Meg Tilly

I'll admit, when I received this book and noticed it was written by an actress trying to be a writer, I was a bit skeptical. However, I was quickly converted to a fan of Meg Tilly's writing.

This book touched me on a number of levels. First, as a mother of two young girls I was horrified by the events in Gemma's young life. Second, as a former school counselor, I was haunted by the possibility that something like this could be missed. Finally, as a human being, I was shaken to the core by show more the evil deeds perpetrated by Hazen Wood.

Meg Tilly masterfully captures the voice of both a 12 year old girl and a 36 year old male pedophile. This book is hard to read due to its disturbing content, yet I was instantly engrossed and could not put it down. Very well done. show less

This book is going haunt me for a long time. Gemma is such a strong and endearing character. You can't help but love her and hate Hazen for what he subjects her to. It's amazing that she can endure what she does and still never lose who she is. I loved that she didn't use her experience as an excuse, but strove to rise above it.

The deptictions of abuse are very graphic, but I really didn't feel that they were gratuitous. I felt that they made you truly identify with her and understand show more exactly what she went through. If they had been glossed over, I don't think I would have had such a connection with Gemma or such an intense realization about what she actually went through.

I would recommend this book to anyone, but would definitely warn them about the graphic nature. show less

Haunting. Revulsive. Hopeful. Inciting. This book is not for the faint of heart. I like the character of Gemma (though I must admit to not particularly liking her name since I am never sure how to pronounce it and it sometimes tripped up the flow of my reading). I think the author did an amazing job of showing how such a young girl can have wild dichotomies of personality. Gemma has a sense of bravado, a coolness, an "above it all" ability to take her abuse without letting it destroy her. show more Yet she also has the sensibilities of a child, one who can be convinced by wicked adults that she is the one doing something wrong, that she might get in trouble, and her devoted attachment to her pet is heartbreaking. The scenes of abuse are graphic. I think in this case it was perhaps a necessary evil to show the depths of Hazen's depravity. However, I do think maybe there were more scenes, an overabundance of graphic details, than were necessary to tell the story. The author did a fine job of switching voices between the young girl and her abusers. And Gemma's mother...I hate her with a passion, but she was a well-drawn character. The whole thing, the knowledge that this is exactly the sort of thing that happens in the world, sickens me. enrages me, but I feel privileged to have been let in on Gemma's story. This one will affect the way I move in the world. From here on out I'll be paying closer attention, I won't be afraid to talk to little girls with haunted eyes. Maybe they need help, just like Gemma did, and I can't stand the thought of all those adults who just didn't notice her need... show less

It has been hard for me to write a review of this novel - I read it several months ago, and my visceral reaction to it remains strong, but I've had trouble putting that feeling into words. Gemma is a smart, tough, creative 12-year-old who we quickly learn has been regularly raped since age 8 by her mother's low-life boyfriend. At the beginning of the book he sells her for $100 to another child molester, Hazen Wood, who becomes obsessed and kidnaps Gemma, taking her on a cross-country abuse show more and torture spree.

The story is told from alternating points-of-view, first Gemma then Hazen, which adds an element of raw truth to Tilly's well-written prose. Gemma's voice is quiet, shy - she survives solely on the basis of her vivid imagination; Hazen, meanwhile, is violent and obsessed, and sick too - he alternates between hurting Gemma and wanting to comfort her. The descriptions of Gemma's abuse are graphic and horrifying; the awful glimpses into the mind of her abuser are terrifying too.

This book was hard to read, and impossible to put down. I give Tilly 5 stars, but caution the sensitive reader - the images depicted herein will not quickly fade. show less