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Nodd's Ridge
The Trap
There were three of them - breaking into the isolated Maine cottage where Livia Russell had fled with her four-year old son to figure out why her marriage had gone wrong. Three animal-like youths, burning with lust, bet on destruction, and totally without conscience. Now they held her child hostage and her in their power. And even she could not guess how far she would submit to survive, and how far she would go to triumph, in a winter world where the last shreds of civilization had been stripped away.
349 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
12 people are currently reading
913 people want to read
About the author
Tabitha King
33 books645 followersTabitha King is an American author. She is married to author Stephen King and is the mother of Joe Hill, Owen King, and Naomi King.
King was born Tabitha Jane-Frances Spruce in Old Town, Maine to Raymond George and Sarah Jane White Spruce and is one of eight children. Her primary education took place at St. Mary’s Grammar in Old Town, from which she graduated in 1963. She then attended John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor until 1967, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in history in 1971 from the University of Maine in Orono.
King was born Tabitha Jane-Frances Spruce in Old Town, Maine to Raymond George and Sarah Jane White Spruce and is one of eight children. Her primary education took place at St. Mary’s Grammar in Old Town, from which she graduated in 1963. She then attended John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor until 1967, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in history in 1971 from the University of Maine in Orono.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
March 13, 2017
She has a way of writing with detail. I almost gave up on this novel halfway through but the second half was very exciting.
July 8, 2021
Set in Nodd's Ridge, which is the literary equivalent of Stephen King's Derry or Castle Rock, and in fact, NR is nestled right next to those towns on the "map." One thing I really love about the King family (and there are many) is the way they riff off each other, borrow characters, places, and even ideas. They all write in such a believable voice that you wonder which of them has been kidnapped, raped, abused, invaded by aliens, whatever, because if you believe that adage that you should write what you know, the Kings know a lot! And they write as if they do.
This book is all about the strength of a woman, Olivia Russell (Liv), who has a crumbling marriage to Pat and two children, teenaged Sarah and four to five year old Travis. Liv and Pat's marriage is on the rocks. Pat works in Hollywood, despite living in Maine, and since this is set in 1985 (mostly) there is a lot of Coke, alcohol and other substances to add to the quicksand of the marriage. Remember the "write what you know" directive? We know Tabby knows nose candy (that was fun to type).
The Russell's have a summer home on the lake in Nodd's Ridge, and while we see the family in their year-round home and this one, Nodd's Ridge is the real setting. Tabby is building her own world and community after all, and doing a beautiful job. We already know some of the history and people of NR and while knowing that makes the story more rich, the foreknowledge is not needed to understand. I'm glad I've read her other books, and really don't remember if I had when I first read this a few decades ago, but I remember liking it then, too, so it doesn't matter.
We first encounter Liv in a summer she is suffering from excruciating tooth pain. She eventually has it taken care of by a dentist, but we glimpse her strength and fortitude by witnessing this summer of pain, and that's a stroke of genius on Tabby's part. You can learn so much about people when you see how they deal with pain. Liv is strong and I really, really like her. Pat? Not so much. I'd like to punch him in the nuts, but I digress.
The meat of this story is a day and a half when Travis and Liv go to the lake house alone in the dead of winter. Well, they start out alone. I won't rehash the plot, but Tabby writes a gut wrenching, almost real time story of fear, anger, retribution and plain old turning of the literary screws. I think this book would make a fabulous movie. There is nothing supernatural happening here and my mind mentally cast the movie as I read.
I am slowly working my way through all of Tabby's work and this one is a beaut!
This book is all about the strength of a woman, Olivia Russell (Liv), who has a crumbling marriage to Pat and two children, teenaged Sarah and four to five year old Travis. Liv and Pat's marriage is on the rocks. Pat works in Hollywood, despite living in Maine, and since this is set in 1985 (mostly) there is a lot of Coke, alcohol and other substances to add to the quicksand of the marriage. Remember the "write what you know" directive? We know Tabby knows nose candy (that was fun to type).
The Russell's have a summer home on the lake in Nodd's Ridge, and while we see the family in their year-round home and this one, Nodd's Ridge is the real setting. Tabby is building her own world and community after all, and doing a beautiful job. We already know some of the history and people of NR and while knowing that makes the story more rich, the foreknowledge is not needed to understand. I'm glad I've read her other books, and really don't remember if I had when I first read this a few decades ago, but I remember liking it then, too, so it doesn't matter.
We first encounter Liv in a summer she is suffering from excruciating tooth pain. She eventually has it taken care of by a dentist, but we glimpse her strength and fortitude by witnessing this summer of pain, and that's a stroke of genius on Tabby's part. You can learn so much about people when you see how they deal with pain. Liv is strong and I really, really like her. Pat? Not so much. I'd like to punch him in the nuts, but I digress.
The meat of this story is a day and a half when Travis and Liv go to the lake house alone in the dead of winter. Well, they start out alone. I won't rehash the plot, but Tabby writes a gut wrenching, almost real time story of fear, anger, retribution and plain old turning of the literary screws. I think this book would make a fabulous movie. There is nothing supernatural happening here and my mind mentally cast the movie as I read.
I am slowly working my way through all of Tabby's work and this one is a beaut!
September 9, 2011
I started reading The Trap by Tabitha King the other night, and immediately had to invoke my Rules of Fairness, Article 15; Column 2; Section 9A, which states that when reading a book I must give it a fair chance of being a potential Full Finish. Compliance with this article says the reader shall finish no less than fifty (50) pages of any book to be read unless the eyes combust or turn to acid in the sockets, whereby the reader has the option to either A) rent the book on audio cassette or CD and listen to the rest of it, B) have someone read it to the him, or C) terminate reading immediately and return said book to either the shelf or the dust bin. It looks so far to be a book about a woman who gets picked on by some kids and she gets her revenge on them. Ahem. I’ve not yet gotten to the required fiftieth page, but I’m only about twelve pages shy. And when I reach fifty, I may terminate reading, or myself.
I put the book down though, as I’ve become inspired to start writing again myself. Perhaps it was because of this book – it showed me that if she can get published, I can get published – or perhaps that the world needs relief from such literature by flooding the market with more options. At any rate, I’ve been feeling that burning sensation in my chest lately, telling me I need to start writing again (or perhaps that I need to refill my acid reflux medication prescription). So this book will sit on the back burner for a while as I continue plodding along in my second novel, Resurrecting Mars. I’ve written seven pages in the last few days, and feel like I may finish the book within the next month or so. I will keep you posted.
I put the book down though, as I’ve become inspired to start writing again myself. Perhaps it was because of this book – it showed me that if she can get published, I can get published – or perhaps that the world needs relief from such literature by flooding the market with more options. At any rate, I’ve been feeling that burning sensation in my chest lately, telling me I need to start writing again (or perhaps that I need to refill my acid reflux medication prescription). So this book will sit on the back burner for a while as I continue plodding along in my second novel, Resurrecting Mars. I’ve written seven pages in the last few days, and feel like I may finish the book within the next month or so. I will keep you posted.
February 7, 2017
I can admit that being a huge Stephen King fan, that I picked up this Tabitha King book based only on the fact that she is his wife. So I may have went into this with my expectations too high. It was OK. Definitely not bad, but nothing spectacular either. She writes well and was able to bring the scare factor in some scenes. It did start out slow. I was also bored with the "story inside of the story" where there were pages of a screenplay that was written by one of the characters. It reminded me a little of how SK did that in "Misery" with the novel Paul was writing. I skipped over those pages. They seemed unnecessary. The story gets interesting towards the end when all of the action takes place. I had read enough reviews beforehand to know there was a pretty graphic scene coming that I wasn't looking forward to. So that kind of kept me feeling uneasy going into that part of the story. But overall it was OK. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. A solid 3 stars from me (maybe even 3.5).
August 12, 2015
This book was undone by the author's literary aspirations conflicting with the straightforward thriller that the cover text promised. The first half, detailing the troubled marriage of the heroine and her husband and their relationships with their children, parents, and a few neighbors (who will figure into the plot later), was long and not terribly involving, featuring basically unsympathetic characters, a hiccuping pace, and a generally confused point of view. Once the home invasion by three thugs began midway through things picked up considerably, but in the end all of its disparate elements never coalesce into a satisfying whole. A sometimes interesting failure.
September 12, 2010
Anyone ever see the reprehensible drive-in movie from the late 70's called "I Spit on Your Grave"?? Well, "The Trap" is basically this movie with fewer rapists. No character development or unpredictable plot twists here. Very poorly written with graphic scenes of violence and rape.
May 18, 2008
One of the most intense (and yes, erotic) rape scenes I've ever read.
May 9, 2017
Ho letto questo romanzo con un piacere altalenante.
Da amante di Stephen King, ammetto che è stato difficile leggere queste pagine in modo imparziale, cercando (almeno all’inizio) in ogni frase l’indizio dell’ombra del marito. Quando mi sono reso conto di trovarmi davanti ad una voce autonoma, ne sono stato davvero felice.
Tabitha ha una padronanza linguistica più raffinata ed ho apprezzato molto le sue descrizioni, anche se a volte sono troppo verbose. Grazie a questo, ci sono alcuni punti nel romanzo particolarmente piacevoli e per alcuni versi disturbanti: più volte mi sono trovato a disagio davanti a certi dettagli, soprattutto legati al dolore fisico ed emotivo, molto efficaci. Quando l'autrice si sofferma sul dolore, riesce a trasmetterlo in modo profondo, vivo.
Per quanto riguarda la trama, nulla di originale: le due fazioni (i buoni ed i cattivi) sono esplicitate sin dalle prime pagine. Dove si andrà a parare è più o meno chiaro da subito. La prima parte del libro procede in maniera un po' sonnacchiosa, mentre la seconda parte accelera in maniera molto piacevole.
L'unica cosa che mi ha dato davvero fastidio è stata la gestione dei personaggi: tolta la coppia madre-figlio, le altre figure sembrano protese verso spazi di protagonismo che poi non vengono concessi; alcuni addirittura spariscono. La caratterizzazione è banale, con l’eccezione appunto del duo sfortunato. Tutta la narrazione verso la trappola che da il nome al titolo è ben orchestrata, per cui l’autrice aveva gli strumenti per non commettere questi errori, e a libro concluso mi sono chiesto da cosa possa averli causati, senza trovare una risposta.
