First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This is the story of Josie, a 30-something woman juggling a demanding mother (whose health is deteriorating, and who was never an easy parent), an underwhelming job, loneliness, a deep need to be loved (and punished?), and an unstable personality (chicken and egg type of thing). There are also some ghosts.

Full disclosure first - I only stomached about half of the book, but had to put it down. What forced me to finally call it a day, and there were many moments that came close, was the scene when the protagonist rushes into her "boyfriend's" flat, and she asks him to hit her. I just had to stop at that point.

Maybe this is an issue of expectation management at the of the day. What I expected (based on the reviews I read on goodreads and the various blurbs) was a novel dealing with the fraying process of the protagonist's life and emotional wellbeing, with a supernatural twist, which can either be a part of the emotional theme of the novel, or "real" in the novel's reality. It intrigued me because I was fascinated about psychological profiles of various personality types, and I found the promise of exploring this particular personality type, especially by a woman, something I wanted to spend my time on.

It is with great sadness that I can only report that these expectations were only partly met. While there is indeed some element of emotional fraying and the psychoanalysis of this process, the preoccupation with the sex scenes makes it come across as a badly veiled soft porn book, a la Fifty Shades of Gray (which admittedly I have not read, but heard a lot about). The most eventful parts of the book have to do with sexual acts, the need of the protagonist to punish herself, the glorification (at least as it is perceived by me) of masochism and sexual violence, and the complete absence of healthy sexual and loving relationships. It's maybe a style thing, but this felt imbalanced - too little psychology and too many sex scenes.

On the positive side it must be said that the author is, notwithstanding the above, a very talented storyteller. The narrative is told in a very compelling way, and the style is very intimate and captivating. I'd also say that the sex scenes are well described and do not come across as "cheap" or "dirty". I also found the emotional distress of the protagonist extremely well executed - it was visceral and powerful every step of the way. If the book included more of this, I would have loved it much more. It somehow felt like a great psychological thriller / mind-bender edited by EL James's editor.

In a nutshell - I know an audience for this book exists, but I'm not it.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this one. I didn't mind the writing (it was actually quite good), and I didn't dislike the main character either, but someone the story failed to pull me in. While I appreciated the honesty of the storytelling and the discussion of important issues such as mental health and abusive relationships, I found myself bored in places. Overall, I think the book just wasn't for me, but that might be more reflective of my interest and current state of mine than the quality of the author's storytelling.

The perfect dark and gritty exploration of sexuality and mental health. The writing style isn't for everyone but once you get beside it I just love how the story unfolds.

DNF - I couldn't connect with the writing style & therefore, nor could I with the narrative. The subject matter sounded really interesting & like it would present an interesting story but, ultimately, this wasn't for me.

For so many reasons, this book called to me from the moment I became aware of it. I wrote a note to myself to get my hands on a copy as soon as I could. Thankfully, my friends at Dundurn Press heard my prayers and answered them.

The story begins with Josephine’s two very distinctly destructive “relationships” and her stagnant life in Toronto. A chance opportunity shakes her out of her daze and sends her off to a haunted island in Croatia. Part research trip, part soul search, you can’t imagine what awaits her and what she learns through the process of discovering it.

This book is explosive, it’s supernatural, it’s deeply believable. I think it owes a great deal of its bold authenticity to Bydlowska’s willingness to be really really real about things that are hard to talk about and often sugar coated: feeling stuck, caring for aging parents, not being able to get out of the vicious cycle of compulsive behaviour, an insurmountable feeling of self-doubt.

Possessed contains multitudes and it is so many things in one, adventure, self-exploration, and pure, out of control, animalistic sex among them. It is also a reminder that we all have a story that is just waiting to be shared.

Thank you to the Dundurn team and the folks at Netgalley.

I found this narrative intriguing and compelling, and appreciate the raw voice, dark humor, and unflinching look at caretaking and mental health. I don't think I'm the best reader for this book, as it's hard for me to get into narratives that hinge on hetero relationships and sex. I did feel the first part of the book felt it dragged on and I would have preferred the quarantine to come earlier, as that's when I felt things really got moving. Again, though, I'm not the ideal reader here, so I'm sure plenty of readers will appreciate the time spent in the start.

"..a scent like a soft thrust and a hard slap. I inhaled it, and my pussy fluttered.."

And so Jowita takes us on this fun journey where Josephine deals with her demons.

Tantalising and real, Possessed is very well written. I felt I could understand the tribulations that Josephine was going through as she bounces obsessively between lovers.

Yes, there is a ghost, but this is not a horror story.

Solid 3.75.

I'll be sure to check out more of Jowita's books.

Best read in a bar wearing a mini skirt and CFM boots.

Thanks to Dundurn press and Net galley for this advance review copy!

In Jowita Bydlowska’s Possessed, Josephine is a woman haunted. Haunted by an obsession with a younger man with whom she has an intensely physical relationship, and by her traumatic childhood and her abusive, controlling mother with whom she now lives.

A work-related trip to an isolated and potentially haunted locale exposes Josephine to ghosts and ghost stories, and it’s only then that she makes the changes that she needs to move on, to survive, and to live life on her own terms.

Bydlowska writes Josephine’s story with an urgency and a desperation, as if time is running out for her. In a less skilled author’s hands, Josephine and her obsessions might appear cliche and flat, but Bydlowska makes her real, three-dimensional, and deeply, deeply human.

DNF'd at 10% -- I just could not get into being in the mind of someone this obsessive. Maybe it's trauma I've been through recently with stalkers, but woof.

A story about a woman, Josephine, who is obsessed with her lover, Sebastian. She is visited by a ghost named Luka at her mother's house. She travels to a haunted Croatian island for work, where she spends time with Luka, who helps her get over her obsession with Sebastian. I liked the complicated mother/daughter trope in this story. The ending fell flat for me.

Possessed was billed as “a dark and funny story exploring sexual obsession, mental illness, and the supernatural”. I wasn’t sure about the sexual obsession, but I was in for mental illness and, although somewhat less, the supernatural. The book delivers on all that is promised. It’s a tale of two tales, with the first half focused on Josephine and her obsession with her younger lover, Sebastian, and the second half centered on the supernatural – Josephine’s visit to a supposedly haunted island and her encounter with an enigmatic young man with a fascinating story. Woven though all is Josephine’s experiences with her mother, and her mental issues.

I enjoyed this book. It is very well-written, as it transports the reader into all aspects of Josephine’s world. While I’m not into erotica, I found the sexual content to be as tasteful as erotica can be. The supernatural aspect could have fallen flat, but I found that it worked for me and brought to the book an extra layer of intrigue. (Spoiler alert) My biggest complaint is the ending…everything just ends. I could tell heading into the last pages of the book that the ending was not going to be a satisfying wrap-up of events. Even so, I was surprised with how it left off. I could have happily read another 200 pages about Josephine and her mother. Or about how Josephine ended up lover-wise. Even so, it’s a book I won't soon forget. An enjoyable tale while it lasted. (90% of the book – 4 stars; the ending – 2 stars)

Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press/Rare Machines for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.

Possessed is both a ghost story and a tale of obsession and mental illness. It is the story of Josephine, a woman obsessed with a younger man who travels to a haunted quarantine island and finds a relationship with a ghost. A little on the bizarre side, right?

Possessed has beautiful writing, kind of essay-like in a way, like Josephine is just telling us what is happening to her, but it works. It's violent yet elegant, especially the way sex is described. I also like how Josephine's tumultuous relationship with her mother was written.

A critique I have would be that the first and second part felt disjointed from each other. I didn't really see how it was connected and it didn't give me the spookiness that I wanted, just a sad little story. While the author has great writing, I do feel like the book hasn't reached its potential, and left me feeling a little confused and wanting more than what it gave me.

This is my first book by the author and I was surprised how much I could relate to the main character. Josephine. This book is written in an essay format and can be tedious to read in some parts. It talks about the insidious way mental health affects people and their families and how painful it can be to deal with it if you are already "born different" and always feel you don't fit in the world. If you are sensitive person reading this book might feel claustrophobic and triggering at times. I liked the book but found myself struggling with the 3rd part of the book where it felt to tall of a tale and unrelated to the book, mismatched. But other than that it was a good read.

With a name like possessed I did not expect this book to go so hard. And I don't mean that in a bad way.. I did not wanna stop reading. Thank you so much for the ARC.