I am a secret no one is able to tell.
Blythe Hallowell is sixteen when she is abducted by a survivalist and locked away in an abandoned missile silo in Eudora, Kansas. At first, she focuses frantically on finding a way out, until the harrowing truth of her new existence settles in—the crushing loneliness, the terrifying madness of a captor who believes he is saving her from the end of the world, and the persistent temptation to give up. But nothing prepares Blythe for the burden of raising a child in confinement. Determined to give the boy everything she has lost, she pushes aside the truth about a world he may never see for a myth that just might give meaning to their lives below ground. Years later, their lives are ambushed by an event at once promising and devastating. As Blythe’s dream of going home hangs in the balance, she faces the ultimate choice—between survival and freedom.
Blythe Hallowell is sixteen when she is abducted by a survivalist and locked away in an abandoned missile silo in Eudora, Kansas. At first, she focuses frantically on finding a way out, until the harrowing truth of her new existence settles in—the crushing loneliness, the terrifying madness of a captor who believes he is saving her from the end of the world, and the persistent temptation to give up. But nothing prepares Blythe for the burden of raising a child in confinement. Determined to give the boy everything she has lost, she pushes aside the truth about a world he may never see for a myth that just might give meaning to their lives below ground. Years later, their lives are ambushed by an event at once promising and devastating. As Blythe’s dream of going home hangs in the balance, she faces the ultimate choice—between survival and freedom.
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
This is a very rare case when I felt like I was reading two
totally different books. The first half was engaging and suspenseful and I felt
a strong connection to the main character. But then the second half was weaker, boring and I didn’t
like some of the underlying messages of the final act.
Blythe became a likable narrator as the story progressed.
Blythe was a fighter and I liked how she never gave up hope for escape. She was
a bit old-fashioned for her age and at times she came across as closer to 12 than
16. As time passes and she becomes a mother figure to Charlie and later a real
mom to Adam, she became more relatable.
Dobbs was scary without being an overly violent individual.
His crazy rants and raves created a terrific underlying tension. He was a
well-developed villain and I squirmed each time he appeared on the pages.
The pacing was uneven and I felt some parts were quickly
glossed over while others dragged on. The timeframe was also a little hard to
follow at times, but that could’ve been the author’s intention.
The first half was really good and then bam a twist I saw
coming a mile away came and I was left feeling irritated by the novel. It just
made me lose interest in Blythe and Adam’s journey and I found it difficult to
finish. SPOILER ALERT I also was seriously bothered by the idea Dobbs, a
middle-aged man who repeatedly rapes a teen girl, could be redeemed. END OF
SPOILER
Above falls in the middle for me, but it’s worth a read
based on the superb first half of the novel.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!
