JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Everything Isn’t Terrible by Kathleen Smith

Licensed therapist and respected mental health writer Dr. Kathleen Smith offers a smart, practical antidote to our anxiety-ridden times. Everything Isn’t Terrible is an informative, and fun guide – featuring a healthy dose of humour – for people who want to become beacons of calmness in our anxious world.

Like Sarah Knight’s No F*cks Given guides and You Are a Badass, Everything Isn’t Terrible will inspire readers to confront their anxious selves, take charge of their anxiety, and increase their own capacity to choose how they respond to it. Comprised of short chapters containing anecdotal examples from Smith’s personal experience as well as those of her clients, in addition to engaging, actionable exercises for readers, Everything Isn’t Terrible will give anyone suffering from anxiety all the tools they need to finally … calm … down. Ultimately, living a calmer, less anxious life – one that, in other words, isn’t terrible – is possible, and with this book Smith will show you how to do it.

Everything Isn’t Terrible by Kathleen Smith is designed to help readers conquer their anxieties and their anxious habits, and discover ways to move forward without as much stress and worry.

Kathleen Smith works as a therapist and in each chapter, she gives an example of a patient she’s met whose anxiety was negatively impacting their life in some way. We meet Monica, whose strained relationship with her mother and brother was causing issues between her and her father. We meet Richard, who was worried about introducing his boyfriend of two years to his family.

The structure of the book allows for an easy and quick read — each chapter is relatively short and focuses on a different example. A different type of anxiety.

“I can’t overstate how important observation is when it comes to lowering anxiety in your family. Often people will try to jump in and change themselves (or others!) without getting a good sense of how their family functions.”

Katherine Smith is interested in a particular type of anxiety, and she follows Bowen Theory to guide her patients to a calmer, healthier life. Bowen Theory believes that our anxieties stem from our relationships, and that if we study the relationships in our lives and work to manage them better, it’ll have a natural flow-on effect towards our anxious minds.

Because we meet different patients and scenarios in each chapter, there’ll be parts of this book that you won’t feel connected to, and parts of the book that you read and think ‘yes, I recognise this in my own life’. I’m guilty of skipping a couple of chapters because I felt no connection or similarity with the anxious issue that was being discussed.

“Dr. Bowen taught that if anxiety is generated in our relationships, then it can also be fixed in our relationships. Therefore, long-term change doesn’t happen in isolation, or even on a therapist’s couch. It happens when we’re willing to work on being our best selves in our most difficult relationships.”

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I read a lot of these kinds of books. I’m an anxious over-thinker who stresses too much. I wouldn’t say books like these are going to ‘fix’ that — at least not instantly — but they’re helpful in making you feel like you’re not alone. Books like Everything Isn’t Terrible pass along useful knowledge, insights and advice for people who spend too much time worrying about things they can’t change, and stressing over things they can change but don’t know how to.

Kathleen’s writing is insightful, instructive and clear. Readers will find her advice realistic and easy to follow, and this book feels like a hands-on approach, and the perfect companion to any bookshelf.

Everything isn’t Terrible teaches us that we can’t always change the situation — or relationship — we’re in, but we can adapt how we react or respond to that relationship. People tend to act a certain way when they’re stressed or anxious, and Kathleen allows us to take a step back and observe the situation from afar with fresh eyes. This may help readers confront a part of their lives that has been bringing them worry.

“When you go into relationships and try to do something different, people usually aren’t going to like it. Your family or office doesn’t want you to upset the balance they’ve cultivated to keep things calm. So when you change, there will be a temporary increase of anxiety in the system.”

This book does deal with a very specific type of issue, and it asks the reader to examine the relationships in their life. I think the title, cover and blurb implies a much broader focus, so some readers may be misguided and not find what they need inside these pages.

Helpful, insightful and a welcome addition to the family bookshelf. Recommended.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Everything Isn’t Terrible
Kathleen Smith
February 2020
Hachette Book Publishers

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Shay Miller has three strikes against her: no job, no apartment, no love in her life. But when she witnesses a perfectly normal looking young woman about her age make the chilling decision to leap in front of an ongoing subway train, Shay realizes she could end up in the same spiral. She is intrigued by a group of women who seem to have it all together, and they invite her with the promise: “You are not alone.” Why not align herself with the glamorous and seductive Moore sisters, Cassandra and Jane? They seem to have beaten back their demons, and made a life on their own terms – a life most people can only ever envy. They are everything Shay aspires to be, and they seem to have the keys to getting exactly what they want.

As Shay is pulled deeper and deeper under the spell of the Moore sisters, she finds her life getting better and better. But what price does she have to pay? What do Cassandra and Jane want from her? And what secrets do they, and Shay, have that will come to a deadly confrontation?

You are not alone: Is it a promise? Or a threat?

You Are Not Alone is the third psychological thriller novel by duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, this time exploring a dangerous friendship between a group of women.

Thirty-one-year-old temp worker/data analyst Shay is lonely and insecure, secretly in love with her roommate, and craving a strong connection with at least one other person. When she witnesses a young nurse jump in front of a train, it sets in motion a series of events that have the potential to derail her life.

Set in New York City, Greer and Sarah explore female friendship and toxic human relationships, introducing us to a group of 6 women who are determined to manipulate Shay and sabotage her life.

“In the days that followed, Daphne picked up the phone a half dozen times to call the police. But she always hung up before dialling. She kept experiencing the sensation of James’ hands closing around her throat while she lay there, unmoving.”

The premise and plot are a little absurd and ridiculous, but that doesn’t matter. You Are Not Alone is a juicy, engaging thriller that will entice all readers. The alternating POV is a common thread in Greer & Sarah’s novels, and I think it works quite well in this latest instalment. This stylistic technique means the reader gets both sides of the story, and it allows for a faster pace and increased tension.

Another stylistic technique that Greer and Sarah use with each book is the intermittent use of flashbacks. Over time, we come to understand how the six women met and what drives them to target other people. Slowly, we realise what they have planned for Shay.

“I wonder if Amanda was one of them. Witnessing near-constant suffering and death must be overwhelming. Another article I read showed nurses are 23 percent more likely to commit suicide than women in general.”

Shay trusts easily. When she meets and befriends Cassandra and Jane Moore, her life seems to change for the better. But she’s a little naive — sometimes unrealistically so — and the women appear to be setting her up for a crime she didn’t commit.

Shay is also incredibly observant. Her mind is trained to notice inconsistencies, and facts that don’t add up. Statistics are littered throughout the novel and whilst they don’t feel altogether necessary, they do add to Shay’s characterisation to make her obsession with numbers and facts a little more believable.

“The sisters weave toward the door — waving at an acquaintance, sliding their champagne glass onto an empty table, dodging a man who steps in front of them with a smile, never stopping but never giving the impression they’re rushing out of the gallery. Why now, so many days after Amanda’s death, is Shay moving the necklace?”

I did feel that there were too many characters in the book. There’s Shay, Valerie, Cassandra and Jane, but there’s also Daphne? And Stacey? and Beth? And then of course there’s the deceased Amanda, and all the secrets she took to the grave with her. I think the long list of core characters made for a convoluted narration at times, and evidently there wasn’t enough depth to the characters. More could’ve been done — or a couple of characters could’ve merged — to make for a clearer story.

Recommended for fans of thriller, suspense and crime novels. The audience for this book definitely skews female, aged 20+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

You Are Not Alone
Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
March 2020
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian

SMOKE CLEARS
AND FLAMES DIE,
BUT ONE BURNING EMBER
CAN IGNITE A REVOLUTION.

The thrilling conclusion to the bestselling Ash Princess trilogy.

Princess Theodosia was a prisoner in her own country for a decade. Renamed the Ash Princess, she endured relentless abuse and ridicule from the Kaiser and his court. But though she wore a crown of ashes, there is fire in Theo’s blood. As the rightful heir to the Astrean crown, it runs in her veins. And if she learned nothing else from her mother, she learned that a Queen never cowers.

Now free, with a misfit army of rebels to back her, Theo must liberate her enslaved people and face a terrifying new enemy: the new Kaiserin. Imbued with a magic no one understands, the Kaiserin is determined to burn down anyone and everything in her way.

With more at stake than ever, Theo must learn to embrace her own power if she has any hope of standing against the girl she once called her heart’s sister.

Ember Queen is the third and final book in the Ash Princess fantasy series by Laura Sebastian. Chronologically, the book starts very soon after the end of Lady Smoke — Theo has descended into the fire mine after negotiations with Cress. In Ember Queen, she emerges alive and more powerful, but she has no memory of what happened down in the mine.

You can read my review of Ash Princess HERE.
You can read my review of Lady Smoke HERE.

Now that I’ve read all three books in the series, I think it’s appropriate to comment on the series as a whole. Does this series feel unique? Do I feel this series adds something new to the fantasy genre? No, I don’t. There are so many elements in this series that can be found in so many other books — love triangles, the concept of ‘the rightful Queen’, betrayal, captives, rebel armies, a cruel and vicious Queen, the list goes on.

But, in YA fantasy, sometimes it feels almost impossible to find a book that doesn’t possess these common, stereotypical elements. And there’s a reason readers keep coming back to these — they’re enjoyable. And I think a teenage reader, one who loves fantasy, would really like the Ash Princess series. Whilst it may be a bit unoriginal in some parts, the characters are interesting, the plot draws you in, and it’s an easy series to get lost in.

