After reading several reviews, I was impelled to read this book to decide for myself if it was worth the intense criticism and strong negative response from parents. I found this book offensive, but not for the reason most shared. As a teacher, I was offended by how badly the book is written! Many reviewers complained that this was graphic, voyeuristic, perverted, etc. I agree. There are definitely sexual inferences and some explicit content...but no more than would be in many movies that kids are watching. What I dislike is the lack of a storyline, resolution, character growth, or point to the whole thing. Saying this is a story that proves a person can survive anything is like saying the movie "Jackass" is a story that proves a person can survive anything. Both show lots of suffering. Both lack the most integral part of any story worth investing in…a point. The author writes this book in a poorly executed stream of consciousness format. The biggest problem with this format is that, in order for it to be successful, one must care about the character and find some connection with him or her. I found the narrator to be unrealistic, dry, and quite frankly, it was hard for me to really feel bad for the things happening to her because she was never made real. This book lacked the emotional connection and authenticity that books such as Push by Sapphire and A Million Little Pieces by James Frey excelled at. These books are equally or more graphic, but the content makes the graphic nature acceptable, even necessary to the story. Scott does not capture this necessary element to a story of suffering. Instead, she spends the 100plus pages robotically depicting sexual abuse of a "tortured" man and vaguely depicting the relationship between kidnapper and kidnapped. The end does nothing to justify the means. The part of the story where we could finally come to care about Alice is destroyed when Scott abruptly ends the novel. Overall, I would not recommend this book. Not because a teen couldn't handle it, but because it is a waste of time. There are a lot of books that would satisfy a teens desire to read of human suffering, abuse, torture and hopefully, triumph in a much more worthwhile way. Keep this one on the shelf.

I am a 23 year old librarian and I loved the book. It was well written and I couldn't put it down. That being said...it is not appropriate for teenagers. It is way to graphic and there is no happy ending or uplifting moral. Certainly a book for mature audiences and even then, the content could be very disturbing to some.

i loved it...im a 19 year old and im in my senior year in a vocational school. this book, it does not matter how old you are, your always gathering information an tho it may hurt you still need it so that you may stop a bad situation before it begins. this book has all the makings. it shows that even if the person seems kind and helpful they may really have bad intentions and that you really have the power. that you CAN get away, and that ultimately you have to trust yourself yes family is there for you but really its you who lives your life so you need to learn all you can to keep yourself safe. i loved this book, and i would reccomend it to anyone who is of an age that rape is possible rape and abuse...cuz there is never an age limit on it

I love this book becouse i can react to the same things that has happened i have felt the same way about life, and also the book has became quite adictive!!!!

Trisha is 20, and this was her favorite book in her senior year. All the stuff in this is scary, as a parent. But it's a typical high school book. Luckily my almost high school sons aren't in to this kind of stuff.

parent, you must read this before you allow your child to be exposed to this media filth. I would not even allow my high schoolers read it. I couldn't stand to read it after page 70. I am currently working to get it out of our school. The school tells me the kids are liking the book very much. Well, of course the kids like it. They are so curious about body parts and sex and violence. This is not a positive way to learn about sex.

I actally only finished this book just minutes ago. Honestly it depends more on the author, maturity, and tolerance more than age to read this book. A lot of the book is shocking, scary, and down right horrific. I'd advise anyone who is interested in this should read with caution.