Thriller

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. ( )

I picked up this book at a bookstore for around $5. I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised.

'Kick' is the nickname of the protagonist, a 21-year-old woman with a truly unpleasant past who is still in the midst of recovery 10 years later. Kick was kidnapped at age 6, and was subsequently brainwashed, sexually abused and exploited for five years. We meet Kick 10 years after her rescue and it is clear that despite her attempts at learning to protect herself, she is still deeply traumatized.

Despite child pornography and its fallout being the largest aspect of the novel, Cain manages to keep it from being stomach-churningly descriptive. We know that the movies made of her as a child are still the most popular child porn on the web, but further graphic details are never given. This is a clever amount of withholding by the author as it keeps the reader engaged and curious but stops far before the line of lurid shock factor details. There are a few moments of complete dissociation for Kick, where even the use of her name changes to show Kick's mindset that I genuinely liked.

I definitely hope there is more of Kick's 'brother' James in future books as I found his backstory interesting and the depth of their relationship was really the emotional core of the story.

A solid 7/10 ( )

Can't wait for the next book!!! She needs to start writing faster than one book a year!! She's killing me!!!! ( )

Not my favorite Cain book. I found the main character's (a victim of horrific child sexual abuse) behavior unrealistic. However, the writing is great as always and the villains are really, really horrible. The fact that this is sort of 'ripped from the headlines' made me sick to my stomach. ( )

Kick Lannigan (Beth) was kidnapped at the age of six and "raised" by new parents (Mel and Linda), who were part of a child pornography ring making Beth an Internet star. Rescued at age ten by the FBI, Kick becomes determined to ensure her safety, becoming an expert in martial arts and weapons: guns, throwing stars, knives, nunchucks, etc. Estranged from her publicity-loving mother, Kick's closest companions are her elderly dog Monster and her adopted brother James, another troubled victim of child abduction.

On the tenth anniversary of her rescue, Kick is recruited by a man named Bishop who is trying to find other missing children. He believes some of the same ring of people behind Kick's kidnapping are behind this new set of kidnappings, and he believes that Kick holds clues to their location. Reluctantly, Kick is drawn into the search for the missing children, including seeing her dying kidnapper "father," in a fast-paced thriller. I was disappointed in the many inconsistencies in Kick's personality and behavior, and hope Chelsea Cain can smooth these out in the next book.
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I'm sure part of my dislike was due to just not being all that interested in contemporary suspense (chose this to read for a Reader's Advisory class), but then there's the fact that there isn't much that's redeemable in this story. Is Kick supposed to be this great girl protagonist? I can get behind the fact that she's flawed (to put it lightly) yet supposedly bright and expertly trained in combat (not that I feel *any* better that there are people in this world like her armed to the teeth). But she's bested by Bishop IN EVERY SCENE. Seriously. He is always one step ahead of her. Even when you think Kick's finally got her shit together, she's just a damsel in distress. Why should you think a person kidnapped and toured around in child pornography circles in her youth will ever really get her shit together? You're right--you probably don't. The twists and turns in this book are only there to forward the plot, not to seem like they follow any logic to make you more empathetic to anyone or anything going on in this book. Unless you're into reading anything at all about child pornography and people gutting poor old dogs, which was, BTW, the only compelling part of the story because it was so completely miserable, I say nope nope nope nopedy nope.

Caveat: The audio version is pretty alright. The reader (Heather Lind) does a great job at conveying the hollow psyches of all the characters--considering they've all been through some sort of major trauma, yeah, the hollowness is appropriate. ( )

More like 2.5 stars. I have problems with books that have an animal(s) get hurt/killed. I see where Cain was going but it broke my heart too much and made me sad. Overall, the book was okay. I wasn't as into it as Archie and Gretchen but if I find the next one for cheap/free, I will read it. There's enough backstory mystery there to be interesting but not enough to make it OH MY GOD GIVE ME THE SEQUEL NOW. ( )

I loved Chelsea Cain's Mockingbird run but hadn't really looked for other things she'd written.I stumbled across this book, recognized the author, and grabbed it. I really really liked this. It's difficult to read - the main character was kidnapped by a pedophile as a young girl and ended up in kiddie porn for years until she was rescued. Given that the plot has this character, now an adult, reliving parts of her past in order to save another kidnapped child, was really hard to read at times.

That said, I sped through this book and immediately looked for book two as soon as I was done. And I'm honestly crushed that it looks like it will never be published. Because I really liked Kick and I want her to emotionally grow and recover. I want to find out what happens next with her and Bishop, and to find out the story behind just who Bishop is and his mysterious employer. ( )

If only abuse turned you into a superhero. She had to give him her kidney at the end. Just felt exploitive of victims and explosions every few pages didn't make it thrilling, it got boring. ( )

What feels like ages ago, I read the first two books in Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan series. And what I remembered about them was being freaked out by the serial killer. When I saw that she was starting a new series, I decided to give the audiobook a try knowing how much I had enjoyed the others. Chelsea Cain still has it. I was rooting for Kick and dying to understand her train of thought and little idiosyncrasies. And when it turns out that the current kidnappings are related to her kidnapping, I loved watching her figure everything out and chase down the kidnappers. And the story did get freaky and scary at times. I loved that. Oh and I'm dying to learn what Bishop's angle is. ( )

This book is so hard to read. But so good. It covers a very sensitive subject that can be difficult to stomach at times. It may be fiction, but many times fiction is based on fact. It breaks my heart that children, even today, are being subjected such awful things. And if they manage to reach adulthood, they continue to live and cope with the horrors of their childhood. I can't imagine the amount of research Chelsea Cain did to write this. ( )

Having enjoyed Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan/Grethcen Powell series I looked forward to reading her new novel One Kick. And while I wasn't disappointed, it didn't have quite the same impact or strong character building has her previous novels.

The story centers around Kick Lannigan who was kidnapped at the age of six and held in captivity for five years before being freed. Unfortunately her abductors were part of a child pornography ring and she was not only abused but films were made of her proliferated across the Internet.

We find Kick, now a 21 year old woman, both a very strong character but at the same time very vulnerable. She has developed herself into a serious martial artist, an expert in guns and other deadly weapons, as well as breaking and entering and getting out of handcuffs and other restraints. She vows to never let herself be hurt again. But of course there are still emotional scars that run deep, making her a powerful and sympathetic character.

As we learn about Kick's past and present another child goes missing with similar trademarks of her abduction, suggesting it may be part of the same ring. She is offered a chance to help find the missing child that she ultimately just can't turn down.

The rest of the novel is a harrowing chase to find the missing child that finds Kick teamed up with a mysterious stranger named Bishop who works for an arms dealer. She has to relive her past to help find the missing child.

She even goes to the state infirmary where her abductor is dying of kidney failure trying to get information that might help locate the missing child and hopefully bust up the ring. Here we see an odd scene that shows she has a twisted emotional connection with the man who abused her for so many years.

Kick Lannigan is a very well-drawn and compelling character but the others, with the possible exception of Frank the FBI agent who saved her, were borderline cliché. And while I mostly enjoyed One Kick, the plot and the Bishop character really stretched credibility and my willingness to suspend disbelief. Nevertheless, I will definitely be looking forward to the next novel in the series. ( )

Super good. Can't wait for the next one. ( )

Chelsea Cain writes about the evilist of charactets and in such a way that you do not want to put the book down. Kick (Kit) Lannigan was abducted as a young child and forced into making pornography. The "Beth" movies are still very actively traded online. Thtough flasbacks we learn her story. Bishop recruits her to help find a missing boy that he believes was abducted by somene she knew during that time. Her "brother" James is an important part of her life and the solving of the crime. A very strong character who I hope we meet again. ( )

Read this in a day, definitely a book you won't put down. ( )

Kidnapped at age 6 by a child pornographer, Kick is brainwashed before being recovered by chance at age 11. She became an emancipated minor after her birth mother turned 'mother of an abducted child' into a career with books and TV spots. By age 21 Kick has learned just about every self-defense technique there is. She is approached by a man who appears to be a soldier of fortune who wants her assistance in recovering an abducted child. I really enjoyed this book and read it almost within 24 hours, which is unusual for me. The main character Kick is intriguing, complex and sympathetic. I was a little less impressed with the character of John Bishop, who frequently came across as somewhat of a dick. But overall I really enjoyed it and am excited to read the next book in the series. 4.5 stars ( )

This is a mystery/thriller set in Portland, Oregon. (hooray!) Kick Lannigan is a former victim of child abduction, and child abuse. As an adult, she suffers with the psychological aftermath. She is a crack shot and lock-picker, and would like to rescue other abducted children. It's disturbing, without being too graphic, well-written and plotted. ( )

First things first, this is a book whose main subject matter is child abduction and pornography but if please don’t let that put you off. It is in no way explicit and deals with this horrific subject matter sensitively.
Kick (Kit/Katherine) Lannigan was abducted at the age of five and finally rescued from her abductor at the age of ten. I felt the rescue was incredibly effective, I was so confused as to who the bad guys were which mirrored Kick’s feelings very effectively. The book however focuses on Kick at the age of twenty one. Let down on her return by her parents, in very different ways, she has recreated herself as a one woman fighting machine. I was exhausted imagining the way she lived her life, constantly on guard, on the defensive always assuming the worst was going to happen.
Into this damaged life comes Bishop a real enigma, even by the end of the book I still wasn’t sure who or what he was. Looking forward to finding out more in the next book hopefully. Together they embark on a hunt for two more missing children and this allows Kick to exercise a few demons of her own.
I really enjoyed Chelsea Cain’s Gretchen Lowell series and I wasn’t disappointed with this new character at all. The subject matter is deeply unpleasant but her writing never feel voyeuristic, indeed I defy anyone not to shed a tear as Kick recounts how James ended up in the hands of Klugman and his cronies.
It seems like the beginning of a fantastic new series and I look forward greatly to the next.

