Title: The Patient
Author: Cole Baxter
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Pages: 312
My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐
James Owens, a 30-year-old schizophrenic, is released after spending 20 years in a
psychiatric facility for committing a crime he can’t even remember. On his
release, he learns that he has inherited his childhood home and a lot of money
from his father, a man who abused him throughout his childhood.
Life is tough, considering he has no experience of navigating the real world as an adult. But even though his childhood abuser is dead, James can feel his
presence everywhere. It feels as if the house is haunted. Things move on their own,
and there is paranormal activity afoot. James knows well that he can’t afford
to lose control. One more crime, and he will be put away in a real prison.
When he feels himself struggling, he calls his sister, Janet, and she
offers to come help him. But the paranormal stuff continues, until he doesn't know what's real and what's not. Is his illness catching up with him? Or is someone trying to mess with his mind?
I couldn’t understand James. Janet gaslit him too often and still he
couldn’t see through her. The constant repetition of “She’s in my corner,” and “She
has my back” was annoying.
The parole officer, Brianna Caldwell, was unreal. No parole officer
would throw themselves at a parolee like that? Also he has a crush on her, this we know. But
her so-called feelings for him came to us out of the blue and without warning. The sex
scene was completely unrequired.
The schizophrenia element could have come out more strongly.
The conclusion was wrapped up too fast, while the plot events streamed by too slowly.
The book cover featured the hallway in a hospital, which is strange, considering that when the book begins, James has been discharged from the hospital. He never steps back in, except briefly in the Epilogue.
Overall, this was a weak story.
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