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Going Under
A darkly funny and sexy novel that blows the lid off the medical profession and life inside a hospital by a young doctor whose anonymous article about the pressures of trainee doctors went viral around the world.
Dr Katarina 'Kitty' Holliday thought that once she finished medical school and found gainful employment at one of Sydney's best teaching hospitals that her dream was just beginning. The hard years, she thought, were finally over.
But Kitty is in for a rude shock. Between trying to survive on the ward, in the operating theatre and in the emergency department without killing any of her patients or going under herself, Kitty finds herself facing situations that rock her very understanding of the vocation to which she intends to devote her life.
Going Under is a rare insight into the world of a trainee female medic that takes an unflinching look at the reality of being a doctor. It explores the big themes - life, death, power and love - through the eyes of Dr Holliday as she loses her identity and nearly her mind in the pressure-cooker world of the hospital. But it is also there that Kitty might find her own redemption and finally know herself for the first time. Darkly funny, sexy, moving and shocking, Going Under will grip you from the opening page and never let you go.
Dr Katarina 'Kitty' Holliday thought that once she finished medical school and found gainful employment at one of Sydney's best teaching hospitals that her dream was just beginning. The hard years, she thought, were finally over.
But Kitty is in for a rude shock. Between trying to survive on the ward, in the operating theatre and in the emergency department without killing any of her patients or going under herself, Kitty finds herself facing situations that rock her very understanding of the vocation to which she intends to devote her life.
Going Under is a rare insight into the world of a trainee female medic that takes an unflinching look at the reality of being a doctor. It explores the big themes - life, death, power and love - through the eyes of Dr Holliday as she loses her identity and nearly her mind in the pressure-cooker world of the hospital. But it is also there that Kitty might find her own redemption and finally know herself for the first time. Darkly funny, sexy, moving and shocking, Going Under will grip you from the opening page and never let you go.
416 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2019
58 people are currently reading
1864 people want to read
About the author
Sonia Henry
2 books59 followersSonia Henry is in her early thirties and lives and works in Sydney as a doctor. When she's not being a medic she devotes her spare time to writing and has been published in Kevin MD (America's leading physician blog), the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Medical Students Journal, and has scientific publications in the ANZ Journal of Surgery.
Her most widely read article was an anonymous piece, 'There is something rotten inside the medical profession', which detailed the stress of medical training and was shared more than 22,000 times and re-published widely around the world. This article led to the start of a conversation that her novel Going Under seeks to continue. Dr Brad Frankum, head of the AMA NSW, penned an open letter in response to her piece, as did many other doctors who decided that it was time to speak out.
In her spare time, Sonia loves drinking wine with her friends, eating good food, and trying to save money to travel to new and fabulous places. She is a keen skier in the winter and likes Sydney for its beaches in the summer. She tried to join a gym but isn't a morning person so has replaced exercise with an extra hour of sleep.
She is passionate about the topics covered in her book and would love to be an advocate for change in the medical system.
Her most widely read article was an anonymous piece, 'There is something rotten inside the medical profession', which detailed the stress of medical training and was shared more than 22,000 times and re-published widely around the world. This article led to the start of a conversation that her novel Going Under seeks to continue. Dr Brad Frankum, head of the AMA NSW, penned an open letter in response to her piece, as did many other doctors who decided that it was time to speak out.
In her spare time, Sonia loves drinking wine with her friends, eating good food, and trying to save money to travel to new and fabulous places. She is a keen skier in the winter and likes Sydney for its beaches in the summer. She tried to join a gym but isn't a morning person so has replaced exercise with an extra hour of sleep.
She is passionate about the topics covered in her book and would love to be an advocate for change in the medical system.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
July 5, 2019
A total eye-opener, Going Under brings to light the pressures junior doctors have to endure. It's the story of young intern Dr Kitty Holliday, and her journey through her first year in a training hospital in Sydney. The scary truth is a lot of the novel is based on fact, the bullying, belittling and even the suicide of young doctors. Added to the pressure cooker of surgery, long hours and lack of suitable supervision, the doctor training program is a recipe for disaster.
However Sonia Henry tells the story well, a dark subject told with a jocular tone. I found myself laughing out loud several times at the antics of Kitty and her friends. It is an amusing, light-hearted read, but still, it sends a message to the reader that all is not as it should be in our hospitals. This is a book everyone needs to read.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin and Better Reading Preview for an uncorrected proof to read and review. The opinions are entirely my own.
However Sonia Henry tells the story well, a dark subject told with a jocular tone. I found myself laughing out loud several times at the antics of Kitty and her friends. It is an amusing, light-hearted read, but still, it sends a message to the reader that all is not as it should be in our hospitals. This is a book everyone needs to read.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin and Better Reading Preview for an uncorrected proof to read and review. The opinions are entirely my own.
November 28, 2019
After finally finishing medical school Dr Katarina (Kitty) Holliday couldn’t believe her luck when she landed a job at one of Sydney’s best teaching hospitals. All her hard work had paid off and her dream was really coming true.
Kitty can hardly contain her excitement when she finds out she’s to begin her first rotation in neurosurgery. Long tiring hours, low pay and dealing with difficult colleagues soon turns Kitty’s excitement into misery and she starts to question wether she’s made the right career choice.
Going Under by Aussie author Sonia Henry gives us glimpse into some of the pressures that young doctors face from one day to the next. There are a few laugh out loud moment throughout this book, but it also sends a message to the reader about some of the things that really go on in a hospital. Although this book is fiction I’m sure some of this could be based on fact.
Well written compelling book which I have no hesitation in recommending. With thanks to Allen & Unwin for ARC to read and review.
Kitty can hardly contain her excitement when she finds out she’s to begin her first rotation in neurosurgery. Long tiring hours, low pay and dealing with difficult colleagues soon turns Kitty’s excitement into misery and she starts to question wether she’s made the right career choice.
Going Under by Aussie author Sonia Henry gives us glimpse into some of the pressures that young doctors face from one day to the next. There are a few laugh out loud moment throughout this book, but it also sends a message to the reader about some of the things that really go on in a hospital. Although this book is fiction I’m sure some of this could be based on fact.
Well written compelling book which I have no hesitation in recommending. With thanks to Allen & Unwin for ARC to read and review.
September 2, 2022
I was very impressed with this book and enjoyed it immensely. Having read another recent fiction title written by a doctor, The Registrar, I found this one to be much more engaging, humorous, candid, serious and propelling. This was edge of your seat reading.
The acknowledgements state the author initially posted an anonymous blog entry, discussing the terrible conditions faced by junior doctors. The author experienced losing many colleagues to suicide, in a short time span. This issue is serious and real. Entitled There is something rotten inside the medical profession, the article can be found here: https://www.kevinmd.com/2017/01/somet...
Kitty is a young gregarious, confident, and capable junior doctor, the lowest ranking among a lot of misogynistic others. Hours are long, senior doctor tough and mostly indifferent. Many disrespectful and uncaring toward their patients. She has a strong group of friends within the hospital, and tighter they are a hard drinking, hard partying group of young people. This is how they cope; much self-medicating, drug and alcohol abuse, not a lot of sleep and even less renumeration.
Kitty takes us on a journey of self discovery and back breaking hard work to find her feet in an industry that is fraught with serious life affecting issues where it seems only the strongest will make it through unscathed.
The pacing of this interesting story was excellent with never a dull moment, and as always when written by an industry insider, the reader is left with the horrifying realisation that these young, smart, and extremely talented medical professionals are facing too tough a gig. The author states all events, even though fictionalised, have happened to her, her colleagues or other health care professionals. Bullying, overwork, intimidation is all too real.
I hope this issue begins to right itself, and I think this excellent book will go to some lengths in paving the way. I recommend this highly.
With my thanks to Allen & Unwin for their uncorrected proof copy to read and review. An excellent publishing house that keeps offering solid Australian talent.
