shelleyrae's review against another edition
4.0
The Edge of Normal is a chilling debut fiction novel by Carla Norton, best known for her true crime expose, [b:Perfect Victim: The True Story of "The Girl in the Box"|346994|Perfect Victim The True Story of "The Girl in the Box"|Carla Norton|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348193504s/346994.jpg|337292]. Winner of the Royal Palm Literary Award for best unpublished mystery, it is being published in most major markets.
Regina Victoria LeClaire was twelve when she was kidnapped and held prisoner for nearly four years by a sexual sadist. Her escape was miraculous but at twenty two, Reeve, as she is now known, is still struggling to overcome the horror of her experience. When news breaks that a missing girl has been found after enduring similar circumstances to those Reeve suffered, Reeve's therapist, Dr Lerner, invites her to join him with a view to befriending the young victim and help in her recovery. Reeve is reluctant, worried Tilly's story will endanger her own fragile equilibrium, but she quickly bonds with the young girl whose fear is still strong, despite her captor being jailed. Then Tilly reveals a secret to Reeve that she refuses to share with anyone else, there was not one man involved in her abduction but two, and the one she named Mister Monster is still out there.
We know from the outset who Mister Monster is, he is a local police officer, a surveillance expert, and a cunning predator who has developed an elaborate system to satisfy his sadistic pleasures. An omniscient narrator allows us to witness how this monster is able to evade detection and allows the reader a glimpse into the depravity that drives him.
Reeve is an interesting protagonist, uniquely suited to be the heroine of this story. It is wonderful to see her shed her identity as a victim and begin to view herself as a survivor. It is equally satisfying, if perhaps a little bit of a stretch, to have Reeve be the one to unravel the monster's intricate layers of self protection.
The plot is fairly predictable but the tension is sustained in part by the unknown fate of two other missing girls, Hannah and Abby, and Reeve and Tilly's vulnerability to the monster. The pace is fast, short chapters encourage you to keep turning the pages and the resolution is pleasingly neat.
Norton draws on her knowledge and understanding of similar crimes to deliver a taut thriller in The Edge of Normal. Well written and absorbing, I'm happy to recommend it to fans of author's like Chevy Stevens and heather Gudenkauf.
trixie_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the book fairly well, thought I thought the bad guy was a little over the top. I thought it was just a bit too much
Spoiler
to have Reeve kidnapped by Duke.belladonna624's review against another edition
3.0
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my thoughts in any way.
Reeve was twelve years old when she was kidnapped by a pedophile. She was held captive for 4 years before being rescued. She has spent the last 6 years trying to heal. At the start of this story she is asked to meet with Tilly, a young girl who had also been kidnapped and tortured. Reeve agrees and becomes involved in trying to find two other missing girls. I thought that this was a good suspenseful book. It had a good plot and kept my interest. I liked the main character Reeve and thought the author did a good job of realistically portraying someone who had suffered the traumas that she did. I was a little disappointed that I didn't find it as terrifying as some of the other reviewers, however that may say more about me than about the book. 3 1/2 stars.
Reeve was twelve years old when she was kidnapped by a pedophile. She was held captive for 4 years before being rescued. She has spent the last 6 years trying to heal. At the start of this story she is asked to meet with Tilly, a young girl who had also been kidnapped and tortured. Reeve agrees and becomes involved in trying to find two other missing girls. I thought that this was a good suspenseful book. It had a good plot and kept my interest. I liked the main character Reeve and thought the author did a good job of realistically portraying someone who had suffered the traumas that she did. I was a little disappointed that I didn't find it as terrifying as some of the other reviewers, however that may say more about me than about the book. 3 1/2 stars.
laramore's review against another edition
3.0
I would give it four stars if it wasn't for how it was written. Something about it bothered me. Maybe this is more of 3.5 stars. Really interesting story, though. But since I have watched so many movies and TV shows in this genre, I kinda knew how it was going to end. Still a good story!
jonid's review against another edition
3.0
This is a decent book about a tough subject. Girls are kidnapped and tortured for years. Reeve was kept for 4 years but now, with the help of her psychiatrist Dr. Lerner, she is doing better. Another girl, Tilly, has been found and Dr. Larson asks Reeve if she will come with him and connect with this girl, thinking that it will help both of them heal. But there are other girls missing and Tilly confides to Reeve something that she makes her swear she will not reveal - even to the police as they search for the girls and whoever is holding them captive. It's tense, and Reeve is a wonderful combination of hurt, scared, brave, and damaged. I did find it annoying that a brand new character shows up in the middle of the book to move the plot line along more quickly. And some of the characters aren't well fleshed out. They only hint at feelings and interactions with others.
seddso's review against another edition
4.0
A riveting story of abduction and violence, with some enlightening coverage of what happens when a victim comes home- I found it hard to put this book down , the writing was perfect for me and the author cranked up the tension expertly. Great stuff, I look forward to more from this author :)
ccopeland28's review against another edition
2.0
If you are going to read this, be prepared to suspend disbelief - a lot.
el1zabe4h's review against another edition
4.0
The Edge of Normal is a very satisfying thriller. You know what I mean...the bad guy gets what's coming to him. Our heroine emerges victorious. Manages to save the day for someone else for another young version of herself. I didn't want to put it down.
samstone's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Kidnapping