Da amante di Stephen King, ammetto che è stato difficile leggere queste pagine in modo imparziale, cercando (almeno all’inizio) in ogni frase l’indizio dell’ombra del marito. Quando mi sono reso conto di trovarmi davanti ad una voce autonoma, ne sono stato davvero felice.
Tabitha ha una padronanza linguistica più raffinata ed ho apprezzato molto le sue descrizioni, anche se a volte sono troppo verbose. Grazie a questo, ci sono alcuni punti nel romanzo particolarmente piacevoli e per alcuni versi disturbanti: più volte mi sono trovato a disagio davanti a certi dettagli, soprattutto legati al dolore fisico ed emotivo, molto efficaci. Quando l'autrice si sofferma sul dolore, riesce a trasmetterlo in modo profondo, vivo.
Per quanto riguarda la trama, nulla di originale: le due fazioni (i buoni ed i cattivi) sono esplicitate sin dalle prime pagine. Dove si andrà a parare è più o meno chiaro da subito. La prima parte del libro procede in maniera un po' sonnacchiosa, mentre la seconda parte accelera in maniera molto piacevole.
L'unica cosa che mi ha dato davvero fastidio è stata la gestione dei personaggi: tolta la coppia madre-figlio, le altre figure sembrano protese verso spazi di protagonismo che poi non vengono concessi; alcuni addirittura spariscono. La caratterizzazione è banale, con l’eccezione appunto del duo sfortunato. Tutta la narrazione verso la trappola che da il nome al titolo è ben orchestrata, per cui l’autrice aveva gli strumenti per non commettere questi errori, e a libro concluso mi sono chiesto da cosa possa averli causati, senza trovare una risposta.
May 17, 2022
This is a pretty awful book.
I wanted it to be good. I resisted the urge to put it down before I was done.
It's awful in two separate movements.
The first half is boring. Really, really boring. And worse, the first half is over-written. We do not need seven adjectives in every sentence. That's not good writing, it's just annoying.
Which is too bad, because you can see that Tabitha King is a good writer. She's just overdoing it. She's forcing it, and it makes it a difficult slog.
The second half isn't boring. And it isn't over-written. But it is... I don't know the word for it. "Disturbing" doesn't quite say it, nor does "unsettling." I don't mind disturbing or unsettling books, especially when I'm expecting a horror read. But this was uncomfortable in a different way, with pages long, intensely detailed accounts of sexual violence. It was well-done, but tactless. (Again, that's not the right word.) I kept reading, but I hated what I was reading.
The book ends well, so there's that going for it.
And there are a few clever bits here and there.
But then again, there's the constant gratuitous cut aways to the "movie" that creates sort of a separate story. An interesting technique when it's done skillfully, which it isn't here, so it ends up being just annoying.
Get rid of the adjectives, the movie cut aways, and about half of the way overboard rape stuff and you might have a good short story.
Keep it and you've got a bad book.
I am not glad I read this, and no, I would not recommend it to anyone else.
Unless I was mad at them and wanted them to have a bad literary experience. Then I'd definitely recommend it.
I wanted it to be good. I resisted the urge to put it down before I was done.
It's awful in two separate movements.
The first half is boring. Really, really boring. And worse, the first half is over-written. We do not need seven adjectives in every sentence. That's not good writing, it's just annoying.
Which is too bad, because you can see that Tabitha King is a good writer. She's just overdoing it. She's forcing it, and it makes it a difficult slog.
The second half isn't boring. And it isn't over-written. But it is... I don't know the word for it. "Disturbing" doesn't quite say it, nor does "unsettling." I don't mind disturbing or unsettling books, especially when I'm expecting a horror read. But this was uncomfortable in a different way, with pages long, intensely detailed accounts of sexual violence. It was well-done, but tactless. (Again, that's not the right word.) I kept reading, but I hated what I was reading.
The book ends well, so there's that going for it.
And there are a few clever bits here and there.
But then again, there's the constant gratuitous cut aways to the "movie" that creates sort of a separate story. An interesting technique when it's done skillfully, which it isn't here, so it ends up being just annoying.
Get rid of the adjectives, the movie cut aways, and about half of the way overboard rape stuff and you might have a good short story.
Keep it and you've got a bad book.
I am not glad I read this, and no, I would not recommend it to anyone else.
Unless I was mad at them and wanted them to have a bad literary experience. Then I'd definitely recommend it.
January 5, 2011
I've been on a King-family reading kick lately, and I wasn't sure what to read next. This one had been sitting on my shelf, patiently waiting to be discovered for months now. As soon as I opened this one as read the first page, I wanted to keep going. I knew from the inside flap and from reading reviews on here that there was a bad part coming, and I had an almost sick-to-my-stomach feeling reading, waiting for the ball to drop. The writing is great, I was drawn into the characters and their lives, and instantly felt protective toward Travis, like Liv herself. After the Nighswanders break in and do their deeds, then Liv and Trav's escape, my heart racing, I couldn't wait for the triumph I knew was going to happen. I loved Miss Alden's house, I'd love a house like that. The worst part for me (aside from rape) was the thought of having all your teeth busted like her's were. I cringed reading that, it made my own teeth hurt.
August 22, 2008
This is the first Tabitha King book that I've read and I went into it with an open mind because first and foremost, she's an author in her own right and not just the wife of Stephen King (I'm sure she hates being constantly compared to her husband--I know I would). I thought this book was well written and although there is a graphic scene involved that gets pretty intense, I think it adds to the suspense of the story.
July 1, 2015
A young coupe having marriage problems. The wife and young son take a break and go to their summer cabin in the Maine Woods in the dead of Winter. A nail biting suspense as the Mother is violated and trapped in her cabin by three mean teenage boys. She realizes a new strength as she and her son escape.
May 10, 2018
I admit, I only looked into Tabitha King’s bibliography because of who her husband is. But the synopsis of quite a few of them really piqued my interest, so I added a handful to my TBR.
The Trap introduces you to a family of four spending the summer at their second property (a cabin in Maine, of course). You learn the inner workings of the troubled marriage, and their own relationship with their two children, and some of their neighbours. It was very, very well written but it was still slow for the first half of the book. I normally would’ve followed my “50 page” rule (DNF a book if I’m not into it by the 50th page), but I read so many reviews that said the second half makes up for the first half. And they were right.
The marriage troubles come to a head and Livia goes back to their vacation home for the winter with her son. Three of the townies, which you’re introduced to in a very uncomfortable prologue, are making their rounds by breaking into all of the uninhabited vacation homes. They come across Livia and her son, and this is when it goes from a slowly moving story to a total “what the fuck is even happening”. I honestly felt a little blindsided because I wasn’t expecting some of the things that happen. Even the obvious (there is a rape scene, so please tread lightly if this is something you can’t stomach) was completely different from the way they are normally written.
Tabitha has a way with words, for sure. I feel like maybe this is why she and her husband were meant for each other; they are both so gifted when it comes to writing (which explains their son, Joe). And they also both tend to meander and add in details that seem excessive. In The Trap, Livia’s husband is a screen writer and portions of his newest movie (which honestly seems terrible) are interspersed throughout the actual story’s chapters. I felt like these were pointless and, if I’m being honest, skimmed a few of them.
I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work. I also definitely recommend this, but only for the patient few that are okay with a slow moving 100 or so beautifully written pages.
I would've given this 3.5 stars if possible, but I felt it deserved to be rounding up rather than down.
The Trap introduces you to a family of four spending the summer at their second property (a cabin in Maine, of course). You learn the inner workings of the troubled marriage, and their own relationship with their two children, and some of their neighbours. It was very, very well written but it was still slow for the first half of the book. I normally would’ve followed my “50 page” rule (DNF a book if I’m not into it by the 50th page), but I read so many reviews that said the second half makes up for the first half. And they were right.
The marriage troubles come to a head and Livia goes back to their vacation home for the winter with her son. Three of the townies, which you’re introduced to in a very uncomfortable prologue, are making their rounds by breaking into all of the uninhabited vacation homes. They come across Livia and her son, and this is when it goes from a slowly moving story to a total “what the fuck is even happening”. I honestly felt a little blindsided because I wasn’t expecting some of the things that happen. Even the obvious (there is a rape scene, so please tread lightly if this is something you can’t stomach) was completely different from the way they are normally written.
Tabitha has a way with words, for sure. I feel like maybe this is why she and her husband were meant for each other; they are both so gifted when it comes to writing (which explains their son, Joe). And they also both tend to meander and add in details that seem excessive. In The Trap, Livia’s husband is a screen writer and portions of his newest movie (which honestly seems terrible) are interspersed throughout the actual story’s chapters. I felt like these were pointless and, if I’m being honest, skimmed a few of them.
I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work. I also definitely recommend this, but only for the patient few that are okay with a slow moving 100 or so beautifully written pages.
I would've given this 3.5 stars if possible, but I felt it deserved to be rounding up rather than down.
May 19, 2022
3.5, 4 rounded up.
After I finished this one I was torn between did I love it or did I hate it? Neither really.
There were aspects of this book that I absolutely loved. Tabitha, like the rest of the King family, can beautifully write a character driven story. At the same time, the whole first part of this book is essentially character background that gives you the why Liv ended up in her summer vacation home. I would have liked to have seen King spend more time on the husbands character and maybe even completely omit the weird raw movie transcripts. He was a self absorbed wet noodle, but I wasn’t really buying the okay I’m packing up and going right now when it’s the middle of winter and it’s Armageddon out there. So after you’ve made it through roughly 200 pages of background and character development with not really much of a plot happening, you get to the actual plot line. The last two parts were a much quicker read and I finally found myself not asking “ok, so the point of this is…”
Overall, I’m glad I read it. It’s my first Tabitha King novel and I’m not deterred from picking up another.
After I finished this one I was torn between did I love it or did I hate it? Neither really.
There were aspects of this book that I absolutely loved. Tabitha, like the rest of the King family, can beautifully write a character driven story. At the same time, the whole first part of this book is essentially character background that gives you the why Liv ended up in her summer vacation home. I would have liked to have seen King spend more time on the husbands character and maybe even completely omit the weird raw movie transcripts. He was a self absorbed wet noodle, but I wasn’t really buying the okay I’m packing up and going right now when it’s the middle of winter and it’s Armageddon out there. So after you’ve made it through roughly 200 pages of background and character development with not really much of a plot happening, you get to the actual plot line. The last two parts were a much quicker read and I finally found myself not asking “ok, so the point of this is…”
Overall, I’m glad I read it. It’s my first Tabitha King novel and I’m not deterred from picking up another.
November 25, 2017
I don't like giving up on books, but there are too many waiting to be read to waste time on ones I'm not enjoying. So, I followed my 50 page rule and then closed it and put it on the charity shop pile.
The writing was odd and difficult to get into. The story was skipping around all over, and not going anywhere. I had no idea what was going on and didn't have the patience to stick around to find out.
The writing was odd and difficult to get into. The story was skipping around all over, and not going anywhere. I had no idea what was going on and didn't have the patience to stick around to find out.
January 12, 2023
I had been meaning to read something by Tabitha King for years and I'm glad I finally did. It's a shame this book isn't in print anymore and that ebooks and audiobooks of her work are readily available. I really enjoyed this story and thought it was very intense and a bit twisted, which I love. Lol I thought the first half could've been whittled down some because things don't take a dark turn until halfway, except for the first chapter. But I did enjoy her writing immensely and would like to read all of her books I can find.
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April 24, 2023dnf @ page 129. not even a mom buddy read could push me (or her) through this one.
February 4, 2025
very scary and graphic, overall interesting but nightmare worthy
December 22, 2021
Jesus Christ, took me long enough. Contains spoilers.
Characters: A decent range of characters. Liv is fiercely protective of her kids. Pat loves his family but is self-absorbed, a bit too focused on his Hollywood writer career. Sarah is kind of your stock whiny teenager. Travis is a naive kid but braver and stronger than his young age would suggest.
The opposing force consists of Rand the Rapist, Ricky the Stepbrother Rapist, and the idiot stepbrother, Gordy. The three of them have a clear hierarchy. Rand is the leader and dislikes both of his brothers but picks on Gordy the least. He instead physically abuses and bosses around his brother, Ricky, who responds by abusing Gordy, who doesn't really do much of anything other than follow his brothers around.
Plot: Jesus Christ, what the hell Mrs. King I saw so many reviews on Good Reads to the effect of "The first half was bad, but the latter half was good." I was on the fence of whether or not to stick it out. I'm generally pretty good at eventually finishing books, even those I dislike, mostly because I had to in order to ace all the lit classes I took in school and college. Only Andrew Klavan's "Empire of Lies" comes to mind as a book I picked up that I put down before even finishing the first chapter.
I'm not going to mince words. I think the first half of this book sucks a fat one. There's a decent prologue where Liv encounters the three brothers. But after that, it's boring. I literally just finished the book, and I absolutely can't remember much of anything about this first half. There's a cocktail party. Liv's tooth hurts. The family goes shopping for Christmas. Travis pukes up on Santa Claus. And it all just drags on forever.
You don't get to the central conflict advertised on the marking blurb into you are halfway through the book. If you're trying to illustrate the difficulties between Pat and Liv that lead to the separation, maybe have the cocaine discovery in Chapter 2. The "Pat bought a house in California without telling me" discovery can be in chapter 3 and then the separation. Chapter 1 can be the visit to Miss Alden with her house of secret passages.
Halfway through the book, when we DO get to the plot, it's actually pretty good. It becomes a genuine thrill to read. With the phone lines cut, Liv has to do what she can to placate the three brothers. Gordy is easy enough. He loves booze and movies. Rand the Rapist and Ricky the Stepbrother Rapist have far more deviant tastes. There's a rape scene in this book. It's faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar too graphic. What else can I say?
Climax: While not exactly a climactic battle between two forces, it was still very well done. Nothing is quite like running from a murdering rapist in the middle of a blizzard. But seriously, man. Don't you know what happens in cartoons and movies when the bad guy tries to go down the chimney to get to the hero?
Prose: Tabitha is truly excellent with words, especially describing the inhospitable brutality of winter as well as its beauty. You will feel the wind eating through your body, the snow blinding your eyes, and the frostbite in your limbs. I like the fact that her style is her own. She lacks King's folksy tone. She uses obscure thesaurus words , like "vituperation" but it's rare.
Conclusion: The moment you've been waiting for. So does the great second half of the book make up for the first half, which might function well as a sleep aid? As you can probably guess from the score, it just about evens out. This is my first Tabitha King book, so I have no idea how it compares to anything else on her bibliography. All I can say is that it's good overall. And I hope to pick up more books Tabitha's written
Characters: A decent range of characters. Liv is fiercely protective of her kids. Pat loves his family but is self-absorbed, a bit too focused on his Hollywood writer career. Sarah is kind of your stock whiny teenager. Travis is a naive kid but braver and stronger than his young age would suggest.
The opposing force consists of Rand the Rapist, Ricky the Stepbrother Rapist, and the idiot stepbrother, Gordy. The three of them have a clear hierarchy. Rand is the leader and dislikes both of his brothers but picks on Gordy the least. He instead physically abuses and bosses around his brother, Ricky, who responds by abusing Gordy, who doesn't really do much of anything other than follow his brothers around.
Plot: Jesus Christ, what the hell Mrs. King I saw so many reviews on Good Reads to the effect of "The first half was bad, but the latter half was good." I was on the fence of whether or not to stick it out. I'm generally pretty good at eventually finishing books, even those I dislike, mostly because I had to in order to ace all the lit classes I took in school and college. Only Andrew Klavan's "Empire of Lies" comes to mind as a book I picked up that I put down before even finishing the first chapter.
I'm not going to mince words. I think the first half of this book sucks a fat one. There's a decent prologue where Liv encounters the three brothers. But after that, it's boring. I literally just finished the book, and I absolutely can't remember much of anything about this first half. There's a cocktail party. Liv's tooth hurts. The family goes shopping for Christmas. Travis pukes up on Santa Claus. And it all just drags on forever.
You don't get to the central conflict advertised on the marking blurb into you are halfway through the book. If you're trying to illustrate the difficulties between Pat and Liv that lead to the separation, maybe have the cocaine discovery in Chapter 2. The "Pat bought a house in California without telling me" discovery can be in chapter 3 and then the separation. Chapter 1 can be the visit to Miss Alden with her house of secret passages.
Halfway through the book, when we DO get to the plot, it's actually pretty good. It becomes a genuine thrill to read. With the phone lines cut, Liv has to do what she can to placate the three brothers. Gordy is easy enough. He loves booze and movies. Rand the Rapist and Ricky the Stepbrother Rapist have far more deviant tastes. There's a rape scene in this book. It's faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar too graphic. What else can I say?
Climax: While not exactly a climactic battle between two forces, it was still very well done. Nothing is quite like running from a murdering rapist in the middle of a blizzard. But seriously, man. Don't you know what happens in cartoons and movies when the bad guy tries to go down the chimney to get to the hero?
Prose: Tabitha is truly excellent with words, especially describing the inhospitable brutality of winter as well as its beauty. You will feel the wind eating through your body, the snow blinding your eyes, and the frostbite in your limbs. I like the fact that her style is her own. She lacks King's folksy tone. She uses obscure thesaurus words , like "vituperation" but it's rare.
Conclusion: The moment you've been waiting for. So does the great second half of the book make up for the first half, which might function well as a sleep aid? As you can probably guess from the score, it just about evens out. This is my first Tabitha King book, so I have no idea how it compares to anything else on her bibliography. All I can say is that it's good overall. And I hope to pick up more books Tabitha's written
May 27, 2024
The first half is mind-numbingly boring and confusing, to the point where there’s a description of someone lighting a cigarette in 4 or 5 completely irrelevant steps.
Backstories covering several generations of characters that will never be mentioned again. Inserts of a screenplay (about the Vietnam war, what else) that are neither relevant nor entertaining. There are runon sentences that go on forever, my edition had more typos than I could count (including the main character’s name on the back cover! Livia instead of Olivia), and one of the characters for some unknown reason only refers to Olivia as O-liv-i-a. What the hell was that about?
That being said, the second half picks up tremendously and I couldn’t put it down until it was finished, and then I had trouble sleeping afterwards (something 70+ Stephen King books didn’t accomplish).
It’s scary, it’s thrilling, it’s disturbing, all in a good way. It’s a very good story, but the first 150 pages could have been 30, and the editing is atrocious.
Backstories covering several generations of characters that will never be mentioned again. Inserts of a screenplay (about the Vietnam war, what else) that are neither relevant nor entertaining. There are runon sentences that go on forever, my edition had more typos than I could count (including the main character’s name on the back cover! Livia instead of Olivia), and one of the characters for some unknown reason only refers to Olivia as O-liv-i-a. What the hell was that about?
That being said, the second half picks up tremendously and I couldn’t put it down until it was finished, and then I had trouble sleeping afterwards (something 70+ Stephen King books didn’t accomplish).
It’s scary, it’s thrilling, it’s disturbing, all in a good way. It’s a very good story, but the first 150 pages could have been 30, and the editing is atrocious.
September 19, 2010
read this one a few years back...the trap has to do w/the prologue and then some...a trap where an animal would be trapped. set on a lake...in maine, i believe. winter scenes, frozen lake...parting is all we know of heaven, as emily wrote, and all we need of hell....people get separated, physically, because that's what people do, all the time, and one falls prey to animals...as i recall anyway...and fights back....seemed like there was a happy ending.
this one fits nicely on the shelf with gerald's game and delores claiborne from her man.
this one fits nicely on the shelf with gerald's game and delores claiborne from her man.
February 11, 2016
This was a good one -- horror, with no trace of the supernatural -- just human nature at work. What could be more twisted than that? This reads so much like her hubby Stephen's work that I can't help but wonder if they are writing their books together.
