review: still missing by chevy stevens

With her incredible debut, Chevy Stevens has created a haunting tale that sticks with you. Still Missing unfolds in an interesting way: Annie, a kidnap victim, visits a psychiatrist at the beginning of each chapter, but this psychiatrist never speaks. After the present-time introduction (which thankfully keeps reassuring you that Annie somehow escapes), the story jumps to the time when Annie was still held hostage by “The Freak,” a man who rapes her, impregnates her, and controls every aspect of her life (including when she can use the bathroom) during that horrific year. Despite the time jumps, the story is still told in a linear, cohesive manner.

Still Missing was one I could not put down. When I reached the part where Gary (the one working the case) asks Annie who would benefit from her kidnapping, I immediately knew who was behind it but Stevens brilliantly didn’t reveal the truth at that time. The plot advanced and kept me on edge as I hoped my suspicions would be wrong. The terrible truth behind the kidnapper's original motive is frightening; it is the worst thing imaginable. Still Missing is by far one of the best books I’ve ever read.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, St. Martin’s Press.