Dear Child (2024)

I’m just watching “Liebes Kind” ( Dear Child) Netflix adaptation and it’s freaking amazing! Highly recommended!

After ten minutes long silence I started another ten minutes long ovation for this book! It’s brilliant, intense, dark, gripping, character-driven, shocking and also terrifying, nightmarish, high tension, scary, thought-provoking story with lots of twists, jaw dropping moments, extremely heart wrenching chapters and devilishly smart, stunning conclusion.

It is mostly quite fascinating mash up of Room and Wendy Walker’s “Don’t Look for me”. The characters were well-developed, emotionally layered, flawed, keeping secrets for their own reasons. But as soon as you read the first chapter, you realize you’re trapped in this book: you cannot put down even though you gotta read so many disturbing, horrifying and stomach churning details, abuse and violence the characters are going to endure, but you resume your reading because you’re already in trance and you want to know what’s going to happen next, what kind of secrets all those narrators keep and what’s the truth behind the abduction of 23 years old Lena Beck.

Let’s take a look at the story-line: Lena Beck has been missing for 14 years ago and after a hit and run accident a woman with her little daughter Hannah is taken to the hospital might be connected with her case. Her daughter Hannah weirdly mentions about their residential situations: living in a windowless shack with her mother, father and her little brother. Her father is so strict about the rules and not to spend their times at the outside world (he’s a great protector against the lurking dangers of the woods.) Hannah’s quirky traits and sociopathic tendencies and calling her mother: “Lena” raises the alarm bells. Could they have been trapped in that shackle for years? Could that man think their father also be their captor and were the children products of a violent rape?

As soon as Lena’s parents hear the news, they come to the hospital to identify the injured woman. As you may imagine their hope floats when they find out the woman is called “Lena” by her daughter Hannah is not their missing girl.

Later the officers find out the patient at the hospital is Jasmin Grass who has also missing for four months. So if she’s not Lena why the daughter of real Lena calls her mother? Lena’s father Mattias who is also the third narrator of the story among with Hannah and Jasmin, still wants to get answers, looking for the support of the media even though he doesn’t approve the things they write about her daughter and he thinks Jasmin keeps big secrets and she knows what happened to her girl!

Especially the last third of the book: I scared to breathe, move, only my fingers function to touch my ipad to flip the pages, eyes glued to the screen, mouth agape, feeling like somebody kept punching me with those smart, twisted, shocking revelations and of course the pure honest, raw, stunning epilogue of Lena was outstanding.

Overall: Blazing, well-written, phenomenal five stars! I hope I’ll find more translated works of the author sooner.

blog
instagram
facebook
twitter

Sick and Twisted

3.75 stars

Dear Child is a psychological thriller about a woman who is held in captivity in a cabin in the woods until she escapes.

13 years after disappearing after attending a college party, Lena is found. Having killed her captor, she is now safe. Her two children, Hannah and Jonathan, are rescued as well. However, Lena’s story doesn’t add up, and it is clear that she is hiding something. Her children are also keeping deadly secrets. Even though they have physically escaped, they are mentally scarred.

The narrative is split between Mathias, Lena’s father; Hannah, Lena’s 13-year-old daughter; and Lena. Hannah’s chapters take center stage in the beginning. It took me a bit to adjust to her voice, which is brimming with fact after fact after fact. I found her irksome and wanted her to shut up, but I eventually got used to her. The transitions between characters were jarring, but I think part of this was due to translation. Mathias constantly spouts off about this or that while constantly blaming others, which annoyed me. Hannah’s chapters felt like a caricature of a twisted little child. Lena’s chapters were the most interesting to read.

Dear Child is a dark and disturbing read. The pacing is fast, and each chapter reveals just a little bit more about what happened behind the walls of the creepy cabin. It’s not too graphic, but one can easily imagine the torture these characters suffered. I would describe this book as a combination of Room and Baby Doll. I didn’t love it, but I think part of it had to do with my dislike for the characters and other parts due to translation issues. I was completely thrown by the revelation of the bad guy--that got me good and bumped this up a notch. The ending is a bit chaotic and messy and left me with some questions. However, I always find plots like these intriguing and this one kept me turning the pages.

I received a free copy of Dear Child by Romy Haussman from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

Qué bonito es empezar el año con un thriller sorprendente, de lo mejor que he leído del género en los últimos años. Un libro en el que el amor enfermizo termina por convertirse en una pesadilla. Capítulo cortos narrados por diferentes personajes, con muy buenos giros, se duda de todo y de todos. Una muy buena lectura.

What a BRILLIANT book. I read so many psychological thrillers where I end up being disappointed, because I don’t ‘buy’ the plot. Some are simply too unrealistic and far-fetched. But I never thought that while reading dear child. The characters were well-crafted with the complexities of human beings perfectly captured.

It was an intense and thrilling read, and I was also surprised at the ending, a major plus.

Dear Child is a taut Psychological Thriller that will leave you scratching your head until the bitter end. Hausmann immediately drops the Reader into a fairly complicated human puzzle.

Although it can take some time to get your bearings, once the narrative really begins to unfold, it's completely intriguing.

The story is told from three main perspectives: a kidnapped woman, known as Lena, who has just escaped her captor; her daughter, Hannah; and Lena's father, Matthias, who has been searching for his daughter for the past 13-years.

From Lena and Hannah's perspectives, the scope of the hell they, along with Hannah's brother, Jonathan, have lived through begins to take shape. A cabin in the woods, the 'father' who controlled their every move and their total isolation.

After her dramatic escape, Lena is hit by a car and transported to the hospital, with Hannah in tow. It is there that the true depth of the mystery is exposed.

Is this woman really Lena? And if she's not, then who the heck is she?

This story is dark, twisted, sick, and intricate. Progressing through this story is like peeling back the layers of an onion; something stinks and at times you want to cry.

I thought this was so cleverly plotted. I had many theories; my head was spinning. It did not end how I expected and I really enjoyed the journey.

There were moments in the beginning where I was almost too confused, but once the puzzle started to come together, wow. It was chef's kiss.

The Epilogue was the delicious icing on the cake. It gave me that evil grin I love to have at the end of a story.

The most disturbing part of this was that it could really happen. There is nothing far-fetched about it. A cabin in the woods isn't suspicious in and of itself. You can really do anything you want behind those doors.

I highly recommend this for people who love tense and twisted stories. I believe this is the first Thriller this author has written and obviously it shows incredible promise.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Flatiron Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am definitely anxious to pick up more from Hausmann!

“Love. It’s love. No matter how sick, distorted and misunderstood, it’s still love. Love that spurs us on. That turns us into monsters, each in our own way.”

If I had to pick a quote from this book to summarize it, I’d say that’s the one. Romy Hausmann’s debut novel is a powerful look into the psychology of both love and trauma, and how it expresses itself uniquely through different people, sometimes in horrifying ways, and sometimes in healing ways.

The story is told in three narratives by ‘Lena’, the victim of an abduction who is forced into a surrogate wife/mother role to the abductor and his two children, the abductor’s daughter, Hannah, and finally Matthias, Lena’s father. While that seems fairly straightforward, an accident happens that reveals that there’s more to ‘Lena’s’ story than was first imagined, and the book follows the implications of these new discoveries on her life, the lives of Matthias and his wife Karen, who’ve been searching for Lena for 13 years, and on Hannah and her brother Jonathan’s lives, among others.

This is one of those books with start to finish tension. There’s an intentional confusion to the story which never lets you get comfortable that everything will be OK, because every new reveal knocks you back down a little. You’re never sure who to trust, which adds a nice creepy, suspenseful feel to the story, and I truly didn’t see the revelation of the abductor’s identity coming. The characters are universally flawed in this story, so there’s not really a “feel good” character to latch onto, but I think that made everything more realistic. Trauma is messy, and so are these characters.

There is a big undercurrent of power dynamics in this story. An abductor exerting his will over his victim, a grieving father fashioning a future path for he and his wife, regardless of her opinions on it, children who’ve never questioned their obedience to their father, and conversely, the power of victims to survive their circ*mstances. Everyone is holding onto whatever control they have over their situations, whether fair to the people around them or not. Love takes on a distorted form that each character justifies in their own way. There were a few characters I had a difficult time with (I’m looking at you Matthias), but by the end, when all was revealed, I could at least understand all of them enough to feel sympathetic.

It’s not a fast-paced book, but it kept me completely invested. If you like a psychological thriller heavy on the psychology, this is a great one. I’ll definitely be watching for more from this author.

★★★★ ½ (rounded up to 5)

EXCERPT: He had returned and was standing over me, smiling, like before. I calculated that I'd been his prisoner for just over half a day now, although my senses and my intellect were at odds over this. in the darkness time stood still. And yet I still felt just about okay, so couldn't have been here much longer, I was tired, and had a headache, which I interpreted as a sign of dehydration, but my brain was still functioning. Even if all it could offer me was: after two or three days without water, you'll be dead.

'Have you calmed down?'

I resisted the impulse to scream and just gave him a silent nod. 'Very good,' he said, then turned around and went to the door. I waited for the click of the light switch.

It didn't happen. The light stayed on. He even left the door slightly ajar when he went out.

Forgetting to breathe, I stared at the door, open. I tugged fitfully at my shackles, without taking my eyes off the door, the open door, just five or six strides away from me, beyond reach.I blinked away a few stupid tears. I wouldn't get very far in any case. He must be coming back soon; why else would he leave the light on and the door open? All I could do was wait.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: A windowless shack in the woods. Lena's life and that of her two children follows the rules set by their captor, the father: Meals, bathroom visits, study time are strictly scheduled and meticulously observed. He protects his family from the dangers lurking in the outside world and makes sure that his children will always have a mother to look after them.

One day Lena manages to flee - but the nightmare continues. It seems as if her tormentor wants to get back what belongs to him. And then there is the question whether she really is the woman called 'Lena', who disappeared without a trace 14 years ago. The police and Lena's family are all desperately trying to piece together a puzzle which doesn't quite seem to fit.

MY THOUGHTS: The synopsis of Dear Child by Romy Hausmann gives you absolutely no idea of the depth of horror and terror this woman, Lena, is facing. None whatsovever.

The story is told from three points of view - 'Lena', Hannah (the daughter), and Matthias (Lena's father). Sounds simple? It's not. Everyone has secrets, things that they won't reveal. And everyone lies.

I didn't love this book at the beginning. I felt slightly confused, (a deliberate ploy by the author I now think) and was wondering what all the fuss was about. I soon found out. I was a little over half way before I put this book down for the first time. And then only because I had to go to work. I read the second half after I got home last night, unable to go to sleep until I had finished in the early hours of this morning, and then unable to go to sleep anyway. I never guessed Lena's captor, although I suspected a number of people. Some of them more than once.

Decidedly creepy. Jump at any noise in the night, real or imagined, creepy.

I believe this is Hausmann's first book. She has written a psychological thriller that is both chilling and absorbing. And one that will have you glancing back over your shoulder, shivers running up your spine.

😱😱😱😱😱

#DearChild #NetGalley

'Love. It's all love. No matter how sick, distorted and misunderstood, it's still love. Love that spurs us on. That turns us into monsters, each in our own way.'

THE AUTHOR: How did I, a girl from rural Swabia with glasses and a big bum, end up in this business in the first place? The reason? Because nobody believed I could make it. But it was what I wanted. I wanted to be in a profession where I could meet people, listen to stories and retell them, and I wanted to make a success of my career.

I work at my old kitchen table. It's not unusual to see a raccoon on the terrace in the evenings, gorging on wine grapes. I do yoga, chop wood and grow vegetables in my greenhouse. And, of course, I talk about writing.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Dear Child by Romy Hausmann for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to mu Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on Sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 3.5/5 | Ending: le sigh/5

THE PLOT

Lena's been missing for 14 years when she re-appears, but wait, it's not her but some other chick Jasmine who was kidnapped as a stand-in for Lena. Told from the POV of Jasmine, Lena's daughter Hannah, and Lena's father Matthias, we find out what really happened in the cabin.

MY OPINION

Tbh my writing, plot, ending ratings make no sense because how did I end up with 4 stars?? Sometimes even my own math does not math, but hey, I have two arts degrees! Anyways.

I gave this 4 stars because the creepy vibes were there. I was so hyped at the beginning because it was VERY juicy. Hannah's POV was incredibly well-written; a masterclass in showing not telling. You can clearly see how her upbringing impacted her thought process and her unique way of seeing the world around her. I cackled when she was thinking about how Sister Ruth was a grade A dummy. #mood

Tbh... Matthias' POV could go. We didn't get anything out of him except that he's in a toxic relationship with the media and low key obsessed with his daughter (or is that just how parents love their kids?) It was Jasmine and Hannah who drove the story toward its Criminal Minds ass ending, so I vote Matthias off the island.

A fair warning, this is a translated book, so while for the most part it is solid, there is some confusing aspects. Also, originally Lena's flashbacks were italicized, but then the editor said f*ck it and you had scenes jumping back and forth without an indication. I love my European writers and this definitely had all the trademarks of their unique writing style, so if that isn't for you... NEXT!!!!

SPOILERS SO SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM AGGRESSIVELY

I rated the ending "le sigh" because the big reveal of why and how was disappointing and contrived. So after doing the most with all the chains and handcuffs and whatnot, he let her go free because Hannah said so? This didn't make sense. Someone with that level of control issues definitely would've dragged her by the hair back to the cabin and slapped an extra handcuff on her to the bed just to be safe. He certainly would not have be like, ok, you get a 3 days head start but IMA FIND YOU!!!! What???

PROS AND CONS

Pros: beginning was JUICY AF, Hannah's POV was perfectly written, Jasmine's POV provided insight into a traumatized mindset, translation was top tier

Cons: lots of timeline jumping within the same scene without indication, some confusion around the relationship between Kirsten and Jasmine (maybe a translation thing? I thought they were BFFs but they're definitely BFFs++), ending was doing the most, Matthias' POV was pointless

What a gripping plot! A real page turner that is disturbingly dark, twisted and unputdownable. Finally a phycological thriller that made for compelling reading.

Dear child is a novel by German author Romy Haussmann . A family held captive by their father who rules his household with scheduled bathroom times, locked doors, and protects his family from the outside world until they manage to escape his obsessive world . But the night mare just begins for Lena and her family as the police try to piece together a puzzle that leads to more questions than answers.

An accomplished thriller, fast paced dark and disturbing. A quick read that I just couldn’t put down. Exactly how I like my thrillers.

I love books like this, exciting and twisty and this one had me guessing right to the end. There are a couple of elements of the story that were a wee bit contrived but its a phycological thriller and for me one of the better ones I have read in a long time.

I listened to this novel on audible and the narration was excellent. A quick and entertaining read and perfect for summer reading.

TBH I would have walked past this one in a book shop and never thought to pick it purely on it’s cover. I get the cover now that I have read it. I would have missed out on a really good book if this hadn’t been recommended by a friend . 😊

I think readers who enjoyed books like The Wife The Silent Patient may well enjoy this one.

“5013 days… that’s how long I spent looking for my daughter”

What a deep, dark, read.

Lena has been missing for 13 years. So long in fact, that she’s had two children while being held captive by a madman.

When the opportunity presents itself, it’s time for ‘Lena’ to run! Unfortunately, she runs directly into the path of a passing car and ends up in the hospital.
The first words she manages to utter…

“Lena...my name is Lena ”

But is it really her? And why won’t the children tell the authorities what was going on in their so called home?

Told through the eyes of Lena’s father, 'Lena', and the eldest child.

I listened to the audio version and all the narrators did a superb job bringing their characters to life. Allowing you to feel the pain, the fear and even the indifference from the child.

Not sure how I missed this book originally, but grateful to the many fantastic reviews that led me to pick this one up. Thank-you friends!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Highly recommend the 🎧 version.

What the WHAAAAA!!!!!!???????

Shortest Summary Ever: Lena has been held hostage along with her 2 children. One night the unthinkable happens - she’s free, only to wind up in hospital, hit by a car. What happened, who is she, and is the nightmare truly over?

Thoughts: I’m never going anywhere again. Nope. Nope. Nope. Never. Agoraphobia is my jam. Yup. (Fetal position).

Good God what did I just read? Something that scared every bajeezer out of me! Every. Last, One. (Crossing myself ten times, clutching a rosary... and I’m not Catholic). Ok - this is going to make me a weirdo (and I’m ok with that) but this book is all about a whack-job kidnapper psycho and DANG it freaked me out. Like snuggling-my-dog freaked out. Like make-this-into-a-movie freaked out. AND I LOVED IT. Lol! ThankGod this is fiction (please please please stay fiction).

I’m one of those reviewers who likes the sick and twisted ever since I reveled in Montresor taking his good ol’ buddy Fortunato for a little walk to sample some wine (deliciously devious, insert mu-hu-wah- hahaha laugh.) But when there’s no revenge and it’s plain, pure evil? Scarier than anything.

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: Mystery/Horror

Recommend to: 9 out of 10 heebie jeebies so read it if you love to get those goosebumps!

Not recommended to: If you’re not into psychos and the women they stalk.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Flatiron Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review.

“Where there’s feeling—even if it’s pain—there’s life that can be recovered.”

Matthias and Karin Beck's daughter, Lena has been missing for 13 years with absolutely no leads or clues as to what happened to her the night she disappeared. Then one night they get a call telling them that a woman matching their daughters description has been found and is a patient in a hospital a few hours away. But when they get to the hospital, is this really the case or is this just the start of another chapter of their ongoing nightmare?

Dear Child for me was a dark read and unlike most thrillers, I didn't feel it added gruesome details just for the sake of it. This book had all the perfect thriller aspects. There was intrigue, mystery, a few jump moments but never anything scary, and lots of piecing together and slowly figuring out what was going on. It's definitely a slower paced book, so if you like jam packed, fast paced thrillers this might not be for you. Overall, the book was well done and intriguing enough to keep me turning pages, each chapter reveals new information and raises more questions.

The ending though, I wanted so much more. It was flat and felt a bit thrown together and random. I don’t do half stars but if I did this would be a 3.5.

I read this for my book clubs May pick.

3,5/5

4-5 stars rounded up.
This is a shocking and gripping story of abduction and captivity which goes beyond this to look at the effect of the trauma on the victims and their families. A young woman is injured when she is hit by a car, she is taken to hospital accompanied by a strange child Hannah, who says that she is the victims daughter and that the woman’s name is Lena. Is this Lena Beck who has been missing for thirteen years? Her mother Karin and father Matthias full of hope, rush to the hospital near the Czech border to identify the injured woman. Unfortunately their hopes are dashed as the woman is not Lena and proves to be Jasmin Grass who has been missing for four months and the story she tells police chills you to the bone. Her evidence leads them to an isolated cabin deep in the heart of some woods where another child, deeply traumatised Jonathan is found along with a dead body. Why does Hannah claim Lena is her mother? Why does she say that Jasmin’s name is Lena? The truth is a long time coming and is more twisty than you can imagine. The story is told in alternate storylines by Hannah, Lena/Jasmin and Matthias alternating with extracts from newspapers in particular Bayerisches Tagblatt.

One of the most praiseworthy aspects is how Romy Hausman explores the psychology behind a trauma like abduction. Each of the victims reacts differently. Jasmin suffers nightmares, shuts herself off, can’t eat and so on. Jonathan becomes almost mute the damage is so deep. Hannah is composed, almost robotic and lacks empathy and emotion. Matthias is a puzzle and you have sympathy but I can’t say he’s likeable. He uses the media to keep Lena’s story in the headlines which is understandable but then becomes apoplectic when he doesn’t like what they print. The role of the media in a story like this is examined too especially the lengths that journalists will go to to get a story and an angle.

This book is very well written with a good, gripping plot. It’s dark, scary, makes you ask many questions and has a lot of surprising and dramatic twists and turns. The end is good and feels right. Overall, a very good novel which intrigues throughout and is translated well. Recommended for fans of this genre.

Wow. Der beste Thriller, den ich in jüngster Zeit gelesen habe. Mein Jahreshighlight bisher.

'Liebes Kind' hat einfach alles: eine hochemotionale Story, dreidimensionale Charaktere, greifbare Spannung und ein poetischer, genialer Schreibstil.

Manche Thriller sind einfach nur auf den Schock-Faktor aus und wollen einen erschrecken. Doch 'Liebes Kind' verpackt eine so erschreckende Story tief in der menschlichen Psyche, illustriert sie mit Hilfe von verschiedenen Perspektiven und geht unter die Haut wie kein zweiter Thriller mit solch einer Thematik.

Ich bin einfach begeistert.

Ich ordne meine Gedanken und werde noch mal bei YouTube berichten.

Para la lectura conjunta de este mes, Devoradora de libros ha acertado de pleno escogiendo esta novela.
Para ambas ha supuesto un no parar de leer hasta saber el final.
Nos ha parecido una lectura de lo más adictiva, donde se nos van revelando los hechos con cuentagotas.
A ritmo de thriller nos va envolviendo en una tensión psicológica que va in crescendo a cada página.
Veremos las secuelas que tiene el secuestro en la protagonista. Y seremos partícipes de cada trauma que puebla su mente y la de sus seres queridos.
También habrá tiempo para, a modo de denuncia, sacar a relucir lo sensacionalistas que pueden llegar a ser ciertos medios de comunicación y el daño que provocan, introduciendo pequeños extractos de noticias diseminados a lo largo de la narración que hacen la lectura más amena si cabe.

A modo de inciso, comentar que la sinopsis contiene un gran spoiler así que si no se lee mejor. Como en todo buen thriller, mejor ir a ciegas y sorprendernos a cada vuelta de página.

La novela inicia con la puesta en escena de la desaparición de una joven; Lena Beck, quien lleva desaparecida la friolera de catorce años. Catorce años durante los cuales sus padres han vivido todo un infierno. De no saber qué ha sido de tu hija, ¿estará viva y cautiva a manos de algún sádico?, ¿muerta hecha pedazos en algún bosque perdido?, ¿víctima de la trata de blancas?.
Todo son preguntas sin respuesta para esos desesperados padres.
No puedo ni imaginar tal dolor.
Hasta que una noche reciben una llamada, esa llamada que tanto ansiaban.
Una mujer cuya descripción concuerda con Lena, ha sido atropellada en una zona boscosa cerca de la frontera checa, está grave y no está sola...

A través de tres narradores en primera persona se nos irá revelando la verdadera historia tras este secuestro.
Conoceremos a Lena, y su tormentoso día a día en esa cabaña sin ventanas y con un aparato que les provee del aire que necesitan para vivir.
A Matthias, el padre de Lena, que vive un infierno junto con su mujer Karin al no saber aún quien es el responsable del secuestro de su única hija y el paradero de esta.
Y a la pequeña Hannah, que no conoce otra cosa que la vida tras esas frías paredes. Una vida regida por estrictas normas y horarios hasta para ir al baño.
Desde perspectivas y tiempos diferentes (pasado y presente), la autora consigue dotar a la novela de una gran tensión, de mostrarnos las terribles secuelas y la esperanza que se agarra como un clavo ardiendo al corazón de esos padres, de la inocencia de Hannah y su forma de interpretar el mundo al no tener más referencias que los libros que su padre le dispensa.
La autora juega muy inteligentemente con el lector, aportando sutiles giros en la trama, dejándote con la miel en los labios al finalizar cada capítulo, y con la boca abierta al llegar al final.

Es en definitiva, una novela desgarradora sobre los peligros del amor enfermizo y todo lo que puede desatar si no se contiene.
Terrible. Y muy real 💔

🏚"Quien quiere huir no tiene tiempo para una larga historia. Quien tiene algo que perder se guarda para sí las cosas inconfesables."

🏚"Así es el amor. Por muy enfermizo, retorcido y mal entendido que sea, sigue siendo amor. El amor que nos impulsa. Que nos convierte en monstruos, a cada uno a su manera."

📖 Próxima lectura:
"La puerta" - Manel Loureiro.

https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚💖

This certainly had some twists and curves I didn’t see coming.
An abduction that happens 14 years ago to then 23 year old, Lena. Then another woman is found after missing for 4 months who calls herself Lena and looks a bit like her, but is not her. 2 children born in captivity. An escape.
A father who faithfully believes he will find his daughter in the 14 years she’s been gone.
It made me think of my own 22 year old daughter who is leaving again to further her education this coming fall. A reminder I need to invest in some brass knuckles for her so she can protect herself from any nuts out there.
An entertaining English debut.
4 solid ⭐️

Me ha deslumbrado. Es una novela tremendamente adictiva de comienzo a fin.

En realidad 4.5★ pero lo redondeo a las cinco estrellas por el disfrute y apego

Aunque me he cogido casi todos los giros de trama porque no hay nada que me hubiera sorprendido es una lectura demencial y adictiva que no dura nada. Y por si fuera poco los tres personajes principales que narran esta enfermiza y perturbadora histiria están muy bien construidos psicológicamente. Narrado a tres voces: una mujer secuestrada, su hija y el padre de la primera. Víctimas conectadas por el perpetrador que no querrás parar de leer. A mí me resultó imposible no pensar en seguir leyendo y sentir tensión todo el rato. Recomendadísimo.

Ahora sí, la trama va sobre una madre y dos hijos viven encerrados hasta que esta escapa con su hija, tiene un accidente y luego a través de su punto de vista y el de la pequeña se alcanza a avistar un caso enfermizo, abusivo y perturbador que rodea a una familia que ha vivido recluida en una cabaña donde el padre los ha mantenido cautivos y los mantiene regidos bajo una serie de reglas con mano dura.

Este libro me ha mantenido en vilo por medio de sus capítulos cortos y por lo tremendo que es la trama que si bien me recordó desde el inicio a La habitación (novela de Emma Donoghue), ambas no se parecen en prácticamente nada solo comparten un poco la premisa. Este es más duro y escalofriante que el otro.

Aquí, por medio de "Lena" iremos rememorando poco a poco los días pasados en esa cabaña con su secuestrador y sus hijos y créanme que la angustia que he sentido en varias escenas por ella han sido brutales. Su crisis de identidad, su estrés postraumático, su trauma, su desconfianza y su posterior regresión de los hechos la hacen el mejor personaje construido psicol��gicamente para mí.

El punto de vista de Hannah, la niña pequeña es igual de curioso y extraño, de una naturaleza que tira al mal ya que resulta alarmante la manera en que los hechos ocurridos y el entorno en el que se ha criado y desarrollado (cuatro paredes, sin ventanas y con la puerta cerrada) le llevan a normalizar de manera abismal los comportamientos que allí se llevan a cabo. Tiene muchísima ambigüedad moral y un retorcido significado del amor y la familia en el que también se irán juntando las piezas que reconstruyen el caso principal.

Quizás la tercera perspectiva es la que menos me ha gustado porque sigue a Matthias (padre de Lena) y nos muestra un poco lo que es vivir bajo la constante zozobra de tener a un ser querido desaparecido, además de los medios de comunicación acosandote y manipulando la información. Sin duda alguna también juega un papel fundamental en el caso y sirve para agregar más tensión ya que nos desprende de lo que nos interesa: los puntos de vista de las otras dos protagonistas y principales afectadas.

Cinco estrellas porque no quería dejar de leer hasta desenrollar todo el maní y sacar lo que había debajo de la alfombra. Si al comienzo estaba expectante, de mitad hacia adelante me comía las uñas queriendo saber todo y principalmente la identidad del secuestrador. Así que sí, vale la pena, por lo estremecedor e inquietante, hay escenas muy bien logradas aunque el enfrentamiento final no me gustó por lo rápido que se desencadena tiene un epílogo que para mí rrecompensa por lo impresionante y cierra bien todos los cabos.

Madre mía, qué brutalidad de libro.
A mis favoritos de cabeza.

Dear Child - Romy Hausmann

Well that was twisty and just all kinds of... wrong!

This is a hard one to review without giving anything away but I will try. A woman escapes captivity only to hit by a car on the first road she come to. The driver is shocked but calls an ambulance immediately. As they head to the hospital the paramedics ask her name and a child’s voice says “Lena, her name is Lena”. But it’s not! And how did Hannah end up in the ambulance with her?

In the hospital the woman, whose real name is Jasmin Grass, doesn’t say much while she tries to work out what is going on and how to answer the questions posed by the police. It seems that Lena is another young woman who disappeared 13 years ago never to be seen again. Lena’s parents, Matthias and Karin Beck, rush to the hospital as their police officer friend tells them a woman, who could be Lena, has been brought in. Even through the injuries Matthias sees immediately that she is not Lena, but he also sees the child Hannah who is the spitting image of Lena.

The story is told from the POV of Jasmin, Matthias and Hannah. Hannah (13 years old) is a strange, almost robotic child - highly intelligent but emotionally quite blank. Jasmin describes the cabin she was held in, with the children, how she bashed her captor’s head with a heavy snow globe and fled. And Hannah tells authorities that Jonathan, her younger brother (11 years old) is still at the cabin - cleaning up the blood. Yikes, is that weird or what? Matthias is not very likeable, yes he is a grieving father but a lot of his behaviours are wrong and unhelpful.

As the story progresses nothing is quite what is seems. Each of the major characters is processing their trauma differently, and this is an issue the author handled very well. It is a good reminder that trauma responses can and do vary. Nevertheless, there was always something a bit odd about Hannah. Jasmin was left as a bundle of nerves not being able to trust anyone. Then the anonymous notes started...

It got quite nerve shredding as the thing that Jasmin feared most seemed about to happen. But how could it be? Of course everyone is hiding something and when the truth does finally come out the answer is both surprising and shocking! It doesn’t happen often but I was quite uncomfortable at times while reading this. Thanks to Netgalley, Quercus Books and Romy Hausmann for providing a copy for me to review. My opinions are my own.

“El primer día pierdo la noción del tiempo, la dignidad y una muela. A cambio, ahora tengo dos hijos y una gata. No recuerdo cómo se llaman, salvo la gata, la Señorita Tinky.”

Con un comienzo así, Mi dulce niña (2019), de la alemana Romy Hausmann (1981-), ya ha captado toda tu atención. Si a continuación aparece un personaje magnético que te seduce por su originalidad (una niña llamada Hanna) y si, apenas leída la cuarta parte del texto, ya te ha regalado dos giros inesperados, creo que ya puedes tener claro que estás inmerso en una novela que no vas a poder abandonar y solo aciertas a cruzar los dedos para desear que mantenga ese nivel inicial.

Aunque la parte central no es tan impactante, continúa generando sorpresas que amplían aún más la intriga, sin que seas capaz de adivinar a donde te va a conducir la historia ni su resolución. Porque no es hasta la parte final donde Mi dulce niña vuelve a ser como una traca de fuegos artificiales, llena de golpes de efecto y en la que se cierran adecuadamente todos los cabos sueltos.

El tema (la familia que vive secuestrada por el padre) no es nuevo (me viene a la memoria la estupenda La habitación, Emma Donoghue), pero la historia no se reduce al mundo doméstico, sino a la vida de los personajes implicados, las investigaciones, las relaciones psicológicas e incluso se atreve con las posibles causas. Encuentro mucho de negra nórdica en ese análisis de la retorcida mente humana.

“Así es el amor. Por muy enfermizo, retorcido y mal entendido que sea, sigue siendo amor. El amor que nos impulsa. Que nos convierte en monstruos, a cada uno a su manera.”

Si lo que buscas en una novela negra es intriga y un ritmo imparable, Mi dulce niña cumple con creces esta función, porque, además del argumento y de una trama bien elaborada, la autora recurre sin complejos a todos los recursos posibles para conseguirlo: más acción que descripción, abundante diálogo, frases cortas, un uso complejo de las múltiples voces, cambio de perspectivas, cliffhangers (estoy cansado ya de este burdo recurso), avance constante, personajes que siembran dudas, información muy bien dosificada, pistas ambiguas bien planteadas, varios plots twists, etc.

En general suelo resistirme a conceder cinco estrellas y aún más en novelas de género negro, con excesivas similitudes, pero Romy Hausmann ha conseguido no darme ni un momento de reposo, y, definitivamente, no me he podido resistir al placer de los giros argumentales (plot twists) por los que siento verdadero debilidad.

CONSEJO: ¡No leáis la sinopsis! La mayor sorpresa de la novela la airean sin ningún pudor. ¡Es ridículo!

This book is one of the better psychological thrillers I have read in the last few years. It's dark and disturbing and I couldn't help but be engrossed in the story.

No doubt some comparisons can be made to the book Room by Emma Donoghue. You have a captivity plot and one of the narrators of the story is a child. However, don't skip this book just because you have read Room. Despite a few similarities Dear Child goes off in its own direction and I certainly didn't feel like I read the same book twice.

This story works well in my opinion because there are 3 narrators and they each bring something unique to the table. While the story moves forward in the present day, you slowly get pieces of the puzzle in regards to the captivity. (And yes, I am being vague on purpose. I had forgotten the publisher synopsis when I started this one and I was surprised a few times near the beginning of the book. If you don't mind going in blind, do it for this book as it makes for a better reading experience.)

The only slight criticism I have is there is a specific part of the ending I found confusing. I actually had to go back a little bit and reread and thankfully it did make sense the 2nd time around. I like what the author came up with but I think it could have been executed better.

Definitely recommend if you are in the mood for a creepy, page turning type read.

I received a free ARC of Dear Child by Romy Hausmann from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. #readinginsidersclub

Had a hard time reading this book. Omg. The world is indeed a cruel place.

This is a story of Lena, a young woman who went missing 13 years ago, an odd little girl and a father who’s been searching for his daughter. How are these people connected? What happened to Lena?

Dark and menacing. One of those books that would probably make you feel uncomfortable and troubled. This will make you think the unthinkable and imagine the unimaginable.

So cruel and twisted. My heart broke for the main characters and their torment. I didn’t care about the twists and the revelations, I cared about how this extremely upset me in the end. Damn. It was good, yet antagonising at the same time.

4.25, rounded down!! What a great debut novel this was. To start with, this story takes place in southern Germany (Bavaria), which is where I was born and raised until I was 12 years old, so that immediately had me intrigued. Also, anything to do with creepy children intrigues me, so that was another plus. Let's just say that one of our young protagonists, Hannah, definitely met my creepiness expectations! The story was very dark and frighteningly realistic or at least plausible, to me. It gave me the creeps throughout, and a few of the more vivid flashback scenes really got to me! I was able to imagine myself in our protagonist's place, and cringed multiple times! Overall this is a story about a 23-year-old college student who disappears inexplicably one night walking home after a party. What happened to her? I totally got the 'Room,' vibe while reading this, and even more so I felt this book read similar to the BBC series The Missing, with a few distinct differences. There was a fantastic twist in the storyline in the first part, that afterwards had me hooked! I wasn't sure where the story was going at that point and if there was an unreliable narrator situation or a few other possible scenarios crossed my mind, but I definitely did not anticipate the ending that we got and felt it really came completely out of left field, and I appreciated that. Without giving much away, this book gives us something it's similar predecessors didn't, in that it attempted to provide the WHY this happened, going so deep as to even make the reader reflect what they might be capable of were they to experience the events and circ*mstances our antagonist did.. what are we really capable of when put through the ringer beyond a certain point? I thought this book explored that pretty well! If I had to point out any issues with this novel it might just be the similarities it had to the before mentioned series, and I did listen to this partially on audiobook, which had British, rather than German, accented voices for our characters, so I struggled with that, but overall this novel has me really thrilled to see what else this author will release. I'm definitely a new fan!

Una cabaña sin ventanas en medio del bosque. La vida de Lena y sus dos hijos sigue reglas estrictas: los horarios para comer, ir al baño o estudiar se respetan a rajatabla. El oxígeno les llega a través de un «aparato de circulación».

El padre provee a la familia de alimentos, los protege de los peligros del mundo exterior, se ocupa de que sus hijos siempre tengan una madre.

Pero un día consiguen escapar... y es entonces cuando empieza la verdadera pesadilla..

Muy bueno. Y eso que el thriller psicológico no es mi fuerte o favorito en el género. Todo lo contrario no consiguen gustarme.

Supongo que la longitud de este libro además de mi interés por la trama ha ayudado.

Todo parece indicar que el secuestrador quiere recuperar lo que es suyo. Thriller emocionalmente impactante tanto como profundamente conmovedor, Romy Hausmann va desplegando línea a línea el panorama de un horror que sobrepasa toda capacidad de imaginación.

Una historia brillante, intensa, retorcida, muy oscura, dura e impulsada en su crudeza por los personajes. Impactante y también aterradora, mantiene tensión, la sospecha, el desear saber pasa a ser una necesidad aterradora.

Al final cuando terminas y cierras el libro te invita a la reflexión. Tiene varios giros con momentos que a mi me han sorprendido.

Qué puñetera conclusión tan inteligente e interesante.

Hay una expectación e incertidumbre creada por la confusión en la historia que nunca te permite sentirte sobre terreno seguro tanto en lo que piensas y menos aún en quién confías. Es bastante sorprendente no ver venir las cosas y bastante terrorífico...

Personajes que cobran vida tan defectuosos y realistas como sólo el ser humano puede ser.

Y me quedo con el libro antes que con la serie que he visto (no entera, no me llama).

Extremadamente recomendable..✍️🎩

When a woman called Lena is in a hit and run accident and is taken to hospital with her daughter Hannah, a tale of abduction and captivity in a cabin in the woods emerges. The police think the woman may be Lena Beck who was kidnapped fourteen years before and summon Lena's parents to the hospital to identify her. This may sound like a familiar theme - a controlling monster of a man, a woman abducted and hidden in a remote location, children born and kept locked indoors - but nothing is as it seems making for a dark and chilling tale.

The events are told from three points of view. That of the woman called Lena, Hannah and Lena's father Matthias, who has never given up looking for her, as the police try to unravel the story and identify the abductor. All three have secrets and no one is telling the truth, least of all Hannah who is a very strange, eerie little girl. A very atmospheric and compelling thriller! 4.5★

With thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for a digital copy to read

4'5 / 5

Me ha encantado. Me parece un librazo.
Tiene una trama que te engancha cosa mala, interesante, con ese toque de misterio y suspense.
Personajes creíbles.
La historia está contada por sus distintos protagonistas, narrada en primera persona.

Lo único que hace que no le de un 10 (le pongo un 9 sobre 10) es Matthias, que me ha caído fatal. Es el único personaje que no he soportado por sus actos.

Leedlo, como poco tendréis un rato de puro enganche. Y si os gusta tendréis mucho más.

3.5/5 Estrellas

Adictividad: 5 estrellas, pocos libros me han generado últimamente tal nivel de enganche.

Originalidad de la historia: 4 estrellas (ha habido casos reales últimamente que, aunque parezca increíble, se asemejan bastante a lo que aquí se cuenta, caso Fritzl o monstruo de Amnstetten). La crueldad y la locura humanas no tiene límites.

Desarrollo de la historia: 4 estrellas. El primer tercio te engancha de forma increíble y luego pierde un poco de fuelle. La narración es en primera persona, en boca de los principales personajes de la trama. Es ágil y atrapante, pero a a larga acaba cansando un poco, ya que a veces visualizamos una escena desde el punto de vista de varios de los personajes. Estas escenas son muy cinematográficas, contribuyen a clarificar la historia, pero a mi me ha resultado un poco agotador.

Psicología de los personajes: 3 estrellas. Aquí es donde el libro me ha dejado un poco más descontento. Estamos ante un libro en el que el desarrollo psicológico de los personajes es fundamental. La respuesta de los mismos a las situaciones espantosas que están viviendo es fundamental para poder entender y justificar los derroteros que toma la historia. El abuelo y la madre muy bien, el secuestrador regular, pero no me creo para nada el papel de los niños en la trama. Por más vueltas que le doy, no acaba de convencer, ni su actitud hacia la "madre" (el que haya leído el libro entenderá las comillas), ni hacia el padre, ni con los médicos, ni con los abuelos......estrés post-traumático si, síndrome de Estocolmo también, pero la maldad tipo Damien, no me cuadra...o igual es sólo necesidad de protección y amor. A ver qué os parece a vosotros.

Dicho esto, no podrás encontrar lectura más absorbente y que te haga pasar un mejor mal rato.

Recomendable.

Student Lena Beck went missing 14 years ago in Munich after going to a party. When a young woman is bought into hospital after a hit and run accident, the child Hannah she is with calls her mommy and says she is called Lena, they live in a cabin in the woods with her brother Jonathon and their dad.

Lena’s dad has never given up looking for his daughter and pesters the police for more information, he is hopeful that Lena is still alive. The suspense builds as he rushes to the hospital only to find out the injured woman is not Lena.

I’m not normally a fan of kidnapped themed books, but this one drew me in straightaway and kept me captive until the end. Told from 3 people’s points of view it keeps you guessing with lots of reveals and red herrings along the way.

A thrilling book with a surprising ending. I will look out for this authors next book with great anticipation!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

3.5 stars.
This was a dark, twisty, tantalizing story and also a psychological thriller. For most of the book, I found it suspenseful and compelling and close to a 5 star read for me. I love unexpected twists and revelations, but thought it was overdone with at least one twist too many. I felt the storyline was becoming convoluted near the end. The tension and surprises kept coming, but it seemed the writer was trying too hard to keep up the momentum. I believe this is a debut thriller, and that the author has a very promising future. The characters were well developed, but not entirely likeable.

The story is told through 3 perspectives. 1. Matteas, whose beloved daughter,Lena, went missing fourteen years earlier. He hates scandalous articles about her in the newspaper, and urges the papers' support in viewing her as a good, honourable girl. 2. A woman who is in hospital with severe injuries after being hit by a car. She gives her name as Lena. 3. Hannah, who accompanied Lena to the hospital by ambulance and claims the woman is her mother. Hannah is thirteen-years-old but looks much younger due to poor nutrition. Her conversation includes irrelevant encyclopedic knowledge and she gives some clues about the confined life she and Lena were living in a shack in the woods. She also mentions a brother whom she considers stupid as he didn't learn to read until the age of four. She often refers to herself as her father's favourite child.

Matteas and his wife are overwhelmed by hope and anticipation when informed that Lena is in hospital some distance away. She had sustained multiple injuries when hit by a car but is expected to survive. Their hopes were dashed when Matteas viewed the woman thought to be his missing daughter and insisted the injured woman was not Lena. The distraught parents notice Hannah in the hallway. Her appearance is eerily similar to Lena. Later, DNA tests confirm that she is Lena's biological child and their grandchild. Why she calls the injured stranger her mother is a puzzle.

We learn some details from Jasmin, a woman who was abducted and kept captive for four months,some of the pieces of the puzzle. Her story tells some of the horrific and humiliating conditions confined in a cabin in the woods. She lived with a cruel and controlling man and Hannah and her brother. He kept them isolated from the outside world. He had rigid rules, making them follow strict timetables for bedtime, meals and when to go to the toilet. When she escaped with Hannah, the brother was left behind. The children did not regard their sheltered home life unusual but are both receiving psychiatric care in the hospital due to some horror they witnessed. Matteas is obsessed with Hannah and wants her to replace Lena in his home. Hannah fills in some of the blanks about life with her father. Jasmin is suffering from PTSD and is often confused .

Who is the kidnapper? What happened to Lena? Is Jasmin still in danger? How will the two children adjust to the world? Will Matteas manage to bring Hannah home to his reluctant wife? What happened to a baby sister Hannah mentions? All these puzzles are answered by the end.