The Cellar
The #1 New York Times bestseller!
A gripping, ripped-from-the-headlines, twisty psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling thriller author Natasha Preston!
Summer is trapped in a cellar with the man who took her--and three other girls: Rose, Poppy, and Violet. His perfect flowers. His family. But flowers can't survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out...
Teen thrillers also by Natasha Preston:
Awake
The Cabin
You Will Be Mine
The Lost
The Twin
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Community Reviews
Urgh.
I made it all the way through this book, but by the end my husband said, "You know, it's taking you way longer to read the book when you stop to make an angry note every few minutes". Darn tootin' if he wasn't right, but also darn tootin' if writing those angry notes didn't salvage some sense of satisfaction out of having read this book.
There were many problems, let's go through them one at a time!
1. Insulting the Backstreet Boys.
Okay, no, but seriously. Clover/Colin is outside in the real world and overhears a conversation between a young girl (like, 12) and her parents where she expresses her opinion that the Backstreet Boys suck (whoa now) even though, as her parents point out, she bought their poster yesterday. Clover/Colin laments on the fickleness of young women. OKAY BUT NO. That excerpt was supposed to take place in 2005. In 2005, the Boys had just released Never Gone, their heavily-rock influenced return to music after several years of being on hiatus. There's no way this 12-year-old would be into that. Let's be real, it was not a globally successful album. (Is it still a FABULOUS ALBUM? Yes.) Why would she know about it? It's not like she had lingering fandom from when she was 7 and they were at their peak of popularity. So, not only was it rude, but it didn't actually make sense.
2. There were several typos. I can't.
3. There were a lot of inconsistencies and general weirdness.
-Summer looks around for a sharp object, can't find one because even all the cooking elements are blunt. Then she chops some vegetables. HOW??
-Lewis (and his parents) basically live with Summer's family during her absence. Super weird. Also, they all seem to have completely given up their jobs. What are they paying the bills with? Did they have to move in together because they were broke?
-I don't think the author knows how to food properly. There were several moments where I was like, "That's not how you make that," like boiling water for coffee. What the hell? What kind of shitty instant coffee are you using?
-Of course they aren't still searching actively, every day, after seven months. I'd be surprised if there was still an active search after seven weeks.
-How do Colin/Lewis have such good memories of each other?
-How does Lewis know where Colin lives? Convenience to the plot?
-For such a small-ass town in England, there sure are a lot of ladies of the night who also are almost always propositioning Colin/Clover.
-How does Colin not see Lewis's car?
-The whole, "we're closing in on Colin" was super vague and stupid.
-You don't leave keys in doors ON THE INSIDE.
4. Lots of bad character writing. Summer's eyes change color a lot (specifically, they darken), she cries in response to basically everything, and she's constantly digging her "short nails" into everything within reach.
5. Lastly, and this is the big point, this book was TERRIBLE about mental health. Clover clearly has mental issues. At one point, Summer says something about his habits like, "No one is that OCD". Yes, darling, they are. That is how OCD often works. Summer's sympathy for the other girls' states of mind was almost nonexistent. Like, girl, they've been down here way longer than you. Don't you think they would have developed some coping mechanisms? Then, also, there's this pervading idea that a woman's worth is only linked to the ability to have sex with her. Clover/Colin rapes her (which is horrible) and she says something like, "Now I have nothing to offer anyone anymore". Dude, I understand that being raped is literally the worst, but at the same time, your sexual worth is not nearly the entirety of your worth as a human. And when she got home to Lewis, it was literally all about how he was such an angel for not wanting to have sex with her immediately and how she didn't ever think she could be worthy of him, essentially because she had been "despoiled". HOW DID SHE NOT RECEIVE MORE MENTAL HELP WHEN SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL? They should have mandated that she receive psychological help. It's absurd and insulting that she didn't. It's absurd and insulting that Rose simply "couldn't handle the transition" and died within weeks of overdosing. Do you have no idea how trauma works? Do you have no idea how addiction and suicide work? It just felt like so many characters were left to suffer and that the author's attitude towards their suffering was medieval and unacceptable in today's society where so many people are still struggling with the stigma attached to mental health. Also, Lewis was the most toxic of masculine characters. He couldn't ask for a photograph of him and the girl he was obviously into and was obviously into him back because it would "make him a pussy"???? He's imagining her naked feeding him pizza? Weird and unnecessary. He's a manchild who can't do anything for himself, including waking up at a decent time for HIS AUNT'S WEDDING. Her mom tells him that they should get married in Disneyland as soon as her daughter returns??
All I know is, this book made me physically angry. Between the poor writing and the poor treatment of characters and depictions of people struggling with mental health, this was a piece of crap.
I do not recommend it unless you're looking for a hate read, in which case this fits the bill excellently.
Now, excuse me, I'm going to go listen to the Backstreet Boys, because they're FREAKIN' AWESOME.
I made it all the way through this book, but by the end my husband said, "You know, it's taking you way longer to read the book when you stop to make an angry note every few minutes". Darn tootin' if he wasn't right, but also darn tootin' if writing those angry notes didn't salvage some sense of satisfaction out of having read this book.
There were many problems, let's go through them one at a time!
1. Insulting the Backstreet Boys.
Okay, no, but seriously. Clover/Colin is outside in the real world and overhears a conversation between a young girl (like, 12) and her parents where she expresses her opinion that the Backstreet Boys suck (whoa now) even though, as her parents point out, she bought their poster yesterday. Clover/Colin laments on the fickleness of young women. OKAY BUT NO. That excerpt was supposed to take place in 2005. In 2005, the Boys had just released Never Gone, their heavily-rock influenced return to music after several years of being on hiatus. There's no way this 12-year-old would be into that. Let's be real, it was not a globally successful album. (Is it still a FABULOUS ALBUM? Yes.) Why would she know about it? It's not like she had lingering fandom from when she was 7 and they were at their peak of popularity. So, not only was it rude, but it didn't actually make sense.
2. There were several typos. I can't.
3. There were a lot of inconsistencies and general weirdness.
-Summer looks around for a sharp object, can't find one because even all the cooking elements are blunt. Then she chops some vegetables. HOW??
-Lewis (and his parents) basically live with Summer's family during her absence. Super weird. Also, they all seem to have completely given up their jobs. What are they paying the bills with? Did they have to move in together because they were broke?
-I don't think the author knows how to food properly. There were several moments where I was like, "That's not how you make that," like boiling water for coffee. What the hell? What kind of shitty instant coffee are you using?
-Of course they aren't still searching actively, every day, after seven months. I'd be surprised if there was still an active search after seven weeks.
-How do Colin/Lewis have such good memories of each other?
-How does Lewis know where Colin lives? Convenience to the plot?
-For such a small-ass town in England, there sure are a lot of ladies of the night who also are almost always propositioning Colin/Clover.
-How does Colin not see Lewis's car?
-The whole, "we're closing in on Colin" was super vague and stupid.
-You don't leave keys in doors ON THE INSIDE.
4. Lots of bad character writing. Summer's eyes change color a lot (specifically, they darken), she cries in response to basically everything, and she's constantly digging her "short nails" into everything within reach.
