Jessica Lost Her Wobble

by J. Schlenker

J. Schlenker's debut novel, "Jessica Lost Her Wobble," a finalist in the 2014 William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition.
"Jessica Lost Her Wobble" is psychological in nature. At mid-life, Jessie, the main character, after many upsets, moves to an island for contemplation of her life and to make a new start. While there she reflects back on her beginnings in the early 20th century in England, her move to New York City and marriage at a young age while making friends with a girl half her age. This friendship opens up a new world for her and helps her explore her own soul. Jessie becomes a part of the island, otherwise known as a local as she re-invents her life there and finds love. But all is not as it seems.

Genres: Fiction

328 pages, Paperback

Published December 13, 2015

About the author

J. Schlenker, a late-blooming author, lives with her husband, Chris, in the splendid center of nowhere in the foothills of Appalachia in Kentucky, where the only things to disturb her writing are croaking frogs, screaming guineas, and the occasional sounds of hay being cut in the fields.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica, 'Jessie', was born in England - moved to the States when she was a young teen--
She married young - gave birth to Josh and Gina.
At age 45- she is divorce -her son has died - and she doesn't see her daughter very often.
Author J. Schlenker explores the psychological complexities of 'Jessie'. Most of the story is felt through her eyes. She's come to a crossroad in her life - lonely, yet quite familiar with being lonely.
By moving from New York City to a small reclusive island among other community small town folks - where the average age seems to be 60 - she's hoping to re-invent herself...spread her wings... dedicate herself to a hobby....( considers writing novels)....
expand her cooking skills, make new friends, meet a man, -- with a desire to become a little more outgoing- social - 'happy'.

Jessie becomes great friends with Amy, a young girl the same age as her own daughter. Amy turns out to be "just-what-the-doctor-ordered". We see Jessica begin to blossom- she begins to let go of old pain and make way for love to enter her life.

What makes this $2.99 - great Amazon -Kindle- bargain so good is the authors sly cleverness.
There is much more to this story that meets-the-eye. MUCH!!! The ending to this story is oddly euphoric-offbeat-witty& clever....turning what I thought was going to be a 'light' endearing story when I first read the books 'title' ...into 'definitely' a psychological maddening fascination!!

Even the title of the book threw me off several times....
If you plan to read this 'quick read'.... you 'must' finish it!!!! The power comes only from reading the entire book --- THEN... reading those last few pages!
CLEVER....all I can say....is CLEVER!!!!! - making it all worth reading!

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, Jessica Lost Her Wobble is one of those books that you just want to know more and more about the main character. The book doesn't disappoint. A full life of memories, regrets, pains and love all wrapped up into one amazing book.

Jessica is middle aged when she moves to the island. The island where she had spent many times with her children. Her husband had not been there for her so it is a place where she can remember the times with her children while they were small.

She has seen a lot in her life and she has survived with a subtle sense of humor that makes me smile. She is not sure others get her humor, and when they do she loves it.

When she moves to the island to live a life of solitude and quiet, she surprises herself by making friends with a young woman named Amy that also lives on the island year round. She has made efforts fit in as a local, but so far that hasn't quite happened. She is not sure what she needs to do about that.

It is an unexpected friendship but what it brings to Jessica is a non-judgmental person that listens well and is interested in hearing her story. Meeting and becoming friends with Amy allows Jessica to address her life face to face. Something she has attempted to avoid in the past.

There are so many depths to this book. I can't say enough about its ability to draw the reader in and make them feel as if it is just as important that we hear this story as it is for Jessica to finally tell it.
I can't even talk about the twists and turns that make this book so incredible. There is so much in this book to love. I am so thankful to J. for allowing me to read it. I totally got lost in the island life and Jessica's life. It is beautifully written. Exceptional book. I would give it 10 stars if they were available.

[Davyne DeSye · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, the good news: I absolutely loved the characterization. I very much learned to love Jessie and all of the people she loved. I loved the island (although I never did figure out where it was) and, frankly, would like to become “one of the locals”… it sounds fantastic and right up my alley (being a bit of hermit, myself). I also loved the themes of starting over and forgiveness (even if it is only of oneself), and cheered for Jessie as she slowly “lost her wobble.”

