(Reviewed by JD Jung)
“Patient additionally shows a high propensity toward violence and sadism. Patient has assaulted numerous members of staff and has had to be restrained. Despite relative youth, patient seems intuitively aware of which parts of the human body are most vulnerable or sensitive to pain. “
“He’s developed an ability to induce suicide in people as a defense mechanism, much the same way his original personality ‘died’ to make room for the monstrous one.”
After reading the psychiatric files of Joseph M., a secluded patient at the end of the hall who had been in the mental hospital for over thirty years, Parker H. a newly hired psychiatrist was determined to help or “cure” him. Sure, those in his contact suffered tragic outcomes, but Parker felt that something didn’t quite fit here. How could the mild-mannered Joseph M. be such a monster?
Parker graduated from a prestigious New England university and decided to start his career at a Connecticut state asylum. His interest in psychiatry stemmed from years of witnessing his mother’s neglect from a broken medical system after being institutionalized for paranoid schizophrenia.
The hospital directors just wanted to medicate Joseph M. and avoid talk therapy. After all, his parents were quite wealthy, and the hospital needed the money. Could Joseph M. be a victim of a similar broken system as Parker’s mother?
Parker asks to oversee Joseph M. After much pushback, his request is granted. Will the idealistic Parker be able to help him, or will he fall prey to a similar fate as the others?
Parker chronicles his career working with Joseph M. in the riveting The Patient. This well-written story grabbed me from beginning to end. I just couldn’t put it down. The story structure and character development added to the suspense and over-all plot.
I would have given this novel a rating of “5 bookmarks” (a must-read now!), except for one downside: the ending. I felt it was a huge surprise but a cop-out. I don’t want to give anything away, and maybe it’s just personal preference, so I’ll leave it at that.
Still, The Patient is an exciting must-read and readers will enjoy the journey. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
