Annie O'Sullivan is a realtor holding an open house. It's going slow, and as she's packing up for the day, a man pulls up to take a look at the house. Unfortunately, this man changes her life, and she forever thinks of him as The Freak. He abducts her, takes her to live in a remote mountain house, and does unspeakable things to her. Over the course of a year, she lives a daily nightmare with no hope of rescue. The cabin he's made for the two of them was custom-built with care, specifically removing anything that would give Annie any tools to create an escape.

However, Annie does get away from The Freak, and a lengthy investigation into exactly who he was begins. Who was he? How did he know so much about her life (such as the deaths of her sister and father)? Was she purposely chosen? If so, why?

As the investigation begins to reveal the answers to these questions, Annie is also trying to piece her life back together. Her friends, including the boyfriend she used to have, are desperately trying to reconnect with her, but they don't understand that she's far from the person they used to know.

This book is told in a unique narrative. Although being told via flashbacks is not in and of itself unique, Annie tells her story through a series of therapy session. It's as if the reader is eavesdropping on her sessions with her therapist and hearing the details of what she shares. Each session, Annie fills the therapist (and thus, the reader) on the progress she's made psychologically since the last session before wading back in and revealing more details about what happened on the mountain. Then, as those details end, we find out about the current investigation. The sessions become more frequent as the investigation narrows and Annie discovers the truth about her abduction.

This story was incredibly compelling and suspenseful, I could not bring myself to put it down. Annie is a completely sympathetic character, and I found myself relating to her on several occasions. I see that the author has another book coming out this summer, and I eagerly await it's release.

Book Summary