Writing reviews like this is especially difficult because I don’t think my dislike for the book has much to do with the author, who quite clearly put her heart and genius into the narrative, but more to do with who I am as a reader. So I’ll keep this short and sweet: I didn’t like Dear Miss Metropolitan. The main issue for me was that I simply didn’t find it especially compelling, but books grab each reader differently and there are others out there who I know will be fully captivated from start to finish.

I am immensely grateful to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my audio review copy. All opinions are my own.

When it comes to short stories, Carolyn Ferrell, author of "Dear Miss Metropolitan," is a clear winner. Her comfort with this form of writing is seen in DMM. Rather than being divided into traditional chapters, this book is broken up into several shorter sections. Each entry, whether it be a single line or many paragraphs lengthy and structured like a poem, "note to self," or calendar, will have a bolded title at the top of the page. Some of the titles contain enigmatic literary allusions or abbreviations with many possible meanings. I found these items tough and inhibited the reading experience.

Those fragmented parts are a huge triumph for Ferrell. This is good, experimental literature written in a new style. If the reader can preserve, her approach will suck you in and emulate the fragmented psyche of the three afflicted females; extremely unpleasant. The point of view (POV) shifts from one character to another (but is always clearly defined), allowing for the perspectives of many important figures to be heard. From Fern’s brother, Bud, we can see the level of dysfunction and shocking lack of family & love that colored their youth and beyond.

Somehow, Fern, Gwinnie, and maybe even Jesenia and the infant made it through such inhospitable environments and lived to tell the tale. In plain sight of the many long-term residents of the area, it took place in a modest home. How does that happen? Miss Metropolitan is one of those neighbors - an old school, practically outdated reporter for a dying daily. This news has the potential to completely alter the world.

After being rescued from 10 years of horrendous abuse by “Boss Man”, Fern and Gwinnie’s story is only half revealed. Later in the narrative, they begin to heal and integrate back into society. The narrative jumps around in time to fill up details, and modern "helpers" show up to cash in. You shouldn't assume the worst just yet. Fortunately, there is a nurse who seems to have been sent from above to fight for the girls at every turn.

If you are at all sensitive to stories of sexual or physical abuse, or to stories in which others experience such abuse, this book is not for you. Harsh language, gay shaming, and substance abuse are also present. A remarkable group of strong young ladies who you won't soon forget.

Debut novelist Carolyn Ferrell's Dear Miss Metropolitan is one of the most uniquely crafted books I have ever read. This account of three young girls who are kidnapped, abused, and held for years at a home in Queens reads like a scrapbook, handing out bits and pieces of the story willy-nilly to form a whole. Since Dear Miss Metropolitan is a social commentary, highlighting black and brown familial relationships and the lack of attention that missing person's cases of minorities receive in the media, its unique format works ... but will not be for everyone.

The biggest complaint that you will hear about Dear Miss Metropolitan is that it is confusing. That is without a doubt - it is mystifying - but the minute I found myself confused, I read a few reviews to get myself grounded in the story and understand its structure. This helped elevate my overall enjoyment of Ferrell's peculiar narrative and assisted me in understanding what to expect from this book.

Here's what you need to know. Loosely based on the Ariel Castro kidnappings, Dear Miss Metropolitan follows three girls - Fern, Gwin, and Jesenia - before, during, and after they are kidnapped and subjected to terrors beyond your imagination. In erratic narration, the girls tell us about their lives pre-kidnapping and help us understand how their upbringings shaped the young women they would become. We also learn about what life was like in the literal house of horrors in which they were held. When the girls are finally rescued, there trio is now a duo, and a section of the book is devoted to uncovering what happened to the missing third girl. Interspersed in the three main characters' narratives is commentary from other members of the community, including that of a news reporter who lived in the neighborhood and missed this crime which was right under her nose.

I listened to an audiobook of this novel, narrated by Bahni Turpin. Turpin is one of my favorite narrators, and I will listen to any book that she works on! She gives great voice to the characters of this novel and really brings them to life. I so enjoyed listening to her narration. However, due to no fault of her own, some listeners may prefer to actually read this book since its structure is already so difficult to follow. Thank you to NetGalley and Libro.fm for a complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Miss Metropolitan will appeal to anyone who enjoys something a bit experimental.

Dear Miss Metropolitan is a fascinating novel that explore life before, during, and after the kidnapping and torture of three young women. Ferrell plays with narrative structure and point of view in an unexpected way. Reading this novel is better suited for an in print experience (I listened to an audiobook). Memorable story, memorable characters.

The audiobook was pretty great - the story meh not so much. I wanted to love this but it felt way too long and dull. I needed more out of it.

If you choose to read this story, I recommend the physical book over the audio. Not that that narrator performed poorly, it’s the structure of this story that was a struggle for me. I had to wait and request the ebook from the library to finish this one knowing the rave reviews I’ve seen.

But even after receiving the ebook, I didn’t feel the rave. I felt the story itself had the opportunity to be amazing, but the way the story was told was disjointed and pretty difficult to follow. About halfway, maybe two thirds of the way through, we are transported 30ish years in the future and the book has a completely different tone. The shift felt awkward.

Dear Miss Metropolitan is loosely based on the Ariel Castro case. There are so many similar traits this fictional book is based on. But in this book, there were some over the top moments, that made me feel like “less” could have been a lot “more.”

Content warnings: rape, kidnapping, abortion, child abuse, suicide, murder

Big thank you to Libro FM and Netgalley for this ALC!

I tried to get into this book because the premise sounded good and the narrator is amazing. I realized that because of the writing style, this book was hard for me to understand and follow in the audio format. I do plan to pick up a copy of the book at my local library when it is available because I truly believe this to be a story worth reading.

Dear Miss Metropolitan
By: Carolyn Ferrell
Release date: July 6, 2021

I don’t even really know how to review this book. It took me over a month to read it and I am still left with more questions than answers.

My dominate thought the entire time reading this book was, “This story is all over the place.” I felt as though there was nothing to ground me as a reader. There didn’t seem to be even one reliable narrator or character that I could use to get and keep up with the story.

The story is ultimately about the abuse and trauma inflicted upon three teenage girls at the hands of a sadistic madman. That much is understood. In that way, I understand some of Ferrell’s decision to tell the story in a fragments, halting and somewhat fanciful tone. I understood the the arrested development of the main characters. The body and mind will do what it need to in order to survive.

One of the issues that I had was that the story seemed to be told from a few perspectives that were not the victims’. This is where most of my confusion stemmed from. I was hoping for at least one character that would be able to decide and translate the information that the reader gets from the three main characters. I don’t believe we were afforded that.

I am still not quite sure how Matilda Marin fits into the story, which further confused me. Is she simply the reporter who wrote the original stories about the girls in the local newspaper? I’m just not sure.

I can really appreciate how Ferrell included and implicated the entire community in what happened. She illustrates the collective trauma that occurs when a child goes missing. She also points a finger at the same community for it’s lack of care leading up to such a tragedy.

The story is a redemptive one, at the heart of it, but it does not romanticize the difficult healing required and the lasting damage that severe abuse and trauma causes.

Something important to note: I consumed this book via audiobook. When the book was finally realized, I went to the bookstore to look a a physical copy, and the storytelling devices used made a bit more sense. I believe that having the physical book and seeing that the story was not told in straight prose, would have helped ground me in the story. I am, however, reviewing the book based on my actual experience with the work.


Questions for the author:

- who is Matilda Marin? Why inject her into the story in the way she was?
- Who sent the postcards to Catania? Did that actually happen?
- How exactly were the women rescued?

Queens, New York 2002, where three teenage girls found themselves in a modern day house of horrors. Tragically, they were kidnapped by a creature they called Boss Man and held in captivity for 10 years. Tortured, starved and brutally sexually assaulted, their impenetrable friendship willed them to survive. Based on true events. Read-alike: KISS THE GIRLS by James Patterson.

This is a really tough book to listen to in the audiobook format, which is really unfortunate because I was so excited to get an advanced copy having read the summary premise posted. I just know that this would have made such a better book to read as it was written in a nonconventional format. The narrator was great nonetheless. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I tried to get into this book. I really wanted to like it based on the premise and the plot summary. But somewhere about 40% through the audiobook, I lost interest.

Usually, I love alternating points of view, but I think there were too many narrators to keep me interested in the story and ultimately the characters. I found myself having to listen back to parts because my mind would wander or I would find myself confused about who was talking and the actions they were taking.

I wish this book worked out better for me, but it just fell short.

As one of my favorite audio book narrators, Bahni Turpin did not disappoint once again. Bahni made the three victim girls so relatable. This book was not an easy book to bring to audio considering the unorthodox writing style: bullet points, lists, scratched off words, etc.

I recommend this audio to anyone looking for a contemporary drama: three girls being kidnapped in Queens, NY and kept captives for a full decade without any neighbors noticing anything. When finally found, Jesenia is missing but her baby girl is found at the house and immediately brought to social services. An interesting take on how one’s life can turn upside down when kidnapped, whether you are the victim, or a loved one of the victims, or even a neighbor of that « House of Horror » who had no clue what was happening next door for 10 years.