5. Lastly, and this is the big point, this book was TERRIBLE about mental health. Clover clearly has mental issues. At one point, Summer says something about his habits like, "No one is that OCD". Yes, darling, they are. That is how OCD often works. Summer's sympathy for the other girls' states of mind was almost nonexistent. Like, girl, they've been down here way longer than you. Don't you think they would have developed some coping mechanisms? Then, also, there's this pervading idea that a woman's worth is only linked to the ability to have sex with her. Clover/Colin rapes her (which is horrible) and she says something like, "Now I have nothing to offer anyone anymore". Dude, I understand that being raped is literally the worst, but at the same time, your sexual worth is not nearly the entirety of your worth as a human. And when she got home to Lewis, it was literally all about how he was such an angel for not wanting to have sex with her immediately and how she didn't ever think she could be worthy of him, essentially because she had been "despoiled". HOW DID SHE NOT RECEIVE MORE MENTAL HELP WHEN SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL? They should have mandated that she receive psychological help. It's absurd and insulting that she didn't. It's absurd and insulting that Rose simply "couldn't handle the transition" and died within weeks of overdosing. Do you have no idea how trauma works? Do you have no idea how addiction and suicide work? It just felt like so many characters were left to suffer and that the author's attitude towards their suffering was medieval and unacceptable in today's society where so many people are still struggling with the stigma attached to mental health. Also, Lewis was the most toxic of masculine characters. He couldn't ask for a photograph of him and the girl he was obviously into and was obviously into him back because it would "make him a pussy"???? He's imagining her naked feeding him pizza? Weird and unnecessary. He's a manchild who can't do anything for himself, including waking up at a decent time for HIS AUNT'S WEDDING. Her mom tells him that they should get married in Disneyland as soon as her daughter returns??
All I know is, this book made me physically angry. Between the poor writing and the poor treatment of characters and depictions of people struggling with mental health, this was a piece of crap.
I do not recommend it unless you're looking for a hate read, in which case this fits the bill excellently.
Now, excuse me, I'm going to go listen to the Backstreet Boys, because they're FREAKIN' AWESOME.
I recently read The Cellar by Natasha Preston and found it to be a thrilling and suspenseful novel. The story follows a young girl named Summer who is kidnapped and held captive in a cellar by a disturbed man named Colin.
Prestonâs writing style is captivating and keeps you engaged from start to finish. The way she portrays the emotions and struggles of the characters is incredibly realistic and makes you empathize with their experiences.
The plot is filled with twists and turns, constantly keeping you on the edge of your seat. The suspense builds throughout the book, making it difficult to put down. Preston does a fantastic job of creating a chilling atmosphere and maintaining a sense of unease throughout the story.
One aspect that stood out to me was how Preston explores the psychological impact of the charactersâ experiences. She delves into the trauma and the long-lasting effects it has on them, which adds depth and complexity to the narrative.
Overall, this is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you hooked until the very end. Natasha Prestonâs storytelling abilities and her ability to create a sense of tension make this book a must-read for fans of the genre.
I give The Cellar by Natasha Preston a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Prestonâs writing style is captivating and keeps you engaged from start to finish. The way she portrays the emotions and struggles of the characters is incredibly realistic and makes you empathize with their experiences.
The plot is filled with twists and turns, constantly keeping you on the edge of your seat. The suspense builds throughout the book, making it difficult to put down. Preston does a fantastic job of creating a chilling atmosphere and maintaining a sense of unease throughout the story.
One aspect that stood out to me was how Preston explores the psychological impact of the charactersâ experiences. She delves into the trauma and the long-lasting effects it has on them, which adds depth and complexity to the narrative.
Overall, this is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you hooked until the very end. Natasha Prestonâs storytelling abilities and her ability to create a sense of tension make this book a must-read for fans of the genre.
I give The Cellar by Natasha Preston a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars.
A book I bought so I can have it when I want to re-read it which is inevitable. I enjoyed the story line and I just couldn't put it down.
⭐⭐⭐
I read this book pretty quickly because I wanted to get to the suspense. No spoilers, but the ending was predictable (at least to me). And I wasn't that impressed with the climax. It wasn't the BEST thriller book I've ever read, but it was a very easy read and kept me interested enough to finish.
I read this book pretty quickly because I wanted to get to the suspense. No spoilers, but the ending was predictable (at least to me). And I wasn't that impressed with the climax. It wasn't the BEST thriller book I've ever read, but it was a very easy read and kept me interested enough to finish.
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