break up? more like break out
Isobel Anderssen is taking her life into her own hands. She is heading to Himlafall Clinic, known informally as Break-Up Rehab, to change her life. The clinic’s owner and founder, Dr. Martina Hastings, is known for her innovative approach to recovering from heartbreak and building a life her clients can be proud of. The clinic is known for its secrecy and celebrity clients. You have to be willing to prepay for the entire week before your application will be considered. They do not take insurance. They do not have payment plans. Only certain people are allowed inside to experience the healing.
Isobel Anderson’s relationship with her longtime boyfriend ended 4 months ago. But Isobel Lindschold is a journalist who has spent 7 years trying to break into the journalism job she wants. She kept running to closed doors. Hiring freezes, managers wanting more social media followers, wanting more experience, offering only unpaid internships. She waited for a story that could jump start her career, and she thinks Dr. Hastings is that story. Her online research has turned up strange rumors about the clinic—high staff turnover, cultlike behavior from the patients. And then she found a post on a forum about a woman whose sister went to the Himlafall Clinic and then disappeared.
Isobel had come up with the alias and built some social media content with her best friend Armin posing as her boyfriend. And she cleared out her savings account to chase the story of her life. But as soon as she gets to the clinic and meets the charismatic doctor, she feels a wobble in her plan. The physical therapist she thought would be here, offering up insider information, was not there at the start of the week. Her meetings with Martina make her feel more vulnerable than she had anticipated. And the other women there can be a little antagonistic.
As the days go by, and the therapy sessions get more intense, Isobel has to remind herself why she’s really there. Dr. Hastings pushes the women hard, taking them to their emotional breaking point, including Isobel. But the doctor’s questionable practices are the tip of the iceberg as Isobel learns that the rest of the staff have secrets too. The remoteness of the clinic means that there is no help nearby to the women there. All the patients had their cell phones locked away when they first got there, so there is no way to contact anyone from the outside. Isobel starts to feel scared and isolated, and she wonders if there really is a story there. Maybe this isn’t the way to the future she dreamed of. Maybe she doesn’t have a future at all after this.
I have been a fan of Camilla Sten since the first book of hers I read. Her thrillers are spellbinding, and I have enjoyed them thoroughly. I also was caught up in The Break-Up Retreat, but I thought this one took some turns that genuinely surprised me. This story starts off as a potential cult investigation, takes a turn to horror like a summer camp slasher, and then heads for its ultimate resolution. By the end of this one, my head was spinning. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I listened to The Break-Up Retreat on audio, narrated by Peyton Mader, brought this story to life. Her voice is expressive and intelligent, reflecting Isobel perfectly. She brought the passion, the vulnerability, the the curiosity, and the fear of Isobel into bold relief, highlighting the isolation of the clinic and the panic of the situation in a way that raised goosebumps on my arms. Listening to the audio made the book that much more intense, and I am so glad I chose to experience this story this way.
Egalleys for The Break-Up Retreat were provided by Minotaur Books, and a copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.
