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Possessed
Sexual obsession and haunting collide in this erotic psychological novel.
Josephine is obsessed. Or possessed — by unrequited love for a younger man who doesn’t promise anything but who gives her a taste of intimacy that puts her on the brink of losing her mind. Oscillating between her elusive lover and her older former partner, and obliged to tend to her destructive, senile mother, Josephine is trapped. After a work assignment promises to deliver distraction, Josephine makes a decision to visit a former quarantine island in Europe, where she meets an enigmatic, beautiful man with a haunting story. Possessed is a multifaceted story exploring sexual obsession, mental illness, and the supernatural.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
Josephine is obsessed. Or possessed — by unrequited love for a younger man who doesn’t promise anything but who gives her a taste of intimacy that puts her on the brink of losing her mind. Oscillating between her elusive lover and her older former partner, and obliged to tend to her destructive, senile mother, Josephine is trapped. After a work assignment promises to deliver distraction, Josephine makes a decision to visit a former quarantine island in Europe, where she meets an enigmatic, beautiful man with a haunting story. Possessed is a multifaceted story exploring sexual obsession, mental illness, and the supernatural.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2022
About the author
Jowita Bydlowska
13 books189 followersBorn in Poland, live in Canada, published some books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 4, 2022
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: General Fiction
This is the story of an obsession. Josephine has an obsession with a younger man (Sebastien). She is totally consumed by it. It is more like she is possessed by this young man who gives her the kind of intimacy and lust that her boyfriend cannot. When the woman needs a distraction from this man and her abusive mother, she decides to visit a haunted island in the Adriatic Sea. There she meets the handsome Luka. The only question is if Luka is a real man, a ghost, or a creation from Josephine’s mind!
At the beginning of the book, the author tells us that part of the concept has been taken from her own experience when she ended a relationship. So writing this book must’ve been a thrilling ride for her. Possessed is more about self-discovery and freedom from toxic relationships that bring nothing but misery. When I first started reading the book, I thought it might be similar to Julia May Jonas’ Vladimir. I’m glad it was a different story.
I think the author successfully captured several elements in the book, like the relationship between the main character and her mother. Then the gray line between lust and love was brilliantly handled. Josephine is a fascinating character. However, while reading the book, I always felt distant from her. I understood her needs and obsessions though.
Putting this book in one particular category would be very difficult. I’d rather say it is general fiction. I liked that it keeps the ending open for the reader’s interpretation. You never know if the main character suffers from a mental illness right from the beginning or if the obsession with that young man has caused it. Luka will always remain a mystery. Even the main character doesn’t know whether he is real or not.
Many thanks to the publisher Dundurn Press, Rare Machines, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.
Genre: General Fiction
This is the story of an obsession. Josephine has an obsession with a younger man (Sebastien). She is totally consumed by it. It is more like she is possessed by this young man who gives her the kind of intimacy and lust that her boyfriend cannot. When the woman needs a distraction from this man and her abusive mother, she decides to visit a haunted island in the Adriatic Sea. There she meets the handsome Luka. The only question is if Luka is a real man, a ghost, or a creation from Josephine’s mind!
At the beginning of the book, the author tells us that part of the concept has been taken from her own experience when she ended a relationship. So writing this book must’ve been a thrilling ride for her. Possessed is more about self-discovery and freedom from toxic relationships that bring nothing but misery. When I first started reading the book, I thought it might be similar to Julia May Jonas’ Vladimir. I’m glad it was a different story.
I think the author successfully captured several elements in the book, like the relationship between the main character and her mother. Then the gray line between lust and love was brilliantly handled. Josephine is a fascinating character. However, while reading the book, I always felt distant from her. I understood her needs and obsessions though.
Putting this book in one particular category would be very difficult. I’d rather say it is general fiction. I liked that it keeps the ending open for the reader’s interpretation. You never know if the main character suffers from a mental illness right from the beginning or if the obsession with that young man has caused it. Luka will always remain a mystery. Even the main character doesn’t know whether he is real or not.
Many thanks to the publisher Dundurn Press, Rare Machines, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.
Read
April 24, 2023** updating back to No Rating as author apologized for unprofessional comment.
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DNF @ 15%. No connection to characters, storyline or explicit sexual content. No quotations for dialogue bothered me. I am not the intended target audience. Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!
———————————————————————————————
DNF @ 15%. No connection to characters, storyline or explicit sexual content. No quotations for dialogue bothered me. I am not the intended target audience. Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!
October 5, 2022
3 Stars
This was a rather odd book that was densely weighted by erotica throughout the story, and later incorporated interaction with ghosts. It also dealt with being a caregiver to a mother with dementia. The main character Josephine is in her late twenties and has been in a live-in relationship with photographer Victor for years. He is a much older man, but she enjoys being on his arm at artistic city events. They don't have any set structure to their relationship, and she sort of moved in with him by accident and is now moving out to care for her mother out of necessity. During this same time she meets a man named Sebastian in a coffee shop who is a decade younger. This cataclysmic meeting sets off a rough sexual relationship which rips through basement apartments, cars and even bathrooms. There's no actual meaningful relationship involving common interests, intelligent conversation and love- just the excitement of rough sex, and there are often stretches of time when Sebastian doesn't even call or text Josephine. However, her obsession with Sebastian is an all-consuming psychosis.
At a certain point I was thrown off kilter by a "Part Two" occurring where Josephine took a trip for the burgeoning travel company she worked at. She was scoping out a town in Croatia that purported to be haunted by the ruins of a mental institution. It felt like a bizarre transition in the story after such a long stretch with the two parallel sexual relationships taking center stage. Overall I found the story very offbeat, being a voyeur to Josephine's colorful and reckless lifestyle. However, Josephine's sexual proclivities were the meat on the bone in this story, leaving not much else of particular interest to me.
