JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Gaslighting by Dr Stephanie Sarkis

Mental health expert Dr Stephanie Sarkis sheds light on ‘gaslighting’ – the manipulative technique used by sociopaths, narcissists, and others, offering practical strategies to cope and break free.

Gaslighting. What it is, how you can spot it – and how you can break free.

He’s the charmer – the witty, confident, but overly controlling date. She’s the woman on your team who always manages to take credit for your good work. He’s the neighbour who swears you’ve been putting your rubbish into his bins, or the politician who can never admit to a mistake. Gaslighters are master controllers and manipulators, often challenging your very sense of reality. Whether it’s a spouse, parent, co-worker, or friend, gaslighters distort the truth – by lying, withholding, triangulation, and more – making their victims question their own reality and sanity. Dr Stephanie Sarkis delves into this hidden manipulation technique, covering gaslighting in every life scenario, sharing:

Why gaslighters seem so ‘normal’ at first
Warning signs and examples
Gaslighter ‘red flags’ on a first date
Practical strategies for coping
How to co-parent with a gaslighter
How to protect yourself from a gaslighter at work
How to walk away and rebuild your life

With clear-eyed wisdom and empathy, Dr Sarkis not only helps you determine if you are being victimized by a gaslighter – she gives you the tools to break free and heal.

Gaslighting is mental manipulation that causes a person to doubt themselves and their actions — it can occur within many different types of relationships. Sometimes it’s within a romantic relationship, sometimes it’s between siblings, or parents and children, and sometimes it’s between colleagues.

Mental health expert Dr Stephanie Sarkis has worked with countless victims of gaslighting over her long career — she’s witnessed the effect that gas lighting can have on victims, and how difficult it can be for someone to escape or extricate themselves from their situation.

“Before you even get involved with a gaslighter, there are usually a number of signs you can learn to spot. In fact, signs present in the early stages of dating gaslights will often tell you everything you need to know about how sticking with the will be detrimental to your well-being.”

This is an incredibly detailed, exhaustive guide to the various types of gaslighters and how you can avoid them. I was surprised to learn that one of the most common forms of gas lighting is parent to child, and often that child grows up to be a gaslighter themselves because they’ve learnt (either knowingly or unknowingly) the art of gaslighting from their parent.

Stephanie Sarkis lists a lot of warning signs about gaslighters, but also helps us understand why gaslighters act the way they do — what it is they want and what they hope to get out of a situation. As a result, it’s a lot easier to understand how to remove yourself from their grasp.

Gaslighters distort the truth, and they’re often very good at it.

One of my favourite parts of the book was reading the testimonies on the sides of each page, the confessions from real-life victims who talk about how they were gaslighted. It’s fascinating.

“When I was a teenager, my mom would tell me that I was ‘getting pudgy.’ Then she’d make brownies or cake, and leave it out on the kitchen counter.”
JALISA, 34

Each chapter of the book is broken down into a different type of gaslighter, from relationships, to politics, cults, parents, siblings, and friends. There’s also a very long and helpful list of resources at the back of the book for anyone who wants further guidance and help after reading the book.

“In case you didn’t already have enough to worry about, the risks of violence with gaslighters is very real. They are more prone to getting violent because their frustration threshold is so low and they generally don’t have good coping skills. You should be prepared to protect yourself.”

I felt there was a slight oversight in the packaging of the book. Some victims of gaslighting are with potentially violent partners, or have been lured into a community or cult where their every move is watched. And it’s super obvious what this book is about. How are those people meant to read this book and not get caught?

Most of this book talks about the extremes of gaslighting, but it’s very informative. I was interested in reading this to expand my knowledge of what gaslighting is. For victims of gaslighting, I imagine this would be a very valuable tool.

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

Gaslighting: How to Recognise Manipulative and Emotionally Abusive People…and break free
Dr Stephanie Sarkis
March 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

The French Photographer by Natasha Lester

Inspired by the incredible true story of Lee Miller, Vogue model turned one of the first female war photojournalists, the new novel by the bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress.

Manhattan, Paris, 1942: When Jessica May’s successful modelling career is abruptly cut short, she is assigned to the war in Europe as a photojournalist for Vogue. But when she arrives the army men make her life as difficult as possible. Three friendships change that: journalist Martha Gellhorn encourages Jess to bend the rules, paratrooper Dan Hallworth takes her to places to shoot pictures and write stories that matter, and a little girl, Victorine, who has grown up in a field hospital, shows her love. But success comes at a price.

France, 2005: Australian curator D’Arcy Hallworth arrives at a beautiful chateau to manage a famous collection of photographs. What begins as just another job becomes far more disquieting as D’Arcy uncovers the true identity of the mysterious photographer – and realises that she is connected to D’Arcy’s own mother, Victorine.

The French Photographer is another epic novel from Australian author Natasha Lester. Crossing a war-torn Europe from Italy to France, The French Photographer is a story of courage, family and forgiveness.

Natasha Lester is one of my favourite Australian writers. I’ve previously read and reviewed two of her other novels, The French Seamstress and Her Mother’s Secret. All of her novels are about brave women during key historical moments — women who defy the odds and prejudices against them, and work hard to earn their success. They’re inspiring for the readers and they’re also incredibly relatable, down to earth, determined women.

“Jess’s story about Victorine and the accompanying pictures were syndicated worldwide. I can’t thank you enough, Bel had written. You’ve given Vogue credibility during this period of war that it wouldn’t otherwise have. Jess’s name was one people now knew for something other than how she looked in a dress.”

Jess has always wanted to do more than just model. She’s smart, passionate, driven, and an incredibly talented photographer. When her modelling work is put on hold because of a devious boyfriend and an old photoshoot, she sets her sights on something a little different. War is raging and Vogue need a journalist on the ground to report for their magazine.

She faces challenges because she’s injected herself into a career dominated by men. They won’t allow women close to the war, and Jess is often at the mercy of superior officers who don’t feel comfortable with Jess being so close to the war. They feel threatened by her, and perhaps at times, intimidated. They make up rumours about her, deliberately making her life difficult.

“Dan laughed and suddenly it felt normal again: Jess and Dan sharing a drink and a joke the way they’d always done. Thank God! She knew her smile was too bright for a day of mourning but she was so relieved to have restored her friendship with Dan that she couldn’t wipe it away.”

Jess’ personality is a real asset to the story. She’s feisty and quick, but also witty and very funny. She doesn’t let anyone talk down to her and she certainly doesn’t let them get away with treating her like their property.

It’s evident that Natasha did a lot of research ahead of writing this book. Jess is inspired by real-life war photographer Lee Miller, who led an extraordinary life. And there is so much intimate knowledge about photography and the war, and I could really picture every scene from the book as if it were playing out in front of me like a movie.

“At her new home on French soil, she quickly became adept at diving into the slit trench behind her tent whenever the Germans flew over at night strafing, at pretending the enormous red welts of mosquito bites didn’t itch like the devil, at never being alone, not even on the toilet — the latrine had a row of six seats and more often than not at least one or two of the other places was occupied by nurses clutching their precious rations of Scott paper.”

Like Natasha’s other novels, The French Photographer follows a dual narrative. The main timeline is Jess in 1942 as she works hard to build her career as a recognised war photographer. The other timeline is D’Arcy in 2005. She’s an Australian curator who starts working with a mysterious photographer who is hiding many secrets. This mysterious photographer storyline was a little predictable, but still delightful.

I’d recommend Natasha’s novels to fans of historical fiction, romance, epic war tales, and family sagas. Her books are as gorgeous on the inside as they are on the cover.

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

The French Photographer
Natasha Lester
April 2019
Hachette Books Australia

Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian

The Kaiser murdered Theodosia’s mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took her country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess – a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenceless. He didn’t realise that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.

Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage – Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser’s rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.

To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.

Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.

Lady Smoke is the sequel to Ash Princess and the second book in this new fantasy series from US author Laura Sebastian. You can read my review of Ash Princess on the blog HERE.

