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Something Wild
A searing novel about the love and contradictions of sisterhood, the intoxicating desires of adolescence, and the traumas that trap mothers and daughters in cycles of violence
One weekend, sisters Tanya and Nessa Bloom pause their respective adult lives and travel to the Boston suburbs to help their mother pack up and move out of their childhood home. For the first time since they were teenagers sharing a bunk bed over a decade ago, they find themselves in the place where long-kept secrets were born, where jealousy, comfort, anger, forgiveness, and repulsion coexist with the fiercest love and loyalty. What they don't expect is for their visit to expose a new, horrifying truth: their mother, Lorraine, is in a violent relationship.
As Tanya urges Lorraine to get a restraining order, Nessa struggles to reconcile her fondness for their stepfather with his capacity for brutality. Their differing responses to the abuse bring up the sisters' shared secret—a traumatic, unspoken experience from their adolescence has shaped their lives, their sense of selves, and their relationship with each other and the men in their life. In the midst of this family crisis, they have no choice but to reckon with the past and face each other in the present, in the hope that there's a way out of the violence so deeply ingrained in the Bloom family.
Told in alternating perspectives that deftly interweave past and present, Something Wild is a magnetic, unflinching portrait of the bond between sisters, as well as a psychologically acute exploration of the legacy of divorce, the ways trauma reverberates over generations, and how it might be possible to overcome the past.
One weekend, sisters Tanya and Nessa Bloom pause their respective adult lives and travel to the Boston suburbs to help their mother pack up and move out of their childhood home. For the first time since they were teenagers sharing a bunk bed over a decade ago, they find themselves in the place where long-kept secrets were born, where jealousy, comfort, anger, forgiveness, and repulsion coexist with the fiercest love and loyalty. What they don't expect is for their visit to expose a new, horrifying truth: their mother, Lorraine, is in a violent relationship.
As Tanya urges Lorraine to get a restraining order, Nessa struggles to reconcile her fondness for their stepfather with his capacity for brutality. Their differing responses to the abuse bring up the sisters' shared secret—a traumatic, unspoken experience from their adolescence has shaped their lives, their sense of selves, and their relationship with each other and the men in their life. In the midst of this family crisis, they have no choice but to reckon with the past and face each other in the present, in the hope that there's a way out of the violence so deeply ingrained in the Bloom family.
Told in alternating perspectives that deftly interweave past and present, Something Wild is a magnetic, unflinching portrait of the bond between sisters, as well as a psychologically acute exploration of the legacy of divorce, the ways trauma reverberates over generations, and how it might be possible to overcome the past.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2021
244 people are currently reading
16732 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 551 reviews
September 18, 2021
Wow! This is outstandingly harsh, intense, sad but also inspirational novel about women’s endurance, true power, resilience, standing up for themselves!
Three different women: mother and two daughters: they both have different but struggling, complex, traumatic experiences with men and each of them gives different reactions, looking at the events they’ve been through in different perspectives!
Everything starts when one weekend estranged sisters Tanya and Nessa Bloom’s trip to their childhood home in Boston to help their mother’s boxing her belongings to move to another place.
Their mother looks so startled, fragile, wearing braces. And as the sisters dig out more about her mother and stepdad’s sudden interest to move to a place hardly accessible in New Hampshire , they just have realize the ugly truth about the violent relationship between their mom and her husband.
Both girls approach differently to this heart wrenching situation for their mother’s safety. As Tanya forces her mother to get restraining order against her father, Nessa still has hard time to believe the man she truly adores a monster in disguise do such hurtful things to their mother.
The confrontation between sisters bring out a traumatic incident belongs to their adolescence which shaped their lives differently and affected their entire relationship patterns with men!
This is powerful novel which has realistic approach to the women who are treated with violent behavior, why they chose to stay with the partner who turned their lives into hell, how they struggle to stand up for themselves. It’s impressive, heartbreaking, dark but it also effective, heartfelt, sad family story!
Even though it hurt me like hell, I still enjoy this emotional turmoil, soul crushing story of three women which earned my 4 tear jerking, anger, resentment, complex relationships, feminism vibes stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group / Viking for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Three different women: mother and two daughters: they both have different but struggling, complex, traumatic experiences with men and each of them gives different reactions, looking at the events they’ve been through in different perspectives!
Everything starts when one weekend estranged sisters Tanya and Nessa Bloom’s trip to their childhood home in Boston to help their mother’s boxing her belongings to move to another place.
Their mother looks so startled, fragile, wearing braces. And as the sisters dig out more about her mother and stepdad’s sudden interest to move to a place hardly accessible in New Hampshire , they just have realize the ugly truth about the violent relationship between their mom and her husband.
