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White Oaks
Ten years after Jason Miller killed his best friend in Afghanistan, another drug overdose results in him being sent to White Oaks Mental Hospital to be evaluated as a suicide risk, or so he believes. Soon, Jason realizes the one thing he has in common with the other patients: they are all alone in the world, with no one to follow up on anything being done to them. What, at first, appears to be a chance to finally get clean and start rebuilding his life becomes a desperate struggle to save himself and the other patients from the horrible realities waiting for them behind the walls of White Oaks.
277 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 18, 2023
Trapped in a suspicious hospital, battling PTSD and drug addiction, our protagonist has to unite his fellow patients/prisoners and overcome threats both internal and external if they are to escape.
White Oaks had me hooked from the opening and maintained a fluid, page-turning pace (for the most part) until its satisfying conclusion.
The comparisons to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and the work of Craig Cleveniger can’t be avoided. But White Oaks, despite its high stakes and serious subject matter, also has a fun, slightly camp, adventure feel to it that reminded me of Ira Levin’s Boys From Brazil or This Perfect Day.
It’s refreshing to read a book set in a mental hospital where the patients are portrayed as complex people rather than plot devices for cheap scares. White Oaks delivers scares, but they are earned. And the characters are well fleshed-out (with the possible exception of Ava). I was reading well into the night but I kept turning the page because I was rooting for the characters too much to put it down.
The premise strains credulity, but for me, that made the story more fun (not unlike my experiences reading Ira Levin). The writing is economical without ever being dull. And even though the book hits on several moral dilemmas, I didn’t feel like I was being preached to. I disagreed with the characters’ choices on more than one occasion. But their choices were logical and in keeping with their personalities.
I recommend White Oaks for readers who like novels set in a mental hospital, prison break stories, and fun Ira Levin creepy/camp rides. This would be a good book club read, too. After finishing it, I want to talk with people about it. Too bad I hadn’t suggested it for my book club.
White Oaks had me hooked from the opening and maintained a fluid, page-turning pace (for the most part) until its satisfying conclusion.
The comparisons to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and the work of Craig Cleveniger can’t be avoided. But White Oaks, despite its high stakes and serious subject matter, also has a fun, slightly camp, adventure feel to it that reminded me of Ira Levin’s Boys From Brazil or This Perfect Day.
It’s refreshing to read a book set in a mental hospital where the patients are portrayed as complex people rather than plot devices for cheap scares. White Oaks delivers scares, but they are earned. And the characters are well fleshed-out (with the possible exception of Ava). I was reading well into the night but I kept turning the page because I was rooting for the characters too much to put it down.
The premise strains credulity, but for me, that made the story more fun (not unlike my experiences reading Ira Levin). The writing is economical without ever being dull. And even though the book hits on several moral dilemmas, I didn’t feel like I was being preached to. I disagreed with the characters’ choices on more than one occasion. But their choices were logical and in keeping with their personalities.
I recommend White Oaks for readers who like novels set in a mental hospital, prison break stories, and fun Ira Levin creepy/camp rides. This would be a good book club read, too. After finishing it, I want to talk with people about it. Too bad I hadn’t suggested it for my book club.
May 17, 2024
Content Warnings: This book discusses substance abuse, PTSD and mental illness, institutionalization, medical/physical/mental/emotional abuse, grief, suicide, sexual assault, and other sensitive topics which may not be distressing to some audiences. Please read with care.
I met Jordan king at the Columbus Book Fair last year and he was kind enough to send me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Although this book is darker than what I normally read and review on this blog, I still really enjoyed it and can wholeheartedly recommend this novel.
Jason is far from a perfect person, but his arc through the book shows an incredible development and he’s compelling and sympathetic as a protagonist. His struggle with addiction felt realistic- stemming from a desire to self-medicate for chronic pain and forget an awful past – but we also see his desire to get clean and leave that chapter of his life behind. The overall tone of the story is horrifying and dismal and drives home some of the very real abuse that does happen in institutions, but taking place in a fictional setting, dials it up to 11 for a fast paced psychological thriller plot that keeps you turning the page. The mystery unravels naturally, and while I won’t reveal the spoilers here, I think Jordan pulls off the twist very well and does a great job balancing the awful conditions with Jason’s cleverness and humanity towards his fellow ward-mates.
Throughout the story, Jason bonds with the other patients at White Oaks and gets to learn their stories. These scenes were my favorites, and by the end, I was rooting for all of them, and crying with them at each setback. I admit, I skimmed at some of the more violent scenes, especially the ones which threatened the one female ally, Ava, which were difficult to read as a young woman myself, but each of these moments served to bring the group closer together against their common enemy. Each of the side characters has a vivid background and personality so you learn to tell them apart, even though they don’t have a lot of page time, and it’s easy to get attached to each of them along with Jason. They’re all people who deserve another chance, and that makes their situation all that much more urgent.
