Book Review: The Conditions of Will
Here’s my review of The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings. Don’t forget to leave a comment if you’ve read it or plan to read it. Then see today’s writing prompt at the bottom of this post.
The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings is a novel that I found incredibly hard to put down once I started reading it. It’s full of family drama, romance, intrigue, and has a complex main character who is unforgettable. It is also full of interesting psychological and sociological insights, which I found fascinating.
First, it should be noted that this novel contains scenes and references to things that many readers will find difficult to read about: rape, sexual assault, abandonment, addiction, and violent assault. However, I found that the witty banter and romantic storyline(s) made these scenes more understandable and easier to digest overall. While the book contained heavy topics, I never felt that it stayed heavy for too long, which helped when unpacking such intense scenes and topics. Or maybe it just seemed that way because of its strong female main character, Georgia.
I appreciated how complex Georgia was, and how she became more vulnerable once she was truly seen by someone (Sam Penny) in a similar way to how she’s able to read and see others. I also appreciated how her ability to read other people, mixed with her education and training, was a believable trauma response to the things that her family and others had put her through. And that her motives for reading people in the way that she did were complicated and compelling, as well. I especially appreciated that Georgia remained strong through it all, in an authentic way. She was vulnerable but never lost herself or who she wanted to be, and never changed how she chose to love others, regardless of what others did.
The novel also unpacks the Carter family’s secrets at an appropriate pace as the parallel budding romance between Georgia and Sam unfolds, and both storylines will keep you turning pages. While the narrative isn’t necessarily fast paced, it isn’t slow either, as it continually grapples with how complicated grief and trauma and healing and love can be as family secrets are being uncovered. And that valuing truth and goodness can set you free and allow you to heal in more ways than one.
This book is for those who have endured painful trauma at the hands of their family but are still hopeful they can and will find their happy ending, even if it is a bit messy getting there. It’s also for those who enjoy character-driven novels and are fascinated by reading about what makes people tick and how they express themselves. I would definitely recommend it as a book club selection because it will pose interesting questions to discuss regarding the value and nature of truth, family trauma, psychology, sociology, and healing.
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Today’s Writing Prompt
Writing Prompt: Family Drama
Write a scene in which family members are dealing with or creating drama.
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