The Mistress's Revenge

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Favorite Quote: People don't change. The world carries on spinning inexorably around but people don't spin with it. They dig their heels into the shifting sand and cling on for dear life. I found it rather insightful regarding why people may do "crazy things" after break-ups, as you see why the MC does the things she does and her reasoning (often irrational) for such. At first I found the style and the content very difficult to get into, I just couldn't connect with Sally at all and just got annoyed by her incessant pestering of Clive, her obsession with him and her neglect of her family. Gradually though I felt myself being pulled into her life and by the middle of the book I was hooked and just couldn't stop reading. I can't say I liked any of the characters, Sally is hard to like at all, selfish, obsessed, her behaviour and all consuming affair takes over everything. It is hard for the reader to witness the destruction to those around her, and Sally, whilst she is oblivious. I think this was smartly done in that these kind of situations you see the actions but not the insight of the mind or rational of the individual.

As mentioned above, make sure your social media is filled with happy and positive posts about your marriage. Do not make posts on your social media based on your feelings; resist the urge to share everything you feel. Sally watches Clive and his wife Susan renew their wedding vows, she manages to get an invitation to his daughter's baby shower, she just can't stay away from them.Use your kids to your advantage, post some photos and videos of your kids playing with your husband, then tag him so she can have a clear view of how happy and blessed your family is. 6. Show her that you’re still standing I am sure that we have all been the victim of unrequited love at some point in our lives, I know I certainly have, but Ms Cohen sums up how this feels so perfectly; the sadness, despair, frustration and anger you feel towards the object of your affection at some point. Now I doubt that many of us go to the extremes of Sally (I certainly haven't) but the way that this book is written makes you understand how someone can get to that point. I love to read memoirs and although this book is fiction, it could be a memoir. Sally tells her story in first person as though she were having a conversation with Clive. The story derives from the journals her therapist suggests she start to help her overcome her feelings and put the past to rest. Instead of propelling Sally down the path to recovery, the journals accelerate her voyage into depression and obsession. She becomes consumed with anger and love for Clive. She channels her obsession with him into friendship with his wife and daughter, involving herself in their lives as much as possible, while ignoring her own family. As I read the journal I was transported to many conversations with friends over the years, the need to go over every word said, every look interpreted etc. etc. You think you are rid of me. You think you have drawn a line under the whole affair. You are so, so wrong.

It is frightening to see a normally clever and intelligent woman loose her grip on reality. It leaves you wondering if you would react in the same way if you were in her position. Would you lose your grip on reality like Sally does or are you stronger? The mind is a precarious thing and sometimes our actions astonish us. From the newly dating to the happily married, trust issues can creep up on anyone. With cheating cases soaring over 40% in the last two decades, it's natural to have your doubts. Sally has a problem and her therapist thinks that "journaling" about is will help. Her problem is that after five years, Clive has ended their affair. He wants to give his marriage and family another try. But, Sally can't let it go. It didn't matter that her affair overlapped her relationship with Daniel, or that Clive was a married man with children. He left her, deserted her, and she needed resolution. She couldn't be the only one feeling this pain. So, Sally begins to ingratiate herself into Clive's family with things like going to his son's place of employment, having lunch with his wife and daughter, and using Facebook. Will Sally resolve her feelings before hurting others? What happened to Daniel? What will be the resolution to the stalking? Come read Sally's journal and find out. Even though your husband has shattered your heart into a thousand pieces, he’s still your husband (unless you’ve decided to make him your ex-husband). You both need to sit down and talk about everything; why he chose to disrespect you and cheat on you, what he thought he was missing that you couldn’t give to him and how to deal with things moving forward. Sally's whole life begins to fall apart around her, she watches Clive and his family via the Internet, friending his wife and daughter on Facebook and 'accidentally' bumping into his son. There is an air of desperation around Sally - she can't see a life without Clive and can't understand why he no longer wants anything to do with her - didn't he tell her he loved her? Didn't they spend many many hours in nondescript hotel rooms?As Sally becomes more obsessed with Clive, she spends less and less time caring for her family, her children are abandoned, her partner has no idea what is happening to her, her work dries up and she becomes more and more dependent on tablets just to get her through each day. I loved that the characters and their spouses were friends. This little tidbit led to the enjoyment of making Clive squirm when forced to attend functions with Siiiillllllyyyyy Saaalllllyyyy, as Sally refers to herself throughout the book. It is eerie to follow Sally’s slip from reality as we see how far she goes to justify her actions to remain in Clive’s life. While we rarely hear of a woman breaking off an affair, men suddenly seem to have a need to clear their conscience and appear to have no problem ending an affair. Maybe it is the need to clear their lives of clutter to be free to engage in other affairs. This seems to be Clive’s pattern. The question of does the person breaking off the relationship ever take the time to think of how it will affect the other person who has invested so much of themselves? This book brings to light not only the “upside” if you will, but also the downside of affairs. It starts with a casual stroll past his house, and popping into the brasserie where his son works. Then Sally befriends Clive's wife and daughter on Facebook. But that's all right, isn't it? I mean, they are perfectly normal things to do. Aren't they?

The journal follows Sally through her steady descent into madness as she obsesses over the things Clive said to her and his responses (he does respond to her desperate efforts to get in touch, sometimes.) "I meant everything I said to you. At the time"!! Sally's reflections are darkly funny because we have all heard these phrases either first or second hand.Being passive-aggressive is way worse than being outwardly aggressive. If the other woman is part of your social circle, you can mess with her mind and feelings by hurting her with your passive-aggressive words and actions. She may act like she doesn’t care for a while, but it would bother her. 15. Assemble your squad Eurovision happened last Saturday, but my dad was at a meeting so we've paused it and are going to watch it this Saturday instead. But the entirety of last week was my friend Nadia asking me if I watched it, and every time she asked I would say yes. And On saturday, I text her my annoyance at having to postpone. This book is fantastic. Not only was the story gripping but the characters were so alive and well rounded. I believed every word Ms Cohen wrote. Sally and Clive had an affair for five years. Sally can remember the night that Clive told her that the affair was over. She had arrived at the restaurant for dinner and she had barely one arm out of her sleeve when Clive informed her that he was giving his wife another chance. Things just go from bad to worse Sally writes Clive and than she becomes friends on facebook with Clive’s wife and daughter. As if that was not bad enough, Sally even goes to the coffee shop that Clive’s son works at. Soon, Sally is having lunch with Clive’s wife and daughter. She even learns that Clive’s daughter is expecting her first child. How do you stop someone, who is bent on destroying you? On the other hand, there is much bitterness and vitriol in the book which makes it unpleasant at times to read. The beginning was great, but the rest of the book felt a bit slow, as if the inevitable ending was being drug out for as long as possible. All in all, a worthwhile, but mixed reading experience. I think this would have been an excellent short story or novella, but was a bit too drawn out and incessantly depressing for novel length.

I am usually very good at guessing the end before the reveal but this time I really didn't. And what a pleasure the reveal finally was. I'm not going to spoil it for you. Secondly, and this just goes to show the measure of talent that Ms Cohen has, the whole book is written in the SECOND person. It is hard enough to write short stories in the 2nd person (I know I've had a few published) but to maintain it consistently through the whole book is brilliant. Tamar Cohen's debut is written with real style and some very dark humour. The story is that of a married woman who has recently been dumped by her married lover, she starts a journal on her therapist's advice that she should be "journalling her emotions" Sally's aside is "Did you know journal is a verb now?" I started this book and then immediately did not like the way it was written. It reminded me of how someone talks when they do not want to be interrupted or answered: they just want you to listen to their woes. Their talking is annoying and self satisfying only, that is the kind of individual that I would not choose to be friends with for any length of time. But, as I read further the writing annoyed me less and less. I realized it was letters she was writing, but come on it was annoying.Tamar Cohen's debut novel is well worth the read, I will miss the freshness of the writing. This isn't fatal attraction, it is far more subtle and clever than that was. Sally becomes totally detached from herself, and her family. Will not do "spoilers" but the ending has quite a twist. Another quote that foretold what was to come, "I only want whats mine. If I can't have whats mine, I'll take yours". Silly Sally, thats what Clive called her. Clive whom she embarked upon a five year affair with, both married, both have children, both linked in each others circles. Now Clive has called time on the affair, Sally is seeing a therapist and keeping diary entries cataloging the affair and how she saw it all. Clive has moved on, Sally just can't let go and this is her story, of her fall from a loving mum, wife and career woman to one who is fully obsessed with her ex and her world is crumbling around her.