars
I have mixed feelings about this book. I couldn't put it down - it was definitely a page-turner and I read it all in one day - I can't say, however, that I enjoyed this book. I found it to be very upsetting and I didn't like how it made me feel. The book was basically a monologue - the voice of the main character, Annie, as she talks to her shrink. Half of the book consisted of Annie describing her abduction and the year that she spent locked up with her abductor, while the rest of the book became Annie's view of her life, before and after her abduction. Because there is a mystery entwined in the book, that's as far as I'll go in describing the storyline. The writing was very basic, almost juvenile, but I guess I would also say that it really felt like a person talking, rather than like a writer writing, which I suppose was the point and the author did an excellent job of this. In the end, though, while I became completely caught up in the story, I don't think that I really enjoyed reading it.Book Review: Creepy and Insightful
Summary: 4 Stars
Vancouver Island real estate agent Annie O'Sullivan is abducted at the close of an open house by a truly creepy villian, who holds her captive and abuses her in a remote, specially-fitted cabin. "Still Missing" by Chevy Stevens is written in Annie's voice as she describes the horrendous event and its aftermath to an unnamed "shrink" after she is returned home.
Annie's descriptions of life with "David", her kidnapper, made my skin crawl, but I also felt good each time she described any progress -- however slight -- in her struggle to adjust to how she'd been changed and to move on with her life. Stevens portrays Annie's emotions skillfully as she both depicts the damage universally experienced by victims of these kinds of heinous crimes and gives Annie a unique voice. Information revealed about the motivations behind the kidnapping provides an unexpected plot twist. The book succeeds as both a sympathetic character study of a victim and a psychological thriller.
Book Review: Amazing debut novel.
Summary: 5 Stars
I mulled over reading this book for a bit thinking it wouldn't be something I would like. Last night I decided to give it a chance and here I sit 12 hours later writing a review.
This book was amazing. It reminded me of "The Lovely Bones" a bit but only because it left me with the same kind of feelings. While reading, I got sucked in enough that I felt like I was Annie O'Sullivan. I was feeling everything she was feeling. Rarely does a book do that to me and I read a new book every 2 days.
I think this book is a great read for a large range of readers. I wouldn't reccommend it to the YA crowd, but pretty much everyone else.
There is a little Horror, a lot of Suspense and everything in between. No one should ever have to go through what Annie O'Sullivan went though, but we all know that real life isn't far off. Thats what makes this book so scary. Once can only hope that Stevens continues to write now that she has gotten off to a great start.