Overall Rating:
Release Date: 2 September 2009
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 176
Buy the Book: Amazon, IndieBound, Anywhere books are sold
Once upon a time, I was a little girl who disappeared.
Once upon a time, my name was not Alice.
Once upon a time, I didn’t know how lucky I was.
When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.
Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.
This is Alice’s story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.
Elizabeth Scott captures the voice of Alice so well that it is hard to remember that what you are reading is a work of fiction. The topic is so difficult to deal with under normal circumstances—kidnapping, abuse, rape, murder—that one might suspect it impossible to explore in a work of young adult fiction. Not so. Scott does a remarkable job of exploring these issues and telling Alice's story honestly without cheating the reader in any way.
If you'd like to know how, then I strongly recommend you read this book. Fans of Ellen Hopkins will enjoy this book, I believe. It was a haunting read that, even now, I cannot put it out of my mind.
Book Video
Characters 4/5
Dialogue 4/5
Writing 5/5
Plot 4/5
Style: 5/5
Opening 4/5
Ending 5/5
*New Category* Voice 5/5
*New Category* Pace 4/5
“I am 15 and stretched out, no more than 100 pounds. I can never weigh more than that. It keeps my breasts tiny, my hips narrow, my thighs the size Ray likes.”
“The thing is, you can have that kind of power, and everyone in those audiences knows it. That's why they yell. That's why they say You Should Have Done Something. They have power too. I'd like to see them with it taken away. I'd like to see What They'd Do Then.”
“Once upon a time, there was a little girl. Now there is a new one. There is always a new one.”
ohman. i heard of this one over at another blog. it sounds so very heartbreaking and haunting. this review is superb! i love how in-depth it is! (and also the graphics and fonts)
ReplyDeleteI do have to read this one. I've heard so many good things about it and how powerful the writing is. Thanks for reviewing.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Rach
ooo--I like Elizabeth Scott, and I've looked at this book several times to read. I might pick it up... def on the TBR pile~
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dawn! :o)
@Victoria—Thanks so much! *hugs* I have fun doing them :D
ReplyDelete@Rach—Definitely powerful; I think powerful too, in it's simplicity. <3<3<3
ReplyDelete@LTM—Funny thing is that this is the only Scott I have read but I will definitely pick up her others :D
i like this post very much
ReplyDeleteSatta king