“It is a foolish plan. I know that, and I’d imagine deep down, Erik does as well. But with his mother so recently taken from him and the life he knew completely upheaved, Soren is the only family he has left, the only familiar thing in a strange and frightening world.”

Clocking in at over 460 pages, Ember Queen doesn’t disappoint. The characters and the plot are just as engaging as they were in books one and two, and readers will find themselves emotionally invested in the conclusion to the series. Whilst I felt book two was a bit lacklustre because the plot felt like a filler, book three makes up for that with a fast-paced, compelling plot that had me fully engrossed.

Structurally, the book moves along a few different paths. The majority of the book is political, following Theo’s war plans and her strategic campaign to overthrow Cress. Another part of the book follows Theo and Cress’ connection — they are able to meet and communicate in their dreams. Cress thinks Theo is dead, so she believes she’s being haunted. For a time, Theo is able to use these dreams to manipulate Cress and steer everything in a desired direction.

“Blaise said the same thing to me — that I always choose Astrea over him. I don’t think he meant it as a condemnation, but he’s right: what I have left over isn’t enough for him. Maybe it will never be enough for any person.”

There were definitely a few moments in the book where things felt a little too easy for Theo and her crew. Soren’s return to the group was one of them. But the pacing has been consistent in all three books, and readers will feel satisfied with how things unfold in the Ember Queen.

Laura Sebastian captures Theo’s internal conflict incredibly well in Ember Queen. Personally, I feel that this concluding novel is the strongest in terms of capturing Theo’s character development, and illustrating her inner turmoil over the decisions she has to make and the lives she’s putting at stake. After all, this is war. And with war comes death.

Theo is conflicted every step of the way. She feels great responsibility for her rebel army, but she also wants to avoid as much bloodshed as possible. She’s scared, although she hides it well. She’s tormented by Cress, and she’s tormented by all that she’s endured since we first met her in Ash Princess. In Ember Queen, we see Theo as an incredibly vulnerable character, and through that we witness her become the Queen she’s destined to be.

“Sometimes, the time I spent in the mine filters in like sunlight through a curtained window, diluted and soft-edged and incomplete. But other times, the curtain shifts and light pours in, sharp and jarring. I remember darkness; I remember being cold. I remember my mother.”

A satisfying end to the trilogy. I recommend the Ash Princess series to fans of fantasy fiction, or young adult fiction. The trilogy would be a great gift for a young, seasoned reader.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ember Queen: Ash Princess #3
Laura Sebastian
February 2020
Pan Macmillan Publishers

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

Welcome to Golden Cove, a remote town on the edge of the world where even the blinding brightness of the sun can’t mask the darkness that lies deep within a killer…

On the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is more than just a town where people live. The adults are more than neighbours; the children, more than schoolmates.
That is until one fateful summer – and several vanished bodies – shatters the trust holding Golden Cove together. All that’s left are whispers behind closed doors, broken friendships, and a silent agreement not to look back. But they can’t run from the past forever.

Eight years later, a beautiful young woman disappears without a trace, and the residents of Golden Cove wonder if their home shelters something far more dangerous than an unforgiving landscape.

It’s not long before the dark past collides with the haunting present and deadly secrets come to light.

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh is a small town crime thriller novel, following the disappearance of local teenager Miriama Hinewai Tutaia in Golden Cove New Zealand, and its potential connection to the disappearance of three backpackers eight years earlier.

The main characters are police officer Will Gallagher, in charge of trying to find Miriama, and Anahera Spencer-Ashby, a young woman who grew up in Golden Cove and has recently returned after living in London for many years as a highly successful pianist and performer.

Will and Anahera are both complex and conflicted characters — Will was exiled to Golden Cove after a previous case went in an unexpected direction, and Anahera runs home to Golden Cove after her husband dies and his pregnant mistress turns up on her doorstep.

“But there were other possibilities and he’d be a bad cop if he ignored them. No one had ever called him that, not even when his mistakes had led to two deaths. Will’s police work had been stellar; it was his understanding of human nature that had let him down.”

Will and Anahera are both incredibly interesting and thoroughly developed characters. Both of them share wounded histories and are psychologically damaged from past events in their lives. Whilst they don’t know each other prior to Anahera returning to Golden Cove, the two bond over their circumstances and find comfort in each other’s company.

There is definitely this sense of isolation that comes with being in Golden Cove, like you’re all alone and nothing you do will penetrate the outside world. Anahera was able to leave because she’s musically gifted, but most people stay (as Anahera learns when she returns home). Many juicy secrets are harboured in Golden Cove. As a result, tension and suspense are heightened and the setting itself feels like another character.

“Another fifty meters and the sand disappeared under a flow of water that turned into a whirlpool surrounded by rocks as black as obsidian and as jagged as broken glass. Everyone knew to keep their distance from the spot — there was simply no hope for anyone who fell into that water.”