Thank you to the publisher Dundurn Press, Rare Machines for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
This was a rather odd book that was densely weighted by erotica throughout the story, and later incorporated interaction with ghosts. It also dealt with being a caregiver to a mother with dementia. The main character Josephine is in her late twenties and has been in a live-in relationship with photographer Victor for years. He is a much older man, but she enjoys being on his arm at artistic city events. They don't have any set structure to their relationship, and she sort of moved in with him by accident and is now moving out to care for her mother out of necessity. During this same time she meets a man named Sebastian in a coffee shop who is a decade younger. This cataclysmic meeting sets off a rough sexual relationship which rips through basement apartments, cars and even bathrooms. There's no actual meaningful relationship involving common interests, intelligent conversation and love- just the excitement of rough sex, and there are often stretches of time when Sebastian doesn't even call or text Josephine. However, her obsession with Sebastian is an all-consuming psychosis.
At a certain point I was thrown off kilter by a "Part Two" occurring where Josephine took a trip for the burgeoning travel company she worked at. She was scoping out a town in Croatia that purported to be haunted by the ruins of a mental institution. It felt like a bizarre transition in the story after such a long stretch with the two parallel sexual relationships taking center stage. Overall I found the story very offbeat, being a voyeur to Josephine's colorful and reckless lifestyle. However, Josephine's sexual proclivities were the meat on the bone in this story, leaving not much else of particular interest to me.
Thank you to the publisher Dundurn Press, Rare Machines for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
August 4, 2022
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒙, 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅.
They say many things about love, one stands out, that it is madness. Consider then obsessive, unrequited love, how do you explain such a thing? Can it truly be defined as love? Josephine is inflamed with desire for a younger man, his name is Sebastian, but she is still involved with an older artist, her ex, Victor. The men are completely different, except in how they both treat her with indifference, at times. The intruding thoughts of Sebastian are infecting her entire life, nothing holds her attention nor makes her feel more alive or real than him. Is Sebastian worth the meaning she places upon him, was Victor? Can any human being contain such ferocious need for long? Surely it must subside. Is she unhinged? Is it Sebastian’s fault, does he ooze godlike appeal, irresistible to all women who cross his path? How do you evict hunger, need, longing? Why can’t she stop?
Josephine isn’t a foolish, stupid woman, she understands that her obsession with Sebastian isn’t a balanced reality. Certainly, he isn’t pining away for her, as she admits, it’s upon measly scraps she is riding the wave of this fever. They’ve had sex, but these days that doesn’t a relationship make. Her and Victor had ‘an arrangement’, a casual partnership, Victor isn’t the type to be owned, even before she moved out of his apartment to take care of her mother. They still see each other, but it’s a wound, knowing how easy he let her go. She never had much of a claim on his heart, it seems. If Sebastian is a fantasy, it is one she can’t cease feeding. Her humiliating, irrational desire may leave her vulnerable for the reader to observe but the real story is her damaged mother and Josephine’s tumultuous childhood. Senility is becoming impossible to ignore, it’s the reason why she is living under her mother’s roof again but there is an eeriness attending to her, a presence only her mother sees. Phantoms are their thing, phantom lovers, phantom friends but at least Josephine has work to focus on, when her mother isn’t eating into her time. Life is not balanced, nor fair, she feels trapped caring for her difficult mother, who is only getting worse, while both Vincent and Sebastian are out living their lives, giving her nary a thought. Hoping to cool her ardor, Josephine buries herself on researching an island in Croatia for a project at work. It leads to a trip to the mysterious location where she meets Luka, whose ‘eyes are like looking into a well’, who promises she can trust him. She is so tired, maybe it’s jetlag but there is something brewing between them already. He feels so familiar. Who is this strange Croatian man filling the role of guide? Why did he choose her?
There are strange forces at work in her life, or maybe it’s her own doing, her wild imagination. She seems to go through life suffering either heady episodes of passion or disappointed by the people in her life, who seem to give nothing in return, despite her many offerings and sacrifices. She spends a lot of time keeping her emotions hidden, her despair behind a curtain. She doesn’t want to be like her mother, a woman who once went off the rails. A person whose reactions often were disproportionate to the moment. Could the push and pull of such love started with her mother? It’s hard to write a review without spoilers, but this is an unusual tale with emotional, mental, supernatural elements. It’s clever, the slow unraveling of Josephine, her attempts to cure herself (if cure is the correct word), the need to feel her feet firmly planted on the ground, the instability and wonder of what occurs on her trip. Will she get to the bottom of her obsession, discover how it serves her? Yes, an original read that made me feel a bit haunted.
Publication Date: November 1, 2022
Dundurn Press
Rare Machines
𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒙, 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅.
They say many things about love, one stands out, that it is madness. Consider then obsessive, unrequited love, how do you explain such a thing? Can it truly be defined as love? Josephine is inflamed with desire for a younger man, his name is Sebastian, but she is still involved with an older artist, her ex, Victor. The men are completely different, except in how they both treat her with indifference, at times. The intruding thoughts of Sebastian are infecting her entire life, nothing holds her attention nor makes her feel more alive or real than him. Is Sebastian worth the meaning she places upon him, was Victor? Can any human being contain such ferocious need for long? Surely it must subside. Is she unhinged? Is it Sebastian’s fault, does he ooze godlike appeal, irresistible to all women who cross his path? How do you evict hunger, need, longing? Why can’t she stop?
