The Taking

by Dona Masi

An unnatural silence and a feeling that you are all alone in the world. . .  John and his daughter, Vera, grieve the loss of Vera's mother, who mysteriously disappeared when Vera was a baby. As John struggles to raise his troubled daughter, he dismisses connections between his wife’s disappearance and Vera’s bizarre dreams of otherworldly creatures.   But when he finds Vera unconscious, lying in a ring of scorched trees, he begins to believe that a mysterious outside force is controlling her fate and his.     The Taking is a suspenseful story depicting a loving but difficult relationship between a father and daughter, amid the strange events that underlie their everyday life in a small New England town. 

Genres: Horror

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2024

Reviews

[liv ʚɞ · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

’The greatest fear you have is that one day you’ll think of yourself only as stardust instead of flesh and blood’

The Taking is, sadly, a debut novel that misses the mark.

Centred on a father-daughter relationship, a missing mother, and the strange happenings surrounding a small town, this really should have been something I loved. The premise is interesting, and does a good job at blending sci-fi and horror together.

Unfortunately that’s where my praise ends.

This book is just not written well, at all. The prose is clunky and robotic, and reads very much as rushed or a first draft. The dialogue is just plain awful, characters that sound like aliens pretending to be humans. The children speak like full-blown adults, and the adults themselves in this uncanny-valley-way as if it’s the first time they’ve had a conversation. There is a lack of fluidity to conversations that really pulled me out of whatever scene I was reading, and trampled on any sense of atmosphere this book was trying to present. Changes between perspectives are also incredibly abrupt, and scenes end and begin with seemingly no rhyme nor rhythm to them. This just desperately needed editing and rewriting in parts.

This is an example of a good premise but poor execution. It left me not caring at all about the characters or the plot by the time I was finished reading.

Overall, The Taking gets 2/5 stars.

[Hannah Zunic · Rating 1 out of 5]

The following is an abridged version of my review. The full length version can be found on my site www.readinghasruinedmylife.com

Thank you to Roundfire Books and Collective Ink for sending me a copy of The Taking; they aren't paying me for my review, they just sent me the book for free. Thank you so much for sending me a copy of this book, it means a lot to me that someone out there wants to send me books.

A quick content and trigger warning before I get to my review. The Taking deals with alien abduction and involves clinical scenes of aliens testing on humans, and one of these scenes focuses on a little girl. It just made me very uncomfortable so I figured I’d include a content warning for it. There is also discussion of suicide as one of the supporting characters ends his own life.

There’s not much going on in The Taking. Honestly, I didn’t care for it. The story is nothing more than pointless conversations strung together with scenes of nothingness. The Taking is a book I had a hard time writing a synopsis for because there’s really no plot. Everything is so disjointed. The dialogue is clunky at best, there are long, drawn out paragraphs with no purpose, and too much telling with no showing.

Vera wasn’t a great main character. She has no growth as a character, and yes, she is a teenager so I don’t expect her to have made all the smart decisions or been fully mature by the end, but she gave nothing. Never once did she try to find out why she’s being abducted or attempt to stop the aliens. She just silently gave up and resigned herself to a life of alien abductions. There’s no fight in her. It’s unfathomable to me that a person in her situation wouldn’t fight at all.

Also, for those of you out there who were looking for a science fiction read, I’m sorry to report that you won’t find much science in this one. The only reason The Taking is classed as science fiction is because there are aliens. Don’t expect to read about any interesting, futuristic technology or alien worlds, this book doesn’t have them. It just happens to have aliens. I don’t tend to read science fiction. My wheelhouse is horror and thrillers. Give me some good Gothic lit and I’ll be the happiest girl in the world. The Taking is such a poor book that I don’t intend to read many more science fiction books in the near future; that’s how much I disliked this read. Which is a shame because I know the genre can be great. I know there are fantastic science fiction reads out there, The Taking is just so bad it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Oh, one last thing before I go. There is a dog in this book. He's a ten-out-of-ten good boy and survives. No harm befalls the dog! If you are here to find out if the dog lives, please release the breath you are holding because he is indeed fine. The Taking gets a single point in its favor.

Thank you once again to Roundfire Books and Collective Ink for sending me a copy of The Taking.
Once again, the full length version of my review can be found on my blog www.readinghasruinedmylife.com. I publish new reviews every Wednesday at noon EST.

[thebookaddict25 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a quietly unsettling journey into grief, family, and the unknown. It follows John and his daughter Vera, who are still haunted by the disappearance of Vera’s mother years earlier. As John tries to keep their lives together, strange events start to unravel the fragile peace they’ve held onto—Vera’s bizarre dreams and a chilling discovery in the woods hint that something beyond explanation is at play.

What makes The Taking stand out is its strong emotional core. The complicated relationship between father and daughter feels authentic and raw, grounding the supernatural elements in real human experience. You don’t just wonder what’s causing the strange happenings—you care deeply about how it affects these two people and their struggle to stay connected.

The story builds suspense with a slow, steady burn rather than quick shocks, which makes the mystery all the more gripping. If you enjoy novels that mix heartfelt family drama with hints of eerie, otherworldly forces, The Taking offers a thoughtful, haunting read that stays with you long after the last page.

[Suzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

There's no other way to put this so I will be blunt, the writing was bad. The "romances" crowbarred in were just awkward.

