Do I Even Trust Me?

The Gift by Louise Jensen is a fabulous contemporary psychological thriller that had me gripped from the start. The first chapter actually begins near the end of the action so I was asking questions and embroiled in the book from the start.

Grief can grab a hold of us. “Grief has sucked the life from her.” Grief consumes and will suspend us in time. When people face the death of loved ones, they often “prayed to a God they didn’t believe in.” People are desperate and cling to any hope that they can.

When money motivates, life often takes a downward turn. We need correct priorities. “There are worse things to lose than money.”

Organ donation is a major theme. It is a marvellous thing to be able to offer someone the chance at life. The novel explores – does the departed person live on? Can the recipient inherit memories? Are they now a blend of two-in-one? Can they trust their dreams, memories, thoughts and imaginations? Are they going crazy? Who will believe them?

Truth and lies are major themes. Can we trust others? Can we even trust ourselves? “I can’t trust anyone. Not even myself.” Do we lie to ourselves to keep hope alive?

Relationships are complicated. If we try to join the dots in the relationships of others, we may be completely wrong.

The Gift is an amazing read. Written in the first person, the reader is absorbed into the story. I found it an engrossing read and one that set my heart racing. Not one to be read if you are afraid of things going bump in the night.

JULIA WILSON