This book. I was not prepared for the intense emotions that would come from this story. Some words I will use to describe this story: Haunting. Beautiful. Raw. Gut wrenching. Heart breaking. Powerful.
Carey and her little sister, Nessa, have been living in a run down trailer in the middle of the woods for years, living off of beans and old books. These girls are used to being left to fend for themselves thanks to their unreliable meth-addicted mother who leaves for long stretches at a time. These girls have their world turned upside down one day when their long lost dad and a caseworker show up to rescue them. This way of life is all these girls know. Suddenly they are whisked away to the hustle and bustle of the city, where they quickly discover just how much they don’t know about life outside of the woods. As Carey and Nessa try to adjust to their new lives, Carey cannot help but wonder when the good things will stop and they will be thrust back into the horror of unspeakable things that happened in the woods. These unspeakable things are so bad that Carey cannot bring herself to admit and that caused Nessa to stop talking. Carey discovers the truth behind what her mother did, the fact she was abducted 10 years ago, and admit to the terrible secret she’s been keeping secret for years.
I have so many emotions and feelings about this story. It shattered me in ways I didn’t know what possible. The thing that stood out the most to me about this was the narrator on the audiobook. That may sound crazy but bear with me. It is true that a narrator’s voice can make or break a story. In this case Tai Sammons took this story to another level. I believe she nailed the voice of Carey perfectly. I felt every emotion, every feeling, every action Carey had, it was outstanding.
That being said, I loved the characters in this story. My heart constantly broke for Carey and Nessa. The unspeakable things those girls witnessed and lived through would have broke nearly anyone else but they saw it as normal. The bond between these two sisters is almost too hard to put into words. What they have connecting them transcends the word “love”. Carey would have gone through hell and back to save her sister. Carey fought with every ounce of her being to save and protect Nessa from the cruel and unforgiving events of life. Carey did the best she could with basically nothing. The rest of the characters felt as if they had individual voices and their own personalities. I did not like Delaney but I don’t think I was meant to. She came across as the stereotypical snotty spoiled teen who was used to being an only child. It was no secret that she and Carey did not get along. I think the adults could have handled the situation a little better but no parent is perfect.
I am trying so very hard not to give anything away. I want to go into more detail but I won’t. I have read some reviews where the reader dropped their rating of the book because they felt Carey’s voice sounded more mature than her 15 years. I have a huge problem with that because reasons. Carey went through more in her 15 years than most people have in their entire lifetime. She survived hell and kept her sister safe while doing it. She raised her sister from a baby while their mentally ill mom was smoking meth and selling her body to pay for the drug habit. You cannot expect a young child to witness and live through those types of events and not grow up fast. Someone had to be the adult and it certainly wasn’t going to be Carey’s mom. Cut the girl some slack. The audio gives the added kick to Carey’s voice because you get to hear everything in the Tennessee accent which gives just that little something missing from the print version.
Please, if this book is not on your TBR – add it now. This book has been out for a few years and it deserves all of the hype. Believe the hype. This book is one that will stay with you long after you finish reading.
