Book Review: Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Published in July 2010, Still Missing by Chevy Stevens is a novel about a 32-year old real estate agent named Annie O'Sullivan who is abducted from an open house and held captive in a remote mountain cabin. Her experiences of being held captive are told through sessions with her psychiatrist and alternate with her struggle to put her life back together after escaping.

This was a novel that one of the book clubs I belonged to had selected to discuss in early 2011. For whatever reason, I only read approximately five pages of the book, never finished the book, and didn't attend the meeting. I finally decided to pick the book up and actually read it, and I was glad that I did. 

The most interesting thing about this book is that it was published not too long before Emma Donoghue's Room, and their plots are somewhat similar. The biggest difference between the two is that Still Missing is told from an adult's perspective and Room is told from a child's perspective. While reading Still Missing, it was so easy to compare it to Room, but I found that I enjoyed Still Missing so much better and found it more impactful since it was told from an adult's perspective.

There were so many parts in Still Missing that made my heart pound in horror and parts that made it break. Despite it taking me a few chapters to really get into the story, it picked up quickly and became so engrossing that I sped through the novel within 24 hours because I couldn't wait to find out who all was in involved in the abduction, how Annie would escape, and what would happen to her once she got home.

I don't have anything too negative to say about Still Missing because I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only complaints are that it took me a few chapters to get into the story, like I've already mentioned, and that the reason behind the abduction was a little far fetched. Other than that, I have no gripes about the novel.

Chevy Stevens is such a talented author, and I've enjoyed every book I've read by her and will continue to purchase and read her novels. I gave Still Missing four out of five stars for the reasons I listed above. If you liked this novel, you may enjoy Room by Emma Donoghue.