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snootybeans's review
4.0
Thank you so mucn Netgalley for this ARC of Do No Harm! I could not wait to read it and I was not disappointed!! It was intense!!
This is the first medical thriller I have read in a while, and this is my first book by this author. I read the entire book in 24 hours, hating every time that I had to put it down to do anything else.
This book hooks you from page one and quickly gets into an exciting story. One that keeps the pages flowing. As a mom of a little boy I can imagine the desperation that Emma felt when faced with outrageous medical bills just to have a chance as saving her son. She may stumble down some dark, dangerous roads to get the money she needs for her sons treatments, but wouldn’t most moms do anything in their power to save their babies?
I can’t wait to read more by Christina Mcdonald! Be sure to pick up your copy of this book February 16, 2021!!
This is the first medical thriller I have read in a while, and this is my first book by this author. I read the entire book in 24 hours, hating every time that I had to put it down to do anything else.
This book hooks you from page one and quickly gets into an exciting story. One that keeps the pages flowing. As a mom of a little boy I can imagine the desperation that Emma felt when faced with outrageous medical bills just to have a chance as saving her son. She may stumble down some dark, dangerous roads to get the money she needs for her sons treatments, but wouldn’t most moms do anything in their power to save their babies?
I can’t wait to read more by Christina Mcdonald! Be sure to pick up your copy of this book February 16, 2021!!
leahpatullo's review
2.0
I guess I had higher expectations for this book. The themes were a bit elementary- Nate sees the world in black and white, good and bad, and Emma lives in shades of grey. Kind of figures one of them *has* to die (though I don't think it entirely changes the outcome.) Some of the medical aspects seemed forced. I guess it just wasn't for me.
shannontay's review
4.0
4.5 for sure. If you’re looking for something suspenseful that makes you want to keep turning pages, this might be the one you’re looking for!
chevy_2222's review
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
strawberrymivvy's review
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was at times quite a challenging book, as we see how quickly a seemingly respectable person's life can spiral out of control when they are thrown a curveball.
Emma seems to have it all, a great career, a loving husband and son, and is recovering from her difficult childhood, having lost her parents at a young age. When her son is diagnosed with a serious cancer, and the prognosis looks bad, their medical bills soon spiral out of control and she finds herself selling opioids to pay the bills and get him the treatment he needs.
This was pretty well-written and kept the pages turning, but it all seemed to happen a bit too quickly for my liking, and I'm not sure how realistic the time scale of her descent really was.
A good eye-opener to not just the opioid crisis, but more importantly the farce that is the US medical system that would see a young child die if the family doesn't have hundreds of thousands of dollars available.
Emma seems to have it all, a great career, a loving husband and son, and is recovering from her difficult childhood, having lost her parents at a young age. When her son is diagnosed with a serious cancer, and the prognosis looks bad, their medical bills soon spiral out of control and she finds herself selling opioids to pay the bills and get him the treatment he needs.
This was pretty well-written and kept the pages turning, but it all seemed to happen a bit too quickly for my liking, and I'm not sure how realistic the time scale of her descent really was.
A good eye-opener to not just the opioid crisis, but more importantly the farce that is the US medical system that would see a young child die if the family doesn't have hundreds of thousands of dollars available.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Murder
sek73's review against another edition
3.0
Argh
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Emma is not a hero. Nate is the hero. This story frustrated me so much.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Emma is not a hero. Nate is the hero. This story frustrated me so much.
jbeen21's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lori_vols's review
4.0
Fantastic story. I've read alot of unreliable narrator books lately...It was so nice to have a simple, straightforward story-line. The writing was beautifully crafted, and the story rather unique. I found it interesting that the author chose to highlight both sides of a controversial issue (the tendency of doctors to tightly control opiod pain medications such as oxycontin). The author mentioned the pros and the cons of this issue, which was a unique and fresh way to write a novel. This book definitely kept me entertained. It's one to read, for sure.
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
This book is so messed up--and I mean that as a compliment. Look past the spoiler tag at your own peril.
So I have to say, I admire how the author took me down the rabbit hole from there. This book nudged me just enough to make me feeling increasingly uneasy about Emma, until it finally pushed me straight over the edge. Then what kept me going was my hope that Nate would finally realize that Emma was manipulating him, that she was not exactly a model person for Josh to look up to, and that Nate would do the right thing in the end. I kept hoping this right up until that hope was crushed.
In some ways, the book isn't satisfying because I wanted Emma to get what was coming to her. She's a black hole, and I cared so much about Josh as a character I didn't want her to get away with her crimes. Finishing it disappointed me because I envisioned all kinds of bad things in Josh's future. There are a lot of victims in this book, and Josh is most definitely one of them.
But from a literary standpoint, I admired this book, as I always tend to do with fiction driven by dark characters. I always get more out of books that leave me uncomfortable, that make me think a lot about what I'd do if I were in the character's shoes. I certainly would not do what Emma had done, but I thought the author did an excellent job of unfolding events before me such that it wasn't a surprise to me to witness Emma's fall.
Spoiler
Initially, I could understand where Emma was coming from, and how, in her head, doing what she did was necessary. That doesn't mean it's something I'd do, but I thought the author did a good job of setting up the dilemma and making Emma's choice believable.So I have to say, I admire how the author took me down the rabbit hole from there. This book nudged me just enough to make me feeling increasingly uneasy about Emma, until it finally pushed me straight over the edge. Then what kept me going was my hope that Nate would finally realize that Emma was manipulating him, that she was not exactly a model person for Josh to look up to, and that Nate would do the right thing in the end. I kept hoping this right up until that hope was crushed.
In some ways, the book isn't satisfying because I wanted Emma to get what was coming to her. She's a black hole, and I cared so much about Josh as a character I didn't want her to get away with her crimes. Finishing it disappointed me because I envisioned all kinds of bad things in Josh's future. There are a lot of victims in this book, and Josh is most definitely one of them.
But from a literary standpoint, I admired this book, as I always tend to do with fiction driven by dark characters. I always get more out of books that leave me uncomfortable, that make me think a lot about what I'd do if I were in the character's shoes. I certainly would not do what Emma had done, but I thought the author did an excellent job of unfolding events before me such that it wasn't a surprise to me to witness Emma's fall.
deetour8's review
2.0
The story begins with Emma, who has what seems like the perfect life. She helps people every day at work as a doctor, is happily married to Nate, a detective, and has a sweet son, Josh. But when Josh is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer her world is turned upside down. To save his life she must come up with $98,000 in two weeks because insurance won't pay for it. She turns to her old flame, who was also her brother Ben's best friend when they where teenagers until Ben got arrested for possession. Together the three of them start an opioid ring to get the money needed to save Josh's life while Nate is put on the case to put an end to the opioid crisis.
This book is very relevant to the current opioid crisis and touches on the various ways that the system is failing American society, and how easily anyone can get addicted. However, it's lacking in various ways leaving the story flat. The characters aren't built enough for the reader to truly care about them and the plot comes to obvious conclusions throughout. It was a struggle to finish the book because of these two aspects.
This book is very relevant to the current opioid crisis and touches on the various ways that the system is failing American society, and how easily anyone can get addicted. However, it's lacking in various ways leaving the story flat. The characters aren't built enough for the reader to truly care about them and the plot comes to obvious conclusions throughout. It was a struggle to finish the book because of these two aspects.