Psychological aftermath of kidnapping handled sensitively
340556
Mrs. Peyton approaches the well-worn kidnapping genre from a fresh angle, delving into the psychological aftermath experienced by the victim. Anti-hero Jonathan Meredith, featured in several of her other books, is  compelled by a guilty conscience into seeking out his abductors. Peyton's  prose is, as always with her contemporary ya's, fresh and clear. The  ultimate resolution is clever and satisfying.
2337257
It is hard to believe that the kidnapped boy, Justin, was not more psychologically damaged by his experiences in captivity, and so easily adapted to the return to his family life.
4043398
Traumatic experiences can permanently scar or change you. In this groundbreaking work, Judith Herman meticulously explores the impact of trauma on the human psyche, whether the trauma originates from a natural disaster, political terror, captivity or combat. Writing from a feminist political perspective, Herman also investigates traumas that result from domestic abuse, incest and rape, areas largely unexplored before the 1970s. She describes the symptoms of those who have experienced trauma, explains why they occur, puts forth a program for healing and sets it within a social matrix. This often-quoted book on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) changed the way those in the psychiatric fields diagnosed trauma. It also created a new model for treatment. As such, it is required reading for advanced psychology students, therapists, social workers and counselors, particularly those dealing with patients suffering from PTSD. While it is not for the casual reader, getAbstract recommends Herman's complex, carefully constructed analysis to people who have PTSD or know someone who does.
1737033
Katie is married to a wonderful man and struggles with the disconnect in her life that comes from the trauma that she carries inside.  She finally reconnects with her mother only on the promise that they never talk about the two years she was missing.  Then her mom reconnects with the husband who brought the horror into their lives.  Katie is about to lose everything if she cannot overcome the damage she suffered.  A good story and an excellent view of how coping strategies we use to survive can hold us back.  It is very timely because of the 3 girls held prisoner for 10+ years close to where they lost.
4666807
*****
This book is even better than the media coverage that has surrounded it recently--it is well-written, VERY suspenseful, and dramatic. It is told from the point-of-views of both Jessica Buchanan (an aid worker in Somalia who was held captive by rogue Somali kidnappers) and her husband Erik Landemalm (who also worked to aid the people of Africa).  Jessica was working to protect the people of Somalia when she was abducted; the work she was doing was nonpolitical and nonreligious. The reader shares in the experience by imagining what it would have been like to have been held hostage in primitive conditions as well as what it was like for the family members of the captives to languish and negotiate for her release for months. There is also quite a bit in the book--fascinating--regarding the amazing SEAL fighters who rescued Jessica.

An older Danish male colleague of Jessica's, Poul Thisted, was also held captive at the same time. He said that he felt lucky to have been held with an American citizen and attributes his rescue to this fact. Their family members could tell no one to protect the victims and to keep the kidnappers from learning vital information. The conditions of the captivity were arduous and they are described in detail--they were kept out in the open exposed to the weather, almost starved, deprived of water, not allowed to bathe--only infrequently permitted to wipe themselves off with diesel water, had to ask permission to go to relieve themselves, had no access to basic sanitary practices, and were often separated and not allowed to interact for the most part. They were kept alive, but that was all.

How does it feel to fear rape, torture, and death daily? To have your life reduced to trying to make it from one moment to the next? How does it change you? What do you think about? How do you cope? This book answers these questions in one woman's experience.

The section of the book about the rescue was thrilling--how it became possible, how the 24 Navy SEAL special operatives were dispatched, how the successful rescue mission took place. Incredible.

I wasn't sure if I would learn anything new about the story of the ordeal by reading this book, or if it would just be a dry recounting of facts. Far from it. The authors are Jessica and Erik who share their thoughts and feelings as well as Erik's letters to Jessica in his journal. Plus a third author Anthony Flacco--a professional writer who includes details and makes the facts come together in a compelling story. This is a provocative book on so many levels. What I enjoyed most was that it is not just a memoir, but that it makes the reader think of what meaning can be gained about life--best of all, but also: the nature of people, aid workers and their missions, the people who struggle in their daily lives in third world countries, how best to help struggling countries, how the United States is seen by the world, our policies on rescue, Navy SEAL fighters, why and when and how we should go in to help, how much we can do, etc. Whatever your views on these issues, this book is bound to generate discussion and thought.

Not only is the book remarkably well-written, but it includes an extensive index. I have read many books in my life and had indexing training myself, and honestly--this is the best index I have ever seen! The addition of this substantive piece of work makes the book highly amenable to study groups, classroom work, and more. The index, truly, is a work of art.

