With thanks to Joann Jacobs and Orion for the proof copy. I'll cut to the chase: I loved this book. Examining the aftermath of a childhood kidnapping - in other words, picking up where other books often end - and only flashing back to the event is a fairly novel concept, and a brave one. Surely nothing could be more interesting than what occurred during the kidnapping itself? While the flashbacks are intriguing it's the clear but subtle ways in which the girls have been affected by their ordeal that makes truly compelling reading. The picture painted feels so realistic I wouldn't have been surprised to find a 'based on a true story' disclaimer somewhere in this book; kudos must instead be rightfully given to Mitchell's imagination and detailed descriptions. Her main characters, Lois and Carly May, are original and distinct, as in fact are all the characters in the book, with the exception of student Sean; you might think you've read or seen him somewhere before, and you wouldn't be far wrong. But there's still some nice subverting of clichés, both with him, the other roles, and the plot, and that was good to see; I thought I could see where it was going about halfway through and was pleasantly surprised to find that Mitchell wasn't quite so obvious, wasn't happy to be so rote. Plus nothing is especially blatant, which makes a nice change; questions are asked to which answers are not given, but such is life, and somehow it feels right that certain things are not revealed. Not only is the story different to anything you'll have read before, it's beautifully written, too. Suffused with menace and mystery, it's a slow burn but a delightful one, and yet the only reason I didn't give it five stars is because it trails off towards the end; there's a long build-up and then an abrupt change of pace, and suddenly everything seems to be over. And despite the numerous genre subversions throughout the last forty pages or so are guilty of falling into familiar traps. But please do not let that stop you from reading it. It's a gorgeous novel and I hope to read many more from this author in future.

When Lois and Carly May were twelve years old, they were kidnapped and held for six weeks. What journalists and family members could never understand was why they didn’t try to escape or what their captor’s motives were. As they approach the age of thirty, both victims still think about each other and what they went through that summer, but each has a different way of dealing with it. Lois has written a novel about the events, which is being turned into a film. Surprisingly, she has cast Carly May, now known as Chloe, to be a vital character. Pretty Is caught my attention with its interesting narrative style. It has two perspectives, alternating between the voice of Lois and Chloe, each showing different aspects of their abduction and each hiding important details. There is also an interlude in this structure, as Part Two of the novel is an extract from the novel that Lois has penned. So, within one book, we have two characters with different opinions about past events and, therefore, proving unreliable, coupled with a fictionalised version of this fictitious event! It is unusual to say the least, but it was this structure that I found the most rewarding part of my reading. The events that Lois and Chloe reflect back on can be forgiven for seeming implausible at times – they were children, it was traumatic and their memory may not be accurate. However, the present day events, from the production of a film to the student who seems a little too interested in Lois’ past, were what stood out as being unlikely. Whilst I enjoyed the reflective element that setting the story two decades later brought, I didn’t believe the actual events of the time added anything to the plot. I often found myself cringing at the lack of plausibility. If I could recommend Pretty Is be added to your TBR, it would be for its dual narrative and for the implementation of fiction within fiction, which I haven’t come across before. It is a creepy and sometimes uncomfortable read, but its originality is worth commending.

I very rarely give a bad review but I did find myself as confused as the 2 women in the book on what had actually happened and really whether I cared at the end, which I don't. ***Spoilers*** Two 12 yr olds, a blonde from Nebraska , and a brunette from Conneticut get into a car with a young man who takes them to a cabin in the woods and nothing much happens to them, they are young, want more from their little town lives and vie for his attention but either he has changed his mind or the fact his sister ran off at 16 and something happened. The girls are in their 30s when we start following them, one a small film star, the other an American Lit tutor who has written a fictional book based on her experience. There is a student who claims to know who she really is and she thinks he is Zed, the abductors', son but that I s thwarted halfway through and he is just a crazy person who wants intel and involve her. At the end the film is in production, the 2 women are reunited and the 2 girls chosen to play them go missing but are fine, only hiding in the cabin. The student turns up and waves a knife around but is caught and I assume the movie goes ahead and everyone carries on. I did like the characters but sorry, I expected more from the synopsis and remain disappointed.

Sorry, this just didn't work for me.... I needed more tension, action.