Book Review: The Never List by Koethi Zan

I have a weird fascination with stories that are a little disturbing or creepy. A thriller with a vicious killer? A story about missing people and murders galore? Count me in & see you when I'm finished! I'd like to think there's some intellectual reason for this, but I don't think there is. I just like a good messed up story, which is why I liked 'The Never List' by Koethi Zan so much.

For years, Jennifer and Sarah have kept what they call the Never List. A list of things to absolutely avoid in order to stay as safe as possible On their list? Do not get into a car with a stranger. Believing they can trust the car service they order in college, they break their own rules. While the list may be a bit extreme, that is one rule that should not be broken. The girls are kidnapped and held hostage in a cellar for more than three years by a sadistic man with his own agenda. Jennifer does not make it out of the cellar, and after her release, Sarah spends the next ten years once again avoiding the world as best she can. A letter from her captor forces her to break her own rules again, and reunites her with her fellow captives. Like the first time she broke her own rules and found herself in trouble, Sarah once again finds herself in less than desirable situations.

The book is fast-paced with twists and turns, and explores things like BDSM, crazy cults, and a scary torture device called the 'rack' (Google it if you want to have nightmares). I read this book in two sittings, but could have easily done it in one if, you know, I didn't have to work. Though, the break was probably good for my overactive imagination!

With most psychological thrillers, there's a big twist/reveal at the end. I won't say what it is, but I did have my suspicions about it throughout most of the book. The book is so well-written that you're never really sure if that's what's' going to happen, though. I like to be kept guessing the whole time. I hate reading obvious books with cookie cutter plots. This is not one of those books at all.

I rated this 4 out of 5 stars because I did have a slight issue with the ending. I liked the way it ended, but after the twist, it just seemed like things wrapped up too quickly. I wanted more closure, and more details about what happened AFTER. I feel like Zan could write another book if certain things played out in a specific way.

I would definitely recommend this for people who like books that play with your mind. What is most creepy about it is that this does happen. People are kidnapped and held captive every single day. This is the perfect book to read on one of the long winter nights we're having lately. Be prepared to think about this book, and probably dream about it, for days after finishing it.