Several days ago I completed Madapple and my mind is still reeling a little bit.

First, the subject matter. I knew it was coming. There was this ominous feeling deep in my belly,  churning and bubbling as I read. But when the moment arrived I still reeled. It’s one thing to know it’s coming and quite another when it actually arrives.

Second, I’m not sure how I feel about the end. It felt too…easy, for lack of a better word. It was like reading a very twisted episode of Jerry Springer that wraps up with an “and they all lived happily ever after” when you know damn well that isn’t true.

Would I still recommend reading the book? Was is still very well written? Was it still a page turner? Yes on all counts (the first with the caveat that if you can’t handle child abuse/incest stories, skip it). And I do love how the story itself unfolded, switching between the two time periods and points-of-view.

Please allow me to scoop my mind up off the floor before I write a proper review. All I really know at this point is that the next book I read needs to be light and fluffy because this one was (almost) as heavy as it gets…at least where young adult fare is concerned.

OK. So I’m at roughly page 250, and I think my mind’s about to explode.

I keep reading and I’m still enthralled by how the story is unfolding (i.e. from Auslag’s point of view and from the court transcripts) and how it all seems like a game of cat and mouse with just so much information given.

And now things are getting stranger and slightly more ominous. After Auslag’s mother dies she stumbles onto some family she never knew she had (and aunt and two cousins) who take her in. (That situation just stretch the belief muscles a little bit, but it worked out, and it’s getting explained as the book goes along.)

But as she discovers more information about her family—learns about her mother, her possible father, her grandfather, her mother and aunt’s life in Denmark, her aunt’s evangelical ways—and as she starts to question the meaning of life, spirit, and so many other things, the story has taken on an ominous feel.

We know that a fire happened. We know there are some unusual circumstances surrounding that fire. We know that Auslag had something to do with it, we’re just not sure what. (And I’m really not liking that whole what she’s feeling about her male cousin because, really, he’s the closest she’d ever come to a real live boy and he also happens to be somewhat attractive. Also, I’m getting nervous about who her father might be because as it stands, it could mean her ex-uncle-in-law was a pedophile or she could be the next coming of the world’s saviour borne of a virgin, or it could just be something entirely worse.)

Oh yeah, this book is becoming a mind-warp. But in a good way. I’m eager to keep reading, find out what happens next. I’m also learning quite a bit about botany as that seems to be a significant thread (along with religion/belief) throughout the story.

CONTINUE: Part 2

I’d started reading the book once before, but put it down once I’d gotten to page five or six. It just didn’t grab my interest at the time. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right place (mentally) for it, and now maybe I am. So far, it alternates between the past and present: the past is from Auslag’s point of view of the events unfolding before her, and the (relative) present is the transcript from an ongoing court case in which Auslag is charged with murder and attempted murder.

To back up a bit, the first chapter of the book is entirely cryptic and taken out of context, isn’t really a good indicator of what’s in store for the rest of the book (so far). In fact, don’t really like the first chapter, but I’m certain it plays a pivotal role in the unfolding events.

As far as character development goes, it’s fascinating. I’ll admit I’m not entirely sold on the relationship/interaction between Auslag and her mother, there are definitely so moving moments and the characters are so delightfully broken and raw that I can’t help viewing them as real people most of the time. There were a few moments where I had to stop and scratch my head and say, “um, that doesn’t quite fit” but for the most part, the story is flowing and I’m itching to find out what happens next.

For those who aren’t already familiar with this book, I’ll sum it up so far: Auslag is a bastard child (true definition, not the one used when we’re pissed off). Auslag doesn’t know who her father is and has absolutely no sense of self because—get this—her mother kept her sheltered away from the real world. They survive by foraging and very rarely do they venture into the city…and when they do, Auslag is kept under lock and key by her mother. Then everything takes a heinous turn when Auslag wakes up and discovers her mother’s dead body.

