"Jessica Lost Her Wobble" is psychological in nature. At mid-life, Jessie, the main character, after many upsets, moves to an island for contemplation of her life and to make a new start. While there she reflects back on her beginnings in the early 20th century in England, her move to New York City, and marriage at a young age, while making friends with a girl half her age. This friendship opens up a new world for her and helps her explore her own soul. Jessie becomes a part of the island otherwise known as a local as she reinvents her life there and finds love. But all is not as it seems.
This is J. Schlenker's first novel, written during NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. It was a finalist in the 2014 William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition.
Reviewed by Deborah Stone for Readers' Favorite
Jessica Lost Her Wobble by J. Schlenker is a unique love story with unexpected twists and turns. Jessica, more commonly called Jessie, is a woman in her mid-forties with a lot of baggage. Her self confidence is low and she is unsure of everything and everyone in her life. She meets Amy, a much younger woman, a girl really, and Jessica begins to learn how to live again through this new and liberating friendship. Jessie moved to America from England when she was a teenager, married the wrong man, and is now divorced and the mother of two children, Josh and Gina. Her marriage is over, her son has died, she is somewhat estranged from her adult daughter, and she is trying to figure out what her life is all about and where to go from here. She has moved away from the city to an island where she wants to just blend in and find herself. What she finds are friendships that help her to see herself in a different light and perhaps even a romance, if she can allow herself to be loved. Her life is finally coming into focus and she sees a real possibility for happiness...or is it all too good to be true? The past is not done with Jessie yet. Will she have the strength to survive both physically and emotionally when she is forced to relive the most painful moment of her life, just as she is beginning to have hopes for a future?
J. Schlenker has delivered an intriguing love story with some surprises. The story draws you in and holds your interest to the end, the very unusual end. J. Schlenker's characters are well developed, realistic, sometimes quirky, and all very relatable. I couldn't wait to get to the end to see how things turned out, but yet hated to get there and have it be over. This was a very enjoyable read and the ending took me completely by surprise...which I will not divulge. J. Schlenker has succeeded in drawing the reader in and holding them there while entertaining and educating, surprising the reader with unexpected twists, and ultimately making the reader sorry that the book has ended.