January 4, 2011
Very well written book .... a pleasure to read
Want to read
April 11, 2011Stephen King's wife.
October 9, 2012
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Good story line with some surprises along the way. I didn't know that Tabitha was an author herself even though I have read her husband's stuff for years.
March 30, 2020
"The Trap" is my first Tabitha King book. I know she is married to Stephen King (I have read 15 of his novels so far) and mother to authors Joe Hill and Owen King. I enjoyed Joe Hill's "Heart-Shaped Box last May (2019). I decided to read all the writers in this talented family. Perhaps, one of these days, I might become brave enough to start Stephen and Owen King's 702 page "Sleeping Beauties".
This story is about a unhappy wife and mother. Her husband, a writer (seems to be a King's family theme- Stephen often has characters who are authors also) is away from home in California making a movie. In addition, he has added a new addiction (cocaine, sound like anyone we know ?). Her two children are driving her crazy, and her teeth are causing her pain. Much to my chagrin, the first 100 pages, this is all that happens. The villains, three young Maine rednecks are briefly introduced in the beginning but don't return until the last third of the book. During this time, I was tempted to stop reading. Luckily, the last third of the novel got much better (and the heroine's suffering increased). Stephen King is often criticized for his endings, but the ending of Tabitha King's book was satisfying.
I am aware that I was not probably the intended audience. This book was similar to a J. D. Robb novel that I read years ago. Both books are written by women about women and their relationships.
As a single 62 year old man, these issues are not very important to me.
Let's just say that Tabitha King's "The Trap" was not "my cup of tea". I grade it 5/10 or 2.5 stars, but I am still happy that I finished it.
This story is about a unhappy wife and mother. Her husband, a writer (seems to be a King's family theme- Stephen often has characters who are authors also) is away from home in California making a movie. In addition, he has added a new addiction (cocaine, sound like anyone we know ?). Her two children are driving her crazy, and her teeth are causing her pain. Much to my chagrin, the first 100 pages, this is all that happens. The villains, three young Maine rednecks are briefly introduced in the beginning but don't return until the last third of the book. During this time, I was tempted to stop reading. Luckily, the last third of the novel got much better (and the heroine's suffering increased). Stephen King is often criticized for his endings, but the ending of Tabitha King's book was satisfying.
I am aware that I was not probably the intended audience. This book was similar to a J. D. Robb novel that I read years ago. Both books are written by women about women and their relationships.
As a single 62 year old man, these issues are not very important to me.
Let's just say that Tabitha King's "The Trap" was not "my cup of tea". I grade it 5/10 or 2.5 stars, but I am still happy that I finished it.
September 24, 2017
Mi sono avvicinata a questo libro perché, lo ammetto, in quanto fan di Stephen King, ero curiosa di sapere come scrivesse la moglie.
In una famiglia di scrittori, dove si respira il profumo di libri quotidianamente, di sicuro si parte bene. Ho anche pensato che il marito avrebbe dato una mano alla moglie e quindi mi sono messa a leggere con tutte le migliori intenzioni.
Molti pareri di altri lettori erano positivi sullo stile della signora King ed io ero curiosa di vedere le differenze fra lei e il marito.
Mi ha fatto molto piacere constatare l'assenza dell'ingombrante presenza di Stephen King e la presenza della bravura di Tabitha.
Ancora più della storia, devo dire che ho apprezzato lo stile, una scrittura scorrevole e coinvolgente.
Il ritmo lo trovo molto equilibrato e completo di tutte le sfaccettature dell'animo umano.
E' incalzante e avvincente, poetico e riflessivo, tutto nei tempi corretti, di più non poteva fare direi.
Il momento del tè a casa dell'anziana vicina, l'irruzione in casa e le scene all'aperto nella neve sono momenti molto diversi tra loro, ma che rendono bene le molteplici sfaccettature presenti in questo libro.
La storia in sé, all'inizio è un po' lenta, ma si sviluppa bene in un crescendo sempre più coinvolgente.
A volte crudo, a volte violento a volte tenero, a volte poetico, questo libro è stato una bella avventura.
Tabitha è tosta, caspita se lo è, e questo si riflette nel suo romanzo.
In una famiglia di scrittori, dove si respira il profumo di libri quotidianamente, di sicuro si parte bene. Ho anche pensato che il marito avrebbe dato una mano alla moglie e quindi mi sono messa a leggere con tutte le migliori intenzioni.
Molti pareri di altri lettori erano positivi sullo stile della signora King ed io ero curiosa di vedere le differenze fra lei e il marito.
Mi ha fatto molto piacere constatare l'assenza dell'ingombrante presenza di Stephen King e la presenza della bravura di Tabitha.
Ancora più della storia, devo dire che ho apprezzato lo stile, una scrittura scorrevole e coinvolgente.
Il ritmo lo trovo molto equilibrato e completo di tutte le sfaccettature dell'animo umano.
E' incalzante e avvincente, poetico e riflessivo, tutto nei tempi corretti, di più non poteva fare direi.
Il momento del tè a casa dell'anziana vicina, l'irruzione in casa e le scene all'aperto nella neve sono momenti molto diversi tra loro, ma che rendono bene le molteplici sfaccettature presenti in questo libro.
