The Detour

Bodeen (The Raft) explores the limits of borrowing in this tongue-in-cheek homage to Stephen King’s Misery. Bursting on the YA fiction scene as a powerhouse teen author, haughty Olivia Flynn enjoys the perks of her bestseller success—an expensive car, a cute online boyfriend she has yet to meet, and adoring fans—after years of being the target of bullies. When an accident on a secluded Oregon road leaves her captive to a controlling woman named Peg and her psychotic daughter, Olivia must overcome hunger, injuries, and Peg’s lecherous cousin, Wesley, in order to escape. Peg’s ominous hints as to why Olivia has been taken (“You have to figure it out. You have to remember. Or it doesn’t mean anything”) and Wesley’s probing questions concerning Olivia’s boyfriend are overly transparent, leaving little mystery despite the fast-paced and suspenseful story line. Though flat dialogue can detract from the tension created, Bodeen’s nod to Misery and the twin themes of intellectual property and publishing trends are thought-provoking as Olivia’s horrific experience helps transform her from narcissistic writer to well-rounded college student. Ages 12–up. Agent: Scott Mendel, Mendel Media Group. (Oct.)