Potential Spoilers(!) - It’s ok.

I think the book is okay, the narrator was quite good and the premise of the story is fine; could’ve been more interesting.

One thing I didn’t really like about the book is that it seems to hold the doctor helping Edith as a heroic man who holds high regards with his patients, especially Edith’s friend, Bernie. However, he was only determined to help her purely based on his attraction to her, which I find unethical. I wish it was challenged more. The few weak attempts were poor and the book made it seem like the person confronting him was actually the bad one, in my opinion.

Overall, it’s just ok.

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Loved it !

Found this Reality Hard to put Too Turn off Until today there has never been proof these methods work. They only Turn Patients into Zombies.
So well Researched I hope The Doctor never sent her back.
A part two would be good great Material for a new mini series .
The Narrator was wonderful I Highly recommend this Book what ever your beliefs are. !

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3 people found this helpful

Okay

Not the best but a good listen! Was interesting to hear the end and how it relates

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Great read

held my attention to the end. really enjoyed this book characters were believable Great read

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5 people found this helpful

Overall good

Very good. Reminded me of the Silent Patient at first. Slightly predictable maybe towards end.

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3 people found this helpful

Gripping book, sad but inspiring.

I was gripped from the outset. As the story unfolded I was a bit sceptical but then did some research into the subject matter, and was fascinated. Good and bad guys in the book, resulting in a use and ill treatment. The ending was quite a twist! Highly recommended. Wonderfully narrated.

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A great one if you are open to something different

4.25-4.5⭐️

Available on KU and Listen

I had the audiobook narrated by Katherine Littrell who does an excellent job with the narration.
It’s historical fiction, almost a character study, with mystery elements thrown in.

Set in a New Zealand lunatic asylum during WW2. Edith has been a patient in the asylum since she was 5 years old.
When Edith survives a fire on her ward she is questioned by police and a new young doctor Declan Harris, who is left questioning the official reasons for her incarceration.
It’s told in split time frames to tell Edith’s story as a youngster, and the events which led to her incarceration, as well as her current circumstance.

It’s a slower paced very character driven story, the slower pace scene setting isn’t detrimental, I was quickly hooked. I found the premise of the story fascinating. Edith’s situation was heartbreaking, she’s very likeable it’s easy to engage with her plight. Her character is so well portrayed, I really liked the young Doctor who turns into an amateur sleuth.
I found it Interesting that the inspiration is based on a fire in an institution where there were only 2 survivors during that time period.

If you are open to something a little different I recommend this audiobook.

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A good idea made boring

The two central influences for this book - the unexplained fire at a mental institution in NZ and the strange, inexplicable ability of some children to seemingly reincarnate others’ lives - seemed like a promising starting point. However the author renders the subject matter in such a boring way that half way through I was hoping that the central character Edith would have her lachotomy (lobotomy?) which would render her stupid and we could be done with the whole story. The narrator does try to enliven the prose, but this is a difficult job. If one more person licked their lips when they were stressed, took a wry tone with the distress of the in patients or indicated their inner response with an eye movement, I thought I would scream.The main male character ( and yes ladies this is an intelligent well educated man rescuing a damsel in distress - yawn) dithers and dallies about every decision to the degree it had me shouting at him to just bloody DO something. And I guessed the big reveal ending about two thirds in. This author had me wishing that I wasn’t a person who must finish a book once I’ve started it ... life’s too short to waste time on lightweight prose like this.

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couldn't get into this book at all

didn't even bother to finish, complete waste of money. don't think I'll even go back to it either.

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1 person found this helpful