I love me a good psychological thriller, and Lucinda Berry never fails to disappoint.

It tells the story of 2 teenage girls, both who were kidnapped and held hostage by the same man, and the only two who escaped. One is trying to heal, the other has secret plans of her own. Told in first person from both girls’ POVs. It alternates between their time in captivity, and what happens after they escape and how they adjust to being back in the community.

Their experiences were tragic to read about and I truly felt for both of them, even when they behaved in ways that were questionable. But they were relatable. I did see the twist at the end coming, but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable, and it was over very quickly. Their captor was truly despicable. I wanted both girls to have their happy endings, so to speak. It’s more than just a story of girls held captive and the horrors they went through...it’s also a story about family. It’s also a story of over sharing on social media that’s so common these days, and how it could be attracting the wrong kind of attention.

I enjoyed this book and would continue to read more works by this author! ( )

I love me a good psychological thriller, and Lucinda Berry never fails to disappoint.

It tells the story of 2 teenage girls, both who were kidnapped and held hostage by the same man, and the only two who escaped. One is trying to heal, the other has secret plans of her own. Told in first person from both girls’ POVs. It alternates between their time in captivity, and what happens after they escape and how they adjust to being back in the community.

Their experiences were tragic to read about and I truly felt for both of them, even when they behaved in ways that were questionable. But they were relatable. I did see the twist at the end coming, but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable, and it was over very quickly. Their captor was truly despicable. I wanted both girls to have their happy endings, so to speak. It’s more than just a story of girls held captive and the horrors they went through...it’s also a story about family. It’s also a story of over sharing on social media that’s so common these days, and how it could be attracting the wrong kind of attention.

I enjoyed this book and would continue to read more works by this author! ( )

Two girls have been kidnapped and kept in a man's basement. The book alternates pov between the two girls and time "now" and "then. At this point, the girls have been rescued and are in the hospital

This book was just plain sad. The story goes through the atrocities which happened to them and follows their day-to-day life and the hard recovery from the abuse and PTSD. One girl has been there four months, the other four years. The story is ugly but there really is no plot and the book is heavy rather than enjoyable but the book ends with a twist. Lucinda's writing is as beautiful as ever and I was captivated. ( )

Billed as a dark thriller, with terrifying opening pages, Appetite for Innocence really is a dark (very dark), psychological (very psychological), thriller - hard to put down because I couldn't figure out how any of them were going to get on with their lives. It's the story of a psychopath who steals, rapes,tortures, controls and kills young girls - choosing his victims after researching to find innocent virgins. The two who survive are thrown together, though they neither like nor trust one another. The real story is how much evil can spread out to hurt how many people in such awful, lasting mind-body-spirit ways. It's a powerful book because the writer presents the survivors, the mother, the therapist, the lost girls in such a manner that we actually feel for them and care deeply about their fates, and about a decent outcome to their story. The ending is not pat. It's not an enjoyable book to read, but it is riveting. I'll have to look up Lucinda Berry's other books. ( )

This has to be one of the hardest 5 star reviews I will have to write. It’s hard to say you enjoyed a book when the subject content is a hard one to digest. As a parent, it was even harder to read- this book would be every parent’s nightmare. So why give it a 5 star?

Lucinda Berry is a new author for me- and it seems that she has a total of 4 books published, including “Appetite for Innocence”. Each book looks like it has garnered at least 3 stars or more- which definitely piques my interest to read more of her books.

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

“Appetite for Innocence” starts out with 2 (sometimes 3) main characters, constantly switching perspectives. We start with Sarah, a girl who was taken 4 years ago, but has developed Stockholm Syndrome with her kidnapper. Her role? To make the girls as comfortable as possible; considering the circumstances. Sarah takes her role begrudgingly in hopes that if she works hard enough, “John” will reward her and allow her to “live” upstairs with him instead of in the basement.

Sarah is proud to know all of “John’s” cues- when he’s ready to acquire a new girl, when he’s ready to bring her upstairs, and when he’s lost all interest. Unfortunately for Sarah, she’s involved in every step- helping to pick out the girls, tending to them while they’re in the basement, cooking, and if necessary she’ll get rid of the girls.

Paige has been living in the basement for approximately 5 months. She’s conditioned herself to separate her mind from her body, which she advises Ella (our other main character) to do as well.

We find Ella duct taped and zip tied, and naturally freaking out. Sarah and Paige try to calm her down, and coax her not to scream so they can remove the duct tape. Predictably so, Ella screams for help when the duct tape is removed.

These girls all have a common thread. They have religious backgrounds, their father’s are out of the picture, and they are all virgins. “John” is only interested in taking virgins. He wants to be a father figure to them, to take care of them. His intentions are not well received. Especially when he decides he wants to start a family.

He’s broken these girls. Snatched them up from their lives. Brainwashed them, and turned them into a shell. Will there ever be justice?

I’ve got to be honest . . . when I first started reading this book, I was annoyed that the author continually switched perspectives. I was at first confused, and found it hard to concentrate on the story line. Continuing on though, the pace started to pick up, as well as the back story. . .and front story, and the stories in between. As I feel this blog post is disorganized, and chaotic, that is the best way for me to describe “Appetite for Innocence”.

Although I didn’t care for the subject matter, let’s face it, one can like this subject as much as “The Lovely Bones”; I was wrecked for weeks after that book. This particular book is what parent’s nightmares are made out of. It’s letting your kids have a routine, knowing that routine, and them not return. When is parental guidance too much? And when should you show leniency? After reading this book, I certainly want to hug my kiddos a bit tighter at night.

So why on earth would I give this book a 5 star? Just because a reader doesn’t care for the subject matter should not guarantee a lower rating. Lucinda Berry proves she’s a master at dialogue and detail. Although the reader cringes (through half the book) she paints a picture so vivid you feel the pain. You can feel the point these girls just give up.

Berry has fantastic character development. I found each character, from the girls, the parents, even John, to have layer upon layer of unraveling; it was truly brilliant. Being able to compartmentalize and keep separate the story and the set up is key.

As for reading another Lucinda Berry book- I most definitely would. I think she’s a brilliant writer. Granted I do not think I could stomach a work like this back to back, but that’s no reason for me to completely shy away from the author.

I was contacted through my blog to give an honest review in exchange for an advanced copy of the book. That being said, it has not altered my opinion whatsoever. ( )