1 [Report This]Date: December 09, 2021 10:29 am Title: Chapter 18
I’ve been wanting to start your latest story every time I see you update but before I did I felt I needed to read this one. (Which as you can see from this review I have begun.)
I was planning on leaving a review sooner to cover the story so far and this chapter seemed the right place.
The description of her nightmares was so vivid and haunting. At times I wasn’t even sure they weren’t just in her head.
There is such devastating realism throughout so far from the abuse to the Stockholm syndrome she seems to be suffering. Glad to know there is also Jim there for her throughout all of this.
I’m so intrigued to see where the rest of this goes in both this story and the next.
1 [Report This]Date: November 15, 2020 02:27 pm Title: Chapter 42
Powerful writing.
1 [Report This]Date: November 08, 2020 10:00 am Title: Chapter 42
I want to thank you for your time and care in this story. It is a delicate and deeply personal subject; one so easily prone to a romanticism that it doesn’t deserve. Your honest and direct painting of the humiliation and various pitfalls experienced by victims of physical and emotional abuse was apt and respectfully done. I completely agree that the length you noted in ch. 39 was not only worthwhile, but an appreciated necessity. It’s part of what allowed your narrative, demonstrative of a maturity in premise and characters, to really shine. So often we become too eager to arrive at the destination or resolve of Pam’s awakening and healing, but the journey there is so important, especially under these circumstances.
I also loved your balance of altruism and grappling with human selfishness in both Pam and Jim. And to sporadically tap into the hallmark humor of the ensemble characters without shattering the serious setting was excellent!
Your prose is beautiful and poetic while not being superfluous; something I personally struggle with and always find impressive. I’m so eager to read the sequel and looking forward to any future works you might share!
1 [Report This]Date: September 26, 2020 09:20 pm Title: Chapter 42
This is such a beautiful, compelling story--I absolutely loved every bit of it. Thank you so much for writing it and bringing it to MTT!
Date: September 17, 2020 04:00 pm Title: Chapter 42
Okay, now that this one is all up and posted here on MTT, I'm going to do a kind of quick wrap up with it all.
Throughout everything this has been a hugely powerful story. The very real feelings of loathing for this Roy, the pride in Pam as she finally gets away from that, the admiration for Jim in standing by her side and everything in between.
Really glad the judge didn't buy any of Roy's BS there in the courtroom. Especially there at the end as the sentance was handed down and Roy starts screaming again. Roy showed his true colors there and it showed.
Moving onto other things, the kiss in the art gallery was all sorts of lovely, but then it comes kind of crashing down due to the remergence of Casino Night lines.
However I did apprciate that Pam showed back up to explain a few things. Sad she still left, but it's also understandable. She needs some time away to process things. That was a lot of trauma she was dealing with so getting some distance makes sense.
Glad there's a sequel already in the works because this ending just begs for a resolution. Great writing with everything here.
1 [Report This]Date: September 16, 2020 05:18 pm Title: Chapter 42
This is one of the best written stories I've ever read. Beautifully done.
Author's Response: Well, thank you very much. x
Date: September 16, 2020 05:11 pm Title: Chapter 42
So when I read this on FFN I was genuinely gutted by the idea of it ending there. SO happy you elected to give this journey another volume.
Date: September 16, 2020 05:09 pm Title: Chapter 41
Fill my heart up and then break it right away, why don't you?
(Also, I thought this was a strong choice with Jim pushing back at her a little about dropping the charges - he's addressing this more effectively than her parents did and in a way that addresses the broader question of what it means that she wants to do this, as opposed to whether or not it's a good idea.)
Date: September 16, 2020 05:05 pm Title: Chapter 40
Ugh. I'm glad this chapter ended well, but I *really* wanted the judge or counsel to just flat out trash Roy.
Author's Response: Oh... now that is something I definitely should have added. I might even sneak in a new paragraph adding the judge's thoughts. Thank you for mentioning that - definitely had I thought of it I would have done it. !!!
Date: September 16, 2020 04:18 pm Title: Chapter 39
This chapter does a good job with the psychological impact that abuse has had on Pam, and also by illustrating how fundamentally *embarrassing* this whole process is, especially for someone as shy as her in the first plae.