Both girls approach differently to this heart wrenching situation for their mother’s safety. As Tanya forces her mother to get restraining order against her father, Nessa still has hard time to believe the man she truly adores a monster in disguise do such hurtful things to their mother.
The confrontation between sisters bring out a traumatic incident belongs to their adolescence which shaped their lives differently and affected their entire relationship patterns with men!
This is powerful novel which has realistic approach to the women who are treated with violent behavior, why they chose to stay with the partner who turned their lives into hell, how they struggle to stand up for themselves. It’s impressive, heartbreaking, dark but it also effective, heartfelt, sad family story!
Even though it hurt me like hell, I still enjoy this emotional turmoil, soul crushing story of three women which earned my 4 tear jerking, anger, resentment, complex relationships, feminism vibes stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group / Viking for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
June 26, 2023
Okay this book destroyed me and I can’t recommend it enough. The novel follows Tanya and Nessa Bloom, two adult sisters who return to their childhood home for a weekend and realize that their mother, Lorraine, is in a violent relationship. Tanya urges Lorraine to get a restraining order while Nessa struggles to reconcile her fondness for their stepfather with his cruelty toward their mother. Seeing Lorraine’s suffering triggers painful memories for both Nessa and Tanya, related to the abuse they faced in their adolescence. As Lorraine’s situation escalates, Tanya and Nessa are forced to grapple with the legacy of trauma and hurt that follows the women in their family.
First, I found Hanna Halperin’s portrayal of domestic abuse so real and so harrowing. I can see that she worked as a domestic violence counselor because she wrote about the cycle of abuse in so vividly and honestly – the violence, the begging for forgiveness and gifts and false promises of change, the lack of accountability, the violence again, and so on. Halperin writes about the issue without sugarcoating it or glamorizing unhealthy relationships. Her descriptions of how Jesse, the sisters’ stepfather, abuses Lorraine are raw, horrifying, and I think ultimately necessary to shed light on this issue of domestic violence.
I also loved Nessa and Tanya as characters. They’re both so well-written, with distinct personalities that come alive on the page. Nessa is more insecure, shy, and patient with their mother, whereas Tanya is more confident and quicker to anger. My heart broke for both of them as they navigated seeing Jesse abuse their mother. I thought Halperin wrote about the complexity of their bond so well and captured the messy care and hurt that can occur between sisters. She highlights how both of their lives are shaped by various struggles such as their parents’ divorce, sexual violence, and patriarchy broadly. There’s not a convenient or easy ending for either of these characters, though Halperin leaves us with just the tiniest sliver of hope that made my chest literally loosen in relief as I read the final pages of this powerful novel.
Overall, I am so impressed with this debut. I read Halperin’s second book, I Could Live Here Forever , and I gave it four stars. With this book though, I couldn’t rate it any less than five. It’s dark, with brutal depictions of physical abuse and sexual assault. At the same time, by the end of the book I felt so much care for the characters, and I wanted to be updated about their whereabouts and their (hopefully healing) journeys. As someone who’s experienced and witnessed abuse both in my personal and professional live, and as someone who’s worked with survivors of trauma and abuse, this book moved me deeply. It exposes an important issue we need to talk about and work to prevent.
First, I found Hanna Halperin’s portrayal of domestic abuse so real and so harrowing. I can see that she worked as a domestic violence counselor because she wrote about the cycle of abuse in so vividly and honestly – the violence, the begging for forgiveness and gifts and false promises of change, the lack of accountability, the violence again, and so on. Halperin writes about the issue without sugarcoating it or glamorizing unhealthy relationships. Her descriptions of how Jesse, the sisters’ stepfather, abuses Lorraine are raw, horrifying, and I think ultimately necessary to shed light on this issue of domestic violence.
I also loved Nessa and Tanya as characters. They’re both so well-written, with distinct personalities that come alive on the page. Nessa is more insecure, shy, and patient with their mother, whereas Tanya is more confident and quicker to anger. My heart broke for both of them as they navigated seeing Jesse abuse their mother. I thought Halperin wrote about the complexity of their bond so well and captured the messy care and hurt that can occur between sisters. She highlights how both of their lives are shaped by various struggles such as their parents’ divorce, sexual violence, and patriarchy broadly. There’s not a convenient or easy ending for either of these characters, though Halperin leaves us with just the tiniest sliver of hope that made my chest literally loosen in relief as I read the final pages of this powerful novel.
