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Pretty Is
A fiercely imagined fiction debut in which two young women face what happened the summer they were twelve, when a handsome stranger abducted them
Everyone thought we were dead. We were missing for nearly two months; we were twelve. What else could they think? -Lois
It's always been hard to talk about what happened without sounding all melodramatic. . . . Actually, I haven't mentioned it for years, not to a goddamned person. -Carly May
The summer precocious Lois and pretty Carly May were twelve years old, they were kidnapped, driven across the country, and held in a cabin in the woods for two months by a charismatic stranger. Nearly twenty years later, Lois has become a professor, teaching British literature at a small college in upstate New York, and Carly May is an actress in Los Angeles, drinking too much and struggling to revive her career. When a movie with a shockingly familiar plot draws the two women together once more, they must face the public exposure of their secret history and confront the dark longings and unspeakable truths that haunt them still. Maggie Mitchell's Pretty Is beautifully defies ripped-from-the-headlines crime story expectations and announces the debut of a masterful new storytelling talent.
Everyone thought we were dead. We were missing for nearly two months; we were twelve. What else could they think? -Lois
It's always been hard to talk about what happened without sounding all melodramatic. . . . Actually, I haven't mentioned it for years, not to a goddamned person. -Carly May
The summer precocious Lois and pretty Carly May were twelve years old, they were kidnapped, driven across the country, and held in a cabin in the woods for two months by a charismatic stranger. Nearly twenty years later, Lois has become a professor, teaching British literature at a small college in upstate New York, and Carly May is an actress in Los Angeles, drinking too much and struggling to revive her career. When a movie with a shockingly familiar plot draws the two women together once more, they must face the public exposure of their secret history and confront the dark longings and unspeakable truths that haunt them still. Maggie Mitchell's Pretty Is beautifully defies ripped-from-the-headlines crime story expectations and announces the debut of a masterful new storytelling talent.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2015
123 people are currently reading
6757 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Mitchell
2 books78 followersMaggie Mitchell has published short fiction in a number of literary magazines, including the New Ohio Review, American Literary Review, and Green Mountains Review. Originally from upstate New York, she now lives in Georgia with her husband and cats. Pretty Is is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 647 reviews
August 18, 2018
For me, getting abducted in broad daylight on the main street of a nowhere little farm town in Nebraska was far from the most fucked-up thing that could have happened that day.
this book is kind of like what would happen if megan abbott wrote a lifetime movie. unfortunately, it also reads like the lifetime people stepped in at the end with some editorial guidance and took what had started off as a fascinating twist on the kidnap-novel and tamed it down into something more conventional.
it's about two twelve-year-old girls, lois and carly may, who are abducted for two months by a man they refer to as "zed." while they are captive, they are not harmed or interfered with, and it's almost like they are on an unusual vacation, away from family problems or pressures. carly may is a pageant girl, accustomed to being in the spotlight, while lois is quieter, more reflective, and both got into zed's car willingly. they soon settle into a situation that's akin to stockholm syndrome, as they vie for zed's attention and subtly compete against each other for his favor, while managing his mood swings and only half-considering escape. it's a creepy story, but there's very little fear - it's just a fascinating examination of the developing relationship between the girls and between the girls and zed.
years later, the girls are now in their late twenties, the events of that summer long behind them. carly mae is now known as chloe - an actress struggling with the narrowing range of opportunities for a medium-talented actress aging out of plum roles. lois is a literature professor who has written a novel about the abduction under the pen name lucy ledger, which is now being turned into a movie in which chloe has landed the part of the detective. chloe has some strong opinions about the way lois has portrayed their story, and things are tense as the two women meet on the set after such a long time has passed from their intense never-quite-friendship.
mitchell writes well, and the alternating-viewpoints of lois and chloe in the beginning, recounting their experiences before and after the abduction are fantastic. the characters have strong voices, and she's great at giving them punchy little lines and observations, shaping their dynamic and relating the effect of that summer on their entire lives, as well as some commentary on our horrified fascination with abducted children. the extended excerpt from lois' novel is also great, and honestly - i would have liked to have read that in its entirety, along with chloe's snipey little reactions to it. but then it gets a little kludgy.
i love the idea of the layered novel. this one has a movie being made from a book based on true events, and all the shades of truth that get leached from the story during that process. it has carly may turning into chloe, called "callie" in the book/movie, playing a character on the periphery of her own experiences, watching an actress play her younger self. it has lois, going by "lucy," but called "hannah" in the book/movie, watching both her life and also her interpretation of her life play out before her. i love the weirdness of this scenario - it's all sorts of david lynchy identity-play. but then there's the final layer, where a stalker-storyline is slapped on top of all this and turns the glorious originality of the premise into a very boring, cookie-cutter women's crime story where things occur and are wrapped up in the most familiar and expected way. which is a drag, considering how smart and edgy this book began.
while the mechanism of the stalker's tactics are intriguing and creepy, it's just one layer too many, and the resolution is jarringly weak when compared to the rest of the book. it's definitely worth a read for the author's undeniable strengths at dissecting the landmine-filled relationships between women, between girls, as well as my beloved ms. abbott does, but i wish she had just stuck to that without feeling the need to wrap the whole thing in a flimsy additional crime story.
it's got some debut-novel flaws, but you better believe i will be reading whatever she writes next. and, as always, blair has written the review i wish i had written.
come to my blog!
this book is kind of like what would happen if megan abbott wrote a lifetime movie. unfortunately, it also reads like the lifetime people stepped in at the end with some editorial guidance and took what had started off as a fascinating twist on the kidnap-novel and tamed it down into something more conventional.
it's about two twelve-year-old girls, lois and carly may, who are abducted for two months by a man they refer to as "zed." while they are captive, they are not harmed or interfered with, and it's almost like they are on an unusual vacation, away from family problems or pressures. carly may is a pageant girl, accustomed to being in the spotlight, while lois is quieter, more reflective, and both got into zed's car willingly. they soon settle into a situation that's akin to stockholm syndrome, as they vie for zed's attention and subtly compete against each other for his favor, while managing his mood swings and only half-considering escape. it's a creepy story, but there's very little fear - it's just a fascinating examination of the developing relationship between the girls and between the girls and zed.
years later, the girls are now in their late twenties, the events of that summer long behind them. carly mae is now known as chloe - an actress struggling with the narrowing range of opportunities for a medium-talented actress aging out of plum roles. lois is a literature professor who has written a novel about the abduction under the pen name lucy ledger, which is now being turned into a movie in which chloe has landed the part of the detective. chloe has some strong opinions about the way lois has portrayed their story, and things are tense as the two women meet on the set after such a long time has passed from their intense never-quite-friendship.
mitchell writes well, and the alternating-viewpoints of lois and chloe in the beginning, recounting their experiences before and after the abduction are fantastic. the characters have strong voices, and she's great at giving them punchy little lines and observations, shaping their dynamic and relating the effect of that summer on their entire lives, as well as some commentary on our horrified fascination with abducted children. the extended excerpt from lois' novel is also great, and honestly - i would have liked to have read that in its entirety, along with chloe's snipey little reactions to it. but then it gets a little kludgy.
i love the idea of the layered novel. this one has a movie being made from a book based on true events, and all the shades of truth that get leached from the story during that process. it has carly may turning into chloe, called "callie" in the book/movie, playing a character on the periphery of her own experiences, watching an actress play her younger self. it has lois, going by "lucy," but called "hannah" in the book/movie, watching both her life and also her interpretation of her life play out before her. i love the weirdness of this scenario - it's all sorts of david lynchy identity-play. but then there's the final layer, where a stalker-storyline is slapped on top of all this and turns the glorious originality of the premise into a very boring, cookie-cutter women's crime story where things occur and are wrapped up in the most familiar and expected way. which is a drag, considering how smart and edgy this book began.
while the mechanism of the stalker's tactics are intriguing and creepy, it's just one layer too many, and the resolution is jarringly weak when compared to the rest of the book. it's definitely worth a read for the author's undeniable strengths at dissecting the landmine-filled relationships between women, between girls, as well as my beloved ms. abbott does, but i wish she had just stuck to that without feeling the need to wrap the whole thing in a flimsy additional crime story.
it's got some debut-novel flaws, but you better believe i will be reading whatever she writes next. and, as always, blair has written the review i wish i had written.
come to my blog!
May 21, 2020
*3.5 stars *
At the age of twelve, Lois and Carly-May were abducted and were missing for two months. Now mature women, they have rebuilt their lives, but remain mentally scarred by their experience. By choice, they have not kept in touch, but through a series of new developments they are to meet again.
