Seven months. That’s how long I was kept captive. 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 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 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. How far will I have to go to uncover the truth of what happened ― and will it break me forever? Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz’s thrilling novel is a revelatory confessional of a girl’s fight to escape a kidnapper ― and her struggles to connect with loved ones and a life that no longer exists.
"The depth of psychological intrigue is absorbing and the twist on the Stockholm syndrome, disturbing. Jane’s probing monologue while captive details both the mental and physical coping mechanisms she developed and convincingly displays her unwitting realizations, such as her heightened sensory awareness borne of being confined. But Jane’s return also clearly shows the fallout of her torment — not only for her, but for those who care about her as well.... This novel is a testament to how the mind can reshape reality in order to survive." — Kirkus Reviews
Recommended Age | 14 and up |
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Author | Laurie Faria Stolarz |
ISBN | 1250303702 |
Publication Date | Jan 7, 2020 |
Publisher | Wednesday Books |
Language | English |