Overall, I am so impressed with this debut. I read Halperin’s second book, I Could Live Here Forever , and I gave it four stars. With this book though, I couldn’t rate it any less than five. It’s dark, with brutal depictions of physical abuse and sexual assault. At the same time, by the end of the book I felt so much care for the characters, and I wanted to be updated about their whereabouts and their (hopefully healing) journeys. As someone who’s experienced and witnessed abuse both in my personal and professional live, and as someone who’s worked with survivors of trauma and abuse, this book moved me deeply. It exposes an important issue we need to talk about and work to prevent.
August 18, 2021
Audiobook --loved it... read by Rebecca Lowman
....11 hours and 3 minutes.
Just a great engaging-contemporary-very well written story! Debut novel!
Two sisters: their closeness/ jealousies / individual challenges -- and their mother -- (who was being abused)
...semi-intense -mostly just very engaging!
....11 hours and 3 minutes.
Just a great engaging-contemporary-very well written story! Debut novel!
Two sisters: their closeness/ jealousies / individual challenges -- and their mother -- (who was being abused)
...semi-intense -mostly just very engaging!
June 16, 2021
I'll be the first to say that I often think early reviews of books tend to be overly favorable. As I continue to grow as a reader, the one thing that I have promised myself that I will not do, is give 5-star ratings because of the novelty of reading something unreleased; which is why giving this book 5 enthusiastic stars is a big deal for me.
I've said it before, and I will say it again: I am a sucker for stories about sisters.
Nessa and Tanya are sisters that go back home to spend a short weekend with their mother helping to pack up their childhood home. Their mother, Lorraine and their stepfather, Jesse are moving after Jesse inherits a homestead from some distant relative. The story is of coming home and realizing that the protective veil of childhood has been lifted. Buildings are reduced, simpler. People who were once large and strong are older and smaller. As adults, Nessa and Tanya witness their mother's relationship with Jesse with greater clarity and deeper understanding. The sisters become aware that their mother’s relationship with Jesse is abusive, violent, and dangerous. Each sister attempts to support the other and Lorraine in their own way. Life and time have changed what each sister perceives is the correct response, and the time and distance between them leaves them feeling as if they are failing each other and their mother. And feeling desperately alone.
This book rocked me. As a survivor of domestic violence, I am grateful for Halperin's accurate portrayal of the evolution of abusive relationships. My husband hit me for the first time the week after we were married too. Emotions that I haven’t experienced for the better part of a decade came roaring back and there were several times that I teared up and found myself crying silently.
“But in her darkest moments, the whole thing feels like an inevitability. That somehow, she was meant to end up on that decrepit porch with the sagging sofa, her little sister in tow. All her life, that was where she’d been heading.” Halperin masterfully addresses intergenerational trauma. “As Nessa glances across the park, and beyond to the city streets, she thinks about all the people carrying around things they have no idea they’re carrying around.”
That’s the reality of it. Living with abuse and trauma. The way that whether it was experienced personally or tangentially, it seeps in and changes the way that the brain works. The way we process what is normal and it colors our ability to see truth. I really respect the intimate way that Halperin seems to know this reality.
Watching the characters break and rebuild is humbling. The beauty exists in the growth that comes from the experiences that threaten to destroy us.
Thank you to Viking publishing and Hanna Halperin for providing me with a copy of this book prior to release in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Goodreads, for hosting giveaways that allow for readers to encounter books that will stay with them for a long time. #somethingwild #hannahalperinauthor #somethingwildbook
I've said it before, and I will say it again: I am a sucker for stories about sisters.
Nessa and Tanya are sisters that go back home to spend a short weekend with their mother helping to pack up their childhood home. Their mother, Lorraine and their stepfather, Jesse are moving after Jesse inherits a homestead from some distant relative. The story is of coming home and realizing that the protective veil of childhood has been lifted. Buildings are reduced, simpler. People who were once large and strong are older and smaller. As adults, Nessa and Tanya witness their mother's relationship with Jesse with greater clarity and deeper understanding. The sisters become aware that their mother’s relationship with Jesse is abusive, violent, and dangerous. Each sister attempts to support the other and Lorraine in their own way. Life and time have changed what each sister perceives is the correct response, and the time and distance between them leaves them feeling as if they are failing each other and their mother. And feeling desperately alone.
This book rocked me. As a survivor of domestic violence, I am grateful for Halperin's accurate portrayal of the evolution of abusive relationships. My husband hit me for the first time the week after we were married too. Emotions that I haven’t experienced for the better part of a decade came roaring back and there were several times that I teared up and found myself crying silently.
“But in her darkest moments, the whole thing feels like an inevitability. That somehow, she was meant to end up on that decrepit porch with the sagging sofa, her little sister in tow. All her life, that was where she’d been heading.” Halperin masterfully addresses intergenerational trauma. “As Nessa glances across the park, and beyond to the city streets, she thinks about all the people carrying around things they have no idea they’re carrying around.”
