The Hate U Give by Angie ThomasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Review: Couple Found Slain: After a Family Murder
Couple Found Slain: After a Family Murder by Mikita BrottmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This true crime, non-fiction account of the forensic mental health system over several decades was incredibly accurate and disturbing. This is the story of Brian Bechtold, a 22-year-old man who wandered into a police department in Port St. Joe, Florida and confessed to killing both of his parents. This crime was occurred in Maryland where the family was living and therefore Brian was arrested and tried in Maryland. He was found guilty by reason of insanity or what was called "not criminally responsible". He was sentenced to "treatment and incarceration" in a state mental facility for the "criminally insane". The system at the time was one of maximum security with step down units based on good behavior. A problem with this approach is that it is incredibly subjective. In addition to this, there is very little true review of a case. In other words, the history and documentation that is in place from the beginning remains an active part of the chart throughout the sentence. When new doctors and nurses assume care for the individual, they often adopt the previous diagnoses rather than "start over" and formulate their own diagnosis. Therefore, Brian, who was highly intelligent and educated, was stuck in a monotonous loop of mediocre or poor treatment and lack of new ideas.
From my personal experience having worked in the forensic unit of a psychiatric state hospital, I can absolutely see both sides of this situation. From the caregiver side, it would be difficult to have the resources and time to fully review and rediagnose every person you care for when taking over from a previous provider. In addition, resources for treatment options are limited as is staffing. This can lead to less than stellar care. However, I can absolutely see that the person who is admitted to a facility may feel as though they have done everything right after they are admitted and yet are no closer to discharge and feel like there is no hope.
I believe that the other issue is that mental healthcare has gone to a rehabilitation model, where the expectation, on both sides, is for functional improvement and ultimately the ability to resume as normal a life as possible. The ability to control impulses and take care of activities of daily living is a goal that may be obtainable or not. The decision that someone is at risk to themselves or others is a vital consideration as well. I have seen people who do rehabilitate and can be safely discharged to a forensic group home and then some do return to their homes. I have also seen the opposite situation, where the mental health issue is intractable and the likelihood of fully returning to society outside of a psychiatric institution is low.
This book brings up some excellent points and was a great read. I was allowed an early release of the audiobook. I flew through it, knowing many of the places and the situations. It gives a fantastic look at how this system works, or doesn't work, and is highly worth the time. The narrator, Christina Delaine, did a great job with this as well.
#CoupleFoundSlain #Netgalley #MacmillanAudio
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Review: The (Other) You: Stories
The (Other) You: Stories by Joyce Carol OatesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love anything by Joyce Carol Oates. With that said, I am more a fan of her novels than her short stories. However, this collection was woven together in a way that really worked for me. I loved the ideas within and between the stories. The imaginative way themes of time, alternative realities, love, friendship, aging, relationships and life choices were all compelling to read. I enjoyed the many ways Oates intertwined the "Purple Onion" stories together, each having a different purpose or part to play in the broader story. I really loved the reflections on couples aging together and the things we are proud to have accomplished or regret having done.
Overall, this was a well designed compilation of stories into themes that overlapped or played off each other. For all the Oates fans out there, this is a definitely recommended collection. I enjoyed these stories and their themes.
#TheOtherYou #Netgalley #Ecco
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Review: The High-Rise Diver
The High-Rise Diver by Julia von LucadouMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'm still somewhat uncertain about my feelings about this story. This centers in a dystopian world where perfection is key to life. The athlete diver is a woman who literally dives off of high rise buildings for her living. Her ability to achieve perfection is tied to the rewards of a higher standard of living. This definitely had many undercurrents that reminded me of many other dystopian novels. There was something reminiscent of several of this genre. One of the interesting developments occurs early when Riva, the diver, becomes depressed and does not want to participate in her sport of diving any longer. The other characters' stories were more intriguing regarding the culture that dictated life for all.
I thought this was good but maybe not as compelling as some of the others in the genre.
#TheHighRiseDiver #Netgalley #WorldEditions
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Review: Every Last Fear
Every Last Fear by Alex FinlayMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you are searching for a page-turning, gripping thriller, look no further. Every Last Fear has it all wrapped into one book. Matt is a film student at NYU and loving it. He is contacted unexpectedly by the FBI after his parents and younger siblings are found dead while on a spring break trip to Mexico. It appears to be a freak accident but Matt has had his share of fame already. His older brother is in prison for the murder of his high school girlfriend and his appeal to the Supreme Court has been denied. Danny is looking at life in prison and the family is still trying to understand why. They don't see Danny as a killer but the events leading to his prosecution don't point in other directions so he is found guilty. Their father and younger sister are obsessed with tracking every lead. Does this obsession pay off or lead them down a dangerous path? Why were they in Mexico? What lead them there for vacation?
There are so many facets of this story and yet the author did a terrific job of tying them together.
Highly recommend to all the thriller lovers.
#EveryLastFear #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #Minotaur
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Review: Wrong Alibi
Wrong Alibi by Christina DoddMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Life is a struggle for our protagonist, Evelyn/Evie who we meet as a juvenile delinquent. She has spent the majority of her high school years in Juvenile Detention for a crime that she did not commit. As a positive stroke of luck, at the time of her release, she finds unexpected good fortune in a job that will move her from California to small town Alaska. She is somewhat hesitant because the job is as a bookkeeper for a man living in an isolated home on the outskirts of town. She is also asked to take care of possibly shady finances, although she is rather naïve to this because she has not dealt with her own finances previously.
Evie considers it her good fortune that he pays her well, has her take care of easy tasks and does not try anything intimate with her. Then he finishes his project and leaves for the day and she is quickly in over her head as she is accused of a double homicide that he appears to have committed and there is no trace of this man ever existing. She goes on trial instead and is headed to prison.
The story is full of twists and turns and coincidences that are unlikely to be coincidences. At times, you aren't sure who to trust and who is a villain. The story unfolds in an interesting way and I turned the pages quickly to discover the whole story. The one caveat is that this is labeled as a romance but this is an important but relatively small piece of the entire story. It was a nice addition though.
Definitely recommend to thriller lovers.
#WrongAlibi #Netgalley #HarlequinRomance
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Review: Confessions on the 7:45
Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa UngerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fast paced story that shifts between timelines and narrators.
This book begins with two women with similar but opposite background stories who meet accidentally on a commuter train. They sit next to each other and begin a conversation about the problems in their lives. One, Martha, is dealing with the repercussions of having an affair with her boss who happens to be married to the owner of the company. On the other hand, Selena, is a married mother and wife who also works outside the home who has just discovered that her suspicions of her husband having an affair are well founded. She has moved the baby camera to a different location so she sees her husband with the nanny. These two women share their secrets and Martha says something questioning how Selena would feel if the nanny disappeared which unsettles Selena even more. Selena is unsure how to take the comment and passes it off as hypothetical. The following Monday, the police arrive at Selena's home and the nanny fails to show up for work having gone missing over the weekend. Quite a beginning!
There are more twists and turns in this plot than one would see coming but I loved every one!
This is a fun and fast paced thriller that will grab you easily and carries through to the very end.
Highly recommend.
#Confessionsonthe745 #NetGalley #HarlequinTradePublishing #ParkRow
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