The acknowledgements state the author initially posted an anonymous blog entry, discussing the terrible conditions faced by junior doctors. The author experienced losing many colleagues to suicide, in a short time span. This issue is serious and real. Entitled There is something rotten inside the medical profession, the article can be found here: https://www.kevinmd.com/2017/01/somet...
Kitty is a young gregarious, confident, and capable junior doctor, the lowest ranking among a lot of misogynistic others. Hours are long, senior doctor tough and mostly indifferent. Many disrespectful and uncaring toward their patients. She has a strong group of friends within the hospital, and tighter they are a hard drinking, hard partying group of young people. This is how they cope; much self-medicating, drug and alcohol abuse, not a lot of sleep and even less renumeration.
Kitty takes us on a journey of self discovery and back breaking hard work to find her feet in an industry that is fraught with serious life affecting issues where it seems only the strongest will make it through unscathed.
The pacing of this interesting story was excellent with never a dull moment, and as always when written by an industry insider, the reader is left with the horrifying realisation that these young, smart, and extremely talented medical professionals are facing too tough a gig. The author states all events, even though fictionalised, have happened to her, her colleagues or other health care professionals. Bullying, overwork, intimidation is all too real.
I hope this issue begins to right itself, and I think this excellent book will go to some lengths in paving the way. I recommend this highly.
With my thanks to Allen & Unwin for their uncorrected proof copy to read and review. An excellent publishing house that keeps offering solid Australian talent.
September 13, 2019
" Admin sends us weekly emails telling us how great everything is in the hospital and how resilient we all are. We spend our days at work, our nights dreaming about work, sharing our beds with imaginary corpses, and our years trying to force ourselves through training programs to finally get somewhere. It's like trying to run up an escalator that's going down. You just keep on going until eventually you can't run anymore and have to step off. Or jump off.
Or you have a heart attack at fifty."
In 2017 Sonia Henry, published an anonymous article on America's top medical blog, based on her experiences as an intern, highlighting the stress and pressure of medical training for young medical trainees, leading to suicides and people leaving the profession. The article went viral globally with many doctors weighing in with their experiences and views and lead to open discussions about bullying and sexual harassment in our hospitals. Ms Henry has now written a fictional account of a young intern, Kitty Holliday and her experiences in her first year as an intern in a fictional Sydney hospital.
In her author's note Dr Henry states that the events Kitty and her friends and colleagues experience are based on Dr Henry's own experiences and observations during her time as a medical trainee. The arrogant treatment and belittling that young trainees too often experience from the senior doctors who are supposed to be training them, on top of excessively long working hours, has recently led to some clinical departments in Australian hospitals being blocked from training doctors due to the culture of bullying and intimidation. Cases of sexual harassment of young female doctors by senior doctors is also being more widely reported as it should in this Me Too era. No person undergoing professional training should be subjected to such treatment, especially when lives are at risk, theirs as well as their patients. As well as the pressure of completing their initial medical training, many young doctors will need to apply for very competitive and limited specialist training, often in the same hospitals where they interned so there is huge pressure not to complain about their treatment but to grin and bear it, no matter how horrendous. There is one scene in a country hospital where the interns are sent for their rural training, where a young doctor is driven to the edge when, as the only doctor at the hospital, she is forced to perform a difficult procedure on a very sick child that she has never done before, highlighting not only the problems in Australian rural hospitals but also that no young doctor should ever be put in that impossible situation.
Through Kitty's story and fellow trainees Max and Estelle, Dr Henry gives us an intimate view of the pressures a young doctor faces to perform and survive their medical training. She writes with humour and compassion showing us the highs as well as the many bumps along the way. These young doctors play hard as well as work hard and their social life often involves a lot of sex, alcohol and drugs to relieve the pressure if only for a few hours. In contrast to the arrogant, difficult senior doctors Kitty has to work with she does encounter a senior consultant who is kind (to the point that she develops an inappropriate crush on him) and sees that there can be more productive ways of teaching good medical practice. As well as being a commentary on the state of medical training in Australian hospitals, this is also a very engaging, well written novel, often darkly humorous and with characters you will come to are about.
With many thanks to Allen and Unwin for an ARC of this book to read.
Or you have a heart attack at fifty."
In 2017 Sonia Henry, published an anonymous article on America's top medical blog, based on her experiences as an intern, highlighting the stress and pressure of medical training for young medical trainees, leading to suicides and people leaving the profession. The article went viral globally with many doctors weighing in with their experiences and views and lead to open discussions about bullying and sexual harassment in our hospitals. Ms Henry has now written a fictional account of a young intern, Kitty Holliday and her experiences in her first year as an intern in a fictional Sydney hospital.
In her author's note Dr Henry states that the events Kitty and her friends and colleagues experience are based on Dr Henry's own experiences and observations during her time as a medical trainee. The arrogant treatment and belittling that young trainees too often experience from the senior doctors who are supposed to be training them, on top of excessively long working hours, has recently led to some clinical departments in Australian hospitals being blocked from training doctors due to the culture of bullying and intimidation. Cases of sexual harassment of young female doctors by senior doctors is also being more widely reported as it should in this Me Too era. No person undergoing professional training should be subjected to such treatment, especially when lives are at risk, theirs as well as their patients. As well as the pressure of completing their initial medical training, many young doctors will need to apply for very competitive and limited specialist training, often in the same hospitals where they interned so there is huge pressure not to complain about their treatment but to grin and bear it, no matter how horrendous. There is one scene in a country hospital where the interns are sent for their rural training, where a young doctor is driven to the edge when, as the only doctor at the hospital, she is forced to perform a difficult procedure on a very sick child that she has never done before, highlighting not only the problems in Australian rural hospitals but also that no young doctor should ever be put in that impossible situation.
Through Kitty's story and fellow trainees Max and Estelle, Dr Henry gives us an intimate view of the pressures a young doctor faces to perform and survive their medical training. She writes with humour and compassion showing us the highs as well as the many bumps along the way. These young doctors play hard as well as work hard and their social life often involves a lot of sex, alcohol and drugs to relieve the pressure if only for a few hours. In contrast to the arrogant, difficult senior doctors Kitty has to work with she does encounter a senior consultant who is kind (to the point that she develops an inappropriate crush on him) and sees that there can be more productive ways of teaching good medical practice. As well as being a commentary on the state of medical training in Australian hospitals, this is also a very engaging, well written novel, often darkly humorous and with characters you will come to are about.
With many thanks to Allen and Unwin for an ARC of this book to read.
September 7, 2020
Okay, so I originally thought this was a Doctor memoir and not a novel, but I was pleasantly surprised! A lot of it reads like a Doctor diary of their time on the wards but because it’s a novel, the relationships and life outside of the hospital are explored in more detail which I really enjoyed.
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Read this if you liked: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭 or 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐞, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚 (𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫) 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Read this if you liked: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭 or 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐞, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚 (𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫) 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫
June 24, 2019
“Doctors worry constantly about patients surviving. We fear death and suffering and blame. Our own survival seems unimportant by comparison. The doctor saves the baby, or doesn’t. Who saves the doctor?”
Going Under is the first novel by Australian doctor and author, Sonia Henry. When junior doctor Kitty Holliday completes her medical degree, she thinks the worst is behind her: she’s a doctor now, right? Her first day as a neurosurgical intern soon disabuses her of that notion.
Kitty is stunned when most of her immediate superiors offer her no support or encouragement but instead seem intent on publicly belittling her at every opportunity, and she learns that this is a common experience amongst her peers: “We’re all copping heaps of abuse in different forms every day. The best thing you can do is stay quiet and try to survive.” The insults, menial non-medical tasks (bring me a coffee down to theatre, now!) and general nastiness erode her self-esteem and have her second-guessing her choice of career.
“The truth is that whenever someone approaches me in the hospital and opens with ‘Excuse me, Doctor’, it’s enough to make my heart sink so fast I’m surprised blood doesn’t start seeping out of my shoes. I feel my testicles retracting and I don’t even have any. There aren’t really any words to describe the all-encompassing dread that grips my entire body.”
But for the kindness of one consultant, she could easily sink into despair, and when she hears of the suicide of a distant junior doctor, she is grateful that she and her close colleagues have vowed to support each other in their hour of need. Their compulsory secondment to an understaffed rural hospital doesn’t alleviate their misery, and it’s not until Kitty attends a conference in Sweden that she learns this absence of a nurturing environment is not universal.
Henry populates her novel with a great cast of characters: most readers will have encountered the arrogant boss who makes life hell for his subordinates; the patients are well drawn; and Kitty's colleagues are an appealing bunch whose dialogue is often witty and funny, despite the bullying, rudeness, coercion, blackmail and abuse of power, sexism and sexual harassment they are forced to endure.
As she gives the reader an intimate glimpse into the hallowed halls of hospital medicine, anyone not familiar with how the public health system works is likely to be aghast that a system meant to nurture the people who may soon be responsible for keeping us alive, treats them so poorly. The general public might well expect there to be support, sympathy and helpful mentoring, not unconstructive criticism and teaching by humiliation.
Henry manages to inject (sorry!) a good deal of (mostly black) humour into her tale, but the overall message is an important one: are we really going to stand by while young doctors, who are desperately trying to be good at their chosen profession, are treated so badly they can see no alternative but to commit suicide? There is something seriously wrong in a system in which young trainees are afraid of their mentors.
While this is fiction, it is clear from Henry’s background that it is drawn from real life, and based in fact. No one who has worked in the public health system is likely to be shocked or surprised at what Henry reveals; worried, dismayed, disgusted and disappointed, perhaps, but not surprised.
This book should be compulsory reading for medical administrators in the hospital system, but also for medical students, doctors at all levels of their career, and anyone who cannot guarantee they (or someone they care about) will never find themselves in a hospital at 2am under the care of an overworked, underpaid, stressed-out, exhausted intern doctor.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Allen&Unwin
Going Under is the first novel by Australian doctor and author, Sonia Henry. When junior doctor Kitty Holliday completes her medical degree, she thinks the worst is behind her: she’s a doctor now, right? Her first day as a neurosurgical intern soon disabuses her of that notion.
Kitty is stunned when most of her immediate superiors offer her no support or encouragement but instead seem intent on publicly belittling her at every opportunity, and she learns that this is a common experience amongst her peers: “We’re all copping heaps of abuse in different forms every day. The best thing you can do is stay quiet and try to survive.” The insults, menial non-medical tasks (bring me a coffee down to theatre, now!) and general nastiness erode her self-esteem and have her second-guessing her choice of career.
“The truth is that whenever someone approaches me in the hospital and opens with ‘Excuse me, Doctor’, it’s enough to make my heart sink so fast I’m surprised blood doesn’t start seeping out of my shoes. I feel my testicles retracting and I don’t even have any. There aren’t really any words to describe the all-encompassing dread that grips my entire body.”
But for the kindness of one consultant, she could easily sink into despair, and when she hears of the suicide of a distant junior doctor, she is grateful that she and her close colleagues have vowed to support each other in their hour of need. Their compulsory secondment to an understaffed rural hospital doesn’t alleviate their misery, and it’s not until Kitty attends a conference in Sweden that she learns this absence of a nurturing environment is not universal.
Henry populates her novel with a great cast of characters: most readers will have encountered the arrogant boss who makes life hell for his subordinates; the patients are well drawn; and Kitty's colleagues are an appealing bunch whose dialogue is often witty and funny, despite the bullying, rudeness, coercion, blackmail and abuse of power, sexism and sexual harassment they are forced to endure.
As she gives the reader an intimate glimpse into the hallowed halls of hospital medicine, anyone not familiar with how the public health system works is likely to be aghast that a system meant to nurture the people who may soon be responsible for keeping us alive, treats them so poorly. The general public might well expect there to be support, sympathy and helpful mentoring, not unconstructive criticism and teaching by humiliation.
Henry manages to inject (sorry!) a good deal of (mostly black) humour into her tale, but the overall message is an important one: are we really going to stand by while young doctors, who are desperately trying to be good at their chosen profession, are treated so badly they can see no alternative but to commit suicide? There is something seriously wrong in a system in which young trainees are afraid of their mentors.
While this is fiction, it is clear from Henry’s background that it is drawn from real life, and based in fact. No one who has worked in the public health system is likely to be shocked or surprised at what Henry reveals; worried, dismayed, disgusted and disappointed, perhaps, but not surprised.
This book should be compulsory reading for medical administrators in the hospital system, but also for medical students, doctors at all levels of their career, and anyone who cannot guarantee they (or someone they care about) will never find themselves in a hospital at 2am under the care of an overworked, underpaid, stressed-out, exhausted intern doctor.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Allen&Unwin
January 20, 2020
‘Every year in America 400 physicians kill themselves, that’s an entire medical school!’
Going Under is a novel that gives you a surprising realisation of the pressures that are thrown at young interns and explores the bullying and abuse that comes from the senior staff. There appears to be a culture of bullying, intimidation and unsafe work hours in some hospital departments. The dream of becoming a surgeon is a long, hard and emotional ride and I’m sure those that have been a medical student will find this relatable.
It’s well written, witty, dark and thought-provoking. We follow the story of young intern Dr. Katarina ‘Kitty’ Holliday in a large fictional Australian Sydney hospital. The characters and situations feel like real life and although grim at times it’s a great read!
Going under is a story of survival and friendships, it's raw and confronting. There’s a lot of focus on alcohol, partying, lust and drug taking to medicate what these junior doctors went through and we see lots of humour throughout the story also.
Written by an Australian Doctor, Going Under is no doubt inspired by real events. Impressive, brave and well worth a read!
I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for generously providing me a copy of the book in return for an honest review
Going Under is a novel that gives you a surprising realisation of the pressures that are thrown at young interns and explores the bullying and abuse that comes from the senior staff. There appears to be a culture of bullying, intimidation and unsafe work hours in some hospital departments. The dream of becoming a surgeon is a long, hard and emotional ride and I’m sure those that have been a medical student will find this relatable.
It’s well written, witty, dark and thought-provoking. We follow the story of young intern Dr. Katarina ‘Kitty’ Holliday in a large fictional Australian Sydney hospital. The characters and situations feel like real life and although grim at times it’s a great read!
Going under is a story of survival and friendships, it's raw and confronting. There’s a lot of focus on alcohol, partying, lust and drug taking to medicate what these junior doctors went through and we see lots of humour throughout the story also.
Written by an Australian Doctor, Going Under is no doubt inspired by real events. Impressive, brave and well worth a read!
I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for generously providing me a copy of the book in return for an honest review
September 26, 2019
This is a fictional story based on the personal experiences of the author who is a doctor in training. While the story is told with great humour it does not fail to portray the immense pressure that trainee medical staff have to endure along with bullying, abuse and other behaviour that would be completely unacceptable in any other setting.
Kitty Holliday wants to be a surgeon, so finds herself as a new intern on a neurosurgical rotation. A series of events and poor behaviour on the part of her senior colleagues makes Kitty question her decisions. She deals with this, as do her fellow interns by drinking and drugging herself into oblivion whenever there is an opportunity.
A great read, but also a wonderful exposé and insight into the medical profession. I have utmost respect for this profession but there are many who could prescribe themselves a good dose of kindness.
Thank you Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected ARC.
Kitty Holliday wants to be a surgeon, so finds herself as a new intern on a neurosurgical rotation. A series of events and poor behaviour on the part of her senior colleagues makes Kitty question her decisions. She deals with this, as do her fellow interns by drinking and drugging herself into oblivion whenever there is an opportunity.
A great read, but also a wonderful exposé and insight into the medical profession. I have utmost respect for this profession but there are many who could prescribe themselves a good dose of kindness.
Thank you Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected ARC.
