Teri Terry is one of my all-time favorite authors. I have read and loved several of her books and jumped at the chance to read her new book. "The Patient" by Teri Terry is a character-driven psychological thriller with a dash of supernatural elements thrown in for good measure.
Saphy, a young woman with a life-threatening heart condition, receives a heart transplant and gets a new lease on life. The donation came from Flora, a young woman who was declared brain-stem dead after a vicious attack that left her in a coma and on a ventilator. After learning her donor’s identity from the news, Saphy becomes obsessed with Flora. She picks apart every detail about Flora, collects her photos, and even tries to copy her appearance. She starts having nightmares about her and develops tastes similar to Flora.
When Flora's family contacts her and asks to meet her, she eagerly agrees for the chance to learn more about Flora. She wants to be Flora, whose life seems to sparkle. The plot thickens when a couple of patients, recipients of Flora’s organs, are viciously attacked, leaving Saphy worried that she is next in line. Maybe being Flora isn't such a good idea...
The novel is a concoction of intrigue, a psychological character study, and a family drama. With themes of friendship, bereavement, fallible human nature, right and wrong, and moral dilemmas, the author has woven a tale that I enjoyed reading.
The book is written from a first-person perspective, alternating between Saphy and Fern (Flora’s sister). Almost two-thirds of the book follows the characters and builds up to the action in the last third of the book. The story is well-written, and the narrative flows at a steady pace. I like that the author addresses the dilemma of organ donation from both sides of the coin. One of the most interesting questions this book raises is how you would act in the same position, and it emphasizes the importance of organ donation.
Even though the action doesn't start until the last section, it was an interesting read. I loved reading about the transplant process from the perspectives of both Saphy and Fern, though I really preferred Saphy and connected with her more. Fern was colder and harder to connect with, and I found her lacking, and her choices unacceptable. The ending was satisfactory, but I didn't like that not all parties got their just desserts. Some twists I guessed, but others managed to surprise me.
All in all, I loved the book and found it difficult to pull myself away from it. I give the book 4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars. The story was engaging, the characters believable, and the steady pace of the plot kept me turning the pages. The author does a wonderful job of providing just enough detail to paint a clear picture of the characters and settings without being tedious. I recommend it to those of you looking for something a little different in their mystery books.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "The Patient" by Teri Terry
No comments:
Post a Comment