26th February, 2015

She’s Never Coming Back

Name : TAN HOONG WEI
Class : S4B
School Num. : 12196
Book Call Num. : –
Book Title : She’s Never Coming Back
Author : Hans Koppel
Publication Year/(Edition) : Sphere (2012)

Setting:
Sweden

Characters:
Ylva Zetterberg- A captive held in her nieghbour’s basement. Continuously tortured and subjected to sexual abuse. She was ignorant of what she did in the past and solely regretted her wrong doings.
Mike Aetterberg- Ylva’s husband. He is frantic of Ylva’s disappearance. He soon become a suspect. He ends up with Ylva’s friend, Nour.
Sanna Zetterberg- Ylva and Mike’s only daughter. She is determined that her mother will come back one day and she worries about her even at such a small age. She ends up spending most of her time with Nour and Mike.

Summary:
When Ylva, a loving mother and wife, fails to come home from work, her husband is not initially suspicious. But as time passes he becomes frantic with worry. And by the time he finally contacts the police, he is almost hysterical. Given the mysterious circumstances of her disappearance, he becomes the number one suspect.

But what no one knows is that she’s being held hostage in the celler of the house opposite her own.

A camera is rigged against her house and Ylva can only watch her family on the screen. They cannot see her – and they most certainly cannot hear her scream…

When Ylva Zetterberg doesn’t come home from work one evening, her husband, Mike, assumes that she has gone out with some coworkers, has too much to drink and decides to stay with a friend. When she still doesn’t return the next day, he suspects that she may be involved in an affair—after all, that wouldn’t be the first time that it happened. Although Ylva’s work friend, Nour, tells Mike that Ylva has left the get-together early to take the bus home, he doesn’t really believe that. It isn’t until several days have elapsed that he really begins to worry, although he keeps reassuring their daughter, Sanna, that she will be returning soon.

The truth of what happened to Ylva is horrifying. Seeking revenge for an atrocity that Ylva and three of her friends (the “Gang of Four”) committed on their daughter over twenty years ago, a couple who move across the street from Ylva and Mike abduct her. They build a special cellar as her prison and set up a camera for her to watch the exterior of her home. They are intent on debasing her, with the husband using her as his own sexual vessel, with the ultimate plan to demoralize Ylva so thoroughly that she will commit suicide.

Reviews:
The darker side of Earth is everywhere. It is hidden at every corner, every nook and cranny. Vengeance tastes sweeter than honey itself and one crossed parent will kill for the sake of his or her child. But in this case, both the parents are the culprits. This book is mainly about vendetta. The innocent aren’t as innocent as they seem, and the guilty ones too. We should always think twice before making assumptions. And we should never be involved in crime, may it be big of small. What has been done cannot be undone. Overall, this book is a good book to read.

Posted at 9:12 am | Comments (6)

6 Comments

On February 27, 2015 at 10:22 am s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:

February 27, 2015 at 10:22 am

Name: Caryn Tan Khye Lyn
Class: K3B
This is by far one of the most mind-boggling and sweat-drenching book I’ve ever read. The story started off slow but it soon sped up. It shows us how violence is power and some people use it to control others. It may be disconcerting, since there are mild graphic details in the book, it’s still a nice book to read. Ylva being captured, she escaped but later dies. It’s sad to see her leave this world in a blink of an eye. And also see how she feels about her husband marrying her best friend.
On February 27, 2015 at 10:22 am s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:

February 27, 2015 at 10:22 am

Name: Koay Yi Yun
Class: K3C
“Don’t die on me! Don’t you dare die on me Ylva!” was my mantra throughout the book. I mean, I couldn’t believe Ylva dies as soon as she stepped out of the house. I mean, come on! That’s outrageous. This book serves a purpose for the world and it withholds “Revenge is not sweet.” We have no idea how everybody is around us. They may seem nice outside, but on the onside, they may be twisted. And that is the main reason why we should not bully people or tempt them into doing something terrifying. Who knows who they are except their selves?
On February 27, 2015 at 10:22 am s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:

February 27, 2015 at 10:22 am

Name: Ding Kah Wen
Class: K3C
A simple mistake could lead to a huge mess. It could even send your universe collapsing into heaps of nothingness. So, be it in this life or any other life, BE WISE. Nobody is perfect, everybody makes flaws once in a while. What we can do though, is to avoid ourselves from doing committing crimes. Bullying is not a wise act as well. Think about it, if you were the victim, how would you feel? Satisfied? Happy? I bet you would be cowering by now!
On February 27, 2015 at 10:25 am s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:

February 27, 2015 at 10:25 am

Name: Yeap Yu Xian
Class: K3C
Simply exceptional. I live this book to bits. Not only does it have your heart palpitating, it also gives you the classic shivers down your spine. The torture Ylva had to face was excruciating. Raped and tormented, Ylva never gave up on hope that one day she will escape the hell-hole. Alas, the day had come but she died. It’s truly sad to see her pass away just within the reach of her husband’s arm.
On March 13, 2015 at 9:16 pm s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:

March 13, 2015 at 9:16 pm

Name: Stella Anne Teoh Ming Hui
Class: S4C

It’s astounding. The brutality of Ylva’s captive had me constantly flinching. It’s utterly scary how a single past could wreak havoc in the future, breaking families apart and torturing them in the worst way possible. I do pity Ylva and her family. But then again, she did something incredibly wrong, which eventually led to a girl’s death and the parents’ grief. We should always prevent ourselves from doing evil, before it’s too late.
On March 23, 2015 at 10:57 pm s4c.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:

March 23, 2015 at 10:57 pm

Name: Stella Anne Teoh Ming Hui
Class: K3C
This was a really interesting read, but like some of the other books you reviewed before, quite gory and morbid. The ending really put me off believing in happy endings, but I suppose everyone undergoes their fair share of misfortunes, unfortunately Ylva went through more than imaginable. It is exciting in its own way, but I would pick a fairytale over this, for its happy ending anyway. Nice read though.