Review: The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton

Reeve was kidnapped at the young age of 12 and held captive for 4 years. She has spent the last 6 years in counseling with Dr. Ezra Lerner, an expert in captivity psychology. Now at age 22, she has carved out a life for herself in San Francisco, a very careful life. She travels the same routes, follows the same routines, sees the doctor on a regular basis, and finally has a job she loves.

Then her life is thrown into chaos. A girl, Tiffany, is found under conditions similar to her conditions in captivity. Dr. Lerner wants her to come with him to meet with the girl and her family. The mother in particular wants to talk to her. Reeve reluctantly agrees after Dr. Lerner points out how much it meant to her to have a mentor who went through so many of the same things when she was recovering from her experiences.

Three girls were kidnapped within  a short period of time of each other. Tiffany has now reappeared. No one knows where the other 2 are except the mysterious second abuser that Tiffany confided to Reeve about. And he is a monster, one of the worst villains I've read in a long while - cold, calculating, sadistic and more. The facts of his behavior are bad, but it's really the way Carla Norton writes him.

As Reeve bonds with Tiffany, she begins a change that will see her well through the rest of the book. As the description on Goodreads says: "Reeve realizes she may not simply need to mentor this young victim—she may be the only one who can protect her from a cunning predator who is still out there, watching every move."

This is an excellent thriller. The characters are well written, and the book is paced well. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton was released by Minotaur Books on September 10, 2013

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.