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Danger Child
YOUR ABDUCTED CHILD IS MIRACULOUSLY RETURNED. TOO BAD HE'S NO LONGER NORMAL.
Stay-at-home mom Yvonne Landis enters her kitchen one day to meet a huge surprise: seated on a chair is her son, Gabe. He went missing when he was ten years old, more than three years ago. It turns out he was abducted by pedophiles who made his life hell. Extremely traumatized, he acts strangely and barely speaks. Yvonne is determined to heal Gabe. He'll stay at home and work daily with a trauma therapist. Her husband Ben is not completely on board with that idea, especially since Gabe stabbed him with a fork shortly after they were reunited. Then disturbing things happen to their younger son, 9-year old Joseph, and Gabe may be behind those too...
NOTE: DANGER CHILD is a domestic, stand-alone thriller.
Stay-at-home mom Yvonne Landis enters her kitchen one day to meet a huge surprise: seated on a chair is her son, Gabe. He went missing when he was ten years old, more than three years ago. It turns out he was abducted by pedophiles who made his life hell. Extremely traumatized, he acts strangely and barely speaks. Yvonne is determined to heal Gabe. He'll stay at home and work daily with a trauma therapist. Her husband Ben is not completely on board with that idea, especially since Gabe stabbed him with a fork shortly after they were reunited. Then disturbing things happen to their younger son, 9-year old Joseph, and Gabe may be behind those too...
NOTE: DANGER CHILD is a domestic, stand-alone thriller.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2019
670 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
About the author
Julia Derek
110 books120 followersJulia Derek is originally from Sweden and is a trainer by day and writer by night. She's the author of several mystery and thriller books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
January 16, 2024
Is He Him?
When Gabe was ten years old, he disappeared. Three years later, he has returned.
Where has he been? Why does he leave the house? Where does he go? Does he hate his little brother. Is he hurting him?
It’s such a mystery.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
When Gabe was ten years old, he disappeared. Three years later, he has returned.
Where has he been? Why does he leave the house? Where does he go? Does he hate his little brother. Is he hurting him?
It’s such a mystery.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
January 1, 2024
‘The Lost Boy’ by Julia Derek is a thriller with an interesting enough plot but could have been further worked upon by a developmental editor. The story is chilling and the personage of the 13-year-old Gabe can truly make one feel uneasy, but only till mid-way in the novel. I will remember ‘The Lost Boy’ as a story with an excellent plot line, but which could have been better presented, edited, and cerebrated upon.
The novel tells the story of Gabe through the eyes of his mother Yvonne. She lost Gabe while vacationing in Texas to individuals dealing in the sex trade and was at the beginning of this tale living her life as a stay-at-home mother caring for her husband Ben and her younger son Joseph. One fine day, she finds her front door open and sitting there in the kitchen, her once missing elder son. She is ecstatic to see him back after three years but is unnerved by his reticence and mute disposition. The thriller then goes on to narrate the strange happenings in the home of Yvonne and the many reasons behind the same in connection to a series of secrets and lies that make up the life of this unusual family.
The book was captivating at the start, and I was hooked right until the end. However, there were many editing issues in the book which tended to distract one’s attention from the intense plot. These editing issues were in relation to the categories of Developmental Editing as well as Line-to-Line Editing. There were especially many errors in relation to the ‘phone cum in person exchanges’ between Yvonne and certain female agents towards the end of the tale. At one point, the protagonist first starts conversing with a female FBI agent on the phone but then after a few pages midway between the exchange, the FBI agent is actually talking to Yvonne face to face! This happened twice at the end of the novel. Towards the end of the novel, one tends to notice that the author has not punctuated her sentences appropriately which mars the overall reading and enjoyment.
Inappropriate slang words are used in most dialogues along with unnecessary reflections midway through intense scenes which can also be very distractive. The FBI are portrayed as inefficient, complacent, misinformed, and gullible which is an inaccurate depiction of the actual reality of their office. It is important that an author should research a bit more into the workings of their setting and characters before commencing their writing. The issue that struck me the most while reading this thriller was however the many unsolved sub-plots which I hope will be addressed in the sequel. I personally am aware that thrillers are not meant to end as cliff-hangers so these many missing pieces to the story were startling. This is especially true in the case of the conversations between Gabe and his trauma counsellor, Gabe’s reaction to Luke, as well as the issue with ‘Chole.’
On the bright side, the drama was great, and I personally loved the narration till the 200th page of my Kindle. I really felt for the male protagonist Gabe and was quite fond of Joseph his sprightly and exuberant younger brother. The book was a compulsive read despite so many issues which makes a statement that the plot itself was worthy of commendation. It was truly a brave book to write!
Scenes featuring the strange and often deviant behaviour of the traumatised Gabe can melt any person’s heart who works with children and is hurt that many such innocents like him are being used to fuel pornographic material available on the dark web. The relevance of this serious social issue and the fact that the situation has worsened since the pandemic is portrayed well in the first half of this novel titled ‘The Lost Boy’. Thrilling and chilling, mind-boggling and serious, corrosive, and impactful – all these go on to make up a really good novel about the life of Gabe after his ordeal of three years as a child sex slave. This makes me give the book 3 stars! It truly must have been a challenge to write this book about such an evocative topic.
My favourite scene in the book was something related to my field in social issue fiction. This scene was when the FBI agents were informing and educating Yvonne about the reality of this sex trade that caters to the pornographic industry on the dark web. It is an eye opener for those not well versed with the seriousness of this deadly issue that can occur anywhere, anytime, and even in your own home. Many of us right here on this social media platform ‘feed’ this industry with our clicks and money which in some way lands up in the abduction of yet another Gabe to this dark and wretched world. We even get ‘titillated’ with intense violence in the form of rape pornography, especially with minors on these deplorable and disturbing sites which is an industry that currently exceeds the football, cricket World Cup and cosmetic industry PUT TOGETHER! Think about it.
We can end this cycle of violence in our limited capacity only in one way of course – don’t click that video! I appeal therefore to every reader to go through this portion of the author’s book because it can be a wakeup call to many individuals addicted to these sites.
And there are many.
Create an awareness and never fail to read more books with such serious and sombre plotlines, not for entertainment but for the sake of ethics, human rights, and most importantly, logic.
‘The Lost Boy’ gets 3 stars from me!
The novel tells the story of Gabe through the eyes of his mother Yvonne. She lost Gabe while vacationing in Texas to individuals dealing in the sex trade and was at the beginning of this tale living her life as a stay-at-home mother caring for her husband Ben and her younger son Joseph. One fine day, she finds her front door open and sitting there in the kitchen, her once missing elder son. She is ecstatic to see him back after three years but is unnerved by his reticence and mute disposition. The thriller then goes on to narrate the strange happenings in the home of Yvonne and the many reasons behind the same in connection to a series of secrets and lies that make up the life of this unusual family.
The book was captivating at the start, and I was hooked right until the end. However, there were many editing issues in the book which tended to distract one’s attention from the intense plot. These editing issues were in relation to the categories of Developmental Editing as well as Line-to-Line Editing. There were especially many errors in relation to the ‘phone cum in person exchanges’ between Yvonne and certain female agents towards the end of the tale. At one point, the protagonist first starts conversing with a female FBI agent on the phone but then after a few pages midway between the exchange, the FBI agent is actually talking to Yvonne face to face! This happened twice at the end of the novel. Towards the end of the novel, one tends to notice that the author has not punctuated her sentences appropriately which mars the overall reading and enjoyment.
Inappropriate slang words are used in most dialogues along with unnecessary reflections midway through intense scenes which can also be very distractive. The FBI are portrayed as inefficient, complacent, misinformed, and gullible which is an inaccurate depiction of the actual reality of their office. It is important that an author should research a bit more into the workings of their setting and characters before commencing their writing. The issue that struck me the most while reading this thriller was however the many unsolved sub-plots which I hope will be addressed in the sequel. I personally am aware that thrillers are not meant to end as cliff-hangers so these many missing pieces to the story were startling. This is especially true in the case of the conversations between Gabe and his trauma counsellor, Gabe’s reaction to Luke, as well as the issue with ‘Chole.’
On the bright side, the drama was great, and I personally loved the narration till the 200th page of my Kindle. I really felt for the male protagonist Gabe and was quite fond of Joseph his sprightly and exuberant younger brother. The book was a compulsive read despite so many issues which makes a statement that the plot itself was worthy of commendation. It was truly a brave book to write!
Scenes featuring the strange and often deviant behaviour of the traumatised Gabe can melt any person’s heart who works with children and is hurt that many such innocents like him are being used to fuel pornographic material available on the dark web. The relevance of this serious social issue and the fact that the situation has worsened since the pandemic is portrayed well in the first half of this novel titled ‘The Lost Boy’. Thrilling and chilling, mind-boggling and serious, corrosive, and impactful – all these go on to make up a really good novel about the life of Gabe after his ordeal of three years as a child sex slave. This makes me give the book 3 stars! It truly must have been a challenge to write this book about such an evocative topic.
My favourite scene in the book was something related to my field in social issue fiction. This scene was when the FBI agents were informing and educating Yvonne about the reality of this sex trade that caters to the pornographic industry on the dark web. It is an eye opener for those not well versed with the seriousness of this deadly issue that can occur anywhere, anytime, and even in your own home. Many of us right here on this social media platform ‘feed’ this industry with our clicks and money which in some way lands up in the abduction of yet another Gabe to this dark and wretched world. We even get ‘titillated’ with intense violence in the form of rape pornography, especially with minors on these deplorable and disturbing sites which is an industry that currently exceeds the football, cricket World Cup and cosmetic industry PUT TOGETHER! Think about it.
We can end this cycle of violence in our limited capacity only in one way of course – don’t click that video! I appeal therefore to every reader to go through this portion of the author’s book because it can be a wakeup call to many individuals addicted to these sites.
And there are many.
Create an awareness and never fail to read more books with such serious and sombre plotlines, not for entertainment but for the sake of ethics, human rights, and most importantly, logic.
‘The Lost Boy’ gets 3 stars from me!
June 9, 2019
The most sense lead character
Yvonne, the main character in the book, has got to be the most pathetic whiney rose colored glasses wearing privileged sense idiot on the face of the earth. If I could reach through my kindle and slapped her just for being stupid I would have. Don't waste your time with this book,the author seems to be trying to convince the reader through this character that her irrational thoughts are justified and the only logical explanation.I certainly won't bother with reading the sequel.
Yvonne, the main character in the book, has got to be the most pathetic whiney rose colored glasses wearing privileged sense idiot on the face of the earth. If I could reach through my kindle and slapped her just for being stupid I would have. Don't waste your time with this book,the author seems to be trying to convince the reader through this character that her irrational thoughts are justified and the only logical explanation.I certainly won't bother with reading the sequel.
November 24, 2019
I tried to like this book but just could not...Yvonne comes home one day to find her son who has been missing for 3 years sitting in her kitchen....Instead of alerting either police/medical people she proceeds to take him with her to pick up her other son! Wow this certainly set off my alarms and all throughout the book there are similar examples of what not to do and who not to trust. With mini stories and plots all over that just did not jell as well as an ending I could not justify the book was a great disappointment.
September 10, 2022
I read a book by this author 3 years ago and really enjoyed it, though it did get a little farfetched and had a few too many errors for my liking. It was written before this one, shockingly, as this story is beyond ridiculous and has more errors !! So she has taken a wrong turn somehow perhaps with her editor or proofreader ?
I reached 30% and called it a day. The first thing I noticed was her mentioning Buster the cat and referring to him as him but then suddenly as it !! I didn't like that.
We're to believe this missing son rocks back up and she doesn't even let the police or FBI know !! Then Yvonne thinks to herself that she should have "told Luke to bring Joseph over," Luke being another parent....TOLD Luke.....I think not !! Also, she wrote this sentence as, "I would have told Luke to keep bring Joseph over instead" so it was wrong on more than one level. Then, "I've taken a seat across him" losing from and, "When I got back from the hairdresser earlier, he sat in my kitchen," THEN, "It's noon a weekday and surprisingly busy" dropping yet other words from sentences !! Sloppy in the extreme. Almost there smile needed hyphenating, as did sand blond woman, redden should be reddens, look should be looking and why was written as wht and NOBODY spotted this (??) and I gave up. I'd seen enough. Remember this lot occurred only 70 pages in and there were a further 176 to wade through and I wasn't prepared to, I'm afraid.
Yvonne herself comes across as a neurotic nitwit, who is clearly going to excuse Gabe's delightful behaviour.....the conversation she has with her psychologist friend about whether she has Febreze available was jawdropping as well !
I had another downloaded by her-Cuckoo Uncaged but reading the synopsis it carries on from this trilogy but is badged as number 1 in a new series. So you need to avoid reading THAT book's description if you plan on sticking with this series as it has spoilers !! Bit of a dumb thing to do as well by the publisher. I'm deleting it, anyway. I can't stand to be around this idiot example of a parent any longer !
I reached 30% and called it a day. The first thing I noticed was her mentioning Buster the cat and referring to him as him but then suddenly as it !! I didn't like that.
We're to believe this missing son rocks back up and she doesn't even let the police or FBI know !! Then Yvonne thinks to herself that she should have "told Luke to bring Joseph over," Luke being another parent....TOLD Luke.....I think not !! Also, she wrote this sentence as, "I would have told Luke to keep bring Joseph over instead" so it was wrong on more than one level. Then, "I've taken a seat across him" losing from and, "When I got back from the hairdresser earlier, he sat in my kitchen," THEN, "It's noon a weekday and surprisingly busy" dropping yet other words from sentences !! Sloppy in the extreme. Almost there smile needed hyphenating, as did sand blond woman, redden should be reddens, look should be looking and why was written as wht and NOBODY spotted this (??) and I gave up. I'd seen enough. Remember this lot occurred only 70 pages in and there were a further 176 to wade through and I wasn't prepared to, I'm afraid.
Yvonne herself comes across as a neurotic nitwit, who is clearly going to excuse Gabe's delightful behaviour.....the conversation she has with her psychologist friend about whether she has Febreze available was jawdropping as well !
I had another downloaded by her-Cuckoo Uncaged but reading the synopsis it carries on from this trilogy but is badged as number 1 in a new series. So you need to avoid reading THAT book's description if you plan on sticking with this series as it has spoilers !! Bit of a dumb thing to do as well by the publisher. I'm deleting it, anyway. I can't stand to be around this idiot example of a parent any longer !
September 9, 2022
Characters were too two-dimensional and there were so many characters that were almost barely names. I actually had to check once if I read right and someone was main character's sister instead of an agent.
I like my thrillers to be... well... thrilling :D And this was a bit too slow for my taste. The last 50 pages were better but this hadn't that many thrilling moments. This still was sometimes creepy and I liked it. Overall I more liked than disliked the atmosphere but I just would have loved to have more action.
I liked short chapters because it keeps reading interesting and dynamic but I was sometimes a bit annoyed because they always had a cliff-hanger ending even though you felt it was unnecessary and the next chapter would continue direct from where the last chapter ended.
Story was interesting enough but there were some really unbelievable and/or predictable twists. But I loved some creepy aspects.
I like my thrillers to be... well... thrilling :D And this was a bit too slow for my taste. The last 50 pages were better but this hadn't that many thrilling moments. This still was sometimes creepy and I liked it. Overall I more liked than disliked the atmosphere but I just would have loved to have more action.
I liked short chapters because it keeps reading interesting and dynamic but I was sometimes a bit annoyed because they always had a cliff-hanger ending even though you felt it was unnecessary and the next chapter would continue direct from where the last chapter ended.
Story was interesting enough but there were some really unbelievable and/or predictable twists. But I loved some creepy aspects.
August 15, 2020
Good plot
This book had a good plot and good story idea unfortunately that's the best I can say about it. I found the writing to be very young as if a teen had written it without any research into the subject matter. It felt like a bunch of story lines from other books had been thrown together and was completely unbelievable. The main character just happens to be friend with a FBI trauma psychologist right when one is needed? Her 13yr old son just happens to still have his house keys 3yrs after being abducted and is still able to find his way home?
The characters were shallow and had no real depth. It was hard to like any of them and impossible to relate to how they felt. The agents used poor language that no adult would use nevermind a member of law enforcement. For example saying there son made "porno" instead of pornagraphy , or people had been "chopped up" verses dismembered. There was way to much dialog and it was hard to tell when grow ups were speaking since the language was the same as the children.
The book was mostly written in first person from the point of view of the mom, Yvonne, but then had random 3rd person chapters about who!e other characters that made no sense and seemed to be written by a different author. The radon chapters were brought up in the end but the explanation was poor and basically these chapter held no value in the book.
50percent of this book could have been edited out without taking away from the story line. Basically held way to sub plots of no value.
This book had a good plot and good story idea unfortunately that's the best I can say about it. I found the writing to be very young as if a teen had written it without any research into the subject matter. It felt like a bunch of story lines from other books had been thrown together and was completely unbelievable. The main character just happens to be friend with a FBI trauma psychologist right when one is needed? Her 13yr old son just happens to still have his house keys 3yrs after being abducted and is still able to find his way home?
The characters were shallow and had no real depth. It was hard to like any of them and impossible to relate to how they felt. The agents used poor language that no adult would use nevermind a member of law enforcement. For example saying there son made "porno" instead of pornagraphy , or people had been "chopped up" verses dismembered. There was way to much dialog and it was hard to tell when grow ups were speaking since the language was the same as the children.
The book was mostly written in first person from the point of view of the mom, Yvonne, but then had random 3rd person chapters about who!e other characters that made no sense and seemed to be written by a different author. The radon chapters were brought up in the end but the explanation was poor and basically these chapter held no value in the book.
50percent of this book could have been edited out without taking away from the story line. Basically held way to sub plots of no value.
April 8, 2019
Unbelievable
I read about 30% it was about there I was going to quit reading them I read some reviews. Most talked about a surprise twist and how wonderful the book is. Yeah I should quit at the 30% this story is unbelievable and just seem so stupid! The characters are one dimensional and really do I care what shoes Yvonne puts on or what color of hair an fbi agent has?
I read about 30% it was about there I was going to quit reading them I read some reviews. Most talked about a surprise twist and how wonderful the book is. Yeah I should quit at the 30% this story is unbelievable and just seem so stupid! The characters are one dimensional and really do I care what shoes Yvonne puts on or what color of hair an fbi agent has?
April 8, 2019
Exciting read
This grabs you from the first page. Kidnapped son returned home. Traumatized, and odd. Parents try to get him help. FBI wants to know how to get the kidnappers. Lots of drama, things are not as they appear.
This grabs you from the first page. Kidnapped son returned home. Traumatized, and odd. Parents try to get him help. FBI wants to know how to get the kidnappers. Lots of drama, things are not as they appear.
March 28, 2019
This latest book was great ! Very fast read. packed with excitement and who done it.
Gabe goes missing and shows up a few years later. Yvonne blames herself. The dad kinda keeps his cool. The brother doesn't really know what to think. Gabe was put into a sex trafficking ring returns later . He goes to therapy with a "FBI" therapist soon to find out she is a imposter however she uncovers some great detail about the years he was missing. Joseph the brother was later kidnapped from school......Yvonne the mother panics. is this really happening again ????
I am never disappointed when I read from Julia Derek !! Kept me interested til the last word. I am looking forward to a continuation to the latest book from this author. GREAT JOB Julia Derek
Gabe goes missing and shows up a few years later. Yvonne blames herself. The dad kinda keeps his cool. The brother doesn't really know what to think. Gabe was put into a sex trafficking ring returns later . He goes to therapy with a "FBI" therapist soon to find out she is a imposter however she uncovers some great detail about the years he was missing. Joseph the brother was later kidnapped from school......Yvonne the mother panics. is this really happening again ????
I am never disappointed when I read from Julia Derek !! Kept me interested til the last word. I am looking forward to a continuation to the latest book from this author. GREAT JOB Julia Derek
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2022
Quite the involved story,well written. I must say I enjoyed it. It starts right off I. The first chapter, with not too many characters or too much prose. I t becomes a page turner quickly. I can’t imagine a child getting kidnapped and put through what Gabe had to endure. It certainly would take a lot of therapy to get over that and back to a somewhat normal life. 5
Read
March 31, 2019I am a fan of Julia Derek, ever since I read her Evil trilogy, and this book did not disappoint. What would you do if your missing child showed up years after his disappearance, alone,damaged, uncommunicative and different? Then both your sons go missing again, but this time their kidnapper is closer than you think.
September 8, 2022
Fast paced. Keeps the reader interested. The twist at the end was good and unexpected.
My only issue was this was about pedophilia ,child sex slaves and all that. That was a little too gruesome for me
My only issue was this was about pedophilia ,child sex slaves and all that. That was a little too gruesome for me
October 13, 2022
Interesting plot and themes. The ending felt slightly rushed and a bit weird for the tone of the book.
Bad writing at times when it comes to grammar and language used.
I’m interested to see how this story continued and how it progresses. I have hope for the series.
Bad writing at times when it comes to grammar and language used.
I’m interested to see how this story continued and how it progresses. I have hope for the series.
April 6, 2019
Caught up
I was caught in the story immediately .Enjoyed all the well rounded characters. Fast read with unexpected twist .Thank you for a great story.
I was caught in the story immediately .Enjoyed all the well rounded characters. Fast read with unexpected twist .Thank you for a great story.
May 13, 2019
Suspenseful!
I just couldn’t put this book down! I had to know how it was going to end. The suspense was killing me.
I just couldn’t put this book down! I had to know how it was going to end. The suspense was killing me.
Want to Read
November 18, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/18/2019)! 🎁
September 9, 2022
WOW
What a terror of a story. I could not put it down. It grips you by the throat until the very last page.
What a terror of a story. I could not put it down. It grips you by the throat until the very last page.
September 20, 2022
On the edge of my seat
I was, on the edge of my seat. Read it in one sitting. Yvonne and Ben, a couple who deserve each other, or as my husband says "they'd spoil another couple" . The two story lines didn't seem to connect with each other but then they almost did at the end. A few holes in the plot and the end was a bit rushed but a great read.
I was, on the edge of my seat. Read it in one sitting. Yvonne and Ben, a couple who deserve each other, or as my husband says "they'd spoil another couple" . The two story lines didn't seem to connect with each other but then they almost did at the end. A few holes in the plot and the end was a bit rushed but a great read.