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Really great new series! I read all of the Gretchen Lowell series and they were fabulous! This is totally different but still good. The main character, Kick, her appearance and bad habits, leave something to be desired though but I guess that makes it all the more real. Looking forward to the 2nd book... ( )

This is a good book for its genre, something of an action thriller novel. It is not great literature by any means, but I really wanted to know what was going to happen next and would read another book in the series. My main problems were that the leading man was a bit predictable and the main character ignores the fact that he's a complete ass most of the book. I'm still waiting for her to take control and actually outsmart him or tell him off. Also, when in her head, the main character is a smart, well-trained woman, but then she does idiotic things fairly often. Seriously, balance out the idiotic with her doing some intelligent things and getting ahead of him occasionally. ( )

I received an early peek at this one from the publisher via Netgalley. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down! The main character, Kit "Kick" Lanigan was an interesting character and has a lot of potential as the centerpiece of this new series. Kick is such a strong main character, but deeply flawed after her 5 years living with the family that had abducted her. She reminds me a bit of Lisbeth Salander in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books, but these are rated more PG-13 than those. I highly recommend it and predict a lot of people will be reading it when it comes out in August. ( )

One Kick introduces 21 year old Kick Lannigan. When she was six she was kidnapped and rescued by the FBI five years later. The abduction has left Kick constantly on guard. She fills her free time working to sharpen her preparedness skills whether that means lock-picking, muscle-strengthening, or practicing an ability to extricate herself from handcuffs. Kick may have been rescued, but the sordid story of her kidnapping and imprisonment remains alive and there's no escaping the frustration and rage Kick battles with.

She lives in an apartment above her brother, James, a cyber-genius with a taste for patterns, algorithms, travel posters, and inspirational quotes. On Kick’s own wall hangs a Rand McNally map, dotted with pushpins, on which she tracks lost, missing, and kidnapped kids. Then, despite all her vigilance, her home is breached by a mysterious man named John Bishop, who turns out to be an ex-arms dealer with mysterious friends in high places. Both Kick and Bishop are anxious to rescue a recently kidnapped child named Adam Rice. Kick and Bishop make an uneasy team and I'm curious if they continue their relationship in the next book of the series.

I enjoyed the first four books in the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series and there's a similarity here. Both Kick and Archie have suffered traumatic events that make them incapable of having normal relationships. I feel like the last two Archie/Gretchen books were redundant versions of the first four. Since this is Book One of a new series I will definitely plan to read the next one and see if the author can develop Kick into a more fully developed character and not just a female version of Archie. ( )

Kit Lannigan was kidnapped when she was 6 years old when a stranger offered to help Kit find her missing puppy. Five years later Kit was rescued but during those 5 years Kit was renamed "Beth" and taught how to shoot, pick a lock, build a bomb and perform for the camera. As an 11-year-old, Kit underwent extensive therapy under the watchful eye of her mother who revels in the spotlight and fame her abused child has provided. Kit spent the next 10 years learning every manner of self-defense and weapon training she could master and changed her name to "Kick". She is contacted by the handsome, but secretive, John Bishop to help in a Seattle missing-child case. Bishop believes that Kick's experiences as an abducted child will help give her insight into the minds of the kidnappers. Kick and Bishop will stop at nothing to rescue the youngster, risking their own lives in the process.

This is the first in a new series by Chelsea Cain and I can't say I am a fan. I did enjoy her Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series but this one may not be one I continue. I don't like Kick at all; she is way too angry and hot-headed. The subject matter is distasteful and I don't think I want to read more about exploited children. Cain can definitely write a thrilling, suspenseful story so that brought this up from a 2 star read to a 3.
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4.5/5
If there is only one thing to be said about Chelsea Cain, it needs to be said that she is a damn fine writer. In fact, along with Taylor Stevens, she will be my go-to-author if I want to read an action-driven, intense thriller with an absolute kick-ass of a heroine.

One Kick is a captivating, gripping story with two mesmerising and highly damaged individuals as heroes. Kick herself was kidnapped as a little girl and for 5 years starred in child pornography films thinking that her captor was her dad because trauma suppressed her memories. Since being found by FBI she's done everything to make herself stronger, faster and tougher, so she would never be weak and defenceless again. However, each story about a kidnapped child, each report of a missing boy or girl is a direct stab into her heart, and when she is approached by a mysterious stranger with a request to help find the latest kidnapped child she can not resist.

Bishop, the person who hires Kick, is an absolute enigma. Sexy, damaged, rich, sarcastic as hell, hostile to her to the point of explosive violence just to prove his point... he commands reader's attention every time he steps on the page, and I adored him, and he matched Kick perfectly.

Their journey to save the child and uncover an old network of child abusers is very chilling and uncovers the dark sides of their nature, and it takes everything Kick has not to have a nervous breakdown when her suppressed memories start to resurface. There is no romance between her and Bishop, but there is strong undercurrent of one and a lot of promise. The air just crackles with tension between these two, and when you add to it a captivating story, you have a fantastic thriller. Very much recommended. ( )