This book left me with a renewed respect for President Obama and his handling of this crisis. It also left me with an enhanced appreciation for our military and our country. Thank you, Jessica and Erik, and Anthony, for sharing the gift of your story with the world.

Highly recommended.
*****
3616024
Chase does a good job of bringing back the feeling of being a child and become a young woman.  This is the part that most spoke to me.  Another strong component of the story is the tension and suspense.  You know bad things are going to happen, but you don't know what they are.  You can guess, and some of those guesses with be right; other parts won't turn out as expected and the surprises enhance the story.  If it was all easy to figure out, I would have been disappointed.  That said, the bad things that happen, though a common enough part of some lives, were not, fortunately, a part of my childhood.  So that brought a strange feeling to the story.  The feelings and emotions of a normal childhood and young adulthood were easy to relate to, combined with the bad parts made the story foreign to me as well.  This was both a pleasant and unpleasant reading experience.  I think most readers who think the basic storyline sounds appealing will enjoy this book.

Not quite a 5 star book as it doesnt leave me craving other books by the author.  Certainly, Im interested enough that I would look at her future work, but Im not going to be pre-ordering it.
1892766
Zoe faces the harrowing experience of being abducted with her friend on what was supposed to be a weekend away from their arduous Grad school studies. Their crazed captor decided to start torturing Zoe's friend first, leaving Zoe time to escape. In the middle of nowhere, and with precious little time, Zoe decided to get away and hopefully find help in time to save her friend, rather than risk certain death for them both with a futile attempt at rescue.
As Zoe struggles with PTSD and survivor's guilt, a new series of gruesome murders is happening right where Zoe now lives!
Other reviewers may have found fault with the writer's depiction of how the main character deals with life after "surviving". However, although I initially hoped she would have been more of an idyllic protagonist. She rang more true to reality. Simon Wood really got down to the bones of a truly traumatic event; the effect that has on each victim individually; how that transfers to behavior and then fleshed the whole thing out for the reader. It may not be pretty, but it is real! It makes for unforgettable characters and a thriller that grabs tight and holds the reader captive to the riveting end!
219802
This book kept me reading, I must admit. Reading about a kidnapping from the view of the kidnappee instead of the witnesses is refreshing yet also makes you wince with all the blows endured.
This book is well-written, well-paced, and well-represented.
2469196
This book is not really a collection of "kidnapping stories" as one would presume or as one would get from a Ramsland type author. Through the analysis of the time and place of each kidnapping the author delves into the attitude and changing ideas of America toward kidnapping. Where once the assumption was that no one would kidnap anybody unless they expected a lucrative ransom, the assumption now is that no kidnapping takes place unless sexual abuse is the motive. How did we change? That's what this book is all about.
3851664
Single mum Emmas six year old boy, Aiden, went missing in a flood, presumed drowned. Seven years later he is declared legally dead. Emma later marries  not the father  and is heavily pregnant with a second child, when Aiden returns. He is under-weight for a sixteen year-old, has an old ankle injury, and seems in shock. He doesnt, or cant, speak. Yet Emma is determined to find out who took him and what happened to him in those missing years.

Ive read lots of psychological thrillers and at times, they merge into one in the memory, but this book is different. I think Ill be a long while thinking about it. Emma is in the throes of baby brain and is very emotional, as you can imagine. She jumps from one suspect to another and we get sucked into her rationale for those suspicions, even though we can often feel shes over-reacting. People try to lean on her and persuade that her son may be dangerous to the baby. The reader isn't sure  doesnt know any more than she does. The writing style is easy and elegant and I raced through this, dying to know the answers. A great example of the genre and highly recommended.
I received a review copy from TBC.
1581180
Book and movie portray the realities of the dynamics of domestic violence and the common accompanying sexual assault. Also adequately portrayed is the statistical reality that perpetrators of domestic violence, even with professional help, rarely "get better." This is a great resource to use in desensitization therapy with both DV and SA survivors.
1138366
This story had to be told. And yet, the most difficult thing is to tell something that you only wish to delete from memory and forget. Writing about it is not only therapeutic, it also helps the reader to recognize if they themselves are in the same predicament,or beginning to be there. A story like this, helps the reader who may be experiencing abuse, realize that they are Not alone, AND, it is not their fault. While experiencing abuse, it is difficult to see it for what it is. The perpetrator is very skilled in shifting the blame and making the abused feel guilty for all that is happening. Often the perpetrated like the two main ones in Nikki's case, are well liked in their social circles, and for this reason, the abused feels like no one will be likely to believe them. The truth is, when there are physical signs of abuse, medical personnel will believe and act if taken into the abused persons confidences. So there IS help from professionals. If you are in a predicament, speak up! Not only do you deserve to be heard,you also deserve to remove people like this before they cause harm to someone else.
3565938
This is a very interesting book and it keeps your attention as the story unfolds from the time of an abduction, all of the incidents that occurred during the time that the individual is being held and then the sudden and abrupt termination. The final ending to the story is very surprising. I feel it is a story that is very believeable and well written.
4132789
Kensington Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Where I Lost Her, in exchange for an honest review.

After years of infertility treatments and a failed adoption, a fractured marriage threatens to tear Jake and Tess apart.  During a visit with their close friends in rural Vermont, Tess spots a small child in the road.  Dirty and disheveled, the child runs off into the woods when Tess inadvertently spooks her.  The subsequent search by the authorities and civilian volunteers yields nothing, leaving many to question whether Tess was in her right mind.  With few supporters by her side, Tess puts herself into harm's way, to save the child and to be redeemed.

Where I Lost Her is a well paced psychological thriller with a great premise.  My favorite character in the book is Tess, as her struggles, her shattered confidence, and her absolute trust in what she knows to be right help form a complex and totally sympathetic character.  As her dreams were once destroyed, Tess hopes to be able to revived by finding this child.  Although Tess does not gain any support from her husband, she does find out that others believe in her.  The author uses broad strokes to bring to life a very important social issue: false adoptions.  The pain of not being able to bear your own children, then be promised a child under false pretenses, is clearly felt through the eyes of Tess.  Well written and fast paced, I highly recommend Where I Lost Her to those who like psychological thrillers.
2028527
Suspenseful psychological thriller.  The two main characters were fairly-well developed, but I wouldn't describe either as sympathetic.  Their situations were disturbing, agonizing, even heartbreaking, but self-constructed due to their considerable personable flaws. Overall, a fast read and one that you will think about for days after. Also, a good refresher on some basic psychological constructs, an interesting read on a number of levels.
3231499
This is quite an unusual story, much of it written in first person and mainly from the therapist's point of view.  This is not a pleasant read, and from the opening chapter, we experience the most horrific and savage rape of sixteen year old Jenny in the woods edging on to a party attended by older school children.  After the event, and much to the relief of her mother, Jenny can't remember anything of that sickening and vicious attack.  But not remembering doesn't mean that all is well within Jenny.  She needs to know what happened that night, who did this to her, who branded their mark on her skin.

Dr. Alan Forrester is the therapist who much of the story is written around and narrated by.  Jenny is just one of half a dozen or so of his patients who we learn intimate secrets and stories of their lives.  Two patients are Jenny's parents, Charlotte and Tom, who both have their own skeletons and another is Sean Logan who was given controversial drug therapy to make him forget what happened while he was serving in Iraq.  Jenny and Sean both need to remember their traumatic pasts so that they can accept and move on with their lives, and Dr. Forrester is key to unlocking those lost memories.

There are several sub-stories and events linking the night of the rape with Dr. Forrester's patients which I found quite gripping and very interesting.  This is a very intelligently and technically written book and, having a financial mind rather than a medical one, I occasionally had to re-read sections to fully understand the workings of the brain's reason and capabilities surrounding memory.

This is not a light-hearted read, it requires your attention but is well worth it.  It is a very thought-provoking and astute suspense which will have you reading until late into the night to find out what happens.  Highly recommended to readers who enjoy psychological/suspense/crime genres.

I was provided with an Advance Reading Copy of this book in return for an honest review.
2492724
Emily, escaping from an abusive ex-husband with help from a social worker friend, Jenna, is trudging through a few miles of snow with twin four-year-olds to reach an isolated cabin. However, Jennas brother, Travis, who is still in a depressive state over the death of his wife and daughter four years ago in a tragic accident, is also on his way to the family cabin to find isolation over the holidays. When he discovers Emily and her children at the cabin, her story and submissive behavior awakens protective feelings he felt that he had lost and Emily slowly begins to realize that there are men that are not controlling and are worthy of trust. However, Emilys ex is still seeking to take her children away and she is afraid to let her nascent feelings for Travis prevent her from saving them. The story of a woman running from an abusive relationship and finding salvation with a man dealing with his own tragic history is not new, but this incarnation is told simply with minimal editorial errors and presents the characters growth in a respectable time frame. However, the final resolution with the background villain is solved too quickly in a bit of serendipity, undercutting the suspense element for many readers.