Lady Smoke picks up immediately after the conclusion of Ash Princess — Queen Theodosia has escaped the Kaiser’s imprisonment in Astrea, seeking refuge and alliance with her aunt, the famed pirate Dragonsbane. Theo is accompanied by her Shadows — Blaise, Artemisia and Heron —aboard a ship captained by Dragonsbane. Soren, the Kalovaxian prince, is in their custody.

Theo knows she’ll need allies to retake her kingdom from the conquering Kalovaxians and free her people, who are still enslaved by the Kaiser and his new wife Cress. So Theo aligns with the manipulative Dragonsbane and along with her fleet, they seek refuge in Sta’Crivero with King Etristo. Eligible suitors from all other countries arrive at a grand invitational to meet Theo and offer her their hand in marriage. With a husband, Theo can acquire an army and take back her throne in Astrea.

“Sta’Crivero is a country of sand. As we approach the shore, I scan the horizon but there is little to see. Rolling dunes crest like waves all the way to the horizon, unbroken by trees or any kind of foliage. It doesn’t look like the sort of place where anything could survive.”

The series maintains the POV from Theo’s perspective, allowing readers a deeper dive into her mindset and her emotions. She immerses herself in political issues and takes it upon herself to learn more and more about the world she lives in, so she’ll know how best to rule her people when she reclaims her throne. This first person narration also helps give the story a stronger sense of urgency, propelling the story forward and keeping the reader engaged.

I would’ve loved a little more involvement with Cress. She was a major character in Ash Princess, and we don’t see her again until the end of Lady Smoke. And she’s really changed. She’s powerful, ballsy, confident and a really scary antagonist. I can’t wait to see more of her in the next book.

“I suppose Archduke Etmond is the most pleasant of the lot, though that title largely falls to him by default. Most of our time is spent in an uncomfortable silence that I’m actually grateful for — it gives me a moment of peace in what has been a very chaotic day — but there are moments when he surprises me, like when he very shyly asks how I escaped the Astrean palace and seems to actually care about the answer.”

The ending of the book is very satisfying. Alliances are broken and some are strengthened. Major characters are defeated or saved by unlikely circumstances, and the pacing is quickened to keep the reader engaged.

Lady Smoke delivers an amazing sequel, with heightened stakes and three-dimensional characters that help drive the story forward. This book exceeded all of my expectations and Laura Sebastian has delivered something really fantastic.

“Even as I say the words, though, I know they aren’t true. I might know Blaise better than anyone, but in this moment I am afraid of him. Not Blaise — not necessarily — but what he’s capable of. What he can do without even meaning to.”

I remember feeling that Ash Princess was generic and not too dissimilar to other fantasy books, but Lady Smoke took the series in a completely different direction and I really enjoyed the journey. I’m looking forward to the third and final instalment in 2020.

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

Lady Smoke: Ash Princess 2
Laura Sebastian
February 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

REVIEW AND AUTHOR INTERVIEW: The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion

Can a house heal heartache? From coastal Australia to the rugged beauty of Ireland, an enchanting novel of starting over, in the tradition of Maeve Binchy and Monica McInerney.

Their grandmother’s stone cottage was always a welcome retreat in the childhood summers of Ellen and Aidan O’Shea. After a trip home from Australia, Ellen is keen to bring the neglected home back to its former glory and enlists the help of her dear friend and one of Ireland’s top interior designers, Colette Barry.

Aidan is already begrudging the work on the house he has avoided for nearly twenty years. The last thing the builder needs is an interior designer who seems to do nothing but complicate his life. With their own personal heartaches to overcome, will Aidan and Colette find the courage to give the house and themselves a second chance?

The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion is a novel about letting go of past mistakes, failed relationships and learning to let others in. This is Esther’s second novel and explores love, loss, grief and family.

Aidan and Colette have both been in relationships they’d rather not remember. Colette’s ex-husband treated her terribly and cheated on her many times, and Aidan’s ex-girlfriend left and married someone else. Aidan also acts as a babysitter for another ex-girlfriend who likes to offload her daughter onto Aidan on a regular basis.

Both Aidan and Colette like to shut people out, and they keep pretending that they’re happy being single. When they meet, they initially don’t like each other. They fight over what’s best for the house and the renovation of the property. But soon, they start to understand each other and friendship develops.

“The whole group were looking at him. Oh man! He’d half hoped he might find the seat beside Colette empty for once and enjoy his pint while actually having a civil conversation with the girl. This was not how he’d planned it.”

At first I was a little taken aback with how people spoke to Aidan about his weight. Aidan acknowledges that he weighs more than he used to, and he’s let his fitness slip. His internal dialogue reflects what a lot of people who feel unfit think about themselves. They know they need to eat healthier, exercise more.

But Aidan’s friends and family outwardly comment about his weight and Aidan just takes it. He seems like the kind of character who isn’t afraid to speak his mind, so it seemed a little surprising that he just accepted everyone’s jokes and remarks without sniping back. Even though he thought their comments were justified, I would’ve expected a character like Aidan to respond differently to how he did.

“Ben Dineen cut a fit-looking figure in a designer polo shirt that showed off his biceps. Aidan imagined the six-pack concealed under the shirt tucked into the belted chinos. Lucky bastard, he thought, drawing the sides of his open jacket together to cover the gut that had brought him to this.”

The grandmother’s cottage in the book read like a character, it held such a strong significance to the plot and to the characters’ journeys. It holds memories and is therefore an important place for the characters, but renovating the house is also about moving forward and reflecting on what’s transpired.

Esther brings a range of characters to this story, all of whom are struggling with something. Grace and Ben are having silent fights and communication is needed to overcome their issues. Aidan’s ex-girlfriend Jane keeps running back to her problematic boyfriend despite him being a bad influence on her and her daughter. Colette’s new work experience kid Shane is rebellious and troubled, but is really skilled at drawing. These are just a few of the side characters who enrich the story.

“She’d wanted a daughter too. But this was no time to be maudlin. She had bills to pay, a mother to look after as she got older and, down the track, her own senior years to secure. She’d worked her socks off and would continue to do so. A partnership would just make it more her own.”

Initially, it was really hard to wrap your head around the characters. In the opening chapters of the book, Esther seems to introduce just about every character in the book and it was easy to get lost in all the information because it felt like an information dump. I would’ve preferred if the characters were drip fed a bit more, without so much background information all at once.

Perfect for readers who love family sagas, romance novels, and heartwarming and heartfelt stories.

***

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH ESTHER CAMPION

Firstly, tell us a little bit about your latest novel, The House of Second Chances
This book is set around the renovation of an old farmhouse in West Cork, a beautiful part of Ireland. Builder, Aidan O’ Shea, has been avoiding his grandmother’s house for almost twenty years, but when his sister in Australia decides to turn the house into a business, he is thrust on to the project along with Ellen’s interior designer friend, Colette Barry. Colette is keen to get on with the job but when her ideas come up against resistance from Aidan, she is in for some challenging times. Both Aidan and Colette are struggling with the hurts of past lives, but the house presents an opportunity for healing, if only they can get out of their own way.

You live in Tasmania but you’re from Ireland. Do you find inspiration from your surroundings, both past and present?
Very much so. Ireland runs through my veins, so I think I will always enjoy writing stories set there. In terms of places I’ve moved to, it takes a while for the landscape and the people to get under my skin. For example, I have lived in Tasmania for six years and it is only now that I have come to write about it in what will hopefully be my next novel.

In The House of Second Chances, grandma’s stone cottage feels like a character. How do you go about capturing the atmosphere and feel of a location, especially when it plays such a big role in a book?
I am delighted to hear you say the house was like another character as I didn’t consciously write it as such. The house has a very distinct past, a vibrant present and, by the end of the book, also hope for the future, so I definitely like your idea of seeing it as a character. I also feel its former owner, grandmother Lizzie O’ Shea, is kept alive through the house and she is a character I kept coming back to as memories of her as she lived in the house set the tone for the place. Crookhaven, where the fictional house is located, is a place I love to visit. I imagine my characters walking the hills and beaches, drinking in the pub, chatting to the locals and setting the world to rights.

Do you have to undertake any research when writing your books?
I dabble in the research side of things as I go. For settings, I draw on photographs and memories from times I lived in or visited places. If I haven’t been to a place or can’t remember details, I will interview someone who has. My husband is also a great sounding board and source of knowledge. Thankfully, he’s always interested enough to listen. He doesn’t write but loves reading, especially the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith.

What element of novel writing do you most struggle with?
Honestly, it’s the physical aches and pains. When I’m in the zone, I sit for far too long without leaving the desk and pay for it later. Thanks to your question, I will try to remember to use my timer!

What element of novel writing do you think is your biggest strength?
I like writing dialogue, but you’d have to ask my readers what they like best. Maybe some readers of your blog will leave a comment and let me know.

What do you like to read? What do you look for when deciding your next purchase?
I think we’re all influenced by the steady stream of emails and Facebook posts announcing the top reads for each month and what we should be reading. I’m quite a slow reader, so although I would love to read all of these popular works, I’m usually about a year behind by the time a book reaches the top of my ‘To Be Read’ pile. I am currently reading Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks which has leap-frogged on to the top of the pile because I love Nicholas Sparks and reading about Africa. One of the perks of being an author is receiving free bound proofs of soon-to-be-released novels. That makes me get a move on and I am looking forward to reading Natasha Lester’s last and next novels once I’m finished with Nicholas.

Finally, what are the you working on next?
I am writing a novel set in Ireland and Tasmania and for now, that’s about all I can say on the matter.

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

The House of Second Chances
Esther Campion
February 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

In his much-anticipated debut novel, Hank Green – co-creator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers and SciShow – spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she’s part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined.

If you came across AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING at 3 a.m. in New York City . . . Would you keep walking? Or do the one thing that would change your life forever? 

The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship – like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armour – April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world – everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires – and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the centre of an intense international media spotlight.

Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a debut novel by American author Hank Green, a quirky and strange tale about fame, social media, obsession and radicalisation.

After April discovers a giant metal statue in New York City, she films it and uploads the video online. What she doesn’t know is that these strange statues have appeared all over the world at exactly the same time, with no footage available showing how they got there and who erected them.

April becomes famous; everyone is fascinated by these statues and what they mean, and they feel like April has the answers to all their questions.

April is a very self-centred person, and at times she’s actually awful. And she knows it. She says horrible things to her girlfriend and treats her terribly, but then uses her girlfriend and her intelligence when she needs help solving some of the alien puzzles throughout the book. I kept reading this book because of the plot, not because of the characters.

“There was a bit of silence then. Her emotions — oh, they were everywhere. Anger, pain, disappointment. Disappointment in me, specifically, no in the situation. I got the impression that she was unsurprised that I had turned out to be exactly what she expected me to be.”

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with the unpredictability of social media and viral fame, and how that can change a person or simply highlight their true personality.

The book also — in a light-hearted, bizarre way — highlights many of society’s flaws. People react badly when they fear something, or when they don’t understand something, and that can harm others or have a domino effect on the rest of civilisation.

“After that, I lowered myself into the news storm. The president hadn’t mentioned me by name in her speech, but there was reference to my work. I was now inextricably linked to this story. Not because I discovered Carl, and not because I was the first person with a following to come out and say he was an alien, and not because I seemed to be the reason his hand fell off and ran across Hollywood, but because I was all three of those things.”

This is a very weird book, but in a way, I enjoyed it. I kept reading. I found myself interested in the Carls and the puzzles and quizzes that filled the book, and I wanted to know what the Dreams meant.

I don’t think this book is for everyone. At the end, there isn’t much of a resolution and so I think a lot of people will find themselves disappointed. But I think seasoned readers, particularly readers who like the quirkiness of some fiction, will find this book quite fun.

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

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
Hank Green
September 2018
Hachette Book Publishers

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