Isla MorleyReseñas

This book was not at all what I thought it was going to be. if you like sci-fi, post apocolyptic tales, then you might enjoy this but I did not.

I've struggled through this for a few weeks and between the dark/depressing plot and my dislike of the main character, I'm going to have shelve this for a while.

An excellent book. I loved the way Morley dealt with time, and there were surprises at every turn. I didn't love the ending, but would definitely recommend this book!

If you enjoyed “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” then you need to check out this book. Based on a true story, “The Last Blue” is about the “blue people” of rural Kentucky, in particular a lady by the name of Jubilee Buford.

Jubilee faced discrimination, bullying, and social isolation, just because she was different. Her quest for love was rocky but successful. Morley writes the love story of Jubliee and writer/photographer Clay Havens with sensitivity and compassion. Jubilee’s story evoked strong emotions in me. What made people so cruel? Was it just ignorance? How could people witness the cruel acts against the blue people and say or do nothing to intervene? Why weren’t there more people with the conscience of Clay Havens?

This is a story of passion, connection, doing what is right, and courage.

The story of “The Last Blue” is quite mesmerizing. When a writer and photographer out of Cincinnati, Ohio travel deep into Appalachia to record, for President Roosevelt’s WPA, what they find. They had no idea what they are about to encounter in Spooklight Holler, but the revelations will stay with the Photographer, Clay Havens, his entire life.
This is a story of prejudice, persecution, intimidation, murder and Love and all based on the very true story of what went on in Chance, Kentucky in the late 30’s.
Through the generous sharing of this book by Book Club Cookbooks' Galley Match, our book club was able to all read and discuss The Last Blue. As we read, we grew more and more fond of Jubilee Buford, a woman whose skin is an unworldly shade of blue, and the photographer, Clay Havens. Clay is used to keeping himself distanced from human interaction by using his camera lens as a barrier. People use the fact of Jubilee’s blue skin to isolate and persecute her. Their story -their Love story – is so compelling it was hard to stop turning pages to read more. Subjects that came up during the discussion included the different forms of bullying; psychological and social exclusion, also using fear to isolate. Though there are many instances of betrayal and guilt, this book is so full of love, deep passion, true courage and persistence we were truly inspired by the Blue People of Kentucky and this story of The Last Blue

The "Below" part of this book was spectacular and really well done but unfortunately the "Above" part was rather disappointing and I lost interest pretty quickly after that.

The "Below" part of this book was spectacular and really well done but unfortunately the "Above" part was rather disappointing and I lost interest pretty quickly after that.

https://books.google.com/books?id=eVlvAAAAQBAJ&dq=Above : A Novel /&source=gbs_navlinks_s

I really enjoyed this book. The story was captivating and the author's use of imagery and language painted such a vivid picture, the thoughts and actions of the characters came alive. I really hated for the story to end.

Book review for Above by Isla Morley
(Amazon, Netgalley, Goodreads)

Blythe is kidnapped by Dobbs the slightly odd school librarian and imprisoned in an underground bunker to keep her safe from the apocalypse that he is convinced is coming. As a school librarian myself I had issues with this book from the start but putting personal affront aside I dived in and I have to say for half the book I was hooked. The story of Blythe’s imprisonment was compelling; her desperate attempts to escape, her hatred for Dobbs tempered with her reliance on him to stay alive and finally her adaptation to her captivity all made for a very moving read.
Then she escaped. I don’t want to give spoilers but I really wanted reunions, adjustment to life outside, reintegration into society, maybe even some justice done for all those lost years. I didn’t get it. Don’t get me wrong I love innovation, being wrong footed and books going off in other directions but the second half of Above felt like a completely different book and I’m afraid it was just a step too far for me. I also wasn’t comfortable with Blythe’s changing attitude to Dobb’s character. OK he might have been right about the apocalypse but he’s still a kidnapping, rapist!
All this aside the book still gets three stars from me for the promise of the first half and I will suggest it to others because I have a feeling this book will be literary marmite and somebody else might think it brilliant.

