Natasha Preston

Natasha Preston is an British writer who started her career online. She was born in East Anglia in England. She was incredibly inspired by Nothing Left to Lose by Kirsty Moseley, Doctor Sleep by Stephen King and the Marked series by Jay Crownover and was able to discover her love of writing when she shared a story online. She enjoys writing romances, thrillers, and the occasional serial killer.

The novel The Cellar by Natasha Preston follows the story of Summer Robinson in modern day time in a town called Long Thorpe. Summer is kidnapped one night by a man named Collin one night she walked in town by herself to go to a friends party. The cellar she was locked in was put together just like a normal apartment. While there, she met three other girls who had also been kidnapped by Collin. The girls names were Rose, Poppy, and Violet. Summer was given the new name Lily. The flowers refer to Collin as Clover since he didn't tell them his real name. The girls are locked in his cellar for over six months before the police are able find them. Collin ended up being caught by the police with the help of Louis, Summer's boyfriend. Summer and the other girls were rescued and Collin was sent to jail. The point of view changes between Summer, Louis, and Collin.

"Lily? I'm not Lily. I'm Summer. You have the wrong person. "

Summer Robinson

16 year old Summer Robinson was kidnapped after being separated from her friends one night. Taken by a man with a need for perfection, she gains the new name of a flower similar to the other girls who were kidnapped as well. She spends most of her time crying because she misses her boyfriend, Lewis who refused to stop looking for her, and her family. Besides crying she throws up a lot.

Collin Brown (Clover)

The Kidnapper. Collin is around 30 years old and definitely has severe OCD and well as anger issues. He prepared the cellar to seem like an apartment and lashes out if it is not kept in perfect condition. His name is unknown to the girls so they nicknamed him Clover. Collin seems to live the facade of a normal life, but in reality he is constantly kidnapping women whether he sees them fit to become one of the flowers or the prostitutes he brings home to murder.

Rebecca (Poppy) and Kayley (Rose)

The two girls who inhabit the cellar with Summer (in the beginning there's also a girl they refereed to as violet). Poppy is the one to keep Summer calm and to protect her from Collin's outbursts. They both do "house work" and are usually in charge of cleaning up after Collin murders someone. It's speculated in the book that Rose is in love with Collin.

What I liked

How Summer didn't lose hope like Rose and Poppy. I also liked how at one point one of Collin's co-workers brought up Summer's disappearance with him.

What I disliked

I disliked the constant change of view.

The sequel to The Cellar