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5.0 out of 5 stars
Will we know when our salvation has arrived?, January 29, 2012
This review is from: Little Girl Gone (Paperback)
Medora Welles makes a number of life altering decisions one worse than the last. She finds herself at the age of 17 going with a man she thought was her salvation. Willis came to her in the darkest moment of her life and provided a light to freedom.
What Medora viewed as freedom was anything less than imprisonment but she never saw it as anything but a man loving her too much. Even when another woman is forced to live as a prisoner Medora still believes everything Willis tells her. Willis has dreams for them, goals of lofty aspirations, and life beyond the isolated dump they are presently living in. Willis repeatedly tells Medora he is saving her and working to save the woman, he currently holds prisoner.
Through the love of a dog and the curiosity of a 12 year-old boy Medora starts to question her life and the choices she has made. She now sees that beyond not being her guardian angel Willis may in fact be the exact opposite. How do you escape from the hell that is your life if you have nowhere to go and feel there is no one who cares about you? For Medora she may have someone that is missing her, and there is someone who wants to help her escape. The question going through her mind is after all these years does she even remember her name.
This book is such a compelling read that you have to keep reading to see how everything turns out. The story is one that has you looking around at every stranger wondering if there is some secret lurking in that person's life.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The obvious shock value of the plot and the sensationalistic style of writing, make LITTLE GIRL GONE easily digestible, February 8, 2012
This review is from: Little Girl Gone (Paperback)
When Emma Donoghue's ROOM was published in late 2010, it garnered a lot of attention. Simultaneously fascinating and shocking its audience with its eerie depiction of a mother and son held captive for seven years in an 11-foot by 11-foot soundproofed shed, the book is told from the young boy's uniquely naïve point of view. After all, he was born in the enclosure and had never set foot outside. How would he know the world was any different from the reality in front of his face? The book was shortlisted for both the Man Booker Prize and the Orange Prize, and made just about every end-of-the-year "Best Of" list, including that of the New York Times, the Washington Post and the New Yorker. Clearly, readers were curious about what it felt like to be kidnapped by a crazy pervert on the run from the law --- and what it meant to accept that as home.
THE GOOD SISTER author Drusilla Campbell's latest novel tells a similar story, but from a nuanced perspective --- that of the creepy kidnapper's accomplice. As you might expect from a book with this premise, 17-year-old Madora is just as clueless and inexperienced as Jack --- the boy in ROOM --- but in a more frightening sort of way. Unlike the mother in ROOM, Madora actually looks up to her jailer and thinks he's a good man.
At 12 years old, Madora had fallen with the wrong crowd. After her father committed suicide five years earlier, she started to slack off. She partied more. She did drugs. She mouthed off to her mother whom she believed was at fault for not keeping the family together and happy. When an older, handsome-looking man named Willis came up to her at a friend's party and took an interest in her, she pounced on the opportunity. It's as if she'd been rescued from her life the moment he stepped into it.
When the book picks up five years later, Madora and Willis are actively dating (although not sleeping together, as Willis wants to keep Madora "pure" until she turns 18), and Madora's mother, who doesn't like Willis, is making strides to move the family in with her new beau. Wanting no part of this plan, Madora shacks up with Willis. After a few years spent jumping from one out-of-the-way town to another, they settle into an isolated property at the end of a dirt road in rustic Southern California. There's a dilapidated, sparsely decorated shack, a falling-down carport, and a trailer in the backyard.
But what --- or who --- is in the trailer, you ask? A pregnant girl Willis has "rescued" from the side of the road. For months, Linda is kept trapped inside, handcuffed and padlocked to a leash that's chained to the ceiling. Willis has no intention of letting her go --- even after she gives birth and he sells the baby --- telling her and Madora that it's for everyone's own good.
Meanwhile, while Willis is at work, an orphaned 12-year-old boy living with his aunt happens upon the property while on a bike ride in the area. Before long, he and Madora become friends, whiling away the hours telling stories and playing with Madora's pit bull, Foo. Of course, the inevitable happens --- Django discovers the truth about the trailer, paving the way to an explosive showdown between abductor and abductee(s) that, while slightly unbelievable because of Django's precocious decision-making process, sets the book's ending ablaze.
Beyond the obvious shock value of the plot and the sensationalistic style of writing, what makes LITTLE GIRL GONE easily digestible, like Donoghue's choice to write ROOM through Jack's eyes, is Campbell's portrayal of Madora. The girl's progression from ardent believer to fearful skeptic feels realistic, unfolding at just the right measured pace. Like all nutter-butters who enslave unsuspecting victims for their own sadistic pleasure, Willis's character --- with his mixed-up past and faulty reasoning --- is a bit one-dimensional compared to Madora's. But maybe that's just the point. Perhaps only clichés suffice when describing the mind and behavior of a convicted sociopath.
Reviewed by Alexis Burling
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping Story, February 6, 2012
This review is from: Little Girl Gone (Paperback)
"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face...we must do that which we think we cannot." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
The definition of courage is the power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear or pain. Millions of women face tremendous danger and fear daily. They are literally prisoners in their own lives, prisoners of domestic violence. It is easy to offer simple solutions when not facing these challenges personally. It is easy to say, "Get out!" or "Don't stand for his harsh words," or worse, his strong fists. But unless you are faced with the constant fear for survival it is impossible to pass judgment. In Drusilla Campbell's Little Girl Gone (Grand Central Publishing, January 2012) we are introduced to a young woman trapped in an unhealthy relationship and forced to do things that are beyond comprehension. Unfortunately, oftentimes the abuser holds more power over their victim than just fear, they also represent safety and security. Psychology Today reports that any situation in which one partner is wielding power over the other can fall under the domestic violence umbrella. This is exactly the case for Madora and Willis. Willis saved her from an unhappy life and she feels indebted to him. Even when he kidnaps a homeless, pregnant teenager, Madora still follows along. She is as much a prisoner as the pregnant teenager.
Domestic violence can take many forms; physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse. The United States Office on Violence Against Women defines domestic violence as a "pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner." A recent survey of college students found that 43% of college women have experienced violence and abusive dating behaviors. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women. These are terrifying statistics and to those unfamiliar with abusive relationships, seem impossible. But statistics don't lie. Reading a novel like Little Girl Gone allows readers to step inside this terrifying life and see for themselves the powerlessness that women feel. Stepping inside Madora's life is both terrifying and inspiring. We route for her to find the strength and courage to free herself from the hands of Willis, from the isolation and terror he has created in her life. Campbell beautifully captures the raw and stark reality of Madora's life while building tension and suspense towards a climactic ending. Little Girl Gone is a fantastic exploration into domestic violence and the power of courage in the face of tragedy.
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