Still Missing Mass market paperbound - 2014

While others complained about the main character’s internal monologues, I found the disjointed nature of her thoughts believable. Annie struggles with dissociation and often grounds herself by counting. Because we, as readers, experience the mental, physical, and sexual abuse through her eyes, we are shielded in a way because of these coping mechanisms. As a survivor, I found myself able to identify with and move through these memories of Annie’s as opposed to finding myself horrified, triggered, and unable to keep reading. Everyone’s experiences are different, however, so read with caution. Annie’s experiences are different from mine, and as such, I found her journey both familiar and thought-provoking. The author’s depiction of PTSD is remarkable. Annie’s constant struggle to feel safe again is all too real. The fact that she is able to sympathize with her captor and yet hates herself for seeing him as human is entirely plausible. After months of being home, she still finds herself unable to relax and enjoy the simple things such as eating sweets, taking a hot bath, or sleeping in her own bed. I am ever so grateful that showers & baths, for me, remain untouched by trauma. I would not want to live in a world where hot baths or showers are no longer emotionally restorative and physically rejuvenating. The plot structure of this book reminded me a lot of Emma Donoghue’s Room with the escape happening toward the middle of the book and the rest dedicated to the character’s subsequent recovery and return to life in general. The narrative structure using psych sessions was similar to that of Julia Heaberlin’s Black-Eyed Susans, where the main character deals with trauma-related amnesia. Both were 4 stars for me.

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