Taking Baby for a Walk

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Taking Baby for a Walk

Thank you to Henry Roi for providing me with a copy for an honest review!

Bree-Anna does not come from a happy home. Her mother spends her nights with various men and her brother likes to play mean tricks. On the morning of her friend's birthday party, she decides to take her baby doll for a walk to her friend's house. She isn't quite sure where the house is, but she has a good guess which direction to walk in. But along the way, a man pulls over to the side of the road and offers to drive Bree-Anna to the birthday party. Choosing to trust a stranger, she steps into the car and is abducted.

Taking Baby for a Walk is not for the faint of heart. As a child who has grown up in a neglectful home, Bree-Anna uses her baby doll to project emotions. This alone broke my heart because you can see the way she is treated at home reflected in how she treats her doll. But when she is abducted, Bree-Anna's experience is terrifying to witness through her eyes.

Please be aware there is violence toward Bree-Anna. This is a hard story to follow because of the emotional weight it carries. While Taking Baby for a Walk has an overall dark tone, the writing style does not become grotesque or over-detailed. If it did I would not have been able to finish it. Kathryn Gossow has tackled a disturbing and horrifying subject with deft writing skills.

As the investigation for Bree-Anna's disappearance ensues, different storylines will weave together showing how various families involved with the young girl are interconnected. Seeing other families struggle with their burdens and come to terms with what has happened to Bree-Anna allows readers a break from the intensity of Bree-Anna's point of view. It also creates a balance of tension and suspense as scenes are cut short and readers are left hanging on the edge waiting to see what has happened.

If you enjoy thrillers with heavy emotional scenes and loads of suspense, Taking Baby for a Walk should be your next read.