Still Missing A Novel

Still Missing left me shocked, horrified, heartbroken, and desperate to discuss every revelation with my book club. Chevy Stevens delivers a psychological thriller that is brutal to read and impossible to put down. Annie O’Sullivan’s survival demands your attention from the opening pages. Her voice carries fear, fury, grief, and a stubborn determination to survive. Annie is a thirty-two-year-old real estate agent finishing a disappointing open house on Vancouver Island. A polite stranger arrives at the last minute and asks for a tour. His ordinary appearance hides terrifying intentions. He abducts Annie and takes her to an isolated cabin where he plans to control every part of her existence. The resulting horror unfolds through Annie’s therapy sessions after her escape. She recounts her year in captivity while describing the realities of returning home. Freedom does not restore the woman she was before the abduction. Annie struggles with paranoia, panic, anger, and the unwelcome curiosity of people who cannot understand what survival has cost her. Stevens places the reader directly inside Annie’s mind without reducing her to what happened to her. Her internal monologue is intelligent, observant, and raw. Annie studies her captor’s moods, memorizes his routines, and searches for tiny opportunities to protect herself. Annie knows every decision carries consequences and every small act of resistance becomes proof that he has not destroyed her. The captivity scenes are disturbing. David’s calculated cruelty made me sick. His rules are designed to strip Annie of her autonomy, identity, and hope. His ability to inflict suffering without hesitation is horrifying. The violence involving Annie’s baby were unforgiveable. His actions were monstrous. Annie’s grief felt unbearable. Annie also faces cruel judgment after returning home. People question her choices from the safety of lives untouched by living through torture. Stevens captures how rescuers, investigators, reporters, loved ones, and strangers can place unfair expectations on survivors. Annie escaped the cabin, but she must continue defending her decisions to people who believe survival should look a different way. The mystery surrounding Annie’s abduction added another layer of dread. Every relationship begins to feel suspicious as the investigation exposes secrets within her old life. I expected several possible explanations. The final plot twist never crossed my mind. I wanted to rage on Annie’s behalf after learning the depth of the betrayal she had survived. Motherhood made parts of the ending especially difficult to comprehend. A parent’s resentment should never become a weapon against her child. No confession, arrest, or punishment could compensate Annie for what was stolen from her. Justice offers answers, but they cannot return a lost year or erase Annie's trauma. Stevens also understands that healing does not require Annie to reclaim her former life. Annie sells her house, releases relationships that no longer serve her, and chooses a future connected to her dream of attending art school. Ending with her fresh start feels perfect because it belongs to her. She does not return to the person she was. She becomes someone capable of carrying her history without allowing it to choose every step ahead. Still Missing is an astonishing debut filled with psychological horror, devastating survival, and carefully planted plot twists. Stevens writes Annie with compassion and impressive thoughtfulness. The ending delivered the closure I needed without pretending that justice could repair everything. I finished the final page speechless.

This is a tough read, trigger warning for r*pe and ab*se. It was well written and the format of the book is unique. It’s about a woman who is abducted and she tells her story to her therapist so each chapter is a therapy session. It’s a good book just very sad

Right off the hop this book had crazy action. Jaw dropping, heartbreaking, twists and turns! So good

There is very little that's original in this book, which is a shame because it's quite well-written. But overall, it's a fairly standard abduction story, told from the point of view of an adult abductee. There are a couple of plot twists thrown in along the way, both during the time she was abducted, and once she returns, but overall her reactions and thoughts are a little too predictable. Combine the vivid and compelling writing with just a little more of something to distinguish this story from other abduction stories, and it could have been a really good book.

This was a disturbing read but I really liked the book and read 2 more by the author right after this.