The Trapped Daughter

Holy wow... That book was a rollercoaster, and I loved every moment. I don’t often give out a full 5 stars, but this was so brutally honest and raw, and absolutely captivating from start to finish.

Plot: This book is impossible to discuss without spoilers, so be warned. The book follows Belle, who is being held ‘captive’ by her father. It is entirely from her point of view, and the book lurches and twists and turns as you struggle to determine real from not real. A times I found myself believe Belle’s father, sure that Belle was very mentally ill. At other times, I believed Bell. I could follow her logic and see the holes in Richard’s behaviour, and found myself inclined to believe that she was being drugged in an attempt to make her believe she was crazy.
The book follows this from start to finish, and gives the reader an extraordinary inside into the mind of something battling extreme mental illness. As someone with mental illness myself, I would say the characterisation is perfect. Her confidence in her mind initially then her slow spiral into ‘deranged’ was a relatively accurate depiction of how mental illness can take hold of a person.

Characters: This was some of the best characterisation I have ever seen. Belle is such a complex character, but the first person narrative allows the reader to really dive in and explore her mind. You learn about ‘Gabe’ yes, but you also learn how her childhood experiences have shaped her, and her warped perception of her mother is fascinating and entirely believable.
Richard was the ever doting, but firm handed father figure and I adored him. At times I could see the narcissism and maliciousness that Belle saw, but all in all, he was so well written, and watching him slowly descend into exhaustion was a painfully honest response to dealing with someone mentally ill.
Marie is painted as a complex baddy throughout, but by the time you read the end of the book and reflect on her, she is the kindest and sweetest character. I love her and I love how many contrasting emotions she made me feel.

Writing: I cannot fault the writing here. It was sophisticated but also still accessible. Kerk successfully brought the complexities of mental illness to paper. While some reviews of this have demonstrated that it has seemed a bit mis-leading, or ‘anti-medication’, I entirely disagree. Jay Kerk has written a brutally, glamour-less account of mental illness experience, from internal battles, to the small desire that a great number of sufferers have to not NEED medication. I personally would love it if I did not need medication. I can think more creatively without them, but I’m also more reckless and unstable. Kerk beautifully captures this dilemma in the end, and the ending was so satisfyingly great. I found myself proud of all of the characters, having not realised just how invested in them I was.

Overall, this book was incredible. I have never read such an raw and honest story of mental illness, and this was absolutely striking. 5 stars and not a single star less!

I loved this book very much. I love everything this author writes. His books are unique and the writing is so smooth it reads really easy.
I read The Trapped Daughter in two sittings. I was intrigued until the very end to know what will happen.
This author can very well go into the mind of his characters that you are so connected with them, you feel they are you. That what happened to me here with Belle. I had a feeling I was in her twisted mind.
While I was reading I had a lot of WTF moments. I was trying to figure out what was going on and how crazy she really was. The whole time she thinks she is being held captive by her dad and she was trying to escape from him. But was she really?
For me this was a great read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to give it a try. I enjoyed it a lot and can't wait for the next book by this author.

I always enjoy a story that involves the psychological tangle that involves the human brain. The Trapped Daughter had me hooked from the start. It's written in the first-person narrative, which allows the reader to delve deeply into the mind of the storyteller - Belle.

Nothing was absolutely clear, and although I suspected the truth, it was written in such a way that many questions were buzzing - 'I wonder if...' Cleverly done.

Themes such as insanity, love and loyalty run alongside, identity, abuse and imprisonment, while written in an easy-to-read style, make this a compelling read.

Highly recommended.

This was a psychological thriller which is really dark and twisted as indicated in the title. Belle is a young woman who is trapped in her father’s house. Why? Is it for her own benefit or someone else’s? And who is the mysteriousGabe? You will find out as you read this story. While you may have an inclination as to how the story will end it is a thoroughly interesting ride.

A story full of dark twisted half truths and and insecurities. Belle was betrayed by her best friend Gabe. He would go to her for advice then turn her ideas and talents into his. He never gave her credit for his fame and fortune. Then the women came along. Belle was pushed to the side like so much trash. All she wanted is a little recognition. She never got it. Now she is a prisoner locked in her father's mansion. No way of escaping and no one believes her story. Her ultimate goal is to escape. The medications make her so sleepy and tired and she can't think straight. Everyone is against her. She will find a way to escape!

I did not find out until after I read this that the author has a medical background. The detail is incredible and must have taken a great deal of research, nonetheless. The prose was quite dramatic but it suited the story. It was a fast paced read and one of those books you genuinely can’t put down.

a great storyline, I found it easy to identify with both Marnie and Ann in equal measure, I was beginning to worry about the ending but I needn't have! Worth a read.

Narrated in the first person, the main character, Belle, has been imprisoned by her father and his partner Marie in a fortress of a house. This lies deep in forested countryside where wolves are said to roam, with absolutely no access to the outside world, and with absolutely no access to social media, or to a phone. A gilded cage this home is, as this is clearly a very well-to-do family: Belle is fed and watered with excellent food, on condition that she take the new meds that have been prescribed for her.

The prisoner refuses the meds by vomiting them up in the bathroom and through plotting escape, away from this vile abuse of her basic rights. She also plans revenge against a former and brilliant partner, Gabe, who stole or her creative ideas and brilliance for hself. Yet her captors say that Gabe does not exist.

So is this about an unreliable narrator, or does her father really hope ultimately to have her locked up for good?

This is an intriguing kind of a psychological thriller, though the ending is not quite what a reader might normally expect (though still a very interesting take, and original in this context). It is as suspenseful as might be hoped, and as gothically oppressive in atmosphere, as it is wondered if Belle will truly rediscover her freedom and sutonomy.

What a whirlwind of a thriller! I loved this book! This thriller is about a girl about college age Belle, who is being held prisoner in her father's house against her will. He says she is sick and delusional. Or is she? She tells a different story. All that Belle wants is to be released and back out in the world with her boyfriend Gabe. But what is the truth? It has so many twists and turns, just when I thought I had it figured out, I found out I was wrong. This is the first book I've read by Jay Kerk, but I will be reading more. Thanks to the author, Jay Kerk Books, and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

With the theme of mental illness, this story really did take on a life of its own. I wasn't sure if what was unfolding was truly happening or if it was all something created by the mind. With everyone telling you one thing but to experience something completely different, I now realize can be a mind-f$ck for sure.
This book gets real about creativity, art, longing, love, and the belief that what you experience is the only reality. Within the instability I still wanted more for her, to either figure it out or totally absorb into it.
Fantastic read!