White Oaks is a story about hope, camaraderie, and the possibility of healing. I’m so glad I had a chance to read it and I look forward to seeing what Jordan King writes next.
I met Jordan king at the Columbus Book Fair last year and he was kind enough to send me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Although this book is darker than what I normally read and review on this blog, I still really enjoyed it and can wholeheartedly recommend this novel.
Jason is far from a perfect person, but his arc through the book shows an incredible development and he’s compelling and sympathetic as a protagonist. His struggle with addiction felt realistic- stemming from a desire to self-medicate for chronic pain and forget an awful past – but we also see his desire to get clean and leave that chapter of his life behind. The overall tone of the story is horrifying and dismal and drives home some of the very real abuse that does happen in institutions, but taking place in a fictional setting, dials it up to 11 for a fast paced psychological thriller plot that keeps you turning the page. The mystery unravels naturally, and while I won’t reveal the spoilers here, I think Jordan pulls off the twist very well and does a great job balancing the awful conditions with Jason’s cleverness and humanity towards his fellow ward-mates.
Throughout the story, Jason bonds with the other patients at White Oaks and gets to learn their stories. These scenes were my favorites, and by the end, I was rooting for all of them, and crying with them at each setback. I admit, I skimmed at some of the more violent scenes, especially the ones which threatened the one female ally, Ava, which were difficult to read as a young woman myself, but each of these moments served to bring the group closer together against their common enemy. Each of the side characters has a vivid background and personality so you learn to tell them apart, even though they don’t have a lot of page time, and it’s easy to get attached to each of them along with Jason. They’re all people who deserve another chance, and that makes their situation all that much more urgent.
White Oaks is a story about hope, camaraderie, and the possibility of healing. I’m so glad I had a chance to read it and I look forward to seeing what Jordan King writes next.
March 25, 2023
Picture One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest mixed with a Big Pharma black site, then factor in a veteran burdened with PTSD and an unshakable guilt, a manipulative doctor, sadistic orderlies, and a surprising ally, and you'll still only be scratching the surface of Jordan King's debut novel.
After an overdose, Jason Miller finds himself in a rehabilitation center of sorts. He's disoriented and will soon be facing withdrawal symptoms. Early on, Jason explains the truth that has broken him about his time in the Army: "I felt so little pride in what we called accomplishment. We weren't the lost generation, we weren't the greatest generation, we weren't even the forgotten generation — we were the wasted generation." At White Oaks, Jason will meet other "patients" who, like him, are all people who will never be missed. Something is off about the place, however, and Jason all too quickly starts uncovering the dark truth to White Oaks and why he and the other patients are there.
Throughout his novel, King nails the paranoia Jason and the other characters feel. They are stuck in regimented loops, and some seem inured to this existence, while others like Jason go to desperate lengths to reclaim their psychological and bodily autonomy. As the novel proceeds, Jason takes increasingly risky actions, and those make for a compelling reading experience. This is all just the set-up, and the various conflicts that drive the larger plot lead to a climax that simultaneously feels inevitable and surprising.
After an overdose, Jason Miller finds himself in a rehabilitation center of sorts. He's disoriented and will soon be facing withdrawal symptoms. Early on, Jason explains the truth that has broken him about his time in the Army: "I felt so little pride in what we called accomplishment. We weren't the lost generation, we weren't the greatest generation, we weren't even the forgotten generation — we were the wasted generation." At White Oaks, Jason will meet other "patients" who, like him, are all people who will never be missed. Something is off about the place, however, and Jason all too quickly starts uncovering the dark truth to White Oaks and why he and the other patients are there.
Throughout his novel, King nails the paranoia Jason and the other characters feel. They are stuck in regimented loops, and some seem inured to this existence, while others like Jason go to desperate lengths to reclaim their psychological and bodily autonomy. As the novel proceeds, Jason takes increasingly risky actions, and those make for a compelling reading experience. This is all just the set-up, and the various conflicts that drive the larger plot lead to a climax that simultaneously feels inevitable and surprising.
January 20, 2024
Jordan done an amazing job writing this book, along with amazing research. I love that it's based on an actual facility with a fiction story. For me, the book took to about pg 100 to get my attention. I enjoyed the conclusion of the story best. This book is very well written but not the book for me.
November 8, 2024
maybe it's just me, but this is one of those books that i really love and adore... until the end. the ending is too clean and seems to happen too fast. otherwise, the book was incredibly lovely. incredible and unique concept with characters that you wanted to know more.
June 6, 2025
Good read. Love the writing style.
August 8, 2025
Written by a friend of mine, this tale of justified paranoia is a page turner!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews