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Isolated Matters
Pacifica, California is a coastal town mere miles from the commotion of San Francisco, yet enclosed by mountain ridges and a picturesque fog that appears daily at the most opportune moments. It is a place where people go to enjoy the beauty of isolation. This is the story of one of its residents, MJ Matters, a young woman, struggling to cope with her transition from the animated life she once knew to a paralyzed one resulting from a debilitating disease. MJ’s husband, Bernard Matters, cares for her like every husband should—nurturing her every need while attempting to engage her in happy thoughts. In his own way, MJ’s brother-in-law, Alby Matters, does what he can to offer her the comfort of a friend, visiting her often and telling her strange tales, like the one about the mysterious Gull children, which somehow eerily seem to provide her with answers to the swirl of confusion around her. As MJ searches her mind to accept the realities of her current physical state, slowly she discovers something she didn’t expect—someone or something horrifying is watching her, haunting her, coming closer and closer each day. Despite every attempt she makes, MJ in her immobile state is rendered powerless, preventing her from escaping the horrors she knows she is bound to encounter. Isolated Matters is told in three perspectives—MJ’s, Bernard’s and Alby’s—providing the reader with insurmountable proof that each of the characters’ gripping accounts are not just intertwined but bound to collide.
260 pages, Hardcover
First published January 30, 2014
1 person is currently reading
600 people want to read
About the author
John Ruggiero
1 book6 followersJohn Ruggiero, a recognized leader in instruction and learning, has led educational design and outcomes assessment within multiple types of organizations. Over the past fifteen years, John has invested work in educational leadership, having first served as an administrator at a college preparatory, building post-educational and continuing educational dialogue within the community through a social Community-as-Laboratory approach. Since that time, John has merged his background in educational leadership with his other expertise in epidemiology and biostatistical research by specifically focusing on medical education and its impact on clinician behaviors and overall improved patient care.
Years ago, John’s mother and father were both diagnosed with different forms of cancer. In order to stay positive and encouraged, he and his family members did everything possible to make life worth living by vacationing, gathering, and even often creating and telling stories to one another. Years progressed, and beyond the misfortunes of cancers, and after watching several members of his family suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, two years ago he joined a fiction-based reading/writing association to stay grounded, positive, and to exercise his creativity. Doing so reminded him of his early passion for writing fiction. Upon completing a shorter version of Isolated Matters as an assignment from this group, John was encouraged to seek every possible avenue to get this story published. He is energized by the possibility of hopefully having others enjoy his completed efforts.
John earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Research & Statistics from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and a Master of Public Administration in Pubic Health, Biostatistics & Epidemiological Research, and a Doctorate in Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University and Madison University. Currently, John and his partner share their time on two coasts. They live a considerable amount of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area. Additionally, they spend a portion of their time traveling back to the Philadelphia metropolitan area—their original hometown—to be with extended family.
John has committed to donating a percentage of all novel proceeds to healthcare and animal charitable organizations. For more information about this, and how to help, he invites you to visit his website at www.johnruggiero-author.com.
Years ago, John’s mother and father were both diagnosed with different forms of cancer. In order to stay positive and encouraged, he and his family members did everything possible to make life worth living by vacationing, gathering, and even often creating and telling stories to one another. Years progressed, and beyond the misfortunes of cancers, and after watching several members of his family suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, two years ago he joined a fiction-based reading/writing association to stay grounded, positive, and to exercise his creativity. Doing so reminded him of his early passion for writing fiction. Upon completing a shorter version of Isolated Matters as an assignment from this group, John was encouraged to seek every possible avenue to get this story published. He is energized by the possibility of hopefully having others enjoy his completed efforts.
John earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Research & Statistics from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and a Master of Public Administration in Pubic Health, Biostatistics & Epidemiological Research, and a Doctorate in Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University and Madison University. Currently, John and his partner share their time on two coasts. They live a considerable amount of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area. Additionally, they spend a portion of their time traveling back to the Philadelphia metropolitan area—their original hometown—to be with extended family.
John has committed to donating a percentage of all novel proceeds to healthcare and animal charitable organizations. For more information about this, and how to help, he invites you to visit his website at www.johnruggiero-author.com.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 14, 2014
I never include spoilers in my reviews as I think it's better craftsmanship to build a review that gives a good impression without giving anything away.
But here I really do need to touch on a topic that you should definitely not have on your mind as you are starting the book!
I received this book via a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review, and clearly, I enjoyed the book. The overall idea/plot-line is very strong, and is the over-riding strength, which I think positions the book very well. While the editing is well done in many ways, there are quite a bit of misplaced word usages, such as "occult" when "a cult" is the subject, analogies such as a conductor who composes, and very rarely, grammatical issues such as a character who "lied quietly in bed." The majority of the dialogue is very stilted and formal. I am intrigued by the thought of that being intentional in the relationship between "husband and wife" or with the wife and those who are, shall we say, closest to her, as a mirror to the unreality of the situation. But so many characters use this awkward way of speaking that one loses the sense of the characters as individuals, and makes it difficult to identify with the characters. There is a chapter near the beginning where a couple characters break out of this, so I know the author has the craft. As someone who really wanted to enjoy the book, I was able to move pass this, but I can't speak for all readers in that.
The biggest twist of the plot deals with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and I believe the author does a good job representing that accurately. DID was formerly labeled as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), which is how it is referred to in this book. I think that using the current diagnosis terminology would have had greater impact, both as a reflection of the depth of understanding by the doctor in the book, and for someone who has not heard of DID, as something to learn. MPD was so sensationalized during the 80s and early 90s, and I think it's good for people to learn that it really does exist, tho our understanding of it has refined over time. This is something I happen to know from personal (I guess 2nd-hand is the best way to put it) experience, and as I said, the author does portray DID well in its clinical sense.
