Review: Different...but wonderful
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 11, 2014
I am a total Bella Jewel fangirl but I was a bit worried if I would like this book as it was different from the rest of her writing and topic-wise slightly out of my comfort zone. But damn, as always Bella Jewel didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t put this book down. It was different, original, captivating and intense. I absolutely loved the story and the characters, surprisingly all the characters.The book starts with a scene that made my stomach turn, my heart bleed and the tears run free. And the emotions keep running wild as the story moves into the present.Thirteen girls wake up in a basement realizing they are being held captive by a man – a man whom they do not get to see. They work for him – clean, cook, wash. When they behave they are treated well. But when they break rules, they get punish. And the punishment is not standing in the corner or no TV that night. No, the punishment is painful and heart-wrenching, yes, downright brutal. What made it easier to handle and what I really appreciated is that Bella Jewel doesn’t go into too much detail when describing the punishment. Without that, I doubt I could have continued reading.The girls, all thrown together in this difficult and horrific situation are trying to come to terms with their new life, figuring out who they really are and what they are supposed to do. On one hand they feel the need to stick together and be there for each other, on the other hand they aren’t sure how to do that and whom to trust.The one that seems to be able to keep a cool head in this situation is Number Thirteen. She stays rational and logical when others lose their wits and she is hell-bent on finding a way out. She does not accept the situation as her future and she isn’t scared of speaking and standing up to the men that watch over the girls or to the Master himself. But things start to change the more she gets to know the master and the more she starts to look behind his mask of detachment and coldness. Soon she realizes there is more to him and there is more to the reasons why he keeps the girls captive. And with each word and each touch that passes between them, she starts falling more and more for him. Could the one that she thought was going to destroy her, be the one to save her? Her character was extremely strong and resilient. The things she endured not only in the Masters house but throughout her life and the outlook she still kept on life were extra-ordinary. Number Thirteen is a girl that has so much love for everyone and by nature does the right thing.As to the Master….it would have been so easy to hate him and do not get me wrong, there were a lot moments when I did. The punishments he had his men carry out were brutal and heart-wrenching and totally unnecessary. He wanted to achieve the right thing but went about it the wrong way. I think I would have had a harder time liking him if he would not have realized himself that the way he tried to teach the girls was the wrong way to go. But he did and while he made mistakes, he also did a lot of good things for the girls, giving them the things they never had in their life: trust, care, safety and a home.With time the girls started to see him less as a monster and more as a savior and while maybe hard to understand for me as a reader at times, the girls all had a rough past that would explain them looking at things differently that I might do from the safety and comfort of my home and family life. And while the girls started to find themselves more and more attached to the Master, he himself slowly allowed himself to feel as well – realizing that the girls might be saving him in return as well. One of them in particular – Number Thirteen.Their relationship as well as the relationship between the girls are really interesting to witness especially in the extraordinary situation they are in and with the difficult pasts all characters had. Bella Jewel did an amazing job getting into the psyche of the girls as well as the Master. The book kept my heart hostage throughout and the ending, though some might say not realistic, was beautiful and warmed my heart. And when thinking about the special situation the girls were in, I do not think normal rules to what is realistic or not apply.The book is definitely worth reading if you want to experience something different that will mess with your head and your heart in equal measures.5 messing-with-your-heart-and-mind stars.