The Uncaging

by Meridee Jo

When five year old Shelley Robins vanishes from her home in the middle of the night, her mother is charged with murder and taken to prison. Six years later, when Shelley reappears unharmed, the whole town must navigate the strange behavior of the young girl, the wrongful imprisonment of a mother, and the fear that the kidnapper is striking again. Shelley's devoted older sister, Sasha, determines to do whatever it takes to keep Shelley safe. The Uncaging is a story of the trauma we hide, the ways we cope, and the lengths we go to to protect our family.

Genres: Mystery

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2019

Reviews

[Wiseask · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Uncaging is a debut novel by Meridee Jo that too many reviewers have spoiled by revealing too much. I will not repeat their bad manners and lack of discretion.

I can say that a five year old girl was presumed murdered by her mother, who confessed without remembering having committed the crime, and even though the child’s body was never discovered, she was in the sixth year of her prison sentence when one shocking day her daughter, now age 11, walks back into town healthy and unharmed and eager to see her mother.

The child also has an adult sister, Sasha, who plays a prominent part in this mystery.

Unfortunately, despite the intriguing beginning, the story eventually loses steam until the ending, and I frankly found incredible Sasha’s civil, if not cordial relationship with her stepfather given their history together. What irritates her about him? He uses food nicknames like Cupcake as terms of endearment towards her. Seriously?

But the author does have a clever way with verbs (“she felt an unexpected comfort hitchhiking along with her unease”) and her imaginative ending deserves a fourth star instead of the three I was inclined to give because of the slow pacing and credibility issues involving the interaction between the adult Sasha and her stepfather.

I mean, knowing her stepfather, Sasha’s insistence in Chapter Eight that her sister, rediscovered after six years, should be released into the custody of “either” of them is incomprehensible. I don’t want to reveal any more information, but I hope to have provoked your curiosity enough to read the book to see what I mean.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simply Ridicu!ous/Don't waste Your Time

Irritated! Begins with alcoholic mom Mallorys POV, then shifts to oldest daughter Sasha,then to no one. Never ever never get a hint Sasha possesses intellect and creative thinking. Get hints of Phil being creepy, but not a serial paedophile rapist. Investigated and no one ever told anyone. Get told explicitly more than once Sasha and Casey's bio dad was deadbeat gambler who cared for no one. Author broke all the rules of character, place, timing, plausability, plot, etc. Delete this book. This author is just Terrible!

[Mille Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. The plot twist was a little bit thin. But I was entertained and it was written well with a good understanding of human interaction.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Read

Well written whodunit that became predictable too soon. Not all the ends were tied at the end. I liked the concept of the plot and the author's descriptions.

Thank you, Ms. Jo, for a good read.

[Sharye Hardesty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real plot twister

I could see the tragedy coming but honestly did not envision the ending. Superbly crafted story. Realistic ending. Not a fairy tale.

[Vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out well then slowly plummeted. The momentum dropped.


Sasha wasn’t very close to her mother. Actually, she pretty much wrote off both of her parents. Her father for walking out when Sasha and her sister Casey were little and her mother for being preoccupied in herself; drinking and sleeping with anyone who paid her any attention. Until the morning her mother called her hysterical. Her half-sister Shelley, only 5 years old, was gone. Only some blood left behind. Her mother, Mallory, was convinced she hurt her in her drunken state. However, Sasha wasn’t convinced. Her mother was all sorts of things, but not a killer. So then who did it?

[hipposelect · Rating 2 out of 5]

An utterly fascinating premise, that of a 5-year-old girl who is kidnapped and returned unharmed 6 years later and in perfect health. I was very interested, but as I read along I realized that this story was just dragging too long, and I found myself skipping ahead. I think it would been a much better story if it were shorter, but I just got so tired of the same emotional beatings page after page and when it was finally all over, I just breathed a sigh of relief and went on to the next book. Kind of sorry I wasted my time on this one.

[Kimberly Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a new twist on an old subject. The reader is given a ring-size seat into the arena of deep dark secrets with shady characters and unbelievable plotting. We begin following the journey of three sisters, Sasha, Casey and Shelley. Shelly is the five-year old who, unfortunately, has to be raised by a mother who has had her fair share of bad men and poor decisions. Her worse decision is the all mighty bottle. Mallory can’t seem to get enough of the joy juice. Depending on how much she’s drank on any given day, determines her crazy outbursts and violent tendencies toward her little girl.

Sasha luckily grew up and got away from her mother, but not so much that she wasn’t around to see how she was treating her baby sister. Sasha was trying to live her life, but was ultimately thrown into the mothering role because Mallory was just too irresponsible to take on such a daunting task. Most of the time, Sasha was right there for Shelley, as she was on the fateful night that changed the course of every characters’ lives in this story.

There wasn’t anyone who regretted bad decisions more than Sasha on this night. She was there for Shelley to watch over her and make sure she got to bed and had nice dreams. All the while, Mallory was in a blackout and couldn’t tell you her name, let alone remember she had a five-year old to watch after. Sasha the ever enabler, got her mother to be somewhat ok by putting her to bed, and quietly walked down the hall to make sure Shelley was doing alright. And that was the last time Sasha saw her sister.

Every time she thought about Shelley and her last time seeing her made her heart ache. Why didn’t she take her sister and leave the town of Grady for good? Why did she think her mother was capable of overseeing little Shelley? That’s all Sasha did was live with the guilt that had she taken her sister that night, perhaps their lives would have turned out different. The next morning, Sasha gets a frantic call from her alcoholic mother advising that Shelley was gone and there was blood everywhere, including her hands. Sasha rushes to her mother’s aid only to scratch her head of the crime scene as well. None of it made any sense. How could Mallory not know who took her daughter, and why was their blood on her hands? Did she kill her daughter and not remember?

And that, folks, is where the story begins to bend and turn. There were quite a few red herrings in the story, but I continually followed the clues closely to determine exactly what was going on in this story, and I figured it out, but it didn’t take away anything from the story line. This was truly a good book. What the reader will soon come away with is sinister acts of some and the unraveling of others. There will be a few characters who will definitely become uncaged and unhinged at the same time. Jo did an exceptional job in throwing the reader off, but if you’re a veteran to reading, a few scenarios will begin to unfold in your mind’s eye, and you’ll easily put two and two together.

However, having said that, Jo managed to throw a lot at the reader to keep you wondering if you were following the journeys on the correct path. A few times I was thrown way off, and I love when an author can do that to me. What an incredible story with plenty of twists and turns. I really loved this book.

The Sexy Nerd gives The Uncaging five cooped up stars. It was fun getting to know Sasha and the rest of the characters as they tried to figure out what happened to five-year old Shelley. What you’ll find are quite a few surprises.

To read original post, please stop by: https://www.thesexynerdrevue.com/2019...

Thank you.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shelley Robins disappeared from her home in the middle of the night when she was five years old. Her alcoholic mother, Mallory, pleaded no contest to the charge of murder, but six years later Shelley suddenly reappears. Shelley refuses to speak until she is able to see her mother. Her older half sister, Sasha, and the girls' step-father, Phil, work to get Mallory released so she can be reunited with her daughter. In the meantime, another girl disappears from her home. Mimi was another five year old girl who happened to live next door to the house where Phil still lived. He had started babysitting Mimi to help her parents, and the police begin to investigate the connection between the two disappearances.
Sasha's full sister, Casey, has returned to town to see her Shelley after her mysterious reemergence. AS the police begin to investigate Phil further, Casey reveals that he had molested both her and Sasha when they were younger. When Shelley disappeared, she was the same age as they had been when the molestation began. As it turned out, Sasha and Casey's dying father had given Sasha money and housing so that she could take Shelley to protect her from Phil. Sasha's stepmother and her daughter raised Shelley in secret until she was old enough for Phil to no longer be interested in her. They then released her, but after her release, Sasha realized that Phil had access to Mimi. She decided to kidnap her as well, but Mimi was able to escape and return home. Phil catches on to Sasha and goes to confront her. Sasha threatens to kill him, but before she has a chance, Mallory sneaks up and kills him herself. The women then turn themselves in, content that Shelley and Mimi are both safe from Phil's predation.
This book had plenty of surprising twists and turns. There were breadcrumbs throughout that pointed to the culprit so subtly that they aren't even recognized as hints until all is revealed. Some of the dialogue at the end is rather contrived, but for the most part the book was well-written and the dialogue believable. The characters were well developed, and the reader got to see the thoughts and motivation of multiple characters throughout the novel.

