The Trapped Daughter by Jay Kerk

"Excellently portrayed and filled with obsession, darkness, twisted truths, and insecurities." Starred Review by Readers' Favorite

Have you ever been trapped somewhere? I have.

Have you ever found that the world does not believe you? I did.

I have been betrayed by the people I trusted the most. They coil around me like snakes, lulling me with whispers about protection and safety and for your own good.

They offer up pills like sweets, promising me relief. Just take the meds and everything will be fine, Belle – the meds, Belle, the meds.

Everything will not be fine, and it never will be. Justice is gone from the world. I have been wronged by Gabe, the man I loved most, and when I turned to others for backup, they sided with him because he’s a star. When I ran to my father for safety, he locked me up in his great big mansion and threw away the key. Now I drift like the ghost Gabe pretended I was, my bare feet tasting the coldness of rich tiles, my breath turning to ice.

Gabe isn’t real, they tell me. They insult me, they spit at me, then smile and pretend that they wish to help. Meanwhile, Gabe is out there, luxuriating in all that I won for him, and I suffer and burn.

My Review

With the theme of mental illness, this story really did take on a life of its own. I wasn't sure if what was unfolding was truly happening or if it was all something created by the mind. With everyone telling you one thing but to experience something completely different, I now realize can be a mind-f$ck for sure. This book gets real about creativity, art, longing, love, and the belief that what you experience is the only reality. Within the instability I still wanted more for her, to either figure it out or totally absorb into it. Fantastic read!