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Gone Saga #1
Gone
Macy Mercer only wants a little independence. Eager to prove herself grown up, she goes to a dark, secluded park. She’s supposed to meet the boy of her dreams who she met online. But the cute fifteen year old was a fantasy, his pictures fake. She finds herself face to face with Chester Woodran, a man capable of murder.
Distraught over his own missing daughter, Chester insists that Macy replace his lost girl. He withholds food, locks Macy up, and roughs her up, demanding that she call him dad. Under duress from his constant threats and mind games, her hold on reality starts to slip. Clinging to her memories is the only way of holding onto her true identity, not believing that she is Chester’s daughter. Otherwise she may never see her family again.
Distraught over his own missing daughter, Chester insists that Macy replace his lost girl. He withholds food, locks Macy up, and roughs her up, demanding that she call him dad. Under duress from his constant threats and mind games, her hold on reality starts to slip. Clinging to her memories is the only way of holding onto her true identity, not believing that she is Chester’s daughter. Otherwise she may never see her family again.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2014
4518 people are currently reading
5770 people want to read
About the author
Stacy Claflin
188 books1,429 followersStacy Claflin writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it's her Gone trilogy of psychological thrillers, her ongoing Transformed paranormal saga, or her Seaside Hunters sweet romance series, Stacy's three-dimensional heroines shine through.
Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time author.
When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.
Join Stacy's newsletter to get free books: http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/
Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time author.
When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.
Join Stacy's newsletter to get free books: http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 651 reviews
April 5, 2021
Possibly one of the worst books I have read. The main character (the abducted 15 girl) is beyond superficial. Her biggest concerns seem to be her abductor’s lack of respect for her vegan diet and the fact she has no cosmetics or flat iron in her bedroom. The dad’s ego makes you feel that he is more concerned with the success of his online blog than that of his daughter. The mother is flaky. She calms her fears by getting drunk and forgetting she has another child. The best friend is wrapped up in herself and worries that Macy ran away because she discovered a secret that she was keeping from her. The little brother, Alex, is perhaps the only believable character in the book. None of the characters (except perhaps Alex) were likeable characters. You can’t get emotionally invested in a story if you can’t like at least one character. There is way too much repetition. The dad wishes his dead parents were still around. Macy is vegan but not eating means she will be so thin when she gets away!!! We got it the first time. The constant repetition feels as if the author is just trying to fill pages. This is the first book in a trilogy. The trilogy is only 581 pages. Take out the repetition and make one book of about 300ish pages. It will still be a lousy book but at least you only buy it once. Perhaps the story redeems itself in the second or third book but I won’t be wasting my time to find out.
December 5, 2019
A book with no ending isn't a book, it's an instalment. To be a complete book, it needs a beginning, a middle AND AN END. I hate the current trend for incomplete books, they make me feel I've been cheated out of good reading time because I jolly well refuse to pander to an author's whims by being persuaded to buy the rest of a series just to see what happens. By all means have a continuing back story that makes you feel you know the characters and want to read more about them, but please make the main story of the book complete.
July 7, 2016
I read this entire book in one night. I mean it - it's 3:00AM now! Gone is dark and twisted in all the right ways. It was like when you hear about a tragedy and you can't stop reading the news articles to learn more but this time with an insider view. I immediately had to download the next book because I HAVE to know the rest of Macy's story! Will definitely be reading more by this author!
June 28, 2021
a great start to what seems to be a very interesting series I can't wait to read the next book I was hooked from beginning to end I couldn't put it down I wonder what will happen next to poor Macy Mercer?
February 22, 2021
Macy is the main character. She's about fifteen years old and honestly not very smart at all. She sort of improves over the length of the book, but not very much so if you're looking for a change in character, look closely.
While the story was just sort of weird and not something I've read before (the part where the kidnapper wants her to be his daughter in replacement of the one he lost, or whatever happened to her since I don't know really know yet), Macy was weirder. The biggest issue was that when she woke up in the back of the truck and was offered a fast food burger (it was still hot), she thought it was the most disgusting thing in the universe and immediately started freaking out about her vegan diet. I thought other people who have reviewed this book were maybe overreacting a little but they aren't. This was one of my biggest peeves through the book. MEAT WILL NOT KILL YOU. Not listening to your captor might. Anyway, here are some quotes:
She stared at the hamburger, sitting on the blanket. She hadn’t eaten meat in more than six months, but her stomach roared, begging her to eat the greasy, dead animal.
Hold on. It's a burger, not an actual dead cow lying in front of you. *rolls eyes*
“But you know I don’t eat meat.”
Miss, your captor doesn't have to feed you anything at all. Be thankful for getting at least something.
“I’m sorry,” she said to the cow she was about to eat.
I didn't even know what to say here. I'm not saying people have to like eating meat or eat it at all, but she's seriously obsessed with how much she thinks she's eating an entire dead cow still. If you'd like to go vegan, okay, but if you're kidnapped don't act like this.
She knew enough to know that by forcing her to eat the meat, he was trying to show her he was in control.
Maybe, or it's cheap so he's just getting that for her versus an expensive vegan meal! Your vegan diet should be the least of your worries right now. You can get a burger on the dollar menu for....a dollar. I'm sure that's why.
Anyway, I could keep going on about this but if you've read this far you probably don't want to hear me get annoyed at Macy's foolish behavior on this part.
Wait. One other thing she weirdly complained about was not getting any makeup or stuff once she realizes Chester wants her to be his replacement daughter. Just...*rolls eyes*
She rummaged through the drawers for makeup, but found none. Seriously? Nothing? Macy sighed. It probably didn’t matter. Who was she trying to impress?
Anyway, this was pretty unrealistic given the circumstances.
Well, it wasn't all that bad, but those two specifically got me annoyed and I would have thrown my phone across the room but I can't afford that (I got this book as a free ebook on Amazon). Not everything was really that bad. I know I was complaining about Macy, but I think I liked her POVs the best because it was the most like "what is going to happen next" sort of thing and her side kept me wondering what would happen next. Through the book, they'd change between her parents, her friends, and her brother's with each new chapter. It was alright, but sometimes the parents' POVs were slow and uninteresting to me.
I did find a few things that seemed to contradict with each other at times, like repeating scenes or she liked one thing but did another, etc. It didn't bother me that much though honestly.
Also, as a note, the parents did have some issues going on and the family was sort of broken (Dad used to head off with some other girl who was also already married but the only details were things like the Dad wishing he hadn't ever met the girl and he wanted to fix his marriage for his daughter when they found her again.
Best part of this book was the "suspense" part of what was happening with Macy and the backstory of Chester and his daughter, Heather. I hope Heather is okay but I'll have to find out. The ending was one massive cliffhanger so I'd sort of like to read the rest of the trilogy.
Content:
Language:
Sexy Stuff/Romance:
Violence:
Other:
While the story was just sort of weird and not something I've read before (the part where the kidnapper wants her to be his daughter in replacement of the one he lost, or whatever happened to her since I don't know really know yet), Macy was weirder. The biggest issue was that when she woke up in the back of the truck and was offered a fast food burger (it was still hot), she thought it was the most disgusting thing in the universe and immediately started freaking out about her vegan diet. I thought other people who have reviewed this book were maybe overreacting a little but they aren't. This was one of my biggest peeves through the book. MEAT WILL NOT KILL YOU. Not listening to your captor might. Anyway, here are some quotes:
She stared at the hamburger, sitting on the blanket. She hadn’t eaten meat in more than six months, but her stomach roared, begging her to eat the greasy, dead animal.
Hold on. It's a burger, not an actual dead cow lying in front of you. *rolls eyes*
“But you know I don’t eat meat.”
Miss, your captor doesn't have to feed you anything at all. Be thankful for getting at least something.
“I’m sorry,” she said to the cow she was about to eat.
I didn't even know what to say here. I'm not saying people have to like eating meat or eat it at all, but she's seriously obsessed with how much she thinks she's eating an entire dead cow still. If you'd like to go vegan, okay, but if you're kidnapped don't act like this.
She knew enough to know that by forcing her to eat the meat, he was trying to show her he was in control.
Maybe, or it's cheap so he's just getting that for her versus an expensive vegan meal! Your vegan diet should be the least of your worries right now. You can get a burger on the dollar menu for....a dollar. I'm sure that's why.
Anyway, I could keep going on about this but if you've read this far you probably don't want to hear me get annoyed at Macy's foolish behavior on this part.
Wait. One other thing she weirdly complained about was not getting any makeup or stuff once she realizes Chester wants her to be his replacement daughter. Just...*rolls eyes*
She rummaged through the drawers for makeup, but found none. Seriously? Nothing? Macy sighed. It probably didn’t matter. Who was she trying to impress?
Anyway, this was pretty unrealistic given the circumstances.
Well, it wasn't all that bad, but those two specifically got me annoyed and I would have thrown my phone across the room but I can't afford that (I got this book as a free ebook on Amazon). Not everything was really that bad. I know I was complaining about Macy, but I think I liked her POVs the best because it was the most like "what is going to happen next" sort of thing and her side kept me wondering what would happen next. Through the book, they'd change between her parents, her friends, and her brother's with each new chapter. It was alright, but sometimes the parents' POVs were slow and uninteresting to me.
I did find a few things that seemed to contradict with each other at times, like repeating scenes or she liked one thing but did another, etc. It didn't bother me that much though honestly.
Also, as a note, the parents did have some issues going on and the family was sort of broken (Dad used to head off with some other girl who was also already married but the only details were things like the Dad wishing he hadn't ever met the girl and he wanted to fix his marriage for his daughter when they found her again.
Best part of this book was the "suspense" part of what was happening with Macy and the backstory of Chester and his daughter, Heather. I hope Heather is okay but I'll have to find out. The ending was one massive cliffhanger so I'd sort of like to read the rest of the trilogy.
Content:
Language:
Sexy Stuff/Romance:
Violence:
Other:
September 15, 2017
Fifteen year old Macy lives with her overprotective and somewhat old fashioned parents; she's not allowed to date or watch shows that her father deems unsuitable, and has been bullied somewhat as a result at school. She meets 'Jared' online. He's cute, cool and plays baseball - every 15 year olds dream right? Only Jared isn't a high school boy eager to get to know Macy, he's a grown man with less than desirable intentions..The story progresses at a relatively fast pace, which I think is both enjoyable and appropriate for this kind of book; (I hate it when "suspense" stories drag out to the point of the reader losing interest), but there were aspects of the story that the author could have included that would have made the book, for me at least, a little better. I mean, I would have loved a bit of a back story regarding Macy and 'Jared' - A bit of build up before the kidnapping I guess, rather than the story starting as Macy left to go meet him for the first time.At this point I have to state that I was not overly keen on Macy as a character overall. She comes across as dull and superficial - I know she's supposed to be a teen girl, however she appears a lot younger than she is supposed to be; her monologue is more reminiscent of a young child. Alongside this immature and repetitive monologue, Macy's main thoughts remained on her weight throughout the book, which alongside being vegan is one of her only apparent personality traits. "I haven't eaten since yesterday, my stomach growls for food that does not exist, but i'm going to be sooo skinny when I get out of here!", "I guess I will have to make do with non-vegan mayonnaise". I'm sorry but WHAT?! You're being held captive and your most prominent problem is whether or not your captors condiments have animal byproducts in them? No, just... No. That and throughout the book Macy mentions being vegan at least 10 times. We get it. We know. Please stop.Overall this isn't a terrible read; the pace is good, the plot is fairly interesting, if not very original, and it is easy to follow. The cover art is pretty eye-catching too. However I feel the characters were a little two dimensional for my liking, and the book overall was a little like a child approved copy of 'Gone Girl'. In my opinion this is a good story for younger readers (I'd say aged 12+ due to some *very mild* violence and scenes of an aggressive nature) - or adults in search of an easy read. But I can't honestly say it was for me as I tired easily of it and had to force myself to read it over a week long period; I certainly won't be buying the next two books.
December 31, 2014
I could not get into these characters... Macy, who is kind of an idiot, is extremely superficial. Who thinks about losing weight while they are being kidnapped? Who does this? Or, what type of person gets upset that there's a lack of quality make up in the place they are being held hostage? Again, who does that? Honestly, her entire family is annoying and by the end of the book I really didn't care what Chester did to Macy.
November 15, 2016
This was a fast read that I finished in less than a day. I believe I got it free off of Amazon a while back. A fifteen year old girl with a strict dad gets lured on a date with a boy she’s never met, but only talked to online. Unsurprisingly, this boy is actually a grown man who abducts her and forces her to dress and act like his daughter Heather. We see the story from the abducted girl’s point of view as well as from the POV of her mother, father, brother and best friend. I wanted to see what happened and it was an easy read, so I sped through it, but I’ll warn you, there is no resolution, it just ends and is the first in a trilogy. I found I didn’t like the writing. The story was ok, but it kind of feels like an after school special, and everything, the writing, the way it’s presented, all seems preachy and simplistic. I am not sure if I want to read the next book or not.
February 1, 2017
I really wanted to like this book - the plot line was intriguing. Unfortunately, it wasn't well written and the characters were flat and hard to relate to. [*spoiler alert] I mean, seriously, what grandparents don't realize that the "granddaughter" they last saw a year or two ago has been replaced by a different girl? And what teenage girl, after being kidnapped and held against her will, frets because there's no make-up or hair straightener available?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2017
I may have given this book 3 stars if it had an ending. I understand it's the first book of the trilogy but it still should've had an ending.
February 15, 2021
I guess I'd call this a YA book which is the start of a series... not sure I'm in to starting the year with a series 😏 It is promising though. Great YA read.
April 22, 2016
Goddamn cliffhangers! I hate 'em!
October 22, 2016
Just plain awful
Cliffhangers are fine. Not with a story this deep. All characters were awful except the main character. This author has a mind as awful as Chester. Do not recommend unless you love sick and twisted and books that have cliffhangers that don't end well. Awful with no closure.
Cliffhangers are fine. Not with a story this deep. All characters were awful except the main character. This author has a mind as awful as Chester. Do not recommend unless you love sick and twisted and books that have cliffhangers that don't end well. Awful with no closure.
May 5, 2017
My Thoughts
I really liked this book, even though this is was a standard kidnap book. Girl thinks she's meeting a boy her age, but ends up being a middle aged man who kidnaps her to replace his dead daughter, and everyone around her goes crazy. It was a quick read. However there was an issues in this book that left me feeling odd, but I was able to overlook it.
The Characters
I loved all the characters in this book, besides Chester he was just a creep. All the characters were average normal people. Macy wasn't depicted as a overly stupid her who did things without thinking, nor was she the super genius girl who could get out of any situation. She was just a typical highschool girl that unfortunately made a silly mistake on trusting someone on the internet. It makes you realize that this could have happened to anyone.
I also enjoyed how the author was able to show individual thought and emotions about the other characters, because it's important to understand what really goes on when someone goes missing. How the the victim's family and community feel about. Yes Macy's disappearance was on everyone's mind, but all the characters themselves had their own issues that they had to deal with. I specially enjoyed Macy's Dad's perspective, it was raw and emotional. We got to know both internal and external struggles he was facing before Macy's disappearance and how that has affected his family and his relationship with his wife.
The Plot
This book isn't by any means considered a mystery to me, I thought of it as more of suspense and thriller, because we know who the culprit is, all we're waiting for is how will Macy escape. The overall plot in this book was good and had a steady pace. I thought that the time frame was a little off in a few parts, but nothing too bad.The one thing that this book could have gone without with, is the whole relationship between Macy's best friend and younger brother. I have nothing against younger men dating older women, but when the characters are young as 13 and 15 and started dating a year prior to that makes me feel a little uncomfortable. It would have made me feel much better had they been a little older like 17 and 19, but I was able to overlook that part.
Final Thoughts
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, hopefully things come together and the Mercer family is able to get through, and creepy Chester is gone.
I really liked this book, even though this is was a standard kidnap book. Girl thinks she's meeting a boy her age, but ends up being a middle aged man who kidnaps her to replace his dead daughter, and everyone around her goes crazy. It was a quick read. However there was an issues in this book that left me feeling odd, but I was able to overlook it.
The Characters
I loved all the characters in this book, besides Chester he was just a creep. All the characters were average normal people. Macy wasn't depicted as a overly stupid her who did things without thinking, nor was she the super genius girl who could get out of any situation. She was just a typical highschool girl that unfortunately made a silly mistake on trusting someone on the internet. It makes you realize that this could have happened to anyone.
I also enjoyed how the author was able to show individual thought and emotions about the other characters, because it's important to understand what really goes on when someone goes missing. How the the victim's family and community feel about. Yes Macy's disappearance was on everyone's mind, but all the characters themselves had their own issues that they had to deal with. I specially enjoyed Macy's Dad's perspective, it was raw and emotional. We got to know both internal and external struggles he was facing before Macy's disappearance and how that has affected his family and his relationship with his wife.
The Plot
This book isn't by any means considered a mystery to me, I thought of it as more of suspense and thriller, because we know who the culprit is, all we're waiting for is how will Macy escape. The overall plot in this book was good and had a steady pace. I thought that the time frame was a little off in a few parts, but nothing too bad.The one thing that this book could have gone without with, is the whole relationship between Macy's best friend and younger brother. I have nothing against younger men dating older women, but when the characters are young as 13 and 15 and started dating a year prior to that makes me feel a little uncomfortable. It would have made me feel much better had they been a little older like 17 and 19, but I was able to overlook that part.
Final Thoughts
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, hopefully things come together and the Mercer family is able to get through, and creepy Chester is gone.
October 28, 2024
If I had realized this book was part of a trilogy I would’ve cut my losses and DNF. 2 stars because I actually finished it. I don’t even know where to begin with this one. A stupid 15 year old girl gets catfished online, gets into a truck with a strange older man, despite her gut telling her no, and then acts surprised when she’s abducted. Meanwhile the mom is more concerned with looking hot at the gym and dad is too busy making sure his blog engagement stays up to really care she’s missing. And then the grandparents that don’t even realize this girl is not their actual grand daughter? A whole family of losers.
All that before even mentioning the juvenile, unskilled writing. It’s Kindle Unlimited for a reason.
All that before even mentioning the juvenile, unskilled writing. It’s Kindle Unlimited for a reason.
September 28, 2018
I've given up on this, although I made it almost halfway through......to 48%. It just got so farfetched I couldn't be doing with any more of it, I'm afraid.
There are mistakes aplenty as well, which in no way helped my experience. Words dropped from sentences like ".....an old version Jared's profile pictures" or "....one big, tongue-sticking at him" or "...what Macy needs is for us to thinking she's going to come back" then this sentence got an additional word-"....he wouldn't let her to go on a date."
I didn't believe a father, finding his daughter was missing would remove batteries from the house phone nor ignore a call coming in from said daughter's best friend's mother !! Wouldn't happen, simple as that. Neither would Zoey or Alex address adults as they did with such contempt. There is no way that Heather's grandparents wouldn't recognise her only one year since they last saw her, either, unless they're absolute cretins !!! It just comes across as a load of old guff for me.
Some sentences are written like a juvenile composed them, like "....it was hard to tell with such little light" and "He took a few more steps closer"......horrible use of the language.
It's all way too unbelievable although a YA audience may enjoy it more.
There are mistakes aplenty as well, which in no way helped my experience. Words dropped from sentences like ".....an old version Jared's profile pictures" or "....one big, tongue-sticking at him" or "...what Macy needs is for us to thinking she's going to come back" then this sentence got an additional word-"....he wouldn't let her to go on a date."
I didn't believe a father, finding his daughter was missing would remove batteries from the house phone nor ignore a call coming in from said daughter's best friend's mother !! Wouldn't happen, simple as that. Neither would Zoey or Alex address adults as they did with such contempt. There is no way that Heather's grandparents wouldn't recognise her only one year since they last saw her, either, unless they're absolute cretins !!! It just comes across as a load of old guff for me.
Some sentences are written like a juvenile composed them, like "....it was hard to tell with such little light" and "He took a few more steps closer"......horrible use of the language.
It's all way too unbelievable although a YA audience may enjoy it more.
October 15, 2014
I received this ebook from the author to give my review.
This story captured my attention from page one until the end. It was difficult to put down I was so engaged in it I can't wait for the second book to be released. Macy is fifteen and is abducted to a farm house in an unknown location. The parents, brother and community are trying to find Macy but unfortunately there are no clues and the deranged man that took her erased everything on her computer. I do enjoy deranged characters and Chester falls into that category. I recommend this book to everyone that enjoys to read books that keep you on the edge of your seat. I also recommend this book to teenagers and parents because of the issues of what could happen when meeting someone on-line.
This story captured my attention from page one until the end. It was difficult to put down I was so engaged in it I can't wait for the second book to be released. Macy is fifteen and is abducted to a farm house in an unknown location. The parents, brother and community are trying to find Macy but unfortunately there are no clues and the deranged man that took her erased everything on her computer. I do enjoy deranged characters and Chester falls into that category. I recommend this book to everyone that enjoys to read books that keep you on the edge of your seat. I also recommend this book to teenagers and parents because of the issues of what could happen when meeting someone on-line.
March 14, 2016
Gone- Stacy Claflin 3*
Macy meets an online date. At 15 she has been given all the warnings but of course it won’t happen to her- until it does- she gets kidnapped. An intriguing story of a man who somehow (we don’t get told) lost his daughter and wife (did he kill them?). Macy has to submit to being Heather.
An excellent story line with a disappointing ending- to the point that I felt cheated. I fully understand wanting to take the reader into the next book but to stop so abruptly with not even a single thread concluded is not a story in my book. I really would have liked to know how this concluded but will not be buying the second book in case the same thing happens.
Macy meets an online date. At 15 she has been given all the warnings but of course it won’t happen to her- until it does- she gets kidnapped. An intriguing story of a man who somehow (we don’t get told) lost his daughter and wife (did he kill them?). Macy has to submit to being Heather.
An excellent story line with a disappointing ending- to the point that I felt cheated. I fully understand wanting to take the reader into the next book but to stop so abruptly with not even a single thread concluded is not a story in my book. I really would have liked to know how this concluded but will not be buying the second book in case the same thing happens.
February 14, 2016
This is one of those "can't put down" books. It captured my attention immediately and I was glued to it from page 1 until final cliffhanging page & anxiously awaiting the reading of Held, next book in series.
The writing was well done, plot extremely relevant to today's times and addresses every parents worst nightmare concerning their children and how easily they can be lured into a dangerous and often deadly situation by using the internet to meet people.
On the internet you can choose to be anyone you want to be and hide behind the ability to remain anonymous and interact with people of all ages and stages in life. Growing up in today's world with so much access to information available at the click of a button, people's entire livescan be found on the internet. With young children and teens particularly this is a frightening thought for many parents. When we were growing up and had an issue with our parents we simply talked face to face or on phone with our real life friends. Today the youth use a plethora of social media such a FB, Twitter, snapshot, instagram and the list goes on with new sites being added on almost daily basis. As soon as adults start using a site (often so we can keep a watch out on our children for safety), someone comes along with another app that gives kids yet a new means of communicating with friends, but more scary, with strangers that often assume a child's profile and search the sites looking for the vulnerable one, the child with few friends, complaining constantly of being alone, unwanted, harassed by parents with too many rules, the list goes on. A casual conversation starts with strangers usually identifying with the writer and their current situation until eventually the 2 "kids" connect on a level where they feel as if a solid kinship has developed and they agree to meet in person. Knowing parents wouldn't approve, these friends are not mentioned, nor are the meetings, which often end badly (kidnapping, child sexual abuse, murder, etc).
Are you the parent of a smart, outgoing, popular kid involved in school, community, church, sports, etc and don't have any issues at home, other than typical "raising a teen" ? You say "I'm so lucky that my child has so many friends and doesn't go out drinking, using drugs, having sex or whatever issue is your hot spot. I can trust him/her to make the right decisions so as long as I know his friends and he's doing well, no need for me to worry about him/her on internet.
SORRY to burst your bubble, but every child (even adults) can very easily get lured by an Internet predator without realizing it.
Instant chats with virtual strangers during multi player video games, following one another on snap chat or whatever popular social media of day is, allows for people to get into daily discussions of their lives and without knowing it. over time they have given a complete stranger they think is their peers and same age as them all their relevant life story and info. such as family life, what state, town, etc they live in, school they attend, places of entertainment they often hang out at. With instant check in at locations posted almost minute by minute, their so called teen friend (who may in reality be a 50 yr old ex convict just released from prison for child sexual abuse) all the info they need to get together, willing is their hope, but unwillingly if not can now easily be done because they know your child's entire normal daily routine. No matter how smart our kids are, they are still just kids. I think back to how much stuff I told my friends that my parents never knew and just think how grateful I am that none of this technology was available back then. How often did you have a minor disagreement with your parents or siblings or another friend and in rehashing it to your bestie, you just embellished the story to make it more exciting and make it look as if your parents were clueless to being a teen and were so unfair, etc. You didn't mean most of what you said but were just venting to a friend. Back then, no major harm done, other than chance your friend might tell others your secrets. But today it isn't so simple. Instead of talking to one friend about something, kids will instantly tweet or worse post embarrassing photos, without thinking of the long term impacts of doing so. Once it hits Cyberspace, it's forever there, no matter how much you think you've deleted it. And yes, this happens to kids of all ages, race, income levels, etc - no one is immune (even adults but that's whole other topic).
We as parents do our best to know as much about our children, their activities, their friends and where they are at all times, but just as our parents didn't know all about us, no matter how close we are with our children, they will always have a side that we as parents are not privy too. We need to realize that and do our due diligence in warning our children of all the dangers of the internet but also the wonders of it...hard line to define as technology changes so rapidly and often our children know vastly more than we do about how to use Internet and get around parental controls.
My soap box presentation now over and back to the book.
This gripping novel could end up being the story of any child out there and the scariest part is that it means it could just as easily be our children we are reading about in this novel. Part of the lure of reading books such as these are not just to be reading a fiction book but to be reading fiction based on fact and try to understand how our teens view the world, how they make friends these days, issues they deem important in their lives that we as adults may make light of but too a teen in their formative years issues such as bullying, minor squabbles within circle of friends in our eyes is generally huge concern to them as every child secretly fears the loss if their friends and being cast aside. These books bring good to light issues our kids might not bring up so we can understand them better and take their "minor" issues more seriously and not just blow them off with "give it time and it will get better". If we don't listen and take them seriously, they will find someone who does and the outcome could be horrific.
This novel beings all these issues up and confronts us with the horrors that lurk on the internet and yes, it frightens me to think of my child, my nieces/nephews or any friends being the object of tomorrow's news because of an Internet friendship based on lies. That's why I couldn't put it down. I want to know all I can to be able to prevent this from happening to my loved ones and I need to see it through the series, all the while praying for a happy ending to what is at the end of book one, a horrible situation that foreshadows potentially much worse in next book.
Would I rather not read the horrors endured by children in books like this? Naturally, who wouldn't want to just read the happy endings stories but that's not real life. I read those too but books like this are a necessity in my opinion as they help me in keeping up with teens thought processes and also to the dangers out in today's evolving computer driven lifestyles so I can take a pro active approach in parenting rather than turning a blind eye to reality.
My hope for our next generation is that they will be made keenly aware of the dangers and do all in their power to avoid situations like this and trust their gut instinct that if something feels "not quite right" - no matter how trivial it may seem - to tell someone about it, preferably parent or other adult and most importantly NEVER meet up with a stranger (or so called unknown new Internet friend) without their parents knowledge and approval.
Highly recommend the reading of this book and series.
The writing was well done, plot extremely relevant to today's times and addresses every parents worst nightmare concerning their children and how easily they can be lured into a dangerous and often deadly situation by using the internet to meet people.
On the internet you can choose to be anyone you want to be and hide behind the ability to remain anonymous and interact with people of all ages and stages in life. Growing up in today's world with so much access to information available at the click of a button, people's entire livescan be found on the internet. With young children and teens particularly this is a frightening thought for many parents. When we were growing up and had an issue with our parents we simply talked face to face or on phone with our real life friends. Today the youth use a plethora of social media such a FB, Twitter, snapshot, instagram and the list goes on with new sites being added on almost daily basis. As soon as adults start using a site (often so we can keep a watch out on our children for safety), someone comes along with another app that gives kids yet a new means of communicating with friends, but more scary, with strangers that often assume a child's profile and search the sites looking for the vulnerable one, the child with few friends, complaining constantly of being alone, unwanted, harassed by parents with too many rules, the list goes on. A casual conversation starts with strangers usually identifying with the writer and their current situation until eventually the 2 "kids" connect on a level where they feel as if a solid kinship has developed and they agree to meet in person. Knowing parents wouldn't approve, these friends are not mentioned, nor are the meetings, which often end badly (kidnapping, child sexual abuse, murder, etc).
Are you the parent of a smart, outgoing, popular kid involved in school, community, church, sports, etc and don't have any issues at home, other than typical "raising a teen" ? You say "I'm so lucky that my child has so many friends and doesn't go out drinking, using drugs, having sex or whatever issue is your hot spot. I can trust him/her to make the right decisions so as long as I know his friends and he's doing well, no need for me to worry about him/her on internet.
SORRY to burst your bubble, but every child (even adults) can very easily get lured by an Internet predator without realizing it.
Instant chats with virtual strangers during multi player video games, following one another on snap chat or whatever popular social media of day is, allows for people to get into daily discussions of their lives and without knowing it. over time they have given a complete stranger they think is their peers and same age as them all their relevant life story and info. such as family life, what state, town, etc they live in, school they attend, places of entertainment they often hang out at. With instant check in at locations posted almost minute by minute, their so called teen friend (who may in reality be a 50 yr old ex convict just released from prison for child sexual abuse) all the info they need to get together, willing is their hope, but unwillingly if not can now easily be done because they know your child's entire normal daily routine. No matter how smart our kids are, they are still just kids. I think back to how much stuff I told my friends that my parents never knew and just think how grateful I am that none of this technology was available back then. How often did you have a minor disagreement with your parents or siblings or another friend and in rehashing it to your bestie, you just embellished the story to make it more exciting and make it look as if your parents were clueless to being a teen and were so unfair, etc. You didn't mean most of what you said but were just venting to a friend. Back then, no major harm done, other than chance your friend might tell others your secrets. But today it isn't so simple. Instead of talking to one friend about something, kids will instantly tweet or worse post embarrassing photos, without thinking of the long term impacts of doing so. Once it hits Cyberspace, it's forever there, no matter how much you think you've deleted it. And yes, this happens to kids of all ages, race, income levels, etc - no one is immune (even adults but that's whole other topic).
We as parents do our best to know as much about our children, their activities, their friends and where they are at all times, but just as our parents didn't know all about us, no matter how close we are with our children, they will always have a side that we as parents are not privy too. We need to realize that and do our due diligence in warning our children of all the dangers of the internet but also the wonders of it...hard line to define as technology changes so rapidly and often our children know vastly more than we do about how to use Internet and get around parental controls.
My soap box presentation now over and back to the book.
This gripping novel could end up being the story of any child out there and the scariest part is that it means it could just as easily be our children we are reading about in this novel. Part of the lure of reading books such as these are not just to be reading a fiction book but to be reading fiction based on fact and try to understand how our teens view the world, how they make friends these days, issues they deem important in their lives that we as adults may make light of but too a teen in their formative years issues such as bullying, minor squabbles within circle of friends in our eyes is generally huge concern to them as every child secretly fears the loss if their friends and being cast aside. These books bring good to light issues our kids might not bring up so we can understand them better and take their "minor" issues more seriously and not just blow them off with "give it time and it will get better". If we don't listen and take them seriously, they will find someone who does and the outcome could be horrific.
This novel beings all these issues up and confronts us with the horrors that lurk on the internet and yes, it frightens me to think of my child, my nieces/nephews or any friends being the object of tomorrow's news because of an Internet friendship based on lies. That's why I couldn't put it down. I want to know all I can to be able to prevent this from happening to my loved ones and I need to see it through the series, all the while praying for a happy ending to what is at the end of book one, a horrible situation that foreshadows potentially much worse in next book.
Would I rather not read the horrors endured by children in books like this? Naturally, who wouldn't want to just read the happy endings stories but that's not real life. I read those too but books like this are a necessity in my opinion as they help me in keeping up with teens thought processes and also to the dangers out in today's evolving computer driven lifestyles so I can take a pro active approach in parenting rather than turning a blind eye to reality.
My hope for our next generation is that they will be made keenly aware of the dangers and do all in their power to avoid situations like this and trust their gut instinct that if something feels "not quite right" - no matter how trivial it may seem - to tell someone about it, preferably parent or other adult and most importantly NEVER meet up with a stranger (or so called unknown new Internet friend) without their parents knowledge and approval.
Highly recommend the reading of this book and series.
December 10, 2024
Not my cup of tea. no depth, no excitement, not so great story.. this reminded me of middle school drama..
October 6, 2014
This is among the most harrowing stories I have ever read but also one of the best. It deals with the issues surrounding child abduction masterfully and gives us the feelings of the characters surrounding the teenager throughout. It is one of those situations that you think will never happen to you and/or your family...one that should never happen to any family and the reader is drawn into this family and their local community itself by the sheer power of the feelings from the perspective of each person whether it be the girl herself, her abductor and his insanity, her family or the community within which she lived. It gives the whole range of feelings from terror, grief, shock - every feeling that the human psych brings into focus at a time of such abject helplessness and misery. We see characters become reunited in grief from the midst of a failing mundane marriage to help try and deal with the horrendous situation. We watch helplessly as the teenager tries to become something she can never hope to fully be and we become as one with her as she tries to find her escape route from the madman holding her captive.
I was sent a copy of the ebook for review by the author.
I was sent a copy of the ebook for review by the author.
April 16, 2016
I freaking LOVE this series...do yourself a favor and just buy the boxset, it will save download time as well as a few pennies although it is worth every cent!!
Exceptional writing, I was drawn in and absorbed into the story from the very beginning right through to the very end. It has everything...characters you will love and some you will love to hate as well as heart wrenching, nerve racking scenes. It is also emotional and suspenseful...I even heard myself gasp a couple times and yes I shed a tear or two by the end of the third book (Over)! If you are anything like me you will not want to stop between books either (hence the boxset) when I did 'have' to stop (for real life interruptions) I couldn't wait to get back to it...back to Macy!
That pretty much covers my review for the series as a whole however I will also leave reviews for HELD and OVER!!
Stacy Claflin has made me a fan of her work! Thank you Stacy and BRAVO!!
Exceptional writing, I was drawn in and absorbed into the story from the very beginning right through to the very end. It has everything...characters you will love and some you will love to hate as well as heart wrenching, nerve racking scenes. It is also emotional and suspenseful...I even heard myself gasp a couple times and yes I shed a tear or two by the end of the third book (Over)! If you are anything like me you will not want to stop between books either (hence the boxset) when I did 'have' to stop (for real life interruptions) I couldn't wait to get back to it...back to Macy!
That pretty much covers my review for the series as a whole however I will also leave reviews for HELD and OVER!!
Stacy Claflin has made me a fan of her work! Thank you Stacy and BRAVO!!
March 10, 2016
I received this book in a started set from thhe writer.
In Gone, a young teenager meets a young boy online. She's never been on a date before and sneaks out to meet him. Little does she know that the boy ain't what she thought.
She finds herself captive to a crazy old man that takes her away. The story switches between her and what's happening while captured and her parents and brother whom are trying all they can to find her.
This book makes you wanna read the whole series! I couldn't put it down.
In Gone, a young teenager meets a young boy online. She's never been on a date before and sneaks out to meet him. Little does she know that the boy ain't what she thought.
She finds herself captive to a crazy old man that takes her away. The story switches between her and what's happening while captured and her parents and brother whom are trying all they can to find her.
This book makes you wanna read the whole series! I couldn't put it down.
March 14, 2016
Enjoyable
I liked the fact that this story shows how a young child can get into trouble by using the internet and trusting the wrong person. Could definitely happen. I am looking forward to reading the rear of the series to see what happens.
I liked the fact that this story shows how a young child can get into trouble by using the internet and trusting the wrong person. Could definitely happen. I am looking forward to reading the rear of the series to see what happens.
October 11, 2016
it is a powerful book and one of my favorite books because of its story line i am now actually currently reading the last book of the series called over and all the books in the series are amazing and would definitely recommend these books
November 27, 2015
This book had me from the minute I started reading it. Every parents nightmare. Read it in a day and couldn't wait to get to book 2.
Want to read
December 5, 2017💝 FREE on Amazon today (12/05/2017)! 💝
February 23, 2020
I read this in one sitting because I was able to skim the information and still understand the plot. It was basic and boring
September 9, 2020
On the one hand, I didn't like it that much. On the other, I once again care enough about the characters to have already purchased Held. So I don't know. I guess I'm giving this four stars because I realize the potential Claflin has with this series, even if this first installment didn't necessarily show it.
I can't help comparing this to Girl in Trouble, the first book in the Alex Mercer follow-up series. Everything, from the kidnapper's motive to the actions of the kidnapper, victim, and parents, are kind of exactly the same as in this later installment. The main adult characters of the Alex Mercer series make an appearance as kids here, and though it's cute to see their growing relationship, these two main characters seem very different from their personas in the later novel.
I feel like the actual mystery of the story didn't really pick up until the end. Obviously, we know Chester is messed up, but many questions form in the last quarter of the book that we were only beginning to think about beforehand. I kind of like the way this unfolds. Clearly it is a tactic to push the reader to buy the second book, but I have to admit it works.
I'm not sure if I want to read Held or Turn Back Time next, but probably Held. I want to be as linear as I can with this storyline, and that seems like the way to go. Either way, I really like the Mercers as characters, and I want to see how the rest of their story unfolds.
I can't help comparing this to Girl in Trouble, the first book in the Alex Mercer follow-up series. Everything, from the kidnapper's motive to the actions of the kidnapper, victim, and parents, are kind of exactly the same as in this later installment. The main adult characters of the Alex Mercer series make an appearance as kids here, and though it's cute to see their growing relationship, these two main characters seem very different from their personas in the later novel.
I feel like the actual mystery of the story didn't really pick up until the end. Obviously, we know Chester is messed up, but many questions form in the last quarter of the book that we were only beginning to think about beforehand. I kind of like the way this unfolds. Clearly it is a tactic to push the reader to buy the second book, but I have to admit it works.
I'm not sure if I want to read Held or Turn Back Time next, but probably Held. I want to be as linear as I can with this storyline, and that seems like the way to go. Either way, I really like the Mercers as characters, and I want to see how the rest of their story unfolds.
March 2, 2017
Washington. Macy “Muffin-Top” Mercer (15, HS student) had texted Jared (HS Baseball team).
He would not get out of practice right away.
Macy had snuck out of the house to meet him.
Now she needed a ride back home.
Alex Mercer (son/brother) told Alyssa Mercer (wife/mom) when she got home from the gym, Macy was not in her room.
Zoey Carter (Macy's BFF) had got called & she had not seen her either.
Chad Mercer (husband/father, sports blog) was left a message.
Macy knew she had been kidnapped.
His name was Chester, but he called her Heather.
Alyssa & Chad went to the police station to speak with Officer Anderson, Officer Reynolds, & Detective Fleshman.
The 3 met with Zoey (daughter), & Valerie Carter (Zoey's mom).
Would Macy ever be found?
Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written horror book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great horror movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; instaFreebie; CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
He would not get out of practice right away.
Macy had snuck out of the house to meet him.
Now she needed a ride back home.
Alex Mercer (son/brother) told Alyssa Mercer (wife/mom) when she got home from the gym, Macy was not in her room.
Zoey Carter (Macy's BFF) had got called & she had not seen her either.
Chad Mercer (husband/father, sports blog) was left a message.
Macy knew she had been kidnapped.
His name was Chester, but he called her Heather.
Alyssa & Chad went to the police station to speak with Officer Anderson, Officer Reynolds, & Detective Fleshman.
The 3 met with Zoey (daughter), & Valerie Carter (Zoey's mom).
Would Macy ever be found?
Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written horror book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great horror movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; instaFreebie; CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
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