In Above by Isla Morley Blythe Hallowell is abducted by creepy school librarian and survivalist Dobbs Hordin and taken to an abandoned Atlas F missile silo located by Eudora, Kansas, her hometown. Dobbs tells Blythe he is saving her from the end of the world. Once the world ends, Dobbs and Blythe will be prepared to take their rightful place and repopulate the earth. As a captive, Blythe must struggle with her crushing loneliness, isolation, as well as giving birth.

The novel is separated into two sections: Below and Above. Obviously the first part of the narrative deals with Blythe's captivity below ground and her coping mechanisms while the second portends a future.

There is no doubt that Above is a compelling novel to read and will keep you engrossed in all the action.
However, for me Above was a so-so read. I have several major problems with it.

First I really felt that the beginning of Morley's novel owes too great a debt to Emma Donoghue's Room. I totally understand that abduction and captivity of a young woman in a novel may be coincidental, but it felt too similar at the beginning. I will acknowledge that the comparison ends in the second half when the story takes a dystopian turn.

This duality of the two sections is another problem for me. The complete novel felt like two separate novels crammed together without the benefit of enough development of the plot to make the complete novel work as the sweeping dystopian saga it wants to be. The ideas are there, but the execution is lacking and inconsistent.

For most readers the BIGGEST problem I had with Above won't be a problem for you at all, so you can ignore this complaint.
I wish Morley had made up a mythical city in Kansas rather than using an existing one, because she repeatedly annoyed me with her descriptions and summations of the area. See I live in Lawrence Kansas, home of the University of Kansas, only 6 miles from Eudora, Blythe's longed-for hometown. While Eudora is a small town, the population is almost 3 times Morley's number. That wouldn't include the large population living outside the city limits. And there is a very large population living in the country. It's only about 20 minutes down the highway until you reach the outer suburbs of the whole Johnson County/Kansas City suburban area. When Morley said "Douglas County, Kansas, land of miles and miles of nothing" I wanted her to leave California and come see the nothing she is describing, because if she has visited the area she missed an essential truth: that it's actually pretty close to a large population area thus we have many commuters living here, in these miles and miles of nothing, in towns and acreages.

But then she might simply need to visit Kansas in February. Blythe describes her 5th birthday party. She says her mother has set up the card table in the backyard... on February 2nd. Ummm, not likely. We've had some bitter cold days here in Kansas in February. Sure, sometimes it warms up but no one would be putting up a card table in the backyard for a birthday party on February 2.
And yes, FYI, there are seagulls inland on lakes.

Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the Gallery Books for review purposes.

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Abducted by a survivalist & locked away in an abandoned missile silo while having to endure rape at the hands of your abductor? The plot of this book is pretty much one of my worst nightmares. I thought I would enjoy it but unfortunately it's just not as good as other books with similar plots...ROOM & The Lovely Bones. Both of those books really set the bar for stories about people trapped & kept locked up.
My major complaint & the most disturbing aspect of this story is that the main character was raped & by the end of the book it seemed as though the author was trying to leave you with the impression that the rapist wasn't really that bad of a guy. Unbelievable. The guy kidnapped, raped & kept a girl and her baby locked up. That is the definition of a bad guy. Plus, never is a rapist not such a bad guy. I'm a bit shocked that a female author would attempt to cast a not so negative light on a rapist.

Such an interesting twist to this genre. Kept me spellbound and up late at night devouring every page. Loved this book and would recommend to anyone looking for something they can sink their teeth into

This book ended up being nothing like I thought it would be. The first half of the book is very reminiscent of "Room" by Emma Donoghue. And then it takes a very strange turn. **SPOILERS COMING** Even though I understand that life and people are complicated, I really wanted my hatred of Dobbs to be simple. He was a terrible man, end of story. But it wasn't the end of the story because he was kind of right about the apocalypse-type destruction that is "Diablo." Was he really trying to protect Blythe? Was she better off with him? Personally, I didn't enjoy pondering those questions. Style-wise, I thought the book was strong. There are some beautiful descriptions. The second half of the book (and especially the last 100 pages) moved very slowly for me. Once I realized that Dobbs was inexplicably "right," I lost some interest and the story became kind of depressing. It gets tied up very neatly in the end with Blythe reconnecting with Mercy and Arlo. I mean, what are the chances? I guess that was supposed to give me warm fuzzies, but I was still let down. All in all, I would read another of Morley's books because I enjoyed her writing. This story just didn't do it for me.

You never think that a book that takes place, in its majority, inside an abandoned missile silo and has three characters is gonna grip you like Above does. This is the story of Blythe and of how she was abducted and kept hidden in an abandoned missile silo for over 17 years by a survivalist who was convinced the end of the world was near. After a few years, Blythe gives birth to Adam and tries to make his life as pleasant and imaginative as possible. When they are finally able to escape, Adam is 15 years old. What they find above isn't exactly what they were expecting. Faced with new horrors, they both must do whatever it takes to survive. Who knew that trying to survive above would prove more challenging than living below?
This book is great for a book club; I am thinking heated discussions will arise from it. As for me? I really liked this book: it made me -more than once- step outside and take a big breath of fresh air and appreciate my freedom.

This is a novel of two halves. The premise of the story is that 16 year old Blythe Hallowell is taken by a man she knows and is kept captive in a disused silo. She is completely lost to her family and friends. The man who has abducted her believes that a disaster will befall the earth and he is keeping her safe. When she has a son to look after she struggles to look after him and keep him safe.

It says on the back of the book that if you think you know what's going to happen then you're wrong and it's true, the twist was completely unexpected and not at all the way I thought the second half was going to go. I'd also say that the second half was less my kind of book than the first, but it was a clever turn of events. I enjoyed the first half more, being the tale of Blythe's confinement and how she dealt with everything that came her way.

Overall I thought this was a good book, one which was surprisingly different, but not one I would rave about.

I received this book through a Goodreads first reads giveaway.

If you�Ûªre reading this review, keep in mind that it‰Ûªs not exactly spoiler free.

A young girl gets abducted and held captive for years. When she eventually escapes from her captor, the world is not the same place she left it.

I was pretty excited to read this book just by the summary alone. By the time I got to the second half of the book, I was pleasantly surprised at what it turned into. I love post apocalyptic/dystopian stories, and I couldn‰Ûªt wait to find out what happened to Blythe‰Ûªs world. With Blythe, something felt a bit‰Û_ off? I guess. I can‰Ûªt really place what it was but there was something about her that was just meh. From the first few pages I felt like she was really young. Then when I learned she was sixteen, I was like, really? Okay then.

Dobbs on the other hand, wow what a character. I don‰Ûªt think I‰Ûªve felt that much distaste for a character before. The one thing I don‰Ûªt understand, and the main thing that nags at me, is why didn‰Ûªt he just tell her what had happened? He does go into his regular ‰ÛÏthe world is ending‰Û spiel and tells her horror stories about the people, but why didn‰Ûªt he just show her what the world became? Actually, from Blythe‰Ûªs reactions to the outside world she seemed pretty much in denial at first and sure that things were just a bit different. She probably wouldn‰Ûªt have believed him anyway. Blythe‰Ûªs gone through a lot of trauma, and I definitely felt for her several times throughout the first part. I also remember yelling at my book a couple of times where she had the chance to kill Dobbs, before Adam came into the picture.

I‰Ûªll admit, at first I was upset at the premise. I didn‰Ûªt buy into Dobb‰Ûªs idea that the world was ending as a reason to kidnap a young girl. But when it actually happened, I thought it was great. The time jumps were a bit jarring, and I had to reread a couple paragraphs to make sure I didn‰Ûªt miss something, as well as keep track of the major events that happened in Blythe‰Ûªs life. I felt that the second half of the book flowed differently. It didn‰Ûªt seem all too organized and most of it fell flat for me. I‰Ûªm happy with how it ended, but how it got there was really sporadic.

