The Cellar

De: Minette Walters

Narrado por: Eyre Justine

Before then her bedroom was a dark, windowless cellar, her activities confined to cooking and cleaning. She'd grown used to being maltreated by the Songoli family - to being a slave. She's never been outside, doesn't know how to read or write, and cannot speak English. At least that's what the Songolis believe. But Muna is far cleverer - and her plans more terrifying - than the Songolis or anyone else can ever imagine....

©2016 Copyright © 2016 by Minette Walters. Published by The Mysterious Press. Recorded by arrangement with Gregory & Company. (P)2016 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

A Unique Read

If you could sum up The Cellar in three words, what would they be?

Unique, Authentic, Captivating

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I really enjoyed this one. The tale is about an abused orphan girl named Muna who is made into a slave by a glutinous family. However, the family has underestimated Muna's intelligence and drive. They haven't even realized she can speak English. When tragedy strikes and Muna sees an opportunity to start turning the tables on those that are cruel to her, she takes it. I was rooting for her the whole time.

Which character – as performed by Eyre Justine – was your favorite?

All the characters were very well written. They were very realistic with complex emotions and deep flaws. My favorite was Muna, the protagonist.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The subject of child abuse is one of the main foundations for this book. While I didn't laugh or cry, it would be hard not to feel an emotional connection to the story.

Any additional comments?

Read it.

Surprised at how good it was!

I went in to this listen with no expectations, I wasn’t sure it would be my cup of tea but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it actually was. Great storyline and characters, great narrator, definitely recommend.

Not what I thought…

…based on the description. I did not find this scary at all, even tho description said this was a horror story. Sort of reminded me of Flowers in the Attic. The narration was awful. Narrator had a weird dragging-out of the last syllable in every word at the end of a sentence. Very distracting.

"Liked the narration a lot , however..

"the ending left me hanging. I would have liked her to tie the ends a bit tighter then she did."

Unique Story of Revenge

Child slavery is not a common topic in fiction. Yet over 160 million children a year are enslaved. Many people are able to own slaves by adopting or forging documents. This story follows a reality often ignored. Moona, a child adopted through lies and brought to US, is forced to serve an abusive family. She shows tremendous courage and wit to survive. Fantastic read.

Great story!

Narrator didn’t even sound slightly Nigerian so it was hard to enjoy the dialogue but it may work for other listeners.

Shocking

This book was so good I couldn't stop listening. The end though wow! Just when you think you have it figured out the shocker hits you!

Thrilling, tidy

A compact little thriller that keeps a nice steady pace. I like that it ended where it did. Good performance too.

Dark!

I feel like I need a shower after reading this. Dark. Sinister. No redemption. Unlikeable characters. It's well written and the narration is superb but if this were the first Minette Walters book I had read I would have never purchased another.

Gripping!

An interesting psychological tale that explores the depths of human nature and society. The plot takes many turns that will keep readers in suspense.