Seven Days by Alex Lake

Description from Goodreads:

"The twisty new psychological thriller from the USA Today bestselling author

A race against time to save her child…

In seven days, Maggie’s son, Seb, turns three. But she’s not planning a party or buying presents or updating his baby book. She’s dreading it. Because in her world, third birthdays are the days on which the unthinkable happens… she loses her child.

For the last twelve years Maggie has been imprisoned in a basement. Abducted aged fifteen, she gave birth to two sons before Seb, and on their third birthdays her captor came and took them from her.

She cannot let it happen again. But she has no idea how to stop it. And the clock is ticking…"

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Oh my goodness ... you have got to read this book!!!

Harrowing, hopeful, heart wrenching, gripping, thrilling and full of tension, this is one of those books that you won't forget in a hurry.  It's absolutely gripping from the very first paragraphs and takes you through all manner of emotions from anger, disgust and hatred to love, sympathy and hopefulness.  Although a very difficult subject-matter, it is dealt with carefully and without sensationalism; it felt authentic and believable and, unfortunately, is only too real.

You quickly become invested in the plight of Maggie and her son, Max; the strength of her human spirit and the will she has to keep her son safe whatever the cost oozes from the pages.  It doesn't stop there though, oh no, her family are as big a part in this book as Maggie and Max and they embark on their own roller coaster ride in which you are a but a passenger. 

Written from different perspectives and covering different timelines, you might think that this would be confusing ... it is anything but.  With short chapters, great pace and easy writing, this book is a gem of a read and, cliché I know, hard to put down. I couldn't read it fast enough and thank goodness I was coming towards the end on a Saturday evening so it didn't matter if I slept in the next day!

This is most definitely a 5 star read for me and highly recommended.

Eternal thanks go to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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