Survivor by J. F. Gonzalez REVIEW

Summary:

It was supposed to have been a romantic weekend getaway. Lisa was looking forward to spending time alone with her husband - and telling him that they were going to have a baby. Instead, it became a nightmare when her husband was arrested and Lisa was kidnapped. But the kidnappers aren't asking for a ransom. They want Lisa herself. They're going to make her a star - in a snuff film.

What they have in mind for Lisa is unspeakable. They plan to torture and murder her as graphically as possible, and to capture it all on film. If they have their way, Lisa's death will be truly horrifying . . . but even more horrifying is what Lisa will do to survive . . .

My Thoughts:

This book is an emotional rollercoaster. Lisa recently finds out that she's pregnant - they have been trying for a while - and plans to tell her husband on their upcoming vacation. But a terrible driver on the highway calls the police on them for a citizen's arrest. They arrest Brad, her husband, and the driver captures Lisa and takes her away. The driver tells her he is not doing this for enjoyment - it's for the money, and brings her to a secluded cabin, where she meets Al and Animal, who plan on using her for a snuff film. The driver assures her that she was picked at random, that the viewers wanted a regular, healthy person for a change. But plans go sideways when Debbie, a neighbor, happens upon Lisa and is forced to star in a film of her own so that she doesn't tell anyone what she saw. After Debbie's torture and death, Lisa stoops to a low to free herself and her unborn child - offering up someone else in exchange for her, as well as all the money in her bank account.

The novel is well-written and terrifyingly realistic. You are made to care about all of these innocent characters that get thrown in the mix, and heartbroken when some of them die. The twist ending of the father-in-law being the one to pay for her specifically on film comes right out of left field. The book assures us multiple times that Lisa was chosen at random, only for it to go a complete 180. While it makes for a good plot twist, it seems hastily thrown in. There is no suspicion for the reader to think this was so methodically planned out, and that Lisa was always the target. Overall though, things mostly stayed consistent. It's a tough read, but done in a way that isn't exploitative of the situation or victims involved.

My Rating: 3 stars