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rebroxannape's review
3.0
This was a well-written book that mostly kept my interest throughout. I cared about and hoped that Sam the psychologist heroine would conquer her demons and find the courage to save her own life from the personal and professional disaster in which she was engulfed.
The relentless descent of her fortunes and health was pretty gripping, but unfortunately, it was not balanced by a gripping hard-fought recovery. Like many others, I thought the wrap up was too quick and left too many problems and questions just sitting there. I guess it was done for shock value if you are a reader to whom the big reveal was a shock.
Spoiler
Well everything ended up hunky dory! She conquered her raging alcoholism by just deciding to quit drinking. Who knew it was so easy? She finally left her monster boyfriend by simply ignoring his text messages. Pretty great final farewell scene in her office though! I hope it was final. She escaped being exposed at work and kept her position and status despite severe ethical breaches and being partially responsible for the death of one patient and the almost death of two others. But hey, they weren’t that important in her life, after all. As we see in the last chapter, she even managed to keep the relationship of her good friend and potential love interest. All do to confessing her Borderline Personality Disorder to her “mystery” patient. Hopefully, she will be getting some professional help for that, but maybe, like her alcoholism and her toxic relationships, she just decided not to have it anymore. And what about the smoking? Did she quit that cold turkey as well? And by the way, why was Richard, who turns out to be perfectly sane, always carrying around those old newspapers that held the key to the mystery?The relentless descent of her fortunes and health was pretty gripping, but unfortunately, it was not balanced by a gripping hard-fought recovery. Like many others, I thought the wrap up was too quick and left too many problems and questions just sitting there. I guess it was done for shock value if you are a reader to whom the big reveal was a shock.
kasiaolm's review against another edition
2.0
Nudziłam się czytając tą książkę. Nie wciągnęła mnie ani historia, ani bohaterowie i po upływie tygodnia nie pamiętałam już co przeczytałam. Musiałam zajrzeć do notatek, żeby napisać recenzję.
Główna bohaterka, Samantha, ceniona psychiatra w nowojorskim szpitalu dla umysłowo chorych, sama cierpi na zaburzenia psychiczne i boryka się z nałogami. Jak można się domyślać, odbija się to negatywnie na jej pracy, życiu prywatnym i relacjach z otoczeniem. Samantha w miarę postępu fabuły pogrąża się coraz głębiej w swoich problemach, jednocześnie usiłując normalnie pracować i prowadzić terapie tajemniczego i nieskorego do współpracy pacjenta, z marnymi efektami oczywiście. Wydawałoby się, że to dobry wstęp do ciekawego thrillera psychologicznego a jednak na tym kończą się interesujące wątki w książce. Mam wrażenie, że reszta historii napisana została po łebkach, jak to mawiała moja babcia.
Fabuła rozgrywa się w szpitalu psychiatrycznym i wątkiem przewodnim są tutaj choroby i zaburzenia psychiczne a jednak absolutnie niczego się o nich nie dowiadujemy. W tekście pojawiają się na przykład schizofrenia i osobowość borderline jednak autorka w ogóle ich nie opisuje. Nie dowiadujemy się na czym te zaburzenia osobowości polegają, jak się objawiają ani jak powinna wyglądać terapia osób na nie cierpiących. Nie dostajemy żadnego punktu odniesienia, do którego moglibyśmy przyrównać żałosne próby zajęć, które prowadzi staczająca się w otchłań obłędu Samantha.
Podobnie tajemnica małomównego pacjenta, którym zajmuje się Samantha nie jest taka znów tajemnicza i dość szybko można się domyślić o co tutaj chodzi i jaki jest jego związek z naszą panią psychiatrą.
Jak dla mnie książce brakuje głębi, fabuła jest monotonna i bardzo się ślimaczy. Nie ma tutaj ani napięcia ani dużych emocji a oba sekrety nie są ani odrobinę szokująca ani trudne do rozwiązania. Bardzo przeciętna historia jak dla mnie. Dwie gwiazdki.
ColorMeBookish.com
Główna bohaterka, Samantha, ceniona psychiatra w nowojorskim szpitalu dla umysłowo chorych, sama cierpi na zaburzenia psychiczne i boryka się z nałogami. Jak można się domyślać, odbija się to negatywnie na jej pracy, życiu prywatnym i relacjach z otoczeniem. Samantha w miarę postępu fabuły pogrąża się coraz głębiej w swoich problemach, jednocześnie usiłując normalnie pracować i prowadzić terapie tajemniczego i nieskorego do współpracy pacjenta, z marnymi efektami oczywiście. Wydawałoby się, że to dobry wstęp do ciekawego thrillera psychologicznego a jednak na tym kończą się interesujące wątki w książce. Mam wrażenie, że reszta historii napisana została po łebkach, jak to mawiała moja babcia.
Fabuła rozgrywa się w szpitalu psychiatrycznym i wątkiem przewodnim są tutaj choroby i zaburzenia psychiczne a jednak absolutnie niczego się o nich nie dowiadujemy. W tekście pojawiają się na przykład schizofrenia i osobowość borderline jednak autorka w ogóle ich nie opisuje. Nie dowiadujemy się na czym te zaburzenia osobowości polegają, jak się objawiają ani jak powinna wyglądać terapia osób na nie cierpiących. Nie dostajemy żadnego punktu odniesienia, do którego moglibyśmy przyrównać żałosne próby zajęć, które prowadzi staczająca się w otchłań obłędu Samantha.
Podobnie tajemnica małomównego pacjenta, którym zajmuje się Samantha nie jest taka znów tajemnicza i dość szybko można się domyślić o co tutaj chodzi i jaki jest jego związek z naszą panią psychiatrą.
Jak dla mnie książce brakuje głębi, fabuła jest monotonna i bardzo się ślimaczy. Nie ma tutaj ani napięcia ani dużych emocji a oba sekrety nie są ani odrobinę szokująca ani trudne do rozwiązania. Bardzo przeciętna historia jak dla mnie. Dwie gwiazdki.
ColorMeBookish.com
novelesque_life's review against another edition
2.0
Rating: 2 STARS
2017; Park Row/HarperCollins Canada
I realized 25% into the novel...I have no clue what this book is, genre-wise. I requested it because I thought it was psychological suspense thriller. In fact, the subtitle is "a chilling psychological suspense". Sam, the main character, is a psychologist and she works in psychiatric institution in New York. She is an alcoholic and seems to have other issues that make her more like her patients. One day they get a new patient that no one can break and he requests the best. Sam steps in but it becomes a mind game situation. When I was 30% in I put my eReader down and asked "wtf? why am I reading this?" But before I can turn to another book, I ask myself, "what if this gets better? what if there is a wtf twist and I miss it?" Gah, Brady has me to the end. I feel better now sticking with it, as now I know, nothing changes in this book. This feels like the deleted scenes put together. There was no moment I felt real suspense or even "oh!". Though, one thing I did find well done was Sam's character, her alcoholism and abuse was realistic and made her come more to life. She's not likable but you feel for her and a bit invested in what becomes her. At the end I felt tricked. I felt like I got invested but then had absolutely nothing happen. I am not even sure how to rate this book or who to recommend it to (or dissuade). I finally came to 2 stars - one, because it kept me reading and two because of the well written character and situations. I will leave it to you readers, visit other reviews maybe, on deciding whether to attempt this one.
