Eva Marie L. (babyjulie) -
This is a good book and I wish I could rate it a little higher. There are lots of things going into the rating and I do have a few small complaints about the book as a whole. Dardenne comes off as very honest and likable to say the least. That's something I admire because it would have to be fairly easy to distance yourself from writing like this, in my opinion anyway. She also put in a few minor details that I would have felt easier to leave out of public knowledge, seeing another (deceased) victims name on the wall AFTER having been rescued.
She admits that she left out the more horrible letters to her mother because she didn't want to rehash it all. Understandable. But she also says she wanted all the truth out so creeps like this one aren't let go so easily, so people know what they're capable of, so people can stop wondering and asking her questions. But my problem with that is this: the whole truth isn't out. If she delibrately left out major (in my opinion) situations that leaves a lot of truth out. I understand totally her not wanting that known, but at the same time, she shouldn't be professing to tell the whole truth.
I've read books that were harder to read, probably having a lot to do with the fact that she left the "hardest" parts out. This isn't to say this is an easy book.
The letters to her mother that she did include are heartbreaking. They show her fear through and through and they show what this monster did to her mind. I can imagine falling for the same lies at that age, even knowing my parents love me more then life. How horrible to think she had to go through all of this.
I wouldn't recommend for the average memoir reader, it is too hard for someone just wanting your average memoir. For people like me, who for some reason feel compelled to see every side of humaity and see what some people are capable of, I'd say go for it.
It's hard but worth it. Maybe it's only for my own curiousity, but I do wish she had included all the letters, or at least more than what she did.
She admits that she left out the more horrible letters to her mother because she didn't want to rehash it all. Understandable. But she also says she wanted all the truth out so creeps like this one aren't let go so easily, so people know what they're capable of, so people can stop wondering and asking her questions. But my problem with that is this: the whole truth isn't out. If she delibrately left out major (in my opinion) situations that leaves a lot of truth out. I understand totally her not wanting that known, but at the same time, she shouldn't be professing to tell the whole truth.
I've read books that were harder to read, probably having a lot to do with the fact that she left the "hardest" parts out. This isn't to say this is an easy book.
The letters to her mother that she did include are heartbreaking. They show her fear through and through and they show what this monster did to her mind. I can imagine falling for the same lies at that age, even knowing my parents love me more then life. How horrible to think she had to go through all of this.
I wouldn't recommend for the average memoir reader, it is too hard for someone just wanting your average memoir. For people like me, who for some reason feel compelled to see every side of humaity and see what some people are capable of, I'd say go for it.
It's hard but worth it. Maybe it's only for my own curiousity, but I do wish she had included all the letters, or at least more than what she did.
