Helpless by Jessica Knoll
If you’re not familiar with Jessica Knoll, she’s one of my favorite contemporary writers. In her current era she’s known for her twisty thriller novels that keep the readers guessing. And before that, she was known as a senior editor at Cosmopolitan magazine. In today’s blog post we will be discuss her latest thriller release that focuses on a toxic relationship that two exes just can’t seem to let go of. Keep reading for my full book review of Helpless by Jessica Knoll.
And if you enjoy today’s book review, you can read more of my thriller reviews here.
What is Helpless by Jessica Knoll About?
It’s been twelve years since Faye Heron broke Henry Spalding’s heart. Henry was her college boyfriend, her first love, but Faye was in danger of being subsumed by him and the intensity of their connection—a connection that took her beyond boundaries she’d only dreamed of crossing.
Now, Faye is one half of a power-producing duo with her Hollywood husband. Henry is a married father running the family business. On the surface, both of their lives have essentially gone to plan.
When a former and beloved college professor suddenly passes away, Faye and Henry find themselves back on campus for the funeral, circling something old and dangerous. Something, if Faye is honest with herself, she has been trying to duplicate for years. But Henry is one of a kind.
The kind who delivers a hypnotic apology for the way things ended.
The kind who suggests they go back to the hotel for a drink.
The kind who drugs and kidnaps her.
When Faye comes to Henry’s remote mountain cabin, she’s beside herself. Has Henry brought her here to punish her? She did, after all, write and star in a lauded episode of television based on their indelicate appetites and vicious breakup. As her week of captivity unfolds, Henry’s wanton demands intensify, and Faye finds herself pulled back into his irresistible gravity. But as Faye and Henry spiral into their old dynamic, a sprawling, years-old mystery begins to take shape—one that will rewrite history as Faye remembers it and reveal an astounding, cataclysmic truth. (from Amazon.com)
What Else Has Jessica Knoll Written?
Jessica Knoll is a former senior editor at Cosmo. She’s also the author of Luckiest Girl Alive, The Favorite Sister, Bright Young Women, and now Helpless.
My Initial Thoughts
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve loved all of Jessica Knoll’s previous books. She just does a really good job of capturing dark, academic vibes. The fact that this story focuses on a group of people who spent a lot of time together in college (along with keeping a lot of secrets) felt very on brand for her. Very author Jessica Knoll.
But something about this one felt very off to me. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I just can’t put my finger on why. I think it’s because the intense love between Faye and Henry just felt kind of cheesy to me. I had a hard time understanding why someone like Faye would blow up her perfect life with her producer husband for someone like him. It just didn’t make sense to me.
But we’ll get more into that later. All I’m trying to say now is that something didn’t sit right with me about this story. And I felt that way from the very beginning.
It Seems Like Jessica Knoll’s Specialty is Damaged Main Characters
And I mean that in the nicest way. Lol. In her first novel, Luckiest Girl Alive, Ani Fanelli has a lot of trauma during her teen years that follows her into her adulthood. And in Helpess, main character Faye Heron is still affected by the toxic relationships of her youth. When she sees Henry again at the funeral of a beloved former college professor, she doesn’t know what to do.
I think I just didn’t really jive with this story because for a while, we’re left in the dark about why Henry and Faye broke up in college. The author doesn’t tell us right away, but alludes to the fact that Faye must have done something to make Henry mad.
Ok. That’s fine. But when we finally learn what it is, it feels anticlimactic.
Was There Anything I Liked About this Book?
Yes. It wasn’t my favorite, but I still found it to be an interesting book. Here are some of the things that I enjoyed about this story:
- I adore Jessica Knoll’s writing style. She crafts her sentences with the tinest details that add so much to the story. I loved the beginning scenes with Faye at the funeral, as the backstory is shared about everyone’s college years.
- I love the college/academia vibes.
- The mystery is kind of anticlimactic in my opinion. But the lead up was good. There were so many times where I was honestly terrified of Henry and his behavior and I’m sure that other readers will feels the same.
Henry and Faye are Bad People
I’m just going to say it. I found them very unpleasant on their own. So the two of them actually dating in college must have been awful for the people around them. But sometimes it’s fun to read about bad people. Their bad behaviors just happen to make for a very interesting book.
Part of me wonders if I’m being too harsh by saying that. I would like to re-read this book eventually to see if I have any other thoughts during my second time around. It wouldn’t be the first time that my thoughts change.
In Conclusion
Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed listening to my honest thoughts and opinions on Helpless by Jessica Knoll. It’s a dark story that readers will definitely find interesting. While it’s not a romance novel at all, I think fans of romantic suspense will be intrigued by the first two thirds of the novel, where we learn about Henry and Faye’s past.
It’s definitely not my favorite of her books, but I would still recommend it if you’re a fan of Jessica Knoll. She’s just such a great writer. I think she does dark academia vibes so well. So don’t take my word for it – give this book an innocent chance and see what you think. You just might be surprised.
