The Cellar

Natasha Preston’s The Cellar is a 2014 young adult psychological thriller. Originally self-published on Wattpad's storytelling platform, The Cellar was later published in print form. When a man abducts 16-year-old Summer Robinson from her small English town, her disappearance cues a months-long community search and police investigation. Meanwhile, Summer must survive in the man’s cellar as one of four “Flowers,” young women he views as a perfect family. The novel highlights themes of Manipulation of Identity and Resistance Against Erasure of Self, The Dynamics of Power and Control in Abusive Situations, and Resilience in the Face of Dire Circumstances.

This guide references the 2014 paperback edition from Sourcebooks, Inc.

Content Warning: The source material includes abuse; rape, sexual exploitation, and sexual assault; death by suicide; abduction; and graphic violence.

Plot Summary

Sixteen-year-old Summer Robinson lives in the small English town of Long Thorpe. One evening in July 2010, Summer leaves her home, which she shares with her parents and brother, Henry, for the local pub, where she and her friends plan to celebrate the end of school. Summer’s boyfriend, Lewis, offers to drop her off, but she insists she can walk the few short blocks alone. Arriving at the pub, Summer’s friend, Kerri, says they must look throughout town for Rachel, a friend who is upset. Summer and Rachel go in opposite directions; Summer enters a nearby park to look for Rachel. There, a man in his late twenties or early thirties abducts Summer. He forces her into a white van, takes her phone, and drives off.

The man forces Summer into the cellar of his home in a remote area. She is shocked to see three other young women in the cellar, which serves as their apartment and prison. Numb, Summer learns the young women’s names are Shannen, Becca, and Jennifer, but the man, Clover, has renamed them Rose, Poppy, and Violet. Poppy indicates Clover keeps them locked in the basement as a perfect family of “Flowers” for himself. Summer’s new rules are to dress in the clothing Clover chooses, attend meals with Clover when he visits, and always use her new name, Lily. Summer wants to subdue Clover, but the others warn her against it: Clover murdered the first Lily when she tried to overpower him, and he has killed others as well. Summer is heartsick and has no choice but to follow the rules.

Meanwhile, Lewis, Henry, and Summer’s father search for Summer; Summer’s mother stays home in case she calls. The police begin to investigate, and the community mounts an organized search.

The days pass in the cellar. Summer suggests escaping, but the other Flowers dismiss it. Rose insinuates that Clover also murders sex workers. One night, Clover takes Rose to a room under the stairs. Summer realizes Clover rapes them in this room, though Rose seems unfazed by the experience. That night, Clover brings a sex worker to the cellar and kills her. Soon after, Violet tells Summer she plans to attack Clover and take the key to the cellar door. Violet’s blow does not harm Clover, however; furious at her betrayal, he stabs and kills Violet.

Six months pass; Summer grows too afraid to strike out at Clover or attempt escape. Clover brings the young women books, movies, and yarn for knitting. Clover abducts a new Violet (Layal). Later that same day, he takes Summer to the room under the stairs and rapes her. The next day, Layal attacks Clover but does little harm; Clover hits and kicks Layal, breaking her ribs.

Flashbacks reveal that Clover’s real name is Colin Brown. When Colin is young, his mother discovers her husband’s (Colin’s father’s) adulterous incident with an unknown woman. His mother subsequently murders an unknown number of sex workers since the profession contributes to the destruction of marriages. After his mother’s death, Clover is lonely, so he changes the cellar into an apartment for four women who will be his family, choosing those who are as lovely and pure as flowers. Once he brings the first Violet and first Poppy to the cellar, he also returns to his mother’s work of ridding the world of sex workers he deems vile. Later, Shannen, with whom he would like to have a “traditional” relationship, is resistant to living in his house, so he must take her to the cellar too. Shannen becomes Rose.

In the present, Clover kills a co-worker when he discovers her affair with a married man, then dumps her body in the canal as he has with the others. When someone finds Summer’s cell phone near the canal, police dredge the water and find several bodies. Unnerved once the bodies are discovered and irate that the search for Summer continues, Clover’s mood grows unpredictable and distracted. He joins the community search for Summer to better understand what authorities know.

Lewis continues to search for Summer. He meets Colin when Colin volunteers to search. Lewis wonders why Colin seems unsympathetic regarding Summer’s disappearance. On the street one day, Lewis sees Colin with bags of books and yarn. Suspecting that Colin is somehow involved in Summer’s disappearance, Lewis goes to Colin’s house. Through the windows, Lewis sees four boxes of New Look shoes, a women’s brand. He and Henry return to break into Colin’s house and find make-up, tampons, and newspapers featuring Summer’s disappearance. Police Detective Walsh agrees to question Colin.

The police obtain a warrant after they find Colin inexplicably disposing of women’s clothes and phone chargers. As the police head to the house, Colin goes to the cellar. He tells the Flowers that others are coming to separate them, but he knows how they can always stay together. He stabs Poppy (Becca) and Violet (Layal). Summer tries to fight back, punching Colin before he flings her into a brick wall. Police arrive, rescue the young women, and take Colin into custody.

In the hospital, Summer feels detached from her family and Lewis until Lewis uses his nickname for her, “Sum.” Rose dies by suicide, and Layal dies from her wounds; Becca recovers, and she and Summer grow closer. Summer hears from Walsh that Colin is responding well to treatment in a psychiatric facility. She focuses on time with friends and family, grateful for Lewis and her freedom from the cellar.