The narrative switches between the present and the past, so that the true, full story of their missing two months is gradually revealed. When they were twelve, both girls were leading lives that were unsatisfactory in different ways. Lois's parents, from once-wealthy families, were struggling to make a success of turning their inherited mansion into a successful hotel. They had little time to spare for their good-looking and clever daughter, who has won international competitions by her faultless spelling of obscure words. Carly-May, daughter of a farmer in Arrow in Nebraska, is exceptionally pretty, with long, curling blonde hair. Her life is organised by her stepmother, Gail, who immediately recognised her potential on her hasty marriage to Carly-May's father, a recent widower. Carly-May's life is now spent travelling the United States entering child beauty competitions.
This partly explains why they individually accept a lift from a complete stranger, who rapidly establishes complete power over both girls. Their abductor is good-looking and intelligent. Every detail of their capture and subsequent imprisonment in a cabin in the middle of a forest in the Adirondacks has been carefully thought out. He makes no attempt to harm them physically, but controls their every action. In these circumstances the two girls form an uneasy alliance, never satisfactory due their widely differing backgrounds. This strange life lasts until they are eventually rescued by the police.
In the present, Lois has become a professor of English Literature at a prestigious university in the North East. She has recently published her successful first novel, loosely based on her experiences as a twelve-year-old, entitled Deep in the Woods. Carly-May eventually escaped the influence of Gail and became a small-time movie actress, appearing in horror and mildly pornographic films.
Lois is spending a lot of time with a troubled student, Sean, who she really knows is a lost cause. After a time he develops the characteristics of a stalker and her friends at the university advise her to break contact with him. Then she is told that Deep in the Woods is to be made into a film, and Carly-May, professional name Chloe Savage, is to star in it
As the inevitable reunion of the two women approaches, events become ever more sinister and chaotic before a masterly ending that is a kind of resolution.
This is definitely more of a psychological study than a whodunnit, but it is an impressive debut novel. Absorbing, complex and unusual.
At the age of twelve, Lois and Carly-May were abducted and were missing for two months. Now mature women, they have rebuilt their lives, but remain mentally scarred by their experience. By choice, they have not kept in touch, but through a series of new developments they are to meet again.
The narrative switches between the present and the past, so that the true, full story of their missing two months is gradually revealed. When they were twelve, both girls were leading lives that were unsatisfactory in different ways. Lois's parents, from once-wealthy families, were struggling to make a success of turning their inherited mansion into a successful hotel. They had little time to spare for their good-looking and clever daughter, who has won international competitions by her faultless spelling of obscure words. Carly-May, daughter of a farmer in Arrow in Nebraska, is exceptionally pretty, with long, curling blonde hair. Her life is organised by her stepmother, Gail, who immediately recognised her potential on her hasty marriage to Carly-May's father, a recent widower. Carly-May's life is now spent travelling the United States entering child beauty competitions.
This partly explains why they individually accept a lift from a complete stranger, who rapidly establishes complete power over both girls. Their abductor is good-looking and intelligent. Every detail of their capture and subsequent imprisonment in a cabin in the middle of a forest in the Adirondacks has been carefully thought out. He makes no attempt to harm them physically, but controls their every action. In these circumstances the two girls form an uneasy alliance, never satisfactory due their widely differing backgrounds. This strange life lasts until they are eventually rescued by the police.
In the present, Lois has become a professor of English Literature at a prestigious university in the North East. She has recently published her successful first novel, loosely based on her experiences as a twelve-year-old, entitled Deep in the Woods. Carly-May eventually escaped the influence of Gail and became a small-time movie actress, appearing in horror and mildly pornographic films.
Lois is spending a lot of time with a troubled student, Sean, who she really knows is a lost cause. After a time he develops the characteristics of a stalker and her friends at the university advise her to break contact with him. Then she is told that Deep in the Woods is to be made into a film, and Carly-May, professional name Chloe Savage, is to star in it
As the inevitable reunion of the two women approaches, events become ever more sinister and chaotic before a masterly ending that is a kind of resolution.
This is definitely more of a psychological study than a whodunnit, but it is an impressive debut novel. Absorbing, complex and unusual.
August 11, 2015
"Pretty Is," by Maggie Mitchell, is a hot mess of a book that reads like it was written by someone with no actual experience with how actual people actually act. It also hates women just enough, in just enough socially acceptable ways, that I checked to see if this was written by a man using a female pseudonym. Apparently not.
"Pretty Is" follows two women who were abducted when they were twelve and held in a cabin, where they were dressed in simple dresses and played cards and read library books and ate crap food and were only allowed out at night, guarded by a man with a gun who alternately charmed and menaced them. Of course, both girls fell in love with him, and after their return to their parents have remained obsessed with him and have shaped their lives according to what he wanted them to do.
I should mention that he abducted them by driving up next to them in his car and inviting them to get in. Which they did. For reasons. What reasons? It's unclear, really. They weren't being abused at home and trying to escape. They weren't starving or cold or abandoned. One had a shitty stepmom and a father she loved, one had distant parents. That's it. And they just get into a car and cooperate with their kidnapper and never try to escape. Why? Because reasons! Because, as television without pity would say, It's In The Script!
Their captor, of course, doesn't hurt them in any way. He doesn't tie them up or hit them or threaten them or molest them or even lock them up for very long. When they violate rules he's established nothing happens to them. He tells them all girls/women "are corrupt" and the narrative supports that, with every female character being a slut and/or adulterer; an alcoholic; a catty bitch; etc. A woman who heads up a rape counseling center blames female college students for being raped because they go to frat parties in lingerie and togas. Ha haaaaa fun. Women are just so corrupt and evil. Anyway, whenever the kidnapper is mentioned, it's like there's a flashing #NotAllKidnappers hashtag. He's not like those OTHER kidnappers! He's a GOOD one! For reasons!!! There's a few brief moments when he loses his temper and we see the girls trying to placate him, and those brief moments feel edgy and real, but they are extremely fleeting and really don't explain why they go along with him, why they stay, why they don't care about their homes and families.
The central character, who is a college professor who is publishing a book about kidnappings in Victorian literature (which makes sense given her past) also published a thriller based on her experience. She keeps this hidden because it's "shameful" which doesn't make sense. Many of my favorite authors work in academia as teachers or professors, and have published fiction. It's not a secret, it's not shameful. She wrote the novel while working on her thesis and kept that a secret so she wouldn't get into trouble. Yet most people working on theses have side projects to keep them sane, ranging from writing fiction to playing MMPORGs to tabletop games to hiking to whatever. Her book was optioned and is being made into a movie, but it's also apparently hard to find and not in print? Because that makes sense?
When she has problems with a (male) student stalking her, she turns to a female professor for help, who doesn't listen to her or believe her and dismisses the kid as a "good student" and implies it's HER fault. Because, remember, all women are catty bitches. Don't forget how corrupt and evil women are. As the stalking escalates, she does nothing to protect herself. She meets with the dude, becomes obsessed with him. The writing becomes especially ham-handed. It's a small town and other people see them meeting and assume they're fucking because of COURSE when a woman has complained that a dude is stalking and threatening her and then meets him privately it's because they're fucking WHY NOT. She frets about nobody liking her, but also doesn't go out often, and when she meets people and makes a connection she doesn't call them. Not because she's afraid of rejection or wev, she's just... passive. Really passive.
There's a long boring chunk in the middle of the book with a fictionalized version of the kidnapping (her novel). Why not just relate the actual events? Why the layers of fiction? Why does anyone in the novel act the way they do? It's a ~~mystery~~. Why are twelve year old girls sexualized so much? (the secondary character describes her twelve year old self as wearing "skin tight biking shorts," talks about her "tanned skinny legs" and "recent bumps" (breasts) and describes herself in pageant costumes at 7 as a "sexy little fairy." The primary character also describes her budding breasts. Later on, she tries, at the age of twelve, to seduce her captor who is old enough to be her dad, because why not. Because ~~Reasons~~. Because It's In The Script. Because Feeeeeeeemales are corrupt and evil.)
Early in the book, a character complains that they "don't like [movie] scripts that disguise laziness as ambiguity." Shockingly, the author apparently fails to realize that she's describing her own book. This book is full of lazy writing, lazy cliches, lazy stereotypes, and characters that don't act or react the way actual humans do. It's a very by-the-numbers book, but missing steps. The girls act brainwashed without ever being brainwashed. The primary character goes to therapy for years but apparently never discusses Stockholm Syndrome or addresses what actually happened to her at all. Both keep their past ~~secret~~ for ~~reasons~~ that are never discussed, never mentioned, and increasingly make no sense at all. The primary character's stalker, a broke unwashed pimple-ridden kid barely passing his classes is apparently also able to easily hack into phones and computers and add cyberstalking to his regular stalking. Because that's a normal skillset that all college kids have, right? And people with that skillset are and remain poor, right?
This book just doesn't make SENSE on many levels. I kept waiting for it pull out of the nosedive it was in and get better, but it didn't. I feel personally betrayed at all the praise blurbs on the book, when it reads like a piece of self published garbage, internally inconsistent and poorly written.
I seem to be in the minority with this point of view. I like thrillers, so it's not just me bouncing off the genre. I appreciate unreliable narrators so it's not just that. I don't understand why this book is getting so much praise. It's just... bad. Don't waste your time with it. I regret that I read the entire thing.
"Pretty Is" follows two women who were abducted when they were twelve and held in a cabin, where they were dressed in simple dresses and played cards and read library books and ate crap food and were only allowed out at night, guarded by a man with a gun who alternately charmed and menaced them. Of course, both girls fell in love with him, and after their return to their parents have remained obsessed with him and have shaped their lives according to what he wanted them to do.
I should mention that he abducted them by driving up next to them in his car and inviting them to get in. Which they did. For reasons. What reasons? It's unclear, really. They weren't being abused at home and trying to escape. They weren't starving or cold or abandoned. One had a shitty stepmom and a father she loved, one had distant parents. That's it. And they just get into a car and cooperate with their kidnapper and never try to escape. Why? Because reasons! Because, as television without pity would say, It's In The Script!
Their captor, of course, doesn't hurt them in any way. He doesn't tie them up or hit them or threaten them or molest them or even lock them up for very long. When they violate rules he's established nothing happens to them. He tells them all girls/women "are corrupt" and the narrative supports that, with every female character being a slut and/or adulterer; an alcoholic; a catty bitch; etc. A woman who heads up a rape counseling center blames female college students for being raped because they go to frat parties in lingerie and togas. Ha haaaaa fun. Women are just so corrupt and evil. Anyway, whenever the kidnapper is mentioned, it's like there's a flashing #NotAllKidnappers hashtag. He's not like those OTHER kidnappers! He's a GOOD one! For reasons!!! There's a few brief moments when he loses his temper and we see the girls trying to placate him, and those brief moments feel edgy and real, but they are extremely fleeting and really don't explain why they go along with him, why they stay, why they don't care about their homes and families.
The central character, who is a college professor who is publishing a book about kidnappings in Victorian literature (which makes sense given her past) also published a thriller based on her experience. She keeps this hidden because it's "shameful" which doesn't make sense. Many of my favorite authors work in academia as teachers or professors, and have published fiction. It's not a secret, it's not shameful. She wrote the novel while working on her thesis and kept that a secret so she wouldn't get into trouble. Yet most people working on theses have side projects to keep them sane, ranging from writing fiction to playing MMPORGs to tabletop games to hiking to whatever. Her book was optioned and is being made into a movie, but it's also apparently hard to find and not in print? Because that makes sense?
When she has problems with a (male) student stalking her, she turns to a female professor for help, who doesn't listen to her or believe her and dismisses the kid as a "good student" and implies it's HER fault. Because, remember, all women are catty bitches. Don't forget how corrupt and evil women are. As the stalking escalates, she does nothing to protect herself. She meets with the dude, becomes obsessed with him. The writing becomes especially ham-handed. It's a small town and other people see them meeting and assume they're fucking because of COURSE when a woman has complained that a dude is stalking and threatening her and then meets him privately it's because they're fucking WHY NOT. She frets about nobody liking her, but also doesn't go out often, and when she meets people and makes a connection she doesn't call them. Not because she's afraid of rejection or wev, she's just... passive. Really passive.
There's a long boring chunk in the middle of the book with a fictionalized version of the kidnapping (her novel). Why not just relate the actual events? Why the layers of fiction? Why does anyone in the novel act the way they do? It's a ~~mystery~~. Why are twelve year old girls sexualized so much? (the secondary character describes her twelve year old self as wearing "skin tight biking shorts," talks about her "tanned skinny legs" and "recent bumps" (breasts) and describes herself in pageant costumes at 7 as a "sexy little fairy." The primary character also describes her budding breasts. Later on, she tries, at the age of twelve, to seduce her captor who is old enough to be her dad, because why not. Because ~~Reasons~~. Because It's In The Script. Because Feeeeeeeemales are corrupt and evil.)
Early in the book, a character complains that they "don't like [movie] scripts that disguise laziness as ambiguity." Shockingly, the author apparently fails to realize that she's describing her own book. This book is full of lazy writing, lazy cliches, lazy stereotypes, and characters that don't act or react the way actual humans do. It's a very by-the-numbers book, but missing steps. The girls act brainwashed without ever being brainwashed. The primary character goes to therapy for years but apparently never discusses Stockholm Syndrome or addresses what actually happened to her at all. Both keep their past ~~secret~~ for ~~reasons~~ that are never discussed, never mentioned, and increasingly make no sense at all. The primary character's stalker, a broke unwashed pimple-ridden kid barely passing his classes is apparently also able to easily hack into phones and computers and add cyberstalking to his regular stalking. Because that's a normal skillset that all college kids have, right? And people with that skillset are and remain poor, right?
This book just doesn't make SENSE on many levels. I kept waiting for it pull out of the nosedive it was in and get better, but it didn't. I feel personally betrayed at all the praise blurbs on the book, when it reads like a piece of self published garbage, internally inconsistent and poorly written.
I seem to be in the minority with this point of view. I like thrillers, so it's not just me bouncing off the genre. I appreciate unreliable narrators so it's not just that. I don't understand why this book is getting so much praise. It's just... bad. Don't waste your time with it. I regret that I read the entire thing.
May 25, 2021
Dear me. I re-read this book, forgetting I read it almost one year ago. I hated it then and I hated it now. What does this mean? In 2022 I will forget I read it twice, and read it again?! I guess my brain is a sieve. In one ear, and give it a week or two and it will be out the other. Well I wrote this review so I will post it hear. At least the rating didn't change.
I did not like this novel. I picked it up and started to read it and after 3 pages said “nope”. And then I picked it up again and I have no idea why I did that… and after 100 pages I was trapped. I had to finish the odious thing. I should have trusted my initial instincts. It’s just that I am reluctant once I choose a book to do a DNF on it. But this was not one of those examples where I thought a book was a DNF and then somewhere in the middle it turned out to be good or very good.
I have heard this has been compared to “Room” by Sarah Waters, which I did like.
Two 12-year-old girls separately and independently climb into the car of a male stranger in his mid-to-late 30s. I can see why…typically moms and dads from Day 1 drill into their children’s head…if a car slows down on the street and a person you do not know asks you to climb into the car you should BY ALL MEANS HASTEN TO GET IN THAT CAR — ONLY GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN. 😐 😑 😬 🙄 😯 😦 😧 😮 😲
I still don’t know why they got into the car. That was not very plausible. And then it just spiraled downhill from there in which things constantly cropped up that were implausible. I have no idea why the man kidnapped the girls. I have no idea why his son 20 years later started to stalk girls randomly (apparently) and then specifically one of the girls who was not in her mid-30s, Lois.
I could spend more time putting down more observations on why I didn’t like this book, but I should probably call it a day. There are better books to read, and one of them has my name on it. I hope.
Reviews:
• https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
• https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/17/bo...
• https://festivalofblood.wordpress.com...
• https://www.criminalelement.com/revie...
My old review, after I read it in June 2020
1.4 stars, rounded down to 1.
I cannot recommend this book. Unless you want to get roped into reading 300 pages that is mildly interesting in the beginning and then has a ‘book within the book’ in the middle and then gets really boring and then in the last 10 or so pages gets all wrapped up incoherently. There were parts of the book in which I was so bored I couldn’t remember who certain characters were (Gary, Mandy) — and that made sense since they were not protagonists in the book…they were characters that were in a book/screenplay that was described within the book…but that was not part of the ‘book within the book’. Do you understand me? No? Then you are normal! 😊
Reviews:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/17/bo...
https://www.nydailynews.com/life-styl...
I did not like this novel. I picked it up and started to read it and after 3 pages said “nope”. And then I picked it up again and I have no idea why I did that… and after 100 pages I was trapped. I had to finish the odious thing. I should have trusted my initial instincts. It’s just that I am reluctant once I choose a book to do a DNF on it. But this was not one of those examples where I thought a book was a DNF and then somewhere in the middle it turned out to be good or very good.
I have heard this has been compared to “Room” by Sarah Waters, which I did like.
Two 12-year-old girls separately and independently climb into the car of a male stranger in his mid-to-late 30s. I can see why…typically moms and dads from Day 1 drill into their children’s head…if a car slows down on the street and a person you do not know asks you to climb into the car you should BY ALL MEANS HASTEN TO GET IN THAT CAR — ONLY GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN. 😐 😑 😬 🙄 😯 😦 😧 😮 😲
I still don’t know why they got into the car. That was not very plausible. And then it just spiraled downhill from there in which things constantly cropped up that were implausible. I have no idea why the man kidnapped the girls. I have no idea why his son 20 years later started to stalk girls randomly (apparently) and then specifically one of the girls who was not in her mid-30s, Lois.
I could spend more time putting down more observations on why I didn’t like this book, but I should probably call it a day. There are better books to read, and one of them has my name on it. I hope.
Reviews:
• https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
• https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/17/bo...
• https://festivalofblood.wordpress.com...
• https://www.criminalelement.com/revie...
My old review, after I read it in June 2020
1.4 stars, rounded down to 1.
I cannot recommend this book. Unless you want to get roped into reading 300 pages that is mildly interesting in the beginning and then has a ‘book within the book’ in the middle and then gets really boring and then in the last 10 or so pages gets all wrapped up incoherently. There were parts of the book in which I was so bored I couldn’t remember who certain characters were (Gary, Mandy) — and that made sense since they were not protagonists in the book…they were characters that were in a book/screenplay that was described within the book…but that was not part of the ‘book within the book’. Do you understand me? No? Then you are normal! 😊
Reviews:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/17/bo...
https://www.nydailynews.com/life-styl...
March 11, 2016
There's a point in Pretty Is when one of the narrators describes a book as 'a sort of chick-lit/thriller hybrid of the more literary variety'. It's thrown out like it's a derogatory remark, but it's an almost spot-on description of this book itself. Then again, there's a good chance that description is actually supposed to be self-referential and tongue-in-cheek: this is a story within a story within a story. The aforementioned book is a novel based on a true story. It's being turned into a movie, also featured as part of the plot. And we have the two women at the centre of that true story telling their own (differing) versions of what happened to them.
And in that tradition, this is like two books in one. The first book is an elegant, creepy, ambiguous tale about two 12-year-old girls who are kidnapped and kept captive in a woodland cabin, only to be released - unharmed - a couple of months later, and the effect this experience continues to have on them as adults. It's clever and creative; it plays with form and keeps the reader guessing. The second book is an identikit thriller with substandard, recycled plot points (and plot holes). The first book would get four stars, the second would get two, so my rating overall has to be three.
The kidnapped girls, Lois and Carly May (now known as Chloe), are the narrators, taking turns to tell their stories from an adult perspective. Lois has grown up to become an English professor and the author of the novel-within-the-book mentioned in my first paragraph, which is a dramatised version of her experience of the kidnapping. Chloe is a TV/film actress of the C-list variety. They haven't been in contact since the kidnapping, and are both around 30 when events bring them back into one another's orbit.
The thing that kept me turning the pages was an urge to know the truth about the period they were kept captive. The real story is obscured by being presented in fictionalised forms and by the differences in the two narrators' memories, implying ultimately there is no solid truth. We only learn about their time in the cabin through an extract from Lois's novel; neither woman ever talks directly about it. But we learn enough to know that their kidnapper, who they name Zed, does not even attempt to harm or abuse them; instead he gives them a life they actually prefer, a kind of freedom absent from their home/family lives, and an education, creating a reverence that stays with them forever. The blurb refers to the girls forming 'a bond which will never be broken', but that bond is really with Zed, not each other. They admire him, they feel a nascent desire for him, they compete to impress him and to be the one he loves most. His influence remains with them into adulthood; they hear his voice in their heads; they speculate about what about their lives now would make him proud, or otherwise. There's a suggestion that his influence has, in fact, made them who they are. This portion of the story is exciting and original, and I loved the way it played with the reader.
Unfortunately, I found the present-day plot unconvincing and contrived on several levels. The rushed ending didn't impress me - a by-numbers showdown followed by no examination of how the resulting revelation would affect each woman's career or critical reception of the book and film. Finally, I felt the emphasis on the two characters' awareness of their own attractiveness - as if this was revelatory or somehow a daring thing to admit - was a weak point. I feel like I've seen this in loads of recent books (perhaps some distant ripple of the Gone Girl effect?) and it's neither as rare nor as smart nor as subversive as authors always seem to think it is.
Pretty Is does some interesting things with its premise - it's just a pity that some parts of the story, notably the ending, lapse into laziness. I really wish the kidnapping story had been a book on its own.
And in that tradition, this is like two books in one. The first book is an elegant, creepy, ambiguous tale about two 12-year-old girls who are kidnapped and kept captive in a woodland cabin, only to be released - unharmed - a couple of months later, and the effect this experience continues to have on them as adults. It's clever and creative; it plays with form and keeps the reader guessing. The second book is an identikit thriller with substandard, recycled plot points (and plot holes). The first book would get four stars, the second would get two, so my rating overall has to be three.
The kidnapped girls, Lois and Carly May (now known as Chloe), are the narrators, taking turns to tell their stories from an adult perspective. Lois has grown up to become an English professor and the author of the novel-within-the-book mentioned in my first paragraph, which is a dramatised version of her experience of the kidnapping. Chloe is a TV/film actress of the C-list variety. They haven't been in contact since the kidnapping, and are both around 30 when events bring them back into one another's orbit.
The thing that kept me turning the pages was an urge to know the truth about the period they were kept captive. The real story is obscured by being presented in fictionalised forms and by the differences in the two narrators' memories, implying ultimately there is no solid truth. We only learn about their time in the cabin through an extract from Lois's novel; neither woman ever talks directly about it. But we learn enough to know that their kidnapper, who they name Zed, does not even attempt to harm or abuse them; instead he gives them a life they actually prefer, a kind of freedom absent from their home/family lives, and an education, creating a reverence that stays with them forever. The blurb refers to the girls forming 'a bond which will never be broken', but that bond is really with Zed, not each other. They admire him, they feel a nascent desire for him, they compete to impress him and to be the one he loves most. His influence remains with them into adulthood; they hear his voice in their heads; they speculate about what about their lives now would make him proud, or otherwise. There's a suggestion that his influence has, in fact, made them who they are. This portion of the story is exciting and original, and I loved the way it played with the reader.
Unfortunately, I found the present-day plot unconvincing and contrived on several levels. The rushed ending didn't impress me - a by-numbers showdown followed by no examination of how the resulting revelation would affect each woman's career or critical reception of the book and film. Finally, I felt the emphasis on the two characters' awareness of their own attractiveness - as if this was revelatory or somehow a daring thing to admit - was a weak point. I feel like I've seen this in loads of recent books (perhaps some distant ripple of the Gone Girl effect?) and it's neither as rare nor as smart nor as subversive as authors always seem to think it is.
Pretty Is does some interesting things with its premise - it's just a pity that some parts of the story, notably the ending, lapse into laziness. I really wish the kidnapping story had been a book on its own.
August 19, 2015
Two twelve year old girls are kidnapped, found and rescued, this is their story . The novel follows the girls kin the future as well as filling in their back stories. Separated after they were released the girls grew up to follow two very different paths. The story is narrated alternately by each of them. Why did one of the girls go with the kidnapper willingly? Why did he choose these two girls from different parts of the United States? Why did they identify so much with their kidnapper?
Interesting concept, Stockholm Syndrome, kidnapping, in parts a book within a book and yet the pace was unbelievably slow. Seemed like there was much more filler than there needed to be. Also wasn't altogether sold on the ending and I finished with many questions unanswered. A good novel that I thought could have been better.
ARC from Netgalley.
Interesting concept, Stockholm Syndrome, kidnapping, in parts a book within a book and yet the pace was unbelievably slow. Seemed like there was much more filler than there needed to be. Also wasn't altogether sold on the ending and I finished with many questions unanswered. A good novel that I thought could have been better.
ARC from Netgalley.
June 16, 2016
This is, unfortunately, the worst book I have read this year so far.
Review to come when I come home from my holiday vacation.
Review to come when I come home from my holiday vacation.
March 3, 2016
Two unrelated girls are kidnapped at age twelve and kept in an isolated cabin for several weeks basking in the attention of their kidnapper. Twenty years later both women are struggling to understand the motivations of their kidnapper, and are battling their own personal demons. One of the woman chanels her experiences into writing a book of the incident, which in turn is made into a film. The other woman lands the lead part in the movie, and they come face to face for the first time in two decades...
Pretty Is had all the makings of a great thriller, an interesting premise, a child abduction, the ubiquitous comparison to another fabulous book on the cover...yet it never quite picks up momentum and engages the reader.
The fact is this is billed as a tense crime novel exploring the ripples of the abduction, yet you spend so much time imersed in the characters ridiculous ramblings and self loathing, that the impact of kidnapping was lessened and almost seems trival. The author concentrates too much on the inconsequential thoughts of the characters, and not enough on the nitty gritty, so I become bogged down and struggled to maintain an interest.
The first half of the book seemed to be setting the scene for a big showdown at the end, but bloody hell was that a disappointment! Such a let down after pushing myself to read the entire book!
This is clearly a debut book, and it shows in the lack of action and good characterisation. It wasn't my cup of tea as it was just too plodding and slow.
June 7, 2015
This is a very original debut novel and an intriguing thriller. Lois Lonsdale is now twenty nine, but when she was twelve she was abducted – along with Carly May Smith – and kept by a man they knew only as ‘Zed’ in a log cabin. After two months, the girls were found, but neither girls made any attempt to escape from their captor and this novel contains flashbacks of what happened – how both girls willingly entered the car of the man who took them and seemed to enter into being taken away from the small towns they lived in. Carly May was a pageant queen, only too aware of her beauty and what it meant. Lois was more bookish, but pretty as well as intelligent.
Time has passed and now Carly May has renamed herself as Chloe Savage and is a bit part actress. Lois Lonsdale teaches literature and has written a thriller about her childhood events, under the pen name Lucy Ledger. Now her novel is to be made into a film and, when Chloe receives the script, she recognises her story immediately. Lois has kept her identity a secret, but a student – Sean McDougal – seems suddenly very interested in her past. With Sean stalking her, Lois wonders what he wants and whether she can use him to bring the characters in her sequel to life? However, encouraging him is a dangerous game and the past may soon begin to impinge on her present.
Both the parents of the girls did everything they could to keep them apart, but now Lois and Carly May are going to meet again. This novel cleverly uses both flashbacks and the filming of the story to explore what happened to the two girls so long ago. The two women have to face their past and what it means to them in this exploration of the repercussions of a crime. As well as being an interesting personal read, this would be a good choice for book groups, with much to discuss. Lastly I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Time has passed and now Carly May has renamed herself as Chloe Savage and is a bit part actress. Lois Lonsdale teaches literature and has written a thriller about her childhood events, under the pen name Lucy Ledger. Now her novel is to be made into a film and, when Chloe receives the script, she recognises her story immediately. Lois has kept her identity a secret, but a student – Sean McDougal – seems suddenly very interested in her past. With Sean stalking her, Lois wonders what he wants and whether she can use him to bring the characters in her sequel to life? However, encouraging him is a dangerous game and the past may soon begin to impinge on her present.
Both the parents of the girls did everything they could to keep them apart, but now Lois and Carly May are going to meet again. This novel cleverly uses both flashbacks and the filming of the story to explore what happened to the two girls so long ago. The two women have to face their past and what it means to them in this exploration of the repercussions of a crime. As well as being an interesting personal read, this would be a good choice for book groups, with much to discuss. Lastly I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
June 13, 2023
2,5 subiectul este interesant, dar multe întâmplări, care sunt esențiale, nu sunt lămurite. Partea psihologică este bine dezvoltată, dar acțiunea personajelor este ambiguă, iar mie mi-a dat o stare de incomplet, confuzie, fără să înțeleg dacă a fost sau nu intenționată.
June 25, 2015
This is a well-written book with a great plot.
Pretty Is covers the story of two 12 year old girls who were kidnapped for 6 weeks and how that experience has shaped them as adults. The story shifts to and from the past and present throughout the book.
I thought this story started very strong and grabbed my interest right from the start, especially around the time of the kidnapping and the girl’s family environments. However, I felt the pace slowed down as the story progressed, sometimes becoming a little confusing.
I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, so I didn’t feel myself get emotionally involved with this book. This is partly my own mistake, as I went into this book expecting it to be a dark thriller with all sorts of shocks and surprises, but it is more a real life drama, contemporary fiction, chick lit with a little bit of thriller book.
I’m sure I read someone comparing this to The Lovely Bones in another review. That is also a book I failed to connect with, so if you loved The Lovely Bones, this may be just the book for you.
I would like to thank the publisher, Orion Publishing Group, for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 4, 2016
Pretty Is had such a good premise, two 12yr olds abducted by a handsome stranger & as adults one writes a fictional novel about it. It could have been so interesting if the author hadn't spent the whole book talking about the things that really had nothing to do with the abduction. At times I thought now something good is going to happen and then NOPE back to boring non sense. I don't think I will ever give this book a second thought. I don't recommend it.
July 1, 2015
Pretty Is – a book I read a while ago but held off on reviewing until nearer publication, is a beautifully atmospheric, haunting and emotional read that will both tug on the heartstrings and absolutely enthrall you.
At it’s heart a story of a friendship and bond developed under the most extreme of circumstances, Pretty Is also ticks the boxes on mystery and intrigue, although this is very much secondary to a character piece that gives a snapshot of two very different, but equally fascinating women.
Thrown together when both are kidnapped, Carly May and Lois develop a very up and down but seemingly solid relationship – flash forward to years later, we meet them as grown women who have lost contact and are living very different lives. As the story unfolds from both points of view, the author weaves a clever web, showing different interpretations of past events and leading both Carly and Lois into an uncertain future.
The truth about what happened all those years ago comes out in beautiful little snippets of information – a film that is being made based on the kidnapping bringing the two girls together again but not, perhaps, in the ways you might expect. It is all genuinely gripping – there is a marvelous psychological depth to both of the main protagonists that just immerses you into their lives and holds you, riveted, until the final pages.
This is a stunning debut – sure to be one of the standouts of the year, it is difficult to believe that Maggie Mitchell has not written endless novels, honing her craft, but nope this is a first – which is very exciting. An author to watch for sure “Pretty Is” comes very highly recommended from me.
Happy Reading Folks!
At it’s heart a story of a friendship and bond developed under the most extreme of circumstances, Pretty Is also ticks the boxes on mystery and intrigue, although this is very much secondary to a character piece that gives a snapshot of two very different, but equally fascinating women.
Thrown together when both are kidnapped, Carly May and Lois develop a very up and down but seemingly solid relationship – flash forward to years later, we meet them as grown women who have lost contact and are living very different lives. As the story unfolds from both points of view, the author weaves a clever web, showing different interpretations of past events and leading both Carly and Lois into an uncertain future.
The truth about what happened all those years ago comes out in beautiful little snippets of information – a film that is being made based on the kidnapping bringing the two girls together again but not, perhaps, in the ways you might expect. It is all genuinely gripping – there is a marvelous psychological depth to both of the main protagonists that just immerses you into their lives and holds you, riveted, until the final pages.
This is a stunning debut – sure to be one of the standouts of the year, it is difficult to believe that Maggie Mitchell has not written endless novels, honing her craft, but nope this is a first – which is very exciting. An author to watch for sure “Pretty Is” comes very highly recommended from me.
Happy Reading Folks!
September 5, 2015
2.5 stars...
I found myself very intrigued at the start. The way the story developed lacked impact. Good idea, but the execution was off.
I found myself very intrigued at the start. The way the story developed lacked impact. Good idea, but the execution was off.
June 17, 2015
Really REALLY excellent book this one. Superbly written and atmospheric. A full review will follow on the 28th June when I do a spotlight review for the blog. Definitely highly recommended.
January 5, 2016
Maggie Mitchell has written an intricate, well plotted, twisted puzzle of a psychological thriller. The novel concerns the abduction of Lois and Carly May, twelve year old girls, for six weeks and kept in a lodge in the woods by Zed, the kidnapper. It is the exploration of their relationships and the character and motivations of Zed that are sought by the adult Lois and Chloe (Carly May). Neither child was coerced into getting in the abductor’s car and it emerges he had stalked both of them prior to taking them. He did not physically harm them and shot himself as the girls were about to be rescued.
Bonds were created between the girls, and between them and Zed (syzygy). The girls did not keep in touch after their rescue as the parents did not wish them to do so. Relationships with their families deteriorate further and the girls are loners as they become adults. Their abduction has unforetold implications on their lives. It becomes clear that neither woman has been unaffected. It has resulted in their inability to love and be in a successful relationship.
That period of time has been resurrected in the fictional book of their experience in the wood by Lois who is an academic and Chloe, the actress, accepting the role of detective in a movie to be made of the book. Chloe knows Lois is the author despite the pseudonym of Lucy Ledger. Lois is struggling to write a sequel to the book and begins to be threatened and stalked by a student, Sean. She comes to believe Sean is not dangerous but could be just the person to lift her writer’s block. However, Sean turns out to be much more dangerous and Lois’s computer is hacked into. An extract of Lois’s book describes their time at the lodge with Zed. Chloe and Lois’s meeting on the film set triggers the spilling of dark secrets. The actresses playing the younger Lois and Carly in the movie disappear. Danger follows the women right to the end.
Ultimately, this is a story of understanding the past, experienced as children, by women who are now adults. Furthermore, it is a self-exploration of their murky individual psyches. Sean provides some insight in the role of Zed. Zed’s future plans for the girls are surmised through the reading of Porphyria’s Lover at the lodge. Zed had strong holds on the girls, holds that remain as they become adults. The characters have depth and come with the knowledge that you will never quite know them in their entirety. Zed is enigmatic and mysterious to the end. We only know him through the girls memories, Lois’s book and Sean. This is a gripping and compulsive debut. Many grateful thanks to Orion, the publishers for a copy of the book.
Bonds were created between the girls, and between them and Zed (syzygy). The girls did not keep in touch after their rescue as the parents did not wish them to do so. Relationships with their families deteriorate further and the girls are loners as they become adults. Their abduction has unforetold implications on their lives. It becomes clear that neither woman has been unaffected. It has resulted in their inability to love and be in a successful relationship.
That period of time has been resurrected in the fictional book of their experience in the wood by Lois who is an academic and Chloe, the actress, accepting the role of detective in a movie to be made of the book. Chloe knows Lois is the author despite the pseudonym of Lucy Ledger. Lois is struggling to write a sequel to the book and begins to be threatened and stalked by a student, Sean. She comes to believe Sean is not dangerous but could be just the person to lift her writer’s block. However, Sean turns out to be much more dangerous and Lois’s computer is hacked into. An extract of Lois’s book describes their time at the lodge with Zed. Chloe and Lois’s meeting on the film set triggers the spilling of dark secrets. The actresses playing the younger Lois and Carly in the movie disappear. Danger follows the women right to the end.
Ultimately, this is a story of understanding the past, experienced as children, by women who are now adults. Furthermore, it is a self-exploration of their murky individual psyches. Sean provides some insight in the role of Zed. Zed’s future plans for the girls are surmised through the reading of Porphyria’s Lover at the lodge. Zed had strong holds on the girls, holds that remain as they become adults. The characters have depth and come with the knowledge that you will never quite know them in their entirety. Zed is enigmatic and mysterious to the end. We only know him through the girls memories, Lois’s book and Sean. This is a gripping and compulsive debut. Many grateful thanks to Orion, the publishers for a copy of the book.
February 19, 2017
There is no doubt about it: Pretty Is is a smart novel. If you’re looking for a garden variety thriller with a tidy ending, I’d suggest picking up one of Dean Koontz’s less supernaturally inclined books. (Don’t get me wrong --- I love me some Koontz. But Maggie Mitchell’s novel is another animal entirely.)
No, instead of a thriller, what Mitchell gives us is a pleasingly authentic examination of trauma in a world that does everything in its power to suppress it. Anyone would be fascinated by the kidnapping and return of two little girls; no one, however, wants to allow those girls to process, to understand, to come to terms. Carly May and Lois are restricted at every turn from speaking with each other about their experiences, and there is no doubt that this suppression shapes their adult lives—and not necessarily positively, as we see with Lois’s interactions with her stalker, Sean.
Mitchell also gives us some insight into the nature of womanhood in a world that, if you are a female reader, ought to feel familiar. By positioning Lois and Carly May on the cusp of adolescence at the time of their kidnapping, and by delivering the current events from the two women’s adult points-of-view, Pretty Is engages intelligently with the trauma not just of kidnapping but of simply becoming and being a woman in a world that’s not exactly friendly to all things feminine. If you have ever been disbelieved or discredited because of your sex, this novel might just strike a chord with you.
Mitchell sets herself apart as a writer of strong, colorful characters in this novel. I think we’ve all met at least one Gail, even if only at a rest stop in Tennessee. (If not, lucky you.) Dialogue is sharp and electric, motivations are complex but at the same time believable. I found myself quite taken not just with Lois and Carly May, but with all of the characters, no matter how small. Each and every one seemed to have their own lives, even as I had to remind myself they were only fictional characters.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a paperback thriller (and there’s nothing wrong with that of course!), look elsewhere. If, however, you are interested in a narrative of trauma and femininity that will leave you chewing over the story days after you’ve closed the back cover, then pick up Pretty Is. You won’t regret it.
No, instead of a thriller, what Mitchell gives us is a pleasingly authentic examination of trauma in a world that does everything in its power to suppress it. Anyone would be fascinated by the kidnapping and return of two little girls; no one, however, wants to allow those girls to process, to understand, to come to terms. Carly May and Lois are restricted at every turn from speaking with each other about their experiences, and there is no doubt that this suppression shapes their adult lives—and not necessarily positively, as we see with Lois’s interactions with her stalker, Sean.
Mitchell also gives us some insight into the nature of womanhood in a world that, if you are a female reader, ought to feel familiar. By positioning Lois and Carly May on the cusp of adolescence at the time of their kidnapping, and by delivering the current events from the two women’s adult points-of-view, Pretty Is engages intelligently with the trauma not just of kidnapping but of simply becoming and being a woman in a world that’s not exactly friendly to all things feminine. If you have ever been disbelieved or discredited because of your sex, this novel might just strike a chord with you.
Mitchell sets herself apart as a writer of strong, colorful characters in this novel. I think we’ve all met at least one Gail, even if only at a rest stop in Tennessee. (If not, lucky you.) Dialogue is sharp and electric, motivations are complex but at the same time believable. I found myself quite taken not just with Lois and Carly May, but with all of the characters, no matter how small. Each and every one seemed to have their own lives, even as I had to remind myself they were only fictional characters.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a paperback thriller (and there’s nothing wrong with that of course!), look elsewhere. If, however, you are interested in a narrative of trauma and femininity that will leave you chewing over the story days after you’ve closed the back cover, then pick up Pretty Is. You won’t regret it.
September 10, 2015
A more accurate rating of this book would have to be 1.5 stars..but I guess I was feeling generous.
I found it completely impossible to relate to the two main characters in this novel. Their compassion and sympathy towards the man who abducted and imprisoned them made absolutely no sense to me. I understood the author's decision to have them both grow into entirely screwed up individuals, but even the way that was done came across as unreal to me.
If I'm being honest, I never really got into this book. And my inability to relate to the women in the story made it all the harder to feel anything other than impatience.
I found it completely impossible to relate to the two main characters in this novel. Their compassion and sympathy towards the man who abducted and imprisoned them made absolutely no sense to me. I understood the author's decision to have them both grow into entirely screwed up individuals, but even the way that was done came across as unreal to me.
If I'm being honest, I never really got into this book. And my inability to relate to the women in the story made it all the harder to feel anything other than impatience.
March 7, 2015
I read this book in draft, and from the first paragraph I was completely hooked. The story is told in alternating first person narration, with distinctive and compelling voices -- a page-turner about two girls abducted as children and also a thoughtful novel about femininity, safety, girlhood, beauty, and whether or not one is ever free of the past. Highly recommend.
December 27, 2017
Reading this book took up my whole day. It is a fabulous read and one that is really quite different than the normal types of books about abduction. It reminded me of a black and white film noir.
Telling the story of Carly May and Lois by chapter, it conjures up a Stockholm syndrome type relationship with their abductor. The two girls lead very different lives, Carly May having changed her name to Chloe is a actress and Lois a Professor who has written a novel loosely based on their captivity, and now being made into a film that Carly/Chloe is to be starring in.
Lois is being ‘stalked’ by Sean, who we believe to be the son of ‘Zed’ the abductor.
I like Lois, she is clever and deep and unassuming, Carly May is also a great character, she is multi-faceted depending on who she is with or her mood.
Maggie Mitchell has written an excellent debut novel that is curiously engaging. It is a slow read and one that is to be savoured.
Telling the story of Carly May and Lois by chapter, it conjures up a Stockholm syndrome type relationship with their abductor. The two girls lead very different lives, Carly May having changed her name to Chloe is a actress and Lois a Professor who has written a novel loosely based on their captivity, and now being made into a film that Carly/Chloe is to be starring in.
Lois is being ‘stalked’ by Sean, who we believe to be the son of ‘Zed’ the abductor.
I like Lois, she is clever and deep and unassuming, Carly May is also a great character, she is multi-faceted depending on who she is with or her mood.
Maggie Mitchell has written an excellent debut novel that is curiously engaging. It is a slow read and one that is to be savoured.
May 18, 2015
I read so many bland or predictable thrillers. I am a self-proclaimed expert on the genre! I thought I knew what this book would be, in other words, when I had the chance to read an advance review copy. IT WAS AMAZING. Truly, it's such a smart and subtle character study of two girls who were kidnapped as children. Nothing "bad" happened to them, but some scars remain. Mitchell peels them like onions to reveal the confusion and pain both suffer in spite of their safe return. Both of the main characters are fascinating, and Mitchell creates a intriguing charismatic kidnapper for them...one whom we would like to understand, too.
Mitchell's writing is gorgeous, the plotting is deft, and the characters are so lively and true. Rarely have I seen two female characters with whom I could connect so surely. Marvelous book.
Mitchell's writing is gorgeous, the plotting is deft, and the characters are so lively and true. Rarely have I seen two female characters with whom I could connect so surely. Marvelous book.
July 30, 2015
At first I thought this was cleverly written and then I thought it was mediocre. I skimmed a lot just to get to the end which was also mediocre.
July 27, 2015
Pretty Is, by Maggie Mitchell, is a book about loneliness and longing. It tells the story of two young women who were abducted by a stranger and held for six weeks in a remote woodland cabin when they were twelve years old, an experience which has haunted their lives ever since. It is an exploration of how family and society expect children to behave; of complex relationships, jealousy and a child’s singular need for attention and admiration.
Carly-May is a pageant princess from a remote town in Nebraska. She despises her step-mother and resents that her father defers so many decisions to this brash and narcissistic interloper. Carly-May is intelligent but has been led to believe that her beauty will be of more use to her in the adult world. She dreams of escape and fame, of returning to her father as a grown up and basking in the acclaim she longs for. When a stranger tells her to climb into his car she feels trepidation, but is almost happy to be driven away.
Lois is a spelling bee champion who lives with her parents in their up market guest house. They are always busy with guests leaving her alone with her books. She has been raised to be polite so agrees to help the stranger who pulls up alongside her in his car.
The abduction is that simple; children doing as they are told, behaving towards an adult as they have been taught, and then responding to the kindness and attention they are starved of at home.
The story is told from the point of view of the young women these girls have grown into. Carly-May became Chloe, an actress who has never quite achieved the fame she believed she deserved. Lois is a college professor and novelist, her debut work based on the abduction, now being adapted for the big screen. The girls have not been in touch since they were returned to their families who felt it was best to keep them apart, to have them put the trauma behind them.
The families view this trauma as the kidnap, refusing to entertain the possibility that the girls were more affected by the loss of their kidnapper.
The impact of those six weeks, especially on Lois, seems at times to be overplayed. For an obviously intelligent woman she makes serious errors of judgement when a student takes an unhealthy interest in her past. This does, however, enable the reader to better understand how stalled her development has been.
The writing is compelling; I read this book in a day, and enjoyed the way it made me think. It is rare for children as young as twelve to be given such complex roles, for their feelings and how they respond to experiences to be explored in such depth. It made me wonder if a child can ever feel loved enough to satisfy given their natural introspection.
Although I would describe this as a thriller, and there is pace and tension in spades as Lois’s student closes in on his prey, it is the character development that I admired. The adults could not comprehend why the girls did not do more to try to get away from their captor. They did not recognise that it was the everyday lives imposed on them that they dreamed of escaping.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Orion Books.
Carly-May is a pageant princess from a remote town in Nebraska. She despises her step-mother and resents that her father defers so many decisions to this brash and narcissistic interloper. Carly-May is intelligent but has been led to believe that her beauty will be of more use to her in the adult world. She dreams of escape and fame, of returning to her father as a grown up and basking in the acclaim she longs for. When a stranger tells her to climb into his car she feels trepidation, but is almost happy to be driven away.
Lois is a spelling bee champion who lives with her parents in their up market guest house. They are always busy with guests leaving her alone with her books. She has been raised to be polite so agrees to help the stranger who pulls up alongside her in his car.
The abduction is that simple; children doing as they are told, behaving towards an adult as they have been taught, and then responding to the kindness and attention they are starved of at home.
The story is told from the point of view of the young women these girls have grown into. Carly-May became Chloe, an actress who has never quite achieved the fame she believed she deserved. Lois is a college professor and novelist, her debut work based on the abduction, now being adapted for the big screen. The girls have not been in touch since they were returned to their families who felt it was best to keep them apart, to have them put the trauma behind them.
The families view this trauma as the kidnap, refusing to entertain the possibility that the girls were more affected by the loss of their kidnapper.
The impact of those six weeks, especially on Lois, seems at times to be overplayed. For an obviously intelligent woman she makes serious errors of judgement when a student takes an unhealthy interest in her past. This does, however, enable the reader to better understand how stalled her development has been.
The writing is compelling; I read this book in a day, and enjoyed the way it made me think. It is rare for children as young as twelve to be given such complex roles, for their feelings and how they respond to experiences to be explored in such depth. It made me wonder if a child can ever feel loved enough to satisfy given their natural introspection.
Although I would describe this as a thriller, and there is pace and tension in spades as Lois’s student closes in on his prey, it is the character development that I admired. The adults could not comprehend why the girls did not do more to try to get away from their captor. They did not recognise that it was the everyday lives imposed on them that they dreamed of escaping.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Orion Books.
December 16, 2015
Reviewed at www.snazzybooks.com
Pretty Is by Maggie Mitchell is definitely a story about so many things: friendship, fear, consequences, and much more. It is full of intrigue and suspense and kept me fascinated as to what exactly happened all those years ago.
Although this story slowly reveals more about the past and that month and a half, when the two girls were taken away from their families, I really felt that it was not so much about why it happened but more about what happened and how this has affected them both. It addresses the way both girls dealt with the experience and the repercussions. It was so interesting to read about their family life before and after this life-changing event, and I felt that the characters were so well developed- the two girls are both so different, but very convincing. They seemed like they could be real people struggling with their own issues, and I loved reading about them.
I would highly recommend this book. To me it had just the right amount of action and drama versus emotion and character development. A fantastic debut for Maggie Mitchell and an author I'd love to read more about!
**Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book in return for an honest review **
Pretty Is by Maggie Mitchell is definitely a story about so many things: friendship, fear, consequences, and much more. It is full of intrigue and suspense and kept me fascinated as to what exactly happened all those years ago.
Although this story slowly reveals more about the past and that month and a half, when the two girls were taken away from their families, I really felt that it was not so much about why it happened but more about what happened and how this has affected them both. It addresses the way both girls dealt with the experience and the repercussions. It was so interesting to read about their family life before and after this life-changing event, and I felt that the characters were so well developed- the two girls are both so different, but very convincing. They seemed like they could be real people struggling with their own issues, and I loved reading about them.
I would highly recommend this book. To me it had just the right amount of action and drama versus emotion and character development. A fantastic debut for Maggie Mitchell and an author I'd love to read more about!
**Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book in return for an honest review **
January 27, 2016
I'd seen this book doing the rounds on social media and was pleased to be accepted for a review copy from the publishers; many thanks. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me. It's a shame I didn't get on with it because it did have real potential.
The book is a kind of examination of the psychological impact of ‘kidnapping’; a term I use lightly and the impact an experience like this has years after the fact. It would be easier for me to review this book as a list of unanswered questions because overall things just didn’t add up.
>> I never understood the girl’s behaviour and reactions; were they that far removed from their home lives that this was a better option? But they were twelve...how could they possibly have not been out of their minds about the situation they were in rather than sit back and behave like they were at summer camp? This was not survival instinct; this was ludicrous to be fair.
>> What were the kidnapper’s motives and intentions? How did he pick the girls in the first place and why? This was never gotten to the bottom of.
>> What did Lois’ stalker want and how did he know what he knew? In the bigger picture, would it really have mattered if he revealed his info anyway?
This is one of those books that would make a really good book club read because you could have a really good discussion thrashing out all the possibilities, answers and outcomes.
Don’t go into this expecting a fast paced thriller…more like Swiss cheese…full of holes.
The book is a kind of examination of the psychological impact of ‘kidnapping’; a term I use lightly and the impact an experience like this has years after the fact. It would be easier for me to review this book as a list of unanswered questions because overall things just didn’t add up.
>> I never understood the girl’s behaviour and reactions; were they that far removed from their home lives that this was a better option? But they were twelve...how could they possibly have not been out of their minds about the situation they were in rather than sit back and behave like they were at summer camp? This was not survival instinct; this was ludicrous to be fair.
>> What were the kidnapper’s motives and intentions? How did he pick the girls in the first place and why? This was never gotten to the bottom of.
>> What did Lois’ stalker want and how did he know what he knew? In the bigger picture, would it really have mattered if he revealed his info anyway?
This is one of those books that would make a really good book club read because you could have a really good discussion thrashing out all the possibilities, answers and outcomes.
Don’t go into this expecting a fast paced thriller…more like Swiss cheese…full of holes.
September 27, 2015
'Pretty Is' is one of those books that could have been so much better than it is.
Two 12-year-old girls, Lois and Carly-May are kidnapped by a mysterious man known as 'Zed' who keeps them captive in a woodland cabin for two months. They are released, unharmed, but their lives are forever changed.
Now 30, Lois is a professor of literature, and a novelist. Carly-May has become Chloe Savage, an actress. They are brought together again by the unexpected success of Lois's novel, based on their abduction, which has been adapted for film. Chloe has been offered the part of the detective who finds the girls.
The story is narrated through the alternating viewpoints of the two women. I enjoyed the exploration of how everyone is shaped and changed by the events and the non-events in the story.
The book falls a bit flat with the present day story, which could have given the story the resolution it needed - but didn't.
Two 12-year-old girls, Lois and Carly-May are kidnapped by a mysterious man known as 'Zed' who keeps them captive in a woodland cabin for two months. They are released, unharmed, but their lives are forever changed.
Now 30, Lois is a professor of literature, and a novelist. Carly-May has become Chloe Savage, an actress. They are brought together again by the unexpected success of Lois's novel, based on their abduction, which has been adapted for film. Chloe has been offered the part of the detective who finds the girls.
The story is narrated through the alternating viewpoints of the two women. I enjoyed the exploration of how everyone is shaped and changed by the events and the non-events in the story.
The book falls a bit flat with the present day story, which could have given the story the resolution it needed - but didn't.
April 12, 2015
Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for sending me an ARC!
I really liked this book! It reminded me of a mix of The Lovely Bones and Gone Girl in a way. I really enjoyed getting to read the modern version of the grown-up girls alongside the Lois's draft of what happened in the woods. I also enjoyed the views of both Lois and Carly/Chloe. I was reading this book and couldn't help thinking about how popular it will be once it gets released. Pretty suspenseful, I especially liked reading Lois's side of the story and Sean's appearance in it. However, I only gave this book 4 stars because I felt like the story dragged in some points and the ending was too rushed. Overall, I'm so happy I won this book and will probably read it again now that I know the ending! Now, here's hoping for a sequel. ;)
I really liked this book! It reminded me of a mix of The Lovely Bones and Gone Girl in a way. I really enjoyed getting to read the modern version of the grown-up girls alongside the Lois's draft of what happened in the woods. I also enjoyed the views of both Lois and Carly/Chloe. I was reading this book and couldn't help thinking about how popular it will be once it gets released. Pretty suspenseful, I especially liked reading Lois's side of the story and Sean's appearance in it. However, I only gave this book 4 stars because I felt like the story dragged in some points and the ending was too rushed. Overall, I'm so happy I won this book and will probably read it again now that I know the ending! Now, here's hoping for a sequel. ;)
July 6, 2015
3.5 stars
Have you ever heard the phrases “pretty is as pretty does” and “too pretty for her own good?” These are a constant theme in Pretty Is.
Pretty Is is a deeply psychological story with a bit of a mystery/thriller aspect to it about two girls who were abducted when they were twelve years old. The girls lost touch not long after being rescued. The book picks up with the girls both nearly thirty years old still deeply affected by what went on when they were twelve. The POV alternates between Lois and Carly May (now Chloe) occasionally giving hints as to what went on that summer. Both girls want to leave their past behind in the way that they keep it a hidden secret from everyone around them. Lois is a professor teaching literature at a small college, but she wrote a novel loosely based on the kidnapping under a fake name - Lucy Ledger. No one knows Lucy is really Lois and that is the way Lois would like to keep it. The book is a work of fiction, after all. Carly May became an actress, but changed her name to Chloe Savage. No one knows Chloe is really Carly May - except for Lois who recognizes her old friend in a small role in a movie. Lucy Ledger’s book is being made into a movie! Interestingly enough, Chloe receives a script, recognizes the story immediately as her story, and gets a role in the film. This connects the girls all over again.
The kidnapping is a bit of a mystery. The girls are missing for almost two months. We are fed bits of the past throughout the present in memories of specific moments. This is not your typical kidnapping or abduction. Nothing really seems to happen to the girls. Their abductor does not want to hurt or abuse them. In fact, he “chose them” specifically. The girls even willingly went with him. In a way, they are complicit in the crime.
I found the way the book was organized to be very interesting. The story is split into four parts. That is normal enough, however, one part is a large section of Lucy Ledger’s fictional book based on the actual abduction. I loved this being a part of the book. It was interesting to read the fictional version, but trying to figure out which parts were actually true and which were altered or made up. This is a completely unique aspect of the book.
Pretty Is has great character development, deep psychological insight, and an overall great story. At times, the book quickens it’s pace becoming a bit of a thriller, while at other times it returns to the psychological side of literary fiction. I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed.
I would recommend to fans of The Lovely Bones. This is probably one of the best abduction novels I have ever read, so if that is your thing.. this is a must read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.
Have you ever heard the phrases “pretty is as pretty does” and “too pretty for her own good?” These are a constant theme in Pretty Is.
Pretty Is is a deeply psychological story with a bit of a mystery/thriller aspect to it about two girls who were abducted when they were twelve years old. The girls lost touch not long after being rescued. The book picks up with the girls both nearly thirty years old still deeply affected by what went on when they were twelve. The POV alternates between Lois and Carly May (now Chloe) occasionally giving hints as to what went on that summer. Both girls want to leave their past behind in the way that they keep it a hidden secret from everyone around them. Lois is a professor teaching literature at a small college, but she wrote a novel loosely based on the kidnapping under a fake name - Lucy Ledger. No one knows Lucy is really Lois and that is the way Lois would like to keep it. The book is a work of fiction, after all. Carly May became an actress, but changed her name to Chloe Savage. No one knows Chloe is really Carly May - except for Lois who recognizes her old friend in a small role in a movie. Lucy Ledger’s book is being made into a movie! Interestingly enough, Chloe receives a script, recognizes the story immediately as her story, and gets a role in the film. This connects the girls all over again.
The kidnapping is a bit of a mystery. The girls are missing for almost two months. We are fed bits of the past throughout the present in memories of specific moments. This is not your typical kidnapping or abduction. Nothing really seems to happen to the girls. Their abductor does not want to hurt or abuse them. In fact, he “chose them” specifically. The girls even willingly went with him. In a way, they are complicit in the crime.
I found the way the book was organized to be very interesting. The story is split into four parts. That is normal enough, however, one part is a large section of Lucy Ledger’s fictional book based on the actual abduction. I loved this being a part of the book. It was interesting to read the fictional version, but trying to figure out which parts were actually true and which were altered or made up. This is a completely unique aspect of the book.
Pretty Is has great character development, deep psychological insight, and an overall great story. At times, the book quickens it’s pace becoming a bit of a thriller, while at other times it returns to the psychological side of literary fiction. I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed.
I would recommend to fans of The Lovely Bones. This is probably one of the best abduction novels I have ever read, so if that is your thing.. this is a must read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.
July 1, 2015
When Carly May and Lois are twelve they are abducted by a stranger from the street of their small American town. They are taken to an isolated log cabin by their kidnapper who they know as Zed. Neither of the two makes any attempt to escape and they are home after a couple of months, seemingly unharmed. This is an intriguing psychological thriller. Why did they not want to escape and what happened in that time away in the woods…
Carly May was a pageant queen very pretty, but smart too. Lois was attractive, quieter, more bookish and very clever. Zed is the third main character and we learn some snippets about him from the flashbacks from the girls. Now twenty nine we learn about the lives of the two women. Carly May is a struggling actress who has changed her name to Chloe Savage. Lois meanwhile is a teacher and has written a book based around the kidnap under the name of Lucy Ledger. Inevitably they meet again and as they catch up on the past the past catches up with them…
This is an interesting exploration of two strong female characters and the clear but subtle effects of their kidnapping on their future lives. It’s also a mystery as the events of the past are slowly revealed. There are a few twists and some menace and I found this book a thought provoking and enjoyable read.
April 26, 2015
One summer, two twelve year old girls on the cusp of adolescence are kidnapped and held in a cabin for six weeks by a kidnapper who is far from your traditional bogeyman. Lois and Carly May are strangers to each other but quickly form a bond as they try to work out the mysterious kidnapper's motives. Fast forward twenty years and both of them are still trying to process the events of that summer.
Lois and Carly are living separate lives to begin with but seemed destined to meet up again. I like how they both chose professions which allowed them to live in fictional worlds, Lois is a writer and Carly an actress. They both take turns in narrating and their voices are different enough to make the switch interesting.
This does buck the genre with regard to a lot of thrillers I've read. There wasn't a ton of gratuitous violence designed to shock and the characters are more fleshed out with interesting back stories. Inevitabley it's building to a big conclusion and my only complaint about this book is that the ending did feel a little rushed, especially after such a steady build up. Don't let that put you off though, this is a really good book with a story of substance. I'll be keeping a keen eye out for the next book by this author.
Lois and Carly are living separate lives to begin with but seemed destined to meet up again. I like how they both chose professions which allowed them to live in fictional worlds, Lois is a writer and Carly an actress. They both take turns in narrating and their voices are different enough to make the switch interesting.
This does buck the genre with regard to a lot of thrillers I've read. There wasn't a ton of gratuitous violence designed to shock and the characters are more fleshed out with interesting back stories. Inevitabley it's building to a big conclusion and my only complaint about this book is that the ending did feel a little rushed, especially after such a steady build up. Don't let that put you off though, this is a really good book with a story of substance. I'll be keeping a keen eye out for the next book by this author.
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