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
My Novelesque Blog
2017; Park Row/HarperCollins Canada
I realized 25% into the novel...I have no clue what this book is, genre-wise. I requested it because I thought it was psychological suspense thriller. In fact, the subtitle is "a chilling psychological suspense". Sam, the main character, is a psychologist and she works in psychiatric institution in New York. She is an alcoholic and seems to have other issues that make her more like her patients. One day they get a new patient that no one can break and he requests the best. Sam steps in but it becomes a mind game situation. When I was 30% in I put my eReader down and asked "wtf? why am I reading this?" But before I can turn to another book, I ask myself, "what if this gets better? what if there is a wtf twist and I miss it?" Gah, Brady has me to the end. I feel better now sticking with it, as now I know, nothing changes in this book. This feels like the deleted scenes put together. There was no moment I felt real suspense or even "oh!". Though, one thing I did find well done was Sam's character, her alcoholism and abuse was realistic and made her come more to life. She's not likable but you feel for her and a bit invested in what becomes her. At the end I felt tricked. I felt like I got invested but then had absolutely nothing happen. I am not even sure how to rate this book or who to recommend it to (or dissuade). I finally came to 2 stars - one, because it kept me reading and two because of the well written character and situations. I will leave it to you readers, visit other reviews maybe, on deciding whether to attempt this one.
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
My Novelesque Blog
thegeekybibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Samantha James is a psychologist at Typhlos, a Manhattan mental institution. Even though she appears to have a great life—both professionally and personally—the shameful truth is that Samantha—or Sam, as she prefers to be called—is a mess in more ways than one. She's an alcoholic with an abusive boyfriend she refuses she leave because she's convinced she can help him. That's what Sam does—she tries to save everyone—and she does have the highest success rate with the toughest patients at Typhlos—but she can't seem to save herself from the wreck her life has become. She manages to hide it at work, until she takes over the care of a patient named Richard, a man no one else can help because he refuses to speak about why he's there, or even assist with getting the necessary paperwork filled out. Sam is determined to get him talking and find out why he is there... even as the facade of her 'perfect' life begins to unravel.
Brady's debut introduces us to a woman on the brink of disaster thanks to her (unacknowledged) demons stemming from childhood abuse. Sam is beautifully flawed in so many ways, and tries so hard to keep it together that it almost breaks your heart. In Richard, we are given an enigmatic character whose reticence constantly exasperated Sam and hindered her efforts to help him. Over time, it became clear that he had a hidden agenda behind his admission to Typhlos, and it kept me reading for longer stretches than I may have otherwise, in hopes of discovering what that agenda might be.
The story is well-written and kept me engaged, but I have to admit the ending left me feeling a bit frustrated. The story reached a climactic point before the final chapter, but there was no delving into [the thing that happened] and ending the story on a satisfying note. The short chapter that ended the story felt more like an epilogue, the inferred promise of a reveal fizzling out in favor of a quick wrap-up. It's not that the ending doesn't work at all—it does—and to be honest, I already knew what was coming regarding that reveal. Still... it was a disappointing ending for me. That may not be the case for other readers, but that's how I felt.
Despite the lackluster ending, I enjoyed reading this story. I think Brady shows a lot of promise as a writer, all the more so because of her background as a psychologist, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of her work in the future!
I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Park Row Books via Edelweiss.
Brady's debut introduces us to a woman on the brink of disaster thanks to her (unacknowledged) demons stemming from childhood abuse. Sam is beautifully flawed in so many ways, and tries so hard to keep it together that it almost breaks your heart. In Richard, we are given an enigmatic character whose reticence constantly exasperated Sam and hindered her efforts to help him. Over time, it became clear that he had a hidden agenda behind his admission to Typhlos, and it kept me reading for longer stretches than I may have otherwise, in hopes of discovering what that agenda might be.
The story is well-written and kept me engaged, but I have to admit the ending left me feeling a bit frustrated. The story reached a climactic point before the final chapter, but there was no delving into [the thing that happened] and ending the story on a satisfying note. The short chapter that ended the story felt more like an epilogue, the inferred promise of a reveal fizzling out in favor of a quick wrap-up. It's not that the ending doesn't work at all—it does—and to be honest, I already knew what was coming regarding that reveal. Still... it was a disappointing ending for me. That may not be the case for other readers, but that's how I felt.
Despite the lackluster ending, I enjoyed reading this story. I think Brady shows a lot of promise as a writer, all the more so because of her background as a psychologist, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of her work in the future!
I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Park Row Books via Edelweiss.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
The Blind by A.F. Brady is an absolutely riveting, impossible to put down character driven novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats in breathless anticipation awaiting answers to two very compelling questions. Why is Richard McHugh, a seemingly normal ex-con, a patient at Typhlos Psychiatric Center? And most important, will Dr. Sam James' carefully hidden secrets be revealed by a routine staff evaluation?
In her late thirties, Dr. Sam James is a functioning alcoholic who seeks out unhealthy relationships with men she can "fix". Her latest boyfriend, Lucas, has multiple addictions and takes his frustrations out on Sam on an increasingly regular basis. Juggling a heavy caseload, Sam is already in a serious downward spiral when she inherits enigmatic new patient Richard McHugh's from another therapist. With scant information about the newcomer, Sam is frustrated by her inability to get Richard to open up to her. It is not until her career and personal life are about to implode that Richard makes her a deal that she cannot refuse. But will this uneasy shift in their dynamic help either of them deal with their respective problems?
Sam is absolutely devoted to the patients in her care but when it comes to herself, she is incredibly self-destructive. Hard drinking gives way to painful hangovers but she has successfully kept her personal life from affecting her career. She is highly regarded by her peers and in fact, Sam has a high rate of success with the toughest patients that end up at Typhlos. Her professional achievements are a sharp contrast to her chaotic personal life and while she has managed to keep them separate to this point, the line begins to blur as her relationship with Lucas hits a new low. Making even more reckless decisions that exacerbate the volatile situation with Lucas, Sam's drinking escalates and she begins making mistakes at work that sometimes culminate with devastating results. Fast approaching rock bottom, Sam stumbles on the perfect solution to salvage her career after a routine staff evaluation when she is forced to strike a deal with Richard.
With nothing but rumor filled speculation and the knowledge that he did time for murder, Richard is a blank slate to the therapists at Typhlos. He refuses to answer any questions about his past and his records are no help since there are scant details about his crime or his life after he is paroled from prison. When Richard uncovers Sam's drinking problem, he offers a quid pro quo deal where he will tell her his secrets in exchange for hers. Desperate to save her career, Sam agrees but will she be able to hold up her end of their bargain?
The Blind is a novel that provides readers with a raw and unvarnished glimpse into mental illness and the nearly daunting efforts to treat the patients who suffer from these disorders. Equally compelling is the fascinating dichotomy between Sam's out of control personal life and her highly successful career. She is on a collision course with disaster for much of the story and it appears that she will never pull herself free from her self-destructive tendencies. Can Sam pull herself back from the abyss? Will Richard ever reveal the reason he is a patient at Typhlos Psychiatric Center? Although astute readers will most likely guess the final plot twist, A.F. Brady brings the novel to a satisfactory conclusion.
The Blind by A.F. Brady is an absolutely riveting, impossible to put down character driven novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats in breathless anticipation awaiting answers to two very compelling questions. Why is Richard McHugh, a seemingly normal ex-con, a patient at Typhlos Psychiatric Center? And most important, will Dr. Sam James' carefully hidden secrets be revealed by a routine staff evaluation?
In her late thirties, Dr. Sam James is a functioning alcoholic who seeks out unhealthy relationships with men she can "fix". Her latest boyfriend, Lucas, has multiple addictions and takes his frustrations out on Sam on an increasingly regular basis. Juggling a heavy caseload, Sam is already in a serious downward spiral when she inherits enigmatic new patient Richard McHugh's from another therapist. With scant information about the newcomer, Sam is frustrated by her inability to get Richard to open up to her. It is not until her career and personal life are about to implode that Richard makes her a deal that she cannot refuse. But will this uneasy shift in their dynamic help either of them deal with their respective problems?
Sam is absolutely devoted to the patients in her care but when it comes to herself, she is incredibly self-destructive. Hard drinking gives way to painful hangovers but she has successfully kept her personal life from affecting her career. She is highly regarded by her peers and in fact, Sam has a high rate of success with the toughest patients that end up at Typhlos. Her professional achievements are a sharp contrast to her chaotic personal life and while she has managed to keep them separate to this point, the line begins to blur as her relationship with Lucas hits a new low. Making even more reckless decisions that exacerbate the volatile situation with Lucas, Sam's drinking escalates and she begins making mistakes at work that sometimes culminate with devastating results. Fast approaching rock bottom, Sam stumbles on the perfect solution to salvage her career after a routine staff evaluation when she is forced to strike a deal with Richard.
With nothing but rumor filled speculation and the knowledge that he did time for murder, Richard is a blank slate to the therapists at Typhlos. He refuses to answer any questions about his past and his records are no help since there are scant details about his crime or his life after he is paroled from prison. When Richard uncovers Sam's drinking problem, he offers a quid pro quo deal where he will tell her his secrets in exchange for hers. Desperate to save her career, Sam agrees but will she be able to hold up her end of their bargain?
The Blind is a novel that provides readers with a raw and unvarnished glimpse into mental illness and the nearly daunting efforts to treat the patients who suffer from these disorders. Equally compelling is the fascinating dichotomy between Sam's out of control personal life and her highly successful career. She is on a collision course with disaster for much of the story and it appears that she will never pull herself free from her self-destructive tendencies. Can Sam pull herself back from the abyss? Will Richard ever reveal the reason he is a patient at Typhlos Psychiatric Center? Although astute readers will most likely guess the final plot twist, A.F. Brady brings the novel to a satisfactory conclusion.
dja777's review against another edition
Have to put this on the couldn’t finish shelf. The main character was tedious,annoying and I didn’t care about anyone in the book by the 33% done point; so I officially gave up.
fondarush's review
3.0
Psychologist Samantha (Sam) James has it all together. She is an articulate, detail-oriented, star-quality professional at Typhlos, a mental hospital. Then, we find out that first impressions are not reliable. Her personal life begins to unravel dragging her professionalism with it. In the meantime, she is given a client that no one wants to deal with. He is an enigma, and he doesn't believe in filling out forms. Sam, being a high-performer, accepts this patient, Richard, in hopes of breaking into his mind and find out who he is and why he's there. No one else could, and it turns out that she can't either. Eventually, Richard and Sam enter into an agreement. At about that time, Sam's life is spinning further out of control.
{Early into Sam's professional relationship with Richard, I suspected that he is more than just a client, so it was no surprise to me that there was more.}
I liked the interaction between Sam and Richard. Their characters were well-rounded. The other characters were less so. The story was pushed along at a nice pace by conflicts between the two, Sam and her co-workers, Sam and the men in her life, Sam and her boss, and plenty of Sam's inner conflicts, when she found out a diagnosis of her own.
Eventually, Sam finds her way.
There are several questions that aren't answered, though, like how was Sam able to maintain her employment after the dust settled and what happened to the patient with the heroin overdose? Was Sam ever accused in a suicide?
I see that there is a new cover, and it leads one to believe that there is some sinister psychological elements occurring. It simple isn't true. There are no heavy psychological twists and turns, but merely involves a woman who happens to be a psychologist working in a mental hospital. There is not much of a creep factor. It's just a story that moves along at a fairly good pace, peeling back layers and layers until a truth is revealed. The blind follow the blind until there is light.
***I received an uncorrected galley version from the publisher through Goodreads for an honest review.***
{Early into Sam's professional relationship with Richard, I suspected that he is more than just a client, so it was no surprise to me that there was more.}
I liked the interaction between Sam and Richard. Their characters were well-rounded. The other characters were less so. The story was pushed along at a nice pace by conflicts between the two, Sam and her co-workers, Sam and the men in her life, Sam and her boss, and plenty of Sam's inner conflicts, when she found out a diagnosis of her own.
Eventually, Sam finds her way.
There are several questions that aren't answered, though, like how was Sam able to maintain her employment after the dust settled and what happened to the patient with the heroin overdose? Was Sam ever accused in a suicide?
I see that there is a new cover, and it leads one to believe that there is some sinister psychological elements occurring. It simple isn't true. There are no heavy psychological twists and turns, but merely involves a woman who happens to be a psychologist working in a mental hospital. There is not much of a creep factor. It's just a story that moves along at a fairly good pace, peeling back layers and layers until a truth is revealed. The blind follow the blind until there is light.
***I received an uncorrected galley version from the publisher through Goodreads for an honest review.***
badly_behaved_books's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is more of psychological drama than thriller. The book could have been better if it were shorter. The ending is anticlimatic because of the obvious truth.
usbsticky's review
5.0
Masterful - I'm very surprised that this is a debut novel because the author writes like a veteran.
I'm not sure how to pigeonhole this book because it's not what I thought it would be. I got this from the thriller category but it's not your run of the mill thriller or action book. At first I was annoyed that I was duped into reading this book because all it was was about a clinical psychologist's life at a NY mental institution and that was the last thing I wanted to read about. But the writing was really easy to read and get into and I followed her day to day story at the zoo.
Dr. Sam James had a handsome Wall Street boyfriend and a seemingly successful career at work. Her boss and colleagues looked up to her and her male bff had an unfailing crush on her. But as you read on, more was revealed and underneath it all she was a train wreck. Behind the veneer of competency and professionalism, she was none of the above. Instead, she was an alcoholic, her bf was abusive and everything was unraveling. Her narrative was turning into an Edgar Allan Poe Tell-Tale heart narrative. Not only that, I was forced to turn the pages unwillingly, my work and even mealtimes forgotten.
The book is very well crafted and plotted out. The events take place in only a few places: at the clinic, home and a bar. And the events revolve only around a single main character: Sam James plus a small supporting cast. Despite this, you are never bored because the story is tightly focused and you don't have to waste your time reading about stuff that doesn't concern the story. This is in direct contrast to the last book I reviewed where there were too many characters, all of them paper thin and too many locations. Instead, it's all about Sam James and you are right in her head all the time. The author manages to keep your attention for all 408 pages and that's quite a feat. As the book comes to a close you will guess the ending and it's all because of a single sentence. The ending is a little abrupt and I wish there was a little more. This is one of the few times I wish there was an epilogue because I didn't want it to end so soon.
I don't think this is a book for everyone but if you like good writing for its own sake you'll like it. Congrats to the author for a great debut book.
I got this book as a free ARC.
I'm not sure how to pigeonhole this book because it's not what I thought it would be. I got this from the thriller category but it's not your run of the mill thriller or action book. At first I was annoyed that I was duped into reading this book because all it was was about a clinical psychologist's life at a NY mental institution and that was the last thing I wanted to read about. But the writing was really easy to read and get into and I followed her day to day story at the zoo.
Dr. Sam James had a handsome Wall Street boyfriend and a seemingly successful career at work. Her boss and colleagues looked up to her and her male bff had an unfailing crush on her. But as you read on, more was revealed and underneath it all she was a train wreck. Behind the veneer of competency and professionalism, she was none of the above. Instead, she was an alcoholic, her bf was abusive and everything was unraveling. Her narrative was turning into an Edgar Allan Poe Tell-Tale heart narrative. Not only that, I was forced to turn the pages unwillingly, my work and even mealtimes forgotten.
The book is very well crafted and plotted out. The events take place in only a few places: at the clinic, home and a bar. And the events revolve only around a single main character: Sam James plus a small supporting cast. Despite this, you are never bored because the story is tightly focused and you don't have to waste your time reading about stuff that doesn't concern the story. This is in direct contrast to the last book I reviewed where there were too many characters, all of them paper thin and too many locations. Instead, it's all about Sam James and you are right in her head all the time. The author manages to keep your attention for all 408 pages and that's quite a feat. As the book comes to a close you will guess the ending and it's all because of a single sentence. The ending is a little abrupt and I wish there was a little more. This is one of the few times I wish there was an epilogue because I didn't want it to end so soon.
I don't think this is a book for everyone but if you like good writing for its own sake you'll like it. Congrats to the author for a great debut book.
I got this book as a free ARC.