[Lydia Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Somewhere within her, among the weeds of her disgust, sprouted a tiny seed of love. This is the seed she would choose to water over the years...it would continue to grow and flower, an emblem of their perennial relationship, returning after the years of drought." If you like this kind of writing, you are in luck, because not only is this book full of such gag-worthy writing, but most of the books available on Kindle for free are as well! If you prefer strong plot lines, relatable characters, and beautiful imagery, you can avoid this book.
Actually, the premise of the book is very interesting. At five years old, Shelley is taken from her home and her mother convicted of murder. Six years later, she turns up unharmed, apparently having been well taken care of during that time. Unfortunately, the execution is pretty lame, and the book seems to drag on, going over the same ground over and over. Plus, you can probably figure out the ending about half way through. Don't feel bad if you don't - it's only because it is so utterly implausible that it wouldn't occur to most intelligent people.
Sasha, Shelley's oldest sister and the main character, is completely unlikeable - bordering on disgusting. Mallory, their mother, is presented as the neglectful, alcoholic parent in the first few chapters, but when she is brought in again after Shelley's reappearance she has no personality at all. Best friend Andi is only in there to support one plot point, and reporter Lane is totally inconsistent - is he a conscientious journalist, a cartoon male driven by hormones, or a do-anything-for-a-story slimeball reporter.
The writing is peppered with the type of high-school prose above. There were several times a threw up a little, in my mouth. I've read very few books that can use frequent metaphors effectively. This is definitely not one of them
I was amazed by the number of 4- and (gasp!) 5-star reviews. To me, totally incomprehensible.
Finally (and I'm not sure if this is a spoiler or not, so you can stop here if you're worried) the book deals with child sexual abuse, and personally I feel that there should have been some resources mentioned at the end of the book. No child should have to suffer that, and I would love to see young women - or any woman - encouraged to speak out.

[Julia Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a page gripping, can’t put it down, fascinating story. The phrase “Oh the tangled web we weave…” certainly comes to mind. The story is wonderfully woven together and the ending will not only shock you but leave you struggling with feelings of awe and horror.

The book is about a family of four women. Mallory, the Mom, is an alcoholic who needs not only to be the center of attention but for men to make it clear that they want her. Sasha is the oldest daughter, who has made a life for herself a few miles away from her Mom. Sasha has done well, finished college, works at a bank, has a best friend from her elementary school days, and adores her youngest sister Shelley. Casey escaped by moving far away to another state and letting go of all ties to the family. Shelley is the youngest daughter at five years old when the story begins.

After a night of drinking at the bar, Mallory returns home, releases Sasha from her babysitting job, and proceeds to pass out on the floor of her home. Waking the next morning in the daze that only comes from an alcoholic blackout, Mallory discovers pools of blood, and Shelley is gone. Her first call is to Sasha who dashes to the house, finds the mess, and calls the police. Mallory confesses to killing her youngest daughter. Six years later, with Mallory in prison and totally sober, Shelley is found walking down the street in the town from which she went missing.

Every once in awhile a writer has a first novel that seems impossibly good. Grisham did it with A Time to Kill, Margaret Mitchell did it with Gone With The Wind, and Meridee Jo has done it with The Uncaging. I know that I am looking forward to her second novel!

[Diana Hockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an engaging first novel! Congratulations to the author for writing an astonishing first book.

I have read many "children disappearing" novels, but Ms Jo managed to use this scenario to write a unique twist on a "common" set of circumstances.

The characters were engaging, though some unlikeable, the plot well written with few red herrings to confuse the reader. However, this reader certainly was confused, but ultimately satisfied and actually, overjoyed by the ending. The main character, Sasha, was a complex and interesting person and her mother, a "stand fast" woman, in whom I could invest concern.

Wonderful work and I hope Meridee Jo is currently working her fingers to the bone writing another book. If she could include Sasha and her mother in the next one, I would be delighted!

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had great promise. Five-year old Shelley disappears from her dysfunctional home with a great flourish, a splash of blood, and lots of questions. Did her alcoholic mother actually cause her harm? As she confesses that she must have done it, she is charged with murder and incarcerated. Six years later Shelley reappears unharmed and refusing to speak of her past until she speaks to her mother. Other young girls disappear but with the mother still in prison, the mystery deepens. An interesting psych-thriller up to this point! About midway, the story loses steam with the sister’s one night stands, ‘poor me’ moments and steadying goes south until the very end. The plot had lots of holes and the ending although did have its twists seemed to conveniently wrap up way to quickly and quite unreasonably. Not really recommending this one.

[Sabrina Sellers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, hmm. This started as a mystery, ended with a twist, and got bogged down in the WORST way in the middle. The way these girls dealt with their childhood trauma just strained my credulity. The plot point dealing with the abduction of the youngest sister, was trite and contrived. The author felt like she couldn’t make up her mind whether to do the big reveal in the middle of the book or at the end when we’ve already guessed. There was a lot of unnecessary angst from the older sibling, and not enough from the kidnap victim like you would expect. Whole book just left me feeling backward and upside down, and not in a good way.

[Elaine Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatest book I have read for a long time!!!! This story has set many, many, many captives free. Thanks to the author who feels the true pain of sexual abused children. I myself was a victim, but now I'm the Victor!!! Thank you for the truth!!

I'm the victim of childhood sexual abuse and fought for years to be heard. Even as it was discovered, I was labeled as a liar. When violence took control, then everyone understood. I applaud you for the understanding from a victim's point of view.

[spruitjes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for free through from Amazon through mail some time ago and on June 7th decided to finally try it.

Gosh, what a pearl this was!

The cover just says the following:: A five-year old girl who vanished from small-town Grady six years ago, suddenly appears back in town, unharmed, asking to see her mother.

I'm not good at making book summeries in order to give my view on it, only that the surprise is mostly in the tail, just like here. And gosh, what a surprise that was!

I'm so glad I downloaded it! That woman knows how to put together a good mystery, larded with tragedy.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justice

This is the first book I've read by this author and I found it to be a good standalone mystery. The narrative is told in third person, is dry and matter of fact. The characters are described but never fully revealed. Setting descriptions are sparse. And the ending was a surprise. It's a tragic tale and a sad commentary on the ease of access to children by those who prey.

[tina huddleson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this book down

This book covers many emotions, but I think the most shocking emotion I had after reading this book was one of deep relief and happiness.
A must read if you have children or if you have ever been abused.
This is a book I will remember for quite a long time.

[Janet Reaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG

I just finished this story & I don’t know what to say without giving away the plot. It was difficult reading from the beginning& at the end I could see why. This is a subject that needs more illumination on. More stories about. Lives continue to be ruined, secrets kept hidden.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book to read by the author. It was a very interesting book which held my interest to the very end. There definitely was intrigue. I had no idea who the kidnapper was. Then the missing girl reappears after 6 years. She doesn’t talk then talks and seems happy in her captive environment???? The ending surprised me! Enjoyed this book! Easy reading.

[Cheryl Anglebrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read book

This book was a page turner. You do not realize what goes on in someone’s life behind closed doors. This book told a story about a family. You got a glimpse of what each family member was going through and their thoughts.
I would recommend that others read this book.

[Beth McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opener!

Wow! What an eye opener! Sometimes things just aren't as they seem. Some people have terrible lives, often by no choice of their own. This book takes you through a range of emotions and leaves you drained yet feeling like a more compassionate person because of the understanding gained from this story.

[Debbie Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and Bittersweet

A little girl appears on Main Street after being kidnapped 6 years prior. On the same night another little girl goes missing. Tragically this is found dead. Then another little girl is taken. The town organizes a search while the police frantically look for a link between the three disappearances.

[Steph Weidner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captures your attention from the start. I love the character development and layers that make up each chapter. I can usually guess a storyline but this one kept me on my toes. Would love to read more from this author!

[Emily Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful

I was pulled into the story from the first page. The characters were well developed and believable. The story was creatively told. Sadly, many will identify with the emotions. Worth the read.

[Mara Vernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping story, engaging from the first page to the last. Characters are well developed and uncertainty keeps you guessing throughout. A well written, thoughtful story that leaves you looking back and wondering how you missed all the signs.

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a chore to read

I would have given 1/2 a star of that was an option. I found this book an absolute drudge to read. It was not a good read and totally ridiculous. Yes child abuse is horrendous but so were the " so called actions " of these characters.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Most of the book was really intriguing but towards the end I figured it out. I was really into it until I figured it out. I’m quite disappointed with the ending. Overall it’s a pretty dumb plot, in my opinion.

[C P · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 well written, difficult topic

Hard to write review without giving too much away of plot. When the book.slower about halfway, I almost stopped reading. However author tied it all together in the end.

[Alice Feldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't give 5 stars lightly.

Enthralling and exciting this book keeps you reading way past midnight.
I found it hard to put down and love the way the author resolved the story.
A totally different take on a mystery.