Josephine isn’t a foolish, stupid woman, she understands that her obsession with Sebastian isn’t a balanced reality. Certainly, he isn’t pining away for her, as she admits, it’s upon measly scraps she is riding the wave of this fever. They’ve had sex, but these days that doesn’t a relationship make. Her and Victor had ‘an arrangement’, a casual partnership, Victor isn’t the type to be owned, even before she moved out of his apartment to take care of her mother. They still see each other, but it’s a wound, knowing how easy he let her go. She never had much of a claim on his heart, it seems. If Sebastian is a fantasy, it is one she can’t cease feeding. Her humiliating, irrational desire may leave her vulnerable for the reader to observe but the real story is her damaged mother and Josephine’s tumultuous childhood. Senility is becoming impossible to ignore, it’s the reason why she is living under her mother’s roof again but there is an eeriness attending to her, a presence only her mother sees. Phantoms are their thing, phantom lovers, phantom friends but at least Josephine has work to focus on, when her mother isn’t eating into her time. Life is not balanced, nor fair, she feels trapped caring for her difficult mother, who is only getting worse, while both Vincent and Sebastian are out living their lives, giving her nary a thought. Hoping to cool her ardor, Josephine buries herself on researching an island in Croatia for a project at work. It leads to a trip to the mysterious location where she meets Luka, whose ‘eyes are like looking into a well’, who promises she can trust him. She is so tired, maybe it’s jetlag but there is something brewing between them already. He feels so familiar. Who is this strange Croatian man filling the role of guide? Why did he choose her?
There are strange forces at work in her life, or maybe it’s her own doing, her wild imagination. She seems to go through life suffering either heady episodes of passion or disappointed by the people in her life, who seem to give nothing in return, despite her many offerings and sacrifices. She spends a lot of time keeping her emotions hidden, her despair behind a curtain. She doesn’t want to be like her mother, a woman who once went off the rails. A person whose reactions often were disproportionate to the moment. Could the push and pull of such love started with her mother? It’s hard to write a review without spoilers, but this is an unusual tale with emotional, mental, supernatural elements. It’s clever, the slow unraveling of Josephine, her attempts to cure herself (if cure is the correct word), the need to feel her feet firmly planted on the ground, the instability and wonder of what occurs on her trip. Will she get to the bottom of her obsession, discover how it serves her? Yes, an original read that made me feel a bit haunted.
Publication Date: November 1, 2022
Dundurn Press
Rare Machines
May 16, 2022
Possessed was billed as “a dark and funny story exploring sexual obsession, mental illness, and the supernatural”. I wasn’t sure about the sexual obsession, but I was in for mental illness and, although somewhat less, the supernatural. The book delivers on all that is promised. It’s a tale of two tales, with the first half focused on Josephine and her obsession with her younger lover, Sebastian, and the second half centered on the supernatural – Josephine’s visit to a supposedly haunted island and her encounter with an enigmatic young man with a fascinating story. Woven though all is Josephine’s experiences with her mother, and her mental issues.
I enjoyed this book. It is very well-written, as it transports the reader into all aspects of Josephine’s world. While I’m not into erotica, I found the sexual content to be as tasteful as erotica can be. The supernatural aspect could have fallen flat, but I found that it worked for me and brought to the book an extra layer of intrigue. (Spoiler alert) My biggest complaint is the ending…everything just ends. I could tell heading into the last pages of the book that the ending was not going to be a satisfying wrap-up of events. Even so, I was surprised with how it left off. I could have happily read another 200 pages about Josephine and her mother. Or about how Josephine ended up lover-wise. Even so, it's a book I won't soon forget. An enjoyable tale while it lasted. (90% of the book – 4 stars; the ending – 2 stars)
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press/Rare Machines for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.
I enjoyed this book. It is very well-written, as it transports the reader into all aspects of Josephine’s world. While I’m not into erotica, I found the sexual content to be as tasteful as erotica can be. The supernatural aspect could have fallen flat, but I found that it worked for me and brought to the book an extra layer of intrigue. (Spoiler alert) My biggest complaint is the ending…everything just ends. I could tell heading into the last pages of the book that the ending was not going to be a satisfying wrap-up of events. Even so, I was surprised with how it left off. I could have happily read another 200 pages about Josephine and her mother. Or about how Josephine ended up lover-wise. Even so, it's a book I won't soon forget. An enjoyable tale while it lasted. (90% of the book – 4 stars; the ending – 2 stars)
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press/Rare Machines for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.
October 17, 2022
A little bit strange, a little bit paranormal and a lot of explicit sexual scenes. This just an ok read for me. I read majority of this book while having the flu so that definitely could have influenced not enjoying as much as I thought I would.
Thank you Dundurn Press for this complimentary copy.
Thank you Dundurn Press for this complimentary copy.
Did Not Finish
June 24, 2023DNF @ 12%
Weird but not good weird, just boring weird
Weird but not good weird, just boring weird
May 9, 2022
This is my first book by the author and I was surprised how much I could relate to the main character. Josephine. This book is written in an essay format and can be tedious to read in some parts. It talks about the insidious way mental health affects people and their families and how painful it can be to deal with it if you are already "born different" and always feel you don't fit in the world. If you are sensitive person reading this book might feel claustrophobic and triggering at times. I liked the book but found myself struggling with the 3rd part of the book where it felt to tall of a tale and unrelated to the book, mismatched. But other than that it was a good read.
June 14, 2022
The perfect dark and gritty exploration of sexuality and mental health. The writing style isn't for everyone but once you get beside it I just love how the story unfolds.
September 4, 2022
a very interseting read
the story follows a young woman, Josephine, in her dilemas and an interesting sex/love life. her relationship with sex is quite similar to a lot of peoples, even though it is unhealthy. many of the unhealty sexual habits are a byproduct of the porn industry. she is obssesed with a guy called sebastian who gives her absolutely nothing, not even orgasams despite their sex schedule.
moving on to her mother, its very sad how a mother can passively hate her child so much, and yet the child will think so highly of the mother. Josephine called her mother the softest and warmest person she ever knew when her mother resented her.
luka´s story was very interesting, however i didn´t like how it ended. although sad, i hadn´t had the chance to properly process his story because it ended so abruptly.
i am also from croatia and have never heard of a place called tajni otok so i was a bit confused but figured it is a made up place which does make more sense
the story is written as a reflection or at least it reads as that, a memoir, which is why it is so melancholy and empty
i adore that about it
overall i really liked the book and i would recomend it to others who want to read it
the story follows a young woman, Josephine, in her dilemas and an interesting sex/love life. her relationship with sex is quite similar to a lot of peoples, even though it is unhealthy. many of the unhealty sexual habits are a byproduct of the porn industry. she is obssesed with a guy called sebastian who gives her absolutely nothing, not even orgasams despite their sex schedule.
moving on to her mother, its very sad how a mother can passively hate her child so much, and yet the child will think so highly of the mother. Josephine called her mother the softest and warmest person she ever knew when her mother resented her.
luka´s story was very interesting, however i didn´t like how it ended. although sad, i hadn´t had the chance to properly process his story because it ended so abruptly.
i am also from croatia and have never heard of a place called tajni otok so i was a bit confused but figured it is a made up place which does make more sense
the story is written as a reflection or at least it reads as that, a memoir, which is why it is so melancholy and empty
i adore that about it
overall i really liked the book and i would recomend it to others who want to read it
October 14, 2024
the kind of book that takes me so long to read but also I couldn’t put it down
3.5*
3.5*
September 9, 2022
thank you to Dundurn Press and Netgalley for this early copy in exchange for an honest review.
i had pretty high expectations for this book, the premise of combining obsessive love and mental illness with the supernatural sounded super intriguing. sadly, i really struggled to even get through the first part (with the obsessive love), and decided to quickly skim through the second half (the 'supernatural' part) to see if any of those chapters were better. they weren't. not for me, at least.
the narration style really didn't work for me and made it a very slow and tiring read. it was a lot of stream-of-consciousness and telling instead of showing. this made it hard to connect to and empathize with the main character and also made her obsession with the love interest hard to believe or take seriously. the relationship with her mother was interesting and i feel it would have benefited the characters' development if that had been highlighted more than all of the gratuitous sex scenes.
i had pretty high expectations for this book, the premise of combining obsessive love and mental illness with the supernatural sounded super intriguing. sadly, i really struggled to even get through the first part (with the obsessive love), and decided to quickly skim through the second half (the 'supernatural' part) to see if any of those chapters were better. they weren't. not for me, at least.
the narration style really didn't work for me and made it a very slow and tiring read. it was a lot of stream-of-consciousness and telling instead of showing. this made it hard to connect to and empathize with the main character and also made her obsession with the love interest hard to believe or take seriously. the relationship with her mother was interesting and i feel it would have benefited the characters' development if that had been highlighted more than all of the gratuitous sex scenes.
June 29, 2024
"Victor just won an international award for his series of photographs of women in South Africa. Women with AIDS, right, Victor?" Aww, sweet! You think of Africa you think of AIDS because there's nothing that better explains a continent more than AIDS does. What nonsense, the fact that people like Jowita Bydlowska exist and continue to further the trite agenda of nonsensical stereotypes like AIDS in some random country in Africa, is repugnant and an exposé of their lack of intelligence. I refuse to read a book written by an ignorant folk. Educate and free yourself, Jowita, ignorance is a pandemic, and you are in it.
June 21, 2022
Josephine is obsessed with her younger lover. So obsessed that it gets out of hand, and she then decides to go on a journey where she meets a haunting man with a devastating past.
I'm not going to lie, this book wasn't for me. I thought it was going to be more horror because of the supernatural element, but it was more just...strange.
Many readers will like this book - however this book wasn't for me. The lack of speech marks also made the book seem all muddled together and long. The book felt much longer than the 300 ish pages it is.
I'm not going to lie, this book wasn't for me. I thought it was going to be more horror because of the supernatural element, but it was more just...strange.
Many readers will like this book - however this book wasn't for me. The lack of speech marks also made the book seem all muddled together and long. The book felt much longer than the 300 ish pages it is.
July 30, 2022
Thank You Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange of an honest review.
2.5
it started out so strong, but then it just fell flat. i liked the mother-daughter relationship but the sexual obsession part... she had me at some points but the others i don't know.... i feel like these kind of books depend highly on the fact, whether u like or relate to the protagonist and for both of them were halfway there so it gets a perfectly average rating as per my enjoyment range.
2.5
it started out so strong, but then it just fell flat. i liked the mother-daughter relationship but the sexual obsession part... she had me at some points but the others i don't know.... i feel like these kind of books depend highly on the fact, whether u like or relate to the protagonist and for both of them were halfway there so it gets a perfectly average rating as per my enjoyment range.
August 2, 2022
A beautifully written, gripping book that's unlike anything I've ever read - and that is a very good thing. You'll never forget Josephine; I found myself thinking in her voice for days. Sheer brilliance.
November 20, 2022
I don't know what posessed me to actually finish reading this mess.
January 31, 2025
Let’s just say that it wasn’t my cup of tea.
September 1, 2022
While Josephine was obsessed with Sebastian, I was obsessed with her story.
Josephine was in her thirty-ish age living with her declining mother who had neglected her of love and care when she was a child. As the story unfurled between her musings with her mother and her lovers, I was totally immersed.
There are four parts in the story. Part 1: A woman is a haunted island; Part 2: Tajni Otok; Part 3: Luka's story; Part 4; Josephines story.
These four parts were intricately woven together. Part 1 is more like an introduction of our main character, part 2 is the deeper exploration of her self, part 3 is the unfortunate demise of Luka, who hovered around Josephine like a shadow (he was literally a ghost), and part 4 is the conclusion of it all.
What I love most about this book is the representation of mental illness Josephine suffered from her mother. I was given a slideshow presentation of what it was like to care for a mother who didn't put much effort to love and care for you when you were a child. Josephine experienced that. Her thoughts are so raw and so emotional that I felt pity for her. She was still a little girl who wanted to be cared for and loved by her mother.
And because of that, she became obsessed with Sebastian, her second lover. Her maybe-boyfriend Victor was like her booty call, but even then, they share some deep connection with each other. They understand each other but don't want to be with each other. As for Sebastian, Josephine felt the need to please him, both sexually and emotionally.
She somehow saw the need to be cared for and loved by Sebastian, which was an indication of obsession for him because she didn't received those when she was a child. So, in Sebastian she was seeking for those. There was a hole in her heart that was irreparable. Even when she knew Sebastian was a typical red flag, making everything about him, she can't stop obsessing over him. She wanted to move on from him but she can't.
This dilemma is so realistic because mostly everyone suffers from this. Another reason why I loved this book.
Then we met Luka. I wanted to stay in Josephine's timeline, mostly because it hooked me. But Luka's was also heartbreaking. It reminded me of Briony from Atonement when she made a false accusation at Robb, declaring that he was the one who raped their cousin when he didn't. Luka's story was also interesting as it somehow connected to Josephine's. He was in an unfortunate situation, but somehow, Josephine helped him to move on, and Luka did otherwise to Josephine.
The ending of the book is kina okay because it concluded everything. While there were questions that were still unanswered, I think the author did a pretty good job at giving us a vague ending. Also, her writing is chef's kiss. Another reason why I was heavily immersed with Josephine.
If you love a book where dysfunctional mothers, mental illness, obsession, and moving on, you will love this book. The book imprinted me with a thought; Josephine thought she was mental, that something in her was wrong because her mother told her so from time to time when she was a child. I love this book with all my heart.
MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND DUNDURN PRESS FOR APPROVING NY REQUEST FOR THIS eARC!!!! THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH!!!
Josephine was in her thirty-ish age living with her declining mother who had neglected her of love and care when she was a child. As the story unfurled between her musings with her mother and her lovers, I was totally immersed.
There are four parts in the story. Part 1: A woman is a haunted island; Part 2: Tajni Otok; Part 3: Luka's story; Part 4; Josephines story.
These four parts were intricately woven together. Part 1 is more like an introduction of our main character, part 2 is the deeper exploration of her self, part 3 is the unfortunate demise of Luka, who hovered around Josephine like a shadow (he was literally a ghost), and part 4 is the conclusion of it all.
What I love most about this book is the representation of mental illness Josephine suffered from her mother. I was given a slideshow presentation of what it was like to care for a mother who didn't put much effort to love and care for you when you were a child. Josephine experienced that. Her thoughts are so raw and so emotional that I felt pity for her. She was still a little girl who wanted to be cared for and loved by her mother.
And because of that, she became obsessed with Sebastian, her second lover. Her maybe-boyfriend Victor was like her booty call, but even then, they share some deep connection with each other. They understand each other but don't want to be with each other. As for Sebastian, Josephine felt the need to please him, both sexually and emotionally.
She somehow saw the need to be cared for and loved by Sebastian, which was an indication of obsession for him because she didn't received those when she was a child. So, in Sebastian she was seeking for those. There was a hole in her heart that was irreparable. Even when she knew Sebastian was a typical red flag, making everything about him, she can't stop obsessing over him. She wanted to move on from him but she can't.
This dilemma is so realistic because mostly everyone suffers from this. Another reason why I loved this book.
Then we met Luka. I wanted to stay in Josephine's timeline, mostly because it hooked me. But Luka's was also heartbreaking. It reminded me of Briony from Atonement when she made a false accusation at Robb, declaring that he was the one who raped their cousin when he didn't. Luka's story was also interesting as it somehow connected to Josephine's. He was in an unfortunate situation, but somehow, Josephine helped him to move on, and Luka did otherwise to Josephine.
The ending of the book is kina okay because it concluded everything. While there were questions that were still unanswered, I think the author did a pretty good job at giving us a vague ending. Also, her writing is chef's kiss. Another reason why I was heavily immersed with Josephine.
If you love a book where dysfunctional mothers, mental illness, obsession, and moving on, you will love this book. The book imprinted me with a thought; Josephine thought she was mental, that something in her was wrong because her mother told her so from time to time when she was a child. I love this book with all my heart.
MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND DUNDURN PRESS FOR APPROVING NY REQUEST FOR THIS eARC!!!! THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH!!!
June 7, 2022
For so many reasons, this book called to me from the moment I became aware of it. I wrote a note to myself to get my hands on a copy as soon as I could. Thankfully, my friends at Dundurn Press heard my prayers and answered them.
The story begins with Josephine’s two very distinctly destructive “relationships” and her stagnant life in Toronto. A chance opportunity shakes her out of her daze and sends her off to a haunted island in Croatia. Part research trip, part soul search, you can’t imagine what awaits her and what she learns through the process of discovering it.
This book is explosive, it’s supernatural, it’s deeply believable. I think it owes a great deal of its bold authenticity to Bydlowska’s willingness to be really really real about things that are hard to talk about and often sugar coated: feeling stuck, caring for aging parents, not being able to get out of the vicious cycle of compulsive behaviour, an insurmountable feeling of self-doubt.
Possessed contains multitudes and it is so many things in one, adventure, self-exploration, and pure, out of control, animalistic sex among them. It is also a reminder that we all have a story that is just waiting to be shared.
Thank you to the Dundurn team and the folks at Netgalley.
The story begins with Josephine’s two very distinctly destructive “relationships” and her stagnant life in Toronto. A chance opportunity shakes her out of her daze and sends her off to a haunted island in Croatia. Part research trip, part soul search, you can’t imagine what awaits her and what she learns through the process of discovering it.
This book is explosive, it’s supernatural, it’s deeply believable. I think it owes a great deal of its bold authenticity to Bydlowska’s willingness to be really really real about things that are hard to talk about and often sugar coated: feeling stuck, caring for aging parents, not being able to get out of the vicious cycle of compulsive behaviour, an insurmountable feeling of self-doubt.
Possessed contains multitudes and it is so many things in one, adventure, self-exploration, and pure, out of control, animalistic sex among them. It is also a reminder that we all have a story that is just waiting to be shared.
Thank you to the Dundurn team and the folks at Netgalley.
December 12, 2022
|| POSSESSED ||
'I read a quote in a book about a woman obsessed with a man. The quote was, "When you're living so intensely in your head there isn't any difference between what you imagine and what actually takes place. Therefore you're both omnipotent and powerless." I didn't feel omnipotent, only powerless.'
•
'Now I was twice that age and getting into my mother's bed again. I felt defeated. I didn't want to share the bed with her, but as soon as I was under the covers, I felt the warmth envelope me, and my shiver stopped.'
✍🏻
A dark, funny and raw exploration of desire, needs, obsession, sex, and mental illness with a splash of the supernatural.
RARE MACHINES has published some of my favorite reads! Possessed was strange, immersive, dark and at times claustrophobic. I couldn't put this down! Bydlowska's sharp writing pulled me in as Josephine tells us her story. There were parts readers might find disturbing but it all fed into Josephine's character study and the over all exploration of the many layers of desire and needs.
Gifted from the publisher opinions are my own.
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
'I read a quote in a book about a woman obsessed with a man. The quote was, "When you're living so intensely in your head there isn't any difference between what you imagine and what actually takes place. Therefore you're both omnipotent and powerless." I didn't feel omnipotent, only powerless.'
•
'Now I was twice that age and getting into my mother's bed again. I felt defeated. I didn't want to share the bed with her, but as soon as I was under the covers, I felt the warmth envelope me, and my shiver stopped.'
✍🏻
A dark, funny and raw exploration of desire, needs, obsession, sex, and mental illness with a splash of the supernatural.
RARE MACHINES has published some of my favorite reads! Possessed was strange, immersive, dark and at times claustrophobic. I couldn't put this down! Bydlowska's sharp writing pulled me in as Josephine tells us her story. There were parts readers might find disturbing but it all fed into Josephine's character study and the over all exploration of the many layers of desire and needs.
Gifted from the publisher opinions are my own.
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
July 8, 2023
Oh Jowita, did you really write the second part of the book??
My emotions while reading Possessed: WOW (the first part) and WTF (the second part).
I really don't know why this book landed on my reading list. It is not something I would like to read: a woman is obsessed/possesses by unrequited love for a younger man. (Was I drunk when I added it??)
To tell the truth, the first part reminded me of Elena Ferrante, I enjoyed it a LOT! And then a ghost appeared and the author decided to turn the whole story into a ghost...something (it didn't match at all), well, she couldn't know how I.HATE.THIS.KIND.OF.PLOT.
Oh Jowita, did you really write the second part of the book??
The first part of the book - 5 stars, the second - 1 star.
***ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.***
My emotions while reading Possessed: WOW (the first part) and WTF (the second part).
I really don't know why this book landed on my reading list. It is not something I would like to read: a woman is obsessed/possesses by unrequited love for a younger man. (Was I drunk when I added it??)
To tell the truth, the first part reminded me of Elena Ferrante, I enjoyed it a LOT! And then a ghost appeared and the author decided to turn the whole story into a ghost...something (it didn't match at all), well, she couldn't know how I.HATE.THIS.KIND.OF.PLOT.
Oh Jowita, did you really write the second part of the book??
The first part of the book - 5 stars, the second - 1 star.
***ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.***
October 13, 2022
This book was not what I expected and not in a bad way exactly. It follows the raw feeling of obsession with sex and men of a woman who has been through the unfortunate of having a mentally ill mother who has changed her life and of course it has repercussions in her mind and her actions.
Although the first half was a very descriptive way to explore her obsession, i found the second part very unconnected to the first part of the story, I understand it was a way for her to heal but the interaction with a ghost and the whole story of him was not really connecting or relevant at all to me, I feel it could have been different the way she finds a way to go back to “normal”.
I did enjoyed it even with all the parts that didn’t make sense.
Thank You Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange of an honest review.
Although the first half was a very descriptive way to explore her obsession, i found the second part very unconnected to the first part of the story, I understand it was a way for her to heal but the interaction with a ghost and the whole story of him was not really connecting or relevant at all to me, I feel it could have been different the way she finds a way to go back to “normal”.
I did enjoyed it even with all the parts that didn’t make sense.
Thank You Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange of an honest review.
September 1, 2022
This is a strangely interesting little book rather like the novels of Lisa Taddeo
The author writes from the point of view of a woman caught between her own needs and those of her increasingly disabled mother who moves from being psychologically unwell to having progressive Alzheimer’s during the story .Her mother’s needs seem to suck her own energy leaving her with little time to think about her own relationships .The woman has 2 lovers neither of which seem to provide her with what she needs sexually and emotionally.Ultimately she conjures up a dream lover with such a complex back story of his own that the reader is left never being entirely sure whether he exists in reality or not .I found this element of the book difficult to like as much as the clear reality sections .
The sex scenes are earthy and real but a felt like shouting out to the narrator to love herself more as she is unflinchingly self critical throughout
The author has a clear distinctive prose style which is enjoyable to read .
