A Kidnap Victim Returns

Twelve years ago, Jenny Kristal set off for a friend’s house. She never got there. She was six years old and the community came together to find the kidnapped child. Now suddenly she’s back. Her parents, Laurie and Jake, are happy about the reunion, but her brother Ben has reservations.

Jenny has the same characteristics she did at six, including the dimples. She also has memories that fit the child she was. Still, Ben isn’t convinced. He makes snarky comments and makes up fake memories of their childhood to trip her up. Then Jenny gets emails from a Facebook account telling her she’s not safe in the house. What is really going on?

The is an unusual take on the story of a kidnapped child. Having a child return after twelve years can be as traumatic as the original kidnapping. The plot moves swiftly with plenty of twists, but the last one is truly unexpected.

I liked Jenny and found her a character I could related to. Following her journey added an extra dimension to the thriller. I thought the author did a good job handling the family’s reaction to the return of their child after so many years. It you enjoy psychological thrillers with plenty of twists, the is a good one.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

SAFE is a thriller unlike any I’ve read before. Jenny Kristal disappeared from her neighborhood sidewalk at 6 years old. Now she is safely back home...or is she? Having my own 6 year old girl, I had a visceral reaction, sobbing through the first several chapters. Then, well, you’ll need to take the ride for yourself. With twists upon twists, this is a unique, fast-paced story not to be missed.

This book would’ve been a four/five star read. However the last few chapters ruined the book. The entire book reads like a typical lifetime movie but then there’s this tailspin of crazy to make it interesting.

Thank you to Dutton Books for my free copy in exchange for my honest review! I gave this one 3/3.5 stars!

This book took me awhile to get into, which may have made it more confusing to me since I couldn't just sit and read a ton of it at one time. However, after I got halfway through with the story I could not put it down and read the rest of it in one sitting! After being kidnapped for 12 years, Jenny Kristal returns, and her family and the town are left to uncover what really happened! I questioned everything as I raced through this book and it was SO twisty and dark! There are many parts of the story that seemed to drag a bit for me, but then the end was crazy and not at all what I expected! I would definitely recommend this book if you want a twisty and bingeable story! Trigger warnings for sexual/physical/emotional abuse!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this advance copy. I enjoyed this mystery, though I did find it somewhat unrealistic. I didn't guess the plot twist, however, so that was a big plus.

S.K. Barnett keeps the reader guessing from the pen name to the ever evading plot twists. The writing style took a bit to get used to as it was a bit “light hearted” in comparison to some of the subject matter. However, that is the genius in this writing; it’s a multifaceted mind melt. Barnett took a seemingly familiar trope and slowly but surely twisted and twisted and twisted until the reader is left not knowing which way is up. Bravo. Highly addictive, loved every moment.

*trigger warning for sensitive readers*

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #Safe which was read and reviewed voluntarily by #wayward_readers

Woah! This thriller was out of control. It took me by surprise and I was blown away! I really enjoyed this book and I couldn’t put it down!

Jenny went missing when she was six years old, kidnapped while walking down the road to a friend’s house. Twelve years later she shows up again out of the blue. Her parents welcome her home with open arms but her brother Ben is far from happy to see her. Where has Jenny been all this time? What happened all those years ago and why is Ben acting so hostile?

Safe is a twisty exploration of family secrets and I mean TWISTY! The final few pages had me in shock. I really didn’t see that coming.

I found the first half quite slow. The second half is where the story picked up and I was gripped. I couldn’t put the book down until I'd finished! The premise is really original and I wanted to know more, however the subject matter is very dark and there are descriptions of child sexual abuse throughout the book that could be triggering for some readers.

If you enjoy dark thrillers with great twists then you will definitely love this book!

Very orginal storyline


It’s so much more than just a book about a missing girl who comes back, and it was so compelling that I couldn’t put it down.

I will warn that there is heavy subject matter involved: child sexual abuse and abandonment

While I enjoyed this book, parts were a little unbelievable. It was still a page turner for me as the story just pulled me in . The beginning of the story was quite a thriller and the middle was the unbelievable. Still a great read!

Safe, by S. K. Barnett, is a mystery regarding a little girl's kidnapping. Jenny Kristal was kidnapped twelve years ago, and she has finally returned home. And now that she's home again is she safe? Is she really even Jenny? Where has she been all this time? Jenny's answers aren't adding up, but Jenny's parents' answers don't really make any sense either. This mystery kept me guessing, and there were quite a few surprising reveals. I would definitely recommend Safe to fans of mysteries/thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Beginning with the premise of a missing girl, this book was a page turner, one to keep the reader entertained and missing their bedtime.

All the stars.
What an incredible and unputdownable read. I loved the twists and turns in this one. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the author throws me a curveball that has me gasping! You will not see the ending coming (at least not until you get there) I was completely shocked and devoured this book in two sittings. I highly recommend this one be added to your TBR and soon! This book has my heart racing and think it’s going to be a hot thriller this summer - don’t miss out !

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of Safe.

I knew this wasn't going to be an easy read and some readers wary of certain subjects like pedophilia, sexual and physical abuse and kidnapping should steer clear of this book.

I was intrigued by the premise due to the mysterious aspect of the fate of Jenny and I was pleased when my request was approved.

When Jenny Kristal is abducted at the age of six, her family and the neighborhood are stunned. Thirteen years later, Jenny reappears, 18 years old and a survivor of horrific abuse.

Her parents are elated. Jenny's brother, Ben, not so much. Because he knows she's not his sister.

And "Jenny" will discover that this family has just as many secrets as she does.

For the most part, the story is suspenseful, dramatic and draws you in.

Yet, there are many moments of disbelief suspension that made me go "Really?"

JoBeth, aka Jenny, is not a likable character. For one thing, she doesn't act like a survivor of horrendous abuse. I'm not saying she needs to play the victim, wailing and crying, but her actions don't ring true.

She's snarky, almost nonchalant about everything she's endured. Her character wasn't strong, not just as a survivor but as an individual who has endured nearly inconceivable horrors.

There are quite a few twists, most of which I guessed right, but the final one wasn't so much shocking as it was gross and just too much.

There were too many coincidences and suspension of disbelief moments that had me scratching my head and took me out of the narrative.

For example: what are the odds that JoBeth's only friend is a hacker?

Also, what was the point of the random switch of POVs? Irritating, distracting and read as nothing more than unnecessary filler.

The rest of the characters weren't fleshed out, so their perspectives weren't intriguing to me.

They were also unnecessary and the sudden switches back and forth for a random chapter from someone other than the imposter disrupted the flow of the story.

Now, let's about that ending: I understand the author wanted to end it on a happy note.

I'm all for happy endings but not when it reads as forced.

This wasn't a bad read and I recommend it for those who enjoy not seeing the twists in a story coming and don't mind dark and upsetting content.

This wasn't a bad read and I recommend it for those who enjoy not seeing the twists in a story coming and don't mind dark and upsetting content. Safe isn't for everyone.

A strong suspense tale with many helpful reviews already out there. I'll simply recommend it to mystery/thriller fans.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠

SAFE is the story of Jenny Krystal who has returned home after 12 years since she went missing at 6 years old. This one is dark, twisted, and definitely peaked my interest from the start. I would recommend to thriller lovers, mystery lovers, and those who enjoy a twisty dark story. I listened to a good deal of it on audio and the audio version is equally as great.

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘰 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 & 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 🎧 📖. * This was perfection on audio- @britpressley is one of my fav narrators! ⁣
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To my fellow mystery & thriller lovers who say they can’t find a page turning read that feels unique, I say you MUST give this clever suspense read a try!⁣
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The less you know about plot details the better but what I’ve been telling friends when I recommend this one is- a 6 year old girl (Jenny) goes missing, 12 years later she returns and yes there’s many questions to be answered...her family, mom, dad and older brother Ben are happy (hmmm are they all though?) and pepper her with questions & memories of the past in an effort to reconnect and see how much she remembers of them. All is fine until brother Ben corners her and whispers...”interesting you remembered that particular time with so and so because I made it up” 😳 Seriously if that doesn’t grab you and make you want to read this ASAP I don’t know what would!⁣
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Couple that with excellent writing, dialogue and pacing and friends this is a summer MUST READ... full disclosure, I smugly thought I had the whole thing figured out and told myself I still loved it but oh no I. DID.NOT ⁣(the ending👏🏻).
If you’re in the mood for an addicting read and don’t mind the occasional suspension of disbelief give this a try! I was leaning toward 4:5⭐️s but after thinking about it more I’m going with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:) ⁣

Six year old Jenny disappeared while she was walking to her friend's house. Twelve years later, she reappears. Instead of examining the past 12 years and where she's been, the author takes a different direction. Some of the viewpoints were confusing but overall, this was a fantastic thriller. Don't assume you know this plotline because we've definitely heard other similar stories but trust me when I say you will be stunned by the ending! Just a warning, there were some parts of child abuse that I found triggering.

Dark! Some good twists I didn’t see coming. Unlikable characters but that’s okay, that’s the point. This was a nice surprise!!

“Safe” by S.K. Barnett is much more intense than you think it is. More than your typical thriller, “Safe” delves deep into the very definition of the word, looking at the seedy side of those whom we should trust with our lives and whether the meaning of the word actually has any effect with them at all.

Main character Jenny Kristal returns home after being kidnapped at 6. Now 18, she’s returning to a brother who’s questioning who she is and parents who are unsure of how to navigate her return. Then mysterious messages show up telling her to be careful in that house she now calls home.

Only Jenny has something she’s keeping close. Something that could throw everything into a tailspin and it raises the stakes in this intense thriller.

I found the story great – the plot moves along, the revelations come one after the other and when you get to the end, multiple endings make for interesting reading. Told from different points-of-view, the story shows everyone’s perspective as the chips start to fall and when we get back to Jenny, we’re seeing just how they fit into place.

Very attention-holding writing. A few triggers for people with trauma experience so be warned, but it is used to give Jenny more character depth.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for early access to this book – out now.