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Lab Rat
At thirteen, Gabriel was subjected to experimentation designed to awaken latent psychic abilities.
He’s been locked in a downward spiral of self-destruction ever since.
Then one night he meets Laurie, who is the antithesis of everything Gabriel’s cheerful, optimistic, and comfortable in his own skin.
Laurie pursues Gabriel. But Gabriel no longer believes in love. With a dark past and a history of disastrous relationships, he’s promised himself ‘no more’. Laurie, however, won’t let go, no matter how many obstacles Gabriel places in his way.
When Gabriel starts hearing voices in his head, he realizes they belong to the scientists who experimented on him. Worse, they’re trying to track him down.
With the past nipping at his heels, Gabriel and Laurie flee together.
Can they outrun the enemy? Can they save Gabriel before either his life or his sanity are forfeit?
And is Gabriel as helpless as he, or Laurie, thinks he is?
He’s been locked in a downward spiral of self-destruction ever since.
Then one night he meets Laurie, who is the antithesis of everything Gabriel’s cheerful, optimistic, and comfortable in his own skin.
Laurie pursues Gabriel. But Gabriel no longer believes in love. With a dark past and a history of disastrous relationships, he’s promised himself ‘no more’. Laurie, however, won’t let go, no matter how many obstacles Gabriel places in his way.
When Gabriel starts hearing voices in his head, he realizes they belong to the scientists who experimented on him. Worse, they’re trying to track him down.
With the past nipping at his heels, Gabriel and Laurie flee together.
Can they outrun the enemy? Can they save Gabriel before either his life or his sanity are forfeit?
And is Gabriel as helpless as he, or Laurie, thinks he is?
- GenresScience Fiction
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2016
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 9, 2016
‘Lab Rat’ is not an easy read by any means. It may classify as a New Adult title and feel much like it’s been written with Young Adults in mind, but it deals with some very grown-up issues. Gabriel has led a hard life, suffers debilitating migraines, and sometimes blacks out without any apparent reason. And while the cause was quite clear in the blurb, it is much less clear in the story. This was highly frustrating for me, but I have to say it made sense for the author to have written it this way – Gabriel struggles with his past, has imperfect memory, and only slowly figures out what is going on. Some of the questions aren’t resolved until the very last chapter, so kudos to Nephy Hart for keeping up the suspense. The novel is written in present tense and first person, which makes it very real and made me feel close to Gabriel – truly in his head - and that was both fascinating and a problem. Fascinating because it revealed the feelings, fear, and confusion he feels. But the problem was that I felt just as confused as Gabriel and I am still not sure I liked that. In terms of the author’s ability to make me feel what the main character did this is wonderfully well done.
Gabriel is an art student, and he is about as self-destructive as they come He has alienated his family, his friends, and doesn’t let anyone close. He refuses to take the medication that is supposed to help – not that I can blame him for not trusting any doctor after what he has been through. He seems to suffer from paranoia – and until I was given more details of what actually happened, I was pretty convinced that all of his problems only existed in his head. Many of them do, but not all of them. Unraveling which ones were real and which were made-up was as difficult for Gabriel as it was for me.
Laurie is a true knight in shining armor. He makes no secret of the fact that he likes Gabriel, doesn’t take no for an answer, and won’t let Gabriel drive him away no matter what. Laurie has to learn what is real and what isn’t though, and that isn’t always easy. His loyalty and developing love go a long way, but – like in real life – they are not the perfect solution that will work on its own.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced plot around illegal scientific experiments, this is not your book. But if you’re curious about the effect of cruel scientific experiments on one of the affected individuals, this is a very well-imagined account of what such a “subject” might end up dealing with. If you like feeling close to a main character and sharing his confusion as he slowly unravels the mysteries of his past, reading this novel is a great way of doing that. It’s suspenseful, mysterious, had me wondering what “the real truth” was, and made me sigh in relief when I finally found out what was going on.
NOTE: This book was provided by Wayward Ink Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Gabriel is an art student, and he is about as self-destructive as they come He has alienated his family, his friends, and doesn’t let anyone close. He refuses to take the medication that is supposed to help – not that I can blame him for not trusting any doctor after what he has been through. He seems to suffer from paranoia – and until I was given more details of what actually happened, I was pretty convinced that all of his problems only existed in his head. Many of them do, but not all of them. Unraveling which ones were real and which were made-up was as difficult for Gabriel as it was for me.
Laurie is a true knight in shining armor. He makes no secret of the fact that he likes Gabriel, doesn’t take no for an answer, and won’t let Gabriel drive him away no matter what. Laurie has to learn what is real and what isn’t though, and that isn’t always easy. His loyalty and developing love go a long way, but – like in real life – they are not the perfect solution that will work on its own.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced plot around illegal scientific experiments, this is not your book. But if you’re curious about the effect of cruel scientific experiments on one of the affected individuals, this is a very well-imagined account of what such a “subject” might end up dealing with. If you like feeling close to a main character and sharing his confusion as he slowly unravels the mysteries of his past, reading this novel is a great way of doing that. It’s suspenseful, mysterious, had me wondering what “the real truth” was, and made me sigh in relief when I finally found out what was going on.