And as a part of the book, it makes for a great, creepy atmosphere throughout and a cool surprise at the end!
But here I really do need to touch on a topic that you should definitely not have on your mind as you are starting the book!
I received this book via a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review, and clearly, I enjoyed the book. The overall idea/plot-line is very strong, and is the over-riding strength, which I think positions the book very well. While the editing is well done in many ways, there are quite a bit of misplaced word usages, such as "occult" when "a cult" is the subject, analogies such as a conductor who composes, and very rarely, grammatical issues such as a character who "lied quietly in bed." The majority of the dialogue is very stilted and formal. I am intrigued by the thought of that being intentional in the relationship between "husband and wife" or with the wife and those who are, shall we say, closest to her, as a mirror to the unreality of the situation. But so many characters use this awkward way of speaking that one loses the sense of the characters as individuals, and makes it difficult to identify with the characters. There is a chapter near the beginning where a couple characters break out of this, so I know the author has the craft. As someone who really wanted to enjoy the book, I was able to move pass this, but I can't speak for all readers in that.
The biggest twist of the plot deals with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and I believe the author does a good job representing that accurately. DID was formerly labeled as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), which is how it is referred to in this book. I think that using the current diagnosis terminology would have had greater impact, both as a reflection of the depth of understanding by the doctor in the book, and for someone who has not heard of DID, as something to learn. MPD was so sensationalized during the 80s and early 90s, and I think it's good for people to learn that it really does exist, tho our understanding of it has refined over time. This is something I happen to know from personal (I guess 2nd-hand is the best way to put it) experience, and as I said, the author does portray DID well in its clinical sense.
And as a part of the book, it makes for a great, creepy atmosphere throughout and a cool surprise at the end!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2014
I won this book from a contest on Goodreads.
Bernard Matters had lost his first wife, Catherine, to a freak fatal fall down a flight of stairs. Bernard was devastated by his loss and after a year of mourning he decided visit a bar, the Churchill, where he was mezmerized by one of the strippers on stage. After many attempts at getting her to go to coffee with him, one thing led to another and he became quite enchanted with her and she became his wife.
MJ recalled that just one short year ago, she had a well-to-do ballet career performing at the Churchill Theatre. But now, with her career cut short, she has a debilitating disease which has caused her to be bedridden. Although not totally paralyzed, the pain in her muscles causes her great agony by every single small movement she makes.
When Bernard finally contacts his estranged brother, Alby, to sit with her the days Bernard is at work, MJ is overjoyed to have his company.
But not all is as it seems and Alby tries to help MJ to get well by giving her the knowledge she needs to do just that.
Anyone who is a fan of psychological thrillers must stand up and take notice of this book! This story is a force to be reckoned with and in more ways than one. I cannot give this more credit than I have, or I will literally need a soap box to deliver this message at the top of my lungs! Amazing! Shocking! Incredible! My new favorite author, John Ruggiero!
Bernard Matters had lost his first wife, Catherine, to a freak fatal fall down a flight of stairs. Bernard was devastated by his loss and after a year of mourning he decided visit a bar, the Churchill, where he was mezmerized by one of the strippers on stage. After many attempts at getting her to go to coffee with him, one thing led to another and he became quite enchanted with her and she became his wife.
MJ recalled that just one short year ago, she had a well-to-do ballet career performing at the Churchill Theatre. But now, with her career cut short, she has a debilitating disease which has caused her to be bedridden. Although not totally paralyzed, the pain in her muscles causes her great agony by every single small movement she makes.
When Bernard finally contacts his estranged brother, Alby, to sit with her the days Bernard is at work, MJ is overjoyed to have his company.
But not all is as it seems and Alby tries to help MJ to get well by giving her the knowledge she needs to do just that.
Anyone who is a fan of psychological thrillers must stand up and take notice of this book! This story is a force to be reckoned with and in more ways than one. I cannot give this more credit than I have, or I will literally need a soap box to deliver this message at the top of my lungs! Amazing! Shocking! Incredible! My new favorite author, John Ruggiero!
May 26, 2014
Loved this novel. What an intertwined, provocative, and yet very real way of unfolding a horrific tale. MJ (as a character) causes the reader to feel a symphony of reactions on each page, oscillating from rage, pity, sadness, and honestly a bit of apathy. Early on, after 20-30 pages, I kept asking myself "if this poor woman is so ill and nearly paralyzed, why isn't there a full time duty nurse or home health aide on site"? After discovering the true nature of the situation, particularly about the haunting/specter, I realized the author employed an ingenious literary device of literally forcing the reader to suspend their disbelief and just go along with precisely what was on the printed page. A really great read! I also look forward to future works by this author!
February 16, 2014
I really enjoyed this book! A friend recommended it to me and I found myself reading through it quickly in order to get to the end just to find out what happened to each of the characters. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, I started to second guess myself. I'm hoping to see more stories from this author in the future.
March 30, 2015
I won this book via a Goodreads giveaway and gave an extensive review quite a while back - not sure what happened to it! It was a riveting book and some problems I had with the writing style at the beginning ultimately revealed themselves to be a part of the foreshadowing (or so I interpreted it) so hang in there if it seems stilted at first!
April 5, 2014
I loved it! Amazing attention to detail throughout and enough twists and turns that it kept me riveted. Couldn't put it down.
February 18, 2014
Wow, that was a psychological brain game!
February 18, 2014
SPOLIER ALERT: There were some clever unexpected surprises in this book. If you read about the author he's donating the proceeds to cancer research in honor of his parents.
February 26, 2014
Great story
April 1, 2014
complex story and really enjoyable. It read like a movie and I was disappointed when it was finished.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews