Pages

Monday, February 24, 2020

My take on: The Antidote for Everything


I liken The Antidote for Everything, by Kimmery Martin, to a very long, intense episode of the TV show Grey’s Anatomy! The backdrop for the book is a small-town clinic/hospital, where a lot of people, especially management, are a bit too rigid, nosy, and small-minded. Those who go against the grain tend to be the fun ones, but also the ones who get labelled as “troublemakers.”

Doctors Georgia Brown and Jonah Tsukada are the fun ones. They are also best friends. Without any close family members to count on, Jonah is the most important person in Georgia’s life. And the same is true for Jonah. They love and support each other through it all: long days at work, bad days at work, rough relationships, or whenever they need a shoulder to cry on.

As Georgia heads overseas for a conference, Jonah receives some startling news. His job and potentially his reputation are at risk. The hospital no longer wants to treat transgender patients, or anyone in the LGBTQ community for that matter. Doctors who don’t go along with this policy will be fired, and Jonah is the first up on the firing squad. As a gay man, refusing to care for members of his own community is too much for Jonah to take. He intends to fight the hospital, and Georgia intends to be right there with him. She feels guilty for being away when her friend needs her the most, despite Jonah telling her not to. More so because she might have just met the man of her dreams, the handsome Mark. Even Jonah knows a relationship is just the thing Georgia needs!!

Be honest doesn’t this sound like a plot line from Grey’s Anatomy!

Nursing a budding relationship proves to be a blessing and a curse for Georgia. Mark is attractive, attentive, kind, and most important of all a good listener. He listens to her anguish over Jonah’s situation and isn’t the least bit put off by her devotion to her friend. 

It’s admirable how much Georgia and Jonah care about each other. But is there a line? Georgia and Jonah are willing to go the extra mile to help him keep his job, but at what costs? Both put a plan into action that has deep repercussions. And at the end of the day, will it be worth it?

Many times as I was reading this book I thought: what is the endgame? Where is this book going? What is the point? I realize sometimes I approach each book like I’m reading a thriller. Like, get to the juicy part! Where’s the action? It’s a hard habit to break. I really just need to read the book and enjoy. I did enjoy this book, once I understood its meaning: friendship. In my opinion, this book is about the power of friendship. It can make you do almost anything, even blind you to what’s right and what’s wrong. But in the end, it’s friendship that can save your life!

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Berkley) in exchange for an honest review. 

Sunday, February 2, 2020

January wrap-up!

Good-bye January and hello February!

As you might have noticed I didn't post any reviews for January. That was a deliberate choice. Sometimes after finishing a book, I just don't feel like writing a review. I don't want to force myself to write something because it won't be good if I do. I'm not saying I won't ever review a book again (I do have one planned for later this month and for next month), but I'm definitely tapering off. I think shifting to more wrap-ups vs. reviews works for me. With that being said, what did I read in January?

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert: The glitz, the glamour, and love of the 1940s. And...how the glitz, the glamour, and love shaped the life of one young woman throughout her entire life. Rating: O.M.G. !!

Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt: Awwwww. The title of this book is so fitting. A wide-eyed teenager thinks she's in love with her teacher, but she can't she how that love has blinded her. Blinded her to how it impacted her family. Blinded to how her childhood is forever damaged. Will she final "see" before it's too late? Rating: Superb
 
Cress by Marissa Meyer: This series has potential but boy does it always seem to fall flat at the end. I read the first book, Cinder, about three and a half years ago. But I didn't pickup this series again until last year. The third book, Scarlet, was ok and the fourth book, Cress, was equally as average. All of the books are just a setup for book four, which I'm currently reading. Maybe this is normal for book series? I don't know. In a nutshell, Cinder is a half-human/half-cyborg mechanic, whose destiny is to be the true leader of the Lunar society. Each book is a re-telling of a classic fairy tale. Again sounds promising, but it falls into the tropes that so often plague young adult books. What are those: the chosen one, unnecessary romances, strong heroines who suddenly melt when a cute boy comes around. We'll see what book four, Winter, brings but I don't have high hopes. Rating: Give it a try

It just occurred to me that every book I read in January started with the letter "C"!! Not intentional, just a coincidence. Happy reading!