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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
"And now, the continuing story of a former orthopedic surgeon who's gone to the dogs."
Wait, scratch that, this is not an old-school Muppets sketch, just the continuation of my Book of the Month (BotM) adventure.
This was my second selection for December 2020.
Full disclosure, I am a mental health provider who specializes in suicide prevention, so I should have known better than to read this.
Therapy is rarely presented accurately in works of fiction (with some notable exceptions, like Sopranos, Tell Me You Love Me, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, in my opinion at least). This book was no different. One of the two POV characters is a therapist, although her credentials are not specified. I had many negative reactions to her descriptions of her practice. 1) Her mention of Gestalt as a modality she uses, in her current day practice...um...sure. I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm applying leeches to a client to rebalance their humours. 2) She thinks her most therapeutic interventions are giving clients hot cups of tea, playing classical music and encouraging them to open windows for fresh air. This is the equivalent of your physician giving you chicken soup when you need a prescription for antibiotics. 3) And here's were we veer into ethically questionable territory, she pushes her religious beliefs on clients and quotes bible passages to them.
None of that even gets to all the inappropriate ways she interacts with the other POV character, who she meets on a bridge as he is about to jump. Not a spoiler, this happens on page one. It was like the author took a slide from one of my trainings and had her character do everything listed in the "Don't" column. There were sections I would start to enjoy, allowing my hackles to relax a little and almost convincing me to raise my rating a star. The two main characters would be having an interesting conversation, sharing things about themselves and filling in their backstories, then the "therapist" would derail it with a tactless attempt to reassess his suicide risk and I would be mentally out again.
It is also very clear from early on that there will eventually be a tragic reveal for the male POV character, but it was such a slog to get there it didn't have much of an emotional impact on me. I thought it was pretty obvious early on he was suffering from _______ (diagnosis redacted to avoid spoilers). After all that, the ending felt like it fizzled out.
I think this book could have been much better if the one character wasn't a therapist, the other wasn't suicidal, and it had been written as a straight forward romance novel. I say this fully realizing that those first two points are the main plot elements. The first 3/4 of the book feels like a standard romance novel shortly after it gets rolling. She is going to take off her glasses and shake out her hair any moment, at which point he'll realize he's falling in love. A recent divorcee with infertility struggles learning to love again isn't a book I would personally read, but it would have optimized the parts that I think worked.
Any positives? Another short read. I finished in two days. Not a page-turner, but you don't have to think very hard and I never felt the desire to slow down or stop to savor a moment. Also the inclusion of bi-racial main characters with a few sections highlighting systemic racism. Finally, I think the author writes cats really well. I would read more about Jim and Pam.
Would I recommend it? No.
Will I read anything else by the author? No
BotM ongoing impression(s): Afraid my initial concern may be warranted, one of the characters mentions pretty early on how much she loves the Outlander series (see previous review for context).
I will again end with my limited by character BotM review:
"As a mental health provider specializing in suicide prevention reading this was a mistake. Infuriatingly inaccurate portrayal of a clinician who did everything you shouldn't when someone is suicidal."
What will 2021 hold?
Wait, scratch that, this is not an old-school Muppets sketch, just the continuation of my Book of the Month (BotM) adventure.
This was my second selection for December 2020.
Full disclosure, I am a mental health provider who specializes in suicide prevention, so I should have known better than to read this.
Therapy is rarely presented accurately in works of fiction (with some notable exceptions, like Sopranos, Tell Me You Love Me, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, in my opinion at least). This book was no different. One of the two POV characters is a therapist, although her credentials are not specified. I had many negative reactions to her descriptions of her practice. 1) Her mention of Gestalt as a modality she uses, in her current day practice...um...sure. I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm applying leeches to a client to rebalance their humours. 2) She thinks her most therapeutic interventions are giving clients hot cups of tea, playing classical music and encouraging them to open windows for fresh air. This is the equivalent of your physician giving you chicken soup when you need a prescription for antibiotics. 3) And here's were we veer into ethically questionable territory, she pushes her religious beliefs on clients and quotes bible passages to them.
None of that even gets to all the inappropriate ways she interacts with the other POV character, who she meets on a bridge as he is about to jump. Not a spoiler, this happens on page one. It was like the author took a slide from one of my trainings and had her character do everything listed in the "Don't" column. There were sections I would start to enjoy, allowing my hackles to relax a little and almost convincing me to raise my rating a star. The two main characters would be having an interesting conversation, sharing things about themselves and filling in their backstories, then the "therapist" would derail it with a tactless attempt to reassess his suicide risk and I would be mentally out again.
It is also very clear from early on that there will eventually be a tragic reveal for the male POV character, but it was such a slog to get there it didn't have much of an emotional impact on me. I thought it was pretty obvious early on he was suffering from _______ (diagnosis redacted to avoid spoilers). After all that, the ending felt like it fizzled out.
I think this book could have been much better if the one character wasn't a therapist, the other wasn't suicidal, and it had been written as a straight forward romance novel. I say this fully realizing that those first two points are the main plot elements. The first 3/4 of the book feels like a standard romance novel shortly after it gets rolling. She is going to take off her glasses and shake out her hair any moment, at which point he'll realize he's falling in love. A recent divorcee with infertility struggles learning to love again isn't a book I would personally read, but it would have optimized the parts that I think worked.
Any positives? Another short read. I finished in two days. Not a page-turner, but you don't have to think very hard and I never felt the desire to slow down or stop to savor a moment. Also the inclusion of bi-racial main characters with a few sections highlighting systemic racism. Finally, I think the author writes cats really well. I would read more about Jim and Pam.
Would I recommend it? No.
Will I read anything else by the author? No
BotM ongoing impression(s): Afraid my initial concern may be warranted, one of the characters mentions pretty early on how much she loves the Outlander series (see previous review for context).
I will again end with my limited by character BotM review:
"As a mental health provider specializing in suicide prevention reading this was a mistake. Infuriatingly inaccurate portrayal of a clinician who did everything you shouldn't when someone is suicidal."
What will 2021 hold?
Content Warning: Depression, suicide, violence, and death.
I've rated this book three stars because I enjoyed it and thought that it was worth reading, but I would not recommend it or read it again.
This Close to Okay is a novel about a recently divorced therapist encountering a man attempting suicide on a bridge, and how their relationship develops over the course of a single weekend. The present-day story takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, but there are flashbacks that take place in other locations.
Although this story begins in media res, the beginning feels very slow to me. The first sentence should have been a great attention-grabber, but I actually had to reread the first page several times.
Everything about this book feels just okay – I'm not blown away by the writing, the detail, or the characters, but I feel that they do a good enough job. There's a lot of detail in this story, almost to a fault. Scenes involving meals and clothes are sometimes bogged down by elaborate descriptions.
There are definitely a few “wow” moments in this story that I didn't see coming, and those moments are what pull this book away from being a two-star and into the three-star realm. If you like interesting twists, this story pulls it off well and places characters in unusual situations.
There is a major info-dump at the end of this novel that’s a little bit difficult to get through. It feels like, for the majority of the middle part of this story, you’re waiting for this information, but once you finally get to it there’s too much.
I wonder whether Tallulah is crosses an ethical line when she decides to treat Emmitt without his permission. Obviously it isn't as Tallie makes it a point to keep her occupation to herself, and I wonder about the repeated insistence that Emmitt isn't her client.
Furthermore, where is the line drawn for a therapist? How long can you talk to someone about their mental health without performing as a therapist rather than a friend? If Tallie isn’t a psychiatrist, and is only a therapist, does that make it not as bad since she isn’t technically a medical professional operating without her patient’s consent?
Is a therapist to a psychiatrist like a masseuse is to a physical therapist? Is it less harmful for Tallie because she doesn’t administer medication? These are questions that I don’t know the answer to, but her interactions with Emmitt made me think a lot about how difficult it must be for therapists to interact with the people around them without crossing a line.
I’m also interested in Emmitt’s fake emailing. To me, this is such a gross and specific invasion of privacy that it feels like Tallie does not react to it strongly enough. It also feels like the story’s explanation of Emmitt’s attachment to his letters being enough justification for him to engage in such an elaborate scheme is a little weak, especially given Emmitt's supposed kind and gentle energy.
We are shown, throughout the story, that Emmitt is a very compassionate and thoughtful person, and the email scheme just does not feel like it fits in with the rest of his character. When he begins to do it, it feels too natural to him and that makes it feel like it’s coming out of left-field. We are shown that he is a good person, but for some reason this elaborate process of creating a fake email account is already planned in his mind. These things do not line up.
Overall I enjoyed this read and think if you're looking for somewhat of a romantic, cozy-feeling book this one might fit. There are many references to violence, death, mental illness, and suicide so if you're not interested in reading something with these topics this book is not for you.
I've rated this book three stars because I enjoyed it and thought that it was worth reading, but I would not recommend it or read it again.
This Close to Okay is a novel about a recently divorced therapist encountering a man attempting suicide on a bridge, and how their relationship develops over the course of a single weekend. The present-day story takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, but there are flashbacks that take place in other locations.
Although this story begins in media res, the beginning feels very slow to me. The first sentence should have been a great attention-grabber, but I actually had to reread the first page several times.
Everything about this book feels just okay – I'm not blown away by the writing, the detail, or the characters, but I feel that they do a good enough job. There's a lot of detail in this story, almost to a fault. Scenes involving meals and clothes are sometimes bogged down by elaborate descriptions.
There are definitely a few “wow” moments in this story that I didn't see coming, and those moments are what pull this book away from being a two-star and into the three-star realm. If you like interesting twists, this story pulls it off well and places characters in unusual situations.
There is a major info-dump at the end of this novel that’s a little bit difficult to get through. It feels like, for the majority of the middle part of this story, you’re waiting for this information, but once you finally get to it there’s too much.
I wonder whether Tallulah is crosses an ethical line when she decides to treat Emmitt without his permission. Obviously it isn't as Tallie makes it a point to keep her occupation to herself, and I wonder about the repeated insistence that Emmitt isn't her client.
Furthermore, where is the line drawn for a therapist? How long can you talk to someone about their mental health without performing as a therapist rather than a friend? If Tallie isn’t a psychiatrist, and is only a therapist, does that make it not as bad since she isn’t technically a medical professional operating without her patient’s consent?
Is a therapist to a psychiatrist like a masseuse is to a physical therapist? Is it less harmful for Tallie because she doesn’t administer medication? These are questions that I don’t know the answer to, but her interactions with Emmitt made me think a lot about how difficult it must be for therapists to interact with the people around them without crossing a line.
I’m also interested in Emmitt’s fake emailing. To me, this is such a gross and specific invasion of privacy that it feels like Tallie does not react to it strongly enough. It also feels like the story’s explanation of Emmitt’s attachment to his letters being enough justification for him to engage in such an elaborate scheme is a little weak, especially given Emmitt's supposed kind and gentle energy.
We are shown, throughout the story, that Emmitt is a very compassionate and thoughtful person, and the email scheme just does not feel like it fits in with the rest of his character. When he begins to do it, it feels too natural to him and that makes it feel like it’s coming out of left-field. We are shown that he is a good person, but for some reason this elaborate process of creating a fake email account is already planned in his mind. These things do not line up.
Overall I enjoyed this read and think if you're looking for somewhat of a romantic, cozy-feeling book this one might fit. There are many references to violence, death, mental illness, and suicide so if you're not interested in reading something with these topics this book is not for you.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was alright. I get the feeling this was supposed to hit me in my feelings, but it didn’t really connect with me. I was wondering how long the characters were just going to lie to each other and do things behind their backs. In the end it all worked out.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📚 Review: Damn. This book was heavy. I had a hard time putting it down, and when I had to, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. While this book is fiction, the mystery of what happened was happening kept me reading, though I did guess it.
I felt like some of the characters were well written while others weren’t, and a lot of ethical lines were crossed by these characters. I did like this story and some of the dialogue, and am curious about the writers other books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Alcohol
2.5 . Last 60 pages were really good, but the rest, I’m sorry -I just didn’t like it.
.
.
.
This book had potential. I liked the ending so much, but the book could’ve been so much stronger if it focused more on what was revealed in the ending rather than it being a mystery the whole time.
I love contemporary/ lit fiction and this didn’t feel like that at all. It just felt like dialogue mixed with some mystery. I think the author could have been more intentional with these characters and their interpersonal relationships.
.
.
.
This book had potential. I liked the ending so much, but the book could’ve been so much stronger if it focused more on what was revealed in the ending rather than it being a mystery the whole time.
I love contemporary/ lit fiction and this didn’t feel like that at all. It just felt like dialogue mixed with some mystery. I think the author could have been more intentional with these characters and their interpersonal relationships.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really beautifully written and masterful way to represent how chance encounters can change our lives. So good.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief
Moderate: Racism
Let me wipe my tears so I can write this review...I loved this book. The characters were complex, real, and hard not to feel so deeply for. It was unpredictable at times and heartbreaking. A story of love, loss, grief, friendship and hope. Loved it.