Three people, each crying out for help
There’s Karen, about to lose her father; Abby, whose son has autism and needs constant care, and Michael, a family man on the verge of bankruptcy. As each sinks under the strain, they’re brought together at Moreland’s Psychiatric Clinic.
Here, behind closed doors, they reveal their deepest secrets, confront and console one another and share plenty of laughs. But how will they cope when a new crisis strikes?
Review: I really enjoyed the first book by this author, one moment, one morning and so when I was offered this book for review, I jumped at the chance. I was so pleased to discover that this revisits the characters from the first novel. Whilst we don't carry on straight where we left off in that novel, it is two years later but the characters still feel familiar and so this is an aspect I really enjoyed about the book. There aren't really any spoilers from the first book because we know that someone dies in the first book and so that's no great surprise when it is mentioned in this one, but in would recommend reading one moment, one morning first of all just because you'll have a greater appreciation of two of the characters in this novel and where they've come from.
This book deals with the sensitive issue of Mental Health. You definitely have to be in a fairly positive frame of mind to read this novel because it does deal with all kind of mental health issues including suicide and two different mental health clinics as well. I think it is always brave when an author tackles as big of an issue as mental health and I think it was dealt with fairly well in this novel. One of the characters in the book has a sone who is on the autistic spectrum. I don't think that this illness was handled quite as well as the mental illness issues in the book. The child is made to seem so different and so extreme which I know is the case with some sufferers on the spectrum, but I think it was very subjective as there was no other side to ASD shown, I would've like another aspect of the disorder to be explored.
I really did enjoy this novel, it was nice to revisit the chRacters I had grown to like previously, but it was also good to get to know the new characters. I particularly liked the character of Michael. I think it is good to have a middle aged male suffering with depression and suicudal thoughts to be seen to be getting help. I think this would prove encouraging or reassuring to some readers and be an eye opener to others as the stereotypical sufferer of depression is female and the popular misconception is that no one actually wants or tries to get any help further than what they can get on prescription. I think this book really lifts the lid on stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding mental health.
There is a lighter side to this book too. Strong themes of friendship and family run through this, just as in the first novel by this author and it is definitely a nice quick read because it is so easy to get to know the characters and their stories. It is also structured really well with fairly short chapters divided into sections and the whole book divided into different sections depending on where the characters are in their journey to recovery. This book works well as a stand alone but if you are intending on reading the other novels by this authors then I would recommend reading those first before this book. I think a lot of readers will be able to take a great deal of enjoy nets from this book which commands reflection and a rethinking of those stereotypes surrounding mental health issues.
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