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The Treatment
The future of law enforcement has arrived, courtesy of private health contractor Janus Justice. Their ground-breaking ‘Offender Treatment Programme’ has been hailed as the most effective way of tackling crime yet. As offenders move through the four-tiered system, their needs are dealt with, each tier more drastic in its Tier One : Low-risk crimes. Physical therapy encouraged Tier Two : Trauma and addiction. Emotional and psychological reasons for offending are examined Tier Three : Aversion therapy & moral punishment Tier Four : Siberia, where all hope is lost But Grace Gunnarsson , one of Janus’ most highly regarded rehabilitation psychiatrists, has uncovered a terrible flaw in the one that is allowing people to get away with murder...
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
July 13, 2024
Nothing hurts as much as a novel that you know could be truly good and entertaining ending up squandering its potential. Based on its description, blurbed by Stuart Turton, one of my favourite murder mystery/thriller authors, and citing a quote from Anthony Burgess’ “A Clockwork Orange” on its opening pages, I expected Sarah Moorhead’s speculative fiction debut novel “The Treatment” to sweep me away into an Orwellian nightmare of state-controlled prison society, presenting its readers with moral dilemmas and ethical conflicts to engage in and ponder over. Instead, the novel lost itself in its own set-up, too focused on the fickle emotional state of its characters rather than the greater overall implications of said characters' doings.
Set in a narratively relatively unexplored and underdeveloped futuristic London and in a society in which nothing seems to have changed except the fact that smartphone-like devices are now called shells and alcohol has been substituted with mood-changing drinks, the future of law enforcement has arrived in the form of the four-tiered “Offender Treatment Programme” in which offenders are classified into Tier One for low-risk crimes, Tier Two for crimes resulting from trauma and addiction, Tier Three where they are exposed to aversion therapy and cognitive punishment, and Tier Four which is simply called Siberia.
It is when Tier 2 working rehabilitation psychiatrist Psychologist Grace Gunnarsson is offered a job at the top-secret Tier 3, and the re-appearance of her oldest childhood friend the government is looking to admit to Tier 3 coincide, that things spiral out of control.
Putting too much emphasis on Grace’s repetitive and sometimes extremely boring inner monologue, the novel didn’t get the supposedly horrifying treatment of the clinic’s tier three inmates across as neatly as it might have thought it did. This is partly due to the writing, partly due to how unbothered and frankly, uninterested, the story seemed in building upon its initial premise. The writing was not nearly strong enough to convey the shock and terror the reader was probably supposed to feel when reading about the psychological warfare wrought on Tier 3’s patients.
The whole set-up of using psychology to manipulate emotion, coupled with drugging re-offenders and forcing them to watch their crimes being played back at them, should be terrifying enough to equal 1984’s darkly dystopian setting of Big Brother and the Ministry of Love.
A pity then that the story chose to ignore its inherent potential and focus all its attention on a rather annoying character driven by nothing else than the desire to save her childhood friend, which, in an attempt to get readers to care, was reasoned as important due to their shared difficult upbringing.
As it turns out, with Grace’s childhood friend on the run and the constant danger of his Tier 3 procedure looming over him and weighing heavily on Grace’s consciousness, an attempt was made at engaging the audience on an emotional level, but since that doesn’t take place before the 80% mark, it is much too late to turn an emotionally distanced reader into someone sweating blood and tears over the main characters’ fates.
Grace’s regurgitated exclamations of how “horrible”, “evil” and “nightmarish” Tiers 3 and 4 are remain hollow, then. “Yeah, so??” I asked myself. “Get me emotionally invested in the fate of the people entering Tier 3, and then we’ll talk.”
It didn’t help either that so much of the novel’s secondary plot revolved around rape, attempted rape, and mentions of rape that resulted in me going back to check whether the author wasn’t a man as the casualness of how rape was talked about and consistently woven throughout the plot reminded me of male-authored 90’s gas station pulp fiction. Grace is sexually assaulted at least once, and so are two other female characters. Out of the group of three antagonists, one is a rapist who assaults at least two women on the page, and the other, whom we get POV chapters from, spends most of his time thinking about his deceased girlfriend who was raped and then murdered.
I am no Puritan demanding a ban of rape from literary fiction simply because, but I do feel strongly about only including on-page rape if it contributes to the story in a meaningful way and drives the narrative and/or character development forward in a way that is neither exploitative nor serves as mere embellishment. Given that this is not the case here, I fail to understand the reason for the constant threat of rape looming on every female character’s horizon.
Finally, the anticlimactic ending that came with several foreseeable plot twists did not satisfy me in any way. Given my general disinterest and lack of emotional engagement, I received it with mute acknowledgment and little to no excitement. A shame this novel proved to be such a let-down, but it would have needed much more work to convince me of its merit.
As always, thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set in a narratively relatively unexplored and underdeveloped futuristic London and in a society in which nothing seems to have changed except the fact that smartphone-like devices are now called shells and alcohol has been substituted with mood-changing drinks, the future of law enforcement has arrived in the form of the four-tiered “Offender Treatment Programme” in which offenders are classified into Tier One for low-risk crimes, Tier Two for crimes resulting from trauma and addiction, Tier Three where they are exposed to aversion therapy and cognitive punishment, and Tier Four which is simply called Siberia.
It is when Tier 2 working rehabilitation psychiatrist Psychologist Grace Gunnarsson is offered a job at the top-secret Tier 3, and the re-appearance of her oldest childhood friend the government is looking to admit to Tier 3 coincide, that things spiral out of control.
Putting too much emphasis on Grace’s repetitive and sometimes extremely boring inner monologue, the novel didn’t get the supposedly horrifying treatment of the clinic’s tier three inmates across as neatly as it might have thought it did. This is partly due to the writing, partly due to how unbothered and frankly, uninterested, the story seemed in building upon its initial premise. The writing was not nearly strong enough to convey the shock and terror the reader was probably supposed to feel when reading about the psychological warfare wrought on Tier 3’s patients.
The whole set-up of using psychology to manipulate emotion, coupled with drugging re-offenders and forcing them to watch their crimes being played back at them, should be terrifying enough to equal 1984’s darkly dystopian setting of Big Brother and the Ministry of Love.
A pity then that the story chose to ignore its inherent potential and focus all its attention on a rather annoying character driven by nothing else than the desire to save her childhood friend, which, in an attempt to get readers to care, was reasoned as important due to their shared difficult upbringing.
As it turns out, with Grace’s childhood friend on the run and the constant danger of his Tier 3 procedure looming over him and weighing heavily on Grace’s consciousness, an attempt was made at engaging the audience on an emotional level, but since that doesn’t take place before the 80% mark, it is much too late to turn an emotionally distanced reader into someone sweating blood and tears over the main characters’ fates.
Grace’s regurgitated exclamations of how “horrible”, “evil” and “nightmarish” Tiers 3 and 4 are remain hollow, then. “Yeah, so??” I asked myself. “Get me emotionally invested in the fate of the people entering Tier 3, and then we’ll talk.”
It didn’t help either that so much of the novel’s secondary plot revolved around rape, attempted rape, and mentions of rape that resulted in me going back to check whether the author wasn’t a man as the casualness of how rape was talked about and consistently woven throughout the plot reminded me of male-authored 90’s gas station pulp fiction. Grace is sexually assaulted at least once, and so are two other female characters. Out of the group of three antagonists, one is a rapist who assaults at least two women on the page, and the other, whom we get POV chapters from, spends most of his time thinking about his deceased girlfriend who was raped and then murdered.
I am no Puritan demanding a ban of rape from literary fiction simply because, but I do feel strongly about only including on-page rape if it contributes to the story in a meaningful way and drives the narrative and/or character development forward in a way that is neither exploitative nor serves as mere embellishment. Given that this is not the case here, I fail to understand the reason for the constant threat of rape looming on every female character’s horizon.
Finally, the anticlimactic ending that came with several foreseeable plot twists did not satisfy me in any way. Given my general disinterest and lack of emotional engagement, I received it with mute acknowledgment and little to no excitement. A shame this novel proved to be such a let-down, but it would have needed much more work to convince me of its merit.
As always, thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2024
I was looking forward to reading this book as annotations made me intrigued. In general, I like dystopia and science fiction books. But my expectations were not met this time.
I read this book in 2 weeks which is very unusual for me. I finished it only because of willpower that helped me read.
The idea of treating people who have committed crimes is interesting. However, I am not a rehabilitation psychiatrist and don't need as many anatomical details about the human brain as I got from this book. It is like a medical manual and not a thriller book as I was promised.
Another thing is the main characters in the book. None of them are likeable.
Grace is one of the most highly regarded rehabilitation psychiatrists at Janus Company responsible for offenders' treatment. I expected her to be a clever strong person. Instead, I found a hysterical thinking woman who cannot speak properly with her own husband. He is a journalist who is writing about events and is using everything, including hacking Graces's mobile, to get to the truth.
Grace is analysing psychopaths' behaviour at work and cannot identify one in front of her.
Grace's childhood friend Remy was a soldier and, of course, we expect him to know how to stand up for himself. But he is easily tricked by his former colleagues and even saved by a woman.
In other words: if you want to know more about the human brain and how it works, you are welcome to prove me wrong, read the book and tell us your own opinion.
I read this book in 2 weeks which is very unusual for me. I finished it only because of willpower that helped me read.
The idea of treating people who have committed crimes is interesting. However, I am not a rehabilitation psychiatrist and don't need as many anatomical details about the human brain as I got from this book. It is like a medical manual and not a thriller book as I was promised.
Another thing is the main characters in the book. None of them are likeable.
Grace is one of the most highly regarded rehabilitation psychiatrists at Janus Company responsible for offenders' treatment. I expected her to be a clever strong person. Instead, I found a hysterical thinking woman who cannot speak properly with her own husband. He is a journalist who is writing about events and is using everything, including hacking Graces's mobile, to get to the truth.
Grace is analysing psychopaths' behaviour at work and cannot identify one in front of her.
Grace's childhood friend Remy was a soldier and, of course, we expect him to know how to stand up for himself. But he is easily tricked by his former colleagues and even saved by a woman.
In other words: if you want to know more about the human brain and how it works, you are welcome to prove me wrong, read the book and tell us your own opinion.
August 26, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for this ARC in return for a review.
This book was recommended by author John Marrs and I can see why. It does have a John Marrs type storyline setting.
Set sometime in the future (I think probably about 30ish years? The justice system has been revolutionised into a 4 tier system for convicts. Tier 1 for low crimes usually out of desperation - gets you therapy and a solution to your problems. Tier 2 for more serious crimes usually done from mental illness or drugs gets you time in rehab centre. Tier 3 for reoffending Tier 2 or big time crimes like murder - gets you an experimental Aversion Therapy which some describe to be like torture. Tier 4 reserved only for psychopaths, serial criminals - that's gets you? Well no one knows because those criminals disappear.
We follow Psychiatrist Grace as she works in the Tier system desperately trying to rehabilitate offenders whilst concealing her past, when the treatments start to fail she is left wondering why?Can she fix it and is there more to it all?
A clever concept which will have you talking about morality.
A solid debut for this author, however I did see the twist coming very early on and the book could have been a tad shorter in order to achieve a slightly faster pace which it would have benefitted from.
I look forward to what this author follows it up with.
This book was recommended by author John Marrs and I can see why. It does have a John Marrs type storyline setting.
Set sometime in the future (I think probably about 30ish years? The justice system has been revolutionised into a 4 tier system for convicts. Tier 1 for low crimes usually out of desperation - gets you therapy and a solution to your problems. Tier 2 for more serious crimes usually done from mental illness or drugs gets you time in rehab centre. Tier 3 for reoffending Tier 2 or big time crimes like murder - gets you an experimental Aversion Therapy which some describe to be like torture. Tier 4 reserved only for psychopaths, serial criminals - that's gets you? Well no one knows because those criminals disappear.
We follow Psychiatrist Grace as she works in the Tier system desperately trying to rehabilitate offenders whilst concealing her past, when the treatments start to fail she is left wondering why?Can she fix it and is there more to it all?
A clever concept which will have you talking about morality.
A solid debut for this author, however I did see the twist coming very early on and the book could have been a tad shorter in order to achieve a slightly faster pace which it would have benefitted from.
I look forward to what this author follows it up with.
December 6, 2023
This could've done with 20 more drafts, what a mess
September 28, 2023
Hmm, this is hard.
I really liked the idea for story and think it is a very interesting topic.
But I felt there was something off with the execution. And I didn’t like main character Grace. Especially as the story progressed. She was so obsessed with her own goals, that she failed to see what was around her.
Bit of a disappointment, honestly. Especially because the story starts off quite well.
I really liked the idea for story and think it is a very interesting topic.
But I felt there was something off with the execution. And I didn’t like main character Grace. Especially as the story progressed. She was so obsessed with her own goals, that she failed to see what was around her.
Bit of a disappointment, honestly. Especially because the story starts off quite well.
September 2, 2023
This is the first book that I've read by this author so was a little unsure of what to expect.
The cover is bold and bright and really stands out and this was my initial attraction, but then on reading the blurb, I was instantly intrigued.
I found this a little tricky to get into at first as being a little dystopian, we're introduced to the world and concepts over the start of the book
However, as the storyline develops, I was totally hooked.
Grace works for Janus Justice as a psychologist who helps offenders after their convictions to rehabilitate. This is a new system which has four tiers depending on the level of severity of the crime.
Grace's husband is an investigative journalist and is tasked with delving further into the system and what happens within tiers 3&4.
Initially Grace is reluctant to be the one to give away any secrets, but when she's seconded to tier 3 one day, what she sees makes her re-think her loyalties.
Although dystopian, this really didn't feel to way out there in its thinking and presentation. I could honestly see this sort of tough justice coming into play in our not too distant future.
It really did get me thinking about the current justice service, how effective it is and how things may change in the future. Quite a scary prospect really.
Our characters were well thought out and developed throughout the book and I enjoyed exploring the morality of what was happening throughout.
A really interesting and thought-provoking read and I'm intrigued now to see what's next from this author.
The cover is bold and bright and really stands out and this was my initial attraction, but then on reading the blurb, I was instantly intrigued.
I found this a little tricky to get into at first as being a little dystopian, we're introduced to the world and concepts over the start of the book
However, as the storyline develops, I was totally hooked.
Grace works for Janus Justice as a psychologist who helps offenders after their convictions to rehabilitate. This is a new system which has four tiers depending on the level of severity of the crime.
Grace's husband is an investigative journalist and is tasked with delving further into the system and what happens within tiers 3&4.
Initially Grace is reluctant to be the one to give away any secrets, but when she's seconded to tier 3 one day, what she sees makes her re-think her loyalties.
Although dystopian, this really didn't feel to way out there in its thinking and presentation. I could honestly see this sort of tough justice coming into play in our not too distant future.
It really did get me thinking about the current justice service, how effective it is and how things may change in the future. Quite a scary prospect really.
Our characters were well thought out and developed throughout the book and I enjoyed exploring the morality of what was happening throughout.
A really interesting and thought-provoking read and I'm intrigued now to see what's next from this author.
August 31, 2023
In a dystopian future, Grace Gunnarsson works for Janus Justice, a private contractor that has taken control of the treatment of offenders. Their treatment has Tiers One through to Four, with the first two dedicated to the reforming of criminals & taking away their need to offend to survive, whilst the second two levels are more punitive. Grace works for Tier 2 as a psychiatrist but is asked to step in for a colleague on a Tier 3 treatment. Grace is reluctant as she disapproves of the treatment which involves the offender reliving their crime but as the victim or Aversion therapy. It may seem harsh but results seem to be encouraging, until Grace's reporter husband tells her that there are reports that those supposedly cured by Tier 3 & released are reoffending. Grace is, therefore, distraught to see the name of an old childhood friend on Janus's files, Remy went through Tier 3 but has reoffended & his fate is now to be taken to Tier 4 known as Siberia, where there is no hope of ever escaping. As she tries to help her old friend, Grace realises that a flaw in the system is allowing people to get away with murder.
First of all, the concept for this is brilliant - I really liked the whole tier-system of justice plot line & I thought it was well-written on the whole. I did think that one of the guilty parties was far too easy to spot though & can't believe that Grace didn't have a moment's doubt about them. Grace also made some rather silly decisions for a supposedly intelligent woman, where just thinking about things for a moment, would have perhaps made her realise that something wasn't right. She was also perhaps just a little too obsessed with her old friend, Remy. Overall, it was a great concept but the main character missed the mark at times. 3.5 stars (rounded up)
TWs: violence, murder, sexual assault, abortion.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Canelo, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
First of all, the concept for this is brilliant - I really liked the whole tier-system of justice plot line & I thought it was well-written on the whole. I did think that one of the guilty parties was far too easy to spot though & can't believe that Grace didn't have a moment's doubt about them. Grace also made some rather silly decisions for a supposedly intelligent woman, where just thinking about things for a moment, would have perhaps made her realise that something wasn't right. She was also perhaps just a little too obsessed with her old friend, Remy. Overall, it was a great concept but the main character missed the mark at times. 3.5 stars (rounded up)
TWs: violence, murder, sexual assault, abortion.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Canelo, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
October 2, 2023
This was not a terrible book. There were lots of interesting ideas on the direction a future society might take, some just casually thrown in a asides to the main story. Some more world building and expanding of these ideas might have helped to set the atmosphere of the story by giving it a more clear sense of place. Some of the set piece scenes were very well crafted to evoke the moment and were by and large well knitted into the overall story. However, there was little attempt to dig into the moral and ethical dilemmas around the punishment of crime to any real depth, which seemed like a wasted opportunity to comment on our current society, something that could have made this book much better. It was ultimately let down for me by some very weak characterisation and poorly drawn relationships. The main story arc was pretty predictable and the big reveal was obviously signposted so as to be no great shock when it came. That said, the plot was paced well. This might play better when another writer(s) has adapted it for a TV drama...
May 4, 2024
To be frank, this novel isn’t just your run of the mill sci-fi/speculative fiction thriller. It’s much more than that. It’s a deep-dive into psychology, treatments, ethics, criminology and society. I applaud the amount of research that’s obviously gone into the writing here.
Moorhead’s ideas are reminiscent of the best of PKD and I do wonder why her work isn’t being heralded more for what it is. Deeply thoughtful, dystopian sci-fi that delves into the emotions of the characters, just as much as the speculative aspects.
Thought-provoking, emotive science fiction in the same vein as PK Dick.
5/5
Moorhead’s ideas are reminiscent of the best of PKD and I do wonder why her work isn’t being heralded more for what it is. Deeply thoughtful, dystopian sci-fi that delves into the emotions of the characters, just as much as the speculative aspects.
Thought-provoking, emotive science fiction in the same vein as PK Dick.
5/5
July 7, 2023
Rounding up to three stars
Just an OK from me unfortunately.
Some excellent ideas here, of a future not to distantly away, but slightly scary.
A completely imaginable future for prison reform, and cutting down crime.
Some predictable bits, but a few good twists.
It did get me thinking about suitable punishments for serious crimes , and am sure it's going to spark a lot of debate.
Just an OK from me unfortunately.
Some excellent ideas here, of a future not to distantly away, but slightly scary.
A completely imaginable future for prison reform, and cutting down crime.
Some predictable bits, but a few good twists.
It did get me thinking about suitable punishments for serious crimes , and am sure it's going to spark a lot of debate.
March 28, 2024
“The Treatment” by Sarah Moorhead has an interesting premise. The description of the book is as follows “The future of law enforcement has arrived, courtesy of private health contractor Janus Justice. Their groundbreaking 'Offender Treatment Programme' has been hailed as the most effective way of tackling crime yet.
