Book Review: THIS MIGHT HURT by Stephanie Wrobel

THIS MIGHT HURT by Stephanie Wrobel

Berkley; 2/22/22

CBTB Rating: 5/5

The Verdict: must-read psychological suspense

In a matter of two books, Stephanie Wrobel has cemented herself as one of my must-read thriller writers. You know that magical feeling when you find an author whose work seems to somehow just click for you? That’s me with Stephanie Wrobel. Wrobel’s debut suspense novel Darling Rose Gold hooked me with its nod to true crime and its dark, intimate exploration of a treacherous mother-daughter relationship; now, in Wrobel’s sophomore thriller, she blends a ripped-from-the-headlines plot (think: a cult story perfect for those fascinated by disturbing real-world cases like that of NXIVM) with a propulsive story of the ties that bind family together. The result? A book that’s guaranteed to be on my list of best crime books of 2022. THIS MIGHT HURT is an outstanding psychological thriller on every level, from its immediately-intriguing cult thriller premise to the complex layers readers will discover within its pages. Is blood really, as the saying goes, thicker than water? Can we ever escape the lasting legacy of childhood trauma? In THIS MIGHT HURT, readers follow three women as they exorcise their demons, face their fears, and, if the folks at Wisewood have their way, reach their “maximized selves”—no matter the cost. Stephanie Wrobel has knocked it out of the park with her sophomore thriller; if you only read one book this month, make it this one.

Plot Details:

Welcome to Wisewood. We’ll keep your secrets if you keep ours.

Natalie Collins hasn’t heard from her sister in more than half a year.

The last time they spoke, Kit was slogging from mundane workdays to obligatory happy hours to crying in the shower about their dead mother. She told Natalie she was sure there was something more out there.

And then she found Wisewood.

On a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood’s guests commit to six-month stays. During this time, they’re prohibited from contact with the rest of the world—no Internet, no phones, no exceptions. But the rules are for a good reason: to keep guests focused on achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximized Selves. Natalie thinks it’s a bad idea, but Kit has had enough of her sister’s cynicism and voluntarily disappears off the grid.

Six months later Natalie receives a menacing e-mail from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from Kit. Panicked, Natalie hurries north to come clean to her sister and bring her home. But she’s about to learn that Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight.

THIS MIGHT HURT begins with an email, one that threatens to expose a terrible secret Natalie Collins has been keeping for years. Nat hasn’t spoken to her sister, Kit, in months—not since Kit, against Nat’s advice, signed up for a stay at a wellness retreat called Wisewood. Housed on a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood promises to help its participants become their “Maximized Selves,” living a life free of fear. To achieve these lofty goals, Wisewood participants must commit themselves fully to the program designed by the retreat’s mysterious leader, a figure known as “Teacher”—including cutting off all communication with the outside world for the duration of their stay at the resort. For Kit, this opportunity is coming at the perfect time. Kit has found herself at a crossroads in her life in more ways than one. Adrift in her career and floundering in the wake of her mother’s passing, Kit desperately needs a change—and that’s exactly what Wisewood promises her. Meanwhile, Nat has been suspicious of Wisewood from the start. Her suspicions soon appear justified when she receives a sinister email from someone at Wisewood, threatening to reveal a terrible secret that Nat has been keeping from Kit. Determined to come clean to Kit before someone else can do it for her, Nat heads to Wisewood… and discovers that the only thing harder than finding this secretive retreat is leaving it. Moving deftly between Nat’s quest to find Kit in the present day and periodic flashbacks following a young girl who finds escape from her abusive home in the world of magic, THIS MIGHT HURT lays a clever trap for its readers, and for its protagonist—and the only way to get out is to go through its winding, treacherous maze.

As was true in Wrobel’s debut Darling Rose Gold, THIS MIGHT HURT is a story fueled by an examination of family relationships—primarily the dysfunctional kind. The bonds of family—the good, the bad, and the very ugly—are put under the microscope here, asking readers to consider just how far we can ever really run from those blood ties. Central to THIS MIGHT HURT is the bond between two sisters, Nat and Kit. Nat, our story’s protagonist, is an instantly-relatable character. Nat is rational, brave, and deeply loyal to her sister. When she becomes afraid for Kit’s wellbeing, she sets out on a one-woman mission to free her sister from the clutches of the “wellness retreat” that appears to be all but holding Kit hostage. Kit, meanwhile, is the perfect target for Wisewood’s predatory practices. Instability and uncertainty in Kit’s life have left her adrift and in need of guidance, and under the strict routines and watchful eye of “Teacher,” Kit finds newfound purpose in her life at Wisewood. But is Kit’s dedication to Teacher and the Wisewood cause really serving her best interests? Or, as Nat comes to suspect, is Teacher exploiting Kit’s frail state for her own gain? The push and pull of Nat and Kit’s relationship drives this story forward and delivers gripping interpersonal intrigue, but it was actually an unexpected third voice that ended up being my favorite point of view in this book. As THIS MIGHT HURT progresses, readers are introduced to an anonymous third character—a woman whose identity will be revealed later in the book (no spoilers here!). This third point of view takes readers into the childhood of a young girl growing up under the thumb of her abusive father. As an escape from the fears and dangers of her home life, this young girl finds herself drawn into the world of magic. She devours biographies of Harry Houdini and, inspired and awed by the feats of illusion he pulled off, begins practicing magic herself. Readers trace her growth and development over the years, watching as she wills her way towards conquering fear through increasingly dangerous magic tricks. I was riveted by this third point of view, plain and simple. Wrobel expertly illustrates how the horrors this third individual endured in childhood fueled a single-minded focus that has shaped her in adulthood. Is this third individual a villain or a victim? Can the truth be somewhere in between? Wrobel imbues each of her story’s central characters with riveting, relatable complexity, and the dark sides of these women only serve to deepen readers’ investment in them. None of the women central to this story are blameless, and none of them are wholly to be blamed, either—and it’s the grey areas in these characters that make them all the more interesting.

In THIS MIGHT HURT, the dark, twisty interior lives of Wrobel’s characters are mirrored by the story’s physical setting: an island off the coast of Maine, surrounded by ocean and at the mercy of the elements. Some crime novels are setting-forward, and others use setting simply as a means to facilitate interactions between characters; somehow, THIS MIGHT HURT seems to do a little bit of both. Wrobel expertly crafts a setting for her cult thriller that lulls readers into a false sense of security much the same way it likely ensnared the residents of the island in the first place. At first glance, Wisewood is idyllic: a place to escape the stress and routine of everyday life in the “real world” and focus on nothing but self-improvement, surrounded by the natural beauty of Maine. Who wouldn’t want to shut off their cell phone, cut themselves off from email, and go off the grid for a while to recharge? The idea doesn’t sound too sinister at the outset, but as Nat ventures deeper into this community, she begins to sense the dangers lurking around its every corner. Wisewood’s teachings and practices aren’t as fluffy as they first appear, and as Nat learns more about this community and finds her skepticism turning to fear, Wrobel uses the setting of Wisewood itself to mirror Nat’s inner state and reflect her inner turmoil. Storms blow in, the weather turns dark and stormy, and Nat begins to realize just how cut off she has become—and just how at the mercy of Wisewood and its residents she and her sister truly are. Wrobel knows exactly when to turn up the dial on her story’s tension and suspense and when to hold back, and the result is a thriller that immerses you completely in its world and doesn’t let you go until the book’s final page.

THIS MIGHT HURT is a riveting, page-turning psychological thriller that delves into the lasting impact of trauma and the lengths to which its characters will go to free themselves of its legacy. This binge-worthy thriller hooks readers at first glance with its instantly-appealing cult thriller premise, but the real power of this story is found in the intimate inner lives of its characters. Wrobel expertly ratchets up the sinister atmosphere of Wisewood itself for an added layer of drama and intrigue; the deeper readers go into the book, the more darkness is revealed, both in its setting and in its characters. Add in this book’s unexpected and utterly riveting foray into the world of magic and illusion, and you’ve got the recipe for one of the year’s best psychological thrillers. Wrobel’s literary sleight-of-hand shines in this twisty, genuinely unpredictable story of blood ties that are unbreakable, for better or worse. Pick this one up as soon as it publishes, and once you’ve read it, contact me—I need to discuss the ending with someone immediately.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All opinions my own.

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Book Details:

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (February 22, 2022)

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593100085

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593100080

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