Notes from My Captivity - by Kathy Parks (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"Like Siberia itself, this story is wild, mysterious, full of danger--and then, quite unexpectedly, captivates you with its beauty. I was so glad I went on the adventure." --Goldy Moldavsky, New York Times bestselling author of Kill the Boy Band

Notes from My Captivity is a sharp, sensitive, and darkly funny novel perfect for fans of Libba Bray's Beauty Queens and Adam Silvera's More Happy Than Not.

Adrienne Cahill cares about three things: getting into a great college; becoming a revered journalist like her idol, Sydney Declay; and making her late father proud of her.

So when Adrienne is offered the chance to write an article that will get her into her dream school and debunk her foolish stepfather's belief that a legendary family of hermits is living in the Siberian wilderness, there's no question that she's going to fly across the world.

But the Russian terrain is even less forgiving than Adrienne. And when disaster strikes, none of their extensive preparations seem to matter. Now Adrienne's being held captive by the family she was convinced didn't exist, and her best hope for escape is to act like she cares about them, even if it means wooing the youngest son.

• Wilderness Adventure: An aspiring journalist travels to the unforgiving Siberian wilderness on a mission to debunk her stepfather's theories, but disaster strikes and the story she finds is dangerously real.
• Forced Proximity: Trapped with the mysterious family she never believed in, Adrienne's only path to freedom is a dangerous charade of trust and affection.
• Found Family Trope: To survive her captivity, Adrienne must act like she cares about her captors, blurring the line between her escape plan and finding a place she truly belongs.
• Darkly Funny Tone: A sharp, witty narrative perfect for readers who like their survival stories with a heavy dose of sarcasm and high emotional stakes.

Review Quotes

I loved this book. ...like Siberia itself, this story is wild, mysterious, full of danger--and then, quite unexpectedly, captivates you with its beauty. I was so glad I went on the adventure. - Goldy Moldavsky, New York Times bestselling author of Kill the Boy Band

"An inventive, multilayered tale about family, faith, mysticism, and survival, offering harrowing life-or-death adventure, as well as robust characters as memorable as they are unique." - Publishers Weekly

"Haunting. Mesmerizing. Completely unforgettable." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Offering danger, romance, and a few ghosts, this is a trip that will capture readers' attention. A fast-paced read for fans of survival fiction with well-developed characters." - School Library Journal

"Parks deftly peels back layer after layer of mystery... This intriguing tangle of menace, cultures, familial and romantic love, and the supernatural will draw teen fans across genres." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Readers looking for a unique, edgy read will love the latest from the author of The Lifeboat Clique (2016)." - Booklist Online

"A wildly original story of love, loss, and of course a possibly-mythical possibly-cannibal family creeping around the Siberian wilderness. I couldn't put it down!" - Jilly Gagnon, author of #famous