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Book Reviewed by: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.
The chain of events is linear but alternates rhythmically between the past and present. Chilling scenes of former childhood trauma and parental manipulation intermix with suspense in the present as Natalie first steps onto the frozen grounds of Wisewood in the dead of winter. During her search for her sister, she encounters an eclectic range of personalities among the island's shaved-headed staff, whose artificial smiles thinly mask their mistrust of outsiders. She hears conversations of the great "Teacher" who founded and leads the Wisewood program, yet the Teacher herself is nowhere to be found. Only after stumbling upon a truth she was never meant to find does Natalie learn that she is not the only person there with a secret she would rather keep buried...continued
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(Reviewed by David Bahia).
The events of This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel take place predominantly at Wisewood, a fictional island retreat off the coast of Maine that purportedly focuses on self-improvement techniques and conquering one's inner fears. The concept of a mental health "retreat" is by no means foreign to Americans, and wellness tourism has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry globally. Given this, self-improvement retreats reminiscent of Wisewood in either form or function are not only conceivable but already among a range of available options for those on the quest for a transformative vacation experience.
"Wellness tourism" is an unofficial umbrella term for any and all travel oriented towards one's well-being, often with an emphasis on...
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He has only half learned the art of reading who has not added to it the more refined art of skipping and skimming
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Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
This Might Hurt is a mesmerizing and original ride! Expertly paced, hugely unsettling, and perfectly dark, you'll be gripped in this clever exploration of fear and vulnerability right until the flawless ending—one you'll most certainly want to talk about.
