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Sandie Will is an award-winning young adult novelist who lives in Tampa Bay, Florida and works as a manager and geologist by day. She has written two novels and is currently working on her third. Her first novel, The Caging at Deadwater Manor, is a young adult psychological thriller/horror that was the recipient of a 2017 Readers’ Favorite Book Award in YA Horror. Her second is a YA historical time travel series called Time Lands. The first book of the series is titled, The Hunger, and is expected to be released in 2018. She has been married to her husband, Charlie, for 30 years and they have two grown sons. Her favorite place to write is in her back room “treehouse” in the arms of an old oak.
Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
During a hospital visit, a young woman is detained and incarcerated against her will in the thrilling suspense novel, The Caging at Deadwater Manor by Sandie Will. Jeanie's mother died when she was fourteen, leaving her and her brother to be raised by their father. Incongruously, her once loving father now hates Jeanie, but yet, still loves her brother. Her father never misses a chance to verbally chastise Jeanie and spew his venomous distaste for her. Unable to do anything about her circumstances at present, Jeanie has plans to escape her abusive situation on her eighteenth birthday. Fortuitously, the day of her birthday arrives, and her father surprises her with a car. Now Jeanie has a better mode of transportation that will expedite the plans she has prepared for that very night. However, her father has one request of Jeanie; she needs to visit her emotionally ailing aunt at the local psychiatric hospital. Because she loves her aunt, Jeanie complies and puts a hold on her plans until the following morning. Unfortunately, this is a big mistake. When Jeanie enters the hospital, she is abducted and drugged. When she wakes, Jeanie finds herself imprisoned in a cage in an attic; adjacent to her is another cage occupied by a girl. Horrified and frightened, Jeanie realizes the neighboring young female occupant is dead. What is going on? Why is this happening to her? Will she be able to get out of there alive?
Based on real events, The Caging at Deadwater Manor by Sandie Will is an exhilarating young adult suspense novel reminiscent of the Gothic horror story, Flowers In The Attic by V.C. Andrews. In the first chapter, the reader is captured by Jeanie's fortitude despite her circumstances, and is able to connect and empathize with her character. From there the story takes off, surprising the reader with unexpectedly appalling and terrifying incidents. From the alarming hospital scene onward, the horror and suspense continue to build to a chilling and shocking climax. For those who love a shiver inducing story, this is a fabulous suspense novel that makes the hardiest reader's blood run cold. However, due to some of the more adult situations, I recommend it to readers over the age of sixteen.
