Der Mädchenwald

by Sam Lloyd

...und auch so bitterkalt.

Auf dem Weg zum Jugendschachturnier wird die 13-jährige Elissa entführt. Als sie erwacht, liegt sie in einem dunklen Keller. Ihre Situation scheint aussichtslos - bis Elijah ihr Verlies entdeckt und sie heimlich zu besuchen beginnt.

Elijah ist ein Einzelgänger, der mit seinen Eltern in einer abgeschiedenen Hütte im Wald lebt. Er kennt keine Handys und kein Internet, aber er weiß, es ist nicht richtig, dass Elissa gefangen gehalten wird; er weiß, er sollte jemandem davon erzählen. Aber er weiß auch, dass sein Leben aus den Fugen geraten wird, wenn die Wahrheit ans Licht kommt. Denn Elissa ist nicht die erste, die in den Mädchenwald gebracht wurde.

Während draußen die Polizistin DI MacCullagh alle Hebel in Bewegung setzt, um das Mädchen zu finden, erkennt Elissa, dass ihr nur mit Elijahs Hilfe die Flucht gelingen kann. Doch der Junge ist sehr viel cleverer, als er zu sein vorgibt. Und er hat längst begonnen, das Spiel nach seinen Regeln zu spielen...

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Horror, Psychological Thriller

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 20, 2020

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the face of it, this appears to be just another abductor/abductee story, but actually, it comes with a terrific twist, in this debut novel from Sam Lloyd.

The storyline revolves around 12 year old Elijah who has lived in Memory Wood for a very long time and 13 year old chess champion Elissa. Elissa has just arrived at Memory Wood, she’s been abducted and is being held in a cellar beneath the surrounding woods. Elijah visits her and wants to be her friend, so Elissa asks if he’ll help her to return to her mum, but he can’t promise that - he wouldn’t dare, however, he does promise to come back and see her.

The police officer in charge of the missing person investigation, Mairead, has personal problems of her own, but these have to be put aside in order to discover Elissa’s whereabouts and bring this abduction to a safe and satisfactory conclusion.

Well written with some very scary characters, terrific twists, and a fresh spin on the usual abduction stories, The Memory Wood is not one to be quickly forgotten!

* Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan, Picador for my ARC for which I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this isn’t a best seller in the making I’ll eat my rather stylish trilby! This is a book that makes your eyes pop, inhale and forget to exhale, your jaw drop and utter the odd (mild obviously) expletive and sometimes all four at the same time which probably isn’t pretty. To sum up what this story is about is hard but basically the central aspect is the abduction of 13 year old Elissa Mirzoyan whilst she attends a chess competition in Bournemouth. She is manacled in the cellar of a ‘Gingerbread House’ in the creepy ‘Memory Wood’ where she realises that she is not the first occupant which crystallises her desire to survive her ordeal. Elijah lives in a cottage in the woods, he is friendless and not at all worldly wise. They become Hansel and Gretel and what ensues in this terrifying story is so twisty it’s tortuous. Just as you think you have the answer to this another twist comes. It’s a horror/mystery, wrapped in a puzzle and tied up with an enigma and I love it!

This book is very well written and although it’s told from three perspectives (Elissa, Elijah and D Supt Mairead MacCullagh) the story flows effortlessly. Elissa is simply amazing. I love the way she uses chess and chess gambits in order to survive and her cleverness defies her years. Elijah’s story is so sad it makes you want to weep and Mairead ties her own circumstances to the investigation thus making it deeply personal. This story is dark, like the grimmest of Grimm's Fairy Tales and it has many analogies and characters you would find in fairy tales and I’m not talking Disney here. There’s Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, there’s a witch or hag, there’s a good huntress and a huntsman, who doubles as the big bad wolf, we have a gingerbread house and no fairy tale is complete without a dark wood. On occasion, it has a feel of a horror movie as some of the images are so visual and interspersed are dark but appropriate Biblical quotations that add another dimension. The ending - oh my stars - what can I say? Bated breath? Yes, yes, yes and a little tear in my eye.

Overall, an incredible book which I could barely tear myself away from, in fact, my kindle had to be almost prised from my hands as I read far into the night! Highly recommended if you like dark and twisty.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC.
Expected publication 20/2/20.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Lloyd's debut psychological thriller is unforgettable, a nightmare, a chilling depiction of child abduction. 13 year old Elissa, a bright girl and gifted chess player, and her single parent mother, Lena, make their way from their home in Salisbury to a Chess competition in a Bournemouth hotel. Elissa is abducted outside the venue, a drugged Elissa wakes up to find herself manacled in a underground cellar. She is discovered and visited by a desperately lonely 12 year old Elijah. Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood, his home, for as long as he can remember, an intelligent boy, he has been starved of company. Elissa wants him to help her, but Elijah does not want to lose a friend, despite knowing where it will all end as he offers her the advice of complying with the abductor's demands for survival.

Elissa is a plucky and determined girl, approaching and framing her terrifying predicament in terms that she is at home with and familiar, the world of chess. She deploys the strategies of the game, one with a challenging opponent, where the stakes are as high as they possible could be, her life depends on her winning the match. Elijah's interest is immediately caught by chess as Elissa explains the rules of a game he has never come across before. He wants to play chess with her more than anything, with Elissa dangling the possibility of achieving his goal, hoping to manipulate him into inadvertently helping her. Elissa's dire scenario and relationship with Elijah is viewed through the lens of the terrors and horrors of children's fairytales, with the Gingerbread house, Hansel and Gretel, the ghoul that is the abductor and an evil witch. Leading the hunt for Elissa is Detective Superintendent Mairead MacCullagh, having to handle despairing personal circumstances that have her identifying closely with Elissa and the pain of her mother, Lena. Can she find Elissa before the worst happens?

Sam Lloyd writes an atmospheric, immersive and eerie novel, located in the creepy Memory Wood where so many are memorialised and remembered. It is a twisted story of malevolent forces at play, unreliable memories, mental health issues, broken souls, and the most horrifying of crimes committed against vulnerable and innocent children. This is disturbing and the most unsettling of storytelling, but it is such compulsive reading matter. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCERPT: She can't be in here. She can't. And yet when I angle my head, there she is.

(Her) face looks like a piece of steak left too long on a barbecue, cracked and burnt and black. Her hair is gone, along with her ears and most of her nose. Clear fluid seeps from the fissures in her flesh.

Only her eyes have been spared. They stare with dreadful intensity, two baleful emeralds that have soaked up all the inferno's heat.

'Look at me, Elijah,' she whispers.

I scrunch up my eyes, turn my face to the floor. 'Look at me.'

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood for as long as he can remember. It’s the only home he’s ever known.

Elissa has only just arrived. And she’ll do everything she can to escape.

When Elijah stumbles across thirteen-year-old Elissa, in the woods where her abductor is hiding her, he refuses to alert the police. Because in his twelve years, Elijah has never had a proper friend. And he doesn’t want Elissa to leave.

Not only that, Elijah knows how this can end. After all, Elissa isn’t the first girl he’s found inside the Memory Wood.

As her abductor’s behaviour grows more erratic, Elissa realises that outwitting strange, lonely Elijah is her only hope of survival. Their cat-and-mouse game of deception and betrayal will determine both their fates, and whether either of them will ever leave the Memory Wood . . .

MY THOUGHTS: I read the first 70% of The Memory Wood in one sitting, unable to put it down. This is one heck of a debut novel! Twisty. Twisted. Incredibly creepy and compelling. Addictive. This is not your run of the mill abduction story.

The characters are scary. Very scary. Malevolent and scary. Mentally unstable and scary. Even the setting is scary - Memory Wood, where the trees are decorated in memory of people who have passed, not peacefully, and for whom you will never find graves or death certificates.

I have never read anything quite so nightmarish from a debut author, so well plotted and executed. Sam Lloyd has not put one word wrong. This author has a bright future ahead.

😱😱😱😱😱

#TheMemoryWood #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Sam Lloyd grew up in Hampshire, making up stories and building secret hideaways in his local woods. These days he lives in Surrey with his wife, three young sons and a dog that likes to howl. The Memory Wood is his debut thriller.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for providing a digital ARC of The Memory Wood by Sam Lloyd for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Rodrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTICO, INCREIBLE UN GRAN THRILLER!!!
A mis favoritos que va! una de mis mejores lecturas de lo que va de año.
Me ha gustado todo, bueno casi todo, lo que mas me ha podido chirriar han sido los razonamientos de una niña de 13 años!!, quitando eso lo demás ha sido fantástico.
Gran ambientación de la opresión de los encerrados, sientes su angustia, terror, pena, deseos, anhelos en fin todas las sensaciones.
Me ha gustado com esta estructurado el libro con capítulos de los distintos protagonistas la niña el captor o un secuaz y la inspectora a cargo del caso.
El inicio parece algo confuso ya que no comenzamos por el principio sino que estamos en una situación ya avanzada de la historia pero luego hay un retroceso o flashback y la historia comienza por el principio.
El final ha sido muy bueno con un par de giros antes que ni los ves venir...
Ritmo bueno y personajes bien perfilados.
Espero que traduzcan mas de este autor.
Valoración: 10/10
Sinopsis: En el día más importante de su aún breve vida, Elissa es secuestrada. Horas después, despierta en un lugar que no conoce, atada a un poste metálico. Mientras su raptor la apabulla con extrañas preguntas, la situación de la niña parece complicarse… hasta que Elijah, de diez años, la encuentra.

Elijah sabe que debería contar lo que ha visto, pero su instinto le advierte de que, si lo hace, perderá todo lo que tiene. Al fin y al cabo, Elissa no es la primera niña a la que descubre en el Bosque de la Memoria.

Elissa sabe que debe actuar. Solamente convenciendo a Elijah para que la ayude tendrá alguna oportunidad de sobrevivir. Pero intentar manipularlo es peligroso, pues es mucho más listo de lo que parece. Empieza entones un juego mortal de engaño y traición llevará al límite a todos quienes entren en él.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very dark and creepy thriller - the stuff of dark fairy tales of missing children lost in the dark woods.

Elissa is a thirteen year old chess prodigy, drugged and abducted from a car park outside a chess tournament. When she comes round she finds herself manacled to the rough floor in a dark cellar of a tumbledown cottage. Her kidnapper, a foul smelling brute of a man she calls the ghoul, brings her food and water only if she does what she's told. She's also visited by a boy called Elijah who says he's twelve, has lived there all his life and knows of other children who have been kept in the cellar. He is lonely and wants Elissa to be his friend so won't help her escape. He tells her they are like Hansel and Gretel in the Gingerbread Cottage, surrounded by woods where trees are memorials to the dead.

Told from three perspectives, that of Elissa, Elijah and DS Mairead McCullagh who is in charge of the investigation, at first sight this appears to be a classic child abduction case but takes a very disturbing and twisted turn half way through. It's very atmospheric, with Elijah's brother toting a gun and roaming the woods killing wildlife, a 'magic' woman who lives in a caravan and the ghoulish man himself who Elijah calls Papa. An original debut novel and excellent addition to this genre.

With thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a digital ARC to read

[La loca de los libros · Rating 5 out of 5]

¿Qué sinopsis tan intrigante y atrayente verdad? Pues lo que el interior nos depara es mucho mejor.
Veamos ⬇

A partir de una trama tan dura como lo es el secuestro infantil se esconde una historia muy perturbadora y retorcida.
Donde veremos de qué es capaz el ser humano con tal de sobrevivir y que nos deparará más de una sorpresa, muy bien llevada por cierto.

Conoceremos los detalles de primera mano con el peculiar personaje de Elijah, que será quien nos presente la historia en primer lugar, él nos dará su perspectiva en primera persona intercalando sus capítulos durante toda la trama, luego se nos mostrará la perspectiva de la joven secuestrada, Elissa, que a pesar de contar con tan solo 13 años a veces parecía mayor por sus pensamientos y conducta, algo que achaqué y puede ser debido a su afición al ajedrez lo que la hace ser más madura y avispada, y por último, conoceremos también el punto de vista de la investigación policial de la mano de la encargada del caso, la agente Mairéad MacCullagh, pero esta vez sus historias nos vendrán contadas en segunda persona.

Los personajes están muy bien construidos y perfilados, destacando su gran carga emocional y psicológica que nos hará vincularnos inevitablemente con su drama.
Los personajes principales, Elissa y Elijah, crearán un vínculo rápidamente al ser este el único contacto de la joven con el exterior. Pero no todo es lo que parece ser en un principio... 🤐 ¿O si?

El ritmo es muy fluido con esa alternancia en los personajes que nos hace conocer la perspectiva y modo de captar la realidad de cada uno, y la historia tiene tanta carga de intriga que lo leerás casi sin darte cuenta.
Hay algunos puntos que parece que queden sin explicar pero ya cada uno sacará sus propias conclusiones y le dará la lectura que considere más oportuna, a mi me ha absorbido y maravillado tanto que por eso mi puntuación tan alta.

Adéntrate en esta emotiva historia y descubre qué secretos se esconden tras El bosque de la memoria ❤

📚 https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚

[Natalia Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impresionante historia de un secuestro y la maldad humana. Muy buena trama y personajes, me ha encantado.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billed as the must read book of 2020 and described as chilling, moving and unputdownable, “The Memory Wood” is certainly a book to be looking out for next year and was admittedly a read I did not expect.
“Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood for as long as he can remember. It’s the only home he’s ever known. Elissa has only just arrived. And she’ll do everything she can to escape......” With a premise as intriguing as that, it was impossible not to get addicted to the story from the very first page. Due to the twists and turns in the plot, you’re really kept on your toes and the emotional rollercoaster you’re on when the story plays out, really draws you in and doesn’t let go. Told from the perspective of three characters only - frail twelve year old Elijah, thirteen year old chess prodigy Elissa and DS Mairead MacCullagh, I liked how the chapters overlapped between Elijah and Elissa and how they expressed their intense thoughts and feelings. Mairead’s personal and emotional issues during the investigation into Elissa’s disappearance was truly palpable and my heart went out to her when she discovered her worst fears had come true again. The author chose a denouement that was both powerful and emotionally charged and I’m not frightened to admit I did feel tearful during the last few pages. The first half of the book was a slow build and often a little repetitive but this created a sinister and creepy atmosphere. The second half kicked off with a cruel race against time and I couldn’t help but be totally invested in the rescue of Elissa. She was a very clever, mature and likeable girl and the author has created a brilliant character that showed strength and determination not to leave her mother alone should she die.
Written by Sam Lloyd, I understand the germ of the idea came when he drove his son to a chess tournament at a busy secondary school venue and a wife who constantly worried about imagined nightmare scenarios involving their first born son. Something every parent at some point imagines and which is totally relatable and normal. The author then plotted the story around these events and ended up with a novel that’s unforgettable, nightmarish and totally unique.
Fantastically written, tensely plotted and perfectly executed, I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Memory Wood”, it had everything I like from an original thriller and I expect it to be a much sought after bestseller as soon as it’s released.
5 shiny but creepy stars!

Thank you to Love Reading for my copy of the book in return for my honest opinion.

[Javir11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10

Venía con grandes expectativas a esta lectura y aunque la he disfrutado, no puedo negar que me esperaba un 5 estrellas, y quitando el primer tercio en el que llegué a pensar en ellas, el resto no está a ese nivel, de hecho el desenlace me ha parecido bastante flojito.

A su favor tiene un inicio en el que se busca desconcertar al espectador y creo que su autor lo consigue, no sabes muy bien que está pasando y empiezas a teorizar sobre que podría ser. El problema es que conforme avanza y se va descubriendo el pastel, el conjunto va perdiendo gracia, de hecho al final ha perdido una estrella por el desenlace.

No es ni mucho menos una mala lectura, de hecho se iba a llevar 4 estrellas, pero le falta atrapar mejor al lector y bastante coherencia al conjunto. Hay partes poco creíbles y otras que no aportan nada en verdad, como todos los problemas de la investigadora jefe, que si no existieran tampoco hubiera cambiado nada.

En definitiva, novela que está bien, pero de la que esperaba más, no tiene malos mimbres, pero tampoco creo que vaya a recordarla dentro de 1 año.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thirteen-year-old chess prodigy Elissa Mirzoyan is abducted in the middle of a tournament after leaving the venue to fetch one of her possessions from the car. The kidnapper, nicknamed The Ghoul by Elissa, thrust her into the back of his van and spirited her away to The Memory Wood. When she wakes from her slumber she realises that she is chained and being held captive and notices she is covered in bruises. She wonders how she will escape her godawful situation and her only hope is if long-term memory wood resident twelve-year-old Elijah decides to come to her rescue. However, young Elijah is extremely lonely and isolated from the world and he decides he wants to keep Elissa close to him for his own selfish needs. It soon becomes clear that both Elijah and his brother, Kyle, are very odd and complex characters with many dark secrets to hide. Can Elissa persuade Elijah to free her?

This is a chillingly macabre and disturbing tale and it got under my skin so effectively that I actually dreamed about the story. It captivates and enthrals from first chapter to last and was gruesomely twisty and superbly plotted. The tension was expertly ratcheted up and the underlying mystique and foreboding atmosphere was a large part of why the book ended up feeling so deliciously dark, creepy and sinister. The Memory Wood is a complex and accomplished novel with an ominous fairytale vibe to it and I was stunned by Ms Lloyd’s ability to elevate the book above the formulaic, run-of-the-mill standard often experienced in the genre. If you're a fan of thrillers that move at a swift pace, have a cast of intriguing characters and consistently whip you up into an exciting frenzy then I feel this should be on the list of all self-proclaimed crime connoisseurs.

I expect this to become one of the biggest thrillers of 2020 as it certainly deserves to be. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Many thanks to Bantam Press for an ARC.

[STEPH · Rating 4 out of 5]

***SPOILER ALERT***

I'm probably not the only one but who cried at the ending?

So many books about kidnapping and confinement but this one is darker than your typical child abduction case. I specifically fell in love with the main character, I loved how perceptive and clever she was regardless of her situation. The actual theme of the story was very unsettling. When I think about the pitch black dungeon where she was held, I couldn't help but feel unnerved and shaken up. The author did a great job in creating a very realistic interpretation of fear and despair with a necessary touch of creepiness.

There were a few things I felt uncomfortable with. For instance; DS MacCullagh, I would've wanted to see her as a vital part of the victim's rescue, like, she was in-charge after all, but, she was kind of useless throughout the whole investigation. She was throwing up and feeling sick all the time and that's the only thing I remember about her. She didn't solve anything, if it wasn't for Elissa's quick thinking, she wouldn't have survived, I don't think the DS will have a clue what happened to her. I would've been more interested about the captor's POV instead of a non-stop vomit fest from the DS. It would give me a deeper understanding of his motives.