I particularly enjoyed the many POVs within the book which brought more depth to the story. My favorite. POV being the Katanya’s (Jesenia and Boss Man’s baby); how her life was forever linked to her origins and rhe horrific acts of her parents. No one can ever recover from such origins, no matter how many times you change your name and how hard you are trying to suppress who you really are.

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review..

Dear Miss Metropolitan was a story I was very excited about. I liked the premise and where the story of these 3 girls were going to take us. Imagine 3 girls (Gwen, Fern and Jessenia) being taken and living right under your nose without anyone knowing. The girls lived in NY with a man that they only knew as Boss Man. He makes them think that they aren't wanted by their families and no one is looking for them; only he can give them a future if they work hard for him. Filled with loneliness, forced proximity friendship, tension, tragedy and heartbreak, this story had so much potential.

Where it fell short for me was the way the story was executed. I don't know if it will be different in print, but by listening to the audio, I was confused at who was speaking and what year we were in. Since the tragedy of the girls being taken is over a period of 10 years and then we fast forward 30 years after they are set free, it left a lot to be desired. I felt the psychological emotions those girls were going through when they were in Boss Man's home and after, but that may have been because of the tremendous job of Bahni Turpin's narration. She delivered an amazing performance that was dramatic, heartfelt, and really set the tone. Unfortunately, it was the way the story was told where it didn't connect with me. Like I said, maybe the print book will offer more explanation or it is a book to read more than once to grasp the full scope of the story and the journey of the young girls.
This was a Promising story, but didn't hit the mark for me.
Great narration in the audiobook, story lost me a couple times.

Dear Miss Metropolitan is the story of Fern, Gwin, and Jesenia: three young women abducted and held captive for years by the unimaginably cruel Boss Man. We are given a glimpse into the women’s lives before, during, and after their captivity. Perhaps more than their experiences themselves, the novel depicts the psychological impacts of the ordeal. This makes for a tale that is both tragic and frightening, especially given the examples of real-life abductions the book mirrors.

I suspect that this novel will be quite polarizing for readers. While the story is compelling, some readers may struggle with Ferrell’s style and the book’s non-linear structure. The narrative often feels disjointed, but that makes sense to me given the subject matter. The sections that take place prior to the abduction seem a bit more straightforward, while those that occur later in the girls’ captivity convey a more surreal account of the experience. In the future scenes, it appears as though Fern is better able to cope and adjust to life after the women are rescued than Gwin. The author’s choices seem like an attempt to capture the sorts of psychological changes that one might experience during and after such a long time in captivity. The effect is jarring, and ultimately, resulted in a more emotional experience for me as a reader. I suspect I’ll be thinking about this novel for a long time to come.

As other reviewers have mentioned, it initially seemed odd to me that the novel takes its name from a character who seems only tangentially related to the story. Upon further reflection, I think perhaps Miss Metropolitan is representative of everyone who should have realized what was going on in the House of Horrors and didn’t. While it may seem far fetched that none of the neighbors caught onto what was happening on their street, we have seen very similar scenarios play out in real-life abductions. It’s as if the title is the women’s plea for help.

I listened to this book in audio format, narrated by the amazing Bahni Turpin, and I haven’t seen the actual text. My understanding is that there are photos in the text, but I don’t know what the images contain or how they connect to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Company, and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to experience this powerful story.

I was so compelled to read this book just by the cover alone. Come on…the face peaking out of the side of the cover and the bouffant hair…attention getting, curiosity. I won the book as an ARC from Goodreads and audio from NetGalley to provide an honest review. The (Advanced Readers Copy) is gorgeous with deckled edges, and flapped covers.

According to reviews on LibraryThing, you either loved the book or strongly disliked it, but nothing in between. For me, the book is full of lyricism but it tells the tragic story, gives voice to three young girls surviving an unimaginable kidnapping, according to the author, it’s inspired by real events. Well, inspired by real events caught my attention, and I quickly reflected on the Ariel Castro kidnappings that took place between 2002 and 2004 and held 3 girls captive in his home in Cleveland, Ohio. The three girls were imprisoned until May 6, 2013.

The book will be released for sale on July 5, 2021, and I wanted to finish reading and review this obscure novel before that date. I almost gave up on it, because of its jagged edges of storytelling, but I persevered to read with an open mind, and remembered what the main story is about. The novel inventively tells of the events before, during and after the ordeal. As this is Ms. Ferrell’s debut novel, is comical, chilling, and sad. Note, the pictures throughout the book add an element of unexpected charm.

This is a book that may require two readings to fully appreciate the characters and the heartbeat of the story. The writing style was not favorable to me, however, this was the epitome of creative writing at its core. Note, the pictures and illustrations throughout the book add an element of unexpected charm, but the audiobook was narrated wonderfully by Bahni Turpin, dramatic and clear. I dislike the fact that I have to rate the book, because I feel it diminishes the creativity the author has woven into this multi faceted story. It lost me at many points, but the need to understand remained to the very end.

#DearMissMetropolitan
#NetGalley

Carolyn Ferrell's latest book, Dear Miss Metropolitan, is, in a word, unexpected. From the first chapter, audiences are pulled into the narratives of three women who were kidnapped and held captive by "Boss Man" for years. On the surface, Fern, Gwin, and Jesenia are nothing alike, however as they spend more time together in captivity, they discover their similarities.

The story jumps around between their lives before the kidnapping, during their captivity, and after their rescue, allowing the readers to try and piece together the events in the same way that "Miss Metropolitan" (the journalist who lives across the street) does. Ferrell creates a narrative that gives a voice to the voiceless in a work based on the true story of 3 women from Cleaveland.

Some readers may find the writing style confusing or hard to digest, however, I found it delightful. While the subject matter is truly trauma-based, the way Ferrell develops the plot is inventive and brings the reader into the world of a PTSD patient. Ferrell uses a variety of narrative techniques, from newspaper clippings, poetry stanzas, and prose. Something I thought of when reading this book, was its similarity to an archive in a way. By varying the narrative types from chapter to chapter, it gives it more of a "found" feeling, and the pieces feel like they were carefully selected to create the overall story.

I found this book full of twists and turns and loved the way that Ferrell weaved the various time periods together. I also found the occasional moments of dry humor refreshing. As someone with their own history of trauma, it was nice to see a narrative that didn't always take itself so seriously.

Some obligatory trigger warnings just to be cautious of; sexual assault and abuse, physical abuse, mental illness, hospitalizations, pregnancy. This is not an easy read, but I found it very interesting. While I did listen to it, I am looking forward to seeing how this looks on paper.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Dear Miss Metropolitan will be available for purchase on July 6th. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase here. Also, be sure to check out Carolyn Farrell's profile on MacMillan's website!

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I think this audiobook had potential but it has some issues. Listening to it at times I didn't know whose POV it was until I was well into the chapter . The story was quite intense and you felt an overwhelming feeling of sympathy knowing the hell these girls endured. But even with that the story veered of course at times which made it feel unfocused.
Even though this is a debut novel some issues should have been fixed by the editor.

On the plus side the narration by Bahn Turpin was excellent and made this book so much better.

Listening to this book via audiobook was definitely the more accessible move for Dear Miss Metropolitan. I was lucky enough to receive both an audiobook and ebook, but the ebook was super inaccessible to read, so I much preferred my audiobook experience. The voice actress was great; my only wish is that we could've had a male narrator to narrate male perspectives which would ease some confusion and feel a lot more realistic.

The way the author handles trauma in this book was super respectful and realistic. I loved the way the author wrote from children's eyes; it's usually a hit or miss when authors do that, and this was definitely a hit. However I did think this book was really disjointed and didn't flow well. Some chapters seemed very random and they never tied together. Some futuristic culture references were a bit cringe to read (COVID-20? COVID-21? None of these are going to/have happened.) Overall I really enjoyed this story, but the mess in flow was very distracting.

Exceptionally creative and forward-thinking. The author, like her characters, has a distinct and powerful voice. Ferrell is hugely talented. Having said that, I had a hard time understanding this book. It was just hard to make sense of the plot. This book is very experimental, so listening to it wasn't (in my opinion) the best way to experience the story.

This book was a struggle. It took everything in me to finish it. The plot is difficult to follow from the beginning and becomes more muddled as the storyline progresses.
Even with access to a printed copy and the audiobook, the multiple writing styles made it difficult to follow along. Multiple footnotes further bogged down the flow making it even more difficult to get into a reading rhythm.

The narrator did a good job infusing emotion into the characters but it was still difficult to follow because of the jumping around from the past, to the present, and the future, with no segways. The fragmented story telling makes me wonder if this is how victims/survivors of compartmentalize these traumatic events.

There are photos sprinkled throughout the chapters which do not lend themselves to the storyline. Strangely enough, the person whom the book is named after is not introduced until more than halfway through the book and has no real bearing on the story.

This book was not enjoyable.