The Book Review: Wreck and Order by Hannah Tennant-Moore.

Advance Reading Copy Disclosure:

Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I have not heard about Hannah Tennant-Moore before but what drew my attention to this book the most was the cover and title. This does not affect my opinion of the content or the book in my review.

“I was not loved as a child and now I find it difficult to love others- how can I heal? I hate my job but I need the money – should I quit and live as a pauper? The monk answered them each the same way: Be earnest. If you want to be free, do not let anything stop you. Examine every thought, desire, sensation until you fully understand its source. Expect nothing from the world. Then you will naturally wake up to your true state. Remain open and quiet. That is all you can do.” 

This book is very raw and honest and about a young woman, Elsie, who is searching for a purpose in life. She also feels stuck in a weird and impulsive, abusive relationship with her boyfriend Jered. Her father helps her financially until she “finds what she is looking for” while she works at a newspaper for a while and makes a plethora of bad decisions mixed with alcohol and drugs. Then she meets Bryan. He seems perfect – no drugs and alcohol and no physical pain. However, she is not happy and this relationship seems not to be right either. She goes back to Jered. After a weird drug party she decides that there is only one possible solution at this point. A drastic change. She travels to Sri Lanka and Paris in search for a new way to live, new connections and friends and experience. Elsie is on a quest to figure out what she wants and most importantly who she is and come face-to-face with herself. 

She wants to be comfortable in her life, to not make these bad decisions anymore and most importantly think about these sexual cravings she has and needs to fulfill with Jared. There is quite some spirituality in this book but not as much as I hoped for. Also, the Elsie character bothers me at points. Her constant whining and going back and forth in this abusive relationship trying to make it work even though it seems all hopeless and self-destructive is annoying. The sexual descriptions are very graphic but not vulgar. But, if too many graphic details about violent sex offend – or make you uncomfortable, this is most certainly not your book to read. I guess since 50 Shades of Grey sex sells. Sometimes I had the feeling of reading a memoir because the descriptions of places in Sri Lanka were so real and accurate. You will get a  pretty good idea on how people in Sri Lanka live as well as their culture and lifestyle. 

“I need to reconcile my ideals with my personality,” Elsie stated and wanted to help a woman she befriended in Sri Lanka. Her desire to do good and make some changes is definitely something I enjoyed reading about. Elsie’s character is very realistic and I loved to find out about this little barrier a person may created between actions and thoughts. 

Order your copy here. 

 



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