As offenders move through the four-tiered system, their needs are dealt with, each tier more drastic in its Tier One: Low-risk crimes. Physical therapy encouraged Tier Two : Trauma and addiction. Emotional and psychological reasons for offending are examined Tier Three : Aversion therapy & moral punishment Tier Four :
Siberia, where all hope is lost But Grace Gunnarsson, one of Janus' most highly regarded rehabilitation psychiatrists, has uncovered a terrible flaw in the one that is allowing people to get away with murder...”
I loved this mix of sci-fi thriller and I thought the novel had a unique concept. It had a ‘John Marrs’ kind of vibe to it. I enjoyed the fact that this book really made me think of morality and reflect on my own beliefs. I would say the only critic is that I was able to predict the ending a bit early on. I would say this is definitely still worth reading though.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC of this book.
As offenders move through the four-tiered system, their needs are dealt with, each tier more drastic in its Tier One: Low-risk crimes. Physical therapy encouraged Tier Two : Trauma and addiction. Emotional and psychological reasons for offending are examined Tier Three : Aversion therapy & moral punishment Tier Four :
Siberia, where all hope is lost But Grace Gunnarsson, one of Janus' most highly regarded rehabilitation psychiatrists, has uncovered a terrible flaw in the one that is allowing people to get away with murder...”
I loved this mix of sci-fi thriller and I thought the novel had a unique concept. It had a ‘John Marrs’ kind of vibe to it. I enjoyed the fact that this book really made me think of morality and reflect on my own beliefs. I would say the only critic is that I was able to predict the ending a bit early on. I would say this is definitely still worth reading though.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC of this book.
September 30, 2023
After reading the blurb I so wanted to read this book. Unfortunately for me it was just okay. The premise was good but the story itself could have been so much more. At times it was predictable but there are a few good twists. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.
August 26, 2024
I concur with other reviews for this book. It has a lot of untapped potential with the concept but it reads a bit more like a romance than a dystopian thriller. It would have been better to have dived into the tier system further and the effects of ending up in Tier 4. It also had some good potential elements about the protestors versus Payback which I found confusing at times.
July 22, 2024
Welcome to a future where crime meets cutting-edge medical intervention! The Treatment by Sarah Moorhead immerses us in a dystopian world where Janus Justice's tiered system aims to rehabilitate criminals. From the gentle touch of physical therapy in Tier One to the despair of Tier Four, known as Siberia, this story explores the complexities of crime and punishment.
Our protagonist, Grace Gunnarsson, is a top-tier psychiatrist at Tier Two, focusing on the emotional causes of crime. But when she's drawn into the harsher world of Tier Three, she discovers a disturbing flaw: some "cured" offenders return to their old ways. Among them is her old friend Remy, now facing the hopeless fate of Tier Four. Grace must navigate the dangers and uncover the truth to save him.
Moorhead's tier-system concept is fascinating, blending futuristic justice with deep ethical questions. The narrative is engaging, though it sometimes feels a bit predictable. Despite her intelligence, Grace makes questionable decisions that might leave you puzzled. Her fixation on Remy also adds a melodramatic twist.
Despite this, The Treatment is a compelling read that challenges your views on justice and rehabilitation. Perfect for fans of dystopian thrillers and psychological dramas!
Our protagonist, Grace Gunnarsson, is a top-tier psychiatrist at Tier Two, focusing on the emotional causes of crime. But when she's drawn into the harsher world of Tier Three, she discovers a disturbing flaw: some "cured" offenders return to their old ways. Among them is her old friend Remy, now facing the hopeless fate of Tier Four. Grace must navigate the dangers and uncover the truth to save him.
Moorhead's tier-system concept is fascinating, blending futuristic justice with deep ethical questions. The narrative is engaging, though it sometimes feels a bit predictable. Despite her intelligence, Grace makes questionable decisions that might leave you puzzled. Her fixation on Remy also adds a melodramatic twist.
Despite this, The Treatment is a compelling read that challenges your views on justice and rehabilitation. Perfect for fans of dystopian thrillers and psychological dramas!
May 26, 2025
When I downloaded this audiobook, I thought that the intricate and believable dystopian setting old be a stand out. Unfortunately, this book is actually more of a melodrama and study of the family unit.
The characters here are just…annoying. Endless self reflection and circular thoughts mean that the book feels overly long and padded out. The system of justice is actually a smaller element, as is the great ‘mystery’. It is obviously hard to feel sympathy for characters who’ve raped and murdered people, so the tension never really pays off.
Other characters, like Dan, are Two dimensional and exist to further just the main narrative. He has no qualities of his own other than to present the thought that he might be the right or wrong guy.
The cover is more interesting than the book.
The characters here are just…annoying. Endless self reflection and circular thoughts mean that the book feels overly long and padded out. The system of justice is actually a smaller element, as is the great ‘mystery’. It is obviously hard to feel sympathy for characters who’ve raped and murdered people, so the tension never really pays off.
Other characters, like Dan, are Two dimensional and exist to further just the main narrative. He has no qualities of his own other than to present the thought that he might be the right or wrong guy.
The cover is more interesting than the book.
August 10, 2024
Moorhead gives us a complex plot with unnerving twists and turns, whilst simultaneously reflecting on the criminal justice system. I found this book brilliantly paced and it really challenged me to reassess some of my previously held beliefs regarding justice and revenge.
Nonetheless, the protagonist felt sloppy, hypocrite, righteous - and yet depicted as the heroine. Why was she the good guy? Moorhead didn't make me believe for a second in her greatness and kindness. To Grace Gunnarsson: go therapy hun.
Nonetheless, the protagonist felt sloppy, hypocrite, righteous - and yet depicted as the heroine. Why was she the good guy? Moorhead didn't make me believe for a second in her greatness and kindness. To Grace Gunnarsson: go therapy hun.
September 12, 2024
Interesting and made me think!
November 6, 2024
2.5 rounded up.
December 11, 2024
acabei de o ler 10 minutos antes de ter de escrever uma essay sobre o mesmo. a grace é insufferable.
October 28, 2024
4.5 stars.
Guess I work in this type of system too. But not quite to this extreme however
Guess I work in this type of system too. But not quite to this extreme however
August 31, 2023
Grace Gunnarson doesn’t talk about her childhood at all, not even her husband knows the truth.
Grace is a rehabilitation psychiatrist for Janus Justice. Tiers 1 & 2 are for reforming people who are low risk offenders - for example, burglars. Grace loves her job and gives her all to it.
When she is moved to Tier 3, Grace is very unhappy as she doesn’t agree with aversion therapy. It’s not long before Grace has to work in Tier 4 as well; Siberia, where all hope is lost. Grace is very much in an awkward situation as Tiers 3 & 4 are very much out of her comfort zone.
Dan is a journalist and also happens to be Grace’s husband. He doesn’t like the Janus Justice System and wants Grace to tell him what goes on, leaving Grace torn between her job and her husband.
I found this story made me sit and think about the justice system and what could happen in the future, especially with so much overcrowding in our prisons.
At times, it was difficult to read and some parts bothered me a lot. However, I found overall that this book was entertaining and thrilling. It was certainly a rollercoaster ride for my emotions at times.
How far will you go to do what you feel is the right thing?
My thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Grace is a rehabilitation psychiatrist for Janus Justice. Tiers 1 & 2 are for reforming people who are low risk offenders - for example, burglars. Grace loves her job and gives her all to it.
When she is moved to Tier 3, Grace is very unhappy as she doesn’t agree with aversion therapy. It’s not long before Grace has to work in Tier 4 as well; Siberia, where all hope is lost. Grace is very much in an awkward situation as Tiers 3 & 4 are very much out of her comfort zone.
Dan is a journalist and also happens to be Grace’s husband. He doesn’t like the Janus Justice System and wants Grace to tell him what goes on, leaving Grace torn between her job and her husband.
I found this story made me sit and think about the justice system and what could happen in the future, especially with so much overcrowding in our prisons.
At times, it was difficult to read and some parts bothered me a lot. However, I found overall that this book was entertaining and thrilling. It was certainly a rollercoaster ride for my emotions at times.
How far will you go to do what you feel is the right thing?
My thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 11, 2023
The first thing that drew my attention to this book was the bright striking cover, with its waves and of course the eye. We later learn in the book that the waves are in fact brain waves. The byline of an 'an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind' fits with the book really well.
Dr Grace Gunnarsson has come a long, long way, so far successfully burying her past life where she was in prison with her mother, then when she lived with mothers best friend & prostitute Lottie & her son Remy. Remy is both brother and protector to Grace, they have a deep bond, and there is nothing they won't do for each other. Then when Lottie died Remy and Grace ended up choosing different paths in life, despite Grace's efforts to take Remy into her new life at university.
Some would say Grace has 'gone up in the world' and we all know the saying 'the higher they go the further they have to fall.' Grace is equally protective & secretive about this time in her life.
In the present day, Grace Gunnarsson is a highly respected and successful psychiatrist who works for Janus Justice and is married to Dan Gunnarsson yet he nows nothing of her early life. Dan is a reporter for the well known, News Flex. Dan is desperate for his big break story, and is like a dog with a bone where Janus Justice is concerned, he is determined to get the inside story.
Grace works for the somewhat controversial Janus Justice Rehabilitation centre who operate the new highly debated Tier System of punishment. The Tier system becomes harsher depending on the tier. Tier 3 is Aversion Therapy and is quite literally a dose of whatever they did wrong done to them!! The guilty person is drugged and made to witness their crime from the point of view of the victim, in the hope they never commit such a crime again. Grace isn't fully comfortable with Tier 3 and usually manages to easily avoid it, she works on Tiers 1 & 2 but when the usual psychiatrist Myriam is off sick her boss Conrad coerces Grace into 'just helping out' with the argument of 'all hands on deck' etc. Grace soon finds out that the Tier System has another level Tier 4 that is the chillingly torturous and drastic 'answer' for when nothing else works to stop the criminal reoffending.
Grace is needed to oversee the treatment of repeat offender Noah Begbroke. Noah has already been through Tier's 1 & 2 which are based on the criminals circumstances & biology Tier 3 is a more proactive treatment based on the criminals morality. Grace had assessed Noah Begbroke on Tier 1 & 2 but found there was no chemical imbalance, childhood trauma, or mental health issue - absolutely nothing that could explain his actions.
Grace watches as Noah is sedated, given drugs and the atmospheric & emotisonics, until when asked Noah says his name is that of his victim/ex girlfriend Corrinna Saunders. The crime is played out on a screen in front if Noah. Grace is not wholly comfortable with this type of therapy but she will endure this just once then take the matter of her having to be involved up with her boss Conrad again. Grace looks at the fresh Tier 3 tattoo on Noah - an image of Janus the two headed Roman God one face looking at the past the other at the future & then the number 3 in the middle. The ink that does eventually fade with time, though the worse the crime committed, the deeper the tattoo is and the longer it will last and be there for all to see.
Grace notes that Noah Begbroke is now experiencing the crime/his violence towards Corrinna as if he is her. At first he sees himself as Corrinna as her beautiful self before his attack on her then Abigail the 'effects operative' turns up the heat, the crackling of fire, even the smell of burning flesh so Noah can really experience the attack himself as Corrinna, his victim. Grace physically gags & Abigail grabs her arm digging her nails in deep in an attempt to support her but Grace can't take anymore and flees from the treatment room, but on the way past the window she sees the burnt, scarred misshapen hands and burnt face of the once beautiful Corrinna Saunders who has been watching Noah Begbroke receive his 'taste of his own medicine' Aversion Therapy.
When Grace comes out of the bathroom from being sick she finds an apologetic Conrad waiting for her. He takes her to his opulent, physical bound books - rare as paper is so expensive, thr wood panelling even though wood is extremely expensive, an effort to be more environmentally conscious. Grace stares at the brass statue of a horse racing (which is now banned) horse, Conrad brags his family had a stud farm, that's where he got the money to start Janus Justice in the US. Then the UK became interested in the Janus Justice concept. Conrad jokes that the US liked the UK NHS and the UK liked the US Janus Justice system/prisoner rehab. So Conrad built the hospitals & clinics and rents them back to the UK. Conrad finds it amusing that he is earning really big money this way.
Conrad then discusses Grace's work record. commending her on her great Tier 1 and her promotion to Tier 2 in just 18 months. Conrad commends her on her work developing new drugs then brings up the subject of her psychometric test, everyone undergoes them on a monthly basis.
This testing is part of the whole 'living transparently,' no one has real privacy anymore.
Grace uses these same tests to help find out what has caused her 'clients' to act in the way they have.
However, Grace knows exactly how to tailor her responses to the test questions, she even cleverly throws in a 'rogue' answer here and there so her almost perfect answers do not raise suspicions.
It's clear Conrad wants even more from Grace which she is initially dead set against until it turns out the records access and extra freedom within the company is something she desperately needs if she is to help someone from her past that she still dearly loves, the man she feels owes so much, Remy. Remy is destined for Tier 4 if Grace can't come up with an alternative treatment to help him fast!
Grace isnt just under intense pressure at work as her husband, Dan is speaking to victims who have witnessed/observed their attackers have Aversion Therapy to see if it has helped them or traumatised them further when seeing a mock up/recreation of what happened to them & the eye for eye justice doled out by Janus. Dan continually pesters Grace for information numerous time each with increasing pressure, 8n fact he is becoming quite demanding, but Grace takes her work confidentiality very serious and refuses to give him the insider information he desperately wants. Grace tries to reason with Dan that if she gives him any information let alone the details he is asking for she would be sacked and possibly prosecuted too! Dan's response is for her to give him enough information for one big story then he would hit the big time and earn enough to keep them both. Dan wants Grace to give up her job, stay home and have babies, make family her priority as opposed to her career. Unfortunately Grace has something she hasn't told Dan about herself & babies, another secret!
All whilst this is going there are groups of vigilantes enacting what they see as just punishment on offenders. It's one such group, the 'Diros' that Remy used to work with but when they started to go 'too far' in his opinion he left. The only problem is no one gets to just leave this group. The ex army leader takes anyone leaving personal and has the that attitude they are 'with him, or against him' so anyone leaving the group usually find themselves meeting a gruesome end or being set up for a crime they did not commit. When Remy finds out he is being set up he reaches out to Grace, or as he called he all those years ago Gracie. With his old gang and the authorities after him he asks Grace for her help. Grace needs to speak to someone about her past and she confides in Shannon one of the Tier 2 agragarian compound managers. It's with Shannon, and her boyfriend Shuggie who is a compound inmate, that Grace comes up with a final desperate plan, but will it work and with weapons involved will everyone get out alive?
Characters I immediately adored were Grace, Remy, Lottie, Shannon, Shuggie and George. Characters I instantly took a disliking to were Conrad, Abigail and weirdly Dan!
There's so much going on in this book, from the justice system to the baby screening for the violent gene, then there's the details of the torturous Tier 4. I feel theres so much I have missed out in my review. I thoroughly enjoyed and quickly became drawn into to the brilliantly meticulously detailed, and so well thought out world building of this book. The stark themes of an eye for an eye, deaths too good for them, a taste of their own medicine, cruel to be kind, so familiar in the real world and how many times have we said them, perhaps without even thinking what it would mean to live by them. Then there was the other side of the argument that an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind element, which I personally really want to say totally believe and agree with but in the real, flawed world I find I can't fully get on board with, theres always that niggle of they should have it done to them and see how they feel thoughts.
It would have been interesting to hear the point of view of the victims watching their attackers undergo the aversion therapy, for example Corrinna Sanders, did she feel anything watching Noah Begbroke think he was being burnt as he had done to her.
The ending is a bit sad really. Nearing the ending of the book amid the 'last stand' against Diros theres the loss of a couple of characters, particularly one I had really become attached to. I really wanted that happy ever after together for Grace & Remy and Shannon & Shuggie.The only thing that still has me pondering a little is I didn't really get the significance of Grace putting the Funland keyring containing the photo of herself & Remy as youngsters in, into Abigails hand??
Summing up this book has amazing world building,
a brilliant meticulously detailed penal system, with characters you quickly became attached to and really cared about. The book and its intriguing world and plot really had me on the edge of my seat and at one point shouting in my head 'How could you Grace!' So yes you really get pulled into the characters dynamics and their relationships. DI would definitely add this one to my favourite speculative fiction reads such as, The Sentence by Christina Dalcher, The Marriage Act by John Marrs and Overdrawn by NJ Crosskey. Speculative fiction is certainly one on my favourite genres to read and this book was wow! Definitely recommend reading!
Dr Grace Gunnarsson has come a long, long way, so far successfully burying her past life where she was in prison with her mother, then when she lived with mothers best friend & prostitute Lottie & her son Remy. Remy is both brother and protector to Grace, they have a deep bond, and there is nothing they won't do for each other. Then when Lottie died Remy and Grace ended up choosing different paths in life, despite Grace's efforts to take Remy into her new life at university.
Some would say Grace has 'gone up in the world' and we all know the saying 'the higher they go the further they have to fall.' Grace is equally protective & secretive about this time in her life.
In the present day, Grace Gunnarsson is a highly respected and successful psychiatrist who works for Janus Justice and is married to Dan Gunnarsson yet he nows nothing of her early life. Dan is a reporter for the well known, News Flex. Dan is desperate for his big break story, and is like a dog with a bone where Janus Justice is concerned, he is determined to get the inside story.
Grace works for the somewhat controversial Janus Justice Rehabilitation centre who operate the new highly debated Tier System of punishment. The Tier system becomes harsher depending on the tier. Tier 3 is Aversion Therapy and is quite literally a dose of whatever they did wrong done to them!! The guilty person is drugged and made to witness their crime from the point of view of the victim, in the hope they never commit such a crime again. Grace isn't fully comfortable with Tier 3 and usually manages to easily avoid it, she works on Tiers 1 & 2 but when the usual psychiatrist Myriam is off sick her boss Conrad coerces Grace into 'just helping out' with the argument of 'all hands on deck' etc. Grace soon finds out that the Tier System has another level Tier 4 that is the chillingly torturous and drastic 'answer' for when nothing else works to stop the criminal reoffending.
Grace is needed to oversee the treatment of repeat offender Noah Begbroke. Noah has already been through Tier's 1 & 2 which are based on the criminals circumstances & biology Tier 3 is a more proactive treatment based on the criminals morality. Grace had assessed Noah Begbroke on Tier 1 & 2 but found there was no chemical imbalance, childhood trauma, or mental health issue - absolutely nothing that could explain his actions.
Grace watches as Noah is sedated, given drugs and the atmospheric & emotisonics, until when asked Noah says his name is that of his victim/ex girlfriend Corrinna Saunders. The crime is played out on a screen in front if Noah. Grace is not wholly comfortable with this type of therapy but she will endure this just once then take the matter of her having to be involved up with her boss Conrad again. Grace looks at the fresh Tier 3 tattoo on Noah - an image of Janus the two headed Roman God one face looking at the past the other at the future & then the number 3 in the middle. The ink that does eventually fade with time, though the worse the crime committed, the deeper the tattoo is and the longer it will last and be there for all to see.
Grace notes that Noah Begbroke is now experiencing the crime/his violence towards Corrinna as if he is her. At first he sees himself as Corrinna as her beautiful self before his attack on her then Abigail the 'effects operative' turns up the heat, the crackling of fire, even the smell of burning flesh so Noah can really experience the attack himself as Corrinna, his victim. Grace physically gags & Abigail grabs her arm digging her nails in deep in an attempt to support her but Grace can't take anymore and flees from the treatment room, but on the way past the window she sees the burnt, scarred misshapen hands and burnt face of the once beautiful Corrinna Saunders who has been watching Noah Begbroke receive his 'taste of his own medicine' Aversion Therapy.
When Grace comes out of the bathroom from being sick she finds an apologetic Conrad waiting for her. He takes her to his opulent, physical bound books - rare as paper is so expensive, thr wood panelling even though wood is extremely expensive, an effort to be more environmentally conscious. Grace stares at the brass statue of a horse racing (which is now banned) horse, Conrad brags his family had a stud farm, that's where he got the money to start Janus Justice in the US. Then the UK became interested in the Janus Justice concept. Conrad jokes that the US liked the UK NHS and the UK liked the US Janus Justice system/prisoner rehab. So Conrad built the hospitals & clinics and rents them back to the UK. Conrad finds it amusing that he is earning really big money this way.
Conrad then discusses Grace's work record. commending her on her great Tier 1 and her promotion to Tier 2 in just 18 months. Conrad commends her on her work developing new drugs then brings up the subject of her psychometric test, everyone undergoes them on a monthly basis.
This testing is part of the whole 'living transparently,' no one has real privacy anymore.
Grace uses these same tests to help find out what has caused her 'clients' to act in the way they have.
However, Grace knows exactly how to tailor her responses to the test questions, she even cleverly throws in a 'rogue' answer here and there so her almost perfect answers do not raise suspicions.
It's clear Conrad wants even more from Grace which she is initially dead set against until it turns out the records access and extra freedom within the company is something she desperately needs if she is to help someone from her past that she still dearly loves, the man she feels owes so much, Remy. Remy is destined for Tier 4 if Grace can't come up with an alternative treatment to help him fast!
Grace isnt just under intense pressure at work as her husband, Dan is speaking to victims who have witnessed/observed their attackers have Aversion Therapy to see if it has helped them or traumatised them further when seeing a mock up/recreation of what happened to them & the eye for eye justice doled out by Janus. Dan continually pesters Grace for information numerous time each with increasing pressure, 8n fact he is becoming quite demanding, but Grace takes her work confidentiality very serious and refuses to give him the insider information he desperately wants. Grace tries to reason with Dan that if she gives him any information let alone the details he is asking for she would be sacked and possibly prosecuted too! Dan's response is for her to give him enough information for one big story then he would hit the big time and earn enough to keep them both. Dan wants Grace to give up her job, stay home and have babies, make family her priority as opposed to her career. Unfortunately Grace has something she hasn't told Dan about herself & babies, another secret!
All whilst this is going there are groups of vigilantes enacting what they see as just punishment on offenders. It's one such group, the 'Diros' that Remy used to work with but when they started to go 'too far' in his opinion he left. The only problem is no one gets to just leave this group. The ex army leader takes anyone leaving personal and has the that attitude they are 'with him, or against him' so anyone leaving the group usually find themselves meeting a gruesome end or being set up for a crime they did not commit. When Remy finds out he is being set up he reaches out to Grace, or as he called he all those years ago Gracie. With his old gang and the authorities after him he asks Grace for her help. Grace needs to speak to someone about her past and she confides in Shannon one of the Tier 2 agragarian compound managers. It's with Shannon, and her boyfriend Shuggie who is a compound inmate, that Grace comes up with a final desperate plan, but will it work and with weapons involved will everyone get out alive?
Characters I immediately adored were Grace, Remy, Lottie, Shannon, Shuggie and George. Characters I instantly took a disliking to were Conrad, Abigail and weirdly Dan!
There's so much going on in this book, from the justice system to the baby screening for the violent gene, then there's the details of the torturous Tier 4. I feel theres so much I have missed out in my review. I thoroughly enjoyed and quickly became drawn into to the brilliantly meticulously detailed, and so well thought out world building of this book. The stark themes of an eye for an eye, deaths too good for them, a taste of their own medicine, cruel to be kind, so familiar in the real world and how many times have we said them, perhaps without even thinking what it would mean to live by them. Then there was the other side of the argument that an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind element, which I personally really want to say totally believe and agree with but in the real, flawed world I find I can't fully get on board with, theres always that niggle of they should have it done to them and see how they feel thoughts.
It would have been interesting to hear the point of view of the victims watching their attackers undergo the aversion therapy, for example Corrinna Sanders, did she feel anything watching Noah Begbroke think he was being burnt as he had done to her.
The ending is a bit sad really. Nearing the ending of the book amid the 'last stand' against Diros theres the loss of a couple of characters, particularly one I had really become attached to. I really wanted that happy ever after together for Grace & Remy and Shannon & Shuggie.The only thing that still has me pondering a little is I didn't really get the significance of Grace putting the Funland keyring containing the photo of herself & Remy as youngsters in, into Abigails hand??
Summing up this book has amazing world building,
a brilliant meticulously detailed penal system, with characters you quickly became attached to and really cared about. The book and its intriguing world and plot really had me on the edge of my seat and at one point shouting in my head 'How could you Grace!' So yes you really get pulled into the characters dynamics and their relationships. DI would definitely add this one to my favourite speculative fiction reads such as, The Sentence by Christina Dalcher, The Marriage Act by John Marrs and Overdrawn by NJ Crosskey. Speculative fiction is certainly one on my favourite genres to read and this book was wow! Definitely recommend reading!
October 8, 2025
An interesting concept, one which I hope provokes meaningful conversations. I wouldn't say this is a strong page turner however I like the idea and delving into this topic, whether true to now or not.. I think it gives food for thought.
August 19, 2024
I'd give this between 3.5 and 4 stars.
I could see the twist from a mile away lol, but the plot is interesting!
I could see the twist from a mile away lol, but the plot is interesting!
August 11, 2023
I enjoyed this novel but do agree with other reviewers that the premise was so good but it just didn’t live up to my expectations.
There isn’t much left in the dystopian fiction boom to make a novel stand out but looking at the future of the prison system was a fascinating idea. The book started well with the scene setting as to what the different tiers were and how Grace was treating her patients. I also enjoyed the dual aspect of protestors; those who thought tier 3 was too lenient and those who thought it was a violation of their human rights.
Sadly the further in to the book I got the less and less believable it became. Mal, Bizzy and Sarge were caricature baddies and Remy just didn’t feel three dimensional.
The prologue was SO good and some flashbacks to the times Grace and Remy had growing up would have been much better (in my opinion) than Grace simply musing “they were close as brother and sister back then”
The final chapters did grip me and there were one or two shocks but it just didn’t have any emotional pull for me.
A nice book, but not a must read.
There isn’t much left in the dystopian fiction boom to make a novel stand out but looking at the future of the prison system was a fascinating idea. The book started well with the scene setting as to what the different tiers were and how Grace was treating her patients. I also enjoyed the dual aspect of protestors; those who thought tier 3 was too lenient and those who thought it was a violation of their human rights.
Sadly the further in to the book I got the less and less believable it became. Mal, Bizzy and Sarge were caricature baddies and Remy just didn’t feel three dimensional.
The prologue was SO good and some flashbacks to the times Grace and Remy had growing up would have been much better (in my opinion) than Grace simply musing “they were close as brother and sister back then”
The final chapters did grip me and there were one or two shocks but it just didn’t have any emotional pull for me.
A nice book, but not a must read.
October 5, 2023
The Treatment by Sarah Moorhead is a captivating fusion of dystopian fiction and crime drama that offers readers a gripping narrative and raises important questions about justice, morality, and the consequences of technological advancement.
The pacing of the story is well-executed, with a series of twists and revelations that maintain the reader's interest throughout. The world-building is detailed, offering a vivid and immersive experience of the dystopian society in which the characters exist.
In conclusion, "The Treatment" is a thought-provoking and suspenseful novel that skillfully blends elements of dystopia and crime drama. It raises important questions about justice, punishment, and the consequences of technological innovation in law enforcement. While the story's complexity and unsettling themes may not be for everyone, it is an engrossing and well-crafted narrative that offers ample food for thought. Readers who enjoy challenging and morally ambiguous tales will find "The Treatment" to be a rewarding read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this copy.
The pacing of the story is well-executed, with a series of twists and revelations that maintain the reader's interest throughout. The world-building is detailed, offering a vivid and immersive experience of the dystopian society in which the characters exist.
In conclusion, "The Treatment" is a thought-provoking and suspenseful novel that skillfully blends elements of dystopia and crime drama. It raises important questions about justice, punishment, and the consequences of technological innovation in law enforcement. While the story's complexity and unsettling themes may not be for everyone, it is an engrossing and well-crafted narrative that offers ample food for thought. Readers who enjoy challenging and morally ambiguous tales will find "The Treatment" to be a rewarding read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this copy.
July 18, 2024
Strong start but it petered off and quickly became repetitive.
The issue of lack of interest was was two fold
1.we didn’t get to hear nearly so much about the future society as was needed to context the treatment centre and 2
The moral dilemmas weren’t explored in any depth.
We just have a MC fainting around saying how horrible the treatments are.
There was also a deeply unpleasant constant mention of rape, all,the women characters gets sexually assaulted and raped. Why is a woman author promoting sexual violence against women as entertainment,
Stopped reading at that point and ditched.
Very disappointing book.
The issue of lack of interest was was two fold
1.we didn’t get to hear nearly so much about the future society as was needed to context the treatment centre and 2
The moral dilemmas weren’t explored in any depth.
We just have a MC fainting around saying how horrible the treatments are.
There was also a deeply unpleasant constant mention of rape, all,the women characters gets sexually assaulted and raped. Why is a woman author promoting sexual violence against women as entertainment,
Stopped reading at that point and ditched.
Very disappointing book.
January 8, 2024
I really enjoyed this, it just seemed to take me a while to finish for some reason but the concept and the characters really got me thinking!
July 2, 2024
Synopsis:
In this futuristic society, the justice system divides criminal offenders into four different Tiers, depending on whether their crimes are based on poverty, trauma or psychopathy. However, society is divided between those who think that criminals are getting away too easily with the new treatments and those who think that they Tier system is akin to torture. When Grace, a successful psychiatrist working at Janus Justice, the business implementing the Tier system, witnesses a pattern of reoffenders and then encounters someone from her troubled past, she is about to lose everything she has: her job, her marriage and potentially even her life.
The concept of "The Treatment" is intriguing. Similar to the movie "Minority Report", it explores the concept of how technology and a transparent society can be beneficial to treating and preventing crime.
It's clear that the author has done her homework when it comes to the human brain, psychology and (childhood) trauma. She explains in simple terms how/why psychopathy is developed and why people commit crimes in the first place. Not only does this book raise questions about if technological advances are always necessarily good, about the erasure of privacy for the greater good but also on what to do with criminals?
The question whether to rehabilitate and/or punish is an ethical challenge that societies all across the ages face - where's the line between punishment that is adequate to the crime and serves as a deterrent and going over the top/punishing disproportionately to the crime?
After all,
How easily is it to manipulate video footage/DNA samples and is there a way to verify the authenticity of evidence in the future? How to we avoid innocent people getting framed for crimes?
Why does vigilantism exist and should the Justice System be based on a democratic process?
While "The Treatment" offers a lot of valid questions that merit thinking about, the book itself was slow in parts and there wasn't any real peak or plot twist. The "bad guys" were introduced from the start, so there wasn't an element of surprise anywhere. It's probably best to approach this book not as a thriller/crime novel but rather as a dystopian/psychological novel in order to avoid disappointment.
Would I recommend the book? That depends on what you're looking for. If you're expecting a fast-paced thriller with a plot twist, this isn't for you. If you love "what if's", new technologies and dystopian novels, give "The Treatment" a try, especially if you plan on discussing it with your book club.
In this futuristic society, the justice system divides criminal offenders into four different Tiers, depending on whether their crimes are based on poverty, trauma or psychopathy. However, society is divided between those who think that criminals are getting away too easily with the new treatments and those who think that they Tier system is akin to torture. When Grace, a successful psychiatrist working at Janus Justice, the business implementing the Tier system, witnesses a pattern of reoffenders and then encounters someone from her troubled past, she is about to lose everything she has: her job, her marriage and potentially even her life.
The concept of "The Treatment" is intriguing. Similar to the movie "Minority Report", it explores the concept of how technology and a transparent society can be beneficial to treating and preventing crime.
It's clear that the author has done her homework when it comes to the human brain, psychology and (childhood) trauma. She explains in simple terms how/why psychopathy is developed and why people commit crimes in the first place. Not only does this book raise questions about if technological advances are always necessarily good, about the erasure of privacy for the greater good but also on what to do with criminals?
The question whether to rehabilitate and/or punish is an ethical challenge that societies all across the ages face - where's the line between punishment that is adequate to the crime and serves as a deterrent and going over the top/punishing disproportionately to the crime?
After all,
a society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals - Dostoyevsky
How easily is it to manipulate video footage/DNA samples and is there a way to verify the authenticity of evidence in the future? How to we avoid innocent people getting framed for crimes?
Why does vigilantism exist and should the Justice System be based on a democratic process?
While "The Treatment" offers a lot of valid questions that merit thinking about, the book itself was slow in parts and there wasn't any real peak or plot twist. The "bad guys" were introduced from the start, so there wasn't an element of surprise anywhere. It's probably best to approach this book not as a thriller/crime novel but rather as a dystopian/psychological novel in order to avoid disappointment.
Would I recommend the book? That depends on what you're looking for. If you're expecting a fast-paced thriller with a plot twist, this isn't for you. If you love "what if's", new technologies and dystopian novels, give "The Treatment" a try, especially if you plan on discussing it with your book club.
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