A review by katie_lacour
Lotus by Jennifer Hartmann

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

 A very special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Bloom Books, for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book! 
 
Jennifer Hartmann’s novel, Lotus, is a captivating story that I would recommend to any reader interested in romance, thriller, or mystery novels. While the novel is able to appeal to readers with different interests, Hartmann maintains the integrity of a unique, strongly-developed, and interesting read. Oliver is such an adorable character and I would protect him at all costs! 
Although the book does contain content that may be triggering to some, I appreciate Hartmann’s responsibility as the first page of the book addresses content warnings for long-term abduction and childhood sexual assault. The use of a Content Warning page should be normalized in the book industry, and I am glad Jennifer Hartmann takes the mental health and safety of her readers seriously. That said, I also appreciate that while these themes are a primary part of the story, Jennifer Hartmann does not overuse or abuse these themes in an attempt to shock or disturb the reader. Not only is Jennifer Hartmann responsible in her motivation to warn readers about difficult subject matters, she also addresses these subject matters in a respectful and thought-out manner that is essential. 
“Lotus” tells the book from two primary perspectives, with interludes from other character perspectives throughout the book. The story follows Oliver, a man who has escaped a long-term abduction, and his journey to adapting to real life and healing from his trauma. In a counter-perspective, the reader experiences Sydney’s point of view. Sydney, Oliver’s childhood best friend and both current and former neighbor, is relieved at Oliver’s escape, but haunted by the trauma of his disappearance and the lack of answers. Together, Sydney and Oliver must navigate what their past, present, and future will mean as two people who have meant so much to one another. 
While I was initially nervous to read this book because of the dark themes addressed, the book was able to make me feel such a wide spectrum of emotions far beyond those of pain. Oliver’s isolation as a long-term abductee enables him to have an intelligence and appreciation for things in life that are beyond many of us. In many ways, it has made me think of the isolation many of us experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many have felt that this isolation has led to a deep loss, and perhaps even a stagnation of emotional intelligence, the depiction of Oliver has instead given me hope to what we as humanity may have learned and grown from that we would not have otherwise. Although the book addresses the grief of lost time, the primary emotion I felt while reading this book was hope. Not only is the book completely different from what I expected, but the plotline led to my immediate investment. Safe to say, I was hooked, and read this book all in one sitting. 
While initially this book seemed a bit too predictable, the author did a wonderful job of completely shocking me with a twist I could not see coming! I believe the planning behind the plot was incredibly well developed as it appears the author had great intentionality behind the shift from a sense of predictability to complete shock! 
Although hope was my primary emotion, I still appreciated the wide variety of emotions I felt while reading this book: shock, fear, love, hate, anger, sadness, reflection, amusement, inspiration, and tension. The author was able to beautifully balance the multiple genres of mystery, thriller, and romance. I felt each aspect of the book was given a moment to shine, and I appreciated the book’s ability to address my craving for each genre. I especially appreciated the book’s romance as it was unlike any other I have previously read. I feel it can be summed in part by my favorite quote in the book: “there is no logic in the way our hearts beat.” 
“Lotus” contributes to the conversation of childhood sexual assault in a meaningful way, but I would love to see this topic be addressed further in a secondary novel focusing on the victim’s growth and healing from the trauma. I especially appreciated the point of view of a survivor’s friends and family, and the difficulty of navigating a loved one’s healing. This perspective was a very interesting and essential take on how harm cannot be solitary and discriminant, and has a ripple effect on everyone around us. In this book, I learned how when helping those around us harm from trauma, mistakes are inevitable, but compassion and patience are essential. 
Finally, my only, very small, confusion is there seemed to be a small plotline hole regarding a part of the discovery of a mystery. Whether or not this is intentional as a commentary to the ineffectiveness of the police in this scenario, I am not sure. I would love to see this addressed, but I will not go into further detail here as I cannot spoil the book! 
I would absolutely recommend this book to any reader interested in these genres, and I believe it can be read from a wide variety of ages. I look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Hartmann, and I cannot wait to see what she writes in the future!  
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