The writing style takes a bit of getting used to, but other than that, smooth reading. This looks like it’s going to be one of those books I’ll recommend—that is, if the middle and end are just as engrossing as the beginning has been.

CONTINUE: Part 2, Part 3

Back Cover of Trapped

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive.

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn’t seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But the power goes out, and the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the day adds up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision…

Three Quick Points About Trapped

• Point 1: A smooth read. There was nothing difficult in the reading. One word flowed into the next, one sentence into the next, and one paragraph into the next.
• Point 2: Underwhelming characters. Each character seemed like a slightly varied stock template, from the bully who wasn’t so bad after all to the hormonally challenged teenage boy to the super hot blond.
• Point 3: A pressure cooker with too little pressure. The students’ situation was dire, no doubt about it, but there wasn’t enough character variation to spark true conflict.

Short Synopsis of Trapped

Seven different students are trapped in a high school when a freak snowstorm (a nor’easter) blows into town and they must fend for themselves for nearly a week and when it becomes too difficult to bear, find a means of escape.

My Thoughts on Trapped

I’ve always been a fan of the pressure cooker. That’s what I call stories where a group of diverse people are thrown into an unamenable situation together and the pressure increases until something finally goes snap. (Think Lord of the Flies or Alive.)

So, when I read the synopsis of Trapped my mind reeled from all the possibilities. I forsook all the other books on my TBR pile to read this one. And despite the commendable writing (very smooth, sometimes funny, and easy to digest prose), halfway through I began thinking that I probably shouldn’t have read it directly after watching Exam, a great low-budget example of a pressure cooker story.

Trapped started well enough with Scotty, the narrator, worried about the snow canceling his basketball game and deftly segued into the students being trapped in the school and how they came to be there. It began faltering, however, as time went on and not much happened by way of character development or action.

The cast included Scotty, the not your typical jock, Jason, the kid who seemed the most likely to have a sniper rifle in his locker, Pete, the typical teenage boy, Les, the big badass bully, Elijah, the not your typical goth, Krista, the super hot blond girl, and Julie, the super hot blond girl’s friend. Unfortunately, these characters weren’t fully developed and tried so hard not to be clichés that they became clichés.

I could have forgiven the bland characters had something of consequence happened in the story, beyond the kids being cold and annoyed by having to pee in a literal can, but very little did happen. There was a fist fight and a death (not as a result of said fist fight, sorry). That’s pretty much it. It was like The Breakfast Club, but with less depth.

Despite the flat characters and lack of pressure, this was an enjoyable read. The writing had such forward momentum that it was almost impossible not to finish, plus it was a fast read. So, if you’re looking for something quick and mildly thrilling to pass a stormy afternoon, this would do the trick.

Rating: Get It Used [C+] (?)

Title: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
ISBN: 978-0-5451-7093-2
Story Length: 304 pages
Genre: Young Adult Drama

Three Quick Points About Stolen

• Point 1: Slow. No, that’s not right. In fact, a new word needs to be coined because “slow” (and all its various synonyms) is inadequate.
• Point 2: The camel won. It was the only character that felt genuine. Ty came close, but meh. Let’s not start on Gemma.
• Point 3: A twisted love story. Still, it was an interesting take on the evolution of Stockholm syndrome.

Short Synopsis of Stolen

Sixteen year old Gemma Toombs is stolen from the Bangkok airport and brought to Middle of Nowhere, Australia by a man named Ty. During her captivity, Ty explains how they’ll have a perfect life together away from the evils of the city. Gemma protests, and then after a late-night epiphany, she decides that Ty is only marginally insane and falls in love. Unfortunately, theirs is a complicated love and it comes with its own set of problems.

My Thoughts on Stolen

Let me say up front: This is a hard review for me to write. I wanted so much to love Stolen. So much. But, oh sweet Mother of All Things Good, the writing was bad. (Typing that broke my heart a little, but it needed to come out.)

For me, how a story is told is just as important as the story itself—sometimes more so. Stolen is told in the 2^nd person POV as a letter from Gemma to Ty, which can be an amazing style if done right. In this book, however, the narrative was more arid than the desert landscape it depicted; it meandered and drifted between various shades of lavender to purple. And at the end a justification was offered for the narrative choice, but it didn’t redeem the book, not one iota.

Of all the characters, I only cared about the camel. It was the only one who felt genuine. When she was left behind, I almost cried…almost. And if you force me to pick a human character to like, it would be Ty (yes, the mentally unstable kidnapper) because the only emotion Gemma ignited in me was apathy. I wanted to feel for her, and right when I thought I would, the writing got in the way

Ultimately Stolen is a powerful story drowned by stodgy writing and though it may seem like it, I didn’t hate this book; I just wish it were written differently.

Rating: Save Your Money [D+] (?)

Title: Still Missing
Author: Chevy Stevens
ISBN: 978-0-3125-9567-8
Story Length: 352
Genre: Adult/Thriller

Back Cover of Still Missing

Eh hem…well…I’m rather embarrassed.

Normally this is where I’d type out what’s written on the back cover of the book, but I can’t because this book is currently on loan to a few people and heaven only knows when I’ll see it again—if ever. (You’ll understand why I say that when you read my thoughts.)

Three Quick Points About Still Missing

• Point 1: Morbidly captivating. This book deals with some strong subject matter, but it’s so captivating you can’t pull your eyes away from it.
• Point 2: An easy writing style. Annie’s words flowed in such a conversational manner that reading from one page to the next was perfectly natural.
• Point 3: Some minor contrivances. There were a few inconsistencies in the story, but in the grand scheme of the novel they were minor.

Short Synopsis of Still Missing

Thirty-two year old realtor, Annie O’Sullivan is kidnapped from an open house and held hostage by a deranged psychopath for a year. Still Missing is where she recounts, through sessions with her therapist, what she went through (rape, beatings, psychological abuse) and the course of the investigation afterward.

My Thoughts on Still Missing

First, this book is graphic. It lays bare everything Annie went through during her captivity. It’s not gratuitous, but it will make you shudder. So fair warning.

With that bit out of the way, let me say that this book was absolutely captivating. I simply could not put it down. I thought I would read a few pages before bed and before I knew it, it was 3AM and I was flipping the last page. And then I just stared at it. My mind was reeling from it.

As a character Annie’s flawed and broken, but not so flawed and broken as to be unlikeable. At one point I remember thinking, This is a person I’d probably be friends with in real life. And the way the story unfolds it’s as if you’re right there with her in the therapist’s office or in the mountain cabin with her captor.

It’s a rare thing when a novel comes along that engages my head (the psychological), my heart (the emotional), and my body (the physical), but Still Missing did. The characters were drawn enough that I kept wondering about their motives and choices and why they made them.

At one point I literally punched the air and screamed, “YES!! Do it again!” (This makes no sense out of context, I realize, but those who’ve read this book should understand where and why such a statement would have been appropriate. Of course, those same readers will probably think I’m a sociopath for actually wanting her to do it again.)

The novel isn’t perfect, though it comes close. I’ll admit there are a few consistency issues and the psychology behind The Freak felt a bit contrived and I won’t even get started on the police procedural section (there’s one scene in particular that I’m on the fence about), and though it seems like a lot, all of those things are forgivable.

As a whole, this book was amazing…so amazing that I’ve loaned it out to several people (all but one finished it in a single day—the other finished it in two—and all of them called me squealing because “OMG!! That book was AWESOME!”) and it’s still making the rounds. It seems the book is receiving quite a bit of hype, but in this case, I believe it’s warranted.

The book can now be purchased from Amazon.com, but if you want to test the waters first, you can actually read the first two chapters for free. Grab the first chapter, in PDF format, from the MacMillan website and read the second chapter at the NYT website.

Rating: Worth Every Penny (?)