Dear Child
Ratings16
Average rating3.9
"A windowless shack in the woods. Lena's life and that of her two children follows the rules set by their captor, the father: Meals, bathroom visits, study time are strictly scheduled and meticulously observed. He protects his family from the dangers lurking in the outside world and makes sure that his children will always have a mother to look after them. One day Lena manages to flee - but the nightmare continues. It seems as if her tormentor wants to get back what belongs to him. And then there is the question whether she really is the woman called 'Lena', who disappeared without a trace 14 years ago. The police and Lena's family are all desperately trying to piece together a puzzle which doesn't quite seem to fit."--Provided by publisher
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3.5 stars. This was a decent thriller. I thought I knew who the baddie was, but I was wrong (haha). The writing frustrated me a little - the story went off on tangents when it should have just gotten to the point. Now to watch the Netflix series.
Thank you, Netgalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with this book to review.
Lena Beck disappeared without a trace 13 years ago. Now, a woman claiming to be Lena is taken to the hospital after being injured in a hit and run accident. With her is her daughter Hannah, who is the spitting image of young Lena. But her parents have confirmed the woman in the hospital is not Lena. So who is she? And what actually happened to Lena?
Told from multiple perspectives, including that of young Hannah and Lena's father, Matthias, Dear Child is a different take on the typical abduction/thriller story. Although the writing style is a bit choppy (which may be due to the translation), the characters are extremely well-developed, giving the reader an opportunity to really get in their heads and know their thoughts and emotions. Once you figure out the writing style and become more engrossed in the story, the pace moves along really swiftly and the plot keeps you guessing all the way through.
The story explores some very dark and disturbing topics, so I would caution anyone with serious triggers to be aware of that before diving into this book. But for the brave of heart, this is a must-read.