La storia in sé, all'inizio è un po' lenta, ma si sviluppa bene in un crescendo sempre più coinvolgente.
A volte crudo, a volte violento a volte tenero, a volte poetico, questo libro è stato una bella avventura.
Tabitha è tosta, caspita se lo è, e questo si riflette nel suo romanzo.
August 3, 2017
This is my first novel by Tabitha King and it won't be my last. Overall I'd give The Trap a 3.5 star rating. I
tend to round up.
I enjoyed Tabitha's writing style right off the bat noting her descriptive language and depth of character. I enjoyed it so much I couldn't put the book down, anticipating the climax in which I knew little about upon starting. I chose this book for its disturbing subject matter similar to the films I Spit on your Grave and Last House on the Left . That being said I'm sure you know what that leads to...
Although the climax was decent, there were still slightly predictable parts and I personally found the counterparts of the movie script within- "Firefight" extremely irrelevant.
Conclusively I'd call myself a new fan of Tabitha King. She doesn't hold back in detail and this particular story held my attention even through all the meticulous descriptions. I do wish the antagonists were a larger part of the story however. Tabitha more than achieved the fear of monsters among us and makes us realize how unsafe we can sometimes be even in our own home.
tend to round up.
I enjoyed Tabitha's writing style right off the bat noting her descriptive language and depth of character. I enjoyed it so much I couldn't put the book down, anticipating the climax in which I knew little about upon starting. I chose this book for its disturbing subject matter similar to the films I Spit on your Grave and Last House on the Left . That being said I'm sure you know what that leads to...
Although the climax was decent, there were still slightly predictable parts and I personally found the counterparts of the movie script within- "Firefight" extremely irrelevant.
Conclusively I'd call myself a new fan of Tabitha King. She doesn't hold back in detail and this particular story held my attention even through all the meticulous descriptions. I do wish the antagonists were a larger part of the story however. Tabitha more than achieved the fear of monsters among us and makes us realize how unsafe we can sometimes be even in our own home.
August 11, 2019
Liv Russell is a bit elusive, which makes her more interesting. So many female heroines have a mass-produced feel. She doesn't become as angry or impatient with her husband and teenage daughter as I would, and that patience is what makes her the perfect mother for Travis. (And meshes with the pragmatism that probably saves her life.) He is at once too mature and too babyish for his age. Husband Pat is annoying but probably redeemable. Even her rapist seems like he's more than meets the eye. It doesn't seem quite believable that he would be satisfied to remain in the slow moving world with his brothers.
At the end I felt dropped off by the side of the road. Is Liv going to build a house while Pat goes off to California? Were her health problems really solved by a visit to the dentist or is a foot about to drop? Can a small vacation town in Maine produce enough pottery to support five employees? King could write ten more Nodds Ridge books and I'd read them all. Her writing style and story lines suit me.
At the end I felt dropped off by the side of the road. Is Liv going to build a house while Pat goes off to California? Were her health problems really solved by a visit to the dentist or is a foot about to drop? Can a small vacation town in Maine produce enough pottery to support five employees? King could write ten more Nodds Ridge books and I'd read them all. Her writing style and story lines suit me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2020
Partiamo dal presupposto che se ci metto 7 giorni a finire un libro non è che mi abbia entusiasmato. Detto questo devo dire che non basta chiamarsi King per scrivere un buon libro.
Fino a metà libro ci viene presentata la situazione di famiglia, e questa parte secondo me è molto autobiografica, con la moglie che non fa che litigare con il marito che non è mai a casa e che fa uso di droga. E i figli che si dividono equamente con la figlia tredicenne unita al padre e il bimbo di 4 che adora la madre.
La cosa che dà fastidio, secondo me, da donna, è la passività di lei di fronte alla situazione, finché avviene l'irreparabile: i coniugi si dividono, e lei si ritira nella casa estiva con il bimbo.
Ma essendo pieno inverno, una tormenta li sorprende, e tre delinquenti si intrufolano in casa loro e li terrorizzano tenendoli in ostaggio.
Per me è una storia troppo prolissa, che si potrebbe benissimo raccontare con la metà delle pagine, e non entusiasma affatto, non rende partecipi più di tanto della vicenda e alla fine lascia poco come storia.
Fino a metà libro ci viene presentata la situazione di famiglia, e questa parte secondo me è molto autobiografica, con la moglie che non fa che litigare con il marito che non è mai a casa e che fa uso di droga. E i figli che si dividono equamente con la figlia tredicenne unita al padre e il bimbo di 4 che adora la madre.
La cosa che dà fastidio, secondo me, da donna, è la passività di lei di fronte alla situazione, finché avviene l'irreparabile: i coniugi si dividono, e lei si ritira nella casa estiva con il bimbo.
Ma essendo pieno inverno, una tormenta li sorprende, e tre delinquenti si intrufolano in casa loro e li terrorizzano tenendoli in ostaggio.
Per me è una storia troppo prolissa, che si potrebbe benissimo raccontare con la metà delle pagine, e non entusiasma affatto, non rende partecipi più di tanto della vicenda e alla fine lascia poco come storia.
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