Not a bad book but the subject matter did leave a nasty taste on several occasions whilst reading it. ( )

I received this book from NetGalley.com

I finished this book against the will of my brain who told me that it really wasn't going to get any better and I should just quit. I think the author tried to do too many things at one time. It's as if she had plot/character dice and got the pedophilia/schizophrenia/revenge killer/kidnapping words to pop up. There were several plots in this book and on their own they may have made for a good story but mixed together was a recipe for disaster. If you like being confused, yelling at characters to grow a pair and cut the nonsense and stop whining then this book is for you. Otherwise, steer clear. ( )

The average progenies of the 21st century are gifted in many ways. They are both blessed with advanced minds and modern technology. Children are given tools that sooth both their intelligence and soul, which allows them to grow and prosper with age. Youngsters of today are able to gather information with the touch of a finger. Instant gratification is met by streaming videos of popular characters, while education is taught by computers. Although there are many countries that have yet to catch up with developed nations, all have children that are loved and cherished. These small beings are protected as the hope of the future and the builders of nations. However, scattered throughout all countries are children that have fallen in-between the cracks. These small beings are the battered and bruised. Beaten by their fathers and neglected by their mothers, they are protected by the government of nations. This book is about one such child named Ottilie. She is a child that is harassed by her father and hated by her deranged mother. A social worker named Alex makes it her mission to save Ottilie and somehow prove that she is being abused. With the clock ticking, Alex races against time and sees her life crumble before her eyes. Will Alex be able to save Ottilie? Can she separate herself from that of a distant child?

This book was probably one of the most challenging books that I have ever read. It was both emotionally challenging and logically hard to tolerate. The story was very well written and the author did one hell of a job on her research. However, there was a very naïve side to the main character and I found myself hating her as much as I did Otillie’s father. I did not like how Alex looked down on nearly all parents she interacted with and constantly looked for faults. She was a paranoid person who would easily find herself out of a job by crossing one to many lines. Even though there was a massive amount of unrealistic situations with the social worker, there were many truthful situations with Ottilie. The author did a wonderful job giving the reader a glimpse into the lives of what some severely abused children go through daily. It was so brutally honest in some parts that I had to step away and take a break from the book. As a parent it also made me sick to imagine some of the scenes she created in her story. I will say that although I am not fond of this book, the author is one hell of an advocate for kids. She is a person who deeply loves and cherishes children. Therefore, I recommend this book to those that are studying the field of social services. It is a good reminder of what they might be encountering in the future. This book is not for the easily upset, but for those that have a passion for children. I must say thank you to both the author and goodreads for sending this book to me for review. It was much appreciated and brought something new to the table for me. ( )

This is my first book I have read by this author but will have to to check out more by her. The subject matter was very hard to read because it dealt with child abuse. I found the book to be very upsetting and had to keep putting it down and taking a break from it. ( )