Issues include, but not limited to:
⭕Long boring descriptions of nothing
⭕Useless and clunky dialogue.
⭕Who listens to someone eat?
⭕The children all speak like middle aged women. In fact every single character sounds the same.
⭕Too much telling (clear sign of an amateur writer which should have been picked up by a good editor and a reputable publisher).
⭕Too much info dumping in the dialogue.
⭕The sexual assault in the kitchen was simply gross.

And one last point for the road: "Oh boohoo you think I suck as a father!" Yes, yes you do.

[Readers Choice · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Taking is not your typical sci-fi or thriller—it’s more personal, more emotional. It starts with a grieving father and a troubled daughter, both trying to live in the shadow of a mysterious disappearance. Life in their small New England town feels normal on the surface, but there’s a constant sense that something is off.

Vera, the daughter, begins having strange dreams that feel too real, too specific. Her father, John, tries to ignore the signs—until she’s found lying unconscious in a burned circle in the forest. That one moment flips the story. From then on, both characters start questioning what’s real and whether some outside force is behind their pain.

One of the strengths of this book is how it blends mystery with emotion. It doesn’t just aim to scare you or confuse you—it wants you to feel the tension between the characters. The father-daughter bond is tested, stretched, and slowly rebuilt as they face something they don’t fully understand.

If you like slow-building stories that mix emotional struggles with just the right dose of the strange and unexplained, The Taking is a solid pick. It’s about more than what’s happening—it’s about how people hold on to each other when nothing makes sense.

[bookhaven__ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dona Masi brings something different to the table with The Taking. Instead of throwing readers into constant action, she builds a slow, eerie atmosphere that makes you question what’s really going on. At first glance, it’s a story about a father and daughter dealing with loss—but soon, it becomes clear that something stranger is creeping beneath the surface.

John, the father, is doing his best to raise Vera, who’s clearly struggling emotionally. Her weird dreams and the unsettling event in the woods—where she’s found unconscious in a circle of burnt trees—mark a turning point. That’s when the book shifts from family drama to a suspenseful, almost sci-fi thriller. It keeps you wondering: is this about aliens, spirits, or just trauma playing tricks on their minds?

What makes this story effective is how grounded it feels despite the strange events. The emotional tension is real, the relationship between John and Vera feels honest, and the mystery doesn’t rush to give you answers. Masi lets things unravel slowly, and that quiet suspense keeps you hooked.

[Fe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Taking by Dona Masi centers on a father raising his young daughter who experiences strange events that may be connected to his wife’s disappearance. The “mysterious outside force” controlling them, as described in the Description, made me curious to read the story and request it. But then I learned the book was about alien abductions after reading A Note From the Publisher and Advance Praise listed under the Description, and that removed all the mystery for me. But by then, I had already been approved to read it. I already knew the answer going into the book, so this might have lessened the impact the story might have had on me. Overall, there were some suspenseful parts in the story. But I don’t think I’m the best reader for this book—it’s just not for me. This is for those who like to read about the details of alien abductions. Thanks to Collective Ink Limited and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel.

[Chelsea (gofetchabook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be powerful and chilling.

At the heart is a story about Vera, growing up with her single father and their strained relationship. Her mother disappeared when Vera was very young. Before her mother disappeared, she had wild tales of being repeatedly abducted by beings not of this world. When similarly strange things start to happen to Vera, her father can no longer deny what is right in front of him.

This book has a little bit of suspense because there is the ever-present possibility of another abduction always looming in the background, but I liked that it wasn't really the focal point of the story. It was more of a coming-of-age story about Vera and her father working on their strained relationship.

This is a personal thing, but I also thought that it was cool the author is from my hometown. The book is set in NH, where I live, and I recognized a lot of the landmarks that were mentioned, so that was a fun little bonus.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read THE TAKING and found it suspenseful and intriguing. The novel portrays a handful of well-developed characters and events over a span of ten or so years exploring one family’s and friends’ experience with extra terrestrial visitation. The author, Dona Masi, uses clear imagery and weighted conversation between the characters to bring out the most in this story. I enjoyed this book and basically devoured it as the subject of extra terrestrial life is a relevant part of our modern culture.

[Nora Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The synopsis gave me chills in the best way. The blend of quiet, small-town tension with eerie supernatural elements feels so compelling, but what really stood out to me is the emotional core a father desperately trying to protect a daughter he doesn’t fully understand. The mystery around Vera’s dreams and her mother’s disappearance feels heartbreaking and gripping at the same time. It sounds like a haunting, character-driven story that I’d absolutely want to read.

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way the writer introduced the characters, developed them throughout the book, weaving them together in the rural community. They are relatable and ones I found myself caring for. As the story progressed and each experienced the events of the story, I felt what they felt - longing, angst, fear, sadness and hope. A compelling read!

[isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Taking is an enthralling story that I could not put down. The author cultivates a community that invited me to join while reading the detailed and lively descriptions. After finishing the novel, I am left feeling warmed by the strength of friendship and empowerment to navigate and embrace the unknown in our world.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about grief and traumatic experiences. I loved that it was an atmospheric slow burn, but in the best kind of way. I would recommend this to readers who like Twin Peaks and the X-Files.

[Jack Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunting, emotional read. The eerie tension around Vera’s dreams and her mother’s disappearance pulled me in right away, but it was the father–daughter bond that really stood out. The moment John finds her in the scorched circle gave me chills. Short, suspenseful, and surprisingly heartfelt.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Taking by Dona Masi very much. Every day, I looked forward to reading this incredible novel. I wanted to know what would happen. Dona Masi is terrific at building tension—and without giving the story away. The Taking was a terrific read!