Plunge into chaos with Dr. Sonja Storey and you will be asking yourself many questions. What is real? Did that actually happen? Does it mean anything? This novel is an experience as much as it is a story. In the perspective of Sonja who is wrapped in chaos and conspiracy, there is a discomfort for the reader not knowing if Sonja is a reliable narrator. This is not a romance. This is not a relaxing or fluffy read. This is gritty. This is unsettling and at times off-putting in it’s honest glimpse into a troubled mind. Sonja’s past is slowly revealed while we navigate her present chaos. What does life look like when you were powerless, and now see everything as power play? What happens when you were looked down on and are driven to seek status symbols and control? What happens when you’ve been abandoned so you stop seeking to connect with other people? Sonja is a deeply flawed and at times deeply unwell college professor who believes someone is playing a dangerous game with her. Romantic interest Crystal Bird is a stunning character, but I still don’t quite know what she sees in Sonja. She speaks her mind, has some wild ideas and strong boundaries. She is a professor at the same college as Sonja and challenges her first incidentally, and then directly. Against all reason, Crystal never completely gives up on Sonja and keeps pushing her to be the best version of herself. She refuses to accept being mistreated, and has goals and friends of her own. Crystal really adds depth and humor to the story occasionally breaking the disquiet of being in Sonja’s mind. Trigger Warnings…many The writing in the novel is exceptional. I love the way Wrenn smashes words together in painfully artistic ways. The pace of the story starts slow and increases through the end of the book.
