If I have a real criticism, it is that the main secret, for which so many people have jumped to the wrong conclusions, is not really well prepared; it isn't likely to be worked out by the reader before it becomes obvious to the main characters. A good detective novel, of any sort, should allow the astute reader to figure out what all the hubbub is about. It's just sort of dropped onto the floor at some point, which was a bit of a let-down. Perhaps I'm just not astute enough. Why should I care about getting answers as a reader when I don’t even care about the main protagonist? There are so many Greek mythology references in this book because of Cassandra's special interest in the subject. This slows down the pace and adds a little philosophical approach to the book. The time-loop theme turns into a repetitive cycle, which also bored me a little. One morning Will, her boyfriend of four months, breaks up with Cassie, citing that their association has “something… missing. I don’t know what it is. A connection? It’s just something I need from a relationship that isn’t quite… here.”

But it's not as easy to control time as she first thinks and through a series of time re-runs we discover Cassandra's history, her odd personality traits and who the woman she is trying to avoid at all costs is. I received an E-ARC copy of ‘The Cassandra Complex’ by Holly Smale from the publisher Penguin Books UK through NetGalley, in return for my honest review. Thank you to the publisher for my copy. Publishing Date 11.05.23. as i sit on my swivel chair and search for the emotions i’m supposed to feel now but can’t seem to find, i can’t help wondering: am i a monster? and—if so—was i born or was i made?” In 1963, psychoanalyst Melanie Klein provided an interpretation of Cassandra as representing the human moral conscience whose main task is to issue warnings. Cassandra as moral conscience, "predicts ill to come and warns that punishment will follow and grief arise." [3] Cassandra's need to point out moral infringements and subsequent social consequences is driven by what Klein calls "the destructive influences of the cruel super-ego," which is represented in the Greek myth by the god Apollo, Cassandra's overlord and persecutor. [4] Klein's use of the metaphor centers on the moral nature of certain predictions, which tends to evoke in others "a refusal to believe what at the same time they know to be true, and expresses the universal tendency toward denial, [with] denial being a potent defence against persecutory anxiety and guilt." [3] Laurie Layton Schapira [ edit ] Then, she spends the majority of the book trying to re-establish her relationship with her boyfriend. That got boring fast.

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So. It's a bizarre book that I have a hard time recommending, because it's slow and boring except when it's doing the most "boring" thing of all: having the characters sit and talk about things. You can tell that the author is a trained biologist who has spent a lot of his life thinking about these concepts. You can tell that he's worried about our future, without getting preachy. People have applied the metaphor in a variety of contexts, such as psychology, environmentalism, politics, science, cinema, the corporate world, and philosophy; it has been in circulation since at least 1914, when Charles Oman used it in his book A History of the Peninsular War, Volume 5, published in 1914. "both of them agreed to treat the Cassandra-like prophecies which Thiebault kept sending from Salamanca as 'wild and whirling words.'" (The Oxford English Dictionary records use of "Cassandra like" from 1670 and of "Cassandra-like" from 1863. [1]) Later, in 1949, French philosopher Gaston Bachelard coined the term "Cassandra Complex" to refer to a belief that things could be known in advance. [2] Psychology [ edit ] But it's not as easy to control time as she first thinks and throu Cassandra Dankworth is one of the most compulsively readable protagonists in contemporary fiction. This is a truly original novel, a war cry for you to be you and for me to be me. I loved it.' Laura Jane Williams

It's a very readable book. There's quite a lot of Greek myth references but they're interesting rather than distracting. Its not a re-telling by any stretch of the imagination. Its simply the story of a woman who has struggled to be heard, to fit in, to be accepted her whole life.Smale [] combines well-developed characters with laugh-out-loud humor….Readers will be drawn into Cassie’s life and won’t want to leave. This neurodiverse tale is ripe for discussion.” —BOOKLIST, Starred Review I wish I could have loved this one more, but I ended up having very mixed feelings. I will say that despite my issues, this was an original concept that held my interest pretty much the whole way through. I might be willing to give this author another try in the future if the right synopsis catches my eye again. Bolen suggests that a Cassandra woman (or man) may become increasingly hysterical and irrational when in a dysfunctional relationship with a negative Apollo, and may experience others' disbelief when describing her experiences. [9] Corporate world [ edit ] Cassandra Dankworth is a character as unique as she is endearing ... An absolute gem of a novel' Margarita Monitmore

Unfortunately, the book was mostly too predictable for me to enjoy it. I like Cassandra's arc, she goes a long way, but even that was already too obvious from the start for me to feel like congratulating someone. The Cassandra Complex follows a forensic police scientist who is having the worst day of her life. Her apartment is broken into, the mice at the laboratory she works at are blown up, and her mentor and former lover is kidnapped. The Cassandra Complex is a reference to the feeling of knowing disaster is imminent, yet you can't stop it. In this book, set about 50 years in the future, the bio warfare and extremely high population seem to be leading the world into collapse.I liked the family/sister/parents storyline (however overdramatic it was) and all of the Greek mythology references, in the names and in Cassandra’s thoughts and its importance to her.I ended up liking the female roommate. Yes, the “message” of accepting yourself as you are and expecting that also from others is a good one as is being fine not being neurotypical. There are some quotes that I loved! i feel loneliness inside me, all of the time, and i also like to be alone and don’t really like other humans much either, so where the hell does that leave me?” this book had a lot of greek mythology references and analogies, which completely went over my head because my knowledge of green mythology is at approximately a zero. so unfortunately that didn’t work well for me, but i think it definitely could for someone who’s interested in that!