Synopsis

From the USA Today bestselling and Edgar-nominated author of Darling Rose Gold comes a dark, thrilling novel about two sisters–one trapped in the clutches of a cult, the other in a web of her own lies.

Welcome to Wisewood. We’ll keep your secrets if you keep ours.

Natalie Collins hasn’t heard from her sister in more than half a year.

The last time they spoke, Kit was slogging from mundane workdays to obligatory happy hours to crying in the shower about their dead mother. She told Natalie she was sure there was something more out there.

And then she found Wisewood.

On a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood’s guests commit to six-month stays. During this time, they’re prohibited from contact with the rest of the world–no Internet, no phones, no exceptions. But the rules are for a good reason: to keep guests focused on achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximized Selves. Natalie thinks it’s a bad idea, but Kit has had enough of her sister’s cynicism and voluntarily disappears off the grid.

Six months later Natalie receives a menacing e-mail from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from Kit. Panicked, Natalie hurries north to come clean to her sister and bring her home. But she’s about to learn that Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight.

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Review

This story is told from three points of view – Natalie, Kit, and an unknown third person until later in the book. I have to admit, for some reason, I was confusing the third person with Natalie or Kit and am not sure why, but maybe because they weren’t named?

I will forewarn you that there could be some triggers for parental emotional abuse for the unknown third person. While I don’t have any trigger issues normally, the descriptions of the scene with the third person and her father were hard to read. He basically treated his wife and two daughters as if they weren’t good enough and forced the girls to earn points to be able to sleep. It got harder as they got older and what would “count”. It is no wonder that they both wanted to get away from him, yet his wife wouldn’t leave despite knowing it would have been for the best for everyone. Over time, this unknown person finds her way but many would wonder about her chosen field and the lengths she goes to for “art”. Perhaps it is the extreme that draws people into her and the fear of allowing themselves to be in her shoes. Perhaps that is why she calls herself Madam Fearless.

Natalie and Kit have a strained relationship despite being all that they have left when it comes to family. Their mother has passed away and while they lead separate lives, they try to stay in touch, at least for a time. That is until Kit decided that she needs a change and ends up at a remote retreat location in Maine. I can see the good and the bad about this place, no technology and getting in touch with your inner demons. However, there are some fishy things happening with the owner and the staff that are revealed to us over time. Kit has learned to resolve some of her issues and thinks she knows what she wants from life but Natalie can’t seem to accept this. Natalie may be right, but she may be wrong, and what she learns (or the reader learns) is that everything may not be as it seems.

Despite the synopsis describing what is going on with Natalie and Kit, that doesn’t seem to be the main focus of the book, at least not until about 1/2 way through. There is a lot of back and forth in the chapters with Natalie and the unknown person, which might explain why I thought it was tied together, until much later. We know that Natalie is heading to Wisewood to tell her sister what she did based on an email she received and that if she didn’t, an unknown person will tell her. When the secret is revealed it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal but I can see Kit’s viewpoint on that secret.

The last 25% has some crazy twists that I didn’t expect and the ending does leave you wondering what might happen next.

There is a lot to unpack with this book and while I enjoyed the book, it did feel a little scattered and didn’t really start coming together until about 2/3 – 3/4 of the way through the book.

We give this book 3 paws up.

About the Author

Stephanie Wrobel is the author of Darling Rose Gold, a USA Today and international bestseller that has sold in twenty-one countries and was shortlisted for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Wrobel grew up in Chicago and now lives in London. This Might Hurt is her second novel.

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