Lasting A Lifetime

The Judas Tree by Amanda Jennings is a gripping contemporary psychological thriller that seeps into your very core.

It is tragic. It is heartbreaking. It is a powerful tale showing the affects of a traumatic childhood on adulthood. An event, so awful, it never leaves you. The timescale of a life is split into ‘before’ and ‘now’. There will never be an ‘after’.

A chance meeting as adults opens up terrible wounds as two characters find themselves returning to the scenes from childhood, in their heads. Others who were there have moved on.

We witness a marriage trying to recover from a miscarriage. The cracks in the relationship go far deeper.

A young man, mixed up as a child by a distant father and a boys boarding school, still believes the lies he was told that he is no good and not worthy of any good things in life. The voices from his childhood, echo in his mind, tormenting the adult he became.

As the novel progresses, the idyllic life becomes tainted, by the past and the present. The happy atmosphere becomes creepy and sinister as Amanda Jennings guides the reader’s emotional responses with her words.

The Judas Tree was a compelling read. It was a read that shows how lives can be damaged in an instant but the effects last a lifetime. It was heartbreaking, horrifying and very powerful.

Amanda Jennings is a marvelous writer. I always find myself gripped by her words as I cling on till the end.

I received a free copy from the publishers for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

A word to the reader: If you are affected by any of the themes, please do not suffer in silence. Tell someone and get help.

JULIA WILSON