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J.M. Northup
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A Prisoner Within: A Psychological Thriller Kindle Edition

by J.M. Northup (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 146 ratings
All she wanted was a loving mother. Instead, she got a monster.

After a horrific childhood, Tiffany cannot wait for her eighteenth birthday. However, her tyrannical mother is unwilling to relinquish control. Relying on years of lies, she convinces everyone her daughter is self-harming and should remain in her care.

Tiffany must prove she is of sound mind to earn her independence, but how can she from inside a mental ward?

How far is she willing to go for freedom and is redemption worth the price of her soul? ------- Though this dark coming-of-age tale is considered Young Adult (because of the age of the main protagonist), it has mature content, which includes rape as well as other physical, emotional, and mental abuse. It is not suitable for those under the age of 16.

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  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    July 23, 2019
  4. Reading age
    16 - 18 years
  5. File size
    1.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"With A PRISONER WITHIN, J.M. Northup hits her stride. For those who love dark psychological thrillers, young Tiffany is trapped in the deadliest of mind games where each move is made in a maze of madness and exploitation." - Kathleen O'Neal Gear & W. Michael Gear, authors of PEOPLE OF THE MORNING STAR

From the Author

My youngest daughter prefers to read books with a darker content.  She asked me to write a book that would appeal to that genre style.  A PRISONER WITHIN is the result of that request!
I wanted to have a believable story that would give a new perspective to "monsters" and "horror."  When I thought about how I personally would define those two words, I knew I had my story.  There's nothing more terrifying to me than the sinister side of human nature and the potential abuse that we can inflict.
 
Some of my favorite excerpts from the book are:
  • My step-dad's rendition of events was uncontested even by me and therefore, it became our truth.  Truth I'd never be able to prove or change; truth that protected him from suspicion and penalty.  Truth that I now knew was a lie.
  • "She's erasing me bit by bit and it's painfully obvious that no one can stop her."
  • Worse, there was that part of me that thought if I was already being accused of it and punished for it, then I should just do it. Of course, I didn't want to be that person.  Did I?
  • As I lay in the late hours of night or perhaps the wee hours of morning, I felt content.  I'd been right to keep faith and trust when I had no reason to.  I didn't expect any grand gestures or magical solutions to things, but my hope was fueled.  

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VQMD2ZJ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Norns Triad Publications; 5th edition (July 23, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 23, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 146 ratings

About the author

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J.M. Northup

J.M. Northup

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J.M. Northup is more than an author. Julie is also an editor, cover designer, and partner of Norns Triad Publications.

Julie is a multi-genres writer who specializes in romance and young adult fiction. With a diverse background that ranges from aviation and nursing to business, she finds these wide interests and experiences enrich her work.

An avid readers, Julie promotes books via her blog and newsletter. She spotlights various persons involved in the literary world with customized interviews, honest book reviews, and information about book promotions, giveaways, and events.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
146 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reader Editor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hidden Family Dysfunction - Powerful Story
    Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The story line of A Prisoner Within, by J. M. Northup, is by far the best book I’ve read on the lives of the modern-day dysfunctional family. The story is so true to life, I found myself experiencing emotions I haven’t felt for a long, long time. I have known of some dysfunctional families and the one Northup has created epitomizes these people and types of habits and secrets.

    The mother figure in the story is definitely one character I detested from the beginning. She is pure evil; her actions and hate so intense and blatant I could feel how vile she was. This story is a perfect example of how parental abuse confuses a child. Children know only love unless taught otherwise.

    The author’s characterization of the abused teenage daughter is impeccably rendered. We get to see the true-to-life emotions of a daughter who clings to loving her mother but remains in a state of utter confusion by the abuse and hate heaped on her for no known reason. Northup did a magnificent job of showing us how this girl clung to her sanity. Yet, the long-suffering begins to take a toll as her emotional stability is being stripped away.

    Then there is the wimp of a step-dad, again, about as realistically portray as I’ve ever read. I kept asking myself, “How does Northup do this? How can she understand so much about the infinitesimal depths human nature?” I honestly enjoyed what he did at the end of the story and, despite him taking a stand to control the abuse, his shocking comeuppance was well-deserved.

    This fiction story is so real, so life-like it has stirred my deepest emotions. If you’ve never understood the meaning of “dysfunctional family” this story will clear it up for you. The author has created a plot that could be true of anyone, even your neighbor, well hidden from the public eye, as were these characters’ lives.

    J.M. Northup’s ability to give life to words and stories seems to know no end. I’m following her through all her books. Her understanding of the human condition in any situation, down to the most abysmal detail, is nothing short of amazing. For this story, for the writing in it, to experience J.M. Northup’s phenomenal story telling ability, this is a MUST READ.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Meleaha Howard
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wow! What a powerful story!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book is such a powerful one. It tells the story of one girl, of the horror that was her life. It tells how, no matter how bad things got, she held on to her core beliefs. She was a good girl, no matter what anyone thought. She was dealt such a horrible hand in life, from physical and emotional abuse from her mother, to rape from a family friend. My heart broke reading this story.
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  • Pamela
    5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME STORY
    Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    What a dark, twisted tale. And I loved it. From the first opening pages, you’re thrown into the violent, abusive relationship between Tiffany and her mother. The first half of the book bounces between past and present, as J.M. Northup shows how the Mother has trained Tiffany to be the perfect slave to her aggressive needs for control and domination. With her smart intellect and knowledge of the human mind, he Mother spins tales and lies to turn everyone against Tiffany, even the people in authority that are the only ones that can save Tiffany from her abusive lifestyle.