I again appreciate that you managed to sneak in some very canon-sounding Office lightness in the midst of this with the Michael-Toby bickering.
Date: September 16, 2020 03:58 pm Title: Chapter 36
Again, very in-character with Michael here, and some very sweet Jim-Pam moments.
Date: September 16, 2020 03:55 pm Title: Chapter 35
It amazes me that you managed to find room for a genuinely funny moment of Kevin wondering if Pam had sex with Bill Clinton in the middle of this really disturbing chapter. Kudos.
Date: September 16, 2020 03:52 pm Title: Chapter 34
One thing I'm curious about is the flow of information in the office - it seems like people really don't find out Roy's been fired because Pam has a restraining order on him until he actually shows up and attacks Jim. Did you have a reason in mind how that keeps from getting out to people like Darryl?
Date: September 16, 2020 03:47 pm Title: Chapter 33
The scene of the police accidentally arresting Jim is one of the more frightening in this entire story.
Date: September 16, 2020 03:23 pm Title: Chapter 31
I was really struck on first read by how comforted Pam is by sleeping in Jim's bed, which is both sweet and on point as well as being a solid nod to canon and Pam being so comfortable in Jim's space in Email Surveillance. I'm struck by it again now.
Date: September 16, 2020 03:20 pm Title: Chapter 30
Ugh, come on, William. You were doing so well right up until the end there.
It is nice to see that however susceptible Helene is to Roy's lies she is still firmly in Pam's corner.
The Jim-Pam banter about the mess is spot on.
Date: September 16, 2020 03:16 pm Title: Chapter 29
Again, just varsity-level emotional manipulation from Roy.
I like the chance for Pam to let her inner monologue out that Rosie provides, and the Jim-Pam scene here is notably touching.
Date: September 16, 2020 03:14 pm Title: Chapter 28
I thought Michael actually came off very Michael-like in this chapter. This also seems very much like Dwight - he obviously wants to be there for Pam and just doesn't really have the slightest clue how to do it. Angela and Kevin are dead on.
I'm less sure about Phyllis, just because at this point in Office canon she seems like enough of a JAM shipper that she might find this all romantic rather than unethical, but she's also pretty hard on Pam a lot of the time, and her voice sounds right.
1 [Report This]Date: September 16, 2020 01:42 pm Title: Chapter 1
This story is so great. I finished chapter 35 and almost hate to read it now that it says finished. I dont want to be done with it. You did a great job with characterization. :)
Date: September 16, 2020 11:30 am Title: Chapter 33
Super annoying but realistic about the situation with the cops there. I've talked to women who were in similiar situations and they often felt like the police and courts not only couldn't but wouldn't do anything to help them. It left them feeling even more helpless. So I'm glad here that Pam is able to convince the cops that Jim is not Roy and get that settled.
Date: September 16, 2020 11:27 am Title: Chapter 32
Lots of guilt feeling with William there. I'd probably feel the same if I were in his shoes.
Roy remains the absolute worst.
Date: September 16, 2020 11:25 am Title: Chapter 31
Oh Micheal. Why do you have to be so Micheal from time to time. I really like that her parents showed up. To make it clear they're on her side and in her corner. Really glad she is started to get more people supporting her.
Date: September 15, 2020 10:39 am Title: Chapter 30
Good for Pam here to tell the truth to her parents. It's a big relief that they switch sides to support her. William wanting to protect his daughter rings really true. Nice chapter here.
Date: September 15, 2020 10:31 am Title: Chapter 29
I like Rosie. She's doing a great job of pulling things out of Pam in a way that feels designed to heal, cope, and progress. That can be challenging.
Date: September 15, 2020 10:28 am Title: Chapter 28
I think you got Micheal pretty good here. The whole trying to be funny, but it comes out wrong aspect of him seems on point.
Really don't like Angela or Phyillis here. Angela of course since she's just adding salt to Pam's wounds with her holier-than-thou judgemental hypocisy. Same for Phyillis but to a lesser extent. Now of course they don't know the whole story, but it's still mean of them to assume they do and attack like that.
Jim continues to be wonderful.