That’s the reality of it. Living with abuse and trauma. The way that whether it was experienced personally or tangentially, it seeps in and changes the way that the brain works. The way we process what is normal and it colors our ability to see truth. I really respect the intimate way that Halperin seems to know this reality.
Watching the characters break and rebuild is humbling. The beauty exists in the growth that comes from the experiences that threaten to destroy us.
Thank you to Viking publishing and Hanna Halperin for providing me with a copy of this book prior to release in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Goodreads, for hosting giveaways that allow for readers to encounter books that will stay with them for a long time. #somethingwild #hannahalperinauthor #somethingwildbook
August 1, 2021
A book about literally nothing where nothing happens that oddly held my attention and made me sad. Don’t read this 😅
March 30, 2024
Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse
*Please if you are in an abusive relationship please get immediate help. Get out! Don’t allow them to manipulate you, they will not change. If he loves you, he wouldn’t hurt you
*Please if you are in an abusive relationship please get immediate help. Get out! Don’t allow them to manipulate you, they will not change. If he loves you, he wouldn’t hurt you
December 22, 2021
Something Wild (2021) was one of those books that really sears itself into your mind and soul.
The book centers around the complicated story of the Bloom family women: Lorraine (the mother) and her daughters, Nessa and Tanya. Lorraine and her husband of ten years, Jesse (not the father of her daughters), are moving from their place in Arlington. Nessa and Tanya have come to help with the move. You know, ordinary family stuff at the first glance.
However, there is darkness lurking in the background.
It is discovered that Lorraine is in an abusive relationship, both emotionally and physically. Immediately, Tanya, the lawyer of the family, makes plans to file a restraining order against Jesse and to get her mother out of town and, hopefully, out of danger.
The only trouble is that Lorraine is reluctant to leave Jesse, as she has recently lost her job--no financial independence--is scared of Jesse's reaction to her leaving, and she is isolated from her support network of her friends and family. (She hasn't seen her friends in a while and her daughters live in New York.) Jesse has shown himself to be jealous of anyone in Lorraine's life and very manipulative.
Essentially, Lorraine has come to police herself so as not to trigger Jesse in some way. It's not worth it for her to interact with other people outside the home much. So, she feels that she's very much alone and sees Jesse as the only one to cure her loneliness. And so the cycle continues.
I remember in school getting a presentation about domestic violence, how that when emotional abuse turns to physical abuse, one's life is in very immediate danger from that transitional escalation. It often can be too late for some women at that point. As a child, I was both horrified and baffled. How could someone hurt someone they love that way? Even end up killing them? And then, why? Why would someone do that? And why would someone stay in that kind of relationship?
Gosh, I was so scared for Lorraine the whole entire book. I was probably more like Tanya than Nessa in how I expressed it as I read. Although they were both scared, they showed it in different ways. Tanya was very outwardly furious at Jesse, telling her to stay away from her mother, pushing for Lorraine to take immediate legal action and fight this.
For Nessa, it was betrayal on top of betrayal, as she reckons with the idea that someone she thought she could trust endangered her mother's life.
Disposition-wise, in real life, I'm more like Nessa's quiet, introversion, instead of Tanya's defiant extroversion, her ability to stand up and assert herself.
However, the whole book stirred up something visceral in me--not unlike the repressed trauma of the Bloom sisters boiling to the surface, what they call "The Wild Thing." It's hard to explain. It's something in how I exist and move through the world as a woman, the things I hear about in the news, that I'm aware of. Things I learned to do as a child to prevent something bad from happening to me that I've carried with me into adulthood. This sense in how pervasive violence against women still is, and how it could be me one day.
I felt sadness, helplessness, and by the end of the book, grief and a very potent rage at everything the Bloom family went through. Without spoiling anything, Lorraine isn't the only one that suffers. Her own daughters are still reckoning with an adolescent trauma--something separate from their mother's divorce and abuse by their step-father--and it too comes to a boil.
Powerful, shocking, and hopeful, Something Wild is definitely a book worth reading.
-Cora
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The book centers around the complicated story of the Bloom family women: Lorraine (the mother) and her daughters, Nessa and Tanya. Lorraine and her husband of ten years, Jesse (not the father of her daughters), are moving from their place in Arlington. Nessa and Tanya have come to help with the move. You know, ordinary family stuff at the first glance.
However, there is darkness lurking in the background.
It is discovered that Lorraine is in an abusive relationship, both emotionally and physically. Immediately, Tanya, the lawyer of the family, makes plans to file a restraining order against Jesse and to get her mother out of town and, hopefully, out of danger.
The only trouble is that Lorraine is reluctant to leave Jesse, as she has recently lost her job--no financial independence--is scared of Jesse's reaction to her leaving, and she is isolated from her support network of her friends and family. (She hasn't seen her friends in a while and her daughters live in New York.) Jesse has shown himself to be jealous of anyone in Lorraine's life and very manipulative.
Essentially, Lorraine has come to police herself so as not to trigger Jesse in some way. It's not worth it for her to interact with other people outside the home much. So, she feels that she's very much alone and sees Jesse as the only one to cure her loneliness. And so the cycle continues.
I remember in school getting a presentation about domestic violence, how that when emotional abuse turns to physical abuse, one's life is in very immediate danger from that transitional escalation. It often can be too late for some women at that point. As a child, I was both horrified and baffled. How could someone hurt someone they love that way? Even end up killing them? And then, why? Why would someone do that? And why would someone stay in that kind of relationship?
Gosh, I was so scared for Lorraine the whole entire book. I was probably more like Tanya than Nessa in how I expressed it as I read. Although they were both scared, they showed it in different ways. Tanya was very outwardly furious at Jesse, telling her to stay away from her mother, pushing for Lorraine to take immediate legal action and fight this.
For Nessa, it was betrayal on top of betrayal, as she reckons with the idea that someone she thought she could trust endangered her mother's life.
Disposition-wise, in real life, I'm more like Nessa's quiet, introversion, instead of Tanya's defiant extroversion, her ability to stand up and assert herself.
However, the whole book stirred up something visceral in me--not unlike the repressed trauma of the Bloom sisters boiling to the surface, what they call "The Wild Thing." It's hard to explain. It's something in how I exist and move through the world as a woman, the things I hear about in the news, that I'm aware of. Things I learned to do as a child to prevent something bad from happening to me that I've carried with me into adulthood. This sense in how pervasive violence against women still is, and how it could be me one day.
I felt sadness, helplessness, and by the end of the book, grief and a very potent rage at everything the Bloom family went through. Without spoiling anything, Lorraine isn't the only one that suffers. Her own daughters are still reckoning with an adolescent trauma--something separate from their mother's divorce and abuse by their step-father--and it too comes to a boil.
Powerful, shocking, and hopeful, Something Wild is definitely a book worth reading.
-Cora
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
August 11, 2021
I wish I could say that this book is "shattering" or "compelling" or something like that, because it is about two very compelling topics: domestic abuse, and the relationship between two sisters.
Unfortunately, the first narrative is swarming with cliches, and both narratives rely on unlikable and unbelievable characters.
Lorraine is constantly beaten up so badly by her irrationally jealous husband, Jesse, that she ends up again and again in the ER. (Never mind that social workers and MDs in their small town, who know all the players, wouldn't let this abuse go on without intervening. And I know enough about the topic not to scoff, "Why doesn't she just leave him?") But Lorraine is such a dishrag of a person that the reader doesn't care or understand.
Meanwhile, Lorraine has two grown daughters from her first marriage, Nessa and Tanya. Nessa is another dishrag who is simply annoying, whereas Tanya is too buttoned up and her husband is too perfect. And the "shocking" childhood event with "Dan" that supposedly explains everything? Admittedly, I didn't foresee the exact details, but once again, it is simply not believable that the two sisters would have carried out their roles in it.
Unfortunately, the first narrative is swarming with cliches, and both narratives rely on unlikable and unbelievable characters.
Lorraine is constantly beaten up so badly by her irrationally jealous husband, Jesse, that she ends up again and again in the ER. (Never mind that social workers and MDs in their small town, who know all the players, wouldn't let this abuse go on without intervening. And I know enough about the topic not to scoff, "Why doesn't she just leave him?") But Lorraine is such a dishrag of a person that the reader doesn't care or understand.
Meanwhile, Lorraine has two grown daughters from her first marriage, Nessa and Tanya. Nessa is another dishrag who is simply annoying, whereas Tanya is too buttoned up and her husband is too perfect. And the "shocking" childhood event with "Dan" that supposedly explains everything? Admittedly, I didn't foresee the exact details, but once again, it is simply not believable that the two sisters would have carried out their roles in it.
July 2, 2021
I read this book from cover to cover in one night. Not because it was short (it's not) but because the writing is so intense, so anxiety producing, that I had to finish it in order to sleep. This story has so so many layers, it is so sophisticated for a first novel. Relationships between sisters, lovers, partners, parents and children, even if the author had picked one or two, the story would have been great. But you have quite unlikable characters who are what families are - annoying, aggravating, frustrating, maddening - and yet they are your family, for better or worse. Family domestic violence is all of these things in real life and Hanna cuts no corners. It is a book that you want to yell at but that will be the one you will say to your friends," you've got to read this."
June 27, 2021
This book was not on my radar at all but it absolutely rocked my soul. I hope everyone reads it!!!
A beautiful story between sisters and a mother and their coming of age story interwoven between a brutal domestic violence case with a twist that literally had tears pouring out of my eyes and I didn't see coming at all.
I am still thinking about it right now!
This book is going to be one of my favorites of the year, that is for certain. It made me feel the way Long Bright River did last year. It's one of those books that just leaves a lasting impression on you.
I hope this isn't the last we will hear from Hanna Halerin because she is talented.
A beautiful story between sisters and a mother and their coming of age story interwoven between a brutal domestic violence case with a twist that literally had tears pouring out of my eyes and I didn't see coming at all.
I am still thinking about it right now!
This book is going to be one of my favorites of the year, that is for certain. It made me feel the way Long Bright River did last year. It's one of those books that just leaves a lasting impression on you.
I hope this isn't the last we will hear from Hanna Halerin because she is talented.
July 12, 2024
My favorite part of this book was the bond between sisters Jess and Tanya. The author nailed their relationship. Reading was intense in parts because of the subject covered, domestic violence . Their mom, Lorraine’s story was heartbreaking. I’ve know some “Lorraine’s “ in my lifetime working in ER.
January 13, 2024
“Really what she wants to be is a mother who isn’t in pain. She wonders if such a woman exists.”
I felt so much during these 324 pages. I was sad, shocked, scared, uncomfortable, understanding, angry, and heartbroken but left hopeful. Halperin writes about the responsibility of parenthood, the vicious cycle of abuse, the vulnerability of coming of age, and sisterhood in its rawest form. Can someone else read this so we can have a mini book club???
I felt so much during these 324 pages. I was sad, shocked, scared, uncomfortable, understanding, angry, and heartbroken but left hopeful. Halperin writes about the responsibility of parenthood, the vicious cycle of abuse, the vulnerability of coming of age, and sisterhood in its rawest form. Can someone else read this so we can have a mini book club???
July 1, 2021
A beautifully written novel that kept me turning the page and whose characters will stay with me for a while. The exploration of the overt and covert ways abuse takes place is masterfully done through the use of shifting perspectives among the three main characters. I can’t wait to read what Hanna writes next!
July 15, 2021
Man…My heart raced throughout most of this book. The author, Hanna Halperin, writes domestic abuse so vividly that you feel like you are there. A tough read but sadly…so frickin real.
Something Wild is the story of Lorraine (the mother), Nessa & Tanya (sisters) and the struggles they have in relationships with loved ones. This book is like a dysfunctional family with a capital “D”. You will want to yell at the main characters & yet, won’t be able to stop thinking of them long after you finish reading.
Quotes that made me think:
“That night, Nessa wakes up suddenly from a nightmare—it’s a recurring tooth one, where her teeth crumble in her mouth and she spits the bones, practically dust, into her palm. She sits up, swiping her tongue along her teeth, which are still there, tight and whole in her gums.” (I have the EXACT same dreams!!! When I read this, I was totally creeped out! My bite splint saves me! Lol)
“Anger burns quick. Once the anger was gone, they would have to live with that knowledge forever between them.” (I thought about this quote & what it means to argue with people in your own family. Mothers, fathers, brothers, aunts, uncles…it just made me realize why I rarely let my anger get out of control. It’s irreversible & totally not worth the damage it does. Stay cool, people!)
Although this isn’t a “happy” book at all, I highly recommend it. Something Wild is hard to explain without spoiling…so just enjoy reading! PS…when the dog howls I just went to pieces.
Something Wild is the story of Lorraine (the mother), Nessa & Tanya (sisters) and the struggles they have in relationships with loved ones. This book is like a dysfunctional family with a capital “D”. You will want to yell at the main characters & yet, won’t be able to stop thinking of them long after you finish reading.
Quotes that made me think:
“That night, Nessa wakes up suddenly from a nightmare—it’s a recurring tooth one, where her teeth crumble in her mouth and she spits the bones, practically dust, into her palm. She sits up, swiping her tongue along her teeth, which are still there, tight and whole in her gums.” (I have the EXACT same dreams!!! When I read this, I was totally creeped out! My bite splint saves me! Lol)
“Anger burns quick. Once the anger was gone, they would have to live with that knowledge forever between them.” (I thought about this quote & what it means to argue with people in your own family. Mothers, fathers, brothers, aunts, uncles…it just made me realize why I rarely let my anger get out of control. It’s irreversible & totally not worth the damage it does. Stay cool, people!)
