A Thriller Worth the Hype: The Taking of Annie Thorne
— No spoiler book review
There are days when I pass by the bookstore knowing exactly when I’d be entering it and knowing exactly which book I need to buy.
And there are days when my feet work on their own and barge into the bookstore, and my eyesight goes on robotic scanning mode, and my hands decide on their own to pick a random book off the shelves based purely on its cover and description and I purchase it without a second thought.
I have no control over it, I swear! The latter is what made me buy the book I’m going to talk to you about.
Introduction
Now when I say I randomly pick a book, I mean it’s so random that I wouldn’t even be able to guess its genre. This book was the same. I picked it off thinking that the book was a crime thriller based on the blurb, and no prior googling the book.
The cover was intriguing enough for me to read the book without checking the reviews on GoodReads, especially since it was my first time reading C.J. Tudor’s book, so I just started without wasting any more time.
The Unexpected Thrill
You know the book is gonna be a blast when the prologue starts like this — “Even before stepping into the cottage, Gary knows this is bad.” What follows next is this unimaginably gruesome — Why should I tell you? If the prologue was not enough for you to read this book, I am sure the plot will make you buy it!
You know how small-town scenarios make the plot amazingly concise and well-directed. Add the protagonist returning to his hometown years later to find out what happened in the past. Common you say?
Genre Shift
Here’s where things get interesting. Until I crossed 200+ I didn’t know the genre had shifted from crime thriller to pure horror. Well not completely horror-type horror, but it had these elements of Paranormal + Psychotic, a combo that can make the reader pee their pants.
A missing sibling. A haunted past (quite literally). An unexpected reunion. Underground caves. And some of the best plot twists a book could ever provide. And don’t even get me started on the ending.
C.J. Tudor’s Magic
Did I mention that C.J. Tudor’s called ‘Britain’s female Stephen King’?
With a dose of life, a badass straight to point-humorous protagonist, crime, and cynical stuff, this book gives it all and more to the reader. It’ll leave you wanting more and stopping right where you are.
Here are 4 of my favorite quotes from the book that do not reveal the plot, don’t worry:
1. “We romanticize the past with our period dramas and glossy film adaptations. A bit like we do with nature. Nature is violent, unpredictable and unforgiving. Eat or be eaten. That’s nature. However much Attenborough or Coldplay you wrap it up in.”
2. “Never trust a person whose bookshelves are lined with pristine books, or worse, someone who places the books with their covers facing outwards. That person is not a reader. That person is a shower. Look at me and my great literary taste. Look at these acclaimed tomes that I have, most probably, never read. A reader cracks the spine, thumbs the pages, absorbs every word and nuance. You might not be able to judge a book by its cover, but you can definitely judge the person who owns the book.”
3. “Grief is personal. It isn’t something you can share like a box of chocolates. It’s yours and yours alone, a spiked steel ball chained to your ankle, a coat of nails around your shoulders, a crown of thorns. No one else can feely your pain. They cannot walk in your shoes because your shoes are full with broken glass and every time you take a step forward, it rips your soles to bloody shreds. Grief is the worst kind of torture and it never ends. You have dibs on that dungeon for the rest of your life.”
4. “That’s the problem with life. It never gives you a heads-up. Never offers you even the slightest clue that this might be an important moment. You might want to take some time, drink it in. It never lets you know that something is worth holding on to until it’s gone.”
Conclusion
This novel not only provides a rollercoaster of suspense but also delves into profound themes and emotions that will linger in your mind long after you’ve finished reading. It’s a testament to the power of well-crafted storytelling, where the boundaries between reality and the supernatural blur in the most captivating way. It’s a testament to C.J. Tudor’s storytelling prowess and her ability to keep readers captivated from start to finish.
“The Taking of Annie Thorne” is more than just a book; it’s an immersive experience that will make you question the nature of the past, the unpredictability of life, and the depths of human emotion. If you’re a fan of mysteries, thrillers, or just great storytelling in general, this is a must-read that should find its place on your bookshelf. It’s an adventure you won’t want to end.
P.S. — I bought the UK version of the book so its name is “The Taking of Annie Thorne.” The US version of the book is called “The Hiding Place.”
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