A swift, clever two-hander. . . . [The Captives ] dissolves and reconstitutes its characters’ notions of what a prisoner owes a prison or a doctor owes a patient.” — New York Times Book Review
“Begins as an incisive portrait of two people who encounter each other in a moment of weakness, but slowly blooms into a plot-driven escapade with a surprising turn of the screw.” — Vanity Fair
“Just being honest: I do judge a book by its cover, and this one sent a chill down my spine. The story inside did not disappoint...Tortured, fascinating, and hard to look away from. Immergut used to teach writing in prisons, and her expertise on both subjects shows.” — Glamour
“The Captives is a fascinating psychological thriller about the lengths that we will go to in order to save people from themselves. . . . A rollercoaster ride that will keep you engrossed until the very last page.” — Bitch Magazine
“Orange is the New Black meets Gone Girl in this ingenious psychological thriller...Immergut burrows inside the heads of her two main characters...Immergut’s book begins as an incisive psychological portrait of two mismatched individuals and morphs into a nail-biting thriller.” — Publishers Weekly
“The book speeds toward an unexpected finale which questions the idea of right and wrong...the forward surge of the narrative never slows, pulling the reader along for the ride. Immergut has spun an interesting tale with fully realized characters whose ups and downs are compelling — Kirkus Reviews
“With its see-saw of quixotic emotions, Immergut’s stunning debut is a taut psychological drama that explores [her characters’] nuanced contemplation of an unimaginable future and an unspeakable past.” — Booklist
“Love, particularly early love, never lets us go completely...The Captives unfurls with both speed and authenticity hurling the reader deep into the mysteries of the human heart.” — Darcey Steinke, author of Sister Golden Hair and Suicide Blonde
“The Captives is a powerful novel, complex, dark, and enthralling. The story is riveting, all the way to the thrillingly twisted ending. Immergut’s brand of literary noir masterfully interweaves points of view, voices, and temporal shifts, with dialogue as sharp and clean as cut glass. Bravo!” — Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man and Blue Plate Special
“The weight of deception on an otherwise honorable being, and the strain of fearful events and discoveries is Debra Jo Immergut’s subject... The Captives is a compelling story of two disparate individuals, only one of whom believes that consolation is more important than truth.” — Susanna Moore, author of In the Cut
“Debra Jo Immergut’s psychological thriller had me captivated from the first page. Its two lost souls come together like the meeting of nitrogen and glycerine, a desperate female prisoner and a prison psychologist about to cross the line. A mesmerizing debut.” — Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander and The Revolution of Marina M.
“The Captives is psychologically astute and wise with equal doses of power and pain. Immergut mines the depths of the human psyche to reveal how weakness can turn into obsession and how a single misstep can send a life careening off course.” — Ivy Pochoda, author of Visitation Street and Wonder Valley
“The Captives knows obsession. Pair a female McEwan with du Maurier and you know some of the pleasures of Immergut. The book will lure you to read quickly, sure, yet deeper metaphysical questions will linger...Smart, humanistic...The Captives’ characters are pure hunger.” — Edie Meidav, author of Kingdom of the Young and Lola, California
“This novel had me completely in its grip...A smart, artful, engrossing read that thrums with a kind of twisted elegance that hearkens back to old school classic noir films and draws you into its ‘thrall of dangerous love.’” — Sharon Guskin, author of The Forgetting Time
“Not a word is out of place in The Captives . What a rare gift. If you’re a reader looking for a multidimensional thriller with exceptional characterization, watertight prose, and a wealth of uncomfortable, fascinating ideas about family and identity, Debra Jo Immergut has, at long last, written one for you.” — Los Angeles Review of Books
A swift, clever two-hander. . . . [The Captives ] dissolves and reconstitutes its characters’ notions of what a prisoner owes a prison or a doctor owes a patient.
New York Times Book Review
The Captives is a powerful novel, complex, dark, and enthralling. The story is riveting, all the way to the thrillingly twisted ending. Immergut’s brand of literary noir masterfully interweaves points of view, voices, and temporal shifts, with dialogue as sharp and clean as cut glass. Bravo!
The weight of deception on an otherwise honorable being, and the strain of fearful events and discoveries is Debra Jo Immergut’s subject... The Captives is a compelling story of two disparate individuals, only one of whom believes that consolation is more important than truth.
Love, particularly early love, never lets us go completely...The Captives unfurls with both speed and authenticity hurling the reader deep into the mysteries of the human heart.
Just being honest: I do judge a book by its cover, and this one sent a chill down my spine. The story inside did not disappoint...Tortured, fascinating, and hard to look away from. Immergut used to teach writing in prisons, and her expertise on both subjects shows.
“The Captives is a fascinating psychological thriller about the lengths that we will go to in order to save people from themselves. . . . A rollercoaster ride that will keep you engrossed until the very last page.
Begins as an incisive portrait of two people who encounter each other in a moment of weakness, but slowly blooms into a plot-driven escapade with a surprising turn of the screw.
With its see-saw of quixotic emotions, Immergut’s stunning debut is a taut psychological drama that explores [her characters’] nuanced contemplation of an unimaginable future and an unspeakable past.
Not a word is out of place in The Captives . What a rare gift. If you’re a reader looking for a multidimensional thriller with exceptional characterization, watertight prose, and a wealth of uncomfortable, fascinating ideas about family and identity, Debra Jo Immergut has, at long last, written one for you.
Los Angeles Review of Books
Debra Jo Immergut’s psychological thriller had me captivated from the first page. Its two lost souls come together like the meeting of nitrogen and glycerine, a desperate female prisoner and a prison psychologist about to cross the line. A mesmerizing debut.
The Captives is psychologically astute and wise with equal doses of power and pain. Immergut mines the depths of the human psyche to reveal how weakness can turn into obsession and how a single misstep can send a life careening off course.
The Captives knows obsession. Pair a female McEwan with du Maurier and you know some of the pleasures of Immergut. The book will lure you to read quickly, sure, yet deeper metaphysical questions will linger...Smart, humanistic...The Captives’ characters are pure hunger.
This novel had me completely in its grip...A smart, artful, engrossing read that thrums with a kind of twisted elegance that hearkens back to old school classic noir films and draws you into its ‘thrall of dangerous love.’
With its see-saw of quixotic emotions, Immergut’s stunning debut is a taut psychological drama that explores [her characters’] nuanced contemplation of an unimaginable future and an unspeakable past.
04/02/2018
Debra Jo Immergut’s psychological thriller had me captivated from the first page. Its two lost souls come together like the meeting of nitrogen and glycerine, a desperate female prisoner and a prison psychologist about to cross the line. A mesmerizing debut.
2018-03-20
