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Cabin Fever
Alone and isolated in a snow-covered Scandinavian forest, a therapist begins to read her client's novel manuscript, only to discover the main character is terrifyingly familiar... You are her therapist. Kristina is a successful therapist in central Oslo. She spends her days helping clients navigate their lives with a cool professionalism that has got her to the top. She is your client. When her client Leah begs her to come to her remote cabin in the woods, Kristina refuses. But then Leah disappears and Kristina feels her control beginning to slip. So why does she know so much about you ? Kristina reluctantly heads out into the wilderness to find Leah. Alone and isolated, surrounded by snow and trees, Kristina realizes she has made a huge mistake.
382 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2021
70 people are currently reading
1858 people want to read
About the author
Alex Dahl
11 books468 followersHalf-American, half-Norwegian, Alex Dahl was born in Oslo. She graduated with a B.A. in Russian and German linguistics with International Studies and went on to complete an M.A. in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, followed by an M.S. in Business Management at Bath University. Alex has published short stories in the U.K. and the U.S. She is a serious Francophile and currently lives in both London and Sandefjord. Alex Dahl is translated into eleven languages and was shortlisted for a CWA New Blood Dagger award for The Boy at the Door. The Heart Keeper (2019) is out now in English, Slovak, Polish, and Swedish, with further international translations underway. Playdate was published in Oct 2020 and was a Guardian Thriller of the month pick. Cabin Fever is out now!
Instagram @authoralex
Instagram @authoralex
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
February 14, 2023
💖happy vday💖 sharing some books I love
4.5 rounded UP
Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 5/5
SYNOPSIS
Kristina Moss is a successful psychologist married to a man on the brink of becoming Norway's Prime Minister. When one of her "favourite" patients disappear after turning up badly beaten, Moss feels compelled to find out the truth.
MY OPINION
I. Am. SHOOKETH!!!!! I bought this for $2.73 on kindle because I really enjoyed her recent release After She'd Gone. Thankfully I didn't look at the ratings in advance because I would've missed out on a classic Nordic Noir banger.
Let me say this loud as clear: THIS IS NORDIC NOIR. As I've said in previous reviews, this genre isn't for everyone. It's written in a very specific tone, one that many might find boring. I always give Nordic Noir a pass on the pacing, I have faith that once it pops, it's gonna POP. And boy oh boy, did this sh!t POP... psychologically LOL. Yes, yeetage of disbelief is required; it's a citizens gone rogue ting. If you tend to skew more mainstream thriller head (think Feeney, Greer et al, Megan Goldin, Stacey Willingham) then I can't say this will be your flava flav. But it most certainly was mine.
And why was that?? Because Alex Dahl was spittin those pop psychology FACTS. One of my struggles with citizens gone rogue thrillers is that I can never make sense of the anyone's psychological motivations. This is one of the reasons I fked heavily with The Silent Patient, despite it's so-so writing quality. Dahl absolutely nails the why behind our destructive behaviours. It gives context and lends believability to a character's batshit crazy actions. Paint me a strong psychological motive, and I'm yours! Here's an example of what I'm talking about:
I guess it was just me replicating the behavior I’d learned from X, and even earlier, from my father, hooked on the emotional rollercoaster ride of loving men who have nothing to give you except rejection and abandonment.
and
What child perceives herself as inherently bad and unlovable? Could it be that this was how I imagined my father saw me, as a way to comprehend the profound rejection of his departure?
Now, if you've seen my rants in the past, you'll know I have big time beef with psychologist characters acting out of pocket. Think: Dr. Avery from The Golden Couple, Naomi from The Blame Game, whatever tf her name was from Never Lie, and Bella from The Helpdesk. These psychologists behaved like petulant 13-year-olds. FINALLY, we have a psychologist who thinks, acts, and speaks like one. There's no "I'm top dog" inner monologue while behaving irrationally. Kristina is believable as a psychologist, and that's no easy feat for a citizens gone rogue thriller.
Next, let's talk about the writing. Damn ma. Dahl was writing her mfn cheeks off. One scene in particular was so visceral, I felt like I was right there in the snow, hauling my battered and bruised ass back to the cabin. Let's take a peak shall we? For context, this is Kristina's thoughts as she crawls with a broken ankle on her hands and knees back to the cabin during a snowstorm:
I think of my husband and my home every inch of the way. The white porcelain Jonathan Adler vase Eirik bought for my birthday, filled with a riot of tulips. Five inches forward. The antique hand-painted silk lamps we bought in a tiny shop on a back street of Montmartre many years ago, casting our living room in a cozy, homely glow. Another five inches, the sickly taste of blood at the back of my throat. Our deep bathtub, big enough for two, the feel of the mosaic wall tiles beneath my fingertips as I soak, eyes closed, a glass of red on the shelf to my right. Ten inches forward, a wave of pain. The way it feels to be pleasantly trapped beneath my husband in bed, his skin on my skin, his hands in my hair, his voice murmuring into my ear. Five inches more.
I meannn??? How can you not feel her resilience, her desperation, her will to survive when reading this??? I can clearly imagine a woman tapping deep into her mental strength to survive a harrowing situation without being told "I summoned all of my strength to crawl back in agonizing pain." Well fking done, Dahl.
This book isn't perfect though. Like I said, it starts slow and doesn't pop off until about 50%. It's predictable and some moments require advanced yeetage of disbelief. But if you're looking for a psychological thriller in the truest sense of the genre, this is it. Nordic Noir does it best.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: powerful writing in the second half, excellent psychological insights, juicy j second half
Cons: slow start, had to ray charles a few minor tings here and there, predictable (I'm a thriller vet though, so it's hard to really surprise me in that regard)
4.5 rounded UP
Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 5/5
SYNOPSIS
Kristina Moss is a successful psychologist married to a man on the brink of becoming Norway's Prime Minister. When one of her "favourite" patients disappear after turning up badly beaten, Moss feels compelled to find out the truth.
MY OPINION
I. Am. SHOOKETH!!!!! I bought this for $2.73 on kindle because I really enjoyed her recent release After She'd Gone. Thankfully I didn't look at the ratings in advance because I would've missed out on a classic Nordic Noir banger.
Let me say this loud as clear: THIS IS NORDIC NOIR. As I've said in previous reviews, this genre isn't for everyone. It's written in a very specific tone, one that many might find boring. I always give Nordic Noir a pass on the pacing, I have faith that once it pops, it's gonna POP. And boy oh boy, did this sh!t POP... psychologically LOL. Yes, yeetage of disbelief is required; it's a citizens gone rogue ting. If you tend to skew more mainstream thriller head (think Feeney, Greer et al, Megan Goldin, Stacey Willingham) then I can't say this will be your flava flav. But it most certainly was mine.
And why was that?? Because Alex Dahl was spittin those pop psychology FACTS. One of my struggles with citizens gone rogue thrillers is that I can never make sense of the anyone's psychological motivations. This is one of the reasons I fked heavily with The Silent Patient, despite it's so-so writing quality. Dahl absolutely nails the why behind our destructive behaviours. It gives context and lends believability to a character's batshit crazy actions. Paint me a strong psychological motive, and I'm yours! Here's an example of what I'm talking about:
I guess it was just me replicating the behavior I’d learned from X, and even earlier, from my father, hooked on the emotional rollercoaster ride of loving men who have nothing to give you except rejection and abandonment.
and
What child perceives herself as inherently bad and unlovable? Could it be that this was how I imagined my father saw me, as a way to comprehend the profound rejection of his departure?
Now, if you've seen my rants in the past, you'll know I have big time beef with psychologist characters acting out of pocket. Think: Dr. Avery from The Golden Couple, Naomi from The Blame Game, whatever tf her name was from Never Lie, and Bella from The Helpdesk. These psychologists behaved like petulant 13-year-olds. FINALLY, we have a psychologist who thinks, acts, and speaks like one. There's no "I'm top dog" inner monologue while behaving irrationally. Kristina is believable as a psychologist, and that's no easy feat for a citizens gone rogue thriller.
Next, let's talk about the writing. Damn ma. Dahl was writing her mfn cheeks off. One scene in particular was so visceral, I felt like I was right there in the snow, hauling my battered and bruised ass back to the cabin. Let's take a peak shall we? For context, this is Kristina's thoughts as she crawls with a broken ankle on her hands and knees back to the cabin during a snowstorm:
I think of my husband and my home every inch of the way. The white porcelain Jonathan Adler vase Eirik bought for my birthday, filled with a riot of tulips. Five inches forward. The antique hand-painted silk lamps we bought in a tiny shop on a back street of Montmartre many years ago, casting our living room in a cozy, homely glow. Another five inches, the sickly taste of blood at the back of my throat. Our deep bathtub, big enough for two, the feel of the mosaic wall tiles beneath my fingertips as I soak, eyes closed, a glass of red on the shelf to my right. Ten inches forward, a wave of pain. The way it feels to be pleasantly trapped beneath my husband in bed, his skin on my skin, his hands in my hair, his voice murmuring into my ear. Five inches more.
I meannn??? How can you not feel her resilience, her desperation, her will to survive when reading this??? I can clearly imagine a woman tapping deep into her mental strength to survive a harrowing situation without being told "I summoned all of my strength to crawl back in agonizing pain." Well fking done, Dahl.
This book isn't perfect though. Like I said, it starts slow and doesn't pop off until about 50%. It's predictable and some moments require advanced yeetage of disbelief. But if you're looking for a psychological thriller in the truest sense of the genre, this is it. Nordic Noir does it best.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: powerful writing in the second half, excellent psychological insights, juicy j second half
Cons: slow start, had to ray charles a few minor tings here and there, predictable (I'm a thriller vet though, so it's hard to really surprise me in that regard)
August 23, 2023
I was a bit skeptical before reading this, since I didn’t care much for the play date from the same author. That being said, I’m glad I chose to read it anyway, since this one was much better. The plot was interesting, and the writing was impressive. Especially the ‘letter’ written by one of characters was incredibly beautifully written. I also felt that Dahl made realistic characters, especially as the story progressed and we came face to face with some very disturbing behavior.
July 13, 2021
EXCERPT: I can't believe I didn't realise it before, that what I really wanted all along was to write to you. So that's what I'm going to do. A memoir, perhaps. No. A confession.
Kristina, I'm waiting for you. I pray that you'll come. I'm alone and I'm afraid for the future and I want to use this time to put everything I want to say to you into some kind of coherent account. I want to tell you everything myself, I have it all planned out in my head - you'll come here and you'll sit across from me and we'll light the fire and I will start from the beginning and I won't stop talking until there is absolutely nothing unsaid between us. If you can't or won't come or if something outside of my control happens to me, you'll find what you need here. Either way, I need you to know the truth.
ABOUT 'CABIN FEVER': You are her therapist.
Kristina is a successful therapist in central Oslo. She spends her days helping clients navigate their lives with a cool professionalism that has got her to the top.
She is your client.
But when her client Leah, a successful novelist, arrives at her office clearly distressed, begging Kristina to come to her remote cabin in the woods, she feels the balance begin to slip.
But out here in the woods.
When Leah fails to turn up to her next two sessions, Kristina reluctantly heads out into the wilderness to find her.
Nothing is as it seems.
Alone and isolated, Kristina finds Leah's unfinished manuscript, and as she reads she realises the main character is terrifyingly familiar...
MY THOUGHTS: I read Cabin Fever by Alex Dahl in one sitting, unable to put it down and now, four hours later, my heart is still pounding, my breathing ragged.
The main characters are all onions, multilayered, and eye-wateringly devious. I was shaking my head in delighted disbelief as the truth was slowly revealed, and I mean slowly, one nugget, one gem at a time until the final crescendo.
Alex Dahl has once again written an unsettling, unpredictable, extremely clever and very dark novel full of tension and suspense.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#CabinFever #NetGalley
I:@authoralex @headofzeus
T: @alexdahlauthor @HoZ_Books
#contemporaryfiction #psychologicalthriller #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Half-American, half-Norwegian, Alex Dahl was born in Oslo. She is a serious Francophile and currently lives in both London and Sandefjord.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Head of Zeus via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Cabin Fever by Alex Dahl for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Kristina, I'm waiting for you. I pray that you'll come. I'm alone and I'm afraid for the future and I want to use this time to put everything I want to say to you into some kind of coherent account. I want to tell you everything myself, I have it all planned out in my head - you'll come here and you'll sit across from me and we'll light the fire and I will start from the beginning and I won't stop talking until there is absolutely nothing unsaid between us. If you can't or won't come or if something outside of my control happens to me, you'll find what you need here. Either way, I need you to know the truth.