Although this isn’t a “happy” book at all, I highly recommend it. Something Wild is hard to explain without spoiling…so just enjoy reading! PS…when the dog howls I just went to pieces.
August 16, 2023
This is genuinely one of my favorite books! I love the gradual reveals that show the incredibly well-written character relationships and the story was very well-paced between current events and flashbacks that explained everything to clear up any confusion while there was always more waiting to be revealed. This book is very focused on relationships of the characters and the way their traumatic past experiences affect them now.
July 8, 2024
Hannah Halperin’s novel, Something Wild, centers on need: the need to be wanted, loved, cared for, desire. So far, this isn’t an unusual premise for fiction. What is unusual is that Halperin looks at need through the perspective of how need pushes her main characters into making bad choices with men, to the point that one of them is being battered by a man she claims to love and who claims to love her. We watch Tanya, Nessa, and Lorraine in their relationships with each other and to the men in their lives, ranging from violent (Lorraine) to indifferent (Nessa), to possibly fulfilling (Tanya). We also see them reflect on their memories of each other, before terrible things pulled them apart. Because domestic violence plays such a large part of the book, I plan to tread lightly when I recommend it—but I do plan to recommend it...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
August 25, 2021
I was very disappointed after reading some reviews I expected a “searing” novel - couldn’t feel the emotions in this book - plenty of sex scenes which seemed dull and emotionless to me - the story line seemed like a typical violence against women story - there were plenty of “naked” people in this book or people undressing with each other - there didn’t seem to be a reason for this - it wasn’t erotic - it wasn’t adding to feelings or emotions. I might have missed something that others could see, but I found this book to be ordinary and somewhat boring. I was disappointed.
October 27, 2021
This book ticked me off. It had moments of brilliance, and moments when you were asking yourself what does that have to do with the story. Some things didn’t really ever tie in. I would not recommend this book.
August 1, 2023
Halperin has such a way of truly seeing people.
Sisters Tanya and Nessa were always close, remaining each-others person through their parents divorce and remarriage. Until, one night as teenager that changes their relationship. Told through multiple perspectives and timelines, Something Wild tackles tough topics like domestic violence, and the ever relatable complexities of relationships.
Halperin has such a gentle way of exposing the ugly and true parts of being human. I love how she builds characters so that they are realistic and relatable. She does not glorify or make anything overly dramatic, yet you are drawn in just the same.
I have enjoyed both her books, and look forward to whatever she does next!
Sisters Tanya and Nessa were always close, remaining each-others person through their parents divorce and remarriage. Until, one night as teenager that changes their relationship. Told through multiple perspectives and timelines, Something Wild tackles tough topics like domestic violence, and the ever relatable complexities of relationships.
Halperin has such a gentle way of exposing the ugly and true parts of being human. I love how she builds characters so that they are realistic and relatable. She does not glorify or make anything overly dramatic, yet you are drawn in just the same.
I have enjoyed both her books, and look forward to whatever she does next!
January 8, 2023
Holy hell, this book ripped my heart out. It's raw and beautiful and JEWISH and so freaking sad and so well done. It's a heartbreaking domestic abuse story, but also a story about sisters and healing broken relationships. The audio was very good (same narrator as Vladimir) with the exception that the narrator was clearly not Jewish and mispronounced "kippah" every time she had to say it, which was enough that I noticed and got annoyed every time. This book is heavy and you should make sure you're in the right mindset before reading, but I highly, highly recommend.
March 29, 2023
3.5 stars (sorry for rounding down, 3 felt more right than 4) -- this book made me feel kind of sick, but it was also supposed to, so I can't really complain. I thought the representation of the sibling relationship was spot on. It captured well what it feels like to simultaneously love your sister and also be so bitter and resentful it morphs into a different feeling altogether. I thought the domestic violence was portrayed fairly realistically (I'm no expert). I'm not sure, I think it just missed an overall purpose and sense of what it's supposed to be.
July 25, 2021
I already know that this will be one of my top books of 2021. Absolutely raw and heart-wrenching. Hanna Halperin is an author to keep an eye on - if her first novel hits this hard, I can’t imagine what she’ll write next.
This book has strong themes of the abuse women can suffer at the hands of horrible men, and the reverberations of abuse throughout families. Hard to read at some points, but I couldn’t stop until I was finished. I didn’t want the story to end.
This book has strong themes of the abuse women can suffer at the hands of horrible men, and the reverberations of abuse throughout families. Hard to read at some points, but I couldn’t stop until I was finished. I didn’t want the story to end.