September 29, 2022
Unexpected twists and turns, don’t want to think it’s a realistic plot line as some of it is so horrific but there are bad people out there…
December 13, 2023
Very good book
This was a very well written book. It kept you wondering what was going to happen next. The ending was quite a shock
This was a very well written book. It kept you wondering what was going to happen next. The ending was quite a shock
April 11, 2019
Keeps you reading
Fast paced, well written. Ended rather abruptly, but was entertaining enough to keep me reading until I was done. Good read.
Fast paced, well written. Ended rather abruptly, but was entertaining enough to keep me reading until I was done. Good read.
September 17, 2022
Wow
This is just a great read. Story line was on point. Characters organized and where they needed to be. Was only disappointed that nothing was done to Alisa, lol. A shocker at the end. Keep up the great writing.
This is just a great read. Story line was on point. Characters organized and where they needed to be. Was only disappointed that nothing was done to Alisa, lol. A shocker at the end. Keep up the great writing.
September 18, 2022
Was good
I thought that it was very well written. The storyline and the characters kept me guessing and totally hooked right to the end.
I thought that it was very well written. The storyline and the characters kept me guessing and totally hooked right to the end.
April 2, 2019
Rose
This book was horrifying and confusing especially the beginning. While help was there for Gabe, it wasn't the help he needed. That was the hardest part for me to read. Julia Derek has done a wonderful job delving into the characters while describing what was going on.
This book was horrifying and confusing especially the beginning. While help was there for Gabe, it wasn't the help he needed. That was the hardest part for me to read. Julia Derek has done a wonderful job delving into the characters while describing what was going on.
September 26, 2022
Excellent story
Absolutely loved this book the characters are very relatable & the many twists & turns made this a goid read
Absolutely loved this book the characters are very relatable & the many twists & turns made this a goid read
April 26, 2022
Ending
Good read but ending was far fetched. Who would stay together after all that had been done. That is all
Good read but ending was far fetched. Who would stay together after all that had been done. That is all
October 30, 2022
Awful (CONTAINS SPOILERS)
I hate giving a really low review but this was just bad. It’s full of typos and desperately needs editing, but the main character is a complete idiot and utterly selfish, and the plot is so unbelievable. Her missing for three years don just randomly shows up one day, thousands of miles from where he was abducted, with his house keys still, and she doesn’t call the cops? She doesn’t take him for a medical evaluation? Instead, she gives him juice and ice cream and unrestricted access to the internet.
CONTAINS SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT
I skipped ahead because I wanted to see if the plot gets any better, and there’s stuff about their credit card being drained of $30k that’s never explained. The son who was kidnapped apparently stabs the dad, but whether that’s with a fork or a butter knife gets very muddled. The psychologist bestie waffles between a good therapist and pure evil and incompetent. The FBI agents are morons. And then it turns out the dad is an attempted murderer, arranging for his kids to be kidnapped and the older one killed, because he thought the kid wasn’t his, and THIS IDIOT WOMAN DECIDES TO STAY WITH HIM AND COVER FOR HIM.
I hate giving a really low review but this was just bad. It’s full of typos and desperately needs editing, but the main character is a complete idiot and utterly selfish, and the plot is so unbelievable. Her missing for three years don just randomly shows up one day, thousands of miles from where he was abducted, with his house keys still, and she doesn’t call the cops? She doesn’t take him for a medical evaluation? Instead, she gives him juice and ice cream and unrestricted access to the internet.
CONTAINS SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT
I skipped ahead because I wanted to see if the plot gets any better, and there’s stuff about their credit card being drained of $30k that’s never explained. The son who was kidnapped apparently stabs the dad, but whether that’s with a fork or a butter knife gets very muddled. The psychologist bestie waffles between a good therapist and pure evil and incompetent. The FBI agents are morons. And then it turns out the dad is an attempted murderer, arranging for his kids to be kidnapped and the older one killed, because he thought the kid wasn’t his, and THIS IDIOT WOMAN DECIDES TO STAY WITH HIM AND COVER FOR HIM.
