“Like beauty, desperation and fear were as common as breathing.”

This was a very tough read. It's really dark and the topics covered are hard to read about. I think the author does a beautiful job of showcasing the horror of it all and is very delicate in the approach. The book is being told in a retrospective type way and it makes the story really interesting as it's interspersed with the present events and the FBI interrogation that Maya is undergoing. Maya is reluctant to share her story and the detectives are suspicious of what she could be hiding, given all the horrible things she reveals to them. We learn that the Gardener kidnaps girls of a certain age and then keeps them in his Garden where he "cares" for them. I think having Maya tell the story helps to alleviate some of the ways the book could have gotten darker. She talks about the terrible things, but manages to do it in a way that while horrific doesn't leave you completely traumatized.
The whole story is devastating and emotional. I honestly had to take breaks while reading it because it was heavy. I think the author did a really great job of showcasing the different mentalities that the "butterflies" had in order to survive the horrors they encountered. We see a broad range of coping skills utilized by all the girls. I think one thing the author really focused on was the way the experience caused the girls to form a sisterhood to an extent. They looked out for one another as best they could and stepped into roles that helped to maintain their sanity as much as possible. The book provides a dark look at humanity but it also showcases the ability to survive that each of these girls had. It's not an easy read and just when you think it couldn't get darker it has a tendency to do so. However, it is a well written story and I am intrigued to read the other books in the collection. ( )

D.N.F.

Weird police procedural. Two FBI agents are interviewing Inara, a young woman who has escaped from a impossibly rich, James Bond villain type megalogmaniac. He kidnaps young girls, tattoos them with a butterfly, and keeps them as sexual slaves in his "garden", a prison with walls that raise or lower at the touch of a button, and a large glassed in garden with a waterfall. Inara is a tough cookie who grew up in a neglectful family, but she slowly tells the agents the whole story, including how she came to take care of new girls, explaining what's happened to them and helping them stay sane.

Four stars because I was fascinated but it ended with an unbelievable feel-good plot twist. Somehow I could accept a millionaire killer who's able to kidnap women over a 20 year period and keep them in a walled garden without getting caught, even by his wife, but that twist? Nope.

I started the sequel anyway. ( )

An amazing read. The story starts from line one, gripping you and pulling you in from the start. The story is so incredulous but real at the same time. All the horrors you hope never come true but know are lurking out there. There are triggers in this book, such as rape, kidnapping and suicidal acts - but done in a tasteful way while keeping the thriller/horror aspect of the story. ( )

The Butterfly Garden tells the horrific tale of the Gardener and his kidnap victims. He collects butterflies, but not just any kind of butterfly; they must be young, beautiful and female.Bizarre is the best way to put this story I felt like i was reading a script for a fantastic episode of criminal minds. Maya's retelling of her time in captivity is descriptive and horrifying but it is so well written you have to keep reading . ( )