    As the story progressed, my hatred for the Mother and step-dad grew. But at the same time, as Tiffany started doubting herself, thinking maybe she was really the problem, I started wondering if Tiffany was suffering from Schizophrenia. What a roller-coaster ride of emotions. And then everything culminates with Tiffany’s 18th birthday, her day of freedom from her tyrannical mother.

    Growing up in this type of lifestyle will bring out the dark nature in anyone. How do you be true to yourself, when everyone around you sees you as evil? All the self-doubts instilled in you as a child are very difficult to overcome as an adult. How do you stop yourself from repeating the abusive nature of your parents? One of the reasons child abuse is so rampant.

    There are gaps in the storyline that I found slightly confusing as I tried to follow the linear path of the story. But, overall, a well done job.

    I highly recommend this book for a peak into the dark nature of abusive relationships. I give it 5 feathers.
    One person found this helpful
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  • D and S
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Expected
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I read all the reviews before buying the kindle version. Unfortunately, one of the reviewers misrepresented some details in the story, and I kept thinking "am I reading the same book?"

    This is a horrifying story of physical and emotional abuse. Almost too much to bear at times. But I found myself questioning why no one ever believed Tiffany but everyone was so quick to side with the mother. Tiffany visited the ER on so many occasions; why wasn't child protective services notified? I found that just a little implausible.

    Also, this is another book that truly suffered from lack of editing. Missing words, misspelled words, half-written words. Whatever happened to editing a story? The lack of editing was a definite distraction for me.
    9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Supermum
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I was drawn to this book by it's beautiful cover art and then purchased it after reading the blurb. I was not disappointed. This is a totally convincing story of young girl (Tiffany) growing up in an environment of manipulation, abuse and fear.

    It is written in the first person, something I don't usually like, but on this occasion I can honestly say it made the whole story totally believable and gave me a real sense of who Tiffany was and helped me to know and understand the world she was living in.

    This story was very well structured and beautifully paced. I get so excited when I find a book that I just can't put down and this was one of those books. The accuracy of detail in regards to the human psyche was right on the money which, for me was why it was so powerful to read. I totally believed the characters and their stories so much so that this book could have been true life story. It was detailed with regards to violence but not visceral, it was just graphic enough to make it's point and make it's point it did.

    I absolutely loved this book. I would highly recommend it to everyone.
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  • Daniel Parsons
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Psychological Drama
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A Prisoner Within is a powerful psychological drama that follows the life of a teenage girl named Tiffany who has to withstand extreme physical and mental abuse from her mother and step-dad. What starts out as an angst-ridden narrative that conveys Tiffany’s experiences from her own perspective gradually turns into a pulse-pounding account of her downward spiral as she attempts to keep herself alive until her eighteenth birthday when she can move out of the parental home.

    One reason I like this book is that it isn’t quite as black-and-white as you might first expect. While Tiffany herself is relatively pure, she does has some flaws and also bears a startlingly manic streak that makes you wonder at times if her account is entirely accurate. Her parents, too, are portrayed as complicated characters that she wants to escape but with whom she also wants to ingratiate herself to expose some redeeming features.

    If I were to pick out any shortcomings in this book, it would be that there are some phrases in the early chapters that are repeated a lot to the point where it jars slightly. Having said that, if you move through those passages, the rest of the book doesn’t harbour the same blemishes. Overall, a good book with an interesting heroine and a great twist you would never expect.
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  • Jess
    5.0 out of 5 stars Edge of your seat thriller
    Reviewed in Australia on January 23, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This was a thriller that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and wanting to know what was going to happen next.
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  • CLynn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hard-hitting and Haunting
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 14, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is a unique, extremely well-written story by author JM Northrup.

    It is powerful and wincingly real. Basically, it is the recounting by a woman of a torturous relationship between her and her mother. There are incidents that are shattering. There is abuse at the hands of the mother and the stepfather that are really difficult to read sometimes, it is that real.

    I happen to love prequels and I would love to read a tale of the mother; if that was possible; of what shaped her and made her the way she is.

    I find I cannot stop thinking about the daughter, she is so real. Well-told in the first person, this tale is that much more real in my opinion as it benefits so well from first person intimacy.

    Bear in mind, this is not merely a recounting of a hellish mother and a long-suffering daughter—it is a good, psychological tale as gripping as any I have read.

    JM Northrup, you penned something that will haunt me forever.
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  • Mrs. J. Spence
    5.0 out of 5 stars Penetrating
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This is such a powerful novel. I really felt that I was living inside Tiffany and taking onboard all her fears, anxieties and emotions. It was so powerfully written and heart rending.
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