One last point I have is about her wanting to forgive Dobbs. I wasn‰Ûªt happy with that at all. Freedom and Charlie were major points in her life, and just because Dobbs did something for the both of them, or tried too, does not redeem him in any way. It doesn‰Ûªt redeem him taking her from her home for seventeen years or forcing himself on her. I think this was my main issue about Blythe.

Those are my opinions, and overall I thought the book was alright.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley for an honest review.

The story starts with Blythe, a teenager, being kidnapped by a survivalist librarian and stuffed in an underground missile silo. She is never found and lives with this crazy man who eventually joins her in living in the silo. She is raped, repeatedly and eventually bears a son who is raised in the silo.

I enjoyed the first part of this story, but it rapidly went from enjoyable to tedious. The formatting wasn't great (it was an E-ARC, so I didn't use that in my rating), and add to that the writing was disjointed.

Then came the plot twist... I nearly tossed the book to the DNF pile at that point, but kept going. It was as if the author lost all control of the story and that came across in the writing.

I do not recommend.

Reading the blurb on this book it sounded so interesting.
A 16 year old girl is taken by a survivalist into a missile silo.
Now this part of the book was ok. It kept moving along and even when the characters went into cray-cray land I still wanted to know what was going to happen.
Then 17 years later: She escapes. Then the book turned into this.


Blythe's character was hard to believe as she was supposed to be a teenager but she used terms that are very old fashioned. That kept throwing me for a loop.
I don't want to give away what happens once Blythe and her son finally get above ground...but it's a snooze fest.

Edited to add: There was rape since she conceived a child with the kidnapper and at the end the book kinda tried to make the memory of him as not really a bad guy. YUK.

Above is not a typical abduction novel. It veers into the dystopian realm towards the end, forcing a reader to reevaluate one’s feelings about Blythe and her entire captivity. In spite of this though, the dichotomy between the strong feelings of loathing and terror one feels on Blythe’s behalf in the beginning and the shock once she takes action and faces her future never quite equalize. It is as if a reader is now numb to any changes or plot twists because of everything she experiences in the silo. Ms. Morley does an excellent job emphasizing the mental issues at play from enforced captivity, and Blythe’s fears are all too real. Unfortunately, once Blythe obtains a modicum of freedom, the story unravels and falls flat. The real world is almost boring compared to the psychological trauma of decades-long captivity.

After finishing this book it has taken me a while to fully digest it. Not for the normal reason of the story, but rather because I simply can not decide whether I enjoyed it or not. The first thing that I noted about the book is the physical production of the book is hard to read. It is produced in a very unforgiving paperback which was physically hard to hold and turn the pages.

When you start the book it is far from slow and the story takes off almost immediately. However, I would not say that I initially thought it was a hit with me. I believe in parts this is due to the horrendous images the author has created through the horror the female hero goes through. The horror throughout the book is more referred than actually written. This makes the psychological impact of what you read even more. The author has an excellent use of language which makes this reading hard but beautifully written. There are times when this books slips through several years over a chapter. Sometimes this jump appears too large a leap. The book may have benefited from dates being added to the beginning of the chapters to help with these jumps.

As the book progresses however it changes genre. The first part of the book I would describe as psychological thriller and is clearly horrific in parts. The second half of the book then changes to dystopian. I thought this twist was clearly very clever and greatly enjoyed it. However, I do wonder whether this clever twist maybe the downfall of the book for some readers. I have also seen this book advertised as a young adult read and would greatly disagree with this. I would offer caution if you suggest a young adult read this before you are fully aware of the content.

The ending of the book is unusual in the fact that it has not got a characteristic big bang ended but still manages to complete the story perfectly. I urge anyone who would wants to read a book that does not fit into the normal parameters of a novel to pick this up. I only hope some of my friends do as I would love to discuss this further with others, it is that type of book.

