Book 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.
I really enjoyed the structure of this book- a kidnap victim talking to her therapist to work through her complicated fears and feelings in the aftermath of the abduction. The narrative voice was strong, and Annie was definitely a character that pulls the reader into the story. The majority of the book deals with Annie's quest to recapture some of the life she used to lead, and this portion of the narrative is definitely 5 stars. For me, the ongoing question of the identity of her captor was less compelling, and the plot twist that resolves this central mystery wasn't as shocking as I believe it was meant to be; it was this element of the story that made the overall book 4 stars for me. Still, a great summer read from a talented author!
