Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

At age twelve, Charlotte was kidnapped by a pedophile and imprisoned in his attic. After being rescued more than four years later, she returns home to discover that her parents are divorced and her twin sister is a delinquent. And she still feels trapped. Deeply disturbing yet riveting, the novel recognizes and explores the lasting psychological effects of abuse.

School Library Journal (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 9 Up-Once 16-year-old Charlotte is rescued from her kidnapper, she's anxious to return to her family, particularly her twin, Alexa. But during the four years she spent in her Keeper's attic, her family fell apart. Charlotte's parents are divorced, her mom is an alcoholic, and Alexa is in rehab for drug use. Now Charlotte must accept her dad's new wife and daughter, cope with reporters hounding her for interviews, and adjust to the pressures of high school. She's also determined to discover the identity of The One Before, a girl her captor killed prior to taking Charlotte. On top of all that, the teen's mom barely allows her to leave the house and her dad pressures her to talk to the press. Kensie's richly detailed descriptions of Charlotte's daily life redeem a plot overrun with melodrama. By the novel's end, it's difficult to accept that so many wretched events could befall one person. Both Alexa and her mom recover from their addictions so quickly it defies logic. However, Charlotte's bravery will inspire readers. Her ongoing struggle to confront the horror of what she's endured rings true, and her recovery process could provide therapeutic reading for rape survivors. VERDICT Teens who revel in worst-case scenario stories like Natasha Preston's The Cellar and Kevin Brooks's The Bunker Diary will enjoy the shocking plot twists. Amy Duffy, Chicago Public Library

Voice of Youth Advocates

Twelve-year-old Charlotte was kidnapped by a man she calls Keeper. She lived in his attic and was abused for four years. When she escapes alive and is reunited with her parents and her twin sister, Alexa, she is crushed. During her captivity, she imagined Alexa fulfilling the plans from the Dream Book they wrote together. Instead, her father held a memorial service for her, divorced, remarried a woman barely ten years older than herself, and they have a baby whom they named after her. Her mother is an alcoholic who always hoped Charlotte was still alive. Her sister stopped cheerleading, fell in with the "bad" crowd, just returned from detox, and thought Charlotte was better off dead. Keeper is arrested and is not talking about the girl he murdered before catching Charlotte. Charlotte cannot stop imagining his hands closing on that girl's throat. Can Charlotte free herself of her demons and make things right?Kensie writes a powerful novel about the will to survive under terrifying circumstances and the impact of a kidnappingand its aftermathon the victim, her family, the perpetrator's family, and the community at large. Charlotte's struggles are deeply moving as her return to "normal" life is fraught with enormous difficulties. The cast of supporting characters is well developed and strong; readers will relate to their attempts to cope with Charlotte's return. There are frank discussions about child abuse, rape, alcoholism, and drug use. Fans of happy endings will not get one here, but readers will love Charlotte's re-integration into society. Charlotte and Alexa will haunt readers long afterward. Give this to readers who love gripping, heart-wrenching tales of hope and survival.Etienne VallÚe.This book does a great job characterizing the aftermath of a kidnapping and living with the captor for four years. All of the main characters are realistic and reflect realistically how others might act in a similar situation. There is no happy ending, but ultimately Charlotte is able to deal with what happened. Mystery lovers will enjoy this book. 5Q, 5P.Cassidy Sturgeon, Teen Reviewer.