Scan barcode
salgalruns's review against another edition
4.0
I DID enjoy this book but in a somewhat disturbing way. This is not a book for the faint of heart, and parents - the descriptions of some violent acts can be EXTREMELY graphic in some parts (so I would add a caution to kids thinking this is a YA book). To summarize, the story has to do with a real estate agent, Annie, who is abducted by a truly demented man. It is told through her eyes during a series of visits to her psychologist. I can't get too much into it without giving the story away to some of my readers, so spoilers follow...
The story also recalls her escape and the after effects of when she comes home. At times, I thought I saw things coming, but I was truly surprised that her parent would seriously be that demented in setting this up. SERIOUSLY???? Whose parent DOES that????
Annie's character seems to be right on - she is a messed up bundle of nerves, but you can't help but cheer for her and root her on to achieving a peace within herself. At some points I want to wrap my arms around her, and other times, I want to help her kick some butt!!! I just loved her.
This is a CREEPY read - you can't quite trust any of the characters. Maybe it was the tone in my audiobook, or maybe it was just that the Freak freaked me out too. I always wondered what was behind the actions of others, and was not quite expecting the end results. This is the debut novel for Chevy Stevens? WOW. Great things are to come, that's for sure!
Spoiler
Annie is brutally kidnapped, raped, and forced to live with this man who controls her every move, every pee, and every swallow. She becomes pregnant and he refuses to get the newborn the medical care she needs causing the infant's death. Annie is, of course, traumatized by the experience, and finally kills him when she hears him say they'll just try to get another one right the "next time." You want to cheer aloud during this time, you hate the Freak so much...The story also recalls her escape and the after effects of when she comes home. At times, I thought I saw things coming, but I was truly surprised that her parent would seriously be that demented in setting this up. SERIOUSLY???? Whose parent DOES that????
Annie's character seems to be right on - she is a messed up bundle of nerves, but you can't help but cheer for her and root her on to achieving a peace within herself. At some points I want to wrap my arms around her, and other times, I want to help her kick some butt!!! I just loved her.
This is a CREEPY read - you can't quite trust any of the characters. Maybe it was the tone in my audiobook, or maybe it was just that the Freak freaked me out too. I always wondered what was behind the actions of others, and was not quite expecting the end results. This is the debut novel for Chevy Stevens? WOW. Great things are to come, that's for sure!
mischixx's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
fozlandgirl's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
laurenmichellebrock's review
2.0
Still Missing is the story of a thirty-year old real estate agent who is abducted during an open house. Over the course of the book, Annie O'Sullivan talks in monologues to her shrink about her year with The Freak and how she's getting along in the real world in the aftermath of her abduction.
When I first picked up this book, I had high hopes for the storyline. From the very first paragraph, however, I felt like this wasn't going to be the kind of story I bargained for. I often felt like the author was too distanced from her character, because I didn't find Annie's character very believable. While I understand that Stevens has never been abducted and couldn't possibly know what that's like first hand, I also feel like she didn't try hard enough to put herself in Annie's shoes to see what that really could've been like.
While the story itself is very depressing if you were to simply tell someone about it, the tone of the book wasn't...dark enough for me. Stevens used a lot of cliched phrases, which killed the tone of a scene. I think this book was too focused on plot and didn't have enough balance between character development, style, and storyline. When it got to the end, I felt like this whole book would've been much better as a characteristically dramatic episode of Without A Trace.
As a book, the ending didn't work for me. It felt like Stevens was trying to build up the ending so much that, in the end, it just rode out kind of flat. I would've been much happier with the book if it was a simple story about a woman trying to deal with life after being abducted - more character development and focus on style, and less plot.
When I first picked up this book, I had high hopes for the storyline. From the very first paragraph, however, I felt like this wasn't going to be the kind of story I bargained for. I often felt like the author was too distanced from her character, because I didn't find Annie's character very believable. While I understand that Stevens has never been abducted and couldn't possibly know what that's like first hand, I also feel like she didn't try hard enough to put herself in Annie's shoes to see what that really could've been like.
While the story itself is very depressing if you were to simply tell someone about it, the tone of the book wasn't...dark enough for me. Stevens used a lot of cliched phrases, which killed the tone of a scene. I think this book was too focused on plot and didn't have enough balance between character development, style, and storyline. When it got to the end, I felt like this whole book would've been much better as a characteristically dramatic episode of Without A Trace.
As a book, the ending didn't work for me. It felt like Stevens was trying to build up the ending so much that, in the end, it just rode out kind of flat. I would've been much happier with the book if it was a simple story about a woman trying to deal with life after being abducted - more character development and focus on style, and less plot.
mbredahl3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Child death, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Stalking, Gaslighting, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Car accident, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
lyntwhit's review
5.0
Great book. Couldn't put it down and thus stayed up waaaaay too late reading it. I would highly recommend it. It was an original story and perspective for how it was told. Very moving as well. Can't wait to read other books by this author.
bbratmafia's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
chapita4's review
3.0
It took me a little bit to get used to the fact that this book is written in first person voice and it was a bit stilted at first. I ended up enjoying the book and was kept guessing through the end.
kenzie_nicole's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookph1le's review
4.0
A very scary, harrowing, and disturbing read. I think the author did a very good job of creating a very believable character in Annie. The book was gripping, and I didn't want to put it down, even though some scenes were extremely difficult to read. My one problem with the book was the ending, as I just thought there were extra touches there that were unnecessary, given how powerful the narrative was.