Review Detail

What worked: This is at times a gut-wrenching, emotional tale of a teen who is found after being abducted. It's a story that could be taken from recent headlines or from an episode of Law & Order SVU. Only here, Kensie goes beyond the sensationalism and shows us what happens once a child is reunited with her family.

For the past four years, Charlotte has lived in a cage in an attic with the man who abducted her. When he has a stroke, his sister calls police to check his house. That's when they find Charlotte. I loved that Kensie didn't make this a 'happily ever after' tale but showed the struggles and other emotions all family members go through. I can't even imagine losing a child this way. Kensie shows how each of Charlotte's family members has changed. Some of them, like her twin, have rebelled. Others, like her father, have moved on.

There's darkness and also a ray of hope in this story. This makes this book stand out among the others out there. Charlotte's journey is shown through the good moments-finally being reunited; to the not so good one-finding out how dramatically her family has changed in her absence; and the ugly-painful glimpses into her time with the Keeper, Kuddos for not going over the top on the graphic images of the abuse. It's enough for readers to feel the terror and horror of those dark days she spent with the Keeper.

Another thing I really loved about this novel is that Charlotte goes from being a victim of horrific abuse to a survivor. The ending chapter is perfect.

Gut-wrenching tale of an abducted teen reunited with her family. Readers go on an at times dark journey with Charlotte as she confronts her demons and emerges as a survivor. Mostly though this is a story of hope and the power of love.