ABOUT 'CABIN FEVER': You are her therapist.
Kristina is a successful therapist in central Oslo. She spends her days helping clients navigate their lives with a cool professionalism that has got her to the top.
She is your client.
But when her client Leah, a successful novelist, arrives at her office clearly distressed, begging Kristina to come to her remote cabin in the woods, she feels the balance begin to slip.
But out here in the woods.
When Leah fails to turn up to her next two sessions, Kristina reluctantly heads out into the wilderness to find her.
Nothing is as it seems.
Alone and isolated, Kristina finds Leah's unfinished manuscript, and as she reads she realises the main character is terrifyingly familiar...
MY THOUGHTS: I read Cabin Fever by Alex Dahl in one sitting, unable to put it down and now, four hours later, my heart is still pounding, my breathing ragged.
The main characters are all onions, multilayered, and eye-wateringly devious. I was shaking my head in delighted disbelief as the truth was slowly revealed, and I mean slowly, one nugget, one gem at a time until the final crescendo.
Alex Dahl has once again written an unsettling, unpredictable, extremely clever and very dark novel full of tension and suspense.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#CabinFever #NetGalley
I:@authoralex @headofzeus
T: @alexdahlauthor @HoZ_Books
#contemporaryfiction #psychologicalthriller #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Half-American, half-Norwegian, Alex Dahl was born in Oslo. She is a serious Francophile and currently lives in both London and Sandefjord.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Head of Zeus via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Cabin Fever by Alex Dahl for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 2, 2021
4-5 stars
Kristina Moss is a successful trauma therapist and one of her clients is Leah Iverson, an author of a semi autobiographical book which becomes a world wide best seller. Leah has been making progress but her recovery has taken a step backwards. She wants Kristina to go with her to her isolated cabin near Telemark and when Leah fails to show for an appointment she sets off to find the cabin. There she finds Leah missing but locates a manuscript entitled ‘Supernova’ which like the spectacular star explosion detonates her life.
This is a clever, well written and intriguing Nordic Noir Thriller. There are multiple layers in the storytelling which ultimately peels back the carefully constructed protective layers that Kristina has built over the years. There are puzzling conundrums as you try to work out who is the liar, if one of them is a fantasist or devilishly truthful. Several of the characters have been traumatised by past events and the truth behind that emerges a bit at a time keeping you invested in the novel. There’s a very good contrast between Kristina’s seemingly golden life with her politician husband Eirik and the anxieties and mental suffering of others. The story is dark, it has suspense and tension and once the focus switches to the cabin there’s a deep claustrophobic atmosphere which contrasts with the beauty of the location. There are some shocking revelations, there’s jealousy, obsession, anger, rage and acute pain before the dramatic conclusion. There are some good twists and justice is meted out at the end.
Overall, I think this latest book from Alex Dahl is gripping as all kinds of ‘cabin fever’ are unleashed.
With thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Kristina Moss is a successful trauma therapist and one of her clients is Leah Iverson, an author of a semi autobiographical book which becomes a world wide best seller. Leah has been making progress but her recovery has taken a step backwards. She wants Kristina to go with her to her isolated cabin near Telemark and when Leah fails to show for an appointment she sets off to find the cabin. There she finds Leah missing but locates a manuscript entitled ‘Supernova’ which like the spectacular star explosion detonates her life.
This is a clever, well written and intriguing Nordic Noir Thriller. There are multiple layers in the storytelling which ultimately peels back the carefully constructed protective layers that Kristina has built over the years. There are puzzling conundrums as you try to work out who is the liar, if one of them is a fantasist or devilishly truthful. Several of the characters have been traumatised by past events and the truth behind that emerges a bit at a time keeping you invested in the novel. There’s a very good contrast between Kristina’s seemingly golden life with her politician husband Eirik and the anxieties and mental suffering of others. The story is dark, it has suspense and tension and once the focus switches to the cabin there’s a deep claustrophobic atmosphere which contrasts with the beauty of the location. There are some shocking revelations, there’s jealousy, obsession, anger, rage and acute pain before the dramatic conclusion. There are some good twists and justice is meted out at the end.
Overall, I think this latest book from Alex Dahl is gripping as all kinds of ‘cabin fever’ are unleashed.
With thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
June 25, 2021
Kristina is a successful psychotherapist that lives in Olso, Norway. She is married to Eirick who is soon to be the next prime minister. Kristina has a client, Leah, that she has grown attached too. Imagine her surprise when Leah shows up to her Friday afternoon session with a battered and bruised face acting erratically. Leah begs her to explain what has happened but Leah insists that she will give her the answers only if she goes to her remote cabin to meet her. Kristina knows that they need to have boundaries and declines.
Leah does not show up to her next two sessions. Kristina is concerned and decides on a whim to go to the cabin to find Leah. What she ends up finding will upend her world and everything she thought to be true.
I've go to tell you I've seen snails move at a faster pace than this novel did. What a slog. So many words. Paragraphs 2 and 3 pages long. The problem is that a lot of the dialogue could have been removed without anything in the story being lost. A trim of about 100 pages would have benefited this book greatly. A shame too because it has a decent premise but there was too much to wade through to build any suspense. I did start to skim because there was absolutely nothing for me to gain by not skimming. The final denouement I saw coming from a mile away and I think many other fans of the genre will have this figured out too. Just sort of meh for me I'm afraid. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for my copy.
Leah does not show up to her next two sessions. Kristina is concerned and decides on a whim to go to the cabin to find Leah. What she ends up finding will upend her world and everything she thought to be true.