Now, unfortunately, the bad news. This book has three epilogues. The last two epilogues were really upsetting to me. I felt like I had invested a part of myself into these characters, learned to love them, cheered or felt horrified for them, worried about them (and even cried twice), etc., and as I was getting to the end of the book, felt absolutely satisfied. I admit, as everything was working out so perfectly for Jessie, I thought it was a little “too good to be true,” but I was totally willing to forgive that because… well… this was a feel-good book and a happy ending was appropriate. To learn the sad truth was such a crashing let down that it left me really disappointed.

Honestly, I wish I had skipped the prologue and the last two epilogues. In that case, I would rate this book four stars. But the ending was so disappointing to me, that now I would rate it two and a half. I will probably remember the story for a long time (conveniently forgetting the ending) because it really was a feel-good read.

The writing is very good and the author’s ability to portray characters is fantastic. In my reading, I love characters above plot (although the plot was well thought out and well executed, too) and so I really appreciated the depth of the characterization.

[William Stinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Very well written and nice character development. The story keeps your attention and makes you want to continue. There is a underlying psychological theme that makes you wonder. I don't want to give away spoilers so I will not mention some of the twists that I liked about it. I highly recommend reading "Jessica Lost Her Wobble".

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica moves from New York to a small island to start her life anew. But all is not as it seems. The cover for Jessica Lost Her Wobble shows a rather peaceful scene. Does it fit the book? Yes, it does, but In no way does it hint at what is going on beneath the surface.

This story takes place in the 50s and 60s. There are cars, buses, and airplanes, but cell phones and the internet haven’t arrived yet.

Jessica is trying to escape her past and the tragedies she has lived through. Stressful things happen to everyone, but her failed marriage, the death of her son, and not having a good relationship with her daughter have all added up to being too much to handle. She must escape them, escape everything that reminds her of them. No one would miss her, and she really must get away.

She moves from New York to a small island community. The majority of its inhabitants are in their fifties and sixties.

I thought the book was very well-written, but it didn’t hold my attention that well until Amy enters the story and makes friends with Jessica. The book then became hard to put down. Amy is much younger, and Jessica’s friendship with Amy makes her take an even harder look at herself and her relationship with her own daughter.

Once Jessica is living on the island, she and her daughter do reconcile. Her daughter buys her a journal, and she decides to write about her life. Romance, memories, and hope for the future fill her life and her journal. Maybe writing about her life will help her to realize who she is.

Jessica Lost Her Wobble does a great job of keeping the twist a secret until the very end. At first, I was mad and tempted to throw my Kindle, but I really didn’t want to risk breaking it. This book turned out to be more of a great psychological story. I didn’t think the twisty ending made any sense when I first read it, but I had forgotten something. “The Prologue” had completely slipped my mind because I had become so involved with what was going on with Jessica and the other characters. That alone should give you a hint as to how well the author developed these characters.

I bought my copy of Jessica Lost Her Wobble from Amazon. If you are a fan of literary fiction, women’s fiction, or stories with a psychological twist, you will love this book. Even if you aren’t fans of those genres, this book should appeal to you. My favorite genres are horror and mystery; a psychological twist is a bonus.

[Kenneth Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me get this out of the way.. Buy this book and read it!!

Now, on with what it's about.. Jessica is a woman who has had hiccups in her life and is working thru them. Ups, downs, outright disasters, lovely high points. We get to experience it all. We also get into her head a bit more than the normal book, but it works. You also have to realize this book is set mostly in the 50's and 60's, so technology and things aren't up to date. This is in case you question some of the settings or happenings.

I thought the book plodded along nicely, giving a life story of this woman and her reflections of her past and moving forward. By the end, the author tied things up in a pretty bow for a "Happily Ever After". Then the epilogue... Well, that certainly was wonderful reading!!

Like I said early on, just get the book, and then settle in for a quieter time on the island.

[Anne Carmichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting another version of 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back', but J. Schlenker took us on an in-depth psychological examination of the midlife madness. So often, we all dream of running away to a deserted island to contemplate our out of control lives. We think that with age comes wisdom, but sometimes we find wisdom in the youth of a friend.

Read it. Perhaps you'll find some answers of your own.

