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Sick
When a mysterious growth on exotic dancer Sarah's mind is discovered to actually be the growing seed of an evil force, Sarah and a team of medical scientists set out to destroy it before discovering that the cure is twice as deadly. Original.
327 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1995
1 person is currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Jay Bonansinga
50 books387 followersThe national best-selling author of ten acclaimed books – both fiction and non-fiction -- Jay Bonansinga has been called “one of the most imaginative writers of thrillers” by the Chicago Tribune.
Jay is the holder of a master's degree in film from Columbia College Chicago, and currently resides in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife and two sons. He is also a visiting professor at Northwestern University in their Creative Writing for the Media program.
Jay is the holder of a master's degree in film from Columbia College Chicago, and currently resides in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife and two sons. He is also a visiting professor at Northwestern University in their Creative Writing for the Media program.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 19, 2025
A rather bizarre read by Bonansinga that probably would have had more play if it was published in the 80s rather than 1995. Our protagonist, Sarah, starts the novel aged 41 or so, working at a strip club, the same club she has worked in for several years. She finally went to see a doctor about her dizzy spells and headaches and they found a brain tumor, a nasty one, and one that will be fatal. Then, a few days later she loses her job, fired by the mob boss that runs the joint. Can live get any lower for Sarah?
Rather than submit to chemotherapy, she seeks out the shrink she worked with a decade or so ago when she suffered from depression. The shrink, Henry, is something of a new ager and believes the mind can overcome all kinds of things if one can control it. Well, after some 'visualization' therapy, her tumor goes away, much to the surprise of her shrink and doctor! Maybe things are looking up? But then, Sarah starts having blackouts and her friends start dying horribly...
I will stop with the plot to avoid spoilers, but this book really illustrates Bonansinga's love of film, especially Hollywood big dance productions of the 30s-50s, jazz, blues, and the Wizard of Oz (film, not the classic book). In fact, Wizard of Oz plays a big role in the novel as that is typically where Sarah goes/visualizes in her therapy. Another loose end that plays a major role is Houdini, but lets say a rather evil Houdini. Not quite sure what Bonansinga was aiming for here as this really defies any neat genre classification; horror, thriller, bizarro all stirred together with a big dollop of dark humor. Lastly, I have the Orion edition, published in England, and while not in GR databases, it has a much nicer cover-- a woman with a tattooed snake on her back (tattoos also play a major role). 3.5 bizarre stars, rounding down for the denouement.
Rather than submit to chemotherapy, she seeks out the shrink she worked with a decade or so ago when she suffered from depression. The shrink, Henry, is something of a new ager and believes the mind can overcome all kinds of things if one can control it. Well, after some 'visualization' therapy, her tumor goes away, much to the surprise of her shrink and doctor! Maybe things are looking up? But then, Sarah starts having blackouts and her friends start dying horribly...
I will stop with the plot to avoid spoilers, but this book really illustrates Bonansinga's love of film, especially Hollywood big dance productions of the 30s-50s, jazz, blues, and the Wizard of Oz (film, not the classic book). In fact, Wizard of Oz plays a big role in the novel as that is typically where Sarah goes/visualizes in her therapy. Another loose end that plays a major role is Houdini, but lets say a rather evil Houdini. Not quite sure what Bonansinga was aiming for here as this really defies any neat genre classification; horror, thriller, bizarro all stirred together with a big dollop of dark humor. Lastly, I have the Orion edition, published in England, and while not in GR databases, it has a much nicer cover-- a woman with a tattooed snake on her back (tattoos also play a major role). 3.5 bizarre stars, rounding down for the denouement.
February 3, 2022
“You can never tell what’s in a person’s head; the silence is eternal.”
- Jay R. Bonansinga, Sick.
.
This was an unusual read. But we have to start by saying, Holy Cats! That was not what we were expecting.
.
Let’s start off by talking about Jay R. Bonansinga and how he did a wonderful job giving life to the characters and bringing about the different feelings evoked in the book and giving each character their own voice.
.
Sick is a chilling thriller that is traversed with different genres. It happens so very rarely that it's a wonderful surprise when it does. Let me explain: Sarah is sick and vulnerable. Lodged deep in inside her brain is a large, black lump – an inoperable tumour, or so the medics say. She finds solace with her university doctor who helps soothe her troubles – physical and mental – conducting psycho-kinetic experiments with amazing success. Unwittingly he opens the Pandora’s Box in which Sarah has stored her secrets of dark and terrible childhood. Sarah has a talent most would consider fantasy – and now that talent is waking … making her skin crawl and her mind shrink from the pain of it all. And each time Sarah blacks out she wakes to find more friends murdered and the cops on her tail. Someone, or something, wants Sarah, all of her, and won’t let go. However, things rarely go the way people expect them too. She discovers that a cure is possible, but it comes with horrific consequences. Can Sarah survive the cure? Does she really want to?
