Title: Nine Minutes
Author: Beth Flynn
Series: Nine Minutes, #1
Date Published: July 23, 2014
6 Stars
On May 15, 1975, fifteen-year-old Ginny Lemon is abducted from a convenience store in Fort Lauderdale by a member of one of the most notorious and brutal motorcycle gangs in South Florida.
From that moment on, her life is forever changed. She gets a new name, a new identity and a new life in the midst of the gang’s base on the edge of the Florida Everglades—a frightening, rough and violent world much like the swamps themselves, where everyone has an alias and loyalty is tantamount to survival.
And at the center of it all is the gang’s leader, Grizz: massive, ruggedly handsome, terrifying and somehow, when it comes to Ginny, tender. She becomes his obsession and the one true love of his life.
So begins a tale of emotional obsession and manipulation, of a young woman ripped from everything she knows and forced to lean on the one person who provides attention, affection and care: her captor. Precocious and intelligent, but still very much a teenager, Ginny struggles to adapt to her existence, initially fighting and then coming to terms with her captivity.
Will she be rescued? Will she escape? Will she get out alive—or get out at all? Part psychological thriller, part coming-of-age novel, filled with mystery, romance and unexpected turns, Nine Minutes takes readers into the world of one motorcycle gang and inside the heart of a young girl, whose abduction brought about its fall.
Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once!
Bahahaha! Who am I kidding here?
Nine Minutes is my new obsession, and I will likely talk about it to whoever will listen.
I received this book for Christmas last year, and I do not know why I put off reading it?! I started on it yesterday morning, and did not stop (other than dinner and bathroom breaks), until I finished it last night. I was very content with how it ended. And then I read the last part of the epilogue. About five times.
After that, I just had to talk about it with somebody, but I didn't have anybody to talk about it with. Thankfully, I found a
Nine Minutes support discussion group.
The first thing that I want to say is that I love Beth Flynn's writing style! I almost felt like the main character was narrating a movie, and I could completely visualize what was happening around me. She did an excellent job of keeping me on the edge of my seat. Now, normally I would cheat and take a peak at the end of the book to see how it all ends up (yeah yeah, I know). But I didn't this time, and I am so glad that I was a good girl.
My favorite kinds of books are the realistic kind. Sometimes they end up being the darker books.I know that I have flaws, so it's refreshing when characters do too. It's comforting, in a sense. I really appreciate books that really make me feel something. I found these qualities in
Nine Minutes. Just keep in mind, that if you read this (and I really hope you do!), that there might be a few parts that might make you feel squeamish. It is so worth it if you can get past that, though. It's not a light read, but it is such a great read!
The story is told by Ginny, who was kidnapped when she was just fifteen years old, and it describes her experience. I don't want to say a whole lot about what happens, as one would have to read it for themselves to get the full effect. I could describe bits and pieces of what stood out for me, but it would be difficult to exactly why, without giving spoilers. Just know, you may be questioning things, and yourself, at times.
I do want to talk about the characters:
Ginny/Kit- My heart went out to this girl. She had to grow up really fast, even at an early age, and she's considered an old soul. Sometimes, I would get so frustrated and wanted to scream, "why?!" and "don't do that!" However, she handled herself very well considering the circumstances, and stuck to her principles and beliefs. I really admired that. Ginny was definitely a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, and in my opinion, it affected her for many, many, years. Her mind coped by shutting out the bad things that were going on around her.
Grizz: Ok, I might upset a lot of people here, but I could not get on Team Grizz. Don't get me wrong- I admired how much he loved Kit and how well he treated her, but I could not get past the kind of man he was and all of the
horrible things that he allowed to happen and did to people. His dedication to Kit does notjustify or make me forget that he was a kidnapper and could be really cruel at times.
Grunt: Now I know that Grunt was not perfect, but I absolutely loved this kid. He was not living in the best of circumstances, and was limited in what he could do. I admired that he was patient, saw the bigger picture, tried to make something of his life, and wanted what was best for Kit. I wanted so badly to know more about him, and to see what life was like for him over the years.
This is a beautiful story of how a girl was able to overcome things. I gave
Nine Minutes, Six Stars (my second of the year). Normally, I am very stingy with my stars. I think I only gave 4 out of 95 books a five-star rating last year. It was just that good.
My favorite quote:
“A story about a man who has loved me from the very beginning, from the first glance. The man who always was and still is my soul mate.”
After landing her dream job as an assistant buyer for a luxury fashion retailer in Minneapolis, Taylor Hartigan’s life becomes a nightmare. Performing mundane tasks and catering to the ridiculous whims of the boss from hell, she sees no opportunity for advancement. Though she’s never quit anything in her life, Taylor walks out and heads home to Chicago, the city that holds her heart. With her confidence shaken and no job on the horizon, she knows she has to find herself again.