Still, I liked "The Memory Wood" so much. It broke my heart and stirred my emotions. I cried for "Elijah" and my heart broke for Elissa.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stand alone thriller published 2020

A nail biting 5 star read.

Imagine standing in the middle of a dense forest, how still it feels and how dark it is but behind this dark serenity there’s a sense of foreboding. A fear of the unknown. A fear of what might be lurking in the shadows.
This book is all of that and much more besides.

This starts of as a cruel, vindictive child abduction but soon evolves into something so much more.

Elissa Mirzoyan is a quiet, introspective 13 yo girl who has but one passion in her life, chess.
Whilst at a chess competition, in the company of her mother, Elissa returns to the family car to retrieve some article when she is rendered unconscious and abducted.

When she comes to she finds herself chained to the wall of a dark, filthy, smelly room.

But Ellisa is no ordinary 13 yo. Her world is chess, a passion that demands her to analyse every move before she commits. So, rather than sliding into to fear and depression her first thoughts are to analyse her situation.
It’s during this time that a young 12yo boy comes into the room. His name is Elijah and he seems to be friendly and sympathetic to Ellisa’s situation but is either unable or unwilling to help free Ellisa.
All Elijah wants is to be friends with Ellisa but, understandably, friendship is not Ellisa’s top priority. But Ellisa soon realises that if she is to stand any chance of getting free Elijah has to become the tool that unlocks her prison.

As weird and awful as this all sounds, believe me, “you aint seen nothing yet”
This is an intense experience that will quickly get your nails down to the quick.

Highly recommended.

[Gabyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sencillamente ESPECTACULAR!! que buen thriller.
Me ha durado un suspiro, si bien al principio dije madre mía que es ésto xq no entendía ni jota después se aclara el asunto y te engancha de una manera que no veas... La historia se cuenta desde la perspectiva de 3 personajes, el autor desde el comienzo nos hace caer en una carga emocional tanto por lo que viven los protas como por la ambientación y la atmòsfera creada, sientes la angustia, la opresión, el miedo, uff.
La pluma ágil, capítulos intercalados de los personajes Elissa, Elijah y la inspectora que ponen a cargo del caso. Los personajes super bien perfilados y construidos, yo creo que eso es lo que nos hace sentir esa carga emocional y el vínculo con la historia
El razonamiento de la niña son palabras mayores, se me hace mucho para su edad pero tal vez por la aficiòn que tiene sea así.
Hubo un par de giros que no me vi venir y me dejaron con cara de no manches como no lo vi!!
El final super bueno me encantó.
Lo recomiendo? pero por supuesto que si, no se arrepentiràn de leerlo. Una muy buena lectura

[Kristina Dauksiene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pasakojimas iš vaiko perspektyvos?..na jau čia tikrai ne mano...
Obettačiau...3 val nakties-užverčiau paskutinį puslapį- kabliukas pagavo, ir suvyniojo😃
Pabaiga iš ties dvelkia Holivudu, bet iki tol, istorijos siūlas stipriai suraizgytas, negaila praleistų valandų jį bepainiojant!
**********************************
A story from a child's perspective?..well, this is definitely not mine...
Well...3 am - I turned the last page - the hook caught it and wrapped it up😃
The ending really smells like Hollywood, but until then, the thread of the story is very tangled, I don't regret the hours spent unraveling it!

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elissa a thirteen year old girl has been abducted from a car park. There is a witness who sees her being bungled into a white van. The police are called and it's a race against time to find the girl alive.
When Elissa wakes up she is in some sort of dungeon. There is no light and she remembers that she has been drugged and taken against her will.
She is visited by two people, a man that she finds very frightening and a person who says he is trying to help her.
All she can think of is escaping.
I enjoyed the first part of this book but the second half I found the story to be confusing and repetitive in some parts.
Lots of twists and turns and a constant uneasy feeling that something terrible is about to happen.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
This was a solid psychological thriller that was well paced and plotted. Often I dislike books written from the perspective of children (especially precocious ones) but it worked very well in this case. The story was absolutely compelling and I was honestly hooked from beginning to end. There were some fantastic twists and turns, most of which I did not see coming. I also really appreciated the police officer's personal story, which depicted the emotional devastation of infertility and miscarriage. Needless to say, I would highly recommend this one to any thriller reader.

[Jess☺️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Memory Wood by Sam Lloyd is a dark disturbing mind twist of a book with characters you think you've read about before to only realize NOPE you haven't.
It is an absolutely great page turner with a storyline to keep you wanting more, this is definitely a book you need to read but be warned your not going to bed until you've finished 📖

[Justina Neliubšienė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knygos pradžia įtraukė iš karto, sakyčiau net užbūrė. Daugybė netikėtų posūkių, stebinantis, kitoks trileris. Bet va su pabaiga šiek tiek paskubėta. Bet šiaip tikrai geras trileris. 😉

[Esti Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta novela es la historia del secuestro de una niña, durante los siete días que dura el cautiverio. Esta temática la tenemos en un montón de libros, no es algo original, sin embargo el autor construye la trama con un buen ritmo, con intriga y con buenos personajes. Es atrapante.
A medida que avanza la narración, el autor nos va dando miguitas de información, no muy clara, permitiendo que elaboremos nuestra propia teoría. A veces nos confunde y otras veces nos revela cosas importantes.
Yo no lo he visto todo claro hasta casi el final.
Me ha gustado bastante. Lo recomiendo 👍

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This genre wise is part Police-procedural part psychological thriller.
13-year-old Elissa Mirzoyan is kidnapped from a local chess tournament and hidden in the basement of a run-down cottage on a private estate that Elijah has named the memory wood.
Elijah lives on the estate grounds with his family and is aware of the hidden underground basement.
Lonely and desperate for company he takes to visiting Elissa whenever he can just like he did with the previous basement occupant before her.
DS Mairead Maccullogh is the lead investigator assigned to the abduction case and she knows she's in a race against the clock and operating on borrowed time if she wants to save Elissa from her fate.
Also Elissa herself will have to use every tool at her disposal to keep herself alive long enough to be rescued.
So this was an interesting page-turner with many twists and turns throughout.
Its told from various POV’s, has many different plot swerves and was overall an enjoyable experience.
So I did feel that this was a little slow at times in regard to the plot direction and I also didn't think this adequately explained the whys and whatnots when it came to the reasoning behind the abduction.
The psychological factors for me are the main part of the draw and I thought this missed the mark massively in that regard, definitely leaving unanswered questions over how Elissa was chosen, was it just random? and most importantly the why of it all and though I did kind of work it out myself (I think) it was never actually confirmed to my complete satisfaction leaving loose ends that niggled me slightly.
Also, what did they ultimately want with her like the overall purpose and point here that was also kind of hazy?
Character-wise if we leave Elissa and Elijah out of the picture I thought we only scraped the surface when it came to deeper analysis only getting a two-dimensional view of all else involved in this beside those two.
Finally, I loved that this was set in my neck of the woods Shropshire, in fact, I live just a few miles away from the mentioned town so felt quite at home geographically.
In conclusion an intriguing read with some surprising twists.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of The Memory Lake.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very weird book that unfortunately missed the mark for me.

I really struggled to get into the book at the start. The characters are odd and the writing was weird.

But then we are introduced to two new characters and I liked those perspectives so I started to enjoy the book a lot more.

But the ending was weird and odd. It just was a bit too out there. It's hard to explain without giving spoilers but I wasn't a fan

I felt the whole book was too long. I got bored in quite a few parts because it felt like it was dragging on and on.

The ending also seemed to drag on for a while, probably longer than it needed to.

There was elements of this, I quite enjoyed like the focus on chess.

Its definitely a different thriller, if that's your kind of thing but it just wasn't for me unfortunately but it certainly was not a bad book at all.

TW: miscarriage

[Repix Pix · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Absolutamente increíble!

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obrzydzenie i fascynacja, wewnętrzne wzburzenie i prawdziwa satysfakcja z lektury.

Ten dreszczowiec potrafi wzburzyć krew w czytelniku! Już dawno nie czułam tak skrajnych emocji podczas lektury. Od pierwszych chwil miałam wrażenie, przeczucie nawet, że obcuję z czymś skrajnie obślizgłym, czymś, co ukrywa się za pozorami niewinności. Jak w baśni o Jasiu i Małgosi Braci Grimm – domek z piernika to tylko słodka otoczka, to lukier i farbka, które kryją pod powierzchnią najgorsze możliwe zło.

Sam Lloyd idzie za tym konceptem, snując historię porwanej dziewczynki oraz chłopca, który towarzyszy jej w cierpieniu. Jest domek w lesie, jest wilgotna piwnica, jest obietnica. Między słowami jednak czai się coś obrzydliwego. Coś tak lepkiego, nieświeżego, że można odnieść wrażenie obcowania z pomalowanym, gnijącym ciałem, które tylko udaje życie.

Być może to zasługa doskonałego, operującego równie baśniowym językiem tłumaczenia Agnieszki Waluik lub samego autora, ale „Schronisko” tworzy atmosferę tak koszmarną, tak niepokojącą, że aż ciarki przechodzą podczas lektury. Sam Lloyd naprawdę nie oszczędza ani swoich bohaterów, ani swoich czytelników. Wykreował zagadkę na najwyższym poziomie, zmuszając nas niejako, by brnąć przez ten las, by meandrować między drzewami, by próbować dostrzec te okruszki, które doprowadzą nas z powrotem do domu i wreszcie – pozwolą zrozumieć tę okrutną zagadkę.

