Beneath the Book Club discussion: The Return of Ellie Black dealt with a subject matter too dark for my liking.
It pains me to admit that I struggled to finish The Return of Ellie Black.
If it wasn’t for being Beneath the Book Club’s August read, I would have shut down my Kindle the moment I arrived at the underground bus scene.
Spoiler alert: The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean is about a young woman who suddenly returns home after disappearing for two years.
But something is off: Ellie isn’t talking about her abduction and Detective Chelsey Calhoun is on the hunt to figure out why.
Flashbacks of Ellie’s harrowing ordeal were replayed for readers including a buried bus where girls were kept and their spirits were crushed.
Jean’s writing is flawless, and when it comes to spinning a riveting tale, the New York Times best-selling author gets it done.
For me, though, the beauty of the book was overshadowed by the dark subject matter.
A story of kidnapped girls who are tortured, sexually abused and murdered is just not something I enjoy reading about, despite its mystery and suspense.
I give it a five.
What did you think?
1. Would you recommend this book to someone? Why or why not?
2. What kind of reader would most enjoy this book?
3. Did you enjoy this author’s writing style?
4. Which character did you find the most intriguing?
5. What was the most satisfying or disappointing part of this story?
6. Rate this book on a scale of 1 to 10.
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