Stay Mad, Sweetheart

by Heleen Kist

[zooloo1983]

This book, I mean wow! It is totally a now book, very relevant to the #metoo movement. I’m not going to voice my opinions on this movement but I did like the take Stay Mad, Sweetheart took on this and the wider scope of cyberbullying. I found this segment of the story heartbreaking. Bullying in any form is awful but to the degree, that occurs in this book is astonishing. It’s cruel, uncalled for and you can see elements of this on Twitter in this present day. There are way too many keyboard warriors out there and no one thinks of the consequences of the words they sent out on the WWW.

This is only the start of the story, we meet the three women that are all affected by the devastating events. We watch these women all affected in one or another by unwanted advances, being “protected” by a man and spoken down to just for being a woman. However, there is a spin on this story and I quite liked because it as not always as black and white as it seems and the men aren’t always at fault!

This is, at times, an uncomfortable read, it really doesn’t hold back and that I do love. It shows the deep, down and ugly side to things, Kist really did not sugar coat anything and I have so much respect for her. It would be so easy to glamourise things but here we have a scenario, a very real scenario and Kist shows the very real and gritty side to it all.

The three women in the story, Laura, Claire and Suki are powerhouses and not to be messed when they are combined. When the Avengers assemble boy do they! They are supportive and boost confidence in each other, a sisterhood that is to be treasured and I did enjoy them on the pages. Stay Mad, Sweetheart focuses on Laura and the sale of her IT company. I am a techie geek to an extent but I don’t understand all of it, so when we are told about a new piece of technology being built, it is explained in a way that helps us understand straight away. We aren’t treated as being “stupid” we are treated the same as Suki and Claire, as knowing a little bit to get by but the rest is explained. It is also a little terrifying where technology is going, however, this programme that Laura is testing is also fascinating! I mean how a programme can do what it can just wow.

I did enjoy how everything unfolded slowly, it didn’t rush, we took in every detail and every nuisance. When everything came together in its climatic way, it was shocking and quite gratifying.

Kist writing is compelling and enthralling. She knows how to intrigue the reading to keep the pages turning and she knows how to reveal things to the reader to shock and awe them. She is a great storyteller and I will be making sure I get to In Servitude quick smart!!!