Nothing Can Hurt You is a literary novel, a debut by Nicola Maye Goldberg. And, let’s face it. Even with the subject, the impact a young woman’s murder has on other women, a literary novel is not usually my preferred reading. I received this book to review for a journal. However, before I discuss the book, I’m going to share just a couple quotes from readers who loved the book. After all, this is a debut, and I never want to hurt a debut author with my personal interpretation.
“A book that reads like music. Nothing Can Hurt You is an intoxicating, lyrical, and honest journey into the traumatic murder of a young woman and its reverberating anguish.” – Allie Rowbotton, author of Jell-O Girls.
“A perfect match for readers of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects or Iain Reid’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things.” – Leslie Spishock, A Likely Story, Sykesville, MD
The book is referred to as a clever thriller, a propulsive thriller. Although I read Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects and some of Gone Girl, I’m not a fan. But, Flynn’s books are much more thrillers than this one, in my opinion.
Sara Morgan, a college student, is already dead when the book opens in the winter of 1997. A woman with emotional issues finds her body in the woods. Her boyfriend, a fellow college student, Blake Campbell, a diagnosed schizophrenic, confesses, and is found not guilty by reason of insanity. We know this within the first couple chapters of the book, so that is not a spoiler.
The unconventional novel is actually about the feelings of women, strangers, and their reactions to the murder. Each woman is given a voice, beginning with the woman who finds Sara’s body, and then she’s never heard from again in the book. We meet Sara’s roommate. There’s Katherine, an alcoholic who meets Blake in recovery. She tells her story, and tells of Blake. She does reappear in another chapter in reference to Luna, Sara’s younger sister. Juliet is a reporter covering the trial of a serial killer who killed six women. She’s more interested in Sara, and would rather tell that story. She admits no one cares about the serial killer, possibly because no one cared about his victims. Maybe a white college student and her attractive boyfriend are more interesting subjects. Luna appears in two chapters, once as the subject of a search by a female PI, once when she tracks down Blake. There’s even a chapter with a teen who Sara babysat at one time. The final chapter brings it full circle to Sara, who speaks of a time before she even went to college and met Blake.
Chelsea Hodson, author of Tonight I’m Someone Else, said “Goldberg articulates a new kind of darkness within the female psyche. Her book pulses forth with danger and suspense.”
If you’re looking for danger, suspense, a thriller, I hope you tell me if you find it in Nothing Can Hurt You. It fell flat to me. It felt emotionless with little suspense. As I said, though, I’m not about to give a totally negative review to a debut author. So many booksellers and authors liked this book. You might be intrigued by it as well.
Nicola Maye Goldberg’s website is www.nicolamaye.com
Nothing Can Hurt You by Nicola Maye Goldberg. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020. ISBN 9781635574883 (hardcover), 240p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure – I received the book to review for a journal.
