What do you think?
Rate this book
Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight
An ambitious future surgeon on his psychiatry rotation is assigned a patient who reveals to him information about an organized plot to control the population. His pursuit of the truth leads him to become a psychiatric patient in the same facility.
Dan Greenberg was a promising medical student who was derailed by Catherine—a bizarre schizophrenic patient whose delusions about patients in danger at hospitals all around Chicago were startlingly specific.
Drawn by both curiosity and compassion, Dan investigates, discovering that they were exactly where Catherine said they would be. Who are these people? Why are they in danger? Are they connected with each other?
While incarcerated, he joins forces with an unlikely ally Jake—who murdered his family during a drug-induced psychotic break, but is also a charming hacker with street smarts who creates a plan to get Dan’s life back. In his attempts to do so, he threatens to uncover a conspiracy to track and manipulate the population by a cabal of influential people who will do anything to keep their plot secret. He will learn just how far powerful people will go to stay in control, and the high price of the truth.
Schizo takes readers on a wildly unexpected journey into the what-ifs of medical science. Written by an Emergency Physician, Ilene B. Benator crafts situations that are terrifying, yet all too believable.
Dan Greenberg was a promising medical student who was derailed by Catherine—a bizarre schizophrenic patient whose delusions about patients in danger at hospitals all around Chicago were startlingly specific.
Drawn by both curiosity and compassion, Dan investigates, discovering that they were exactly where Catherine said they would be. Who are these people? Why are they in danger? Are they connected with each other?
While incarcerated, he joins forces with an unlikely ally Jake—who murdered his family during a drug-induced psychotic break, but is also a charming hacker with street smarts who creates a plan to get Dan’s life back. In his attempts to do so, he threatens to uncover a conspiracy to track and manipulate the population by a cabal of influential people who will do anything to keep their plot secret. He will learn just how far powerful people will go to stay in control, and the high price of the truth.
Schizo takes readers on a wildly unexpected journey into the what-ifs of medical science. Written by an Emergency Physician, Ilene B. Benator crafts situations that are terrifying, yet all too believable.
- GenresHorror Thriller
366 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2016
622 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 10, 2016
3.5 Stars
Dan Greenberg is a medical student doing a rotation through the psychiatric ward. One of his charges is Catherine, who predicts people in danger, names and hospitals, and patient room numbers. Dan thinks it is due to her schizophrenia, but after a little bit of research, he finds that her information is correct.
But his research has led to more questions. Why is he all of a sudden being followed? Who are these people in the black vans? And what is that small disk that Dan removed from one of those patients while helping with an autopsy?
The medical examiner is killed during a so-called robbery. His girlfriend is murdered and he is framed, leading him to become a patient in his own psychiatric ward.
There are a lot of medical terms, phrases, medical procedures and the author does a pretty good job of putting them into laymens' terms. There are good guys and bad guys and then some really bad guys. Bodies mount. Not everyone is exactly who they say they are. There are pawns and powerful people. And these powerful people are no longer playing games.
This was an interesting read, but not as suspenseful as I had hoped. Some things that happened were a bit predictable. And the ending, although not a cliff-hanger, leaves a lot of room for another book to follow.
My thanks to the author and Word Slinger Publicity for the ARC. Also, thank you to Waldorf Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy. I accepted these copies in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Dan Greenberg is a medical student doing a rotation through the psychiatric ward. One of his charges is Catherine, who predicts people in danger, names and hospitals, and patient room numbers. Dan thinks it is due to her schizophrenia, but after a little bit of research, he finds that her information is correct.
But his research has led to more questions. Why is he all of a sudden being followed? Who are these people in the black vans? And what is that small disk that Dan removed from one of those patients while helping with an autopsy?
The medical examiner is killed during a so-called robbery. His girlfriend is murdered and he is framed, leading him to become a patient in his own psychiatric ward.
There are a lot of medical terms, phrases, medical procedures and the author does a pretty good job of putting them into laymens' terms. There are good guys and bad guys and then some really bad guys. Bodies mount. Not everyone is exactly who they say they are. There are pawns and powerful people. And these powerful people are no longer playing games.
This was an interesting read, but not as suspenseful as I had hoped. Some things that happened were a bit predictable. And the ending, although not a cliff-hanger, leaves a lot of room for another book to follow.
My thanks to the author and Word Slinger Publicity for the ARC. Also, thank you to Waldorf Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy. I accepted these copies in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
August 23, 2016
Netgalley provided this book to me in exchange for an honest review. It was okay, the first half much better than the second. It is about a medical student, Dan, that goes to a mental institution as part of his psychiatry rotation where he has to interview and diagnose two patients through talking with them. One of the patients he meets is Catherine who hears voices, and we are to believe that she is either psychic or her voices are telling her that there are other patients in other hospitals that are ill and need help and she starts listing the patients to the Dan. In turn he discovers that she seems to know even before these people enter a hospital which rooms and which hospitals they are in. So I guess we are to believe she can see the future health issues of a person in the future because that is what happens. So this is where the mystery begins, but not about how she does it, although that is commented on a bit towards the end of the book, but rather the mystery is why these people she names all have an immunity health issue, what links they together. He works with his girlfriend to discover what that connection is. Dan soon ends up being incarcerated in the same mental institution as he did his psychiatry rotation in where he connects with, Jake, the other patient he was diagnosing.
I got annoyed with all the talk about food and drinks, and how he liked to eat a lot and where he could get the most food for the least amount of money. There is a lot of words about their clothes, and their facial hair. There are places where he ends up where we hear in detail about specific amenities of that place. Who cares! We are even told about cities that he passes through and the growth or lack thereof of those cities. What? Why? For what reason? It just felt like the book had to be a certain number of pages so the author added filler material. Also I don't appreciate endings that lead to the next book. I think the premise of the story was interesting, but it just didn't happen for me.
I got annoyed with all the talk about food and drinks, and how he liked to eat a lot and where he could get the most food for the least amount of money. There is a lot of words about their clothes, and their facial hair. There are places where he ends up where we hear in detail about specific amenities of that place. Who cares! We are even told about cities that he passes through and the growth or lack thereof of those cities. What? Why? For what reason? It just felt like the book had to be a certain number of pages so the author added filler material. Also I don't appreciate endings that lead to the next book. I think the premise of the story was interesting, but it just didn't happen for me.
September 16, 2016
Schizo by Ilene Benator is a literary fiction and mystery and thriller read.
Dan Greenberg was a promising medical student who was derailed by Catherine--a bizarre schizophrenic patient whose delusions about patients in danger at hospitals all around Chicago were startlingly specific.
Drawn by both curiosity and compassion, Dan investigates, discovering that they were exactly where Catherine said they would be. Who are these people? Why are they in danger? Are they connected with each other?
This was a fantastic read. I was rooting for Dan all the way through. This was cleverly written and I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book. 5* from me. Thanks to netgalley for the arc.
Dan Greenberg was a promising medical student who was derailed by Catherine--a bizarre schizophrenic patient whose delusions about patients in danger at hospitals all around Chicago were startlingly specific.
Drawn by both curiosity and compassion, Dan investigates, discovering that they were exactly where Catherine said they would be. Who are these people? Why are they in danger? Are they connected with each other?
This was a fantastic read. I was rooting for Dan all the way through. This was cleverly written and I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book. 5* from me. Thanks to netgalley for the arc.
October 30, 2016
I received this free copy in exchange for an honest review
I did not like this book. The only reason I am giving 2 stars instead of 1 is because I believe that some people will.
The characters were in general not very believable. Especially the protagonist, Dan. Melinda is not even likable. I felt like the author was trying to make her look so bad. You'd think that characters would matter in a novel like this, but actually, they all seem the same. Even Dan's not likable, and he is a know-it-all.
The dialogues and the 1st person narrations are terrible, and from the beginning, I thought there's nothing that creates suspense. It's all far too predictable, boring and poorly written. I hate it even more when the solutions appear out of magic or if suddenly the protagonist realizes stuff. No build up, no suspense, no nothing.
I loved the idea of reading about a schizophrenic, and the first chapters were Dan's the patient gave me high expectations, only to disregard them at the rest of the book. It's not so much of a thriller as a chase-type novel. But I know some readers really enjoy these stories so guess, in that sense, it's an ok read.
I did not like this book. The only reason I am giving 2 stars instead of 1 is because I believe that some people will.
The characters were in general not very believable. Especially the protagonist, Dan. Melinda is not even likable. I felt like the author was trying to make her look so bad. You'd think that characters would matter in a novel like this, but actually, they all seem the same. Even Dan's not likable, and he is a know-it-all.
The dialogues and the 1st person narrations are terrible, and from the beginning, I thought there's nothing that creates suspense. It's all far too predictable, boring and poorly written. I hate it even more when the solutions appear out of magic or if suddenly the protagonist realizes stuff. No build up, no suspense, no nothing.
I loved the idea of reading about a schizophrenic, and the first chapters were Dan's the patient gave me high expectations, only to disregard them at the rest of the book. It's not so much of a thriller as a chase-type novel. But I know some readers really enjoy these stories so guess, in that sense, it's an ok read.
March 17, 2017
Started out well but fell apart for me after about 35%. The concept of a medical student being locked up in a mental institution as part of a plot to keep him from revealing a larger conspiracy was hard to swallow. In addition the story became too bogged down with unnecessary details to maintain my interest.
August 19, 2016
I'm giving this book only three stars, primarily because while I thought the plot was unique and I genuinely liked the two major characters, I found that many of the things they were able to accomplish (and many of the e-sources they were able to hack, seemingly without much effort) really pushed the limits of credibility, thus forcing me to downgrade my rating despite enjoying the story itself.
I was fascinated by the initial interaction between Danny, a second-year med student, and Catherine, a psychiatric ward patient who has supposedly broken from reality and hears voices. The "voices" tell her specific names of patients who are in hospitals for grave injuries, even providing the hospital names, locations, and room numbers where these patients lie. She seems certain these people are in trouble and need immediate help. Danny believes these are simply the random ramblings of a broken mind, because when, out of curiosity, he checks a couple of the names Catherine mumbles, they are not where she says they are. Suddenly, however, one of the names on her list of patients in danger pops up in the news reporting on that person's death. Conning the hospital staff where the patient died into believing he was a genuine practicing physician, he finds Catherine's information to have been 100% correct. He continues to pursue her revelations, and finds most all are accurate. When he requests brain scans on these now-deceased people (the ease with which he's provided this information, without proving his authority to do so, is just one example of types of things I found very difficult to believe), he eventually learns that each patient seems to have had a tiny, strange, man-made piece of something metallic embedded into a specific spot of their brains. Thus his leap down the rabbit's hole begins.
While doing his med student hands-on training, he also meets Jake, another patient who's been sent to the psych ward for the stabbing of four members of his family. To Danny, Jake seems like a perfectly normal and even highly-intelligent guy, and slowly a relationship of camaraderie between the two develops. Jake is a talented computer hack (and is also particularly adept at creating whole new identities, complete with excessively detailed background documentation) who's been planning a break from the hospital for a couple of years, and eventually enlists Danny to help bring his plan to fruition. It works, and the two find a nondescript apartment to rent. Danny, in turn, begins to share with Jake the strangely accurate predictions of Catherine; together they decide to find out what kind of conspiracy is taking place, and who's responsible for the mysterious brain implants.
So. The story sounds really fascinating, doesn't it? Well, it was. Except for all the astounding elasticity of credibility, to the point of silliness. Still, I'd recommend reading it; just take all the la-la flights into fantasy with a grain of salt.
*** This book was provided to me by the author / publisher through NetGalley as a free ARC in return for my honest review. ***
I was fascinated by the initial interaction between Danny, a second-year med student, and Catherine, a psychiatric ward patient who has supposedly broken from reality and hears voices. The "voices" tell her specific names of patients who are in hospitals for grave injuries, even providing the hospital names, locations, and room numbers where these patients lie. She seems certain these people are in trouble and need immediate help. Danny believes these are simply the random ramblings of a broken mind, because when, out of curiosity, he checks a couple of the names Catherine mumbles, they are not where she says they are. Suddenly, however, one of the names on her list of patients in danger pops up in the news reporting on that person's death. Conning the hospital staff where the patient died into believing he was a genuine practicing physician, he finds Catherine's information to have been 100% correct. He continues to pursue her revelations, and finds most all are accurate. When he requests brain scans on these now-deceased people (the ease with which he's provided this information, without proving his authority to do so, is just one example of types of things I found very difficult to believe), he eventually learns that each patient seems to have had a tiny, strange, man-made piece of something metallic embedded into a specific spot of their brains. Thus his leap down the rabbit's hole begins.
While doing his med student hands-on training, he also meets Jake, another patient who's been sent to the psych ward for the stabbing of four members of his family. To Danny, Jake seems like a perfectly normal and even highly-intelligent guy, and slowly a relationship of camaraderie between the two develops. Jake is a talented computer hack (and is also particularly adept at creating whole new identities, complete with excessively detailed background documentation) who's been planning a break from the hospital for a couple of years, and eventually enlists Danny to help bring his plan to fruition. It works, and the two find a nondescript apartment to rent. Danny, in turn, begins to share with Jake the strangely accurate predictions of Catherine; together they decide to find out what kind of conspiracy is taking place, and who's responsible for the mysterious brain implants.
So. The story sounds really fascinating, doesn't it? Well, it was. Except for all the astounding elasticity of credibility, to the point of silliness. Still, I'd recommend reading it; just take all the la-la flights into fantasy with a grain of salt.
*** This book was provided to me by the author / publisher through NetGalley as a free ARC in return for my honest review. ***
September 22, 2016
Well, this kept my attention nicely throughout. I did find it hard to put down on occasion which didn't really help as I read it when I was on holiday and, unlike some, holidays are when I have the least time for reading. Consequently, it took me a fair while to actually get through but the story was buzzing round my head all the time I was away from it.
Dan is a medical student doing a psychiatric rotation. One of his "case studies" is Catherine and she starts to reveal some strange information in her sessions with him. On checking out the things she says, Dan finds out she is extremely spookily accurate with her information. Dan decides to delve deeper into this, and what he uncovers has tragic consequences for him when he himself is incarcerated as a psychiatric patient in the same hospital where he worked. Teaming up with Jake, Dan's other "case study" together they continue investigating to try to get to the truth and, at the same time, clear Dan's name and return his life to him.
I do have to admit that I did find some of this book to be a little far fetched at times. Not to the point of becoming farcical, just maybe blurring the line rather than crossing it. Other than that, I found the story to be captivating, reminiscent of Robin Cook and his medical thrillers that I read years ago. Obviously from the author's background, you expect accuracy with respect to the medical stuff in the book, I can't attest to that as I have no idea, but it all came across as well explained and credible and that's all I really want from a book to be honest.
Characterisation was good, especially Jake. I don't know why, but I really liked him as a character. Dan was a little contradictory at times and although, on the whole, well described, I didn't quite gel with him but, as I always say, you don't have to like / connect with all the characters in a book to make it a decent read.
Pacing was also good. There was quite a lot of action to be had but also some quieter times which gave me a bit of respite before it all ramped up again. Balance between description and story was good, a little bit on the wordy side in places if I have to be honest (and I do!)
The ending, which I really loved, suggests there is more to come. The version I read didn't mention this being a series opener but the Amazon listing does. This explains some of the time and trouble the author went to with the characters and scene setting as I usually find these things differ between series books and stand alones. I am quite looking forward to seeing where the characters go next.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Dan is a medical student doing a psychiatric rotation. One of his "case studies" is Catherine and she starts to reveal some strange information in her sessions with him. On checking out the things she says, Dan finds out she is extremely spookily accurate with her information. Dan decides to delve deeper into this, and what he uncovers has tragic consequences for him when he himself is incarcerated as a psychiatric patient in the same hospital where he worked. Teaming up with Jake, Dan's other "case study" together they continue investigating to try to get to the truth and, at the same time, clear Dan's name and return his life to him.
I do have to admit that I did find some of this book to be a little far fetched at times. Not to the point of becoming farcical, just maybe blurring the line rather than crossing it. Other than that, I found the story to be captivating, reminiscent of Robin Cook and his medical thrillers that I read years ago. Obviously from the author's background, you expect accuracy with respect to the medical stuff in the book, I can't attest to that as I have no idea, but it all came across as well explained and credible and that's all I really want from a book to be honest.
Characterisation was good, especially Jake. I don't know why, but I really liked him as a character. Dan was a little contradictory at times and although, on the whole, well described, I didn't quite gel with him but, as I always say, you don't have to like / connect with all the characters in a book to make it a decent read.
Pacing was also good. There was quite a lot of action to be had but also some quieter times which gave me a bit of respite before it all ramped up again. Balance between description and story was good, a little bit on the wordy side in places if I have to be honest (and I do!)
The ending, which I really loved, suggests there is more to come. The version I read didn't mention this being a series opener but the Amazon listing does. This explains some of the time and trouble the author went to with the characters and scene setting as I usually find these things differ between series books and stand alones. I am quite looking forward to seeing where the characters go next.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 16, 2016
This is closer to 2.5 stars than 3 for me.
The premise for this book is unique and at the very beginning, I felt it hooked me in. What kept me from really getting into the book or becoming invested in the characters, was the author's personal writing style. After doing a little research on her and the background to the book, it made sense to me why I was having some difficulties.
The author is a practicing Emergency Physician and her knowledge about the medical field shone through in the sections throughout the novel that go into serious detail about medical conditions and terminology. I was grateful to not have to continually stop and ask Google to explain things like Q5 or Behcet's disease. However, I found that this style of explanation (telling instead of showing) did not allow me to connect with the rest of the storyline. Towards the second half of the novel, it was frustrating to have to read through full paragraphs dedicated to discussions on the narrator's food intake or shopping list - it began to feel a bit mundane and unnecessary to driving the plot forward.
There were also some discrepancies at times (minor, but enough to make me stop and re-read a section to confirm I wasn't imagining it) and I found the narrator really hard to sympathize with. There's a particular statement made towards the end of the novel about someone he was close to (I'm being vague to avoid spoiling anything here!) that I found to be really cold and self-serving. Based on who he was referring to, I found the statement to conflict with prior information he shared about that relationship.
While I personally didn't love this book, I definitely think readers who enjoy crime fiction or thrillers will really like what the author has to offer. The premise is unique and there are twists at the end that make it clear there's room for a sequel. Knowing that the author was encouraged to create this story into a screenplay makes me wonder if I would enjoy this more as a film than a book.
The premise for this book is unique and at the very beginning, I felt it hooked me in. What kept me from really getting into the book or becoming invested in the characters, was the author's personal writing style. After doing a little research on her and the background to the book, it made sense to me why I was having some difficulties.
The author is a practicing Emergency Physician and her knowledge about the medical field shone through in the sections throughout the novel that go into serious detail about medical conditions and terminology. I was grateful to not have to continually stop and ask Google to explain things like Q5 or Behcet's disease. However, I found that this style of explanation (telling instead of showing) did not allow me to connect with the rest of the storyline. Towards the second half of the novel, it was frustrating to have to read through full paragraphs dedicated to discussions on the narrator's food intake or shopping list - it began to feel a bit mundane and unnecessary to driving the plot forward.
There were also some discrepancies at times (minor, but enough to make me stop and re-read a section to confirm I wasn't imagining it) and I found the narrator really hard to sympathize with. There's a particular statement made towards the end of the novel about someone he was close to (I'm being vague to avoid spoiling anything here!) that I found to be really cold and self-serving. Based on who he was referring to, I found the statement to conflict with prior information he shared about that relationship.
While I personally didn't love this book, I definitely think readers who enjoy crime fiction or thrillers will really like what the author has to offer. The premise is unique and there are twists at the end that make it clear there's room for a sequel. Knowing that the author was encouraged to create this story into a screenplay makes me wonder if I would enjoy this more as a film than a book.
February 8, 2017
As an avid reader, it is hard for me to not finish a book that I started. In recent years, with an ever-growing To Be Read pile, I have started instituting the 50-page rule. Basically, if at fifty pages, I cannot find anything redeeming about a book, I set it aside, unfinished. Only a handful of books each year meets this fate - luckily, I have a pretty good track record of selecting books that I can find something to make the book worth finishing. Unfortunately, this book falls into that handful that after 50 pages, I could not find a reason to keep reading.
This book marks itself as a start to a series, and while the overall premise of a medical student becoming a patient at a facility where he once did a rotation is interesting, it just isn't enough to make me want to keep reading. The production quality of the book is poor, which makes the frequent errors in verb tense and punctuation all the more glaring. It simply does not feel like this text has been edited at all! The overly simplistic tone and the rather patronizing explanations of the most basic of medical terms is off-putting, too. And having lived in Chicago for the majority of my life, I have a hard time with books set there that don't feel realistic. The book is just too amateurish and unedited for my tastes. Neither the plot nor characters redeem the book enough for me to over look the errors and style. Maybe other readers can find something to connect with, but this one is not for me!
This book marks itself as a start to a series, and while the overall premise of a medical student becoming a patient at a facility where he once did a rotation is interesting, it just isn't enough to make me want to keep reading. The production quality of the book is poor, which makes the frequent errors in verb tense and punctuation all the more glaring. It simply does not feel like this text has been edited at all! The overly simplistic tone and the rather patronizing explanations of the most basic of medical terms is off-putting, too. And having lived in Chicago for the majority of my life, I have a hard time with books set there that don't feel realistic. The book is just too amateurish and unedited for my tastes. Neither the plot nor characters redeem the book enough for me to over look the errors and style. Maybe other readers can find something to connect with, but this one is not for me!
April 10, 2016
I am reproducing a review I already posted on Readers Favorite for this compelling book:
A schizophrenic patient, Catherine, has visions of patients in terrible danger in Chicago hospitals, visions that could be dismissed out of hand as delusions, except that every detail checks out. An ambitious student with dreams of becoming an ENT doctor is set up and institutionalized for the murder of his girlfriend, because he asks questions that shouldn’t be asked. Aided by a sleazy murderer, Dan Greenberg escapes his prison and sets out in search of the truth; little does he know that his escape has raised alarms that draw the attention of a powerful and deadly enemy towards him. Will Dan succeed in outrunning his enemies for the second time or will he become another statistic in their horrible scheme? Ilene B. Benator’s Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight is absorbingly riveting, a tale that is as seductive as it is terrifying.
Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight is one of those books that will become the author’s signature in crime fiction and thrillers. The writing is powerful and crisp, and the author’s voice comes across with undeniable authority, cutting like a scalpel. The descriptions are vivid and laced with forensic precision, creating a world for readers to explore. Dan Greenberg, Jake, and Sutton are compelling and utterly convincing characters that will take readers into a one-of-a-kind adventure. You won’t finish this book without stopping at times to look at your back as though some villain was watching, waiting to jump on you. And although you’ll cringe sometimes, you’ll love the drama even more. Benator’s unique style will be welcomed by fans of thrillers who are looking for a fresh element in the genre.
A schizophrenic patient, Catherine, has visions of patients in terrible danger in Chicago hospitals, visions that could be dismissed out of hand as delusions, except that every detail checks out. An ambitious student with dreams of becoming an ENT doctor is set up and institutionalized for the murder of his girlfriend, because he asks questions that shouldn’t be asked. Aided by a sleazy murderer, Dan Greenberg escapes his prison and sets out in search of the truth; little does he know that his escape has raised alarms that draw the attention of a powerful and deadly enemy towards him. Will Dan succeed in outrunning his enemies for the second time or will he become another statistic in their horrible scheme? Ilene B. Benator’s Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight is absorbingly riveting, a tale that is as seductive as it is terrifying.
Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight is one of those books that will become the author’s signature in crime fiction and thrillers. The writing is powerful and crisp, and the author’s voice comes across with undeniable authority, cutting like a scalpel. The descriptions are vivid and laced with forensic precision, creating a world for readers to explore. Dan Greenberg, Jake, and Sutton are compelling and utterly convincing characters that will take readers into a one-of-a-kind adventure. You won’t finish this book without stopping at times to look at your back as though some villain was watching, waiting to jump on you. And although you’ll cringe sometimes, you’ll love the drama even more. Benator’s unique style will be welcomed by fans of thrillers who are looking for a fresh element in the genre.
