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Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee
A bittersweet homecoming holds dark secrets in this heart-wrenching story of loss, love, and survival for readers of Room
When sixteen-year-old Amy returns home, she can't tell her family what’s happened to her. She can’t tell them where she’s been since she and her best friend, her cousin Dee, were kidnapped six years ago—who stole them from their families or what’s become of Dee. She has to stay silent because she's afraid of what might happen next, and she’s desperate to protect her secrets at any cost.
Amy tries to readjust to life at “home,” but nothing she does feels right. She’s a stranger in her own family, and the guilt that she’s the one who returned is insurmountable. Amy soon realizes that keeping secrets won’t change what's happened, and they may end up hurting those she loves the most. She has to go back in order to move forward, risking everything along the way. Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee is a riveting, affecting story of loss and hope.
When sixteen-year-old Amy returns home, she can't tell her family what’s happened to her. She can’t tell them where she’s been since she and her best friend, her cousin Dee, were kidnapped six years ago—who stole them from their families or what’s become of Dee. She has to stay silent because she's afraid of what might happen next, and she’s desperate to protect her secrets at any cost.
Amy tries to readjust to life at “home,” but nothing she does feels right. She’s a stranger in her own family, and the guilt that she’s the one who returned is insurmountable. Amy soon realizes that keeping secrets won’t change what's happened, and they may end up hurting those she loves the most. She has to go back in order to move forward, risking everything along the way. Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee is a riveting, affecting story of loss and hope.
292 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2016
85 people are currently reading
4887 people want to read
About the author
Mary G. Thompson
11 books163 followersMary G. Thompson is the author of Wuftoom, which Booklist called “impressively unappetizing and absolutely unique,” and other novels for children and young adults. Her contemporary thriller Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee was a winner of the 2017 Westchester Fiction Award and a finalist for the 2018-2019 Missouri Gateway award. Her short fiction has appeared in Dark Matter Magazine, Apex Magazine, and others. Mary is originally from Eugene, Oregon, where she attended the University of Oregon School of Law. She practiced law for seven years, including five years in the US Navy JAGC, and now works as a law librarian. A graduate of The New School’s Writing for Children program, she lives in Washington, DC. Find her on the web at http://marygthompson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
October 18, 2016
That’s how I knew she was Stacie, and I was Chelsea, and it was forever.
Amy and her cousin Dee were kidnapped six years ago. Now sixteen, Amy has returned home without Dee and isn’t giving any answers. Where was Amy all this time? Why is she alone? What happened to her cousin? Who took them to begin with? How did she get away? And why is she remaining quiet about everything?
A lot of questions, very little answers coming from the protagonist. It works by way of giving us an unreliable narrator - a favorite tactic of mine in fiction. Though it’s not used in an extremely impactful, slap you in the face way like “OH I thought this, but really it was that the whole time..” It’s more that the information is withheld throughout most of the book. We’re fully aware of the unreliability, if you will.
I’m more person all over than I used to be, but the way he looks at me like he doesn’t know me, like he’s not sure if I’m me at all, it’s like I’m also less. And I’m wondering what happened. Because the last thing I remember, Mom and Dad were happy together.
I appreciated the use of the two names for one girl giving each a second identity in a way to separate the girl from before the trauma to after. The specific names actually come from the names they are given by their kidnapper for Barbie doll like reasons. Though these names carry on to after Amy returns home. She still refers to herself as Chelsea, Dee as Stacie, and her old bedroom gets referred to as “Amy’s bedroom” as if the girl she was before the kidnapping was an entirely different girl all together.
The story is mainly about Amy’s struggle to readjust to normal life after going through something so traumatic for such a long time. It’s about her picking up the pieces, coming to terms with what happened, and accepting it. There are some darker themes throughout including kidnapping and rape. I sort of expected a mystery October type novel. This was more a YA contemporary dealing with darker themes.
November 3, 2016
Started off pretty well, but eventually it became apparent that the characterizations would stay flat and the plot would stay underdeveloped. This book just seemed sillier and sillier and less sincere as it went along, which are the last things I'd want to think of a story about child kidnapping, rape, and imprisonment. I've read plenty on such scenarios, both fictional and real, and ranging from serious explorations to pulpy airport paperbacks, and this one scales low whether you're judging on writing or thrills or compassion or insight.
Ugh. I feel such dislike at this particular moment that I think the 2 stars are rather generous. We'll see if they stay intact. If you're at all interested in this book, I'd suggest reading Living Dead Girl instead.
A finished copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
Also, what is it about terrible thrillers and their penchant for having the villains be obsessed with dolls? It's not even creepy as it's meant to be, it comes off like a ridiculous attempt to manipulate reader reactions rather than anything based on real menace, research, or emotion.
Ugh. I feel such dislike at this particular moment that I think the 2 stars are rather generous. We'll see if they stay intact. If you're at all interested in this book, I'd suggest reading Living Dead Girl instead.
A finished copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
Also, what is it about terrible thrillers and their penchant for having the villains be obsessed with dolls? It's not even creepy as it's meant to be, it comes off like a ridiculous attempt to manipulate reader reactions rather than anything based on real menace, research, or emotion.
January 11, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
“Never get in the car. That’s what they tell you. Once you get in the car, you’re dead. They used to teach us that at school. How you shouldn’t talk to strangers. How if a car drives up alongside you, you turn and walk in the other direction. But whoever taught us that never had someone threatening their best friend with a knife.”
I requested Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee during Banned Books Week and ended up reading it in early October when my turn at the library came around. I suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck at reviewing - therefore I’ll keep this one short and sweet. This book gets 4 Stars because it was marketed appropriately – as Young Adult. I appreciate envelope pushing subject matter, which this one definitely has. But for adults who don’t often read YA, you may find yourself reacting like this before you finally get to the big reveal . . . .
Not to mention the fact that the climax consists of a giant . . .
And an ending that gets tied up with a pretty bow. If you choose to read this, just remember it was really written for kids so shut ya old ass up. Just kidding!
3.5 Stars
“Never get in the car. That’s what they tell you. Once you get in the car, you’re dead. They used to teach us that at school. How you shouldn’t talk to strangers. How if a car drives up alongside you, you turn and walk in the other direction. But whoever taught us that never had someone threatening their best friend with a knife.”
I requested Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee during Banned Books Week and ended up reading it in early October when my turn at the library came around. I suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck at reviewing - therefore I’ll keep this one short and sweet. This book gets 4 Stars because it was marketed appropriately – as Young Adult. I appreciate envelope pushing subject matter, which this one definitely has. But for adults who don’t often read YA, you may find yourself reacting like this before you finally get to the big reveal . . . .
Not to mention the fact that the climax consists of a giant . . .
And an ending that gets tied up with a pretty bow. If you choose to read this, just remember it was really written for kids so shut ya old ass up. Just kidding!
March 25, 2019
Great book!! It was a quick, enjoyable read.
October 8, 2016
Amy and Dee are abducted when they were 10 and 12 by a man named Kyle who had a thing about dolls. Six years later, Amy returns home without Dee and won't tell anyone what happens. But slowly the story comes out. This book is told from the view of Amy, or Chelsea as Kyle calls her. Mary does a great job of showing what can happen to the mind when one is kept in captivity by an abductor who is slightly off mentally and is violent. I really felt for Amy and her family and there were several times I was brought to tears. When you are on the outside, you always wonder what something like this does to a person, how they can survive to live a normal life and what happens to the families left behind who don't know where their loved ones are. This was such a good story and well written. I'm glad I got the chance to read it. Thanks to Penguin Random House First to Read program for my advanced copy.
February 27, 2017
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
Cousins, Amy MacArthur and Dee Springfield, were abducted whilst playing by a river near their home. Six years later, one of them has returned. But the girl who has returned isn't the same as the girl who went away.
The eerie and atmospheric qualities of this thriller made this a one-sitting book. There were too many turns to the narrative and too many clues to decipher for this not to have dominated my day! Hunting for the truth became the reader's main objective, whilst reading this, as our protagonist proved an unreliable one. This is a favourite literary tactic of mine and Thompson deployed it expertly.
Truth is uncovered and unearthed slowly and this heightened the tension of the book, but slowed the pace of it considerably. What this pace did not allow, however, was for a great progression of plot to occur, past what had previously transpired.
Cousins, Amy MacArthur and Dee Springfield, were abducted whilst playing by a river near their home. Six years later, one of them has returned. But the girl who has returned isn't the same as the girl who went away.
The eerie and atmospheric qualities of this thriller made this a one-sitting book. There were too many turns to the narrative and too many clues to decipher for this not to have dominated my day! Hunting for the truth became the reader's main objective, whilst reading this, as our protagonist proved an unreliable one. This is a favourite literary tactic of mine and Thompson deployed it expertly.
Truth is uncovered and unearthed slowly and this heightened the tension of the book, but slowed the pace of it considerably. What this pace did not allow, however, was for a great progression of plot to occur, past what had previously transpired.
April 18, 2022
GRADE: A+
After six years, Amy has escaped from her captor, Kyle. Called Chelsea by her kidnapper, she returns without her cousin Dee, who was renamed Stacie. Amy won't talk about Dee, or the little girls she mothered. Not to her therapist, nor the police. Not even to her aunt, desperate to find her daughter.
AMY CHELSEA STACIE DEE was on my preorder list, before I had the opportunity to read the ARC. The cover enticed me and blurb left me eagerly anticipating this story. Mary Thompson did not disappoint. Amy's voice was pitch perfect, traumatized, fearful. She blamed herself, as many victims do. Her pain was palpable. Thompson depicted Amy's PTSD perfectly, the subtle and obvious symptoms. Rooting for Amy was easy, because she was imperfect. Flawed, yet wonderful. Part thriller, part mystery, part character journey, I won't soon forget Amy and Dee's ordeal. AMY CHELSEA STACIE DEE gets my highest recommendation
ETA: The narrator for the audiobook is one of the best I’ve ever heard.
December 16, 2016
Powerful, haunting, and beautifully written in a no-word-wasted way that highlights the harsh realities and difficult emotional journey of a survivor wracked by guilt so deep she doesn't have mental clarity. I have such awe for the author's choices in this story, she definitely chose the more difficult path in how she set up Amy's ordeal, which paves the way for a twist that gave me chills. Bravo.
August 3, 2016
Well-written. Emotionally compelling. Made me cry. Hated reading it. Subject matter not for me.
August 11, 2017
Thanks so much to Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Ok, so this book, it's messed up. But I also couldn't put it down. I started it at 10 pm, and told myself at 12, I was going to bed. It got to 12 and I just couldn't stop. I had to know what was going to happen, and I couldn't go to bed without knowing the ending
This story follows 16 year old Amy, who has just made it back home after being kidnapped, and held captive for 6 years. Which should be great, and it is, but she came back without her cousin, Dee, who was also kidnapped with Amy. Amy comes home to find that her parents divorced; they couldn't handle it, her father remarried and has two stepchildren and her brother won't talk to her. Amy's aunt, Dee's mom is demanding answers, Where's Dee? Is she alive? Who took you? How did you escape? But Amy can't talk, otherwise something terrible will happen.
I won't say too much more about plot, because things get crazy, and you just have to experience that for yourself.
I really enjoyed the writing style, everything is told in Amy's perspective, and there are flashbacks to when Amy was still held captive. I thought that pacing was great, its a bit slow at points, but that just adds to the suspense and thrill. When we finally find out what happened and why Amy can't tell, it is shocking. Devastatingly so. I cannot even begin to fathom what it must have been like for either of the girls.
I can't remember the last time that I read a book that physically made me nervous. Like really nervous. Deep breathing in the corner, rocking back and forth nervous. The end of this book, it did that to me.
This book also deals not only with the psychological trauma Amy endured, but also having to re-adjust to real life. She was 10 when she was taken. Dee was 12. They missed middle school, most/all of high school. So much happened in that time period, even the little things. They don't know what music is popular, they don't know what music they missed. These things are hard enough to deal with, let alone coming home to two new families, and trying to remember it's okay not to just wear purple all the time.
I will just mention briefly, even though this book is labelled as Young Adult, I would definitely say that it is for the more mature of the YA readers, as it deals with such a serious topic, as well as includes repeated assaults.
The only reason why I didn't give this one a full five stars was because I was confused by a couple parts. One of which being what happened to Dee. I mean, I *know* what happened to her, but I felt like there could have been a little more depth on how her part of the story is described. I would have even loved a couple chapters from her POV, not alternating, but just a couple here and there to see how things were affecting her mentally.
I also want to say, this is not an easy book to read. There were passages were it was uncomfortable and disgusting, but that made it feel real and gritty. I think that also goes with the territory. You can't have a kidnapping story and have everything sunshine and rainbows. Nobody ever kidnapped someone because they wanted a friend and treated them well. Kyle is definitely not a remotely decent human being, and some of the things he says and does are horrendous. But he's a kidnapper.
Overall, definitely give this book a go if you are interested, or are just looking for a dark kidnapping book.
Ok, so this book, it's messed up. But I also couldn't put it down. I started it at 10 pm, and told myself at 12, I was going to bed. It got to 12 and I just couldn't stop. I had to know what was going to happen, and I couldn't go to bed without knowing the ending
This story follows 16 year old Amy, who has just made it back home after being kidnapped, and held captive for 6 years. Which should be great, and it is, but she came back without her cousin, Dee, who was also kidnapped with Amy. Amy comes home to find that her parents divorced; they couldn't handle it, her father remarried and has two stepchildren and her brother won't talk to her. Amy's aunt, Dee's mom is demanding answers, Where's Dee? Is she alive? Who took you? How did you escape? But Amy can't talk, otherwise something terrible will happen.
I won't say too much more about plot, because things get crazy, and you just have to experience that for yourself.
I really enjoyed the writing style, everything is told in Amy's perspective, and there are flashbacks to when Amy was still held captive. I thought that pacing was great, its a bit slow at points, but that just adds to the suspense and thrill. When we finally find out what happened and why Amy can't tell, it is shocking. Devastatingly so. I cannot even begin to fathom what it must have been like for either of the girls.
I can't remember the last time that I read a book that physically made me nervous. Like really nervous. Deep breathing in the corner, rocking back and forth nervous. The end of this book, it did that to me.
This book also deals not only with the psychological trauma Amy endured, but also having to re-adjust to real life. She was 10 when she was taken. Dee was 12. They missed middle school, most/all of high school. So much happened in that time period, even the little things. They don't know what music is popular, they don't know what music they missed. These things are hard enough to deal with, let alone coming home to two new families, and trying to remember it's okay not to just wear purple all the time.
I will just mention briefly, even though this book is labelled as Young Adult, I would definitely say that it is for the more mature of the YA readers, as it deals with such a serious topic, as well as includes repeated assaults.
The only reason why I didn't give this one a full five stars was because I was confused by a couple parts. One of which being what happened to Dee. I mean, I *know* what happened to her, but I felt like there could have been a little more depth on how her part of the story is described. I would have even loved a couple chapters from her POV, not alternating, but just a couple here and there to see how things were affecting her mentally.
I also want to say, this is not an easy book to read. There were passages were it was uncomfortable and disgusting, but that made it feel real and gritty. I think that also goes with the territory. You can't have a kidnapping story and have everything sunshine and rainbows. Nobody ever kidnapped someone because they wanted a friend and treated them well. Kyle is definitely not a remotely decent human being, and some of the things he says and does are horrendous. But he's a kidnapper.
Overall, definitely give this book a go if you are interested, or are just looking for a dark kidnapping book.
December 18, 2024
i realised halfway through that i’d actually read this before when i was in high school. it was ok i just wish there was a bit more character development because it started to get repetitive after a while… maybe that was the point idk. but i was literally on the verge of tears for the entire book it’s so incredibly sad.
October 7, 2016
This is one of those YA books that transcends the YA genre. While the protagonist and main characters happen to be teenagers, the subject matter is not for teenagers. Also this is not a creepy doll story...well, kind of.
Amy and Dee who are cousins and best friends get kidnapped when they are ages 10 and 12. Six years later, Amy returns and Dee does not. Amy comes back as "Chelsea" and Dee remains "Stacie" in her mind. Hopefully that clears up the list of names as the title. As Amy is being welcomed back into her family, they try to gently find out what happened to Dee and she won't speak about anything that has happened in the six years they were gone. While we are reading the present day plot, we see flashbacks of what happened to the girls and it's pretty horrifying.
This being a psychological thriller, I won't go into any detail about what happened as that is the appeal of the story, but I will say it's gruesome and not for the young teen. Has many trigger warnings. A compelling story that leaves you feeling uncomfortable but definitely grips you from page one. Fast-paced and cringey, gave me the same vibes as Room by Emma Donoghue.
I received this as an ARC from Penguin's First to Read program. All thoughts are my own.
Amy and Dee who are cousins and best friends get kidnapped when they are ages 10 and 12. Six years later, Amy returns and Dee does not. Amy comes back as "Chelsea" and Dee remains "Stacie" in her mind. Hopefully that clears up the list of names as the title. As Amy is being welcomed back into her family, they try to gently find out what happened to Dee and she won't speak about anything that has happened in the six years they were gone. While we are reading the present day plot, we see flashbacks of what happened to the girls and it's pretty horrifying.
This being a psychological thriller, I won't go into any detail about what happened as that is the appeal of the story, but I will say it's gruesome and not for the young teen. Has many trigger warnings. A compelling story that leaves you feeling uncomfortable but definitely grips you from page one. Fast-paced and cringey, gave me the same vibes as Room by Emma Donoghue.
I received this as an ARC from Penguin's First to Read program. All thoughts are my own.
March 27, 2017
"It is okay to survive."
This is a book filled with horrors. Things no mother wants to think about. Things no 11 year old wants to even know about. But they are real horrors and it makes the story so much more awful to know that it happens.
This is the difficult story of Amy (Chelsea) and Dee (Stacie). How they are abducted one afternoon when they are 11. And how Amy one day, 6 hard years later, came stumbling back to her front door and hugged her mom. How she cried and got silent but how she would never speak of what happened to her.
How she wouldn't tell anyone where Dee was.
This was a very tough book. Equal parts frustrating because it was awful to read how they were held, kept, tortured and hurt. But also hard that Amy will not tell anyone what happened. It takes most of the book for her to even start hinting as to why she won't tell anyone. She hints, she eludes to things but it takes forever for her to finally admit it all. And it's a dark tale, one I wouldn't read in one sitting.
This is a book filled with horrors. Things no mother wants to think about. Things no 11 year old wants to even know about. But they are real horrors and it makes the story so much more awful to know that it happens.
This is the difficult story of Amy (Chelsea) and Dee (Stacie). How they are abducted one afternoon when they are 11. And how Amy one day, 6 hard years later, came stumbling back to her front door and hugged her mom. How she cried and got silent but how she would never speak of what happened to her.
How she wouldn't tell anyone where Dee was.
This was a very tough book. Equal parts frustrating because it was awful to read how they were held, kept, tortured and hurt. But also hard that Amy will not tell anyone what happened. It takes most of the book for her to even start hinting as to why she won't tell anyone. She hints, she eludes to things but it takes forever for her to finally admit it all. And it's a dark tale, one I wouldn't read in one sitting.
July 5, 2017
Where do I even start with this book? I literally started and finished this book in basically one sitting because I could just not put it down. I was completely hooked from the beginning and I had to know what was going to happen next and everything that had happened to the girls – no matter how horrifying it was!
The book starts off with Amy returning home – however, the way in which it is written and the way that Amy looks at things has the readers questioning things already. I was already hooked because I wanted to know if Amy was who she was saying she was and what had happened to her. I love the way in which Amy was portrayed and written and the way in which she kept going back into her memories, without any warning. The flashback snippets definitely helped to keep me hooked and I just had to know what happened to Dee
Reading about Dee through Amy’s memories and the flashbacks was, at times difficult. I hated the things that had happened to her and there are definitely things that happened in this book that will stick with me for a long time. This kind of thing happens more often than not in real life, so I enjoyed the fact that it was true to society today. It was a struggle watching the way Dee changed throughout Amy’s memories – but understandable. The way the author portrayed Dee’s character change was subtle and slow and I enjoyed the way that she went through the different emotions.
What I also enjoyed about this book was the way in which both the title and the cover tied into the story itself – and not in the way that I was expecting it too! I love it when covers and titles make sense within the book itself because it just ties the whole book up as a whole!
I also liked the way that the kidnapper was portrayed. The reader could see his logic and his reasoning behind what he was doing, but at the same time, we were horrified by his actions and what he was doing. I enjoyed reading more about him and his story as it slowly came out and why he ended up the way that he did. I don’t want to give too much away because spoilers.
All in all, I absolutely loved this book and it is definitely one that will be sticking with me for a while! Parts of it were haunting and I was completely hooked and I just had to know what was going to happen next and what had happened to the girls! I gave this book 5/5 stars.
The book starts off with Amy returning home – however, the way in which it is written and the way that Amy looks at things has the readers questioning things already. I was already hooked because I wanted to know if Amy was who she was saying she was and what had happened to her. I love the way in which Amy was portrayed and written and the way in which she kept going back into her memories, without any warning. The flashback snippets definitely helped to keep me hooked and I just had to know what happened to Dee
Reading about Dee through Amy’s memories and the flashbacks was, at times difficult. I hated the things that had happened to her and there are definitely things that happened in this book that will stick with me for a long time. This kind of thing happens more often than not in real life, so I enjoyed the fact that it was true to society today. It was a struggle watching the way Dee changed throughout Amy’s memories – but understandable. The way the author portrayed Dee’s character change was subtle and slow and I enjoyed the way that she went through the different emotions.
What I also enjoyed about this book was the way in which both the title and the cover tied into the story itself – and not in the way that I was expecting it too! I love it when covers and titles make sense within the book itself because it just ties the whole book up as a whole!
I also liked the way that the kidnapper was portrayed. The reader could see his logic and his reasoning behind what he was doing, but at the same time, we were horrified by his actions and what he was doing. I enjoyed reading more about him and his story as it slowly came out and why he ended up the way that he did. I don’t want to give too much away because spoilers.
All in all, I absolutely loved this book and it is definitely one that will be sticking with me for a while! Parts of it were haunting and I was completely hooked and I just had to know what was going to happen next and what had happened to the girls! I gave this book 5/5 stars.
September 25, 2024
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline
**Warning** This is NOT a creepy haunted doll book.
After having been kidnapped six years earlier and held captive by the disturbed Kyle, Amy returns home without any explanation. Her family reacts in many different ways, but is glad to have her home. Her brother has felt guilty, her parents have divorced, and her aunt really wants to know what happened to Amy's cousin Dee. Amy is unable to tell the police what happened, but as the story unfolds we learn that Dee was the one raped and impregnated by Kyle, and Amy was the one who raised the two babies, Lola and Barbie. As Amy returns to her regular life, with the help of a lot of therapy, we learn more and more about what she went through, and about what happened to Dee. The title refers to the fact that Kyle called Amy "Chelsea" and Stacie "Dee".
Strengths: My students crave books about kidnapping and murder, so they would definitely like this part of the book. The tone is oddly disjointed, which addresses Amy's state of mind, and the details of her life are revealed in a nonlinear way.
Weaknesses: Definitely a young adult book. In addition to the talk about rape and the description of pregnancies, there is some teen drinking.
What I really think: I can think of several girls who have gone on to high school who would like to read this book, but it's too much information for middle school.
**Warning** This is NOT a creepy haunted doll book.
After having been kidnapped six years earlier and held captive by the disturbed Kyle, Amy returns home without any explanation. Her family reacts in many different ways, but is glad to have her home. Her brother has felt guilty, her parents have divorced, and her aunt really wants to know what happened to Amy's cousin Dee. Amy is unable to tell the police what happened, but as the story unfolds we learn that Dee was the one raped and impregnated by Kyle, and Amy was the one who raised the two babies, Lola and Barbie. As Amy returns to her regular life, with the help of a lot of therapy, we learn more and more about what she went through, and about what happened to Dee. The title refers to the fact that Kyle called Amy "Chelsea" and Stacie "Dee".
Strengths: My students crave books about kidnapping and murder, so they would definitely like this part of the book. The tone is oddly disjointed, which addresses Amy's state of mind, and the details of her life are revealed in a nonlinear way.
Weaknesses: Definitely a young adult book. In addition to the talk about rape and the description of pregnancies, there is some teen drinking.
What I really think: I can think of several girls who have gone on to high school who would like to read this book, but it's too much information for middle school.
October 21, 2018
Eh, it was fine. It reminded me a lot of watching 90s Lifetime movies. The characters were generic, the dialogue is a bit cringey, the fashion choices are highly questionable, but the content is disturbing and dramatic enough that I am absolutely going to watch it until the end.
Spoiler Alert: Melissa Gilbert does not make an appearance in mom jeans and announce that she had a cousin who was basically her identical twin and that same cousin had a daughter who is coincidentally also somehow a carbon copy of mom jeans Gilbert’s daughter who died in a car accident two years ago. Sorry to disappoint.
Spoiler Alert: Melissa Gilbert does not make an appearance in mom jeans and announce that she had a cousin who was basically her identical twin and that same cousin had a daughter who is coincidentally also somehow a carbon copy of mom jeans Gilbert’s daughter who died in a car accident two years ago. Sorry to disappoint.
June 15, 2017
Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand I loved it. On the other it annoyed me or at least one aspect of it.
June 29, 2025
4.5 very intriguing! wanted to learn the end, pretty well written
March 29, 2018
3.5-4 stars
January 7, 2025
Rating: 1 star.
I picked this up because I thought the blurb sounded kind of interesting, unfortunately it ended up not being interesting at all. The writing style was honestly so bad, it felt like a fifth grader has written this, and it just ruined any suspense this could have had. The characters were flat, uninteresting, they all had the same personality and they never had any development. The main character especially was so uninteresting. There was no suspense because everything was revealed to the reader much too early and the "showdown" in the end was over after 5 sentences with nothing exciting happening. Honestly such a waste of time.
I picked this up because I thought the blurb sounded kind of interesting, unfortunately it ended up not being interesting at all. The writing style was honestly so bad, it felt like a fifth grader has written this, and it just ruined any suspense this could have had. The characters were flat, uninteresting, they all had the same personality and they never had any development. The main character especially was so uninteresting. There was no suspense because everything was revealed to the reader much too early and the "showdown" in the end was over after 5 sentences with nothing exciting happening. Honestly such a waste of time.
April 5, 2023
This was rough and emotional and traumatic, but also showed what can be endured for the love of another. It was messy and so sad. I was hooked and could barely put the book down for wanting to know the full story
November 11, 2019
Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee may appear at first glance to be a YA thriller along the lines of my own novel, Shackled. That's certainly what I thought I was getting into when I picked the book up in preparation for the World Fantasy Convention where I was going to meet the author, Mary G. Thompson. Mary is a brilliant woman who holds about eighteen different degrees including a J.D. and an MFA. While I'm sure some of that education played a role in the crafting of Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee, there are some aspects of storytelling that are harder to learn than others, some things that just sort of have to come naturally. One of those things is Voice, and that's an aspect of fiction writing I'm constantly trying to hone in my own novels and in the work of the students I have in various writing classes or critique groups.
Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee is about one girl once named Amy, then named Chelsea, and now trying to reclaim her identity as Amy again after escaping from the kidnapper who took her and her beloved cousin Dee. The kidnapper, a disturbing man with a doll fetish, re-named both girls during their six-year-long incarceration with him in the forests of Oregon. How Amy came to escape is not something I can share without spoilers, but it drives the central plot of the book and explains why, after returning to her old life as a teenager, Amy is now plotting to go back to that scary cabin in the woods.
Overall this is an emotional journey through severe trauma, and I think it has great value for those who are sort of bystander-survivors: those family and friends who did not experience the victim's trauma personally and therefore may have trouble fully understanding what the victim suffered. There's great value in the story for that reason alone.
But again, one thing Mary has here in abundance is Voice, and for me that's really the defining line between great contemporary YA and cheap knock-offs who got into the market when it was hot. Not to name any names, but, you'd recognize them. There is not a lot of external, physical action in the story, although what action Mary does write is handled very well. It's the internal action that gets the lion's share of the pages, and that's good. It works. I start and do not finish a ton of books these days, as my friends at my book club can attest, but I came back to Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee again and again to find out what would happen next. Mary does an outstanding job of capturing inner turmoil and symptoms of what is most likely PTSD, though a diagnosis is never actually given. As someone who still struggles with some of those symptoms, I felt that Mary did an excellent and considerate job of handling Amy's trauma and recovery.
As it pertains to writers, I recommend this book for the same reason I recommended The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey -- there is no predicting what is going to happen. Even after one of the biggest reveals in the book, the story's not over, and there is just no guessing how things will turn out from page one until the very end. Like The Girl With All The Gifts, it is not fast paced, but it is deliberately paced, and our attachment to the characters is such that we have to find out how all this tragedy is going to resolve. So for you writers, I recommend studying how Mary constructs this novel in such a way that readers can only keep reading to find out the resolution. This is well worth looking into.
So, grab a copy of Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee, and then let me know what you thought of it. Did the author keep you guessing? Did you feel for the protagonist? Am I way off base on this one? Let me know on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads...wherever! And be sure to follow Mary G. Thompson for more of her work as well.
Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee is about one girl once named Amy, then named Chelsea, and now trying to reclaim her identity as Amy again after escaping from the kidnapper who took her and her beloved cousin Dee. The kidnapper, a disturbing man with a doll fetish, re-named both girls during their six-year-long incarceration with him in the forests of Oregon. How Amy came to escape is not something I can share without spoilers, but it drives the central plot of the book and explains why, after returning to her old life as a teenager, Amy is now plotting to go back to that scary cabin in the woods.
Overall this is an emotional journey through severe trauma, and I think it has great value for those who are sort of bystander-survivors: those family and friends who did not experience the victim's trauma personally and therefore may have trouble fully understanding what the victim suffered. There's great value in the story for that reason alone.
But again, one thing Mary has here in abundance is Voice, and for me that's really the defining line between great contemporary YA and cheap knock-offs who got into the market when it was hot. Not to name any names, but, you'd recognize them. There is not a lot of external, physical action in the story, although what action Mary does write is handled very well. It's the internal action that gets the lion's share of the pages, and that's good. It works. I start and do not finish a ton of books these days, as my friends at my book club can attest, but I came back to Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee again and again to find out what would happen next. Mary does an outstanding job of capturing inner turmoil and symptoms of what is most likely PTSD, though a diagnosis is never actually given. As someone who still struggles with some of those symptoms, I felt that Mary did an excellent and considerate job of handling Amy's trauma and recovery.
As it pertains to writers, I recommend this book for the same reason I recommended The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey -- there is no predicting what is going to happen. Even after one of the biggest reveals in the book, the story's not over, and there is just no guessing how things will turn out from page one until the very end. Like The Girl With All The Gifts, it is not fast paced, but it is deliberately paced, and our attachment to the characters is such that we have to find out how all this tragedy is going to resolve. So for you writers, I recommend studying how Mary constructs this novel in such a way that readers can only keep reading to find out the resolution. This is well worth looking into.
So, grab a copy of Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee, and then let me know what you thought of it. Did the author keep you guessing? Did you feel for the protagonist? Am I way off base on this one? Let me know on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads...wherever! And be sure to follow Mary G. Thompson for more of her work as well.
January 4, 2018
I love saying to students, “You’ll love this book! It’s about this girl who gets kidnapped.” And, then we both look at each other, feeling awkward about getting book nerd excited about someone who was kidnapped. But they truly make for some tension-filled and compelling stories that they love. Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee gives you that plus some added creepy factor.
The story begins with Amy showing up at her childhood home after being kidnapped six years ago. She’s not sure this is the right thing to do, but she doesn’t have a choice. Her reunion with her mom, her home, and her old bedroom are tainted with the memories she wants to escape but can’t. Even though her family, including her Aunt Hannah, want to know what happened to her cousin Dee, she can’t tell them. Ever. Her kidnapper, Kyle made that abundantly clear when he kicked her out and told her to leave. Which is how she ended up home. But now that she’s here, she can’t but wonder if she belongs here at all.
Flashbacks explain Amy’s anxiety and anxiousness over not being able to tell the whole story. Kyle took the girls, he only wanted Dee, to his cabin in the middle of nowhere. He fed them when they behaved, hit them when they weren’t, and dreams of marrying Dee when she turns eighteen. He already had a giant, pink, doll-like dress ready for her. His obsession with dolls led to their new names- Stacie (Dee), who only wears pink, and Chelsea (Amy), who only wears purple. To appease him, they had to become the very dolls with which he plays. He also uses Dee for his own reasons, and after less than a year of being there, the outcome is that of nightmares. The two other dolls, Barbie and Lola, enter the scene as innocents and it’s Amy, not Dee who protects them. Amy just wants her friend to fight, to show that she’s still in there. The trouble is, she’s fighting the wrong people.
Holding all of this trauma in causes Amy’ relationship with her family to be strained. Her Aunt is forcing her to court, her brother won’t talk to her, and her now divorced parents are together under one roof again. Lee, Stacie’s sister, tries to help Amy without pressuring her- taking her shopping and to parties but ultimately, she needs to know if her sister is alive to move on with her own life. As Amy remembers what did happen, can she tell the truth or will it be too late?
The story begins with Amy showing up at her childhood home after being kidnapped six years ago. She’s not sure this is the right thing to do, but she doesn’t have a choice. Her reunion with her mom, her home, and her old bedroom are tainted with the memories she wants to escape but can’t. Even though her family, including her Aunt Hannah, want to know what happened to her cousin Dee, she can’t tell them. Ever. Her kidnapper, Kyle made that abundantly clear when he kicked her out and told her to leave. Which is how she ended up home. But now that she’s here, she can’t but wonder if she belongs here at all.
Flashbacks explain Amy’s anxiety and anxiousness over not being able to tell the whole story. Kyle took the girls, he only wanted Dee, to his cabin in the middle of nowhere. He fed them when they behaved, hit them when they weren’t, and dreams of marrying Dee when she turns eighteen. He already had a giant, pink, doll-like dress ready for her. His obsession with dolls led to their new names- Stacie (Dee), who only wears pink, and Chelsea (Amy), who only wears purple. To appease him, they had to become the very dolls with which he plays. He also uses Dee for his own reasons, and after less than a year of being there, the outcome is that of nightmares. The two other dolls, Barbie and Lola, enter the scene as innocents and it’s Amy, not Dee who protects them. Amy just wants her friend to fight, to show that she’s still in there. The trouble is, she’s fighting the wrong people.
Holding all of this trauma in causes Amy’ relationship with her family to be strained. Her Aunt is forcing her to court, her brother won’t talk to her, and her now divorced parents are together under one roof again. Lee, Stacie’s sister, tries to help Amy without pressuring her- taking her shopping and to parties but ultimately, she needs to know if her sister is alive to move on with her own life. As Amy remembers what did happen, can she tell the truth or will it be too late?
March 25, 2019
When they were only 10 and 12, Amy and Dee were kidnapped. The police, as well as their friends and families, went searching for the pair, but they couldn't be found anywhere. Six years later, and without any explanation, Amy comes back. Responding to the name of Chelsea, wearing only purple, and holding a doll wearing all pink, she definitely isn't the same girl that left. And then there's the question on everyone's lips... Where is Dee? And how did Amy get away from their kidnapper? The police reopen the girls' case, but they need information from Amy to find the kidnapper, and Dee. Only, Amy refuses to talk, and they're pushing her for answers that she's determined not to give. Can Amy go back to being the girl she was before their kidnapping, or did too much change for her to live a normal life?
This book... I don't even know where to start. I really did enjoy it, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire way through. There were several parts in the book that I found hard to read, for various reasons, be it emotionally or not, and even though the plot seemed pretty straightforward, there were still some turns that I wasn't expecting. The reactions that people were giving off in the novel were what I would imagine to be realistic, and although there was a lot of anger to contend with, there was also a lot of love. I am honestly in awe of all the characters, and their strength throughout the trials they face in the novel. Put in their situation, I honestly don't know what I would do or how I would carry on, and that's not just Amy and Dee, but their families as well. A good book, but one that I would suggest not allowing a less mature reader get hold of, as there are a few very sensitive topics talked about.
This book... I don't even know where to start. I really did enjoy it, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire way through. There were several parts in the book that I found hard to read, for various reasons, be it emotionally or not, and even though the plot seemed pretty straightforward, there were still some turns that I wasn't expecting. The reactions that people were giving off in the novel were what I would imagine to be realistic, and although there was a lot of anger to contend with, there was also a lot of love. I am honestly in awe of all the characters, and their strength throughout the trials they face in the novel. Put in their situation, I honestly don't know what I would do or how I would carry on, and that's not just Amy and Dee, but their families as well. A good book, but one that I would suggest not allowing a less mature reader get hold of, as there are a few very sensitive topics talked about.
February 9, 2018
(originally published in The Irish Times, 18 March 2017)
"Six years ago two girls disappeared from a small Oregon town. On the day Mary G Thompson’s Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee (Chicken House, £7.99) begins, one of them returns home. Amy arrives on her mother’s doorstep at the age of 16 unable to even identify herself. “I choke on the name. It won’t come out.” For years she has been Chelsea, a toy to be played with, held captive by a man with an unsettling obsession with dolls.
Her cousin and best friend, Dee, was the main target. Shaped into Stacie, she was the one who suffered most at the hands of their kidnapper. And she is the one whose whereabouts everyone demands of Amy after her solo return to the normal world, albeit a world fractured for the two families.
Survivor guilt and trauma are sensitively handled; Amy’s flashback-induced blackouts offer insights into the missing six years of her life, which she’s unwilling to talk about with her family or therapist. Her protective instincts towards others make this a more nuanced story than a straightforward account of Stockholm syndrome, and a moving if sometimes distressing read for older teens."
"Six years ago two girls disappeared from a small Oregon town. On the day Mary G Thompson’s Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee (Chicken House, £7.99) begins, one of them returns home. Amy arrives on her mother’s doorstep at the age of 16 unable to even identify herself. “I choke on the name. It won’t come out.” For years she has been Chelsea, a toy to be played with, held captive by a man with an unsettling obsession with dolls.
Her cousin and best friend, Dee, was the main target. Shaped into Stacie, she was the one who suffered most at the hands of their kidnapper. And she is the one whose whereabouts everyone demands of Amy after her solo return to the normal world, albeit a world fractured for the two families.
Survivor guilt and trauma are sensitively handled; Amy’s flashback-induced blackouts offer insights into the missing six years of her life, which she’s unwilling to talk about with her family or therapist. Her protective instincts towards others make this a more nuanced story than a straightforward account of Stockholm syndrome, and a moving if sometimes distressing read for older teens."
December 24, 2018
This book gave me stress sweats it was so good! You definitely need to have a strong gut to get through this read. There are many triggering moments, however, I believe it is important for people who do not understand abuse to read this book. As someone who grew up in a loving home, I could not even begin to imagine what life would be like in this kind of situation. I believe this book is educational and in my experience helps with coping.
There are many times in this book where the main character, Amy, goes through a lot of self-doubt about how she acted in the cabin where she was held captive for 6 years. Her doubt helped me in some weird way to be okay with the decisions I personally made in life. Of course, her doubt is much more real and intense, but I still feel that it helped me in some way to make amends with what decisions I have made and what actions I have taken in my life so far.
Overall, this book is gripping and kept me wanting more. I think there should be a movie made based on this book.
There are many times in this book where the main character, Amy, goes through a lot of self-doubt about how she acted in the cabin where she was held captive for 6 years. Her doubt helped me in some weird way to be okay with the decisions I personally made in life. Of course, her doubt is much more real and intense, but I still feel that it helped me in some way to make amends with what decisions I have made and what actions I have taken in my life so far.
Overall, this book is gripping and kept me wanting more. I think there should be a movie made based on this book.
June 30, 2025
2,5 ⭐️ This book was super intense and kind of hard to get through. Not because it was bad exactly, but because it just felt really heavy the whole time. There wasn’t a lot of action or much going on, it was more about the emotions and trauma, which got a bit draining. Also, it took me a while to figure out who was who, I found the names Amy, Chelsea, Stacie, Dee confusing at first, and I didn’t get that they were cousins and friends right away. Now after finishing, the book did not leave much of an impact.
July 17, 2020
I just finished reading this book last night and it was really good.
It's about these two girls who get kidnapped by a man called Kyle and Kyle changes their names.
Kyle has this thing about dolls and treated the girls as of they were dolls.
One of the girls returned but she wouldn't tell anyone what happened.
I can't go into detail because my phone is on 3% but I cried so much at the ends of the book.
And all those things the girls went through feels so real as if you can feel their pain.
It's about these two girls who get kidnapped by a man called Kyle and Kyle changes their names.
Kyle has this thing about dolls and treated the girls as of they were dolls.
One of the girls returned but she wouldn't tell anyone what happened.
I can't go into detail because my phone is on 3% but I cried so much at the ends of the book.
And all those things the girls went through feels so real as if you can feel their pain.
November 1, 2025
Lots of trauma. But this girl doesn't care about anyone. She doesn't confirm Dee is dead, even though it would bring closure to her aunt and cousin. And she doesn't tell anyone that the crazy kidnapper has those two little girls for nearly a month by himself after her escape. Yes, she makes everything right in the end. But it's a lot to process. Books about kidnappings are hard to rate, even fictional ones.
Read by Emily Ellet. #booksin25
Read by Emily Ellet. #booksin25
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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