The Healing Room

by Michaela James

“The Healing Room is a recommended read for fans of YA fiction looking for convincing teen drama and an interesting high concept mystery.” – K.C. Finn, Professional Reviewer – 5 Stars
“Unabashedly human and immensely satisfying. It is highly recommended.” – Sandy Masia, Professional Reviewer – 5 Stars
“The overall story plot was thrilling with a bit of horror tossed into it. It gave you the feeling that something like this could actually happen. It’s definitely a book I would recommend.” – Tiffany Ferrell, Professional Reviewer – 5 Stars

No one expected anything amazing from her – then she saved them all.
A heaven like room – what better place to hide evil.
Welcome to The Healing Room. Brought to you by No Divide, a kind and caring company founded on sentiment.
An unlikely choice for a Nanny, 17-year-old Bronwyn’s world is changed forever when her mysterious employer accepts an invite to The Healing Room.
Bronwyn questions the motives behind the heaven like room. Is it truly a portal to another dimension, or something deeply sinister?
Twenty-one-year-old Mateo, while being ecstatic to have his first real job at No Divide, learns the secrecy surrounding The Healing Room hides dark and disturbing intentions.
Mateo fears he's in too deep as the intensity grows and the stakes get higher.
Time is running out. Can Bronwyn and Mateo expose The Healing Room before it’s too late?

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Coming Of Age

294 pages, ebook

Published November 27, 2016

About the author

Michaela lives in Northern Nevada with her husband and two sons. Originally from England, she loves watching great movies while drinking endless cups of tea and eating too much chocolate. To balance this pastime she practices yoga and plays tennis.

For over a decade, Michaela's been an on-air personality for a local radio station.

Reviews

[David Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Fantastic novel. Impossible to categorize, but my response is to say it's an absolutely riveting, very well written Suspense-YA-Romance-Drama-Mystery tour de force.
Characterization is superb throughout, even with relatively minor actors. The dialogue and pov reflect individuals and their voices. The pace is medium-fast, perfectly timed for maximum tension and unputdownability. The plot is superb, and the substories - each worth a book in themselves - are woven inseparably into the tense mystery which is being unveiled. There is comedy, tragedy, fear and joy and pain; altogether, there's a great deal of humanity in this book. I laughed out loud, I cringed, I just about white-knuckled my ereader in places.
Bronwyn is absolutely perfect. What am I saying, so is Mateo, so is the surprising Diane - and so is Sage, and I'm not one who cares much for babies.
If I want to be hypercritical, the alternate pov (between Bronwyn and Mateo) may switch back and forth a little quickly, but I got used to it. That they were each so distinctly their own person was very helpful. So take off a half-star for that. Since I'm already giving this ten stars out of five, that leaves lots to spare!
The Healing Room is an absolute treat. Don't miss it.

[Winifred Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating. A book that moves quickly with short chapters alternating between Bronwyn and Mateo, both people I cared about, and each with their own struggles and complex family. I loved the dialogue, especially within Mateo’s family. At first the two stories seemed completely separate. Mateo’s built the suspense while Bronwyn’s was focused on deep emotions, of love and loss, marriage and childbirth, the fine line we have to cross to grow up. I couldn’t imagine how their stories would come together, but, of course, they do, and in a very satisfying way. James’s use of commas is random, and I felt the final resolution possibly fell in place a little too easily. Or maybe I was just disappointed the book was ending, and I wouldn’t be able to spend time in it anymore. It’s definitely a cut above most, a fast-paced suspenseful novel that still takes the time to explore a wide range of emotions and human experiences.