„Schronisko” to naprawdę mocna opowieść, wspaniale bawiąca się motywem baśniowym, przekształcająca go w to, czym tak naprawdę historia „Jasia i Małgosi” jest u swoich podstaw, czyli potworną opowieścią o uprowadzonych dzieciach.

Miłośnicy doskonałych thrillerów nie mogą ominąć tego tytułu!

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story about the abduction of thirteen year old Elissa. She's very clever and she's a chess prodigy. Elijah is twelve. He lives in a cottage in the Memory Wood with his parents. When Elijah finds Elissa, she thinks that he will free her. But Elijah wants to keep her for his friend. The inspector in charge of the investigation, Mairead, has her own personal issues.

This is a debut novel from Sam Lloyd. The tension starts to build right from the start of the story. It's told from Mairead, Elissa and Elijah's perspectives. The twists just kept coming. This is quite a dark read but it's also addictive and I could ot put it down. The pace is steady. The ending was executed perfectly. I can't wait to read what the author has in store for us next.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Sam Lloyd for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Indieflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much! Very different from any other abduction themed story I've read, with a great main character, 13 year old Elissa, an intelligent, somewhat introverted chess player but my goodness what a badass, I loved her. For me, a total page turner, dark, twisty, gripping and a little heartbreaking too, I loved that it kept me guessing all the way. An excellent debut novel, 4.5 stars rounded up, I'm very much looking forward to more from Sam Lloyd.

[Eleni Ouzouni (Life is Art) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5*

Διαβάζοντας την υπόθεση του βιβλίου "Το δάσος της μνήμης" μπορεί πολύ εύκολα κάποιος να πει <<να ένα ακόμη βιβλίο μυστηρίου με απαγωγή>>. Και όμως ο πρωτοεμφανιζόμενος Sam LIoyd καταφέρνει να δώσει ένα βάθος και μια ατμόσφαιρα εντελώς διαφορετική από τα συνηθισμένα. Το ίδιο το δάσος παίζει μεγάλο ρόλο σε αυτό μιας και μας βάζει σε επικίνδυνα σκοτεινά και υγρά μονοπάτια. Κάτι σαν ένα απαίσιο παραμύθι, μια αληθινή εκδοχή του Χάνσελ και της Γκρέτελ.

Στην ιστορία βλέπουμε την νεαρή Ελίσα καθώς πέφτει θύμα απαγωγής την ημέρα που δίνει ένα σημαντικό τουρνουά σκάκι. Έτσι ταλαιπωρημένη και χτυπημένη βρίσκεται σε ένα υπόγειο σπίτι στα βάθη ενός σκοτεινού δάσους πολύ μακρυά από την κοινωνία. Εκεί ζει ένα ακόμη παιδί ο Ελάιτζα που ψάχνει απεγνωσμένα να βρει φίλους στο μοναχικό "Δάσος της μνήμης" όπως το αποκαλεί ο ίδιος. Όταν ανακαλύψει την Ελίσα, δεν μπορεί να μείνει μακρυά της μιας και στο πρόσωπο της βλέπει μια νέα παρέα. Παρά τα παρακαλετά της ίδιας να ειδοποίηση την αστυνομία, ο Ελάιτζα δεν φαίνεται να ανταποκρίνεται μιας και η μόνη υπόσχεση που της δίνει είναι να την επισκέπτεται καθημερινά. Η μοναχικότητα του και ο φόβος του για κάποιο άγνωστο πρόσωπο δεν τον αφήνουν να ενεργήσει όπως του λέει το μυαλό του ότι πρέπει να κάνει -- να σώσει την Ελίσα.



Η Ελίσα ξυπνάει φοβισμένη και στο σκοτάδι. Χρειάζεται μια στιγμή για να συνειδητοποιήσει πού είναι και τι της έχει συμβεί. Μέσα στους λυγμούς της, θυμάται ότι η μητέρα της την έμαθε να είναι πάντα δυνατή και αν πρόκειται να βγει από αυτήν την κατάσταση πρέπει να παραμείνει ψύχραιμη και ισχυρή. Έτσι με ανανεωμένη δύναμη, ανιχνεύει το περιβάλλον της ελπίζοντας να βρει κάτι, μια ιδέα ίσως για το πού βρίσκεται και πώς να ξεφύγει από αυτόν τον εφιάλτη. Βάζει στόχο της να μάθει όσα περισσότερα μπορεί από τον Ελάιτζα. Έτσι μέσα από τις συνομιλίες τους στο σκοτεινό και γεμάτο μούχλα υπόγειο, αρχίζει να συνειδητοποιεί ότι ίσως δεν είναι μόνη που υποφέρει εδώ.

Τα κεφάλαια εναλλάσσονται ανάμεσα στην Ελίσα, τον Ελάιτζα αλλά και την επιθεωρήτρια που έχει αναλάβει την υπόθεση. Αυτό μας δίνει την δυνατότητα να βλέπουμε τι συμβαίνει στο δάσος αλλά και στην άλλη άκρη της πόλης κατά την διάρκεια της έρευνας. Μπορώ να πω, πως τα κεφάλαια της ντετέκτιβ ήταν και τα πιο αδύναμα. Ναι μεν πρόσδιδαν πράγματα στην πλοκή με αποτέλεσμα να κυλάει πιο ομαλά και αγωνιώδες, αλλά από την άλλη δεν ένιωσα ούτε μια στιγμή ότι μας έδωσε όσα θα έπρεπε η ίδια. Αντίθετα η Ελίσα ήταν ένας τρομερά καλογραμμένος χαρακτήρας. Έξυπνη, γενναία αλλά και μπερδεμένη ήταν φοβερά ενδιαφέρον να διαβάζεις τις σκέψεις της. Όπως και ο μικρός Ελάιτζα που τα κεφάλαια του έκρυβαν το μεγαλύτερο σασπένς αλλά και βάθος.

Το Δάσος της Μνήμης είναι από εκείνα τα βιβλία που από ένα σημείο και μετά δυσκολεύεσαι να τα αφήσεις από τα χέρια σου. Καθώς η αφήγηση ξεδιπλώνεται και η πλοκή ανοίγει, αρχίζεις να αισθάνεσαι ότι κάτι δεν πάει καλά. Υπάρχει μια δυσάρεστη αίσθηση πως κάτι πιο αρρωστημένο και σκοτεινό ετοιμάζεται να αποκαλυφθεί. To μυθιστόρημα δεν είναι ιδιαίτερα πρωτότυπο αλλά η ατμόσφαιρα του είναι έντονα ανατριχιαστική και οι χαρακτήρες καταφέρνουν να σε αγγίξουν. Το δάσος της μνήμης είναι ο χειρότερος φόβος που μπορεί να βιώσει ένας γονιός, ένα παραμύθι που δεν είχε αίσιο τέλος για όλους...

Αναλυτική κριτική θα βρείτε και στο LIFE IS ART!

[daniela weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

cinematographically written
in short chapters filled with
fast paced action, this was
an intense abduction tale,
very well sewn together. ♡

[Rainz ❤️rainnbooks❤️(on a break) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book few days back and its still haunting me. Its hard to believe this is a debut book, it was that addictive and absorbing.

Elissa Mirzoyan is aiming to be a chess champion and attending a tournament with her single mother, Lena turns out to be the worst nightmare of her life. She's kidnapped and left in a underground cellar.

Elijah- do we hate him or pity him, its evident that something about his mental capacity is not right, or why else would he refuse to inform the police of Elissa's whereabouts when he finds her?

Mairead is the senior officer in charge for whom the case of abduction becomes a personal fight considering the situation she is in.

And then there are other colorful characters like papa, Magic Annie, Leon Meunier each of them becoming angels or monsters thru the description of 12 yr old Elijah.

The Memory Wood is sinister and ominous, the brooding and eerie atmosphere created by the author giving goosebumps to the reader. A pulse pounding and heart in the mouth thriller that its no wonder publishers are touting it as the " must-read novel of 2020" . Reading the book filled me with so much despair and sadness as the major characters in the story are all suffering. I only wish there was something 'feel good' as an epilogue chapter in this chilling tale to counter all the misery and wretchedness oozing out of the pages.Don't get me wrong, it is just a minor complaint in this brilliant book where each twisty reveal had left me with 'crazy eyes' turning back pages and reading it from a different perspective.

Many Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers Bantam Press, Net Galley and Sam Lloyd for a chance to read this outstanding debut novel.

#TheMemoryWood #NetGalley

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Memory Wood is one of the most elegantly immersive crime novels I’ve read for a while- immediately involving, two highly intriguing young characters in Elijah and Elissa plus a twisted and compelling plot that holds your attention and your emotion throughout.

It’s a bit of a different way of telling a kidnap story- the victim here, Elissa, is no pushover, intelligent and determined but in one heck of a bind. Enter the elusive and odd Elijah, who may be her salvation but could equally be the death of her…

This is a clever plot executed pitch perfectly with some wonderful writing and a tendency to both tug on the heartstrings and keep you on the edge of your seat. It is an unexpected delight to read and one in which you can never assume you know what’s coming…

Overall a very very good read indeed. More like this please.

Recommended.