"A former kidnapping victim matches wits with a human monster to stop him."
Reviewed by Lynn Cunningham
Posted December 24, 2013
Suspense
Reeve LeClaire was kidnapped when she was 12 and held
captive by a sadistic and soulless man for four years. It
was only a struck of luck that allows her to be rescued.
Now, a young woman of 22, she still battles the demons left
from her horrid ordeal. She's getting better, though. She
has her own apartment, a job, and a new name. In addition,
she only has to see her psychiatrist once a week rather than
several hours a day.
Dr. Lerner is a brilliant psychiatrist who specializes in
helping victims of terrible crimes such as Reeve. He has
brought her back from a dark place so that she can now live
an almost normal life. It is because of her great strides
that he calls her when another kidnapping victim is rescued.
That victim's family wants to talk to Reeve before agreeing
to let Dr. Lerner treat their daughter.
At first Reeve doesn't want to go but finally understands
that she has something unique to offer this girl as having
been in the same situation herself in the past. So she
agrees to meet with the parents and the family. That all
goes quite well.
What she doesn't count on is being thrust in the middle of
two more ongoing kidnapping investigations and becoming the
target of an even worse monster than her own kidnapper. This
one is much smarter and more cunning than the average
criminal and he doesn't appreciate Reeve meddling in his
business. Not at all.
THE EDGE OF NORMAL will carry you along with every action
and reaction that occurs as Reeve moves cautiously forward
into the world once more. You will meet characters that are
so real that you may feel as if you can sit down and have
coffee with them. Even the lesser characters are fleshed out
so that they're not cardboard cutouts.
Reeve is a wonderfully written character. She's not "stupid
stubborn" like many heroines by insisting on bulldozing
right into situations that will only get her hurt or worse.
Instead, she thinks through every move she makes. She helps
in her own way while not giving into those in authority that
are standing around yelling at her. All Reeve knows is that
this girl needs her help and that there may be others that
do as well. Therefore, she must do all she can because she
knows what being held captive is like.
THE EDGE OF NORMAL plays out with one suspenseful scene
after another. Author Carla Norton has shown just what she
is capable of offering the world in this, her first, novel.
I look forward with great anticipation to her next one.
SUMMARY
In many ways, Reeve LeClaire looks like a typical twenty-two
year old girl. She’s finally landed her own apartment, she
waitresses to pay the bills, and she wishes she wasn’t so
nervous around new people. She thinks of herself as agile,
not skittish. As serious, not grim. But Reeve is anything
but normal. Ten years ago, she was kidnapped and held
captive. After a lucky escape, she’s spent the last six
years trying to rebuild her life, a recovery thanks in large
part to her indispensable therapist Dr. Ezra Lerner. But
when he asks her to help another girl rescued from a similar
situation, Reeve realizes she may not simply need to mentor
this young victim—she may be the only one who can protect
her from a cunning predator who is still out there, watching
every move. From the author of the #1 non-fiction
bestseller Perfect Victim: The True Story of the Girl in
the Box comes a novel that draws you into a chilling and
engrossing world. With powerfully gripping characters and an
ending that is a masterpiece of deception, Carla Norton's
The Edge of Normal is a stunning debut thriller.
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