"Seven months.
That’s how long I was kept captive.
Locked in a room with a bed, refrigerator, and adjoining bathroom, I was instructed to eat, bathe, and behave. I received meals, laundered clothes, and toiletries through a cat door, never knowing if it was day or night. The last time I saw the face of my abductor was when he dragged me fighting from the trunk of his car. My only solace was Mason―one of the other kidnapped teens―and our pact to one day escape together. But when that day finally came, I had to leave him behind.
Now that I’m home, my parents and friends want everything to be like it was before I left. But they don’t understand that dining out and shopping trips can’t heal what’s broken inside me. I barely leave my bedroom. Therapists are clueless and condescending. So I start my own form of therapy―but writing about my experience awakens uncomfortable memories, ones that should’ve stayed buried.
When I ask the detectives assigned to my case about Mason, I get an answer I don’t believe―that there were no traces of any other kidnapped kids. But I distinctly remember the screams, holding hands with Mason through a hole in my wall, and sharing a chocolate bar. I don’t believe he wasn’t really there and I’m determined to find him. How far will I have to go to uncover the truth of what happened―and will it break me forever?"
Review:
"It's so obvious it hurts."
A phrase I found myself repeating - out loud - multiple times throughout this book. We flip between Then and Now, when she was held captive, and being home afterwards. We feel every moment of frustration, trying to get out, trying to hide, trying to find weapons to protect herself. During her captivity too. And despite the phrase I found myself saying, this was still an amazing read. Because of course it was obvious, to everyone inside and out of the story, except to the one person that mattered. Jane.
Because this story isn't about the bravery of escaping, its about the bravery in staying. This girl is beyond broken. And this entire story, as she tells us on page one, is about her healing. And you feel that in every flashback, in every painful moment. And we feel the guilt of the trauma her parent have, and we feel the lifeline in Mason, and we also feel the unbreakable bond with a box of brownies.
Everything about this was a success and so obviously, I highly recommend it! Let me Know your own thoughts and feels down below in the comments!
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