[Alexia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had wild energy from the beginning and even though I understood nothing that was happening, I was still entirely interested in it. The backstory behind No Divide's origin was so interesting, and the storyline was something I've never read before. I have never thought about a concept like No Divide before and yet it made perfect sense to me. Every time I put the book down I would still be thinking about it.
*
I love books where you're as lost as to what is happening as the characters, so I enjoyed trying to piece together the puzzle as Mateo and Bronwyn gathered more information. When they starting discovering more things it became so hard to put the book down because I was so caught up in the mystery. I really liked the characters and the circumstances they were placed in. Bronwyn's development over the book was amazing to read, and I found myself liking her the more the book went on.
*
The only thing I disliked about this book was that I felt the ending was a little rushed. The book was a lot of build up that I feel got solved too quickly at the end and the reader doesn't get the chance to relish in what is happening. There was an opportunity for more suspense and action, but I did like the outcome.
*
Overall, this was a 4.5 read for me as I was highly entertained the whole time, but I felt the ending fell a little flat.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, I get upset watching Disney film's so when I read the blurb and found out it was talking to lost one's I was a little sceptical if it was for me or not but I really like the author so I gave it ago. Glad I did because I enjoyed it (and without shedding a single tear). The subject was an unusual one but it was well done and it had me hooked to find out what was going on. The story is told by two characters as they both try to uncover what is going on at No Divide's and then as they work together to take down the company. The story is in the 13 and up category but I think that it is good enough and interesting enough for any age to listen to and enjoy. The characters were young and inexperienced but I think they were perfect for the job of investigating the company. I look forward to listening to more books by this talented author.
Mateo is pleased to land his first job but soon suspects that things aren't as wonderful as things seem. The staff talk but don't really say anything and if they do it could be taken in different ways. It is only after learning about the death of one of the companies newest customer, a man who became a friend, that he worries what is really going on and starts to dread the weekly meetings were he gets shouted at for bringing in the wrong sort of customers. Just who are the right ones and what makes them so special?. At the same time 17 year old Bronwyn, the black sheep of her family, agrees to do her father a favour. His business partner's wife has just given birth to there first child, the same week her twin sister dies and the household isn't copying. She moves in as a live in nanny and with no choice takes over the care of the family. Time heals all wounds but as time drags on and the mother still doesn't take any interest in her daughter Bronwyn worries what it means for the little family. It is only after receiving a phone call from a company with a message from her dead sister that things start to improve. So why does it make Bronwyn to uncomfortable? Is it because of all the secrets surrounding the meetings? Or is it because the mother that was finally begining to show an interesting in living and her daughter is once again pulling away? The pair will have to trust each other if they want to find out what is going on at No divide.
I liked the narrator and loved the accent she used for one of the characters.

[Dr. Raye of Sunshine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit this book was not what I expected it to be. The premise was quite intriguing but the first several chapters had me wondering if I was reading the book I thought I was supposed to be reading. The alternating points of view was also misleading at first...why, exactly, were we getting these two different perspectives?

I really liked Bronwyn from the start. She makes some typical teenage choices and ends up in a situation. Ultimately, it leads her to become a nanny for a grieving woman and her husband. Bronwyn is immediately likable. She's a not-so-typical, yet a so-typical teenager. She rises to the challenge of taking care of baby Sage like a pro. Diane (Sage's mother) is a bizarre character and I found myself disliking her for using her grief to avoid being a mother. Over time, however, as Bronwyn gets Diane to begin to open up, you do feel some sympathy for Diane as well. The grief and depression she is experiencing is incredibly well written.

Mateo is a kid fresh out of college in his first real job. Because he's young and naive, he is PERFECT for the job at No Divide. His narration and perspective is vastly different than Bronwyn (which is so appreciated as too many authors fail to provide different "voices" when they use alternating POVs). It takes a while to realize where these two will intersect, but eventually you get there and it's adorable and satisfying.

I really did enjoy this book. The storyline was really interesting and it kept me wanting to read. I dropped a star, however, for two reasons. One, the ending was just too rushed. It all came together a little too quickly for me to feel satisfied with the conclusion. The second reason I dropped a star is the absolute random placement of commas throughout the book. It was distracting much of the time.

Thanks to BookSirens and the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Suzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I found this book very intriguing. I was gifted this book with the understanding that I would leave an honest review. I was also told that the book is a Young Adult novel. Well, the story's main character is a young adult but this book is so much more. I thought the idea of the story was so unique and fascinating to explore. The mystery was well done as well. You become involved with all the characters as well. Well done Michaela James, well done. Agnes McCreath is the narrator for this audiobook and she too does an amazing job. 5 stars all the way around.

[Adam Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sucks you in.

This book has some very short chapters that do a very good job of keeping the pace going strong. Alternating between two characters, each chapter manages to give you just enough of their respective stories and the shorter lengths allow you to get back to each character quickly. The prose gets a little clunky in a few places but overall, I really enjoyed this book and found the plot to be very interesting.

[Lisa Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read!

This book grabbed me from the beginning, and didn't let go! So inventive. Loved it! I highly recommend this book!

