Book Review: The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle

Title: The Breakaway
Author: Michelle Davidson Argyle
Publisher: Rhemalda
Pages: 303
Release Date: 1st May 2012
Read in: May 2012


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When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she’s missing. Escape isn’t high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she’s part of a family—even if it is a family of criminals. But she’s still a captive. In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she’s falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn’t sure she wants to take it.

One thing that I want from books is to experience things that I wouldn’t experience in real life.

“Jesse wrapped a hand around her arm.“I won’t let them hurt you,” he whispered, then gently nudged her into her room and followed her inside.”

I have had, for a long time, an interest in Stockholm syndrome. People usually just say someone has it as a label to put on someone. Oh you grew to care for your captor; you have therefore been brainwashed, they kidnapped you, they are bad, you have Stockholm syndrome. Here’s some therapy, you will be normal in no time. It’s not an illness. Not in the way I think and this book explains this. People think that kidnappers are always emotionless creeps. But they are people. And they have emotions. Is kidnapping wrong? Yes! Don’t misunderstand me there. Kidnapping is wrong and they deserve to go to jail. But a person, who has been captured, but has grown to care for a person who has not hurt them, is not ill. This book portrays this very well.

Straight away I understood Naomi’s confusion about the situation she has found herself in. It was interesting being inside her head and I could easily relate. She is not a strong kickass heroine but it is not that type of book. She does things I probably would have done if I were in her shoes.

We also get to read the point of view of Naomi’s mother. Naomi has a very clear view of what her mother is to her in her life; what she believes her mother is feeling. Getting to read from her mother’s point of view gave us a more rounded view of what the situation at home was like. I wouldn’t say the mother’s parts were my favourite but it was still interesting to discover.

Jesse became more mysterious as the book progressed. He was not just a plain flat character. He has a past which I wanted to discover more about. Jesse and Naomi’s relationship was slowly paced and believable. She didn’t fall for him straight away. A friendship was created first before romance. What made it even more believable is that they knew each other for a long time before love.

The book moves forward quite quickly. This book takes place over a year in 300 pages. Quite a few of the chapters are told from a different month. The next chapter is very often set in the next or a few months later. Therefore you have to remember that the relationships formed would have developed in that time and you have to fill in the blanks. This is what helps with the believability of Naomi and Jesse’s relationship and her feeling towards the rest of her captors.

There were a lot of references to literature and what books can mean to different people. I loved that as a book lover even though they were mostly classic tales which I don’t read. But I can still relate.

The ending was intense. The emotion turmoil increased tenfold and I couldn’t stop reading. I wanted more once it ended. You can’t just leave me like that. An epilogue maybe? I will just have to be content with my own imagination.

Apologies if this review is not very good. It is one of those books where I have found it hard to express why I like it. That is why I have ratings. I enjoyed this book and if you are looking for an intense emotional read I would recommend you check this book out.

 

Becky