The Empath

by K.M. Simmons

Nineteen-year-old empathic Jayd Broussard has just emerged from a months-long coma, only to be told that she had attempted to commit suicide by jumping off of a bridge. A woman, named Melanie, came to Jayd’s aid. Tragically, Melanie died in her attempt but managed to save Jayd. Now Jayd has awoken and has to go through the painful realization and guilt of the consequences of her actions.

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 29, 2022

About the author

Katelynn Simmons is an author residing in Newark, New Jersey. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and holds double Bachelors in English and Journalism. An avid reader and writer at a young age, Katelynn always wanted to be an author and fulfilled that childhood dream with her first novel, Spiraling.

Reviews

[Monique Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

WENT IN BLIND YET AGAIN & THIS DID NOT DISAPPOINT...

I came across this book on Facebook in the BookTok Baddies group, I saw a couple post about the book including the authors post... loved the cover and added it to my tbr. Overall a 4.5-5ish, honestly a really good quick read because you don’t wanna put it down. lol I absolutely wanted to know what was going to happen so I had to finish it as fast as possible. I read the book on my kindle but if I could meet the author and get it signed I would definitely get a physical copy, she seems so down to earth from her post and feedback.
There isn’t anything I would say this book needed more of in regards to content, it went right to the storyline and came full circle without dragging. I will say I think a trigger warning may need to be disclaimed, though some may disagree. Honestly, I would loveeee a second book and to see more of Jayd’s journey.

[Amzette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d first like to thank Katelyn (the author) for using some of her personal time in order to call me and answer a few questions!
At first, when I read the description of this book, I was very hesitant to reading it because, I, too am an empath. Worst of all, I have lost 6 loved ones (one being my brother) to suicide! I thought that this book was going to be too much for me to handle.
I found myself relating to Jayd and a lot of her insecurities. I definitely felt for her and all of the things that she was fighting with on a daily basis. The part that confused me that I spoke with Katelyn about, was the character of Mallory. She wasn’t really an imaginary friend, per se, but a type of entity that Jayd locked into because of all of her insecurities. She was like the strong one when Jayd was feeling weak and intimidated. I still feel like I’m getting this a bit wrong and I apologize if I butchered it.
The thing that I like and appreciated about this book was being able to watch Jayd struggle & come into her own. She was strong and secure enough in herself, that she was able to fight Mallory because Mallory was becoming more of an evil force in her life, instead of a helper.
I hope that I did this book justice and I definitely recommend reading this.
As stated in the description on this book jacket and in my review, a trigger warning would be suicide (that can also go in hand with mental health). I warn anyone suffering with that, to not read this. On the other hand, if you’re looking to understand this disease better and are just curious, then by all means, grab your copy. I think that we all, at some point, struggle with our worth and have to battle with it (hopefully in a healthy way).
As always my fellow Goodreader’s, Happy Reading/Listening! 💜📚🎧

[Melissa Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this overall and could relate in a lot of ways to it. My only main issue is that in the beginning of chapter 24...there is a part where Paul says "You're a Pisces, Jayd" but at this part in the book, Paul supposedly doesn't know who she really is. There was no acknowledgement about him calling her Jayd and in the same chapter, he goes back to calling her Ashley. I thought maybe this incident would be brought up again, but it wasn't at all. It bothered me the whole rest of the book. Lol. I'm not sure if that was done on purpose or if the author made a mistake.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

K.S Simmons uses her experiences to allow the reader to envision how the intersections of race and gender can have a profound effect on mental health. She uses the themes of anger, acceptance, guilt, and love to showcase the daily contradictions that we all experience throughout life. This creates a riveting reading experience that is sure to keep you turning each page!

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I loved that I felt like I truly knew the characters. I loved all the twists & the story line wasn’t too confusing to follow along. It’s such a powerful story & I am thankful to have been able to read this. The author did amazing!!

[Tonez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! I was intrigued the whole time. The chapters were the perfect size and I loved the writing. Beautiful story although I secretly wanted Molly to come back at the end and hear the hahahahaha but still super thrilled with the ending.