Book Review:
Pretty Is by Maggie Mitchell
Published by Orion Publishing Group
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:
Lois and Carly-May were just twelve when they were abducted by a stranger and imprisoned in a cabin in the woods for two months.
That summer, under the watchful gaze of their kidnapper, they formed a bond that would never be broken.
Decades later, both women have new lives and identities. But the events of that summer are about to come back with a vengeance.
Lois and Carly-May must face the truth about their secret, shared past.
What really happened in the woods that summer?

Review:
Hmmm. I was really confused by Pretty Is. I don't think the cover matches what's inside, not do I feel it's perfect for fans of The Ice Twins, as its rather different. Pegged as a psychological thriller, despite the intriguing and enticing synopsis, it feels tepid rather than thrilling, and nothing seems to actually be resolved.
I've actually re-read this a couple of years later to see if my view has changed, but unfortunately it has stayed the same. Reviews seem to be mixed, so I'm guessing this is a marmite book, which is no bad thing.

*I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.This is my unbiased review.

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I really enjoyed this quietly suspenseful crime novel. The exploration of a crime from twenty years ago (abduction of two girls) and the effect it has had is well-handled and felt realistic to me. I enjoyed the split narration between the two former victims, and also the flashbacks and different approaches to 'then' and 'now', together with the inevitable creeping towards a conclusion that threatens and draws them together. For me, the 'lack' of relentless pace and other crime fiction conventions was refreshing as this isn't a classic crime thriller but something a bit more contemplative and perhaps a bit more exploratory of what the world says about women, about trauma and about healing. (That is not meant to be critical of crime thrillers; I am a crime genre fan, but it's unfair to criticise something for not living up to something that it isn't claiming to be, like slagging off YA for not being Austen...) That said, there are gaps and a few things that are perhaps a little too convenient, but for me they weren't even close to enough to bounce me out of the story. I enjoyed it.

I found the premise to be captivating, but the delivery not so much.

Told through alternating characters and flitting between the present time and the past. It isn't your typical kidnapping or abduction where the abductor intends to harm the victims, and the girl willingly go with him. In this sense the outlook is somewhat interesting, and you're gradually enlightened as to why.

However, there doesn't seem to be or feel like a climax in the middle of the story, and then the ending is more or less rushed. Its one of those where you think it could have been better if certain elements were tweaked a little.

I would say if you enjoyed The Lovely Bones then you should definitely give it a read.

An okay book, but not thrilling. The idea was good, but unfortunately the pace dragged and the ending was obvious.

I almost feel tricked into reading this book even though I know I'm the one who requested it. The book feels like a series of rough character sketches that only sort of inter connect. It's a long held personal belief that the story teller needs to be incredibly skilled to tell a story via two characters and have the reader stay with it. I can think of only one example of where this style has worked and it's not Pretty Is. Sorry, I don't like leaving negative reviews but I just can't be positive about this one.

This was a confusing story of 2 young girls who are kidnapped when they are 12 years old. They have no objection to their containment and nothing bad happens to them. They are released and the story continues with them as adults. A lot of the prose is irrelevant and not part of the story.

I enjoyed this book as an exploration of whether the threat of horror can be as traumatizing as the actual horror but there were bits that bugged me a bit. The plot was buried under a lot of character development which in the case of Carly Mae was a good thing since she endeared herself. Lois is a little harder to like and the subplot with Sean was a real doozy.