I liked the settings either in an unnamed Canadian city or in Croatia
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good relationship novel
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published on Uk on 1st November 2022
The author writes from the point of view of a woman caught between her own needs and those of her increasingly disabled mother who moves from being psychologically unwell to having progressive Alzheimer’s during the story .Her mother’s needs seem to suck her own energy leaving her with little time to think about her own relationships .The woman has 2 lovers neither of which seem to provide her with what she needs sexually and emotionally.Ultimately she conjures up a dream lover with such a complex back story of his own that the reader is left never being entirely sure whether he exists in reality or not .I found this element of the book difficult to like as much as the clear reality sections .
The sex scenes are earthy and real but a felt like shouting out to the narrator to love herself more as she is unflinchingly self critical throughout
The author has a clear distinctive prose style which is enjoyable to read .
I liked the settings either in an unnamed Canadian city or in Croatia
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good relationship novel
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published on Uk on 1st November 2022
May 19, 2022
A story about a woman, Josephine, who is obsessed with her lover, Sebastian. She is visited by a ghost named Luka at her mother's house. She travels to a haunted Croatian island for work, where she spends time with Luka, who helps her get over her obsession with Sebastian. I liked the complicated mother/daughter trope in this story. The ending fell flat for me.
August 31, 2026
I wanted this book to be better. It really felt disheveled and 'lost' at times. While full of sexual content, the story was far from sexy, erotic, or romantic. This is an example of a story following "broken people". It was hard to relate to any of the characters.
March 14, 2023
This was also another book that was recommended to my friend Nic and I from a book store worker. I was interested in this book because of the (spicy!) synopsis and the fact it's Canadian lit.
I found this book was not my cup of tea. Yes, I knew the protagonist was going to be definitely infatuated with the two men in her life but her very repetitive and obsessive thoughts got quickly tiring. The element of the supernatural was a nice touch but I also felt it was abrupt and didn't quite understand where exactly it fit in to her narrative. I did like how refreshing it was to read a book from the perspective of a protagonist who had a quite dark outlook.
I found this book was not my cup of tea. Yes, I knew the protagonist was going to be definitely infatuated with the two men in her life but her very repetitive and obsessive thoughts got quickly tiring. The element of the supernatural was a nice touch but I also felt it was abrupt and didn't quite understand where exactly it fit in to her narrative. I did like how refreshing it was to read a book from the perspective of a protagonist who had a quite dark outlook.
September 4, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC
2 stars!
Reading the premise I was really interested in reading this and felt like exploring Josephine would be interesting and maybe even relatable.
The story has a lot of details of sex scenes/violence that some may find hard to read so just an FYI for that.
But for me is how this book was written is why I didn’t enjoy it as much. We are reading about Josephine and get to witness how she feels, sees, and thinks. But there is no punctuation for when the characters speak, I was confused if I was reading thoughts or speech. That took me out of the story and enjoying it as much as I would sometimes look over what I was reading a few times, but this is just my preference.
2 stars!
Reading the premise I was really interested in reading this and felt like exploring Josephine would be interesting and maybe even relatable.
The story has a lot of details of sex scenes/violence that some may find hard to read so just an FYI for that.
But for me is how this book was written is why I didn’t enjoy it as much. We are reading about Josephine and get to witness how she feels, sees, and thinks. But there is no punctuation for when the characters speak, I was confused if I was reading thoughts or speech. That took me out of the story and enjoying it as much as I would sometimes look over what I was reading a few times, but this is just my preference.
Read
March 26, 2023Jesus Christ
October 29, 2026
okay.. this book was definitely a ride 👀 Weird girl fiction to the max.
But I honestly ate it up. I picked this book up with high expectations and expecting it to be incredible and it did exactly that. Like genuinely I never read books this quickly.. but this one was genuinely like candy — I just couldn’t get enough. It’s basically a description of the ultimate situation-ship from hell. This book is freaky in the sense that there’s a lot of sex; but it’s also just weird and disturbing.
PLOT - 4/5
Part one is definitely the strongest and most enjoyable part of the novel. I loved hearing Josephine’s crazy inner thoughts and the way she describes her feelings about Sebastian and all her relationships. She’s a bit crazy but it was really nice to see a morally gray character. Even though she obviously loves her mother she also wants to have autonomy of her own life. This is a feeling that is definitely relatable… I saw myself a lot through Josephine. It really is emotional torture when you’re obsessed with someone who suddenly just stops giving you attention that you’re gotten so used to. We all do just want to be loved at the end of the day. But she is freaky as hell though lol. Like girl why are we imagining your boss slapping your ass while he’s talking to you lol.
Part two is where we see Josephine go to the island for a work project. Tbh I really did not care for this island or her project lol. She meets Luca, the ghost, so that’s interesting.. but this part really falls flat when compared to part one. It’s basically just Josephine & Luca walking around Croatia the whole time without much happening. And when I saw that pt.3 was Luca’s pov I seriously was going to DNF this 😭 Im sorry but I just didn’t care for him… we didn’t know him well enough to get his whole lore in an entire separate part. And I never felt bad for him tbh…. But i mean, good on Josephine for having sex with a ghost
The book does end in a good way though and Im so happy we didn’t get a last scene with Sebastian… it’s more realistic to keep it this way.
CHARACTERS - 4/5
Josephine:
Honestly.. our girl is relatable as hell. She understands that her obsession with Sebastian is unhealthy and pathetic, but can’t help but indulge in it. The descriptions were so accurate to real life emotions and she’s so hyper aware of herself but can’t get out of the cycle.
SEBASTIAN:
You’re typical ass-hole guy who you for some reason fall for. His “relationship” with Josephine is just so sad… especially that they only hang out to have sex in bathrooms… The fact that Josephine hyper-analyzes all her behaviour, texts, and everything she says around him is just too real unfortunately..
