Latest news with #obsession
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Digital Twin: Liann Zhang, Julie Chan is Dead
Photo: Bloomsbury Psychological thriller writer Liann Zhang's debut novel Julie Chan is Dead satirises Instagram and Tiktok stars, social media, status and obsession. When Julie Chan steals her dead identical twin's internet sensation persona she inherits her sponsorship deals, her followers, her wealth, her whole life. Julie Chan had nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Liann Zhang is a second-generation Chinese Canadian, who after a short stint as a skincare content creator, graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology. Liann speaks with Susie.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nothing will stop this Psychological Thriller becoming a runaway bestseller: Count My Lies by Sophie Stava, It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara, The Palazzo by Kayte Nunn
Count My Lies by Sophie Stava (Century £16.99, 336pp) The author nails it with this book from the first sentence. A young woman in a trendy New York neighbourhood claims to be a nurse as she helps a very handsome father tend to his little girl who's been stung by a bee. But Sloane Caraway is actually a nail technician and compulsive liar who manages to inveigle her way into the lives of the glamorous father Jay Lockhart and his wife Violet. The ensuing original and twisty plot lines provide a very convincing psychological study of why people actually tell lies. It's not long before Sloane realises that the Lockharts are not what they seem either. Meanwhile, Sloane becomes obsessed with growing more and more like Violet. Events then lead to an explosive, if not entirely satisfactory, ending. With its punchy, chatty, writing style, nothing will stop this from becoming a runaway bestseller. It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara (Bantam £16.99, 400pp) This plot plays expertly into one of our worst nightmares. Susan, a sleep deprived teacher on maternity leave, feels affronted by a WhatsApp message from a neighbour named Celeste and decides to vent to her sister about Celeste's awful children and her philandering husband. Too late to delete, she realises she has sent the message to the whole neighbourhood. At first she thinks the fuss will pass but then people start to be murdered. One of the victims is a woman who has the same address as her, but in a different part of town. The tension is very well maintained throughout and the author resists the temptation to be overly dramatic. The convincing storyline maintains real dread in a world of everyday domestic detail. Very enjoyable. The Palazzo by Kayte Nunn (No Exit Press £9.99, 304pp) The perfect remote setting for this crafty thriller is a renovated former convent in the Italian Alps. The Palazzo Stellina has been hired by a beauty entrepreneur to celebrate her 40th birthday with her family and friends. A luxury swimming pool and handsome chef are all part of the package. When a murder occurs, the scene is expertly set for a locked-room mystery as all the guests have their own reasons to be suspects or maybe victims. The cleverly constructed plot keeps us guessing while we enjoy the well-drawn luxurious backdrop of the Palazzo.
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Book Review: Debut novel ‘Happiness Forever' is set on a therapy couch
Do we get to choose who we love? For Sylvie, the protagonist of Adelaide Faith's 'Happiness Forever,' the answer is surely an emphatic 'No.' That's because Sylvie is in love with her therapist, an older woman with peach-colored hair who lives within walking distance of Sylvie's home. After 13 sessions, Sylvie spends her weeks counting down the hours until she and her therapist meet again. She can't decide whether she wants the therapist to adopt her or simply hold her hand. The question of what to do about this inconvenient obsession carries through Faith's endearing debut novel. Sylvie knows she must respect the boundaries of the therapy room, but feeds her obsession in other ways — adopting her therapist's style of dress; studying therapy on her work breaks at the vet clinic; staying alert for a chance encounter in the neighborhood dog park. If the therapist only loved her, Sylvie believes all her problems would be solved. 'There might be no need to worry about carrying on when somebody else had already worked out the meaning of life,' Sylvie thinks. What might in another book veer into unsettling territory is kept here in a lighthearted realm that deepens with meaning as we learn more about Sylvie's reasons for being in therapy and her shy attempts outside those sessions toward a fuller, healthier life. Sylvie makes a new friend; goes on a trip; and searches for ways to feel 'like a person' with a 'real' and meaningful life. As the book goes on, Sylvie must find out if she has healed enough to release herself from the therapist's grip. ___ AP book reviews:
