Review: The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

29981261 The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Received: Borrowed
Publication Date: April 26th 2016
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 16+
Pacing: Painfully Slow
Genres & Themes: Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Rape, Sisterhood

BLURB:

Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…

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Hallelujah! I’m done! I’m done!

I finally finished reading this book. Finally.

I thought it would never ever ever end.

First things first. The author does create an original story with a one-of-a-kind world-building and type of narration.

I’ll let that sink in, because it’s true and not to be overlooked.

AND. The beginning and ending are extremely thrilling. This author sure knows how to wrap up a story. I was especially happy to have all of my questions (or so) answered. We still don’t know what will happen with some characters, but we can just assume, and that’s okay-ish with me.

BUT. My problem was with everything in between the beginning and ending.

You have no idea how painfully slow this book is. Who said this was a thriller? Who? Who? I want names. Right now.

There is little that will thrill you except for, like I said, the beginning with its multiple revelations and ending for similar reasons.

But you know what really happens in this book? We get to know people. A lot. Girl after girl. I’m probably shaking my brain out of its resting place wondering why the hell did the author not provide a glossary with the names. After a while of getting to know kidnapped girl after kidnapped girl, 1) I didn’t care about them anymore and 2) I lost track of who was supposed to be who (except for the main ones).

The thing is, I didn’t care about personally knowing kidnapped girls! I didn’t care about why they died or why they lived! I just wanted them all to get the hell out of that monstrous place!

Sigh. I guess you could say that I didn’t like the execution.

And I’m sorry but Desmond never warmed up to me, so I don’t see how he could have warmed up to Maya.

Anyway, my rant is over. I wish I had known this was going to be so slow and uneventful (unless you call getting to know person after person eventful) and repetitive.

I never would have read this if I had known.

Just ugh.
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