The pacing is slow but consistent, successfully building suspense and intrigue. There is more than one mystery plaguing this small town and everyone is a suspect. Will can determine multiple motives for wanting young, beautiful local Miriama missing — she held many secrets, and was fancied by just as many admirers.

Setting and environment are big strengths in this novel, and Nalini has captured the small, isolated town of Golden Cove incredibly well. The ‘small town’ vibe is rich with secrets and hidden pasts, and it will draw every reader in and keep them enticed until the final pages.

There’s a small romantic storyline that develops in the book, which is both welcome and expected with this genre. However, it’s not a dominant part of the book and if it were removed, the events in the novel would mostly remain unchanged.

“Two hours later, he’d gone through every single one of the names and ID photos and come up with nothing. If Fidel Cox had returned to the area, he’d done so in a way that wouldn’t be noticed.”

Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of the ending. There were two major revelations at the climax of the book — one made sense and the other did not. The truth behind Miriama’s disappearance was not consistent with the characterisation set up prior and it seemed like a cheap ploy to surprise the reader. To be honest I felt a bit cheated at the end.

Enthralling, inviting and entertaining. Recommended for fans of crime, thrillers, and mystery novels.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Madness of Sunshine
Nalini Singh
December 2019
Hachette Publishers

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan

The Girls of Paper and Fire did the impossible. They escaped. But out in the unforgiving wild, hunted like prey, Lei and Wren learn that the most terrifying prisons have no walls.

Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel Demon King wasn’t the end of the plan – it’s just the beginning. Now Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans. The journey is made even more treacherous thanks to a heavy bounty on Lei’s head, as well as insidious doubts that threaten to tear Lei and Wren apart from within.

Meanwhile, an evil plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy and protect her love for Wren, or will she fall victim to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her?

Girls of Storm and Shadow is the sequel to the New York Times bestselling Girls of Paper and Fire, by Natasha Ngan. Events pick up exactly where the first book finished — Lei has just stabbed and slayed the King and she and her beloved Wren have escaped the palace.

Once again, Natasha’s writing is incredible — she’s so good at crafting prose that flows seamlessly and evokes emotion in the reader.

The series explores a few significant themes — it explores the notion of doing terrible things in order to achieve a good outcome, and it also explores trauma and how trauma remains with the victim long after their suffering has ended. Lei may have escaped the King’s clutches, but she’s still traumatised and haunted by the sexual violence that she endured under the King’s rule.

“Shivers pluck my skin as the words sink in. Naja tore me away while I was still attacking him. When Wren and I were escaping the grove, Kenzo keeping her occupied in battle, I had seen the King’s body on the ground, blood splattered and immobile.”

Setting is one of the strengths of the series, alongside characterisation and illustrating trauma compassionately and realistically. Girls of Storm and Shadow moves quickly through different locations, from vast deserts to snowy mountaintops and everywhere in between.

Lei’s characterisation and growth in this novel builds upon the foundations that were set in Girls of Paper and Fire. Lei is determined, strong, bold and she trusts her own judgement. She trusts others too, but she doesn’t forget what her purpose is.

In the first book, Lei was very much imprisoned — physically and mentally — by men. In this book, Lei has the freedom to forge her own path alongside her love, Wren. This book shows Lei standing up against men who seek to control and manipulate her.

“The sun is setting by the time we arrive at the Fukho Grasslands. Golden light washes over the undulating plains. It’s no wonder this region is nicknamed the Amber Sea, with the winds blowing the grass, filling the air with a rushing sound like running water, and the soft dips and lifts of the hillocks mimicking the roll of waves, all tinted in gold.”

Girls of Storm and Shadow explores the concept of good vs. evil, and how complex and complicated those two concepts can sometimes be. Lei has done things in her past she’s not proud of, and so has Wren. Can they forgive each other? Can they forgive themselves?

Romance is a strong element to this sequel and series fans will adore the connection building between Lei and Wren.

Admittedly, Girls of Storm and Shadow suffers a little from second-book syndrome. Nothing too significant really happens in the book and it very much feels like a filler book from Book 1 to Book 3. Could this series actually just be a duology? Probably. Regardless, this is a story about healing and recovering and rising up against those that oppress others.

“Across the campfire, Caen and Merrin are deep in conversation, discussing tomorrow’s route. Wren has been quiet for most of the meal. I cuddle closer.”

Natasha is incredibly skilled at writing evocative, explosive prose and bringing together an incredibly suite of characters that readers can’t help but fall in love with. This series is recommended for fans of fantasy and young adult fiction. It’s gearing up to be an explosive finale in 2020.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girl of Paper and Fire #2)
Natasha Ngan
November 2019
Hachette Book Publishers