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Release date: April 11, 2017
Publisher: Rise Press
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Blurb:
Be careful what you post online. Your next check-in might lead him right to you…
A serial rapist is kidnapping teenage girls. But he’s not interested in just any teenage girls—only virgins. He hunts them by following their status updates and check-ins on social media. Once he’s captured them, they’re locked away in his sound-proof basement until they’re groomed and ready. He throws them away like pieces of trash after he’s stolen their innocence. Nobody escapes alive.
Until Ella.
Ella risks it all to escape, setting herself and the other girls free. But only Sarah—the girl whose been captive the longest—gets out with her. The girls are hospitalized and surrounded by FBI agents who will stop at nothing to find the man responsible. Ella and Sarah are the key to their investigation, but Sarah’s hiding something and it isn’t long before Ella discovers her nightmare is far from over.
Fans of The Butterfly Garden and The Girl Before will devour Appetite for Innocence
Warning: Contains sexual violence which may be a trigger for some readers..
Review:
This is the third book I’ve read by Berry, if you missed my reviews here are the ones for Phantom Limb and Missing Parts. I feel like she’s really found her niche as an author and she’s consistently publishing books with dark, but totally fascinating subject matter that are extremely addictive reads.
This is told from two viewpoints, that of Ella and Sarah and it flashes back between Then and Now. Then details the two teenagers time when they were kept prisoner after being kidnapped by a sick and sadistic man named John. Now covers the timeline following when they escaped and are trying to acclimate to life after horrific events. He stalks his victims using social media and he has a very specific type, he only wants pure and innocent virgins. As always, the basic plot sucked me right in and grabbed my attention from the get go.
This is extremely fast paced, there were no moments of boredom and no chance of me losing interest. Berry slowly reveals the girls backstory and you eventually learn how they were kidnapped and how they managed to escape. There were several smaller twists that kept me on my toes and the writing was very dark and graphic. There are multiple scenes portraying abuse, it was hard to read but still really gripping.
As always I love the look into human psychology that Berry brings with her background as a clinical psychologist, it fascinates me. Her books are pure entertainment and wild rides, packed with tension and intrigue, and while they’re on the shorter side, I love being able to devour a book in one sitting.
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to the author for my review copy.
Novelgossip 
This one is high up on my TBR list. I loved Phantom Limbs. Great review!
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Thank you! I think you’ll like this one too
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Human psychology is so fascinating and you can always tell when a professional is talking about it. I like the sound of this book, and I have another story from the author on my TBR! Great review!
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Isn’t it?! Thanks Donna
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That sounds interesting! A bit like Risk by Fleur Ferris, do you know it? I’ll add appetite for innocence to my TBR!
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No I haven’t heard of it, I’ll check it out!
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This sounds really intriguing. Would you say that it’s a story with strong female characters or is it more focused on the dark and gritty stuff? Because if it’s got strong characters I feel like adding it to my TBR. Great review!
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It’s a mix I would say! Ella turns into a strong person but is also so broken from the ordeal. Definitely very gritty.
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I’ve never heard of this author before but this sounds like something I would enjoy 🙂
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I’ve only read one other by her, The Sound of Glass but that was good too! Have you read Big Little Lies? It was a bit like that
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No I haven’t read that either, but there goes another one on the list 🙂
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Jeez I’m all messed up I thought you commented on my review for a different book 😂 Sound of Glass is Karen White. Sorry
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I really liked Phantom Limb too, adding this on my wishlist! Thanks for the review!
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Thank you Inge!
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Ahhhh that cover still freaks me out so much. BUT you know what I do love? That the book description contains a trigger warning!! I’m a big proponent of trigger warnings 🙂
I’m very intrigued with the fact that the bad guy stalks his prey via social media… It is so unsettling because it is so plausible these days… Social media is a scary thing when you really think about it.
Great review Amy!
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I thought that was great too! It really is, I’m terrified about my kids having it one day.
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