Suspense

DNF ( )

Connie has done something bad which has landed her in a mental institution - something to do with her best friend Ness. There is a forensic psychiatrist (what is that exactly?) treating her, who has to be the most unprofessional and incompetent doctor of all time. Dribs and drabs of Connie's story are parceled out, skipping back and forth between the present and the past, but we don't get the whole story until the last couple of chapters. The way Connie's situation is resolved seems totally unlikely and more than a little implausible. I found this book to be a disappointment. ( )

It has been a very long time sense I have read a book I stayed up half the night to finish. This was one of those books. Once I started it, it was impossible to put down. This was a very fast read and kept me turning the page. But me being the person I am was not thrilled with the ending. I would have liked to see a little justice for the main character. But this author did not disappoint on a fantastic story. I HIGHLY recommend it ! Absolutely fantastic! So happy I did not miss reading this book. (***** ) ( )

I absolutely loved this debut novel by Natalie Daniels. It's a real page turner with an ending that is surprising. It's one of the few books that I've read recently that kept me up way past bedtime but I just had to know how it would end.

At the beginning, Connie was married with two small children and a stressful job. She didn't get to spend as much time with her family as she wanted to but everything was working out. One day at the park she met Ness, a new neighbor with a daughter the same age as Connie's. They became best friends and confided all of their secrets to each other. A few chapters later, Connie woke up in a psychiatric hospital. She was battered and bruised and her hair was falling out AND she had no idea why she was there or how long she'd been there. She was told that she'd committed a horrific crime and the media is referring to her as the Yummy Monster but she has no memory of a crime. When her doctor starts coming to visit, she starts to remember things. Her psychiatrist is Emma, a dedicated forensic psychiatrist whose job was to determine if Connie was able to stand trial for her crime. Some people thought that Connie was fooling everyone by acting like she doesn't remember but Emma decides that she has dissociative amnesia and really can't remember what happened. As Connie and Emma spend more time together, Emma begins to develop a friendship and tells Connie things about her life that shouldn't have been discussed between the two of them. Will their growing relationship help or hurt Connie's recovery?

This is a page turner of a novel about friendship and mental illness and forgiveness not only of others but of yourself. It was hard to believe that this was a debut novel and I will be watching for this author's next book. ( )