What do readers think of Where You Can Find Me by Sheri Joseph? Write your own review.

When we see kidnapped children returned to their parents after years of separation, we think, "How wonderful! They're back home now. What a miracle!" We never really give any thought to the rest of the story. Sheri Joseph did and she presents this story with such intimate details, it feels very true, disturbingly true. Three years gone, Caleb was, from age 11 to 14. Three years of unimaginable torture at a vulnerable age. Three years of unimaginable torture for his parents and younger sister, enough guilt to go around for everyone. How do you put Humpty Dumpty back together again? Is it even possible? At what cost? I won't forget this book for a long, long time, if ever. It's not for the faint of heart. Ms. Joseph gets wordy at times, but she has a lot to say.

A boy of 11 who was missing for 3 years is returned to his family. This book is tangled and disturbing; Caleb himself trying to figure out who he really is, after the horrors that he witnessed; and his parents and younger sister trying to piece the family back together; with a boy who is profoundly changed. Deeply moving.

A mesmerizing and disturbing story of a child kidnapped at a young age and then returned to his family. This book will make your heart ache and your stomach clench, and the author has written this story in such a way that it seems that she, herself, has experienced such horrors. The writing, a little disjointed at times, still manages to draw you into a family torn in many directions and their attempt to find normalcy in their lives. You will ask yourself more than once how you would manage this same situation. There have been other books written in this same vain but this one takes a different path...the boy...still emotionally attached to his kidnapper. Take this journey...it is worth the time.

I was very interested in reading this book. A "ripped from the headlines" tale. The premise is intriguing. Boy kidnapped from his family, returned and then the aftermath. Unfortunately I expected so much more. The first problem I had was with the unlikeable mother, Marlene. She jaded my reading experience. I kept waiting for it to get better, hook me in. I just never got there. I had to re-read portions because my mind kept wandering. Maybe it'll grab me at another time...if I give it another chance which is unlikely.

I had high hopes for this book, based on the synopsis & reviews, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I thought the story would be more about Caleb, including his kidnapping & return to his family. Instead, it mainly focused on Marlene, who I didn't find particularly interesting or likeable. I thought the story was a bit disjointed and that it dragged in some places.

I was somewhat disappointed in this novel. The characters were well developed if not completely believable. The action was fast paced but really fizzled out in the end. The author did a good job of establishing suspense, but the climax was disappointing in its blandness. I thought the subject matter could have led to a much different and better novel without becoming voyeuristic. Too many underdeveloped and unresolved threads for my taste.

Unfortunately I was disappointed in this book. I thought the premise sounded so interesting and was looking forward to reading it however it just didn't quite measure up. I felt Lark got lost in the story and could have been developed a lot more. Marlene seemed unbelievably permissive once they arrived in Costa Rica especially the way she was portrayed in the beginning of the book during the time Caleb was gone. It held my interest enough that I wanted to finish to find out what happened but I found it dragged a bit.

...is not the same as losing yourself in a book. "While Where You Can Find Me" had the potential for the latter, there were times where the flashbacks made it feel disjointed. The story was original and heartfelt, but the hit or miss characters and back and forth timing made it fall short.