The Marsh King's Daughter

I skipped over the fairy tale excerpts that introduced the chapters, but I enjoyed the story of this woman's unusual background and relationship with her parents and husband.

I wish it was more detailed almost? But at the same time I like how it was short and sweet. The setting really hit home as someone from Michigan and also someone who grew up outside a lot. A real page turner as they say

This wasn't my typical reading choice. But I did enjoy it. From the beginning, the narrative is so convincing that I had to seriously consider if this was based on a real event. The present-day story is surprisingly short. The bulk of the book relates to Helena's childhood, so you're reading both storylines as well as how it has a similarity to the fairytale of The Marsh King's Daughter.

This is definitely not for the faint of heart. The worst gore in the book relates to hunting (I wouldn't call it graphic, but it is disturbing), and Helena's mother giving birth. Kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder are at the core of this book. However, Karen Dionne does not go into detail about these events other than letting the reader know that they happened.

Very readable thriller - would have rated higher if I had liked the main character more. Her defects as a character made sense within the story.

If you enjoy thrillers, I would recommend it.

4.5 starsThis review can also be found on my blog.This is certainly one of the best thrillers I've read. There are a lot of interesting aspects of it, including a more creative take on the abduction story as well as survivalist elements. I'm a sucker for wilderness survival stories; it's so interesting to me to see how people live(d) without modern technology and resources. It also really helps me to appreciate my own life!I really loved Helena as a character; she really makes you want to root for her while also acknowledging the bad decisions she's made. She really felt fully-formed to me and this honestly felt more like a memoir than a work of fiction. The formatting also works quite well, we follow Helena through the present day as she searches for her father with relevant flashbacks that fill in the context of her earlier life.This is also one of those books that you just don't want to put down. The pacing is incredibly well-done. You're led right to the edge of a precipice and then the story pivots, jumping into the past for just long enough before finally giving you the information you're gunning for. I probably could have read this in one long sitting had I had the opportunity, and I think that would have been a breathlessly wonderful way to get through it.I highly recommend you pick this up if the plot sounds up your alley, I'm glad I finally got around to it!Blog Twitter Instagram Facebook

This book is AWESOME! I will say it has been over a month since I read it, but my feelings might have warped a bit, but I still remember being so into this.
Thrillers tend to be hit or miss with me, so I always go into them with a little bit of hesitation. This one totally met my expectations.

The book is total in both the present as she hunts down her father and the past as she remembers her time growing up with him, not knowing he had kidnapped her mother. It is such a unique reading experience. We learn about how she learned to track as she does and why her personality is as it is. Just... it really brought me into the book and kept me locked in.

While the book is pretty straightforward there are other layers, other aspects to it, that slightly change how everything is viewed. I kept wanting to know what exactly she did to feel guilty that her father was caught. I wanted to know so much about her childhood and the book delivered on everything. This is definitely a book that proves that not everything is black & white.

If you're looking for a thriller, look no further. Check this one out today. I know I'll be trying something else by this author in the future.

Sooo atmospheric! You really feel like you are there and that the Upper Peninsula is different than other places in the world.
It also beautifully portrays the complex relationship between a child and a parent. We see how Helena struggled to connect to her mother as well as how she struggles to disconnect from her father.
And we get a suspensful chase as well! Wonderful story.

I enjoyed this book, but the ending fell apart a bit and strained credulity, at least for me.

Great book! The way the story is told grabbed my attention and I flew through the story. The first person account of the story by the girl who grew up the way she did was interesting and thought-provoking. Would be a great book for book club discussions!