Review of "In the Storm" by Karen Metcalf

Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.

No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay
~From GoodReads

In the Storm is a novella that almost reads as a diary. I felt as if I was being told, not shown what was happening. That is not the style of writing that I particularly love to read. Therefore, I had a difficult time becoming engaged in the story. Having said that, as I got further along, I found it harder and harder to stop reading. I don't know if that is because I became invested in the story or that I was determined to hash through the confusing details of Carly's "storm world". And believe me, when the world is explained, it becomes very confusing.
  There were some things that I did really like about In the Storm, though. Karen Metcalf does an excellent job of giving the imagery of the storm world. I found myself visualizing the trees, the angry sky and waves. I felt the raindrops. I felt Carly's despair. Metcalf also does an excellent job of building suspense. I found myself reading at a frantic pace throughout the second half of the book. All the while, I had a building sense of dread. The book has a very heartbreaking, haunting end.
In the Storm was for me, a very disturbing look at abuse. In saying that, I'm not saying "Don't read this. It's upsetting". I whole-heartedly believe that abuse is a subject we should all be conscious of, even when not directly affected. This book made me more sad than anything. But, as I write this, I realize this very haunting, sad book will stick with me for quite some time.