The Trap

I came across this title when I was trying to do a little research to see if I had read all of Tabitha Kings books in print. I ordered it from a book seller in England and discovered that it seemed very familiar. I went through my other books by her and found that this is the same book as The Trap. The covers are similar, but not identical. I enjoyed reading the book again, it had been at least 12 or 13 years since I read it the first time. This book is thought provoking, and disturbing at times. But Tabitha King tells a very interesting story and the characters and emotions ring very true.

The Trap is a greatly disturbing novel about the horrors afflicted on a family during a one-year span. It's not enough that this family lives through everyday coldness and separation. A very disturbing act of violence is about to fall upon them and shatter their lives forever.I bought The Trap because Tabitha King is Stephen King's wife. I knew her style and genre opposed her husband's, but never did I thought that she would be such a beautifully skilled author. King takes her time to write her prose; her beautiful and usually long sentences create a narrative yearning that one can't help but admire. The story is slow moving, but that's the brilliance behind the book. Once that horrible act happens more than halfway through the book, it takes you by total surprise.Her characters are strong and very distinct; unlike most ficiton, her characters feel real and believable. So once the shocking event occurs more than halfway through the book, you can't help but feel sorry for the characters that are involved. You just want to leap into the page and give them a hand.King takes her time writing her prose, something that the typical thrill-a-minute seeker will not be able to appreciate. But The Trap is a very important work that affects its readers on many, many levels. It's a hard and complicated story to read, but it's compelling in that it is able to evoke emotions in the reader that most authors can only dream of touching. I can't wait to read more from this terrific author.

I loved this book. I thought the characters were fascinating and richly textured, as they always tend to be in Tabitha King's writings. Liv's friendship with Miss Alden was wonderful. And it's always great to get another point of view on Nodd's Ridge.