.
Our final verdict would be that this story has a lot of genres that are traversed as the story progresses (as mentioned above). There are only two problems we find with this book. First, it leans waaay too heavily on THE WIZARD OF OZ. Second of all, Frank Moon is a detective who defines his cases by thinking about which jazz song applies to the situation. That's pretty cool, but Bonansinga portrays this by spelling out the sound the music makes in Moon's head, and it happens too often. It took us out of the story.
.
Overall, we want more books from this author. We almost gave it three stars, but we think with the ending, Bonansinga earned a four. Despite some slow parts, this is well worth the time.
Genre: Fiction, Science-fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Horror
Rating: 4⭐
Inspo: https://www.instagram.com/lilacreaders
https://www.goodreads.com/lilacreaders
My handles:
1. Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/afrxhalmxs
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afrxhalmxs
3. Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/afrxhalmxs
- Jay R. Bonansinga, Sick.
.
This was an unusual read. But we have to start by saying, Holy Cats! That was not what we were expecting.
.
Let’s start off by talking about Jay R. Bonansinga and how he did a wonderful job giving life to the characters and bringing about the different feelings evoked in the book and giving each character their own voice.
.
Sick is a chilling thriller that is traversed with different genres. It happens so very rarely that it's a wonderful surprise when it does. Let me explain: Sarah is sick and vulnerable. Lodged deep in inside her brain is a large, black lump – an inoperable tumour, or so the medics say. She finds solace with her university doctor who helps soothe her troubles – physical and mental – conducting psycho-kinetic experiments with amazing success. Unwittingly he opens the Pandora’s Box in which Sarah has stored her secrets of dark and terrible childhood. Sarah has a talent most would consider fantasy – and now that talent is waking … making her skin crawl and her mind shrink from the pain of it all. And each time Sarah blacks out she wakes to find more friends murdered and the cops on her tail. Someone, or something, wants Sarah, all of her, and won’t let go. However, things rarely go the way people expect them too. She discovers that a cure is possible, but it comes with horrific consequences. Can Sarah survive the cure? Does she really want to?
.
Our final verdict would be that this story has a lot of genres that are traversed as the story progresses (as mentioned above). There are only two problems we find with this book. First, it leans waaay too heavily on THE WIZARD OF OZ. Second of all, Frank Moon is a detective who defines his cases by thinking about which jazz song applies to the situation. That's pretty cool, but Bonansinga portrays this by spelling out the sound the music makes in Moon's head, and it happens too often. It took us out of the story.
.
Overall, we want more books from this author. We almost gave it three stars, but we think with the ending, Bonansinga earned a four. Despite some slow parts, this is well worth the time.
Genre: Fiction, Science-fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Horror
Rating: 4⭐
Inspo: https://www.instagram.com/lilacreaders
https://www.goodreads.com/lilacreaders
My handles:
1. Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/afrxhalmxs
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afrxhalmxs
3. Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/afrxhalmxs
October 21, 2020
“You can never tell what’s in a person’s head;
the silence is eternal.”
This was an unusual read. There was no engine in our brain to ease down the process; reading this is like reading something that is altogether mandatory. We have to start by saying, Holy Cats! That was not what we were expecting. We loved reading it together.
Let’s start off by talking about Jay R. Bonansinga and how he did a wonderful job giving life to the characters and bringing about the different feelings evoked in the book and giving each character their own voice.
Sick is a chilling thriller that is traversed with different genres. It happens so very rarely that it's a wonderful surprise when it does. Let me explain: Sarah is sick and vulnerable. Lodged deep in inside her brain is a large, black lump – an inoperable tumour, or so the medics say. She finds solace with her university doctor who helps soothe her troubles – physical and mental – conducting psycho-kinetic experiments with amazing success. Unwittingly he opens the Pandora’s Box in which Sarah has stored her secrets of dark and terrible childhood. Sarah has a talent most would consider fantasy – and now that talent is waking … making her skin crawl and her mind shrink from the pain of it all. And each time Sarah blacks out she wakes to find more friends murdered and the cops on her tail. Someone, or something, wants Sarah, all of her, and won’t let go. However, things rarely go the way people expect them too. She discovers that a cure is possible, but it comes with horrific consequences.