January 7, 2024
This book started on a very sensitive topic. A ten year old boy got picked up by a gang of p*dophiles who make him a sex slave for p*rnographic content. Now three years later, the boy has somehow returned to his home. He is very taciturn and traumatized and unresponsive. That's where the book started.
sigh.....
As much as I was expecting good from this book, it turned out to be such a frustrating waste of time. The author seemed to focus on everything except the very plot the book promised. There was absolutely no account of the happenings during those three years he was away. I mean, if we are talking about such a powerful topic, there has to be some "talking" to be done over it. All we get to see is him eating, sleeping, shrugging and staying quiet. This book was literally about his mother fretting over his condition 24/7. She, talking to therapists for Gabe, she crying for him, she worried for him, she praying for him, she fighting for him, it was all just her. I was really looking forward to reading something emotionally disturbing and painful and all I got was the prison of her impulsive mind. We are stuck in the head of this frustrating woman who never knows how to handle a situation, always misinterprets the apparent, never talks to the person she is doubting and never says her suspicions before they become convictions. And unfortunately it's her we have to follow all the time (thank God this book was short)
The biggest problem for me was the lack of characterwork. It is something personal that I'm always affected by. I am a very character-driven reader. Because I feel like you have to know the character properly to enjoy the story you are reading through his pov. And this book totally destroyed that feeling. I wanted so badly to know Gabe more, to feel what's going on inside him, to connect with him and feel his pain. But I was left longing. Overall the characters felt bland and robotic. And now I'm gonna rant in spoilers bcz I'm just so angry. I would rather you read it, bcz I would never recommend this book.
There is such a thing as a plot-bait and Julia Derek did exactly that. It was terrible. Just terrible.
sigh.....
As much as I was expecting good from this book, it turned out to be such a frustrating waste of time. The author seemed to focus on everything except the very plot the book promised. There was absolutely no account of the happenings during those three years he was away. I mean, if we are talking about such a powerful topic, there has to be some "talking" to be done over it. All we get to see is him eating, sleeping, shrugging and staying quiet. This book was literally about his mother fretting over his condition 24/7. She, talking to therapists for Gabe, she crying for him, she worried for him, she praying for him, she fighting for him, it was all just her. I was really looking forward to reading something emotionally disturbing and painful and all I got was the prison of her impulsive mind. We are stuck in the head of this frustrating woman who never knows how to handle a situation, always misinterprets the apparent, never talks to the person she is doubting and never says her suspicions before they become convictions. And unfortunately it's her we have to follow all the time (thank God this book was short)
The biggest problem for me was the lack of characterwork. It is something personal that I'm always affected by. I am a very character-driven reader. Because I feel like you have to know the character properly to enjoy the story you are reading through his pov. And this book totally destroyed that feeling. I wanted so badly to know Gabe more, to feel what's going on inside him, to connect with him and feel his pain. But I was left longing. Overall the characters felt bland and robotic. And now I'm gonna rant in spoilers bcz I'm just so angry. I would rather you read it, bcz I would never recommend this book.
There is such a thing as a plot-bait and Julia Derek did exactly that. It was terrible. Just terrible.
December 6, 2022
The author is good - she can clearly put down a credible protagonist with all rational and irrational thoughts and actions.
What I don't like about this book is that it feels like its only half the story - you need to buy another book to get to the crux of the story. The book leaves you hanging, not because of an open end, but because the story is unfinished.
Like many other books, it relies on some pretty gruesome violence/crimes. Truly great authors don't need that. Will Julia be among them, one day? I hope so. For now, I'm going to be a bit careful before buying another half book.
What I don't like about this book is that it feels like its only half the story - you need to buy another book to get to the crux of the story. The book leaves you hanging, not because of an open end, but because the story is unfinished.
Like many other books, it relies on some pretty gruesome violence/crimes. Truly great authors don't need that. Will Julia be among them, one day? I hope so. For now, I'm going to be a bit careful before buying another half book.
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