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bookdarling1987's review against another edition
3.0
Before I start my review, I want to say I am sorry to NetGalley and the publisher and author for my delayed review. I downloaded it on my kindle early and then for some odd reason it didn’t show up until I reloaded it. That being said this was a very different read for me. I always enjoy a good edge of your seat true crime, but I sadly had a tough time getting into this book. Now I will say that I felt that the case was presented well and that by the end of the book I hated Dr. Li. Not only did I hate him I was thrilled with the sentence he received for his part in the deaths of the people in the story and also in his part for making things so much worse for the opioid crisis. What I enjoyed about this book is the passion for getting the conviction that every member of that team had. While the legal system isn’t perfect it was refreshing to see a group of people put everything they had into something to get the desired outcome.
On the other side of the coin, however, is what I didn’t enjoy. I had a very hard time keeping up with the chapter transitions and headings. Unlike many of my fellow reviewers, however, I did not mind the bits and pieces that were included about the author's life. It gave me the reader a chance to process some of the harder parts I had read while I received a better understanding of the life that the author was trying to lead while trying to put an evil man behind bars. I was actually surprised by some of this read it was very well explained. My only downfall and why it’s getting a three-star rating from me is because the headings with how many days before and after the trial made things confusing where I found there were parts I had to go back and reread.
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
3.0
This was not a firecracker of a book nor a page-turning true detective story. Well, it was a true story. That part was correct. As for the rest, the book doesn't live up to that hype. It does tell an incredibly detailed account of how a doctor was brought to trial for overprescribing opioids and other medications and committing Medicare fraud. I was really surprised how shocked the author was about either of these situations. Both seem to be in the news with much frequency. Perhaps it wasn't as well publicized when she began prosecuting this case? How long have I needed to show ID to buy over the counter Sudafed? The book at its foundation was well written and interesting. But, I struggled with the continually bouncing timelines. That made it difficult to connect the pieces. The other thing that was a draw back for me was the inclusion of Ms. Bismuth's personal life. At first I couldn't decide if it was there to provide a mental break from all the medical and legal talk or if it was just distracting. By the end of the book I determined it was the later. These intrusions kept the book from being the taut drama promised.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
missmis99's review against another edition
3.0
This book tells an interesting story that kept me interested despite knowing the end at the beginning. It time hops quite a bit which, although I can see the author’ s purpose gets a bit in the way.
iadoreforks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
rini's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, and Pregnancy