LUCA:
Not too sure how to feel about him… was it really never for him to have a whole part dedicated to him😭 he’s okay but I wasn’t crazy about him.
WRITING - 5/5
I loved this aspect of the book. and the sex scenes… 👀👀 they ate hard. They weren’t so detailed to the point where it’s just pure smut and is just too much — but were actually well written and written in a way that matched the creepy, psychological thriller aspect of the novel. Sometimes the sex descriptions make you uncomfortable— (Sebastian being rough), but that’s the whole point. Maybe don’t read this one out in public lol.
This novel also doesn’t use quotation marks.. which tbh I didn’t like at first but you eventually get used to it and learn to appreciate the writing choice.
I also loved how intimately we get to know Josephine through the first person pov.
And the random Polish phrases thrown in there surprised me lol and got me feeling sentimental
PACING - 3/5
The pacing for pt.1 is well done and kept me engaged. But pt. 2 on the other hand… 🫣 the pacing is just soo slow… maybe it’s not even that bad.. but compared to an incredible part one I expected the entire book to be that good because of the high bar it set for itself. Luca’s story was a bit better and I was engaged more.. but it still lacked the charm of pt. 1. Like when I saw that pt. 3 was abt Luca I didn’t pick this book up for a couple days tbh. And we got soo much lore about him for not really any reason 😭 Like yeah i guess it was interesting but it was more so just something I had to get through than something I actually cared for. This is literally the only reason the book isn't a 5/5 stars.. because of pt.2 & Luca
OVERALL - IS IT GOOD?
YES!!! I had a really good time with this and Bydlowska is an amazing writer! Proud to read this as a fellow Polish girl in Canada ^^🇵🇱💞
This book was on my library’s shelf for spooky October reads so I do now trust them for future book recs
But I honestly ate it up. I picked this book up with high expectations and expecting it to be incredible and it did exactly that. Like genuinely I never read books this quickly.. but this one was genuinely like candy — I just couldn’t get enough. It’s basically a description of the ultimate situation-ship from hell. This book is freaky in the sense that there’s a lot of sex; but it’s also just weird and disturbing.
PLOT - 4/5
Part one is definitely the strongest and most enjoyable part of the novel. I loved hearing Josephine’s crazy inner thoughts and the way she describes her feelings about Sebastian and all her relationships. She’s a bit crazy but it was really nice to see a morally gray character. Even though she obviously loves her mother she also wants to have autonomy of her own life. This is a feeling that is definitely relatable… I saw myself a lot through Josephine. It really is emotional torture when you’re obsessed with someone who suddenly just stops giving you attention that you’re gotten so used to. We all do just want to be loved at the end of the day. But she is freaky as hell though lol. Like girl why are we imagining your boss slapping your ass while he’s talking to you lol.
Part two is where we see Josephine go to the island for a work project. Tbh I really did not care for this island or her project lol. She meets Luca, the ghost, so that’s interesting.. but this part really falls flat when compared to part one. It’s basically just Josephine & Luca walking around Croatia the whole time without much happening. And when I saw that pt.3 was Luca’s pov I seriously was going to DNF this 😭 Im sorry but I just didn’t care for him… we didn’t know him well enough to get his whole lore in an entire separate part. And I never felt bad for him tbh…. But i mean, good on Josephine for having sex with a ghost
The book does end in a good way though and Im so happy we didn’t get a last scene with Sebastian… it’s more realistic to keep it this way.
CHARACTERS - 4/5
Josephine:
Honestly.. our girl is relatable as hell. She understands that her obsession with Sebastian is unhealthy and pathetic, but can’t help but indulge in it. The descriptions were so accurate to real life emotions and she’s so hyper aware of herself but can’t get out of the cycle.
SEBASTIAN:
You’re typical ass-hole guy who you for some reason fall for. His “relationship” with Josephine is just so sad… especially that they only hang out to have sex in bathrooms… The fact that Josephine hyper-analyzes all her behaviour, texts, and everything she says around him is just too real unfortunately..
LUCA:
Not too sure how to feel about him… was it really never for him to have a whole part dedicated to him😭 he’s okay but I wasn’t crazy about him.
WRITING - 5/5
I loved this aspect of the book. and the sex scenes… 👀👀 they ate hard. They weren’t so detailed to the point where it’s just pure smut and is just too much — but were actually well written and written in a way that matched the creepy, psychological thriller aspect of the novel. Sometimes the sex descriptions make you uncomfortable— (Sebastian being rough), but that’s the whole point. Maybe don’t read this one out in public lol.
This novel also doesn’t use quotation marks.. which tbh I didn’t like at first but you eventually get used to it and learn to appreciate the writing choice.
I also loved how intimately we get to know Josephine through the first person pov.
And the random Polish phrases thrown in there surprised me lol and got me feeling sentimental
PACING - 3/5
The pacing for pt.1 is well done and kept me engaged. But pt. 2 on the other hand… 🫣 the pacing is just soo slow… maybe it’s not even that bad.. but compared to an incredible part one I expected the entire book to be that good because of the high bar it set for itself. Luca’s story was a bit better and I was engaged more.. but it still lacked the charm of pt. 1. Like when I saw that pt. 3 was abt Luca I didn’t pick this book up for a couple days tbh. And we got soo much lore about him for not really any reason 😭 Like yeah i guess it was interesting but it was more so just something I had to get through than something I actually cared for. This is literally the only reason the book isn't a 5/5 stars.. because of pt.2 & Luca
OVERALL - IS IT GOOD?
YES!!! I had a really good time with this and Bydlowska is an amazing writer! Proud to read this as a fellow Polish girl in Canada ^^🇵🇱💞
This book was on my library’s shelf for spooky October reads so I do now trust them for future book recs
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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