My Take on: The Possessions

Somewhere in the distant future, there exists a society that reconnects people with dead loved ones. Eurydice a.k.a. Edie works as a "body" at the Elysian Society. The bodies surround themselves with clothing, pictures, and other sentimental items of the deceased, immersing themselves in the lives of those who have passed. Then with the swallowing of a pill called a lotus, the bodies cease to exist and the dead take over. It's all done in a controlled environment and has worked to great success. But that only works as long as everyone follows the rules. Edie is tempted to break those rules but it comes at a cost in this thrilling debut, The Possessions by Sara Flannery Murphy.

In her five years at the Elysian Society, Edie has always played by the rules. She doesn't get attached to her clients. She goes to work and then she does home. She doesn't socialize a lot. Edie's co-workers don't know much about her. She's the goody-two shoes in the office. But the cracks in Edie's armor start to show once she takes on Patrick Braddock as a client.

Patrick's wife, Sylvia, drowned more than a year ago and is still grieving. He comes to the Elysian Society for help. With Edie's help, he gets to feel, touch, and talk to Sylvia again. When the first session is over, Edie would normally go back to her life. The lotus pills don't allow bodies to retain memories of their sessions. But there's something different about Patrick and Sylvia. He gives Edie some of Sylvia's sentimental items to keep, including a beloved book and her favorite shade of lipstick. She feels connected to the Braddocks more than any other clients. But that connection has a price. Edie is also having very vivid dreams, which could possibly be Sylvia's memories. Sylvia died under mysterious circumstances. Did she really drown accidentally or was something more sinister at work? The answers to those questions become Edie's obsession. She starts meeting Patrick outside the confines of the Elysian Society. The professional boundaries start to blur. Is Patrick just a client? Or does Sylvia want more? A real relationship? But what if Patrick isn't the grieving husband? Is risking her career worth it?

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book. The premise sounded very unique. I went into this thinking it would lean toward science fiction. What I got was a thrilling, romantic suspense book. This a strange and weird city. Who would want to subject themselves to such a process over and over again? Connecting with a loved one sounds like a good idea, but what do you do when you have to go back to your regular life? This was a different take on a dystopian society, making for an addicting read.

Rating: Superb

Notes: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (HarperCollins) as part of a blog tour with TLC Book Tours.