Something Wild

May 15, 2021
Attempts by adult sisters to extricate their mother from an abusive relationship force them to confront a shared trauma from their childhood. The novel begins as Tanya and Nessa Bloom return to their hometown outside Boston to help their mother and stepfather prepare to move to New Hampshire. When the sisters, who are not nearly as close as they once were, arrive home, they are bewildered by what they find. Their mother, Lorraine, seems skittish and fragile; she's gotten braces seemingly at random, and she's overly deferential toward their stepfather, Jesse. These hints at domestic abuse quickly bear out, as Jesse grows angry at Lorraine and attacks her, even attempting to strangle her. After the daughters discover their bloodied mother and rush her to the hospital, Tanya encourages her to seek a restraining order. Nessa, who's always had a soft spot for Jesse, tries to support Tanya's plan, but she struggles to perceive her stepfather as a villain. Meanwhile, Lorraine grapples with her conflicting emotions for the man she can't seem to stop loving. Nessa becomes a crutch, accepting her mother's rationalizations for wanting to return to Jesse and angering Tanya, who only wants to see Lorraine escape immediately. As the sisters' already strained relationship deteriorates further, the author reveals a harrowing experience from their adolescence that continues to impact their feelings toward each other, toward men, and toward their mother. The characters face several difficult choices throughout the novel, and they repeatedly disappoint each other. Chapters alternate among the varying perspectives of all three women, and author Halperin expertly weaves scenes from the past into the present to build a more complete world. She also dives deep into the confused, reckless thoughts that can permeate adolescence. The characters are unflinchingly honest as they explore their emotions in a manner that is both refreshing and haunting. The novel is similarly unapologetic as it tackles difficult questions about abusive relationships, toxic secrets, and romantic and familial betrayals. While certain subplots do little to advance the narrative, this difficult story is sufficiently high stakes and relentless that it remains gripping throughout. A bold and remorseless debut about the agony and affection that are attendant to complicated families.

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June 1, 2021
Sisters Nessa and Tanya Bloom are reuniting to clean out their childhood home so that their mother, Lorraine, can move to New Hampshire with their stepfather, Jesse. Tanya, an attorney, recently found out that she is pregnant--news that has her feeling confused and uncertain. Nessa is a receptionist at a psychiatrist's office and is involved with one of her boss' patients, an ethically murky arrangement. When Nessa and Tanya arrive home, they soon realize that Lorraine is a victim of domestic abuse, and despite their efforts, she refuses to leave Jesse. Debut novelist Halperin is well versed in the psychology of domestic abuse victims, which brings a tense, visceral realism to Lorraine's tragic story. As the flashbacks to Nessa and Tanya's younger years progress toward adulthood, a traumatic event is revealed that has shaped both sisters' futures. Halperin doesn't shy away from the gritty details, and Something Wild is unique in that it's not a psychological thriller or a family drama that veers into sentimentality, but rather an unflinching character study of women facing the devastating effects of trauma and violence, similar to Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 5, 2021
Halperin’s bold and surprising debut explores the complexity of familial bonds in the face of domestic violence. Tanya and Nessa Bloom, sisters who were once very close but are now somewhat estranged, are visiting their childhood home in the Boston suburbs to help their mother, Lorraine, pack up and move out. But Nessa’s brief indulgence of nostalgia from perusing items in her bedroom (Tanya, “who looks forward with a vengeance... would have rolled her eyes,” writes Halperin) gives way to a reckoning with their abusive stepfather, Jesse. On the first night, the sisters find their mother on the kitchen floor, bruised from a strangulation by Jesse. Soon, they learn this isn’t the first time Lorraine has been physically assaulted, and yet she is reluctant to press charges. Tanya, the younger and more levelheaded daughter, urges Lorraine to get a restraining order. But Nessa, with her distorted sense of self and an unhealthy attachment to their stepfather, is unsure. As contention between the sisters grows, a traumatic experience that altered their relationship threatens it again, except now the sisters have to protect each other as well as their mother. Unflinching and brave, Halperin’s story lays bare the characters’ nuanced and complicated responses to domestic violence. This haunting portrait of a broken family will stay with readers. Agent: Margaret Riley King, WME.