Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Imposter by Bradeigh Godfrey

2 reviews

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Out September 13, 2022 [Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Lilian hasn’t seen her sister Rosie in years, until Rosie shows up back in her life begging to talk to her about a matter of life and death. But before Rosie can share her secrets, a car accident leaves her with a severe brain injury, and Lilian seeking answers.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the fall, and it ended up being a lot of fun! The premise felt familiar (estranged family members, brain injury and buried secrets) yet unique all at once, and the medical side of the book was definitely aided by the fact that the author is an actual real-life doctor.

I did figure out the twists, but I’ve come to the conclusion that’s my own fault because I’ve already read All The Books In The World. And I’m never too mad about figuring things out anyway—that just means the author did a good job unspooling enough hints for a sophisticated reader to latch onto, and I personally take it as a sign of a good book!

Most of all, I loved that this book dealt with heavy, serious themes—including intimate partner abuse, the weight of sisterhood, parental neglect, postpartum anxiety, and loss of loved ones—and handled sensitive subjects deftly and with great care. Not every book can balance dark subject matter and strong positive messages, but this one definitely did.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: stories about sisters; medical thrillers; multiple twists.

CW: Intimate partner abuse; gaslighting/manipulation; parental neglect; postpartum anxiety; death of parents; death of child; grief; mental illness; car accident; mentions of sexual assault; mentions of animal cruelty; gun violence.

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pomoevareads's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

When fellow #bookishladiesclub member Bradeigh Godfrey said she was coming out with a thriller, I knew I would want to read it! I am so glad I did!!

Two sisters, who are reuniting after a lengthy time apart, are involved in a serious motor vehicle accident caused by another driver on an icy road. Rosie had something important to tell her older sister Lilian, a matter of life and death, when they were struck. Now Lilian is suffering from post concussive syndrome and Rosie has suffered a serious traumatic brain injury.  Lilian is determined to discover what Rosie felt was so important to tell her and if the car accident was actually an accident.

I loved the sister bond and the mothering role that Lilian took on for her younger sister of 10 years. Hitting on domestic abuse, therapy, toxic relationships, parental and child loss, post-partum anxiety, and many more topics in such a real way, it is important that sensitive readers take care as this book could be triggering. 

Imposter is full of secrets that slowly reveal themselves and several twists to entertain the reader. I found myself suspecting everyone and trying to figure out the whys. Bradeigh has written full characters and gives us just the right amount of medical terminology to enhance a well paced story. 

As someone who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2010 and am still living with the repercussions, I enjoyed seeing the representation. 

Thank you to @bradeighgodfrey, @netgalley and @Blackstonepublishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. Imposter comes out September 13, 2022! There is still time to pre-order it!

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