One Kick by Chelsea Cain

One Kick (Kick Lannigan Novel)

by Chelsea Cain

Kick Lannigan, 21, is a survivor.

Abducted at age six in broad daylight, the police, the public, perhaps even her family assumed the worst had occurred. And then Kathleen Lannigan was found, alive, six years later.

In the early months following her freedom, as Kick struggled with PTSD, her parents put her through a litany of therapies, but nothing helped until the detective who rescued her suggested Kick learn to fight. Before she was thirteen, Kick learned marksmanship, martial arts, boxing, archery, and knife throwing. She excelled at every one, vowing she would never be victimized again.

But when two children in the Portland area go missing in the same month, Kick goes into a tailspin. Then an enigmatic man Bishop approaches her with a proposition: he is convinced Kick's experiences and expertise can be used to help rescue the abductees. Little does Kick know the case will lead directly into her terrifying past...

Reviewed by funstm on

5 of 5 stars

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Holy crap. What a book.

Kick Lannigan is tough. I liked that. And not because she's perfectly unaffected because she's not - she's a total mess. But she's a mess that pushes on anyway. Kick is a survivor. This was an intense read. The emotions and the conflict Kick feels as she confronts her fractured memories, her family and the overwhelming guilt batter straight through you. I appreciated though that she was both broken and whole. Which sounds kind of weird but she was. I think the mental health issues were addressed very well. I will say though the blurb had me expecting something different. Something more logical. This wasn't and in a way it was a lot better. This wasn't a straight procedural where Kick is leading the cause and tackling every issue without fear. I liked that all of the characters were imperfect. There wasn't one character who was flat - they all had their own internal struggles and problems - and you could see that even if it wasn't explored with any depth - perhaps one of the best examples of the whole show not tell.

I wish there was more.

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  • Started reading
  • 1 February, 2017: Finished reading
  • 1 February, 2017: Reviewed