Arabelle's Shadows
By Fleur Gaskin
★★★★
Synopsis:
Everything in Arabelle's life is coming together. She has confidence, great friends, she's even dating Naak, a wealthy Thai socialite. But there are too many models in Bangkok. Arabelle’s broke, she can’t find an agent in New York, and Naak isn’t as wonderful as he first appears. Slowly the Shadows creep back into Arabelle’s mind, bringing with them thoughts of hopelessness and despair. The vile Shadows know something Arabelle’s refusing to remember and, if she’s not careful, they’ll use it to destroy her. Based on a true story, Arabelle’s Shadows takes us on a journey through the struggles of growing up, not quite making it as an international model, and attempting to overcome a crushing depression.
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I would like to thank the author for providing me with an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. After I ended this book that was the first thought that came to mind. Wow because I don't think I have ever read a book as deep as this one. This book was written differently than most others. It was written in the form of a diary or a journal. I think this was great on the author's part to do this because it allowed you to truly connect to the main character, Arabelle.
The book focused on Arabelle, a struggling model who deals with her shadows, otherwise known to the general population as depression.
"Depression is not sadness. Depression is hollowness, nothingness. Depression is hell. It's a pain of the mind that feels like every millimetre of your body is being stabbed by white hot needles all at once."
While the book was not a fun read per se, it was enjoyable in the fact that it was well written and it dealt with depression in a way that I haven't seen or read in other books.
You get a lot of insight into the mind of Arabelle and her emotions. You experience her inner struggles as she deals with becoming a model and her self-conscious issues that she has dealt with since she was younger. I feel that the author strongly depicted depression. As someone who majored in psychology in college, I felt that the author did a great job at bringing up a topic that needs to be more discussed out in the open.
Without realizing it, this book also brought up my assumptions about modeling. Of course when I look at magazines, tv, etc you see these beautiful girls. But as a society we need to realize these are women just like us. They have feelings, fears, and insecurities. Perhaps if depression was not swept under the rug, people like Arabelle wouldn't have to suffer in silence like she did for so many years.
I found that I enjoyed getting to know Arabelle. She acknowledged the shadows that haunted her daily, however I felt the strength and determination that lived inside of her. With that being said, I found that I need to know if Arabelle is still ok. I cannot say if there was a HEA, because I don't want to spoil anything for the reader. However with a realistic topic such as this one, the ending might surprise you.
Overall, I really am glad I was given the opportunity to read this book. It was a nice break from all the bubblegum reading I've done lately. Don't get me wrong. I love romance just like the next girl. However, I also enjoy reading about real topics that at times I can even relate to. I recommend this book to stone who is looking for a deep, well written story about a girl exposing her struggles as she strives to reach her goals.
Reviewed by Bianca xo
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About the Author:
Fleur Gaskin is from New Zealand. She was an international model for six years, working in over ten countries, mainly in Asia and Europe. She has been in TV commercials, walked on runways and appeared in many magazines including Elle, Marie Claire and Vogue.
She presently lives in Shanghai, China with her fiance.
She presently lives in Shanghai, China with her fiance.
Connect with Fleur:
PURCHASE ARABELLE'S SHADOWS NOW!
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