This is an introduction to this author for me having heard and read great things about her and wow am I glad I picked this one up.
Things I love in a thriller - I love to feel anxiety as I read it, love a book that leaves me thinking about it when I'm not reading it, lots of twists that aren't particularly easy to work out early on and a huge twist at the end to keep me invested.
This book ticked them all and more, my goodness I couldn't put the book down for one and I just had to know what was going to happen.
For me this author will be one I will be looking out for in the future.

Thanks as always to netgalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

“The Trapped Daughter” by Jay Kerk is not a favorite book among reviewers, although disagreement as to its worth can certainly be found. For the most part, I believe there is a lot of misunderstanding and puzzlement about Kerk’s intent and methodology. The narrator, Belle, much like the insane types featured by Edgar Allan Poe, is held in captivity by her father and his housekeeper. The reason for the captivity, vividly described by the author, is cleverly hidden from the reader until the ending which leads to the suspense, although, in truth, it is so flagrantly described and agonized over by Belle, it becomes somewhat tedious and redundant.

Belle is enraptured by her love for Gabe. Her entire being is obsessed with his memory. Gabe is a successful musician, an immortal to his fans, and the object of Belle’s wild memory of his existence. But as one reads further, Gabe’s very existence come into question. Did he really exist as Belle remembers? Was her deft handling of his affaires that really contributed to his success? Being shunned during his rise to glory seems to be the root of Belle’s madness. Her habit of telling herself the same thing over and over, all the while stoking her anger, also invokes some tough reading. The author sometimes manages to put some great philosophy and poetry into Belle’s thought pattern, a tribute to his writing skills, but there is so much repetition that the old bugaboo of tediousness comes creeping in.

The other question about the motives of father and housekeeper are no easier to decipher. The resulting story is a twist-filled dark puzzle that some readers live for. And so the controversy over the book’s talent continues to boil over. I, for one, after some conflicting reflection, that even raised the trash can question, finally came to accept what Kerk was doing. He was using his own concept, not really caring about what others thought, to develop his own story, which he did with talent and careful plotting. When I accepted that, I settled in to quite enjoying his story. If You are able and want to, I believe you can too. But you’ll have to read it to find out.

The Trapped Daughter was a must read for anyone who has ever lived with someone with mental illness. Knowing what someone is thinking and feeling during an episode, regardless of the diagnosis, is almost impossible if you have never experienced it yourself. The Trapped Daughter is a dive into the psyche of a troubled young girl being kept in her father's house as she struggles to get someone to believe she is a victim. She becomes increasingly troubled, desperate, and frantic to find proof of Gabe and her previous life.

The Trapped Daughter follows Belle, a daughter who is trapped against her will in her father’s home and is obsessed with Gabe, an artist whom she claims has stolen her ideas in order to gain fame. Dubbed as a psychological thriller, this is not a thriller, rather a story from an unreliable character with a mental illness. The problem is not that Belle is unreliable, as in a story such as this, this should have worked brilliantly, but rather it is three parts of monotony and repetitive inner monologue with a rushed, extremely obvious climax and conclusion. I figured out the story within the first chapters and was hoping an waiting for this to laugh in my face with a grand plot twist, but that never occurred; I wish I shelved it 80 pages in instead of plugging along. Thankfully, it was a quick read given the amount of repetitiveness.

The author’s attempt to portray the hurdles and dark side of mental illness is commendable, however all around it is entirely too predictable and a few scenes are vague and unclear.


Trigger warnings: mental illness, self-inflicted harm, anti-medication

A good read exploring mental health, although could’ve been done with more depth. Looking at the impact on everyone involved with the person and themselves was good to see. Liked that it was her narrative and explored her feelings throughout the book. Enjoyed the book and have recommended it as an explorative look in to dealing with this aspect of mental health symptoms.

Thank you to Netgalley and Jay Kerk books on this arc of the trapped daughter.

4 Stars- recommend, it was a quick read, very thrilling and interesting to read

Told from an unreliable narrator, Jay Kerk pens a novel that has the reader dive deep into the mind of a girl that is trying to fight the demons that are owning her thoughts while attempting to find the truth.

Belle is longing to leave the house in which her father is keeping her. She longs to be with Gabe, the ex-boyfriend who she helped become famous but was given no credit on her work. Belle begins to design a plan that will get her out of the house and into Gabe's life once more. But would Gabe want her back? Can she find him after being out of his life for so long?

No one including Belle's father wants Gabe in the house or back in Belle life. As Belle continues to stay in the house she is given medication "for her own good." Belle hates the medication as she feels it keeps her thoughts and creative imaging away. As flashbacks of her past come to light, the reader needs to make a decision. Is Belle being held captive by her father or is she being captive by herself?

This novel started off slow for me but as I kept reading I found myself unable to put it down. This novel was able to bring to light that a person with mental illness can be trapped in a world that does not exist to others but is unbelievably real to them. It also shows how families and friends feel defeated if unable to help their loved ones.

I enjoyed reading this book and found that the monologue between Belle and herself along with the flashbacks of Gabe help paint the picture of a girl who is trying her best not to lose herself.

Thank you to Jay Kerk, NetGalley and Jay Kerk Books for allowing me to read this ARC

The Trapped Daughter by Jay Kerk was a thrilling read for me. I didn’t want to put the book down and became wrapped up in the first person, unreliable narration. I felt anxious as I read, got into the mind of Belle, and waited to find out the truth in all that was happening. This one releases tomorrow, so add it to your list of thrilling reads for this season!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

From the beginning, the suspense begins to build... I was lost in the story and intrigued by Belle's dilemma... What kind of father keeps his grown daughter pills that keep her subdued and locked in the house? I was very concerned by the way Richard and Marie seemed to want Belle to bend to their will... Just when you think you have the story figured out, something else happens to make you second-guess yourself... There were twists, turns, surprises and more than one shocker!

Jay Kerk did an amazing job with this book. He tackled several subjects that need to be talked about and he did it with such sensitivity. I cannot say more, because I do not want to ruin the story for potential readers.

This book has you hooked straight away
A dark psychological thriller about a girl who is imprisoned by her father
All she wants to do is escape
Will she find her way
Will she find her answers
The writing captives you
A compelling read
Recommend

Thank you netgalley, Jay Kerk and Jay Kerk books for allowing me to read and review this book

Struggled with this book. Very difficult subject to read and enjoy.
Belle believes her father is keeping her locked up unjustly. He wants her to take her medication and agree to stay home until she is better - who is telling the truth? What is the real story? How will it end.
Cleverly written book but I struggled with the storyline as it was quite repetitive and the story seems stuck in places.
Belle believes ‘Gabe’ is real but is he? Or is he a symptom of her mental illness and the reason why her father is keeping her at home.
I found this a difficult read although I think it is well written.
3 Stars

this was a great mystery book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on.

2.5 stars

This sounded like a great psychological thriller that would keep me on my toes, but it sadly did not live up to my expectations. I figured out what was going on right away and was waiting for some twist ending that never came. I really didn't understand the way the Gabe sections were written/blocked off. I didn't think those sections added to the story in any way. The book ended abruptly with not much of an explanation. This could have been a really great story, but fell flat.

*Physical & eARC received from Jay Kerk books and Netgalley in exchange for a honest review and book tour blitz*

Firstly apologies to Jay Kerk that it's taken me so long to review, my TBR pile was (and still is) huge and I was so chuffed to finally get around to reading this one.

Last year Jay kindly sent me A Predator and a Psychopath which I LOVED so I'll admit I had reservations on whether this one could live up to expectations BUT somehow Jay sprinkled on some wizardy magic and blew me away again, if anything The Trapped Daughter was even better!

I'm not sure how but Jay Kerk is able to make you feel like you are literally inside the head of someone with a mental illness, you feel like you are living and breathing the character, which at times can be quite scary. At times I felt my anxiety levels rising which I'm pretty sure is what the author wants you to feel.

Throughout the book Belle sent my emotions and own mental state all over the place. I enjoyed the constant second guessing and not fully grasping what the hell was going on. I never wanted to put this down, it grabbed hold of me from the prologue and I finally let out a very long breathe at the end.

The ending was wrapped up brilliantly! I do love a story that leaves no loose threads or unanswered questions!

Huge thanks to netgalley and Jay Kerk Books for the ARC.

Not what I expected having reading the synopsis and disappointed that I wasn’t able to get into this book and therefore didn’t finish it.

I chose this book thinking it would be a great physiological thriller which is the genre I like best. However it was not at all what I expected. I almost never leave a book unfinished but I just couldn't get through this one! It was repetitive and I didn't like the characters. I only got a quarter of the way through by forcing myself to read but I finally have up! Do not recommend.

For one this is a first time in reading this author. It drew my attention because it was a thriller. Tingling is how it starts out which was a plus. It also has a cast that is shadowy. Oh my what she contends with and what is done. It pushes you anxiety button at times. As this unravels though we get a picture that will give us answers. It was a thriller of a different kind which was refreshing.

A glimpse into the mind of a young woman, Belle, struggling with mental illness and feeling trapped by her father in his house. Her obsession with her love interest, Gabe, is pivotal to the plot line. Jay Kerk oh so slowly reveals snippets about what is real and what is Belle’s reality. Found myself feeling so sympathetic for her dad, struggling to keep her safe and on medication. This read will make you thankful if you have been lucky enough to have never had the responsibility of caring for a loved one with mental illness. 3 1/2 stars.

This was a psychological "thriller" that didn't really land with me. It centers on Belle, who believes that her father has locked her away in his giant mansion to keep her away from a boyfriend who dumped her once he got famous. Belle's father is telling her that she is actually mentally ill, none of these things happened like she remembered, and he is just trying to keep her safe. It's unclear where the truth lies.

I generally love a book with an unreliable narrator and this book definitely has that, but the thing I struggled with is that Belle argues with herself constantly in her own head. The book is heavy on inner monologue (and memories) versus dialogue and it just felt repetitive, and a little tiresome to me.

The end of the story was anti-climactic and matched what I believed all along. Overall, I was not heavily engaged with the story, though I do believe the author gives a great look inside Belle's head. I think this book will find it's audience but it fell short of that "thriller" description to me. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "

The Trapped Daughter by Jay Kerk is without a doubt the most psychological of thrillers I have ever read. The journey is not easy and the realty of it is a very thin line.

Belle is trapped in a her bedroom by her father. She cannot leave and is being forced to take medication that renders her creative mind an empty vessel.

Belle is our only point of view. If we take her at her word her life has been hard. Her boyfriend Gabe who she helped find success as the lead singer in a band has dumped her, her mom has died and she is literally trapped in her room...but what if she is an unreliable narrator?

Reading this very clever thriller was extremely frustrating at times. I believed Belle then I didn't and then I did...a little bit. It drove me crazy at times and is why the author is so good at his writing craft.

The ending was what it should be and Gabe was the biggest surprise to me. I don't believe in spoilers but I just want to state from personal experience that whether Belle has a happing or sad ending on any given day it can change for her.

I received a free copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.