October 8, 2019
I picked this up under the incorrect assumption it was non-fiction; while disappointed, I was glad to learn that it was written by a doctor, suggesting the medical side of things would be portrayed accurately.
While the window into the medical side of things was well written and interesting, I felt that the rest of the book fell pretty flat. A character the narrator spends 80% of the book pining for is essentially written out in a couple of sentences; another character is suddenly introduced for one somewhat graphic sex scene and then barely mentioned again. A lot of the writing about the non-medical side of the story felt forced and unnatural, and I felt pretty disconnected from the characters.
While the window into the medical side of things was well written and interesting, I felt that the rest of the book fell pretty flat. A character the narrator spends 80% of the book pining for is essentially written out in a couple of sentences; another character is suddenly introduced for one somewhat graphic sex scene and then barely mentioned again. A lot of the writing about the non-medical side of the story felt forced and unnatural, and I felt pretty disconnected from the characters.
November 22, 2019
This book has such an important message to tell but was overshadowed by too much sex & alcohol! I’m a nurse, I get it, we also used alcohol & partying no doubt to medicate what we saw, treated & cared for in highly stressed environments at such a young age. It just was too focused on it. Also didn’t appreciate her interpretation of nurses, a common fault of doctors who don’t see nurses as part of the team going through similar experiences. She mentions their patient ratio is much higher, but doctors walk in, do a round & walk out. Who’s there for 10hr shifts with them? Nurses. None the less, a very important message for society.
August 30, 2019
In January of 2017, Dr. Sonia Henry anonymously submitted an article to KevinMD regarding the recent suicides of two junior doctors, and how the culture of medical training likely contributed to their deaths. After going viral, the article sparked a long overdue conversation about the problems within the current system.
Hilarious, shocking, sexy and thought-provoking, Going Under is a novel that explores the issues Henry raised in her article through the experiences of Dr. Katarina (Kitty) Holliday, during her first year as an intern in a Sydney public hospital.
Having completed her medical degree, Kitty is excited to begin her first rotation in neurosurgery but within days she is rethinking her choice of career. While the low pay, long hours and intense pressure is expected, the general lack of guidance, and outright bullying from her immediate supervisors is not.
Told in the first person, I had to keep reminding myself that Going Under is not a memoir, but If even half of what Kitty endures, especially from the ‘Joker’ and the ‘Smiling Assassin’ , accurately reflects the workplace conditions in Australian hospitals, it’s clear that change is essential. Being a junior doctor is a challenging, tiring, and often thankless job, and Kitty and her colleagues, are too often pushed to the edge, some over it.
Kitty is brutally honest about her experiences, both in her professional and personal life. There is the satisfaction of saving a patient, the fear of failing one, her inappropriate crush on a senior doctor, and a missed connection with the man with whom she may be in love. Her character is so authentic and relatable in detailing both her thoughts and emotions, I’m really curious as to just how much of Kitty is Henry herself.
To stay sane, Kitty relies on her best friends, two of who are exhausted junior doctors like her, the third a lawyer. They all certainly live up to the ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos, and there is a fair amount of drinking, drug taking, and the occasional unwise decision. But their friendship makes all the difference in their struggle to stop from going under.
An absorbing, provocative and insightful novel, I thought Going Under was a great read, and an important story that needs telling.
“Doctors worry constantly about patients surviving. We fear death and suffering and blame. Our own survival seems unimportant by comparison. The doctor saves the baby, or doesn’t. Who saves the doctor?”
Hilarious, shocking, sexy and thought-provoking, Going Under is a novel that explores the issues Henry raised in her article through the experiences of Dr. Katarina (Kitty) Holliday, during her first year as an intern in a Sydney public hospital.
Having completed her medical degree, Kitty is excited to begin her first rotation in neurosurgery but within days she is rethinking her choice of career. While the low pay, long hours and intense pressure is expected, the general lack of guidance, and outright bullying from her immediate supervisors is not.
Told in the first person, I had to keep reminding myself that Going Under is not a memoir, but If even half of what Kitty endures, especially from the ‘Joker’ and the ‘Smiling Assassin’ , accurately reflects the workplace conditions in Australian hospitals, it’s clear that change is essential. Being a junior doctor is a challenging, tiring, and often thankless job, and Kitty and her colleagues, are too often pushed to the edge, some over it.
Kitty is brutally honest about her experiences, both in her professional and personal life. There is the satisfaction of saving a patient, the fear of failing one, her inappropriate crush on a senior doctor, and a missed connection with the man with whom she may be in love. Her character is so authentic and relatable in detailing both her thoughts and emotions, I’m really curious as to just how much of Kitty is Henry herself.
To stay sane, Kitty relies on her best friends, two of who are exhausted junior doctors like her, the third a lawyer. They all certainly live up to the ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos, and there is a fair amount of drinking, drug taking, and the occasional unwise decision. But their friendship makes all the difference in their struggle to stop from going under.
An absorbing, provocative and insightful novel, I thought Going Under was a great read, and an important story that needs telling.
“Doctors worry constantly about patients surviving. We fear death and suffering and blame. Our own survival seems unimportant by comparison. The doctor saves the baby, or doesn’t. Who saves the doctor?”
February 27, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Doctor Sonia Henry has drawn on her experiences as a first year trainee doctor into her first novel. Going Under is an astute and penetrating tale, that strikes at the very heart of our country’s health care system. It is shrewd, entertaining and attention grabbing, which allows the audience to see how flawed the medical profession truly is, through the trials of Henry’s lead, Dr Katarina (Kitty) Holliday.
Going Under is a full length novel penned by Sydney based Doctor Sonia Henry. It was inspired by the anonymous article published in 2017, under the title ‘There is Something Rotten Inside the Medical Profession’. This scathing article was embraced by a wide audience range, providing a sense of relief for many in the industry who had experienced the same issues the article outlined. Within the article issues of suicide, bullying, sexual misconduct, blackmail, abuse of power and unfair work hours were raised. Going Under is an open letter to those who are have previously experienced these issues in the profession, along with those who may be currently facing these conditions. What is clear from Henry’s novel is that this world is incredibly tough and soul destroying. There are moments of clarity, semblance, humour, astonishment and utter despair, all told with informed insight.
Going Under is a book that seemed to perplex me. I was encouraged to read this one based on the positive reviews and recommendations I had received from my valued book friends. I was definitely intrigued by Going Under and I went into this book with a sense of enthusiasm. For the most part I found great value in this book and its intention. However, I struggled with the writing style which seemed more like a memoir, rather than a fictional novel told from the first person point of view of the lead trainee doctor in this tale. I actually checked the front of the book and I wondered why the author gave herself a different name in the book, but I realised my oversight when I discovered this was a fictional novel!
Anyhow, Going Under is a book that I feel has come at the right time. We are ready to accept the deep flaws in our health system, which includes the treatment of medical professionals and trainee doctors. Henry even includes nurses and paramedics, who are also touched on briefly during the novel. I feel this book has a strong place in our world right now, it opens the gashing wound that it is the failing Australian health care system. I knew we were in trouble, but not that much trouble. From horrific work hours, to the lack of support, a punishing culture, extortion, sexual harassment, depression, bullying, exposure to unsafe situations and the sense of loneliness that pervades Australian society. This is clearly a pressure cooker work environment and it is enough to send anyone over the edge. However, I did feel at times I felt that Henry injected too much dark humour and lightness to a serious set of issues. It did feel like a melodrama at times.
Lead character Katarina (Kitty) Holliday is well drawn. Kitty is interesting, likeable and you want her to succeed. Supporting her along the way are her flat mates and colleagues, who are a conglomeration of both positive and negative forces in Kitty’s chaotic world. I particularly liked the nicknames of the various key characters in the book, it was an entertaining touch.
On the whole, Going Under is a statement piece and I feel it is a book that has a vital role to play, despite it being a work of fiction. Going Under is a conversation starter and I do hope this book incites a level of change, to a punishing system that desperately needs overhauling. I will definitely see the next doctor, specialist, or health care professional I encounter with a very different set of eyes and a sense of understanding.
‘I sit at the desk, writing up Sandra’s notes, and wonder what they think of doctors, to give up these intensely personal things so easily. The stethoscope and the scrubs must give me an invisibility cloak of my own. People come in because they’re seeking someone or something to make them feel better. A doctor in a hospital seems like a good answer.’
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Going Under is book #19 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
Doctor Sonia Henry has drawn on her experiences as a first year trainee doctor into her first novel. Going Under is an astute and penetrating tale, that strikes at the very heart of our country’s health care system. It is shrewd, entertaining and attention grabbing, which allows the audience to see how flawed the medical profession truly is, through the trials of Henry’s lead, Dr Katarina (Kitty) Holliday.
Going Under is a full length novel penned by Sydney based Doctor Sonia Henry. It was inspired by the anonymous article published in 2017, under the title ‘There is Something Rotten Inside the Medical Profession’. This scathing article was embraced by a wide audience range, providing a sense of relief for many in the industry who had experienced the same issues the article outlined. Within the article issues of suicide, bullying, sexual misconduct, blackmail, abuse of power and unfair work hours were raised. Going Under is an open letter to those who are have previously experienced these issues in the profession, along with those who may be currently facing these conditions. What is clear from Henry’s novel is that this world is incredibly tough and soul destroying. There are moments of clarity, semblance, humour, astonishment and utter despair, all told with informed insight.
Going Under is a book that seemed to perplex me. I was encouraged to read this one based on the positive reviews and recommendations I had received from my valued book friends. I was definitely intrigued by Going Under and I went into this book with a sense of enthusiasm. For the most part I found great value in this book and its intention. However, I struggled with the writing style which seemed more like a memoir, rather than a fictional novel told from the first person point of view of the lead trainee doctor in this tale. I actually checked the front of the book and I wondered why the author gave herself a different name in the book, but I realised my oversight when I discovered this was a fictional novel!
Anyhow, Going Under is a book that I feel has come at the right time. We are ready to accept the deep flaws in our health system, which includes the treatment of medical professionals and trainee doctors. Henry even includes nurses and paramedics, who are also touched on briefly during the novel. I feel this book has a strong place in our world right now, it opens the gashing wound that it is the failing Australian health care system. I knew we were in trouble, but not that much trouble. From horrific work hours, to the lack of support, a punishing culture, extortion, sexual harassment, depression, bullying, exposure to unsafe situations and the sense of loneliness that pervades Australian society. This is clearly a pressure cooker work environment and it is enough to send anyone over the edge. However, I did feel at times I felt that Henry injected too much dark humour and lightness to a serious set of issues. It did feel like a melodrama at times.
Lead character Katarina (Kitty) Holliday is well drawn. Kitty is interesting, likeable and you want her to succeed. Supporting her along the way are her flat mates and colleagues, who are a conglomeration of both positive and negative forces in Kitty’s chaotic world. I particularly liked the nicknames of the various key characters in the book, it was an entertaining touch.
On the whole, Going Under is a statement piece and I feel it is a book that has a vital role to play, despite it being a work of fiction. Going Under is a conversation starter and I do hope this book incites a level of change, to a punishing system that desperately needs overhauling. I will definitely see the next doctor, specialist, or health care professional I encounter with a very different set of eyes and a sense of understanding.
‘I sit at the desk, writing up Sandra’s notes, and wonder what they think of doctors, to give up these intensely personal things so easily. The stethoscope and the scrubs must give me an invisibility cloak of my own. People come in because they’re seeking someone or something to make them feel better. A doctor in a hospital seems like a good answer.’
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Going Under is book #19 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
April 20, 2020
It’s hard to express just how much of a disappointment this book was. I somehow had the idea it was a memoir, but at the very least expected something intelligent and insightful in the vein of Adam Kay’s “This Is Going to Hurt”. Instead, this (very thinly veiled) fictionalisation of the author’s experiences as a junior doctor in a public Sydney hospital is bogged down by lazy, unimaginative and clichéd writing, appalling dialogue, weak characterisation, ludicrous sexual fantasies and constant references to (far superior) literary works that jar incongruously with the book’s soapy content. The afterword suggests the author wanted to make a statement about the insane pressures junior doctors are placed under, which is a valuable goal, but this message was drowned out by the focus on the soapier aspects. I persevered because it was an easy mindless read, but I think the book fails to deliver what it promises and struggles to achieve the right tone.
January 10, 2020
This is a very well written, entirely engrossing, often funny yet stomach churningly brutal book.
This book is a work of fiction, our leading lady is Dr Kitty Holliday, who is a first year trainee doctor at St Mary's Hospital, and we start with her first rotation, in surgical; it is not what she expected.
This is an exceptionally well written book in that the characters and the situations are so vividly written that it feels real as you go. This does not always make for easy reading though, because the medical profession does some pretty horrible things to trainees, registrars and 'baby doctors' in general.
This book is one I would probably have got to eventually, but to be honest, what bumped it up the queue for me was the fact that it was written by the author of the 2017 "There is something Rotten Inside the Medical Profession". I read that article, back in 2017, having worked for about twenty years in medical science and watching waves of students and registrars come through on rotations. More than that - I read it from a hospital bed where I never seemed to see the same doctor twice, as schedules flicked them through the hospital with the speed of med evac helicopter blades. I was having to explain my own condition to a new doctor every other day, all of them young, so desperate to seem competent that they did not take in a half of what you patiently explained to them. All way to keen to practice their "reassure the patient 10001" on me.
In short, I did kind of expect this book to be grim, and it is, in a way, there is arrogance, bullying and appalling treatment of Dr Kitty and her cohort, but the book manages to make it immensely entertaining at the same time. The fact that it is all based on real life experiences or observations is what makes it vivid, but at times also a little sickening and I did get angry at times. I also laughed at times.... I guess, one could call it a roller coaster of a book.
The vivid insight into the people, the situations and the culture in general makes this a great book and the fact that this is a work of fiction and that humour mitigates the darkness it describes, should not in any way reduce it's impact. It deserves to be enjoyed, yet still taken seriously enough that we, the general public should open our eyes just a little about what training in the medical profession means - to them as well as to us, lying on those beds.
Why not five stars? In a way I kind of want to five star it; the writing is stellar, the characters vivid, the situations and dialogue are totally believable. The message is important. It is just that the juxtaposition of serious expose and easy lighthearted.... almost chick flick.... this sat a bit uneasily for me at times. Nevertheless, I do not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone, I think it will especially appeal to Australians, and those of us who have some peripheral contact with the medical world, but I suspect it will appeal to a much wider circle than that.
With grateful thanks to Allen & Unwin for my Advance Reading Copy in return for my honest opinion.
This book is a work of fiction, our leading lady is Dr Kitty Holliday, who is a first year trainee doctor at St Mary's Hospital, and we start with her first rotation, in surgical; it is not what she expected.
This is an exceptionally well written book in that the characters and the situations are so vividly written that it feels real as you go. This does not always make for easy reading though, because the medical profession does some pretty horrible things to trainees, registrars and 'baby doctors' in general.
This book is one I would probably have got to eventually, but to be honest, what bumped it up the queue for me was the fact that it was written by the author of the 2017 "There is something Rotten Inside the Medical Profession". I read that article, back in 2017, having worked for about twenty years in medical science and watching waves of students and registrars come through on rotations. More than that - I read it from a hospital bed where I never seemed to see the same doctor twice, as schedules flicked them through the hospital with the speed of med evac helicopter blades. I was having to explain my own condition to a new doctor every other day, all of them young, so desperate to seem competent that they did not take in a half of what you patiently explained to them. All way to keen to practice their "reassure the patient 10001" on me.
In short, I did kind of expect this book to be grim, and it is, in a way, there is arrogance, bullying and appalling treatment of Dr Kitty and her cohort, but the book manages to make it immensely entertaining at the same time. The fact that it is all based on real life experiences or observations is what makes it vivid, but at times also a little sickening and I did get angry at times. I also laughed at times.... I guess, one could call it a roller coaster of a book.
The vivid insight into the people, the situations and the culture in general makes this a great book and the fact that this is a work of fiction and that humour mitigates the darkness it describes, should not in any way reduce it's impact. It deserves to be enjoyed, yet still taken seriously enough that we, the general public should open our eyes just a little about what training in the medical profession means - to them as well as to us, lying on those beds.
Why not five stars? In a way I kind of want to five star it; the writing is stellar, the characters vivid, the situations and dialogue are totally believable. The message is important. It is just that the juxtaposition of serious expose and easy lighthearted.... almost chick flick.... this sat a bit uneasily for me at times. Nevertheless, I do not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone, I think it will especially appeal to Australians, and those of us who have some peripheral contact with the medical world, but I suspect it will appeal to a much wider circle than that.
With grateful thanks to Allen & Unwin for my Advance Reading Copy in return for my honest opinion.
June 19, 2019
Going Under captures, with disturbing accuracy, the trials and tribulations that idealistic medical school graduates must face in their first year as interns. Anyone who has worked in the medical system will identify with much of this story – whilst often faced with life-or-death situations, the new interns must struggle with the hierarchy, with unhelpful mentors and supervisors, and with lack of guidance, all whilst wanting to offer the best of care to people who do not always want their help. When added to draconian expectation and rosters, it is no wonder these interns turn to alcohol, sex and gallows humour to relieve this overwhelming tension.
However, it is, in my opinion, the alcohol, sex and gallows humour sections that let this book down. I'm not saying here that they should not have been included, because the psychological effects of living in such an environment is definitely important – rather that the writing itself felt superficial, with little depth, unlike the medical sections, which rang true.
Nevertheless, Going Under is an interesting debut novel about young interns who struggle against the odds. Not all survive, but those that do come out, in the end, better human beings.
Thank you to Better Reading and Allen & Unwin for this ARC.
However, it is, in my opinion, the alcohol, sex and gallows humour sections that let this book down. I'm not saying here that they should not have been included, because the psychological effects of living in such an environment is definitely important – rather that the writing itself felt superficial, with little depth, unlike the medical sections, which rang true.
Nevertheless, Going Under is an interesting debut novel about young interns who struggle against the odds. Not all survive, but those that do come out, in the end, better human beings.
Thank you to Better Reading and Allen & Unwin for this ARC.
March 3, 2022
Wow, what a genuinely terrible book.
I would describe it as a poorly written Mills & Boon that happens to take place largely in a hospital.
Although it seems Dr Henry's attempt to write this novel/thinly veiled memoir stems from a desire to advocate for change in the areas of bullying/sexual harassment/junior doctor working hours, I found this attempt at best over dramatised and at worst, somewhat triggering, while accomplishing no actual advocacy goals.
The constant derogatory comments about nursing staff and rural medicine were frankly offensive, and the references to surgery constantly about being about "life and death and magic" made me want to roll my eyes so far back into my head I began to dream of retinal detachment.
The only part that I found compelling was the final "author's note" at the end. I suggest anyone interested skip to this, or just read the anonymous blog that she wrote on Kevin MD. One star.
I would describe it as a poorly written Mills & Boon that happens to take place largely in a hospital.
Although it seems Dr Henry's attempt to write this novel/thinly veiled memoir stems from a desire to advocate for change in the areas of bullying/sexual harassment/junior doctor working hours, I found this attempt at best over dramatised and at worst, somewhat triggering, while accomplishing no actual advocacy goals.
The constant derogatory comments about nursing staff and rural medicine were frankly offensive, and the references to surgery constantly about being about "life and death and magic" made me want to roll my eyes so far back into my head I began to dream of retinal detachment.
The only part that I found compelling was the final "author's note" at the end. I suggest anyone interested skip to this, or just read the anonymous blog that she wrote on Kevin MD. One star.
September 15, 2019
‘I think that the most important quality for a doctor to possess is kindness. Without kindness, I think, we’re all lost in this maze of impossible perfection and constant self-punishment. Without kindness, we’re doctors devoid of humanity. And without our humanity, we don’t really have anything.’
Going Under is a devastatingly important novel. The story is told with a sharp edge of dark humour that is precariously balanced with frank and shocking honesty. I could barely put the book down, it’s such compelling reading. The novel is narrated by Dr Katarina Holliday, aka Kitty, and we journey with her throughout her entire first year as a junior doctor in a Sydney teaching hospital. I’ve always been partial to a good medical drama but don’t go into this thinking that it’s Grey’s Anatomy or Chicago Med. It’s actually real life. Going Under was written by an Australian doctor who currently lives and works in Sydney. This novel follows on from an article the author wrote anonymously in 2017, which was published on Kevin MD, a leading American physician blog. Titled, ‘There is something rotten inside the medical profession’, I encourage you all to read it. And then read this novel.
‘There is something wrong when young people with a qualification as difficult as a medical degree, who have the skills and intellect to contribute to society in an enormously meaningful way, are pushed into a mental space where they think their only option is to take their own life.’ – Author note.
We’ve all had bad experiences with doctors. When you live remotely like I do, I’ve often had occasion to despair over a misdiagnosis, and I’ve had plenty to say about the revolving door at my local GP clinic at which you can count yourself lucky if you see the same doctor more than once – or maybe unlucky, depends which doctor it is! Don’t get me started on our local hospital. But I’ve also had some really great experiences with doctors too. In the town I lived in for twenty years before I moved way out west, I had two rather excellent GPs. They are both dead now. In a terrible coincidence, each died of a heart attack before the age of fifty. I started as a patient of one of them, and then after he died, the second one took over the clinic and since I immediately liked him, I stayed at the clinic instead of looking elsewhere. The second one died not long after I moved away. I was particularly saddened by the loss of my second GP because he’d been my doctor for much longer and he was also my obstetrician through three pregnancies and my children’s paediatrician. I always thought it was rather astonishing that both died so young. Now, after reading Going Under, and considering the character of the lovely Dr Prince, I am less convinced about fateful coincidence.
‘I wonder if he realises the impact he has on me, quite apart from our mutual attraction. Any senior consultant who shows an interest in the wellbeing of their struggling juniors and is kind to them can make an enormous difference.’
There are some utterly despicable characters within this novel, just as there are some truly great ones. Some of the great ones make some really questionable decisions that have a negative cyclical impact on their physical and mental well being, but they’re young and under enormous pressure, so it all rings very true to me. The abuse of power that plays out within this story was at times distressing to read, because it’s so authentically portrayed, and given that it’s written by a doctor who is a clear advocate for improving the treatment of junior doctors, it hits with force. As it’s meant to. I think this is a novel that has been intelligently written, managing to successfully straddle that line between fictional entertainment and honest disclosure. Going Under is a novel that has wide appeal and I recommend it highly to readers of all tastes and genres. As a high school career advisor, it’s honestly made me a little uncomfortable about guiding students into medicine. I almost feel now as though helping a student get into medical school is akin to plunging them into a Hunger Games arena. If awareness plays any part in affecting change, then do your bit and read this novel. And then start talking about it.
‘Personally, I don’t think being a senior surgeon should excuse someone for being a total maniac, but that’s how medicine works. I also don’t understand how being an arsehole will increase your surgical dexterity, but maybe I just haven’t had enough experience yet.’
Thanks is extended to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of Going Under for review.
Going Under is a devastatingly important novel. The story is told with a sharp edge of dark humour that is precariously balanced with frank and shocking honesty. I could barely put the book down, it’s such compelling reading. The novel is narrated by Dr Katarina Holliday, aka Kitty, and we journey with her throughout her entire first year as a junior doctor in a Sydney teaching hospital. I’ve always been partial to a good medical drama but don’t go into this thinking that it’s Grey’s Anatomy or Chicago Med. It’s actually real life. Going Under was written by an Australian doctor who currently lives and works in Sydney. This novel follows on from an article the author wrote anonymously in 2017, which was published on Kevin MD, a leading American physician blog. Titled, ‘There is something rotten inside the medical profession’, I encourage you all to read it. And then read this novel.