[Lucinda Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

MOST UNEXPECTED
I had already decided to give this book 4 stars, until I got almost to the end and it is the ending that changed my mind. Although the beginning is intriguing I was curious about the title, even after the clue of the bicycle on the cover. I often wanted to shake Jessica, she seemed vey bland although her character is well drawn. The book is well written, but I can’t explain why I was blown away in the final pages without giving the game away. So it is 5 stars from me.

[B.A. Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both the cover (which shows a bicycle on a bridge), and the author’s plot summary set me on course for the tale of a ‘damaged’ woman who had moved to an island to begin a new life and who, metaphorically speaking, might lose her ‘wobble’. It was a fairly under-whelming premise.

The style of writing is explicit - there were no real surprises. I must admit that although the story of Jessie’s life on the island and her memories of when she moved to New York from England as a young girl are well-written and engaging, the candid nostalgia of a woman writing about life in the mid-nineteen hundreds was not ringing my bell. Strange then, how comfortable it felt to pick up my kindle and retrieve Jessie where I had left her. Strange, the vague affinity I had with this woman who seemed to be working through a tragic history and searching for a new interest: yoga, cooking Indian food, opening a tea shop…

The people she meets are interesting and well-developed characters, the stories of her past are from another era, and demonstrate a shocking naivety and a touching vulnerability. Jessie is nice, with a capital ‘N’. But ‘nice’ just doesn’t cut it in the real world. Not for me, at least. Lots of people will enjoy the life and times of a woman like Jessie, who has lived a varied and interesting life. A woman who it’s easy to like and for whom we wish at least some happiness in her new life on the island. But I couldn’t quite understand why this book was a finalist in the 2014 William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition.

Then comes the twist. Exquisite!

I wanted to know more about the author. The only thing I could find was a single photograph on Amazon India. In it, she’s wearing a huge grin. How appropriate!

[Claudia Scholand · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Jessica is so believable - I felt drawn to her and just could not put the book down. Little by little, the details of her life are revealed. You see the healing process begin. She comes to terms with her history and finds new love. The characters are believable, the story is incredible for a first novel. But don't stop! Read it to the end - all the way to the end. What a surprise twist -

[Brenda Ricker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional debut! Jessica draws you in and won't let go. A touching story which moves flawlessly between past and present, its ending will make you think--what is reality? A great read!
BKR

[Janice Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reader, once in a while a book impacts me with its brilliance. Not only is this story endearing and engaging, it is the ending that one doesn't see coming. The joy of watching the main character evolve and her emotional growth as an individual was definitely worth the read. I loved this story.
But never of all the books I've read over many years could I have predicted or expected an ending such as J. Schlenker gave this book. I was, simply put, gobsmacked. Jessica Lost Her Wobble has one of the most evolutionary character developments a writer can give a protagonist. The ending is one in millions. Thank you, J. Schlenker, for the gift you have given your readers with this book.

[G.J. Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book slowly drew me in more and more as my curiosity about Jessica grew, and her various life situations became revealed by the well-written prose from J. Schlenker. It is a book full of memories, romance, recriminations and hope. Jessica’s life throughout most of the book is focussed upon her attempts to come to terms with personal tragedies and disappointment by moving to live on an island. It is an island with a friendly community atmosphere that holds fond remembrances for Jessica about times spent there with her children when they were small. She is surprised to find herself making friends with Amy, a young woman of a similar age to her daughter, and to whom Jessica begins to open up tales of hidden pain and joy from her past. There is much more to Jessica Lost Her Wobble than this but I am loathe to reveal too much and spoil the intriguing plot. Suffice it to say that there are several interesting twists to the tale but, after what appeared to be a rather mundane end to the story, this reader was presented with such a surprising twist in the epilogue that I had to read that part again!

This meant that, despite finding much of the very detailed information rather too much and tedious at times, I was glad I persisted and read Ms Schlenker’s book to the end. It completely changed the perspective that I thought I had about the story and left me thinking about it for a while afterwards. Surely, this is one of the signs that indicate a tale well-told.

The characters are well-drawn but I found it difficult to sympathise with any of them; the dialogue was generally believable and I found myself wishing that there was more of the story told through the characters’ conversations rather than in the narrative. When events moved from the USA to England, or from the island to the mainland, I would have liked to learn more about actual place names. This is a novel that will appeal to anyone who likes to read about family sagas with plenty of typical events, surprising incidents, inner secrets and unusual outcomes – plus a shocking end.
I was given a copy of the book in return for an honest and objective review.

