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All Junkies Float
~FINALIST in the 2021 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition~
Annette Baker can't wait to get out of Hacksaw and move someplace warm. Finishing up her PhD residency at the Medicine River Rehab Centre has been far from perfect, and it continues to spiral downwards when a patient shows up dead in his bathtub.
Annette quickly becomes wrapped up in comforting her boss and patients and avoiding the press all while managing her own anxieties by popping back too many Xanax.
But when a detective gets involved, one death turns into 3 and the suicides turn into murder, Annette must decide who to trust: her boss, her coworkers or prescription pills.
Content Warning: emotional abuse, reference to sexual abuse, childhood trauma, drug use, suicide attempt, and violence.
Annette Baker can't wait to get out of Hacksaw and move someplace warm. Finishing up her PhD residency at the Medicine River Rehab Centre has been far from perfect, and it continues to spiral downwards when a patient shows up dead in his bathtub.
Annette quickly becomes wrapped up in comforting her boss and patients and avoiding the press all while managing her own anxieties by popping back too many Xanax.
But when a detective gets involved, one death turns into 3 and the suicides turn into murder, Annette must decide who to trust: her boss, her coworkers or prescription pills.
Content Warning: emotional abuse, reference to sexual abuse, childhood trauma, drug use, suicide attempt, and violence.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2020
22 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Clarke Wainikka
6 books37 followershttps://linktr.ee/clarkewayne
Winnipeg-based writer Clarke Wayne is the creator of compelling dark fiction thrillers and mysteries such as All Junkies Float and Edge of Ether.
Her captivating writing style was fortified through many years of teaching English and assisting ESL students with writing challenges.
Winnipeg-based writer Clarke Wayne is the creator of compelling dark fiction thrillers and mysteries such as All Junkies Float and Edge of Ether.
Her captivating writing style was fortified through many years of teaching English and assisting ESL students with writing challenges.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 20, 2020
Addiction, recovery, rinse, and repeat, “All Junkie Float” has locked onto a winning formula, and author Clarke Wainikka executed this psychological thriller masterfully! From the moment you read the prologue, it is clear that the author has an innate ability to mimic the effects of addiction because it is difficult to put the book down until you reach the final chapter. Here are the reasons for a 5-star review:
The story revolves around issues plaguing the Medicine River Rehabilitation Centre. Over the past three years, someone has been keeping a watchful eye over the patients and staff. With every passing year, someone's dubious deception creeps deeper into the walls that are designed to be a refuge for those who need it most, including the staff. What starts off as a simple case of suicide, ends up becoming a case of neglect so troubling that no one is safe.
The main characters are given a full rounded backstory that seamlessly interwove into the story. The author was able to write a single sentence that encapsulated the Characters without dredging on about insignificant details. For example, the following sentence describes a Character by the name of Gabby while also establishing the relationship both she and her therapist, Annette have developed:
" She could generally predict when Gabby was about to have a panic attack, the tell-tale textbook symptoms always presented themselves with her" (pg 20)
These are real-world people of every race, ethnicity, body shape, and education level, not caricatures. Out of the entire cast, there was only one character who I found to be disappointingly underdeveloped.
Fans of other page-turners by authors like Chelsea Cain, Mary Higgins-Clark, and Jennifer Hillier will enjoy the pace of this novel. And readers of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn, who value character development for the psychologically flawed, will want to add this to their “to-read” list.
The use of both first-person and third-person omniscient narrative was smart and made sense at every turn. I applaud her use of flashbacks and natural dialogue. This novel was mindful of its ability to build suspense through exposition that does not slap you in the face. Strong descriptions made good use of all five senses. Towards the end, there were a couple of chapters that were difficult to follow. The action felt clumsy as I struggled to visualize what was happening. I found that I had to pause often and reread paragraphs.
Overall, this novel was a satisfying psychological-thriller! Easy to read, "All Junkie Float" keeps you engaged from start to finish. Though this is the Wainikka’s second novel, it read like a bestseller from a seasoned mystery writer. The characters were well-rounded and developed, the flow had a nice balance of twists, the tone was consistent, and the end was rewarding. Just when you think you have it all figured out, like a drug, “All Junkies Float” takes ahold of you and knocks you back down. I’m excited to have been one of the first to read Wainikka’s novel, and I look forward to many more!
The story revolves around issues plaguing the Medicine River Rehabilitation Centre. Over the past three years, someone has been keeping a watchful eye over the patients and staff. With every passing year, someone's dubious deception creeps deeper into the walls that are designed to be a refuge for those who need it most, including the staff. What starts off as a simple case of suicide, ends up becoming a case of neglect so troubling that no one is safe.
The main characters are given a full rounded backstory that seamlessly interwove into the story. The author was able to write a single sentence that encapsulated the Characters without dredging on about insignificant details. For example, the following sentence describes a Character by the name of Gabby while also establishing the relationship both she and her therapist, Annette have developed:
" She could generally predict when Gabby was about to have a panic attack, the tell-tale textbook symptoms always presented themselves with her" (pg 20)
These are real-world people of every race, ethnicity, body shape, and education level, not caricatures. Out of the entire cast, there was only one character who I found to be disappointingly underdeveloped.
Fans of other page-turners by authors like Chelsea Cain, Mary Higgins-Clark, and Jennifer Hillier will enjoy the pace of this novel. And readers of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn, who value character development for the psychologically flawed, will want to add this to their “to-read” list.
The use of both first-person and third-person omniscient narrative was smart and made sense at every turn. I applaud her use of flashbacks and natural dialogue. This novel was mindful of its ability to build suspense through exposition that does not slap you in the face. Strong descriptions made good use of all five senses. Towards the end, there were a couple of chapters that were difficult to follow. The action felt clumsy as I struggled to visualize what was happening. I found that I had to pause often and reread paragraphs.
Overall, this novel was a satisfying psychological-thriller! Easy to read, "All Junkie Float" keeps you engaged from start to finish. Though this is the Wainikka’s second novel, it read like a bestseller from a seasoned mystery writer. The characters were well-rounded and developed, the flow had a nice balance of twists, the tone was consistent, and the end was rewarding. Just when you think you have it all figured out, like a drug, “All Junkies Float” takes ahold of you and knocks you back down. I’m excited to have been one of the first to read Wainikka’s novel, and I look forward to many more!
September 26, 2020
Well done Clarke, great read from a small town Manitoba girl! Look forward to your next one !
July 13, 2020
This is the first book of hers I have read and I will be looking for her other one. Great suspense with a few twists and interesting characters. I love that she’s a Manitoba author and the book is set in Canada.
August 2, 2021
All Junkies Float is a masterful tale of addiction, mental illness, and perseverance. The book's main character, Annette Baker, is a strong female lead with plenty of demons to overcome in her pursuit of normalcy.
Wainikka has created a non-stop thrill ride of a novel that deserves to be on your bookshelf. The story is nuanced and delicate; Wainikka does not hold the hand of the reader and allows you to make your own connections to hints and plot hooks. A second reading allowed me to catch a lot of things missed on the first pass.
I cannot suggest All Junkies Float enough! Can't wait to read more from Wainikka.
Wainikka has created a non-stop thrill ride of a novel that deserves to be on your bookshelf. The story is nuanced and delicate; Wainikka does not hold the hand of the reader and allows you to make your own connections to hints and plot hooks. A second reading allowed me to catch a lot of things missed on the first pass.
I cannot suggest All Junkies Float enough! Can't wait to read more from Wainikka.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews