Still Missing

By: Chevy Stevens

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old Realtor, had three goals: sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she’s about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent captive in a remote mountain cabin — which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist — is a second narrative recounting the nightmare that follows her escape: her struggle to piece her shattered life back together, the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor, and the disturbing sense that things are far from over.

The truth doesn’t always set you free.

Still Missing is a shocking, visceral, brutal, and beautifully crafted debut novel about surviving the unsurvivable — and living to bear witness.

©2010 Chevy Stevens (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The intense plot alternates between Annie's creepy confinement, her escape, and her attempts to readjust to real life, from going to the bathroom when she wants to managing her own meals. Still, Annie knows that a large part of her soul is still missing. Her transformation from victim adds to the believability of the enthralling plot." ( Publishers Weekly)

Depressing but good

This book really kept me interested wondering what was going to happen next. My only complaint is that the first half of it was so depressing because of all of the terrible things the main character went through - it seemed like there was not a break in the tension of bad things happening to her for a very long time. The ending was also a little far-fetched. But it was definitely an interesting book, and a page-turner.

Kept Guessing till the end!

Listened for Book Club (Audible/DFWTea)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.00

Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Still Missing by Chevy Stevens was a story that I wasn't sure where was going and the end kind of left me speechless!

Book Club Thoughts: Big hit with the group. The end all made us gasp. We were disturbed by several characters and we all had different theories going into the last few chapters. We all agreed that was a good sign of a great thriller when you can't decide who did it or why! Overall it was a huge hit with the book club and many of us have already moved on to book 2.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed (maybe not the right word) Still Missing. It was twisty, turny, disturbing, off-kilter, and uniquely written. The format played as much in my interest in the story as the characters did. I can't even imagine going through what Annie did and surviving. The fact that you get to see her broken, resilient, and healing through her psych sessions just draws you in more to the story. Plus it was a brilliant way to tell a story in two time frames! The characters (all of them) were fascinating. There was no black/white here except for one character (the kidnapper). Every person was complicated, intriguing, and had their own stuff to work through with Annie's ordeal. At the heart, this is a thriller and it will keep you guessing till the end.

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Angela Dawe / Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins


Angela "freaking" Dawe knocked it out of the park. Yes, I admit I am a fan girl of her narration. I highly recommend this one on audio.

Book Club Read for DFWTea for Feb 2014

Listened to it in 3 days

I accidentally found this book while looking for another book. The synopsis looked interesting and it didn't have bad reviews so I purchased the book. I absolutely loved it! I'm an avid reader and am a columnist by profession. The thing that struck me the most about Chevy Stevens writing is the precise detail she put into "showing" the story through descriptive emotion, characterization, and scenery rather than just "telling" the story. I suspected a twist in the story but never saw the one at the end coming which sealed the deal for me in enjoying the book. On top of that, Audible did an excellent job casting the narrator. By the time the book was over I was sad to see her go.

Wow!

I really enjoyed the story. The main character is abducted and held captive in a remote location for many months. The story is told by her through discussions with her therapist in various sessions. Its well written and you can almost feel her fear and the emotions she goes through during the ordeal. I hated to stop listening; I wanted to hear what happened next!

The Nightmare Never Ends!!!

What made the experience of listening to Still Missing the most enjoyable?

A couple of things. One, I liked the way it was told from the survivor's point of view in the psychiatrist's office. The details of her year, the twists and turns the book takes and most of all, from the very beginning the NARRATOR!!!!!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Still Missing?

When she made it to the "cop shop ."

Which scene was your favorite?

Can't say spoiler alert.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Can't say spoiler alert.

Any additional comments?

Yes, let me just say that there are too many scenes, moments, etc. in this book that I could tell you were my favorite without giving away important parts of the book. Best book I have listened to in awhile.
THEY COULDN'T HAVE PICKED A BETTER NARRATOR FOR THIS BOOK IF THEY TRIED!!!

Interesting and different.

The performance of the narrator of this novel did a perfect job expressing the thoughts of the novel's main character which helped to make this novel a great listen. The storyline took me by surprise and kept me interested the entire time. This author tackled a subject which must have been quite difficult to write about from such an in-depth and believable point-of-view, she did a great job at helping the reader understand the depth and complexity of trauma. I can't write much more about this book without giving away some of the plot line, therefore, if you are looking for a suspense book with a new twist and you are not faint-of-heart, this is a good read and good listen. I look forward to more books by this author.

Very captivating but not really my type of book

I found this to be painful to listen to yet extremely interesting at the same time. While I love thrillers and so many of them involve abduction or kidnapping of some sort, this one was more like a detailed account than it was a thriller. Only towards the end does it become actually suspenseful in nature. So it's not that the author failed at making a suspense book- just a different style of book completely. The author is very good at getting into the mind of a depraved person and their victim though- thats for sure!!

The Unimaginable

Fabulous writer. It is about horror but also about character. It is difficult to imagine this story could be reality for some poor soul. The author takes you there but never leaves you in the dark place for too long.

Outstanding, couldn't stop listening

Mystery, passion, sadness , if you are looking for this. Then this is it. Brought me to tears at time. Truly a book about survival and betrayal.

Brutal and Course, not fully developed

*The book does have profanity and a rape description but I have read many books I found much more offensive*
The story begins with a nightmare: working alone, only to be taken. What happened during the period of captivity is told during a series of therapy sessions. At the end of the book, I felt that the author spent so much time developing the story of captivity that end was rushed. Overall, I was disappointed. The idea or premise of the book is excellent but I was left with a feeling that it needed further development. Maybe the book needed a few extra chapters or pages. The ending needed further development.