I've go to tell you I've seen snails move at a faster pace than this novel did. What a slog. So many words. Paragraphs 2 and 3 pages long. The problem is that a lot of the dialogue could have been removed without anything in the story being lost. A trim of about 100 pages would have benefited this book greatly. A shame too because it has a decent premise but there was too much to wade through to build any suspense. I did start to skim because there was absolutely nothing for me to gain by not skimming. The final denouement I saw coming from a mile away and I think many other fans of the genre will have this figured out too. Just sort of meh for me I'm afraid. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for my copy.
September 1, 2021
3.5 stars.
A tension-filled and twisty Scandinavian thriller!
Leah is a famous novelist who escaped an abusive relationship and has regular weekly appointments with Kristina, her therapist. Leah shows up for an appointment with bruises on her face and asks Kristina to meet her later at her remote cabin. Kristina knows she shouldn’t meet with patients outside of her office, but she is concerned for Leah and her curiosity wins. What she finds at the cabin changes everything.
I have read and loved all of this authors work! Her writing is gripping, addictive, smooth and unputdownable and this novel was no different. I was consumed by the storyline and intrigued by the characters, hanging on every word.
The main character, Kristina, is irrational and several aspects of the storyline are implausible, yet I couldn’t pull myself away from the book. The completely addictive writing and smooth flow of the storyline had me gripped and engrossed. There was a constant sense of unease, paranoia and dread that kept the story moving forward.
Although this book was my least favourite of this authors novels, it was a solid, gripping and highly entertaining book that kept me on the end of my seat and I recommend to thriller fans! Thank you to Head Of Zeus for my review copy!
A tension-filled and twisty Scandinavian thriller!
Leah is a famous novelist who escaped an abusive relationship and has regular weekly appointments with Kristina, her therapist. Leah shows up for an appointment with bruises on her face and asks Kristina to meet her later at her remote cabin. Kristina knows she shouldn’t meet with patients outside of her office, but she is concerned for Leah and her curiosity wins. What she finds at the cabin changes everything.
I have read and loved all of this authors work! Her writing is gripping, addictive, smooth and unputdownable and this novel was no different. I was consumed by the storyline and intrigued by the characters, hanging on every word.
The main character, Kristina, is irrational and several aspects of the storyline are implausible, yet I couldn’t pull myself away from the book. The completely addictive writing and smooth flow of the storyline had me gripped and engrossed. There was a constant sense of unease, paranoia and dread that kept the story moving forward.
Although this book was my least favourite of this authors novels, it was a solid, gripping and highly entertaining book that kept me on the end of my seat and I recommend to thriller fans! Thank you to Head Of Zeus for my review copy!
July 8, 2021
Kristina is a successful therapist in central Oslo. She spends her days helping clients navigate their lives with a cool professionalism that has got her to the top. But when her client Leah, arrives at her office clearly distressed, begging Kristina to come to her remote cabin in the woods, she feels the balance begin to slip. When Leah fails to turn up to her next two sessions, Kristina reluctantly heads to the woods to find her.
This is a typical Scandinavian Noir thriller and it had me hooked from the first few pages. The tension and suspense keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a fair paced, twisted and dark read. There is a lot of characters with traumatic pasts. You are kept guessing, trying to work it all up. The story has a dramatic ending.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #HeadOfZeus and the author #AlexDhal for my ARC of #CabinFever in exchange for an honest review.
This is a typical Scandinavian Noir thriller and it had me hooked from the first few pages. The tension and suspense keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a fair paced, twisted and dark read. There is a lot of characters with traumatic pasts. You are kept guessing, trying to work it all up. The story has a dramatic ending.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #HeadOfZeus and the author #AlexDhal for my ARC of #CabinFever in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2021
Oh, my God, what a story! Kristina is a good therapist but in a bit, all her beautiful life will be upside down. She loves her husband but she has a dark past. A past that will hunt her after so many years.
Thank you Netgalley for this great thriller.
Thank you Netgalley for this great thriller.
September 16, 2021
I was expecting a compelling PLAYDATE,
yet I encountered CABIN FEVER.
Let me explain:
Author Alex Dahl's PLAYDATE (2020) earned 5-stars from me, and, therefore, I had high expectations for CABIN FEVER (2021), Alex Dahl's newest release.
CABIN FEVER was painfully slow with a very, very, very predictable ending.
The storyline focuses on a therapist, a patient with a cabin, and the therapist's husband.
The publisher positioned this book as a "dark, twisty Scandinavian thriller ", yet I frequently had to pinch myself to stay awake.
Not quite sure what happened to this talented author.
I certainly will try this author's future releases but will do so with different expectation levels.
I listened to the audiobook and the book's narrator did a superb job but even a great narrator could not save this book.
One star rounded up.
yet I encountered CABIN FEVER.
Let me explain:
Author Alex Dahl's PLAYDATE (2020) earned 5-stars from me, and, therefore, I had high expectations for CABIN FEVER (2021), Alex Dahl's newest release.
CABIN FEVER was painfully slow with a very, very, very predictable ending.
The storyline focuses on a therapist, a patient with a cabin, and the therapist's husband.
The publisher positioned this book as a "dark, twisty Scandinavian thriller ", yet I frequently had to pinch myself to stay awake.
Not quite sure what happened to this talented author.
I certainly will try this author's future releases but will do so with different expectation levels.
I listened to the audiobook and the book's narrator did a superb job but even a great narrator could not save this book.
One star rounded up.
March 10, 2022
“As her therapist, you know her darkest secrets. But how does she know yours?”
Wow! Nothing prepared me for the onslaught of emotions reading this book evoked, although I have to say that none of them were particularly happy or positive, which is of course, exactly as the author intended. This is another story from the Nordic Noir stable of books and the mood engendered throughout was as dark, dour and depressing as this particular version of the book cover itself. But I loved it and the pages simply flew by as I devoured every single word of the excellent writing and couldn’t wait to unravel the many strands of this lugubrious storyline.
Kristina and Eirik are a successful, forward thinking couple, she a therapist and he an up and coming politician, with his eye very firmly on the top job of Prime Minister. They live the lifestyle and the perfect picture would be complete if only there was the patter of tiny feet to complete the idyll – or would it? Kristina has a past which, if it were ever unlocked and reached the public domain, might well end Eirik’s ambitious career almost before it has begun; whilst Eirik is leading his own double life, with a scandal which would certainly precipitate his downfall, if information reached the wrong hands. That each of them truly believe they make the perfect couple, turns out to be completely mind-boggling and makes them downright dangerous to know.
Elisabeth is Kristina’s closest childhood friend, and although she comes with baggage of her own, it transpires that much of it can be laid fairly and squarely at Kristina’s door, if only Elisabeth would speak out and stop trying to protect someone she thinks of as a friend. One has given up her life for the other, but what thanks can she expect in the cold light of day, when the truth is revealed and the stakes are so high. Will she ever get to set the record straight?
Leah is one of Kristina’s clients and possibly her most troubled. A journalist turned successful author, who has written an autofiction book about the abusive marriage to her husband, Anton. That Leah suffers with fragile mental health, is without question, but how much of the story is fact and how much pure fiction, which in the wrong hands might have the power to irrevocably destroy an innocent man’s life. Why does Leah’s life seem so inexplicably entwined with Kristina’s and Eirik’s and how does she know so much personal information about the couple. More importantly, to what ends is she planning to use what she knows? At times I began to wonder who was the therapist and whom the patient, as one was definitely as dangerous and unstable as the other when cornered and challenged.
So many questions and at first glance, it would seem that Leah is the only one with secrets and a past she would rather remained consigned to history. However, as she begins to unravel a complex situation, the many transgressions committed by others begin to pile in on her, and she realises just how little control she actually has over anything and what a hornet’s nest she is opening up. When the action moves to a snowed-in cabin deep in the woods, you just know that events are going to spiral out of control pretty dramatically, drawing everyone into the net, from which none will escape unscathed.
This fluent storyline was so multi-layered and well structured, told in mercifully short, seamless and well signposted chapters, (just to allow for important things like breathing or relaxing my clenched fists!), by the two main protagonists Leah and Kristina, with Leah’s narrative being mostly told in the third person, whilst Kristina tells her own story – or at least her version of it! Suspenseful, intense, gripping and highly textured, the tension simply oozed from the pages, creating an atmosphere which was suffocating and claustrophobic, almost to the point of becoming nauseating. There were so many twists and turns, so much lying and deceit, I almost became frightened to swipe the pages, for fear of what the next revelation might be. Absolutely no one was truly who they claimed to be or had done the things they said they had, or at least not in the way that they had described. This author is definitely skilled in creating imagery with her words, adding great visual depth to the story, with a real sense of time and place. Whilst maybe not enough to satisfy the ‘armchair traveller’ who might be anticipating a pleasant stop over in Norway, I could almost picture myself in the midst of a winter storm, marooned, snowed in and disabled, in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere, with no light and no way out; prey to goodness knows what or who, as I had no way of telling friend from foe, truth from lie.
Author Alex Dahl, did an amazing job of creating an entire cast of selfish, self-centred characters who, whether or not they genuinely suffered with the many, or even any of the mental health issues they claimed, were all nonetheless pretty uncompelling, disturbing, loathsome individuals, and not one of them did I have any real empathy with, or sympathy for. Yes! They were definitely given a strong voice with which to tell their story, however it got to the stage where I simply couldn’t trust a single word which came out of any of their mouths! At best they were complex, volatile and unreliable; at their worst they were manipulative, duplicitous and malevolent. Every time I had the slightest urge to feel even slightly sorry for any one of them, within seconds they had said or done something else to have me seething and truly angry with them, all over again.
They do say that ‘revenge is a dish best served cold’, however these characters turned that saying on its head, as for each of them revenge was sweet and definitely to be savoured, no matter what the temperature. I was almost cheering when, one way or another, they had all got their comeuppance by the close of play!
What typically makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who can fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions. This storyline had the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor probably the next. It really is a journey you need to make for yourself and see where it leads you!
To meet the author and to share some of my personal favourite extracts and lines from the book, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
Wow! Nothing prepared me for the onslaught of emotions reading this book evoked, although I have to say that none of them were particularly happy or positive, which is of course, exactly as the author intended. This is another story from the Nordic Noir stable of books and the mood engendered throughout was as dark, dour and depressing as this particular version of the book cover itself. But I loved it and the pages simply flew by as I devoured every single word of the excellent writing and couldn’t wait to unravel the many strands of this lugubrious storyline.
Kristina and Eirik are a successful, forward thinking couple, she a therapist and he an up and coming politician, with his eye very firmly on the top job of Prime Minister. They live the lifestyle and the perfect picture would be complete if only there was the patter of tiny feet to complete the idyll – or would it? Kristina has a past which, if it were ever unlocked and reached the public domain, might well end Eirik’s ambitious career almost before it has begun; whilst Eirik is leading his own double life, with a scandal which would certainly precipitate his downfall, if information reached the wrong hands. That each of them truly believe they make the perfect couple, turns out to be completely mind-boggling and makes them downright dangerous to know.
Elisabeth is Kristina’s closest childhood friend, and although she comes with baggage of her own, it transpires that much of it can be laid fairly and squarely at Kristina’s door, if only Elisabeth would speak out and stop trying to protect someone she thinks of as a friend. One has given up her life for the other, but what thanks can she expect in the cold light of day, when the truth is revealed and the stakes are so high. Will she ever get to set the record straight?
Leah is one of Kristina’s clients and possibly her most troubled. A journalist turned successful author, who has written an autofiction book about the abusive marriage to her husband, Anton. That Leah suffers with fragile mental health, is without question, but how much of the story is fact and how much pure fiction, which in the wrong hands might have the power to irrevocably destroy an innocent man’s life. Why does Leah’s life seem so inexplicably entwined with Kristina’s and Eirik’s and how does she know so much personal information about the couple. More importantly, to what ends is she planning to use what she knows? At times I began to wonder who was the therapist and whom the patient, as one was definitely as dangerous and unstable as the other when cornered and challenged.
So many questions and at first glance, it would seem that Leah is the only one with secrets and a past she would rather remained consigned to history. However, as she begins to unravel a complex situation, the many transgressions committed by others begin to pile in on her, and she realises just how little control she actually has over anything and what a hornet’s nest she is opening up. When the action moves to a snowed-in cabin deep in the woods, you just know that events are going to spiral out of control pretty dramatically, drawing everyone into the net, from which none will escape unscathed.
This fluent storyline was so multi-layered and well structured, told in mercifully short, seamless and well signposted chapters, (just to allow for important things like breathing or relaxing my clenched fists!), by the two main protagonists Leah and Kristina, with Leah’s narrative being mostly told in the third person, whilst Kristina tells her own story – or at least her version of it! Suspenseful, intense, gripping and highly textured, the tension simply oozed from the pages, creating an atmosphere which was suffocating and claustrophobic, almost to the point of becoming nauseating. There were so many twists and turns, so much lying and deceit, I almost became frightened to swipe the pages, for fear of what the next revelation might be. Absolutely no one was truly who they claimed to be or had done the things they said they had, or at least not in the way that they had described. This author is definitely skilled in creating imagery with her words, adding great visual depth to the story, with a real sense of time and place. Whilst maybe not enough to satisfy the ‘armchair traveller’ who might be anticipating a pleasant stop over in Norway, I could almost picture myself in the midst of a winter storm, marooned, snowed in and disabled, in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere, with no light and no way out; prey to goodness knows what or who, as I had no way of telling friend from foe, truth from lie.
Author Alex Dahl, did an amazing job of creating an entire cast of selfish, self-centred characters who, whether or not they genuinely suffered with the many, or even any of the mental health issues they claimed, were all nonetheless pretty uncompelling, disturbing, loathsome individuals, and not one of them did I have any real empathy with, or sympathy for. Yes! They were definitely given a strong voice with which to tell their story, however it got to the stage where I simply couldn’t trust a single word which came out of any of their mouths! At best they were complex, volatile and unreliable; at their worst they were manipulative, duplicitous and malevolent. Every time I had the slightest urge to feel even slightly sorry for any one of them, within seconds they had said or done something else to have me seething and truly angry with them, all over again.
They do say that ‘revenge is a dish best served cold’, however these characters turned that saying on its head, as for each of them revenge was sweet and definitely to be savoured, no matter what the temperature. I was almost cheering when, one way or another, they had all got their comeuppance by the close of play!
What typically makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who can fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions. This storyline had the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor probably the next. It really is a journey you need to make for yourself and see where it leads you!
To meet the author and to share some of my personal favourite extracts and lines from the book, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
July 11, 2021
Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....
3,5 ⭐️
This week we’re having temperatures up to 40ºC so I was hoping to cool down a little bit reading Cabin fever, a Nordic noir in a snowy setting, but it left me tepid.
Kristina is a successful psychotherapist married to Eirick, the man set to be the next Norwegian prime minister. When Leah, one of her clients, shows up to a session with a bruised face and rambling on she tells Kristina that she will only explain what happened to her if she goes to a remote cabin she owns. Kristina thinks that would be crossing the boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship but when Leah misses her next appointments Kristina suspects something has happened so she’s compelled to go looking for her in her cabin but, is Leah the only thing she’s finding there?
If you’re thinking you’re gonna find a fast paced plot I’m sorry to say you’ll have to look elsewhere. This is SLOW! One of my issues was that the first half was really drawn out. Things don’t really start moving along until Kristina goes to the cabin and that doesn’t happen until the 50% mark. While it serves to present the characters, I feel a bit of a trim in this first half would have helped a lot to the rhythm. The characters weren’t really sympathetic and fairly unreliable, hiding some secrets all of them.
Once the action moves to the cabin things got better. Truths began to unveil and, as usual in novels in the genre, the claustrophobic feel was present in every page (nothing like being snowed in in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere to feel a touch of claustrophobia!).
There were some twists that although not really surprising led to an overall satisfying conclusion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
3,5 ⭐️
This week we’re having temperatures up to 40ºC so I was hoping to cool down a little bit reading Cabin fever, a Nordic noir in a snowy setting, but it left me tepid.
Kristina is a successful psychotherapist married to Eirick, the man set to be the next Norwegian prime minister. When Leah, one of her clients, shows up to a session with a bruised face and rambling on she tells Kristina that she will only explain what happened to her if she goes to a remote cabin she owns. Kristina thinks that would be crossing the boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship but when Leah misses her next appointments Kristina suspects something has happened so she’s compelled to go looking for her in her cabin but, is Leah the only thing she’s finding there?
If you’re thinking you’re gonna find a fast paced plot I’m sorry to say you’ll have to look elsewhere. This is SLOW! One of my issues was that the first half was really drawn out. Things don’t really start moving along until Kristina goes to the cabin and that doesn’t happen until the 50% mark. While it serves to present the characters, I feel a bit of a trim in this first half would have helped a lot to the rhythm. The characters weren’t really sympathetic and fairly unreliable, hiding some secrets all of them.
Once the action moves to the cabin things got better. Truths began to unveil and, as usual in novels in the genre, the claustrophobic feel was present in every page (nothing like being snowed in in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere to feel a touch of claustrophobia!).
There were some twists that although not really surprising led to an overall satisfying conclusion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2023
This is a book that many have loved and just did not land for me. I could not find any way to connect to the characters. The whole thing seemed wooden to me. I just could not buy into it.
October 14, 2023
Takie pierwsze spotkania z autorami to ja rozumiem! Podeszłam bez absolutnie żadnych oczekiwań i powiedzieć, że mnie wciągnęła to jak nic nie powiedzieć. Absolutnie zakręcona, cudownie mroczna z nieoczekiwanymi zwrotami akcji. Po jej skończeniu uśmiechnęłam się szeroko i nie mogłam przestać myśleć, jak mocno porąbane to było - w taki pozytywny sposób.
Strasznie mi się podoba, że tutaj do samego końca nie wiemy, kto tak naprawdę jest tym złym i jest to cholernie satysfakcjonujące, że każdy dostaje to, na co zasłużył. Do tego ten klimat norweskich odludzi i akcja dziejąca się zimą - chyba serio uwielbiam taki klimat i koniecznie muszę zerknąć na inne książki autorki ♡.
Strasznie mi się podoba, że tutaj do samego końca nie wiemy, kto tak naprawdę jest tym złym i jest to cholernie satysfakcjonujące, że każdy dostaje to, na co zasłużył. Do tego ten klimat norweskich odludzi i akcja dziejąca się zimą - chyba serio uwielbiam taki klimat i koniecznie muszę zerknąć na inne książki autorki ♡.
February 27, 2023
3.35
wciagajaca, dobrze sie bawilam, ale intryga taka sobie
wciagajaca, dobrze sie bawilam, ale intryga taka sobie
July 8, 2021
Cabin Fever is a riveting and richly atmospheric piece of Scandinavian noir by Norwegian-born author Alex Dahl about a successful therapist, her troubled client and an isolated cabin in the woods. Kristina, a highly prominent and rather-pleased-with-herself therapist, is lured into joining her client, Leah, at a cabin in a mysterious Scandinavian forest. Leah is a successful novelist who appears to have plans of turning the tables and taking control of Kristina. When Leah disappears, Kristina sets off into the wilderness to find her. But it’s only when Kristina finds the manuscript Leah is working on that she realises how much danger she is in.
This is a dark, twisty and compelling read, and to be quite honest I found myself pleasantly surprised that Dahl managed to evoke the same depth and claustrophobia as many other thriller writers who write in this vein. It's an unsettling and original thriller about obsession that is alive with a mystery seamlessly tying the past and present together. The descriptions of the forest are particularly powerful and the story spins off successfully in a variety of different directions, coming to a chilling and convincing conclusion where a series of clever and intriguing reveals ask you just how well you really know anyone in your life.
This is a dark, twisty and compelling read, and to be quite honest I found myself pleasantly surprised that Dahl managed to evoke the same depth and claustrophobia as many other thriller writers who write in this vein. It's an unsettling and original thriller about obsession that is alive with a mystery seamlessly tying the past and present together. The descriptions of the forest are particularly powerful and the story spins off successfully in a variety of different directions, coming to a chilling and convincing conclusion where a series of clever and intriguing reveals ask you just how well you really know anyone in your life.
August 22, 2021
Every character in this book, was foul.
2.5🌟
2.5🌟
September 10, 2021
One of the first books by Alex Dahl that I didn't like the reason I didn't like it was because the storyline which is centred around therapy was very dull and boring. There was no likeness to the characters and the story was very very slow after reading only a chapter I lost interest. This book has very poor character development, unusual because a previous book by this author I really enjoyed. The book was Called Play Date.
May 23, 2023
This is undoubtedly the worst book I have ever read. It did not have one redeeming quality. I loved her first two books so much that I ordered Playdate from a bookseller in the UK because I couldn’t find it here. It was a 5 star read - this one was not👎
This moved at a snails pace, nothing happens until half way into the book. Then it is so jumbled in the back and forth format that it becomes a real mess. All the writing seemed like filler and it went on for pages and pages. I thought the psychobabble was bad in Hello Beautiful, but this look at therapy is over the top.
Each character was more distasteful than the other and the sex scenes were just plain UGH!! I’ll stop, I’m just getting madder with each sentence.
I skimmed to the weird conclusion because I wanted to see if it ever untangled itself. It didn’t. Ms Dahl, what happened to the wonderful author you used to be? Very disappointed.
This moved at a snails pace, nothing happens until half way into the book. Then it is so jumbled in the back and forth format that it becomes a real mess. All the writing seemed like filler and it went on for pages and pages. I thought the psychobabble was bad in Hello Beautiful, but this look at therapy is over the top.
Each character was more distasteful than the other and the sex scenes were just plain UGH!! I’ll stop, I’m just getting madder with each sentence.
I skimmed to the weird conclusion because I wanted to see if it ever untangled itself. It didn’t. Ms Dahl, what happened to the wonderful author you used to be? Very disappointed.
April 20, 2022
To był naprawdę dobry thriller psychologiczny. Nie dam pięciu gwiazdek ze względu na to, że mimo to książka jest trochę rozwleczona. Jednak dalej polecam szczególnie jeśli ktoś lubi się z tym gatunkiem książkowym. Niezwykły plot twist którego nie da się przewidzieć.
January 30, 2025
Painfully slow and predictable.
The narrative meanders through lengthy internal monologues and repetitive scenes that add little to either character development or plot progression.
Hard to find anything redeeming in this one.
The narrative meanders through lengthy internal monologues and repetitive scenes that add little to either character development or plot progression.
Hard to find anything redeeming in this one.
June 7, 2022
Kristina jest terapeutką. Pewnego dnia znika jej pacjentka, znana pisarka Leah. Wcześniej prosi Kristinę, by ta przyjechała do jej domku w lesie. Terapeutka w końcu się łamie, wyrusza w podróż, a u mety znajduje niedokończony rękopis Leah, którego główna bohaterka jest zatrważająco znajoma.
Opis mnie zachęcił od razu. To brzmiało jak coś, od czego nie będę mogła się oderwać. Niestety tym razem oczekiwania i rzeczywistość nie szły w parze.
Wprowadzenie powieści było tak długie, że zanim dotarłam do tego, co ważne, wszystkie emocje mi opadły. Cała historia była przewidywalna, a miałam nadzieję na niecodzienny plot twist. Postaci dość płaskie, bardzo stereotypowe, nieciekawe. Mnóstwo opisów, które niczego nie wnosiły, nawet nie budowały klimatu. No cóż, potencjał był, ale na tym się skończyło jak dla mnie.
To nie jest całkiem zła książka. Powiedziałabym, że raczej taka „meh” - szybko o niej zapomnę.
Opis mnie zachęcił od razu. To brzmiało jak coś, od czego nie będę mogła się oderwać. Niestety tym razem oczekiwania i rzeczywistość nie szły w parze.
Wprowadzenie powieści było tak długie, że zanim dotarłam do tego, co ważne, wszystkie emocje mi opadły. Cała historia była przewidywalna, a miałam nadzieję na niecodzienny plot twist. Postaci dość płaskie, bardzo stereotypowe, nieciekawe. Mnóstwo opisów, które niczego nie wnosiły, nawet nie budowały klimatu. No cóż, potencjał był, ale na tym się skończyło jak dla mnie.
To nie jest całkiem zła książka. Powiedziałabym, że raczej taka „meh” - szybko o niej zapomnę.
July 21, 2021
Reading this author after a long time, I was quite embroiled in the prose. But soon the prose went into descriptive lines and repetitive thoughts till Kristina reached the cabin.
All the parts regarding the manuscript and the secrets it hid were bloody explosive, and the truths made the suspense palpable. A couple of twists I could guess, and a couple blew my mind.
This book was such a dichotomy of thoughts. Had it been sharply edited and given a better flow, it would have rocked. It felt too much like a translated piece of work.
Read the beginning, skim, the midsection, then read the parts of Supernova carefully, and you will be completely enthralled.
All the parts regarding the manuscript and the secrets it hid were bloody explosive, and the truths made the suspense palpable. A couple of twists I could guess, and a couple blew my mind.
This book was such a dichotomy of thoughts. Had it been sharply edited and given a better flow, it would have rocked. It felt too much like a translated piece of work.
Read the beginning, skim, the midsection, then read the parts of Supernova carefully, and you will be completely enthralled.
May 19, 2021
I usually enjoy reading Alex Dahl books and I was delighted to receive a copy of Cabin Fever.
This book centres around Kristina who is a therapist and her client Leah.
Kristina has had numerous failed IVF treatments is upset to hear that Leah is pregnant and has not told her about it and now she is not attending her appointments.
I was disappointed in this book, I found the story very dark and depressing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review
This book centres around Kristina who is a therapist and her client Leah.
Kristina has had numerous failed IVF treatments is upset to hear that Leah is pregnant and has not told her about it and now she is not attending her appointments.
I was disappointed in this book, I found the story very dark and depressing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review
October 19, 2021
A great book to read in a cold winter night. Unlucky for me I've read it in a sunny autumn morning..
March 4, 2022
Tuto autorku absolutne zboznujem, prečítala by som si od nej aj nákupný zoznam. Preto ked som videla ze vychádza jej nova kniha, okamžite som stahovala do čítačky. Nuž a opäť raz výborné. Trosku z ineho súdka, keďže väčšinou ustrednou temou jej knih su deti, respektíve cokolvek s nimi spojené. Aj tu sa tejto temy dotkla - tentoraz pre mna osobne to bola prave téma, do ktorej sa viem vcítiť a absolútne vierohidne vystihla pocity hlavnej postavy.
Môžeme teda povedať, že toto je jeden vyborne vystavaný psychologický triler. Od polovice som trochu tusila o co tam pojde, nuz ale na konci som zostala s otvorenymi ustami. Napriek tomu je to uplne perfektne vygradovane, postupne sa odhaluju tajomstva, ktore by ste necakali. Urcite odporucam!
Môžeme teda povedať, že toto je jeden vyborne vystavaný psychologický triler. Od polovice som trochu tusila o co tam pojde, nuz ale na konci som zostala s otvorenymi ustami. Napriek tomu je to uplne perfektne vygradovane, postupne sa odhaluju tajomstva, ktore by ste necakali. Urcite odporucam!
June 9, 2021
This was a very deep and absorbing read in which I found myself so mesmerised by what what going on I just forgot everything else around me. It was my first book by Alex Dahl and just what you would expect in a Scandi thriller and although it was set at a slow pace the story just built up layer upon layer with clues revealed and I was never quite sure what was the truth as it was told by some very unreliable narrators.
It’s a beautifully written book and you really get a feeling for the harsh surroundings especially when the story takes us to the cabin I could really feel that cold creeping into my bones and it made the book even more chilling.
I love Scandinavian noir and read a lot of them by various authors and I would put Alex Dahl right up the top with the best of them I really loved it.
So at its heart it’s a tale of obsession, deception, lies, twisted stories and deeply unsettling but oh boy it’s compulsive reading throughout and a book I can highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for giving me chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
It’s a beautifully written book and you really get a feeling for the harsh surroundings especially when the story takes us to the cabin I could really feel that cold creeping into my bones and it made the book even more chilling.
I love Scandinavian noir and read a lot of them by various authors and I would put Alex Dahl right up the top with the best of them I really loved it.
So at its heart it’s a tale of obsession, deception, lies, twisted stories and deeply unsettling but oh boy it’s compulsive reading throughout and a book I can highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for giving me chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 12, 2021
Wow, just wow. I got about halfway through this and was just starting to think that it was a bit boring but then omg I was wrong I was so wrong. Loved it, I stayed up all night to finish it. Alex Dahl is definitely one of my favourite authors after I read Playdate but this book has cemented that. Brilliant
May 24, 2023
W T F
November 16, 2023
4/5 ⭐ Some things were easy to guess, but overall it was a good story
May 14, 2021
We first met Alex Dahl in her 2018 debut novel, The Boy at the Door, and we have been instantly fascinated by the tormented, troubled female protagonists, the multiple perspective narrative, the well-rounded plotlines and the many twists that the book entailed. The author's following two writing attempts, The Heart Keeper and Playdate established her reputation as one of the most noteworthy new voices in Norwegian crime fiction. In her latest novel, Cabin Fever, Dahl adopts similar plot tropes and narrative techniques, though this time the atmosphere is heavily tense and claustrophobic as the major part of the story unfolds in the limited confines of a secluded cabin somewhere deep in the Norwegian forests. In the center of the novel lies the complex relationship between the two distressed main characters, Dr. Kristina Moss, a celebrated psychotherapist and respected scientist and her client Leah Iverson, a popular author who attracted international attention with her work of autofiction, inspired by the book series written by Karl Ove Knausgård. Dahl employs the stellar metaphor of a Supernova , the astronomical event that occurs when two stars collide in deep space resulting in the destruction of both in a spectacular thermonuclear explosion, to describe the effects of the liaison between the two women and as the story unravels, the reader has the opportunity to witness the horrible consequences of obsession and mental illness. Kristina and Leah are protagonists who are filled with secrets from their past and even though the former has seemingly found a way to deal with her traumatic past, they both struggle to achieve an equilibrium in their lives.
To read my full review, visit https://tapthelinemag.com/post/cabin-...
To read my full review, visit https://tapthelinemag.com/post/cabin-...
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