July 25, 2021
I could not put down this beautiful, gut-wrenching book. Something Wild explores and emphasizes the issue of domestic violence with empathy. The novel also does a brilliant job of acknowledging the nuances of family relationships, the effects of trauma on people’s lives, and how life is truly never black and white.
August 1, 2021
I really wanted to like this, but I felt the situations of the sisters too unreal. The inner dialogue and observations were interesting and the mothers stoey all too real and presictable.
September 18, 2023
I found this book in a Little Free Library a looong time ago, grabbed it solely for the cover, and had no expectations going in…and OOOF it was a heartbreaker.
✨family drama centered on a mother and her 2 daughters
✨abusive relationship (mentally and physically)⚠️
✨sisterhood
✨women + their complex relationships with sex, men, and expectations
✨character driven
✨told in 4 parts - there’s no chapters but are breaks within parts
✨past + present timelines
At times these characters were frustrating but you grow to understand where their actions are coming from, whether you agree with them or not. I felt for this family, I longed for their healing, and I recommend if you can handle the subject matter.
✨family drama centered on a mother and her 2 daughters
✨abusive relationship (mentally and physically)⚠️
✨sisterhood
✨women + their complex relationships with sex, men, and expectations
✨character driven
✨told in 4 parts - there’s no chapters but are breaks within parts
✨past + present timelines
At times these characters were frustrating but you grow to understand where their actions are coming from, whether you agree with them or not. I felt for this family, I longed for their healing, and I recommend if you can handle the subject matter.
January 14, 2024
Another perfect story from Hanna Halperin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One might be tempted to read her books and ask themselves “What was the point of me reading this?” I think the point is for you to read it and know that somewhere out in the world it’s real to someone. Hanna tells real stories and she does it beautifully. She is so perceptive, highlighting humanity’s nuances through such honest characters. This was by far one of the darkest stories I’ve read, but it still managed to glow in the end. <— that’s real life. :)
One might be tempted to read her books and ask themselves “What was the point of me reading this?” I think the point is for you to read it and know that somewhere out in the world it’s real to someone. Hanna tells real stories and she does it beautifully. She is so perceptive, highlighting humanity’s nuances through such honest characters. This was by far one of the darkest stories I’ve read, but it still managed to glow in the end. <— that’s real life. :)
August 19, 2021
This book was such a mixed bag of emotions. Really strong characters, family connections, and realistic relationships.
Pros: this book highlights the emotional tug-of-war a person goes through when dealing with an abusive partner. Loved ones try to intervene, but we all need to learn how to help in the right way, to prevent these totally preventable endings.
Cons: the beginning lagged a little bit, but the slow burn this book gives off was definitely worth the wait.
Pros: this book highlights the emotional tug-of-war a person goes through when dealing with an abusive partner. Loved ones try to intervene, but we all need to learn how to help in the right way, to prevent these totally preventable endings.
Cons: the beginning lagged a little bit, but the slow burn this book gives off was definitely worth the wait.
May 5, 2022
Not the kind of book that I'd usually pick up but the characters were very well developed and the writing is emotional, clear, and descriptive. There isn't a huge plot to this book and it covers a lot of themes of domestic violence/emotional abuse/other difficult material so definitely not a pleasant read. I've learned a bit more about the world of domestic abuse and the cycles that victims are often stuck in.
December 28, 2023
This book follows a mother and her two daughters exploring bonds, trauma, love and all the in between.
Halperin writes with such pragmatism, there is emotion but with an even stronger sense of self awareness amongst the characters that offers a very direct look at each of these three woman individually as well as collectively.
I love family dramas that revolve around a plot that is more secondary to the character development. The story centres around one key incident, Halperin than takes us on a journey through each woman’s part in it but not just from the present but through flashbacks, showing us the how and why of their particular behaviours and feelings. Writing in this way created such empathy and understanding but opened up the story to healing and those a-ha moments that alter our paths forward.
Read if you enjoy family dramas with quieter plots and more character development.
Halperin writes with such pragmatism, there is emotion but with an even stronger sense of self awareness amongst the characters that offers a very direct look at each of these three woman individually as well as collectively.
I love family dramas that revolve around a plot that is more secondary to the character development. The story centres around one key incident, Halperin than takes us on a journey through each woman’s part in it but not just from the present but through flashbacks, showing us the how and why of their particular behaviours and feelings. Writing in this way created such empathy and understanding but opened up the story to healing and those a-ha moments that alter our paths forward.
Read if you enjoy family dramas with quieter plots and more character development.
November 4, 2021
4.5 stars. Really powerful story about two sisters and their mother, and a tragedy involving domestic violence. Very well written, with some parts rough to read, but I couldn’t stop.
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