Close

Login

Lost Password     Register

Close

Register

Lost Password     Login

Close

Lost Password

Login     Register

Book Review

Publisher's Note:

Michelle was a young single mother when she was kidnapped by a local school bus driver named Ariel Castro. For more than a decade afterward, she endured unimaginable torture at the hand of her abductor. In 2003 Amanda Berry joined her in captivity, followed by Gina DeJesus in 2004. Their escape on May 6, 2013, made headlines around the world. Barely out of her own tumultuous childhood, Michelle was estranged from her family and fighting for custody of her young son when she disappeared. Local police believed she had run away, so they removed her from the missing persons lists fifteen months after she vanished. Castro tormented her with these facts, reminding her that no one was looking for her, that the outside world had forgotten her. But Michelle would not be broken. In Finding Me, Michelle will reveal the heartbreaking details of her story, including the thoughts and prayers that helped her find courage to endure her unimaginable circumstances and now build a life worth living. By sharing both her past and her efforts to create a future, Michelle becomes a voice for the voiceless and a powerful symbol of hope for the thousands of children and young adults who go missing every year.…

This review may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, then Compass Book Ratings may earn a small commission.

Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings

by Michelle Knight

Reviewer: Lydia
Genre: Non-Fiction
Recommended Age: 21+

Overall Book Review:

I remember seeing the headlines about the rescue of three girls that had been missing. I remember thinking it was just another abduction, but being happy they had been found and were safe. My life wasn’t affected in any way, so I didn’t really pay much attention to all the news surrounding the case of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus. Reading this book and getting the whole story, or at least one point of view of it, was eye-opening. I had no idea what horrors these three girls endured.

Sometimes I like to think it is easier to go through life holding onto some kind of innocence, but blocking out all the tragedy and heartbreak just isn’t possible, even if it doesn’t happen to us directly. The story portrayed in this book is shocking, horrific, and not for the faint of heart. I would encourage you to read it, but be warned that what is within is saddening in some of the worst ways. The strength of Michelle Knight and her fellow captives is amazing. I can’t imagine living through what they did and still having the energy and faith to wake up every morning. If you have any interest in this story, and want a closer look at just what exactly went on for years behind the nondescript walls of a house in Cleveland, be sure to pick up this title.


Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  5 religious exclamations; 6 mild obscenities; 7 derogatory names; 2 scatological words; 1 anatomical term; 1 offensive hand gesture; 2 F-Word derivatives.

Violence/Gore:  Multiple non-descriptive mentions of physical and verbal abuse; several descriptive scenes of abuse; verbal threats; blood and gore is described in several scenes, along with injuries sustained; slovenly living conditions are described; a man is mentioned to have killed an animal out of anger; a brief description of a rape scene is mentioned; kidnapping/abuction of individuals.

Sex/Nudity:  Minors kiss; prostitution is mentioned once; porn use is mentioned with no description; sexual references are made with no description; a brief description of a rape scene is mentioned; sex is implied several times; several brief scenes of nudity with sexual innuendo.

Mature Subject Matter:

Personal crises, death, abuse, homelessness, rape, kidnapping/abduction.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Drug dealing is mentioned; adults drink; alcoholism; adults smoke; pot smoking is mentioned.

Overall Book Rating
Profanity/Language
Rating:
7
10
Violence/Gore
Rating:
6
10
Sex/Nudity
Rating:
6
10

Share This Post

About the Reviewer

Lydia
Books and reading have always been an important part of my life. When I was very young, my grandma was the library director at our local public library. Years later, after she had retired, I became a librarian at the same library and worked there for several years before taking a part-time job at a local coffee shop, which gives me more time to do what I love, to read and to review books! A few of my favorite authors are Aimee Bender, Diane Chamberlain, and Curtis Sittenfeld however, I will read almost any book I come across! In my spare time you can find me reading (of course), volunteering at a wildlife animal rehab, or hanging out with my three house rabbits.

Share Compass Book Ratings