⋙ PDF The Butterfly Garden The Collector Book 1 eBook Dot Hutchison

The Butterfly Garden The Collector Book 1 eBook Dot Hutchison

Download As PDF : The Butterfly Garden The Collector Book 1 eBook Dot Hutchison

The Butterfly Garden The Collector Book 1 eBook Dot Hutchison

he story opens after the escape of women kept by a serial killer - The Gardener - who's selected his 'butterflies' in terms of beauty. Butterflies, real and metaphoric, have short shelf lives and the women who have been kidnapped live with the sword of Damocles over their heads.

Any infraction - from behavior to imperfections - will result in an expiry date with The Gardener.

Central is the woman known as Maya. Questioned by the FBI, she doesn't respond in a way that 'normal' victims do. I found this a really interesting take because Maya flouts social convention in that victims are supposedly obliged to give up all rights to dignity and privacy in the quest to justice.

In this regard, Maya is frustratingly circumspect in her account to the FBI unveiling her story in her own time and on her own terms.

Told in equal parts first person and third, the story plays with chronology as Maya takes us from the past in order to show how it informs the present. The author's descriptions and turns of phrase were beautiful to read, even if the subject turned my stomach.

I found The Gardener a chilling character. Someone who uses his wealth and privilege to hide his monstrous behavior, but at the same time, constructs his own self-perception as someone who loves and cares for his victims. If that's his idea of love - he can keep it.

Enter into The Garden not so much a serpent, but a savior. I liked this play on the biblical thematic. Knowledge is one thing, but action is another.

I have to say, the "twist" at the end didn't work for me. In fact, I thought it undermined a lot of the story that had been before and also, it was (so far) unnecessary.

All in all, however, I would recommend it to thriller readers. In this genre, I have to say that The Butterfly Gardener was one of the better ones.


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The Butterfly Garden The Collector Book 1 eBook Dot Hutchison Reviews

This review does not contain spoilers, however, I do discuss points included in 's summary description; if you consider those spoilers, avoid this review. )

I read this as my First selection for May.

The novel contains violence, profanity, sexual violence against minors, pedophilia, and rape (both of minors and adults). The majority of this type of content is non-graphic, but it is very prevalent (rape is often referred to, but is rarely shown 'on-screen.') Given what the story is, none of the content felt gratuitous. but for those who are triggered by it, or prefer stories without it, avoiding this story might be advisable.

-o-

'The Butterfly Garden' is told in alternating first and third-person-limited perspectives the main character relates her story to FBI agents following her rescue from the Garden. I have mixed feelings about this approach. When used by experienced writers (Rothfuss' 'Name of the Wind' is a good example), a nested story can be very effective. Unfortunately, in 'The Butterfly Garden's' case it ruins much of the suspense the audience knows the protagonist escapes. From 's summary/blurb, we know most of the other details of what she endured during her captivity. There is little left to surprise us. I found the sections containing the protagonist's backstory to be somewhat needless, and a little long in exposition.

The writer's style is competent and accessible, making for a quick read. Not too many clunky sentences, although the dialogue (especially at the beginning) isn't natural. I found the first-person much smoother than the third-person; perhaps if the entire novel were told linearly in first-person, I would have enjoyed it more. The style is engaging enough that I would likely read another of this author's stories to see her improve.

The protagonist was somewhat unbelievable, as I found her vocabulary, mannerisms, emotional maturity, and so on to be that of an adult. It takes a lot of suspension of disbelief for me to buy that a child who had her background, also had that level of polish. This seems to be more of a YA trope, and I was surprised to see it in an adult thriller novel. (Her knowledge of classic literature is an example of this, and an author making a heroine just a little too cool.) The side characters were underdeveloped in the third-person sections, although in the first-person bits were better.

While on the subject of suspension of disbelief...I don't expect present-day thrillers to require the level of suspension this one does. It was hard to believe in the setting, both that it could exist (how do you find contractors to build this sort of thing?) and that it was never discovered. Maybe in a futuristic science fiction novel, where things can be a bit surreal this Garden would have been more believable. Your mileage may vary, of course.

The pacing was just 'okay' for me. The third person portions tended to exposition, which made those times in the story feel like they moved more slowly.

The 'twist' at the ending was unnecessary, without adequate foreshadowing to make it satisfying for the reader.

Bottom line? No two ways about it,this book was weird for me. I can't say I 'liked' it, but I didn't dislike it, either, despite my criticisms above. If allowed half-stars, I would give it 3.5 stars, and I would likely read another of this author's future novels.
he story opens after the escape of women kept by a serial killer - The Gardener - who's selected his 'butterflies' in terms of beauty. Butterflies, real and metaphoric, have short shelf lives and the women who have been kidnapped live with the sword of Damocles over their heads.

Any infraction - from behavior to imperfections - will result in an expiry date with The Gardener.

Central is the woman known as Maya. Questioned by the FBI, she doesn't respond in a way that 'normal' victims do. I found this a really interesting take because Maya flouts social convention in that victims are supposedly obliged to give up all rights to dignity and privacy in the quest to justice.

In this regard, Maya is frustratingly circumspect in her account to the FBI unveiling her story in her own time and on her own terms.

Told in equal parts first person and third, the story plays with chronology as Maya takes us from the past in order to show how it informs the present. The author's descriptions and turns of phrase were beautiful to read, even if the subject turned my stomach.

I found The Gardener a chilling character. Someone who uses his wealth and privilege to hide his monstrous behavior, but at the same time, constructs his own self-perception as someone who loves and cares for his victims. If that's his idea of love - he can keep it.

Enter into The Garden not so much a serpent, but a savior. I liked this play on the biblical thematic. Knowledge is one thing, but action is another.

I have to say, the "twist" at the end didn't work for me. In fact, I thought it undermined a lot of the story that had been before and also, it was (so far) unnecessary.

All in all, however, I would recommend it to thriller readers. In this genre, I have to say that The Butterfly Gardener was one of the better ones.