[Linzi Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever book with a good pace (the alternate POVs worked well for this). However, it did start a little slowly. I listened to the short narrator excerpt on Audible before requesting the audiobook for review and was somewhat surprised to find that that short excerpt came from a loooong way into the book. Which does mean that the first 20% of the book is not action-packed. it is worth sticking with though as the story is genuinely unusual.

Pros:
Excellent characterisation - the three main characters really did have their own 'voices' and their own development.
Interesting plot idea
Bronwyn was adorable and pretty darn credible - it's actually rare that an adult author writes such a convincing YA protagonist.

Cons: I felt that Matteo, in particular, was extremely slow to investigate the many obvious problems within the organisation without any persuasive reasons being given for his apparent stupidity (in an otherwise bright, compelling and intelligent character).

I received a review copy but the contents of the review are purely my own thoughts and opinions.

[Chelsea DiCicco · Rating 5 out of 5]

How interesting, the combination of different stories and styles. Mysterious, suspenseful, engaging. Wow! I loved this book. I really really really loved this book. I completed it in two days. (I found it nearly impossible to put down, but I had work to attend to which forced me to take breaks through the day.) I was met with a breath of fresh air by original characters and plot alike. Just wonderful. The characters were very well developed. You had enough background to care about them, but weren't weighed down with endless boring details, just got a taste of their life situation and circumstances. Their personalities were not cliche, rather delightfully original. The plot was bizarre but amazing.

When I first started this book, I didn't know what to expect. From the very beginning, the characters and their stories have kept my interest. We first meet Bronwyn She is just nearing 17 years old and part of a somewhat large family. She has 2 older sisters Carys and Gwen. Bronwyn is kind of the "odd duck" of the family. Her sisters are both cheerleaders and focus their time on boys and looks. They are independent and outgoing. She is quiet and reserved. Toward the beginning of the story, she is introduced to a young college boy who she enters a brief relationship with. After things get physical, she notices that she has missed a period. She confides in her sister, who encourages her to immediately "take care" of the situation. They go to an abortion clinic.

I found myself reading through this so quickly, unable to stop reading. One thing that I particularly enjoyed was the length of the chapters. The chapters alternate protagonists. I found this to be really well done. Due to the brief length of chapters, the story moved along at a fast pace, but gave just enough story in each chapter. I really loved this. The Author incorporated so much emotion and depth into this story, from the heavy situations of family, life, mistakes, grown and life lessons.

Despite the seriousness of some topics, somehow, the book maintained a fun engaging vibe the entire way. It was such a great mystery. It had me laugh, think, cry, fear, a little of everything. I loved the real feel to the story, for example the usage of all of the movie references was terrific. It made it feel so real. A totally realistic and relate-able story. So touching, so beautiful. I highly recommend this book.

[CT · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. The concept of the healing room is premised on the opportunity to be able to hear messages from dearly departed ones through a portal located in the corporate office of a non-profit organization. And that is where the skeptics come in. Non-profit? For such an elaborate and other-worldly experience? Well how is this entire “service” financed?

I loved this story, and I am impressed by the storyteller. The entire book is written from the perspective of two young adults – one non-conforming seventeen year old girl and one Latino college graduate. The tone is realistic, and the mortal imperfections of the main characters are not swept underneath the rug. The build-up was gradual and smooth, and the climax held my attention. The only criticism I have is that the later uncovered antagonists didn’t seem as sharp as they were portrayed to be in the earlier part of the book. Nonetheless, I got my fix of good vs. evil, and the victory of the unlikely heroes.

There are a few shockers dropped here and there, so I do have to mention that this book is for older teens, and of course the rest of us adults.

I received a review copy and I savored every reading moment I had with this book. Recommended.

[Melanie Sitler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Healing Room was an interesting and suspenseful read that had me wondering what would happen until the end. I was confused by what was happening with Bronwyn at first, the idea of her parents sending her to help a family friend seemed off at first but in time that made sense, although seemed unlikely to actually happen. I also didn't understand their concerns with her and how her relationship with her mom happened to be so bad. Mateo's character could have been a little more developed. He was interesting and vital to the story but it felt like something was missing in it.

The concept of the healing room was interesting and something that The alternating POV helped move the story along and the short chapters left you with a feeling that you could always do one more (which would lead to 5). I think having a POV of someone that was a client of No Divides have been interesting at the end of the book. This would be good as a last chapter or epilogue to highlight what that experience was like and may have improved my rating.

I would recommend this book as a great, quick read. It pulls you in and keeps you interested the entire time.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.