September 27, 2016
Dan Greenberg is a resident in the psych department. A patient, Catherine has talked about patients in hospitals including the room number with reference that they are in danger. At first Dan thought it was just ramblings but then talks to his girlfriend about Catherine. They decide to check out these people. What will they find? Dan checks a catscan of Catherine when he finds out she has died. He is able to attend her autopsy and manages to explore where he saw an irregular spot on her head. He discovers a small ball that he takes and hides it. Meanwhile Dan's girlfriend is murdered. Dan has been set up for her murder so he decides to act schizo so instead of going to jail, he can go to a facility. He spends time there, makes friends with a patient named Jake. They escape according to Jake's plan. Jake will help Dan clear his name and reputation. How will they do that? What will Dan have to do to clear his name? How can Jake help Dan?
The author cleverly tells this mystery with flashbacks through Dan's eyes. The characters are interesting and engaging in this novel. It moves quickly even with surprise twists and turns. I didn't want to stop reading this. It was that good! So when is the next book coming out?
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The author cleverly tells this mystery with flashbacks through Dan's eyes. The characters are interesting and engaging in this novel. It moves quickly even with surprise twists and turns. I didn't want to stop reading this. It was that good! So when is the next book coming out?
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
November 17, 2016
Dan Greenberg is a medical student that becomes fascinated with a schizophrenic patient, Catherine. Catherine is worried about hospital patients that are in danger. When Dan looks into this he finds that Catherine is very accurate. Dan works with Catherine to find the connection and instead finds himself being blamed for the death of his girlfriend and an inmate at the same institute. Dan finds himself working with Jake, another inmate, to try and clear his name.
I was caught by the blurb on this book. It sounds interesting when Dan finds out something is going on and ends up in the institute because of the knowledge. There was lots of action as Dan races to find the truth.
My problem with the story is the second half drug with the over whelming details on things that were not as relevant to the story. There were also some details that were a touch too easy that made the story feel unbelievable.
Overall, this is the first book in a series and the end pretty clearly notes that. It is a little rough but it is a first in the series. I will check out the second book to decide if I continue reading the series.
I received Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight from Sage’s Blog Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
I was caught by the blurb on this book. It sounds interesting when Dan finds out something is going on and ends up in the institute because of the knowledge. There was lots of action as Dan races to find the truth.
My problem with the story is the second half drug with the over whelming details on things that were not as relevant to the story. There were also some details that were a touch too easy that made the story feel unbelievable.
Overall, this is the first book in a series and the end pretty clearly notes that. It is a little rough but it is a first in the series. I will check out the second book to decide if I continue reading the series.
I received Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight from Sage’s Blog Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
June 19, 2016
I was not sure what to expect going into this book. The premise was a bit strange. It jumps back and forth between the past and the present also. All of that being said, I really liked it. Some of the parts were predictable, but others were amazingly inventive. The protagonist is someone who you instantly like and can sympathize with. The jumping back and forth in time was actually not confusing in the least bit.
The only problems I had with this book was 1. Everything was really easy for them to accomplish. They never really failed. Or at least they did not know they did. 2. The ending sets it up for a sequel, or two sequels. I was confused. It seemed like one direction followed along the same path as this book, but the other idea was out of left field. I think it was suppose to be an OMG moment, but I kinda thought something was up with that already. I don't see how it fits in with the plot though.
That being said, I will absolutely be picking up Ilene B. Benator' second book.
I received a free copy of this book from the author for an honest and unbiased review.
The only problems I had with this book was 1. Everything was really easy for them to accomplish. They never really failed. Or at least they did not know they did. 2. The ending sets it up for a sequel, or two sequels. I was confused. It seemed like one direction followed along the same path as this book, but the other idea was out of left field. I think it was suppose to be an OMG moment, but I kinda thought something was up with that already. I don't see how it fits in with the plot though.
