Maggie is a woman shaped by her tragic childhood having been neglected, abused and failed by the system.Reading the arc of her life was often almost too painful to bear but Jennifer Down writes with such compelling credibility that the reader stays with the story. The occasional use of glimpses into Maggie's future, hinting at another life, gives the reader hope for a reprieve from the difficulties Maggie faces.
Thanks to Text and NetGalley for an advance copy to review.

Amazing and one of my favourite books of all time. Emotional, heart wrenching but very real. Can’t wait to see what else this author does.

After I’d read the first 100 or so pages of this novel I really considered putting it down for good. The trauma of Maggie’s childhood from sexual abuse, foster families, care homes etc was so depressing although realistically done. Maggie’s life doesn’t get much better, even when things are looking good, anything that can go wrong seems to. I did want to know how she ended up in the USA and why she changed her name so I continued. I think the middle part of the book was the best, I was a bit underwhelmed by the ending. A powerful and compelling read.

Bodies of Light is quite an amazing book by Jennifer Down that ,while often grim, is a lot more than just a catalogue of misery.

This is the story of Maggie, an Australian woman who flits from name to name,home to home,country to country and relationship to relationship in the course of her turbulent life, or rather lives as she re-invents hers more than once.

From an early childhood that she barely remembers, probably a good thing,through life in the care system, her struggle out of it and an adulthood full of tragedy and trying to find herself, she's a very damaged person and a lost soul.
While still struggling from the latest chaotic episode in her life she is contacted on Facebook by someone from a previous life and a previous name,someone who has also changed his name......someone who could totally disrupt her life yet again.

This is an amazing piece of writing,if Maggie didn't have bad luck she'd have no luck at all and as well as that her life has been blighted by predators and a self-destructive nature that at times had me almost shouting at the book as once again she made a seriously bad decision leading to the inevitable bad outcome.
This is raw,and often brutal, with a whole catalogue of issues addressed that make it not for the sensitive or squeamish. It's also uplifting,there's a lot of love in Maggie's life in between the madness and the ending is almost a non-event but very satisfying and after a lifetime of hard knocks "almost a non-event" is a good result.

An excellent book but with a number of difficult topics in the story-line. It is however very far from "just a misery memoir" ,Jennifer Down is an excellent writer and this is one of those books where you'll enjoy the prose as much as the actual story,possibly more at times as some scenes are harrowing.

the somber tone and subject did not make for an easy read but donw is clearly a talented writer. i will say that while i appreciate how this book tackles diff. subject matters i was not blown away by it.

Bodies of Light is a devastating tour de force, exploring cycles of trauma, flawed social and justice systems and enduring griefs.

Instigated by the arrival of a Facebook message from a stranger, Holly is plunged back into the painful memories of her past, confronting a history of trauma and tragedy that forced her to become the new person she is today.

As with her previous works, Jennifer Down immerses the reader in the world of her characters with delicate compassion and a remarkable commitment to verisimilitude. Spanning over 400 pages, this portrayal of a bleak but somehow hopeful life is richly detailed, emotionally complex and heartbreakingly mesmerising.

It's a heavy subject matter, weaved into an uncompromising-yet-compelling read and handled with a sensitivity and finesse that further evidences why Jennifer Down is one of the most exciting writing talents in Australia.

An immediate favourite that I cannot wait to re-read in hardcopy when available in late September.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This stunning novel is the best book I have read this year! After a chance message from a past acquaintance, the story unfolds as an empathetic telling of Maggie’s life and the trauma’s she has endured. A realistic portrayal of a child growing up in foster care with subsequent emotional scars and their impact on future relationships. The subjects covered are harsh and confronting but ultimately this is an incredibly rewarding book.

Thank you Netgalley and Text publishing for the chance to read this book in return for an honest review

This book had the feel of being a multi-generational family saga, though in reality we are following one woman throughout her life, and she doesn't have much family (biological at least) to speak of. Though the content was difficult, Jennifer Down writes beautifully and controls her lens with such precision - zooming in on the minutiae of a moment, and then pulling away to only click the shutter on moments we need to see, skipping swathes of time in the process.

I cared deeply for our main character, and cherished the few nourishing relationships she was able to cultivate throughout her difficult life - Down has managed to make this story feel lived, and real - though she covers so many events and themes the novel never felt contrived, it's as if we were just bearing witness to a life. The discussion of personal history and the difficulties of existing without a past was incredibly interesting - the idea that so much can have happened to you, but without documentation it's like it never happened, and the way that our presence in other peoples' memories solidifies our existence.

If it's not clear - I think this is an excellent book. I'll 100% be picking up Down's previous writing.

Jens writing is incredible and thought provoking and emotive. This story hooked me from the beginning with its raw trauma and utter devastation weaved throughout and I feel super honoured to be able to read it early. Thanks a lot to text for the advance copy.

It is heartbreaking to read a book about someone who has been hurt by so many, and equally hurt by themselves. Such a book is “Bodies of Light” by Jennifer Down. This is by no means a light read. It is brutal, it is harsh. Someone called Holly, living in the US, receives a Facebook message from Tony that triggers many memories to surface, back to the childhood of Maggie, who grew up in Australia. The childhood and teenage years of Maggie were dark and full of abuse, neglect, and systems that failed her and subjected her to endangerment. It also contains some small sprouts of hope, where a few people invested in Maggie and demonstrated small handfuls of kindnesses. You agonise with Maggie, you feel her pain, you internally scream at those who let her down, including herself. Yet there is nothing you can do for her. The Facebook messages slowly filter through the memories, and it is hard to maintain a positive perspective with Maggie. Yet there is some hope.
Maggie is apprehensive to revisit the past and is both shocked by it and numb to it. Jennifer treads both carefully and is quite stark in her approach to showing you Maggie’s life and the terrors that faced her for so many years. It is emotive, it feels real, it is honest and does not let you stop thinking about Maggie. This book is written so beautifully and cover such a deep and tragic, and I can only implore you to read this

I found it difficult to write a review of the truly stunning BODIES OF LIGHT as evinced by this page being an open tab for days. The novel is filled with dimensional characters, who inhabit a vivid world that is so thoroughly lived in, rather than peppered with lightly researched cultural touchstones. BODIES OF LIGHT is emotionally rich, yet moves quickly and doesn't feel laboured at all. I really cannot say much more except to read this novel. I am eagerly anticipating whatever Jennifer Down writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley, Text Publishing and Jennifer Down for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.