What would you do if you woke up in your home… but it wasn’t your home at all?
When a man wearing a picture mask of her daughter Maisie’s face stands tauntingly in her garden, Lily Russell does the smart thing and calls the police. When she and Maisie wake up the following morning in an exact replica of their home, held captive by that same man, the police are no longer an option.
Surrounded by … longer an option.
Surrounded by the rooms and things that once provided comfort and now only promote fear, Lily and Maisie must fight to survive. Because when no one knows where you are, you are your only hope.
Readers love R. J. Parker:
‘This one kept me gripped and guessing to the end’ Stephen Edger
‘A deliciously twisted thriller’ Michael Wood
‘Woah! Once you pick it up you will NOT want to put it down!’
‘So many twists and turns! This thriller has you guessing until the very last chapter’
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Enjoyed reading this. Didn’t know who it was until the end
Lily and her five year old daughter Maisie finds themselves trapped in a living nightmare when they wake up one morning and discover that they are trapped in a building that is a exact replica of their own home,right down to a replica of their ginger cat.
Why are they being held captive and by whom?.Was there any connection between the situation they have found themselves in and the mysterious man who had been standing in Lily’s garden wearing a mask of Maisies’s face the previous afternoon?. Lily’s ex Ewan might hate her but surely he wouldn’t subject his beloved daughter to so much anguish and terror?
When the truth is eventually revealed, it is even more shocking than Lily and the reader could ever have imagined.
This gripping, fast paced thriller hits the ground running from the very first page and rockets along at full speed until the final jaw dropping sentence..It is the chilling story of a mother’s battle to protect her young daughter,whilst trying to figure out a way to escape and convince their captors that they were obeying their instructions. Lily and Maisie were believable characters, Lily with her realistic mood swings, her fear for her daughter’s safety and her own fear and confusion. Maisie was a typical five year old, fearless, feisty, disobedient but she was also very intuitive and clever beyond her years. They were both likeable characters but there was one aspect to Lily’s character that I struggled to understand especially considering the situation they have found themselves trapped in.
Wow…just wow and wow again, I really really loved this utterly brilliant, well written,enthralling, thrill ride, in fact I loved it so much that I read it in one sitting. It was packed full of action, shocks, twists and turns and had me completely hooked in from the first page and frantically turning the pages. I would love to watch a film adaptation of this outstanding book, I think it’s worth far more than five stars and is very very highly recommended.
I really enjoyed it. I had no idea who was behind everything until late into the story. It was entertaining.
Found it kind of weird & was ready to finish it
While You Slept was incredibly creative. I am interested in where R.J. Parker came up with the idea for this novel. Lily Russell spots some disturbing footage on her security camera system, shares same with the police, with no resolution. Shortly after this, Lily and her 5-year old daughter, Maisie, wake up in what they quickly discover is not their own home, but instead is a replica of their home. Escape from this now prison appears impossible, and any attempts to escape or alert passersby is punishable by what is threatened to be extreme measures. The identity of their captor is kept secret throughout until the end. Lily tries to connect her abusive ex-husband to the elaborate crime, but she soon decides even he couldn’t put this much effort into this incredible scheme. The story takes us through Lily and Maisie’s first moment of waking in captivity to what Parker decides is the climatic end. I found Lily resilient and resourceful, Maisie to waver between a clever little gal to a naughty girl, and the captor was frankly pretty lame. It is definitely a read you won’t want to put down because you just have to know how this all wraps up.
If the blurb of While You Slept grabbed your attention, I’ll not ruin the suspense by giving you yet another summary. But what I will tell you is that this story is like riding a roller coaster…with each turn of the page, it’s like the next click of the car on the ascent up…up…up…causing your heart to race and not quite sure just how terrifying the descent will be or how many twists and turns you’ll face…until the very end…
While the ending did come to quick and abrupt stop, I found the plot nail-biting and frightening. Would recommend to fans of this genre!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
Lilly, a single mother has an expensive alarm system in her flat. One day it sounds while she’s at work and she sees a man in her walled back garden who’s wearing a mask with the face of her 5-year-old daughter. By the time the police arrive, the intruder is long gone. The next morning she and her daughter wake up in a house that’s an exact replica of their own, with decorations, food, books and toys, clothes all identical to those in their own home and even the cat looks almost the same. The only difference is that they’re locked up on the 10th floor in a derelict tower block in a completely deserted area. They have no clue if they’re even still in England. Who does this? What does he want? Why does he do this? Their kidnapper communicates through a phone with them, but they can’t communicate with anyone else. The signal is blocked. It’s quickly clear that they better obey their captor and that this is going to be a long term situation.
Lily (and at the beginning myself as well) suspects her ex-husband, but there are just as many clues that point in other directions. Every time I thought about a new suspect, something happened that ruled them out as well.
– It’s someone that knows her well, but she doesn’t recognise the voice
– This thing started many years ago as the pictures date back to Maisie’s first birthday
– They don’t seem to want to hurt her, it’s punishment
– The captor must have a lot of free time
At first, I couldn’t relate well to Lilly. She appears to be a helicopter mother, overprotective and rather unfair towards her ex and very quick to call police and courts. She acts as a stuck-up, entitled brat that doesn’t take any responsibility for her part in the divorce. It’s all Ewan’s fault. Despite her helicoptering, she’s a good mother though and seems to put her daughter’s well-being and safety first during the ordeal. I’m sorry for her but I can’t say that I like her much.
Maisie on the other hand acts and talks far too grown up for her age. If they didn’t say she’s 5, I would have thought she’s about 10. She adapts too well to the imprisonment. She doesn’t even mention that there’s no TV and internet or that she misses her favourite cartoons. She’s far too well behaved to be realistic.
The book moves very slowly. The only time the pace picks up is during their escape attempt. That part is really well written and suspenseful.
Three stars may be a little low. It was ok but not great and I’ve read far worse as well.
SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT:
I didn’t like the ending either. It was farfetched and not connected to the rest of the book. I don’t see how a man that can’t even whisper a decent farewell can have confessed the story 3 days earlier (he would have warned her about the threat than). The captor may believe it has happened but I doubt it and would advise a DNA test as well.
I thank Netgalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter for the free ARC they provided; this is my honest, unbiased review of it.
While You Slept by R.J. Parker had so much potential, but it fell short for me. The premise of the book was great, I just felt like it was lacking in too many places. I felt the main characters not well rounded. At times I felt the child Maise was more of the adult then her mom Lily. There is also too many places that go into way too many unnecessary details, while other places need more background. The ending seemed too rushed, and a WTH just happened moment that left me scratching my head. Overall, an okay read. Just feel it could be cleaned up and lengthened a little to fill plot holes.
Thank you to Netgallery for the free digital copy in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.
While You Slept by R. J. Parker is a twisted, pulse-increasing book that is part thriller, part psychological masterpiece.
There were times that I found myself literally on the edge of my seat….stressful, but in a good way. Definitely a few twists, turns, and surprises and it kept me engrossed until the end. And wow, what an ending.
4/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and OneMoreChapter for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.