[Hock Tjoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This struck me as a readable and engaging domestic romance with Jessica as the main character. At forty-five, she has to be wary of yoga poses that might be too much for her body. She spends a lot of time on the island(s); by author’s prerogative, the setting is somewhat vague. Sometimes it appears that the mainland might be good for a late night snack, sometimes there are time differences to be factored in.

Much else is vague as well. The time is buried in the middle of the narrative; it is on the cusp of 1960 when Kerouac’s On the Road was “recently published” [1957]. It was the choice of read for a book club that Jessie decided was not right for her as its members were mostly women in their sixties. But she found “a lot of forgiveness on the island. Other than the paradise factor, to forgive, to be forgiven, and mainly to forget was why people came here.” It was unlike New York City where “aggravation was a way of life.” A cheap shot, I thought.

“Jessie exemplified dull routine habits—bad ones,” but this is the story of how she gradually – the book is leisurely – and by force of life’s circumstances, overcomes a bad marriage (young, trust fund, English woman rushed into marriage by Italian migrant in Brooklyn), a family tragedy, and is motivated by the love of a good man (really) to shave her legs and armpits. He is conveniently widowed.

There are a few bright writing moments in this book - “Force of gravity and a thin shirt indicated she (Mrs. Gibbons, one of the island’s “whimsical” characters), had forgotten to wear a bra.” For her reading, Jessie “avoided romance novels. They were fantasy, something Dr. Linn had told her to get over. Dr. Linn was big on facing reality.” And she notes that “life was full of exes, even for the young.”

But this reader found nits as well. Sauvignon blanc [!] is not a red wine. The search for closure on the part of Jessie’s mother-in-law seems detached and forced. And the thin prologue and epilogue that might have served as the “frame story” that provides a twist to the main narrative is too skimpy, as wobbly as the bike riding. Jessie overcame that. The book as written does not.

[Barnaby Hazen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My hands are twice tied in reviewing this book properly and critically. Firstly, I am light years away from "Jessica Lost Her Wobble" in my usual reading. I am not even sure exactly how to classify it; women’s literary fiction is how it was offered to me. Secondly, the well documented forbidding of reviewers spoiling twists means that I can’t critique any twist itself without becoming a villain. The way forward for my review then seems to be a combined rubric of what I think of the work in terms of pure craft, and where I suspect it sits in offerings to those more inclined to this sub-category of literary fiction.

By this rubric, I can recommend it. We read the story almost entirely through an intimate lens— looking out at the world through the eyes of a character named Jessie. Jessie is well-developed and interesting in her awkward timidity, against which she struggles and, to a certain extent overcomes within the main chapters of the book. We also meet her daughter, ex-husband, ex-husband’s mother, new friends, an old friend, and again, these are all well-written, fully established and interesting throughout their mingling. Furthermore, the romance story, and problems in Jessie’s life and character leading up to the romance are touching and engaging by use of believable and vulnerable detail.

So to the spoiler concept, there is a facility represented in a manner that did not strike me as extremely real—but it may be a different class of facility than what I have seen personally, so again I can chalk this up to my own background being so very different. On a final and subjective note, I like that the twists, as others have celebrated, gave me much to think about and revisit as I walked away from the book.

That this is the author’s first effort surprised me. I will be interested to find out what she writes next, and I hope that J. Schlenker finds the compliment that was intended in this cautious recommendation to potential readers.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

[Laura Berlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was engrossed right from the start with the characters of Jessica Lost Her Wobble. A well written debut and read with a twist.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica Lost Her Wobble is a novel by J. Schlenker. The story takes place on an island off the coast of New York. The island is never named but it is quaint and rather reclusive in the late 1950’s. It is the story of a middle aged lady living on the island year-round. She has come to the island to figure out what she is going to do the rest of her life. She is divorced with a daughter and a son who died. Her ex-husband is of Italian descent and as such is very close to his mother. Rosa, his mother, never really accepted Jessica into the family. Jessica just wants to pick up her life again and to live on the island year-round.
As you share her life, you find yourself becoming more involved with Jessica and her life. There are plenty of surprises and twists to this story.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going with a four star on this book, although the ending is a definite five and something not expected. In the story, readers meet Jessica, a woman who has moved to an island from the big city to get her life together after a divorce and other tragedies.Through her reminiscences readers learn about her past. The story moves along at a steady pace and maybe that's why the twisted ending changes everything. the author writes with a great style that readers can curl up in a favorite chair and enjoy.

[Joey Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up his book because I liked the sound of the blurb. I loved it from the start. The prologue was intriguing and as the story continued I wasn't sure where it fitted. The story itself was engaging and well-written. It made me want to know the mystery of that prologue. It makes you think one thing, before the story itself makes you think another. And then there's the three different endings. They were all amazing, and one matched up with the prologue. Overall a great book and very glad I picked it up!

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not often that I will sit and read a book from start to end with hardly moving from my chair. An excellent read and one that no doubt, some could relate to. I rarely write what a book is about for fear of spoiling for others, plus the author has written a good synopsis. I do recommend.

I would like to thank the author for sending me an electronic copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a peculiar book - at least it was for me. I almost stopped reading in the early chapters because I couldn't get into it. The rest of the book was just a story and then at the very end there is an unexpected huge surprise. It is worth the read just to be befuddled at the end.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went up and down with this book, moments I loved it others I thought "what a ho hum obvious story". Then I got to the end, no spoilers here but changed my whole perspective! Now I want to re-read it!

[Mary Littleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it very enjoyable with an unexpected ending.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Jessica Lost Her Wobble
Author: J. Schlenker

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 17 readers:
17 would read another book by this author.
12 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
17 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
13 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
17 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
‘A well-written novel. The character, Jessica, is a bit messed-up; which is what this story is all about. Very much a woman’s journey. If anything, the cover’s a bit awkward. Other than that, excellent read.’ Female reader, aged 32
‘A woman’s midlife crisis. Excellent beginning, a tiny bit slow in the middle, but the ending was excellent. Good twist there.’ Female reader, aged 45
‘The best character is Amy. The book jumps to life when she is introduced. This author works well with characters, offering the reader character complexity and a relatively mild plot. I enjoyed this very much.’ Female reader, aged 55
‘Fantastic read. Loved every page. This author is rather talented.’ Male reader, aged 62
‘The sort of book you can cosy up to with a fire and a glass of brandy.’ Female reader, aged 52
‘Read this in two days. Best bit: the ending. Not so good: slow here and there; cover a tad messy. Overall, a satisfying read that women will probably enjoy the most.’ Female reader, aged 45


To Sum It Up:
‘An engrossing story populated with unforgettable characters. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Sandy Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a few chapters to really get into the story. The main character Jessica is a very introspective person and the story is filled with her inner dialogues and her likeable attempts at being non-judgemental towards others. There are also other equally likeable characters throughout this book including Amy, Jackson etc. All in all a fairy tale ending to what started as a sad past that needed healing. *Spoiler Alert* Although the ending was a bit saccharine I much preferred it to the (to quote Jessica) "unnecessary" epilogue which was disturbing and somewhat out of place. Perhaps the author was going for a dramatic Shutter Island ending but without the suspense it didn't quite gel. Personally I much prefer she left it out instead of marring a relatively good story.

[Barbara Daniels Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ups and downs of re-inventing one's self is such a poignant reminder to the reader that there are times in our lives where nothing will do but to begin again. Ms. Schlenker does a masterful job of taking us through the trials of starting afresh and learning to live again. This book is refreshing in the fact that we can see the vulnerability of the human spirit, yet know it can be overcome which gives us a sense of great joy. Write faster, dear author!

[Cheryl Alsippi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica Lost Her Wobble is an enjoyable story about a gentle woman (Jessica) and the struggles she endures in her attempt to put her life back together after tragedy. The supporting characters are just that - very supportive of Jessica - and likable. There is a whopping surprise ending!

[Tia De · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing story from start to finish - I stayed up way too late to finish it as I needed to see how it ended. This book took twists and turns I didn’t expect and the ending certainly wasn’t what I was anticipating. A great read and I highly recommend it.

[Alli Garrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without the Prologue and three Epilogues, this was a four-star book; there was something condescending and contrived about those parts that takes away from the impact of this lovely story.