Strange Attractors by Ana K. Wrenn is a dark, psychological thriller about a brilliant ice queen fighting to keep her controlled world in order.
Professor Sonja J. Storey has worked hard all her life to achieve the heights she’s reached. She’s a full professor at WHSU, a backwoods North Carolina university, and is shaping her department to be in line with more prestigious universities. She fights many demons from her past and is surviving the white-collar ‘old boys club’ that exists within the university education system. Dr. Storey is cold, cutting, and cruel, she’s unrelenting in the pursuit of her goals and self-preservation is high on that list. She has built a fortress both physically and mentally around her and has no interest in being liked. She puts on her armor of perfectly thought-out designer clothing every day and mentally prepares to go to battle. She demands respect and relies on nobody but herself. She is thriving in her carefully controlled world until a chance meeting with junior professor Crystal Byrd, starts a chain of events that leaves her reeling.
Junior professor Crystal Byrd has overcome racism, prejudice, and trauma. She is on a path to change the gender studies department, and the academic boys club of the university to be inclusive of people of colour. She’s strong, feisty, and has a beautiful soul. She has learned to not waste her time on anyone who does not respect her. Crystal is always drawn to people who need help, and Sonja Storey grabs her attention. She can’t seem to walk away, even though being around Sonja breaks all the rules Crystal has put in place to protect herself.
A series of incidents including notes, emails, and strange sightings at night, send ripples through the stagnant water of Sonja’s world. Crystal’s warm presence unnerves her, she trusts no one and finds suspicion in every encounter. Someone is out to get her, and her past is starting to drown her. She is on a solo mission to find out who is behind these strange happenings. However, Crystal seems to have a pull on her, and for reasons Sonja can’t quite figure out, no matter how hard she pushes her away, Crystal keeps coming back.
Professor Sonja Storey teaches chaos theory. She knows about the butterfly effect, but her brilliant mind is failing her in this instance, and if she doesn’t work out why, she is going to miss out on the chance of love.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Where to start?! Because I love it all. From start to finish this book held me captive. Even when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it.
Professor Sonja J. Storey is hands down the darkest, most brutal ice queen of them all, and I adore her. The baggage she has kept and stored from different stages of her life is so extensive and tightly packed that it’s going to need careful unloading. The walls she has erected are thick and soar high and they get more impenetrable every day. They’re so extensive that even Sonja doesn’t know how to disable them. She seeps in such deep sorrow that it left my gut aching. She’s in a dark place but doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge it. Sonja is an icy hot mess with a cold hard exterior and a center of molten lava that is unable to be contained and stabilized. All I wanted to do was hold her close and tell her all would be well. Love her or loath her, she is brilliant.
Wrenn has written a character that is unlovable, unconventional, unrelatable, unforgiving, and vicious. But I found myself forgiving her time and again. By revealing why she is like this and showing us glimpses of her vulnerabilities through her inner voice, the author managed to endear me to Sonja. It is wonderful and clever and one of the things I love most about this book.
The suspense and mystery are layered and thrilling and as each layer was peeled away, I was left bewildered. The storyline unfolds slowly as the author lets each new revelation’s cause and effect be known. My mind was constantly on the who and why, even when I wasn’t reading. Yet every time I thought I’d worked out what was happening to Sonja, the author unveiled more, and my assumptions were derailed.
There are moments of heartwarming clarity where you think this is it, Sonja’s going to crack. No. Instead, she covers over those cracks with industrial-strength filler and builds her walls even higher. She has such a deep sense of self-preservation and is so terrified of being taken advantage of, that even though her heart is screaming at her to let Crystal in, she ignores it. The internal push-pull is both hard and remarkable to witness. The author gives you just enough hope that Sonja will come good, and it made my heart ache.
This book made me cry. I cried because I was filled with anguish, mad and so frustrated. But. I also cried because the sweet moments where Sonja finds peace are so stunning and invoked so many strong emotions that had to escape.
The language in the book is so expressive and exquisite. It draws you into the story and makes you feel everything that is happening. At times I was left breathless by the sheer beauty of it.
This book is written from the Ice Queen’s pov. The writing is so unique because as a reader we never get to see the softer side Sonja shows without knowing it. It is there and you get tiny glimpses. It must show because otherwise, Crystal would not keep coming back. It’s brave and wonderful but won’t be for everyone
Audio: After reading and loving this book I was excited to listen to the audio. I’m a big fan of Abby Craden but I was still a little nervous that anyone could bring such a unique character as Sonja to life!
Silly Rach! Of course, Abby could do it! She not only gave Sonja the most perfect voice, but she brought all those dark, deep feelings of Sonja’s bubbling to the surface and allowed them to spill into the performance. From Sonja’s evil mother’s inner voice to those desperate inner monologues Abby Craden has given life to Wrenn’s brutal ice queen.
Then there’s Crystal! That smooth, smokey, southern drawl had me swooning and batting my eyelashes! Abby captured Crystal’s strength and kindness and she got this character’s sheer exuberance perfect!
The whole cast is given unique voices and at no point do you wonder who is speaking!
Cons And Heads Up
This book is dark and tackles the taboo subject of sexual, mental, racial, and physical abuse. It shines a light on the darkness that is so often hidden in the world of academia not only by the abusers but also by faculty, staff, and students just too scared to speak up.
Sonja is not a character that you will warm to easily, she’s brutal and self-serving. She’s not for everyone.
The Conclusion
This book is not for the faint-hearted. It is about executing what is needed to survive. Some choose to turn a blind eye, make excuses or completely avoid the truth. Crystal chooses to deal with the damage that has been caused and use it to try and help others heal, while still living with it and surviving. Sonja chose to never let anyone close enough to hurt her like that again. She hardened herself in order to survive and made it her life’s mission to seek revenge in the most self-destructive way. Yet you could not blame anyone of them for how they handled it. Because ultimately, this book is about doing what it takes to survive in the dark underbelly that exists within the university.
The pull between Sonja and Crystal is evident from the start. However, due to the nature of Sonja’s personality, she never allows it to develop. This makes the moments when she lets her guard down, all the more magnificent. Crystal is the peace and piece, that Sonja has been missing all her life. As I’ve mentioned, some of the moments they shared brought me to tears. They are sunshine and rain, the complete opposite but needed together for growth. Their journey is filled with gut-wrenching anguish and eye-stinging pain. Crystal sees Sonja, she wants her, and Sonja finds this terrifying.
It’s not just the MCs in this book that will conjure strong feelings. There is a whole cast of secondary people who will leave you feeling overwhelmed and outraged. They help get across an important message that sheds light on an unthinkable subject. Some you’ll end up liking, others you’ll hate forever but they are essential to the storyline.
Strange Attractors stomps on the lesfic rule book and throws it out the window. Wrenn erases all the lines and takes you on a journey into the unknown. This book is unlike anything I’ve read in the sapphic world. It does not try to please you or shield you; it pushes the boundary of your expectations and takes you on an emotional roller coaster. Buckle up and hold on tight because this book is worth the risk.
Audio: Abby Craden has done a brilliant job with this audio! Giving voice to Sonja Storey in the most perfect way! Abby has also brought to life the rest of Wrenn’s characters in a way that left me wanting more, I never wanted it to end!
If you read this book then the audio is its perfect companion! Abby Craden has brought Wrenn’s outstanding book to life and it will be one that I listen to over and over!
If you are exclusively an audio reader, then give this book a chance, yes it’s dark and twisted, but it’s also beautiful, gripping, and deep, with the lushest language and a gorgeous setting.
Excerpt from Strange Attractors by Ana K Wrenn
Hiya!”
Sonja jumped at the loud greeting behind her, and she stepped up her pace as quickly as her three-inch red Fluevog pumps would let her, but it was to no avail. The junior professor from this morning’s encounter jogged up next to her, grinning.
“Sorry for startling you, Sonja.” The peals of laughter further vexed Sonja. “I thought you heard me call you.” The Assistant Professor smiled down like they were on friendly terms.
“Look, Kristen,” Sonja began, prepared to deliver a lecture about etiquette in academia.
“Crystal. As in crystal clear. And Byrd. As in flapping wings, but spelled with a Y.” Crystal laughed, her delight unrestrained. “You’re awful with names, huh?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued. “I wanted to apologize for crying in the bathroom, then keeping you from your class. And now for scaring you. Sorry.”
“You did not scare me,” Sonja said sharply.
“If I were in your shoes, I’d be irritated. I’ve stepped all over your boundaries, and in such a short time,” Crystal said. “So please accept my apology for annoying you.”
“Which time?” Sonja switched her tote to her other shoulder, as if that could keep Byrd out of her personal space.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9783963246692
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Audiobook publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Abby Craden
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