NOTE: This book was provided by Wayward Ink Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
May 10, 2016
This was a dark psychologic;al and psychic thriller, full of government conspires. I can't quite call it UF because I could actually see this happening, if it already hasn't. Although both MC suffered from severe abuse in their childhoods, there were a few occasions were the angst factor was just too much. So I took 1 star off for that. Otherwise it's awesome
May 4, 2016
Art student Gabriel is in pain, both physical and mental. He suffers from debilitating migraines, pain so bad that he can hardly move. Sometimes he blacks out with no warning. He's been to various doctors, being passed from one department to another but the doctors don't know what's wrong with him. He has fits, but he doesn't have epilepsy, he hears voices, but he isn't schizophrenic. Gabriel is convinced the doctors don't believe him and think that it's all in his head and no medication seems to work.
He's already been in a mental hospital and he doesn't want to go back, so he doesn't go back to the doctors to tell them the medications aren't working. After losing two lovers, Gabriel is convinced that he himself is toxic and that no one should come anywhere near him and he pushes everyone away, fearing he'll hurt them or worse when he has one of his episodes. He feels he doesn't deserve to be loved.
And then he meets Laurie. Laurie with bright blue eyes and the face of an angel who keeps coming back no matter how many times Gabriel pushes him away. And it's Laurie who has to make him see that he is worth something.
I made the mistake of starting this book late at night when I was in bed. A few hours later, eyes gritty, I had to put it down, but only because I was so tired.
It was gripping from the very first page. The reader knows something has happened to Gabriel in the past, but we don't find out what until later in the book and it makes you keep reading. The plot is excellent, well-paced and the writing flows well.
Gabriel is so damaged, but I really related to him in this book. I too had spent years being sent from one doctor to another to try and find out what was wrong with me, at times half-convinced I was mad too, but finally I got the right specialist, the right diagnosis and treatment. I have migraine associated vertigo and like Gabriel when I have an attack I can barely move.
Laurie, oh Laurie, I think I am a little in love with him. Laurie is the light to Gabriel's darkness, he is a knight in shining armour, which may be dented in places, but hasn't lost any of its lustre.
I'm not normally a fan of present tense for novels, but it's a testament to the author's skill that after I while I didn't even notice what tense it was, the story was so engrossing.
I love angst, and this book has angst by the bucketload, but it has hope and love too. In a word, perfect.
Review copy from publisher.
He's already been in a mental hospital and he doesn't want to go back, so he doesn't go back to the doctors to tell them the medications aren't working. After losing two lovers, Gabriel is convinced that he himself is toxic and that no one should come anywhere near him and he pushes everyone away, fearing he'll hurt them or worse when he has one of his episodes. He feels he doesn't deserve to be loved.
And then he meets Laurie. Laurie with bright blue eyes and the face of an angel who keeps coming back no matter how many times Gabriel pushes him away. And it's Laurie who has to make him see that he is worth something.
I made the mistake of starting this book late at night when I was in bed. A few hours later, eyes gritty, I had to put it down, but only because I was so tired.
It was gripping from the very first page. The reader knows something has happened to Gabriel in the past, but we don't find out what until later in the book and it makes you keep reading. The plot is excellent, well-paced and the writing flows well.
Gabriel is so damaged, but I really related to him in this book. I too had spent years being sent from one doctor to another to try and find out what was wrong with me, at times half-convinced I was mad too, but finally I got the right specialist, the right diagnosis and treatment. I have migraine associated vertigo and like Gabriel when I have an attack I can barely move.
Laurie, oh Laurie, I think I am a little in love with him. Laurie is the light to Gabriel's darkness, he is a knight in shining armour, which may be dented in places, but hasn't lost any of its lustre.
I'm not normally a fan of present tense for novels, but it's a testament to the author's skill that after I while I didn't even notice what tense it was, the story was so engrossing.
I love angst, and this book has angst by the bucketload, but it has hope and love too. In a word, perfect.
Review copy from publisher.
May 7, 2016
Lab Rat by Nephy Hart is by no means an easy read, even if this qualifies as a YA title. Her characters have lived hard lives, so it's not easy learning about their pasts as they struggle to mange their present circumstances. I easily fell in love with her story just as easily as I always have, fascinated and appalled at the same time by Gabriel.
Because I'm familiar with Nephy's work, I knew the story was more than it appeared at first. Gabriel is a complex character with a lot of pain in his past. His present is all about trying to forget, but things have been getting worse for him, not better. His family can't handle him, he's working hard at alienating his friends, and he makes bad choice after bad choice.
The worst of them all is letting Laurie in.. or so Gabriel thinks. I loved the characters' instant connection, since I could relate, but it didn't really fall into insta-love for me. Gabriel is antagonistic, Laurie is enigmatic, and forces outside their control are coming into play that might tear them apart. Literally.
So I can't say more without spoiling, but if you're into stories that focus on the characters and the developing plot, with a ton of heightened tension wondering what's going to happen, Lab Rat is for you!
Because I'm familiar with Nephy's work, I knew the story was more than it appeared at first. Gabriel is a complex character with a lot of pain in his past. His present is all about trying to forget, but things have been getting worse for him, not better. His family can't handle him, he's working hard at alienating his friends, and he makes bad choice after bad choice.
The worst of them all is letting Laurie in.. or so Gabriel thinks. I loved the characters' instant connection, since I could relate, but it didn't really fall into insta-love for me. Gabriel is antagonistic, Laurie is enigmatic, and forces outside their control are coming into play that might tear them apart. Literally.
So I can't say more without spoiling, but if you're into stories that focus on the characters and the developing plot, with a ton of heightened tension wondering what's going to happen, Lab Rat is for you!
May 12, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
2 stars
This book failed to capture my attention, let alone hold it.
Gabriel is the central character and, as far as I’m concerned, he’s the very definition of loathsome. He starts off as a quintessential tosser and never improves on-page (the last few pages hint that maybe he will redeem himself, but we never see that play out). In a nutshell, he’s cruel, utterly ambivalent about life and love (pertaining to him and those around him), a touch misogynistic, emotionally abusive, and demonstrates an annoying quirk of being unable to finish sentences and the reader is left to languish visually with an endless supply of ellipses.
The guy who becomes his boyfriend, Laurie, is marginally better—I’d rate him more of a bellend. Based on the blurb available for public consumption, I was expecting a meek/shy Laurie serving as the perfect foil to bitter/breaking-down Gabriel and the two balance each other out. Instead, he’s cool and confident and, apparently, hot. As he pursues a relationship with Gabriel, I started getting pretty strong stalker-ish vibes from the guy. Although the instances mentioned below were never in the context of forcing sexual intimacy, the underlying theme remains the same to me: Laurie relentlessly pursuits a relationship with Gabriel despite obvious verbal and physical cues that Gabriel is not interested. Although technically, Gabriel only physically and verbally pushes Laurie away, the first-person perspective narration through Gabriel reveals this isn’t always the case. Still, it’s not enough to satisfy me because I still see this as reinforcing the “no means yes” kind of mentality.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
2 stars
This book failed to capture my attention, let alone hold it.
Gabriel is the central character and, as far as I’m concerned, he’s the very definition of loathsome. He starts off as a quintessential tosser and never improves on-page (the last few pages hint that maybe he will redeem himself, but we never see that play out). In a nutshell, he’s cruel, utterly ambivalent about life and love (pertaining to him and those around him), a touch misogynistic, emotionally abusive, and demonstrates an annoying quirk of being unable to finish sentences and the reader is left to languish visually with an endless supply of ellipses.
The guy who becomes his boyfriend, Laurie, is marginally better—I’d rate him more of a bellend. Based on the blurb available for public consumption, I was expecting a meek/shy Laurie serving as the perfect foil to bitter/breaking-down Gabriel and the two balance each other out. Instead, he’s cool and confident and, apparently, hot. As he pursues a relationship with Gabriel, I started getting pretty strong stalker-ish vibes from the guy. Although the instances mentioned below were never in the context of forcing sexual intimacy, the underlying theme remains the same to me: Laurie relentlessly pursuits a relationship with Gabriel despite obvious verbal and physical cues that Gabriel is not interested. Although technically, Gabriel only physically and verbally pushes Laurie away, the first-person perspective narration through Gabriel reveals this isn’t always the case. Still, it’s not enough to satisfy me because I still see this as reinforcing the “no means yes” kind of mentality.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
July 31, 2016
Lab Rat is a disturbing and intriguing story. I recommend this to anyone looking for a dark sci-fi drama with some romance.
This is an interesting story, frightening and depressing for much of it, but at times also hopeful and romantic. Nephy Hart has done a great job portraying Gabriel's mental and emotional instability. And the turmoil between Gabriel and Laurie takes the notion of romantic angst to a whole other level.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. I found it engaging but a bit drawn out. I feel it could have been condensed into a shorter book, and that might have captured my interest more completely.
This is not a sexually explicit book. I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for a highly romantic or erotic book.
*I received a free copy of this book to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.*
This is an interesting story, frightening and depressing for much of it, but at times also hopeful and romantic. Nephy Hart has done a great job portraying Gabriel's mental and emotional instability. And the turmoil between Gabriel and Laurie takes the notion of romantic angst to a whole other level.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. I found it engaging but a bit drawn out. I feel it could have been condensed into a shorter book, and that might have captured my interest more completely.
This is not a sexually explicit book. I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for a highly romantic or erotic book.
*I received a free copy of this book to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.*
May 1, 2016
Lab Rat is a fast-paced read with plenty of action to keep you turning the page. The characters are well drawn and the story interesting. Overall, it held my attention until the end and I was keen to see how things would work out for Gabriel and Laurie.
3.5 stars (I do wish Goodreads would let us mark the halves.)
Disclaimer: I was involved in the production of this book.
3.5 stars (I do wish Goodreads would let us mark the halves.)
Disclaimer: I was involved in the production of this book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews