Strange Attractors

Written by Ana K. Wrenn

Narrated by Abby Craden

What happens when you teach chaos theory and life starts to mirror your lessons? The tiniest events transform the most driven woman in this beautifully written lesbian psychological thriller.

Fierce and frosty high achiever Professor Sonja J. Storey is on the verge of seizing power in her department. She has exacting plans to remake her backwoods North Carolina university, just as she has painstakingly remade herself.

Sonja's perfectly ordered life takes a dramatic turn when she meets laid-back, magnetic junior professor Crystal Byrd.

But then come threatening notes, sinister emails, and shadowy nocturnal figures, and suddenly, Sonja's controlled world starts to tremble like a butterfly in a storm.

Is someone out to get her? Is it a specter from Sonja's past? It's hard not to be suspicious of everyone, even intoxicating Crystal with her temptingly warm presence.

Seeing danger everywhere, Sonja must hunt down the source of the chaos before she loses her brilliant mind, and her chance at the one thing she's never known-love.

Contains mature themes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Dec 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798765047026

Reviews for Strange Attractors

[Jude · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It took me a long time to find the courage to read, or rather listen to this book. I knew it would be painful and, to be fair, it was. Meeting the author in Denver did the trick though, and I started listening on the plane home (I know it was weeks ago but life got in the way as usual).

I have mixed feelings about this book but before I get into those, let me state that I absolutely recommend it. My mixed feelings aren’t bad and they’re not so much about the story as they are about how it made me feel. And isn’t that what we ask of stories? That they make us feel?

I’m a very character-driven reader, and my main issue here was that I never warmed up to Dr Sonja J. Storey. I feel for her and I get where she’s coming from but it doesn’t make me like her or whatever. It doesn’t matter though, the plot itself is so intricate, the mood so captivating, that I had to know what was going to happen next. The story is a bit messy at times but since it’s told from Sonja’s point of view and she’s a huge mess, it makes sense. The twists, the uncertainty kept me going. I love the way the author keeps the reader on their toes. Who do you trust?

Crystal Byrd, the love interest, is a very good character, even if I’m not sure what she sees in Sonja. I love how she keeps calling her out, never scared of her and never allowing herself to be mistreated. She’s pushy and I don’t usually go for that but in her relationship with Sonja, it works. She brings stability to Sonja’s chaotic mind and life (Sonja teaches chaos theory, which is ironic).

It won’t surprise anyone that the narration is top notch. Abby Craden nails the pace and tone, conveying Sonja’s trepidation perfectly.

Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): JudeintheStars.com

[Yas Rose · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I powered through this book for 4 reasons. It was Sapphic, I loved the secondary character (Cristal), and Abby Craden narrated this. First off, categorizing this book as a thriller is false. It definitely isn't that. The main character is extremely unlikable and downright bullies her students, especially ones that don't deserve it. I hated it. The last hour of the book was amazing, but it would have been more amazing if there was more growth and solution sooner. I wouldn't read this again and wouldn't recommend it.