About the Book:
A woman held captive finally escapes—but can she ever really get away?
Gone Girl meets Room in this page-turning, #1 internationally bestselling thriller from one of Germany’s hottest new talents
A windowless shack in the woods. A dash to safety. But when a woman finally escapes her captor, the end of the story is only the beginning of her nightmare.
She says her name is Lena. Lena, who disappeared without a trace 14 years prior. She fits the profile. She has the distinctive scar. But her family swears that she isn’t their Lena.
The little girl who escaped the woods with her knows things she isn’t sharing, and Lena’s devastated father is trying to piece together details that don’t quite fit. Lena is desperate to begin again, but something tells her that her tormentor still wants to get back what belongs to him…and that she may not be able to truly escape until the whole truth about what happened in the woods finally emerges.
Twisty, suspenseful, and psychologically clever, Romy Hausmann’s Dear Child is a captivating thriller with all the ingredients of a breakout hit.
My Review:
What an intriguing premise! A young woman escapes her captor and finally finds freedom after years in captivity. She manages to bring her young daughter Hannah with her. The book was off to an amazing start!
Told from several different points of view, this book is extremely disturbing in its description of the woman’s captivity and builds tensions immediately.
The victim’s father Matthias has never given up searching for her, even after many years have passed since her sudden disappearance. He pressures the police and at times is at odds with them. The media has hounded him, and he fears another circus with the discovery of the woman he hopes to be his long-lost daughter.
Revealing anything else about the story would be a plot spoiler since this book is filled with shocking twists and turns. The narration switches back and forth between the past and the present and undoubtedly the most chilling voice is that of young Hannah. She has had to adapt to years of abuse but is smart and articulate beyond her years.
I loved the plot of this book and the author is incredibly creative. I think some of the story may have gotten lost in the translation from German, and made some of the characters appear lifeless when they should have been strong, driving voices. The middle of the book dragged a little for me and then the ending felt very rushed.
I started off reading this book ready to give it 5 stars but then the pacing and the conclusion lost me. I was also confused about the main character’s relationship with her best friend. Were they romantically involved or just friends? I nevertheless enjoyed this very chilling story; it has many glowing reviews so if you are a fan of darker thrillers, then you might love this one!
(Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.)