Sixteen-year-old Blythe Hallowell is abducted and locked in an abandoned missile silo by an obsessed survivalist who is convinced he is saving her from Armageddon. She is kept underground for seventeen years eventually giving birth to a son, Adam. To keep Adam entertained and herself from going insane, she tells him stories about what life is like above. But, when she finally escapes with her now fifteen-year-old son, there is no way she could have imagined what above has become.

Above by Isla Morley is an interesting take on the dystopian novel. The first half of the novel is divided between Blythe’s time before her capture and her time below in the silo. The juxtaposition of the almost idyllic setting of small town USA against the claustrophobic and creepy feel of the silo creates a strong feeling of tension as well as sympathy for Blythe. That most of this takes place in a cramped space with, at most three characters, over long periods of time, should be boring and the story does, at times, seem slow. However, just as the reader’s interest begins to sag, something jolts us and makes us sit up and pay attention.

The second half, above, is a bit more chaotic with much more action and many more characters and plot lines to follow. Again, this juxtaposition of Blythe’s two realities is somewhat jarring but, given the nature of the tale, this works. Above is also divided into two distinct parts. In the first, it seems like Blythe and Adam have escaped only to trade their captivity below with captivity above. It is only in the last quarter that the two finally see a chance for freedom and the book ends on a surprisingly hopeful note.

I enjoyed Above quite a bit At times, it was rather slow but it never made me lose interest in the story or the main characters. Much of that is due to Blythe who makes for a very sympathetic narrator and Adam whose innocence below and his fascination with all things above provides a needed antidote to the otherwise bleak landscape both below and above. For fans of dystopia, Above is a nice addition to the genre.

Im not sure what to say. This was not the book I expected. Parts of it were hopeful and frightening. Other parts were desolate and surreal.

It's a book I'll continue to think about!

Abducted at sixteen and held captive in a underground missile silo for more years than that, Blythe Hallowell has to deal with not only her captor (you school librarian) and his rants about the end of the world, she deals with loneliness and eventually the future of the son she bore. Constantly thinking about escaping and being free, her dream comes true one day and now she has more to deal with than she thought.

I wondered how a story about being locked in a missile silo could fill a book and stay captivating, but this one certainly did it. Not only does it take the reader into the mind of Blythe but that of her captor, Dobbs. There is so much hope and despair and many more emotions that resonated through the pages. So when she finally escapes, I was thrilled, but was certainly surprised by the twist in the story that made the second part of the book even more riveting. I couldn’t put this book down and you probably won’t either!

"Above", by Isla Morley, is a fiction novel about Blythe Halloway, a 16-year-old kidnapped by a conspiracy-theorist/survivalist who believes the End of the World is near, convinced that he and Blythe will be the only chance of humanity's resurgence when they emerge. Almost twenty years later, Blythe finally escapes with her 15-year-old son, conceived, born, and raised in the abandoned missile silo that her captor held them in. Her relief at regaining her freedom is quickly extinguished when she realizes that her captor had actually spared her from the devastating nuclear disaster that occurred a few months after he took her. In the course of finding answers and her family, she encounters a questionable government agency intent on using her son for breeding purposes, since he had no radiation exposure and would create a 'pure' line. They get help by a good Samaritan in escaping yet again, and Blythe is able to piece together the events that unfolded during her captive years. While the main plot is engaging and interesting, I found the story to be too drawn out. The book is suitable to be adapted into a miniseries of sorts, as it seems to be better broken up into shorter sequences. There were certain parts of the book that seemed a bit too fantastical (those 'come on! really?' cliche' moments), such as the survival of two important characters from the disaster despite the overwhelming fatalities in the area. Fortunately, they do not distract too heavily from the story. Where this book excels is in Morley's ability to make the reader start seeing the antagonist almost as a savior. She takes the reader through an introspective of what is good, what is evil, and where those lines get blurred. With a bit of paring down, this book would be quickly added to my recommended 'should-read' list. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.