Review: The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton

The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found this book to be a good, solid read. There seem to be a slew of books about kidnapped girls coming out recently (and in the near future), probably due to recent cases in the news. And since I'm personally fascinated with the psychological experience of abduction and abuse, I'm naturally interested in reading these sorts of books. And this one is a good one.

My primary disappointment with this book is that I wish there had been more about the psychological aspects of the kidnapped girls. Although it's there, the focus is much more on the mystery and what I'd call the thriller aspects of the story. The psychological aspects felt almost brushed over given how key they seem to be in the descriptions of the book. Don't get me wrong - it's there but I was hoping for more.

Overall, I found the story itself to be a good one. Although many of the typical/predictable mystery/thriller tropes are present, the author did find a few areas to explore that were new and different. I love the idea of a woman who has been victimized in the past coming to the aid of the victim of a similar crime. To work on getting past her residual issues in an effort to help someone else get through the pain and suffering. And, I think that was effective in this novel primarily due to how well drawn the main character (Reeve LeClaire) is in this novel. She really came alive for me which helped me to overlook a few of the things that I didn't necessarily add up. I love that Reeve is so smart and interesting! (Note to the author - a series built around Reeve would be fantastic!)

I thought that this book was definitely worth reading. I'm glad that I took the time to read it. I think its a well paced and well written novel that definitely made my heart race at times! I think for fans of this type of fiction, this will be a big win! There were a few things that I didn't love and others that just didn't feel realistic but they didn't kill the book's overall experience for me. I recommend this one to fans of the genre and to those interested in books built around the kidnapping experience. I definitely think it's worth a read!

NOTE: This book will be published in September 2013. Thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for sending me the Advanced Readers copy to read!

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