‘There is something wrong when young people with a qualification as difficult as a medical degree, who have the skills and intellect to contribute to society in an enormously meaningful way, are pushed into a mental space where they think their only option is to take their own life.’ – Author note.
We’ve all had bad experiences with doctors. When you live remotely like I do, I’ve often had occasion to despair over a misdiagnosis, and I’ve had plenty to say about the revolving door at my local GP clinic at which you can count yourself lucky if you see the same doctor more than once – or maybe unlucky, depends which doctor it is! Don’t get me started on our local hospital. But I’ve also had some really great experiences with doctors too. In the town I lived in for twenty years before I moved way out west, I had two rather excellent GPs. They are both dead now. In a terrible coincidence, each died of a heart attack before the age of fifty. I started as a patient of one of them, and then after he died, the second one took over the clinic and since I immediately liked him, I stayed at the clinic instead of looking elsewhere. The second one died not long after I moved away. I was particularly saddened by the loss of my second GP because he’d been my doctor for much longer and he was also my obstetrician through three pregnancies and my children’s paediatrician. I always thought it was rather astonishing that both died so young. Now, after reading Going Under, and considering the character of the lovely Dr Prince, I am less convinced about fateful coincidence.
‘I wonder if he realises the impact he has on me, quite apart from our mutual attraction. Any senior consultant who shows an interest in the wellbeing of their struggling juniors and is kind to them can make an enormous difference.’
There are some utterly despicable characters within this novel, just as there are some truly great ones. Some of the great ones make some really questionable decisions that have a negative cyclical impact on their physical and mental well being, but they’re young and under enormous pressure, so it all rings very true to me. The abuse of power that plays out within this story was at times distressing to read, because it’s so authentically portrayed, and given that it’s written by a doctor who is a clear advocate for improving the treatment of junior doctors, it hits with force. As it’s meant to. I think this is a novel that has been intelligently written, managing to successfully straddle that line between fictional entertainment and honest disclosure. Going Under is a novel that has wide appeal and I recommend it highly to readers of all tastes and genres. As a high school career advisor, it’s honestly made me a little uncomfortable about guiding students into medicine. I almost feel now as though helping a student get into medical school is akin to plunging them into a Hunger Games arena. If awareness plays any part in affecting change, then do your bit and read this novel. And then start talking about it.
‘Personally, I don’t think being a senior surgeon should excuse someone for being a total maniac, but that’s how medicine works. I also don’t understand how being an arsehole will increase your surgical dexterity, but maybe I just haven’t had enough experience yet.’
Thanks is extended to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of Going Under for review.
September 21, 2019
I assumed I'd love this book and I think subsequently gave it a higher bar. I like books about junior doctors because it's usually about grappling with humanity and relatable. No patients really play a role in this book and I never felt a connection with the narrator. I was younger than her as an intern but our experiences were very different. The quote on the cover says "a compelling eye opener" but I'm not sure to what.
September 3, 2019
Going Under is such an important, timely book. There has been a lot of media recently in Australia regarding the working conditions of doctors and other health professionals in hospitals. Going Under adds greatly to that conversation in this debut novel of a young doctor’s first year on the job. It asks the question as to who looks after the doctor and sadly, often the junior staff on the coalface are the ones that come last on the list.
Katarina (Kitty) Holliday is starting her first job since leaving medical school as an intern doctor at the rather amusingly named Holy Innocents hospital in Sydney. As a big, busy public hospital, Kitty knows that her year is going to be bursting but she and her friends never thought that they would end up on the rollercoaster ride that was full of dizzy highs and lows lower than anyone should ever expect. Kitty wants to be a surgeon and is excited for her first term in neurosurgery. Unfortunately, her working environment is rarely conducive to learning as she is bullied by the junior consultant who takes delight in belittling her lack of knowledge any chance she gets. Her registrar is just as cold and cutting. Fortunately for Kitty, fellow interns Estelle, Max and ex-lawyer The Godfather are there to support each other – if only they weren’t so bloody tired. Friend and housemate Winnie brings a non-medical perspective to the events happening in Kitty’s life, which aren’t only bullying. The friends also take the opportunity to unwind, generally partaking in copious amounts of alcohol and for some of them, a variety of drugs (legal and illegal). As Kitty and Estelle find out, the way to cope through the events of life and death that are thrown at them with little support align with what a doctor told them during medical school – you just don’t. (Cope, that is).
Going Under gave me a full range of emotions, from happiness to sadness but the one that is still lingering is anger. Anger because this book is by no means an exaggeration (in fact, I felt sometimes the book was watered down to be more palatable to a general audience). When Kitty came off a day shift in a rural hospital and was called back to do a night shift in the emergency department – that’s true. Hospital staff can be asked to work all day and part/whole of the night too and they do it – for the patient. To keep the patient safe and trending towards getting better. But who looks after the doctor who works 60-80 hour weeks? I was further incensed by the author’s note, where it’s mentioned that a colleague was told he was on call for a year – that’s working all day and the ability to be phoned all night, with having to come back to the hospital in case of emergency. That’s not a workplace that is conducive to good health. The lack of support for Estelle’s friend, the subject of a coronial inquest – where nobody came to help because communications systems weren’t working and she had to intubate a child (something she definitely had no training or experience in) alone – was astounding. The overall message of needing a support network to stop losing yourself was strong in this story.
The book also has quite a few amusing moments, as Kitty tries to navigate her way across the city and rural hospitals. There’s love, awkward moments (accidentally sending an intimate pic to a consultant) and the black humour that only those in the know really ‘get’ (which is another way of coping with seeing only the extremes of human frailty). The story gets smarter and darker as it moves on, but that only added to my enjoyment of this debut novel. Here is someone who gets it and has written about the experiences clearly.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Katarina (Kitty) Holliday is starting her first job since leaving medical school as an intern doctor at the rather amusingly named Holy Innocents hospital in Sydney. As a big, busy public hospital, Kitty knows that her year is going to be bursting but she and her friends never thought that they would end up on the rollercoaster ride that was full of dizzy highs and lows lower than anyone should ever expect. Kitty wants to be a surgeon and is excited for her first term in neurosurgery. Unfortunately, her working environment is rarely conducive to learning as she is bullied by the junior consultant who takes delight in belittling her lack of knowledge any chance she gets. Her registrar is just as cold and cutting. Fortunately for Kitty, fellow interns Estelle, Max and ex-lawyer The Godfather are there to support each other – if only they weren’t so bloody tired. Friend and housemate Winnie brings a non-medical perspective to the events happening in Kitty’s life, which aren’t only bullying. The friends also take the opportunity to unwind, generally partaking in copious amounts of alcohol and for some of them, a variety of drugs (legal and illegal). As Kitty and Estelle find out, the way to cope through the events of life and death that are thrown at them with little support align with what a doctor told them during medical school – you just don’t. (Cope, that is).
Going Under gave me a full range of emotions, from happiness to sadness but the one that is still lingering is anger. Anger because this book is by no means an exaggeration (in fact, I felt sometimes the book was watered down to be more palatable to a general audience). When Kitty came off a day shift in a rural hospital and was called back to do a night shift in the emergency department – that’s true. Hospital staff can be asked to work all day and part/whole of the night too and they do it – for the patient. To keep the patient safe and trending towards getting better. But who looks after the doctor who works 60-80 hour weeks? I was further incensed by the author’s note, where it’s mentioned that a colleague was told he was on call for a year – that’s working all day and the ability to be phoned all night, with having to come back to the hospital in case of emergency. That’s not a workplace that is conducive to good health. The lack of support for Estelle’s friend, the subject of a coronial inquest – where nobody came to help because communications systems weren’t working and she had to intubate a child (something she definitely had no training or experience in) alone – was astounding. The overall message of needing a support network to stop losing yourself was strong in this story.