That being said, I will absolutely be picking up Ilene B. Benator' second book.
I received a free copy of this book from the author for an honest and unbiased review.
September 15, 2016
Terrifyingly believable!
Knowing the background of the author made this story more real and more terrifying. It's one thing to be scared and horrified with the context of a story, but realizing it coudl all be true, makes it more wonderfully scary. I absolutely love this story! If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. It's an emotionally charged, first person POV story ... Dan's story. "I would discover things I wish I never knew. If I could do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would never have jumped down that rabbit hole. But I did, and there’s no going back." And that was just the beginning. The words moved me, and I was on the edge of my seat, turning the pages quickly, reading every single word. I never once got lost in the medical jargon, as it was part of the scene which made it all the more realistic.
Knowing the background of the author made this story more real and more terrifying. It's one thing to be scared and horrified with the context of a story, but realizing it coudl all be true, makes it more wonderfully scary. I absolutely love this story! If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. It's an emotionally charged, first person POV story ... Dan's story. "I would discover things I wish I never knew. If I could do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would never have jumped down that rabbit hole. But I did, and there’s no going back." And that was just the beginning. The words moved me, and I was on the edge of my seat, turning the pages quickly, reading every single word. I never once got lost in the medical jargon, as it was part of the scene which made it all the more realistic.
December 9, 2016
Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting the intensity of the book, it's great! I was lost at the beginning of the book, the perspective-time change did throw me off track until I got used to it which was probably a third into the book. I was really captured by Dan's story, it was filled with so much suspense! Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight is written so well that it was like a movie playing in my head. The story itself gives off that vibe. I would reccomend Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller and I also think anyone who likes Halloween would have an intrest in this book! I give Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight four and a half stars!
August 9, 2016
Do you want Suspense? Schizo has it...
Do you want Great Characters? Schizo has it...
Do you like a Shocking Ending? Schizo has it...
Ilene wrote a masterful novel using her medical knowledge to bring this thriller to life. I can't think of anything negative to say. I finished the novel a just sat numbed at the ending. If there is squeal to this novel, which avenue will Ilene take her readers. There are three possibilities and I will watch for the next installment.
If you like to root for the good guy and like suspense, this is a quick read that will make you wanting to read more.
Awesome Job Ilene!!!
Do you want Great Characters? Schizo has it...
Do you like a Shocking Ending? Schizo has it...
Ilene wrote a masterful novel using her medical knowledge to bring this thriller to life. I can't think of anything negative to say. I finished the novel a just sat numbed at the ending. If there is squeal to this novel, which avenue will Ilene take her readers. There are three possibilities and I will watch for the next installment.
If you like to root for the good guy and like suspense, this is a quick read that will make you wanting to read more.
Awesome Job Ilene!!!
August 4, 2016
Other reviews give you a synopsis of the story. The book is well written, lots of twist and turns and a surprise ending with a set up for the next novel. I enjoyed technilogical resources used in the story. Benator has proven herself as a top notch author. I received this novel through a Goodreads giveaway, I thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My daughter in Austin, TX has a Free Little Library in her front yard, and I am sending this book to her for her neighbors enjoyment.
August 18, 2016
The main character, Dan Greenberg, is pretty realistically written and likeable. When his med school rotation in a psych ward takes him down a bizarre path and turns him into a murder suspect, he forms some unlikely alliances in order to find the answers to questions based on the "visions" of a schizophrenic patient.
There are also some interesting points of what mentally ill people receive as care from the medical field, and left me thinking about how thin is that line between sane/insane.
I received an ARC from Waldorf Publishing, and have shared my honest opinion.
There are also some interesting points of what mentally ill people receive as care from the medical field, and left me thinking about how thin is that line between sane/insane.
I received an ARC from Waldorf Publishing, and have shared my honest opinion.
June 9, 2016
A very vibrant account of one man’s inquisitive nature that ended with him locked up in a mental ward. Author Benator weaves an interesting tale of what happens when a medical student asks too many questions resulting in unwanted consequences. Sometimes the transition between current and past activities were a little hard to get use to even though two different typefaces emphasis the chronological changes. The story was interesting and the ending was unexpected.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews