A Unique, Beautifully Told Horrific Story

This book left me unsure of how to feel, yet I can’t stop thinking about it

CW/TW: Sexual assault, rape, kidnapping, suicide, torture, murder, death, child abuse, confinement, panic attacks, pregnancy, trafficking, slavery, drug use, toxic relationships, gaslighting, and self-harm.

Victim or Perpetrator?

The FBI has recovered dozens of hostages all held by the same man, some for decades. Special Agents try to ask the girls what happened, but they refuse to answer. Instead, they look to ‘Maya’ for guidance.

‘Maya’ is the only one who will speak, but she’s also hiding something. Did she play a more active part in these crimes, or is she just a victim herself? FBI Agent Victor Hanoverian will find out.

Original Rating

I initially rated this book four stars, but after a couple of months of it living rent-free in my mind, I decided to change that to a 5 star. My original rating was more because this book left me not knowing how to feel. It was so different from anything I’ve ever read, both in content and layout.

Hutchison’s Unique Approach

Content-wise, this is not a book for everyone. I cannot stress that enough. This is an incredibly dark and horrific story that doesn’t shy away from the traumas experienced by the characters. Please note the content and trigger warnings before reading.

Now, onto the unique layout of this book. There are no chapters. I found this out when I started reading it late one night and found myself saying, ‘Just one more chapter,’ so I began counting the pages… yep no chapters.

There are two parts to the book, but other than that, there are only section breaks to indicate a change in POV and tense. I’ve never read a book with this kind of layout; however, I found that it worked for the story being told.

Divided Between Two Minds

This story is told in two POVs. The first POV is FBI Agent Victor Hanoverian in the first person present tense, and the second is ‘Maya’ in the third person past tense as she recounts the events that led her there.

‘Maya’ is a smart, strong, and tortured character, and Agent Hanoverian perfectly matched and challenged her. Experiencing both their point of view helped establish their non-verbal assessment of each other which grows and changes throughout the book.

Overall Thoughts

The Butterfly Garden is a medium-to-fast-paced book, with the pacing quickening in the last 15 per cent of the book as everything unravels. While the story progressed, I found myself constantly thinking about it and what was going to happen next or trying to figure out what happened to get them to where they are now. Days and even months later, I still find myself thinking about the story and can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series.

Although this is such a horrific story, it is told in such a unique and beautiful way that it left me unsure how to feel. I was battling my disgust towards what was inflicted upon the characters and the storytelling and characters themselves.

If you’re a fan of Criminal Minds or dark mystery/horror books, definitely give this one a read.

The Butterfly Garden is the first book in a four-book series by Dot Hutchison. All books are available on Kindle Unlimited (Australia), and the audiobooks are available on the Everand app (formally Scribd). I will be reading (and reviewing) the rest of the series, so stay tuned.

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