The book also has quite a few amusing moments, as Kitty tries to navigate her way across the city and rural hospitals. There’s love, awkward moments (accidentally sending an intimate pic to a consultant) and the black humour that only those in the know really ‘get’ (which is another way of coping with seeing only the extremes of human frailty). The story gets smarter and darker as it moves on, but that only added to my enjoyment of this debut novel. Here is someone who gets it and has written about the experiences clearly.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
February 15, 2024
A ‘fiction’ novel but so many horribly disgustingly true elements about the conditions, expectations and treatment of junior doctors. An uphill battle with slow improvement.
June 29, 2025
I'm not sure what I expected this book to be but was surprised by the writing style and the similarities the author faced with another book I've read and her struggle in the medical field in becoming a surgeon. It was an easy read and hard to put down. I was very surprised at the ending and saddened it has come to that point for a lot within the industry. Another real eye opener
September 12, 2019
‘The most important quality for a Doctor to possess is kindness. Without kindness I think we’re all lost in this maze of impossible perfection and self punishment’
The above quote from the book is what resonated with me the most.
This book is a fictionalised account of Dr Kitty Holliday’s first year out of medical school as an intern in a large Sydney hospital. It has taken many facets of the real life experiences of young Doctors in their internship year.
It’s thought provoking, engrossing and heartbreaking. These interns work in atrocious conditions that include bullying and sleep deprivation.
I really felt for Kitty and her friends and it shows how important it is to have a good support system (Kitty’s included copies amount of alcohol with friends).
I sincerely hope the tide is turning with increased outside awareness for these people in their chosen profession. I have worked in the hospital system many years ago (not as a Dr) and it doesn’t seem that much has changed yet, except for ‘lip service’ from the admin side. Hopefully this will continue to evolve into better conditions.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy to read
The above quote from the book is what resonated with me the most.
This book is a fictionalised account of Dr Kitty Holliday’s first year out of medical school as an intern in a large Sydney hospital. It has taken many facets of the real life experiences of young Doctors in their internship year.
It’s thought provoking, engrossing and heartbreaking. These interns work in atrocious conditions that include bullying and sleep deprivation.
I really felt for Kitty and her friends and it shows how important it is to have a good support system (Kitty’s included copies amount of alcohol with friends).
I sincerely hope the tide is turning with increased outside awareness for these people in their chosen profession. I have worked in the hospital system many years ago (not as a Dr) and it doesn’t seem that much has changed yet, except for ‘lip service’ from the admin side. Hopefully this will continue to evolve into better conditions.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy to read
January 1, 2024
Won a preview read of this book through better reading. This book kept me reading and in the story from page 1 to the last. I recommend it to everyone, had a great main character. It was a book that's keeps you wanting to turn page after page to get to the end and find out what's going to happen next. 🙂
October 19, 2019
All possible stars!! Best book of the year without a doubt!
A very important message, very well written, very real, could not put it down and at times had me laughing so hard I couldn't read through the tears. Stellar.
A very important message, very well written, very real, could not put it down and at times had me laughing so hard I couldn't read through the tears. Stellar.
December 4, 2019
The use of chick lit to convey an important message didn't really appeal to me.
January 5, 2020
Definitely recommend reading this book if you'd like an insight into behind the scenes of the medical profession - doctors and nurses alike go through what's detailed in this book
December 26, 2022
4
Ooft. How devastating this became.
This was my first medical fiction read (I even managed to get 10% through before I realised it wasn’t a memoir HAHA) and first medical book set in Australia! It was both so fun but so devastating to get a glimpse into the medical system of my own backyard, Sydney.
I found the first half a little slow at points but was fairly hooked in the second half. The overwhelming feeling reading this was one of heartbreak for doctors (and relief that health science was never my calling). In the words of the author, medicine is an ‘ancient profession whose oath is Do No Harm. Now is the time to stop harming ourselves, and each other.’
This wasn’t exactly what I expected, it wasn’t ‘This is Going to Hurt’ or ‘When Breath Becomes Air’ (it wasn’t trying to be) but it still managed to make me think about life and death (one of my favourite things about medical books) and the cost of career aspirations. Perhaps fiction teaches us more about real life than non-fiction, or at least it can.
I liked the book’s meta ending.
I have also decided that doctors who are also writers may make my favourite authors.
‘He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.’ - Nietzsche
‘We are all just teetering on a precipice.’ - a good summary of the life of junior doctors in this system, especially the lives of women.
Ooft. How devastating this became.
This was my first medical fiction read (I even managed to get 10% through before I realised it wasn’t a memoir HAHA) and first medical book set in Australia! It was both so fun but so devastating to get a glimpse into the medical system of my own backyard, Sydney.
I found the first half a little slow at points but was fairly hooked in the second half. The overwhelming feeling reading this was one of heartbreak for doctors (and relief that health science was never my calling). In the words of the author, medicine is an ‘ancient profession whose oath is Do No Harm. Now is the time to stop harming ourselves, and each other.’
This wasn’t exactly what I expected, it wasn’t ‘This is Going to Hurt’ or ‘When Breath Becomes Air’ (it wasn’t trying to be) but it still managed to make me think about life and death (one of my favourite things about medical books) and the cost of career aspirations. Perhaps fiction teaches us more about real life than non-fiction, or at least it can.
I liked the book’s meta ending.
I have also decided that doctors who are also writers may make my favourite authors.
‘He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.’ - Nietzsche
‘We are all just teetering on a precipice.’ - a good summary of the life of junior doctors in this system, especially the lives of women.
December 10, 2019
Going Under - Sonia Henry
This is not a book I would normally reach for off the shelf, but I am so glad that this was handed to me.
This book and Sonia Henry have forever changed my outlook on Doctors and the lives that they lead.
Humerous, charming and delicious are a few words i'd use to describe this brilliant book that focusses on the life of Dr. Kitty Holliday and her journey through life as a junior Doctor.
This novel is based on fact with the brilliant skill of a wise and crafty author, to make fact sound as pretty as fiction.
I found myself laughing at the mishaps and real life circumstances that Kitty and her all important friends are involved in.
This book has found itself at the top of my list. I can't help but suggest it to everyone, no matter their favourite genre.
Rating - 5/5 📚
This is not a book I would normally reach for off the shelf, but I am so glad that this was handed to me.
This book and Sonia Henry have forever changed my outlook on Doctors and the lives that they lead.
Humerous, charming and delicious are a few words i'd use to describe this brilliant book that focusses on the life of Dr. Kitty Holliday and her journey through life as a junior Doctor.
This novel is based on fact with the brilliant skill of a wise and crafty author, to make fact sound as pretty as fiction.
I found myself laughing at the mishaps and real life circumstances that Kitty and her all important friends are involved in.
This book has found itself at the top of my list. I can't help but suggest it to everyone, no matter their favourite genre.
Rating - 5/5 📚
March 10, 2022
I completely forgot this is fiction! Totally reads like a memoir.
While it felt similar to Adam Kay's "This is going to hurt" with its frightening exposure of the flawed system told with a bit of humour, this definitely hit harder. I struggled to put this one down and Henry makes her story very easy to read.
I get that it's set in Australia but the use of the word "mate" was out of control. I mean, does anyone actually speak like that?!
While it felt similar to Adam Kay's "This is going to hurt" with its frightening exposure of the flawed system told with a bit of humour, this definitely hit harder. I struggled to put this one down and Henry makes her story very easy to read.
I get that it's set in Australia but the use of the word "mate" was out of control. I mean, does anyone actually speak like that?!
August 20, 2020
A strange mix of Bridget Jones meets medical drama. Or maybe more like an episode of 'Gray's Anatomy'!! An interesting read.
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