Review of TO DARE by Jemma Wayne (New Release)

4 Stars

The novel is told from the perspective of three women.  Veronica and her husband George move into their newly remodelled home.  They are a successful couple who have everything they want, except a child.  Their dream home proves to be less than a total dream when they are assailed nightly by noise from their neighbours, Simone and Terry.  Simone is trapped in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship but cannot extricate herself and her two children from Terry’s control.  The third woman is Sarah who was friends with Veronica when they were young girls; however, Veronica’s memories of that friendship are much more positive than Sarah’s.

None of the three women is totally likeable.  Veronica is emotionally manipulative; she can feel good about herself only if she makes others feel worse.  Simone allows Terry to not only abuse her but her son as well and she does nothing to intervene.  Sarah suffers from low self-esteem and at one point sets out to take revenge on the person she holds responsible for her lack of confidence. 

What saves the book is that, despite their flaws, the women still earn some of our compassion.  They are all very much products of their upbringing.  Veronica, for instance, was neglected by her parents.  Feeling unloved and jealous of Sarah who has the love of a stable family, Veronica works at undermining Sarah.  Her behaviour is not commendable, but it is understandable. 

What is admirable about the women is that they show themselves capable of changing.  They recognize their demons and acknowledge their own mistakes.  Simone, for example, admits that she may not have tried to see things from her parents’ point of view:  “Perhaps her own parents had imagined that what they were doing was some kind of protection too.”  Now, as a parent, she realizes poor decisions she has made and dares to change things. 

The book begins slowly, but the pace does pick up and the suspense builds up.  Danger becomes a constant element.  Terry is an obvious threat to Simone but also to his neighbours, but then so is a woman who seeks vengeance for wrongs committed against her. 

This not a light-hearted read because it includes emotional manipulation, physical threats, rape, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and alcohol and drug abuse.  It is the portrayal of the effects of Terry’s emotional and physical abuse on Simone that struck me as particularly realistic.  Interestingly, Terry and Veronica are very different, but they also employ the same basic techniques to feel powerful. 

This is an intense read which slowly draws in readers by developing complex characters and ramping up the tension.  It also inspires us to ask how our own presents are defined by our pasts.  What we must do is to dare to move beyond those pasts. 

Note:  I received a digital galley from the publisher.