Can Sarah survive the cure? Does she really want to?
Our final verdict would be that this story has a lot of genres that are traversed as the story progresses. We started out with general fiction (learning about the current life and friends of our main characters, experiencing her day to day existence), seemingly predictable; then as disturbing events begin to occur, it goes into mystery quickly evolving into psychological thriller and then- once we reach the pinnacle of the story- true, unimaginable horror. You could easily break this book down into smaller books. If you find it slow going in the beginning, it's worth it, so just keep reading! There are only two problems we find with this book. First, it leans waaay too heavily on THE WIZARD OF OZ. Second of all, Frank Moon is a detective who defines his cases by thinking about which jazz song applies to the situation. That's pretty cool, but Bonansinga portrays this by spelling out the sound the music makes in Moon's head, and it happens too often. It took us out of the story.
Overall, we want more books from this author. We almost gave it three stars, but we think with the ending, Bonansinga earned a four. Despite some slow parts, this is well worth the time.
Genre: Fiction, Science-fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Horror
Rating: 4 ⭐
My handles:
1. Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/afrxhalmxs
https://www.goodreads.com/mohantyankita
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilacreaders
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lilacreaders
the silence is eternal.”
This was an unusual read. There was no engine in our brain to ease down the process; reading this is like reading something that is altogether mandatory. We have to start by saying, Holy Cats! That was not what we were expecting. We loved reading it together.
Let’s start off by talking about Jay R. Bonansinga and how he did a wonderful job giving life to the characters and bringing about the different feelings evoked in the book and giving each character their own voice.
Sick is a chilling thriller that is traversed with different genres. It happens so very rarely that it's a wonderful surprise when it does. Let me explain: Sarah is sick and vulnerable. Lodged deep in inside her brain is a large, black lump – an inoperable tumour, or so the medics say. She finds solace with her university doctor who helps soothe her troubles – physical and mental – conducting psycho-kinetic experiments with amazing success. Unwittingly he opens the Pandora’s Box in which Sarah has stored her secrets of dark and terrible childhood. Sarah has a talent most would consider fantasy – and now that talent is waking … making her skin crawl and her mind shrink from the pain of it all. And each time Sarah blacks out she wakes to find more friends murdered and the cops on her tail. Someone, or something, wants Sarah, all of her, and won’t let go. However, things rarely go the way people expect them too. She discovers that a cure is possible, but it comes with horrific consequences.
Can Sarah survive the cure? Does she really want to?
Our final verdict would be that this story has a lot of genres that are traversed as the story progresses. We started out with general fiction (learning about the current life and friends of our main characters, experiencing her day to day existence), seemingly predictable; then as disturbing events begin to occur, it goes into mystery quickly evolving into psychological thriller and then- once we reach the pinnacle of the story- true, unimaginable horror. You could easily break this book down into smaller books. If you find it slow going in the beginning, it's worth it, so just keep reading! There are only two problems we find with this book. First, it leans waaay too heavily on THE WIZARD OF OZ. Second of all, Frank Moon is a detective who defines his cases by thinking about which jazz song applies to the situation. That's pretty cool, but Bonansinga portrays this by spelling out the sound the music makes in Moon's head, and it happens too often. It took us out of the story.
Overall, we want more books from this author. We almost gave it three stars, but we think with the ending, Bonansinga earned a four. Despite some slow parts, this is well worth the time.
Genre: Fiction, Science-fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Horror
Rating: 4 ⭐
My handles:
1. Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/afrxhalmxs
https://www.goodreads.com/mohantyankita
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilacreaders
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lilacreaders
December 10, 2015
This was a very... unusual read. Not bad-at all-the beginning started out slowly, but I feel that it was necessary for character development and a nice, slow buildup.
I loved that different genres were traversed. It happens so very rarely that it's a wonderful surprise when it does. We started out with general fiction (learning about the current life and friends of our main characters, experiencing her day to day existence), seemingly predictable; then as disturbing events begin to occur, it goes into mystery quickly evolving into psychological thriller and then- once we reach the pinnacle of the story- true, unimaginable horror.
You could easily break this book down into smaller books, if you find it slow going in the beginning. It's worth it, so just keep reading! There are several different story lines along with a different genre and feel about each one of them.
I will absolutely read another book by this author (I did read the Walking Dead novels, but I'd love to see more unrelated to that series. I love it, but I loved this more.) The narrator did a wonderful job giving life to the characters and bringing about the different feelings evoked in the book and giving each character their own voice. With the book's direction for the dialogue scenes and the narrator's ability to fulfill the conversations better than I would be able to imagine on my own.
I want more books from this author and I want them narrated by this narrator! She just works the characters into the story without making you give a second thought to what many narrators would make awkward or odd sounding. I could definitely see myself seeking her out as a narrator when browsing for books. (Not something I generally do- only for my top three narrators, which until this book, was only two).
So, to sum things up because I realize that I have a tendency to ramble... a few quick notes:
1. Don't expect horror straight out of the gate. This book evolves through genres as our characters become more complex.
2. Hang in there- it is quite slow for quite awhile-but well worth it!!
3. Be ready for the horror when it does strike- and it will. Some of the imagery is much more graphic and twisted than anything I've ever seen in a movie or on tv.
I received this book free of charge from the author, narrator or publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
I loved that different genres were traversed. It happens so very rarely that it's a wonderful surprise when it does. We started out with general fiction (learning about the current life and friends of our main characters, experiencing her day to day existence), seemingly predictable; then as disturbing events begin to occur, it goes into mystery quickly evolving into psychological thriller and then- once we reach the pinnacle of the story- true, unimaginable horror.
You could easily break this book down into smaller books, if you find it slow going in the beginning. It's worth it, so just keep reading! There are several different story lines along with a different genre and feel about each one of them.
I will absolutely read another book by this author (I did read the Walking Dead novels, but I'd love to see more unrelated to that series. I love it, but I loved this more.) The narrator did a wonderful job giving life to the characters and bringing about the different feelings evoked in the book and giving each character their own voice. With the book's direction for the dialogue scenes and the narrator's ability to fulfill the conversations better than I would be able to imagine on my own.
I want more books from this author and I want them narrated by this narrator! She just works the characters into the story without making you give a second thought to what many narrators would make awkward or odd sounding. I could definitely see myself seeking her out as a narrator when browsing for books. (Not something I generally do- only for my top three narrators, which until this book, was only two).
So, to sum things up because I realize that I have a tendency to ramble... a few quick notes:
1. Don't expect horror straight out of the gate. This book evolves through genres as our characters become more complex.
2. Hang in there- it is quite slow for quite awhile-but well worth it!!
3. Be ready for the horror when it does strike- and it will. Some of the imagery is much more graphic and twisted than anything I've ever seen in a movie or on tv.
I received this book free of charge from the author, narrator or publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
October 11, 2015
** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **
This was a super unique story....Sarah is an aging dancer, who finds out she has a tumor in her brain, a very rare shaped one...she looks at it and sees it is in the shape of a box, using meditation and wizard of oz imagery she shrinks it, but it opens up something evil in her and before she knows it she is losing time, blacking out and waking up in strange places covered in blood..there is something really odd inside of Sarah...something that has come from repressed memories and horrible experiences...and it has become supernatural....
AWESOME STORY! I RECOMMEND!!! COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!
Thank You Audiobookblast(dot)com
This was a super unique story....Sarah is an aging dancer, who finds out she has a tumor in her brain, a very rare shaped one...she looks at it and sees it is in the shape of a box, using meditation and wizard of oz imagery she shrinks it, but it opens up something evil in her and before she knows it she is losing time, blacking out and waking up in strange places covered in blood..there is something really odd inside of Sarah...something that has come from repressed memories and horrible experiences...and it has become supernatural....
AWESOME STORY! I RECOMMEND!!! COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!
Thank You Audiobookblast(dot)com
March 28, 2020
An insanely weird horror novel involving a brain tumor, Wizard Of Oz-based nightmares, and a killer inspired by Harry Houdini. This whole novel feels like something in David Cronenberg's ball-field. If you like reading weirder horror novels from this time period you'll probably love this.
January 3, 2017
Tore through it and enjoyed the writing style and the story. Character development was fun, but lacked a bit in detail.
A bit predictable, though still very clever!
Although this is a possible spoiler, it should def have a TRIGGER WARNING that there is a strong visual depiction of child rape!!!
A bit predictable, though still very clever!
Although this is a possible spoiler, it should def have a TRIGGER WARNING that there is a strong visual depiction of child rape!!!
March 14, 2015
This is a pretty interesting book for one reason only: the protagonist. Sarah is a stripper who doesn't know as much about herself as she thinks she knows. Her childhood was so traumatic she doesn't remember it, but it's still lurking inside of her until one day, it manifests as a brain tumor. And that's when things really start to get strange until everything builds up to an incredibly melancholy conclusion. About midway through the book, it takes a completely different direction. Normally, that wouldn't work for me, and I was hesitant about it until the very end. Bonansinga makes it work. There are only two problems I find with this book. First, it leans waaaaaaay too heavily on THE WIZARD OF OZ. It's OK if a work references another work, but when it incorporates the other work too much into the story, that's where I draw the line. Secondly, the way Frank Moon's mind works. Moon is a pretty fascinating character. He's a detective who defines his cases by thinking about which jazz song applies to the situation. That's pretty cool, but Bonansinga portrays this by spelling out the sound the music makes in Moon's head, and it happens too often. It took me out of the story. Sorry, one more thing. Every once in a while, Bonansinga interrupts a suspenseful moment to give a character's life story as part of the action. By the time he gets back to the real action, I don't care anymore. Because of these things, I almost gave it three stars, but I think with the ending, Bonansinga earned a fourth. Good stuff.
October 1, 2015
SICK
Author: Jay Bonansinga
Type of Book: Audiobook - Unabridged
Narrator: Julia Knippen
Length: 12 hours and 45 minutes
Genre: Horror
Release Date: July 9, 2015
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this audiobook through Audiobook Blast dot com in exchange for an honest review.
Sarah is a an aging stripper. Some might feel sorry for her, but she loves her life. At least, she did until she discovers a growth that turns out to be an inoperable tumor.
Sarah's life is suddenly coming to an end, but she is not the type of woman to just give up and accept her fate. She is a fighter and she decides to try to find a way to not only extend her life, but to save it.
However, things rarely go the way people expect them too. She discovers that a cure is possible, but it comes with horrific consequences.
Can Sarah survive the cure? Does she really want to?
The narrator does a terrific job with this audiobook. She uses inflection and a wonderful sense for perfect pacing to keep the listener intrigued throughout this long audiobook. The narration deserves 5 out of 5 stars.
I enjoyed the multiple twists and turns in this story. However there were parts which did seem to drag. Also, some parts were predictable, but I still enjoyed this audiobook.
Overall, I rate this audiobook as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Author: Jay Bonansinga
Type of Book: Audiobook - Unabridged
Narrator: Julia Knippen
Length: 12 hours and 45 minutes
Genre: Horror
Release Date: July 9, 2015
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this audiobook through Audiobook Blast dot com in exchange for an honest review.
Sarah is a an aging stripper. Some might feel sorry for her, but she loves her life. At least, she did until she discovers a growth that turns out to be an inoperable tumor.
Sarah's life is suddenly coming to an end, but she is not the type of woman to just give up and accept her fate. She is a fighter and she decides to try to find a way to not only extend her life, but to save it.
However, things rarely go the way people expect them too. She discovers that a cure is possible, but it comes with horrific consequences.
Can Sarah survive the cure? Does she really want to?
The narrator does a terrific job with this audiobook. She uses inflection and a wonderful sense for perfect pacing to keep the listener intrigued throughout this long audiobook. The narration deserves 5 out of 5 stars.
I enjoyed the multiple twists and turns in this story. However there were parts which did seem to drag. Also, some parts were predictable, but I still enjoyed this audiobook.
Overall, I rate this audiobook as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
December 11, 2025
3.5; despite several overt Lovecraft references, this can be more accurately described as Bonansinga's take on The Dark Half as refracted, obliquely but firmly, through a lens of David Lynch and Twin Peaks in particular; you have a detective devoted to his job who often solves cases via jazz-powered unconscious intuition, although he more closely resembles the fundamentally off/somehow broken Cooper from the Return finale rather than the Good Dale we know and love, and on center stage, a tormented woman seemingly possessed by her monstrous childhood abuser to the point of physically metamorphosing into what is, essentially a demonic tulpa of him. It's inventive, and ambitious (while oddly prefiguring Lost Highway as well), but the author's reach arguably exceeds his grasp, and if his attempt at reconfiguring the TP mythos into something, if not more realistic per se than at least more grounded, is an imaginative one, it can't but pale in comparison because as ol' Dave would say, too much explanation is the death of mystery. Still, Bonansinga deserves some praise for, like Lynch, creating a compelling female lead and using the genre to illustrate the trauma and potential for horror there is inherent in simply experiencing life as a woman. Lastly, with all the talk here of 'red trees' and frequent body horror mutation, if this got a japanese translation, I'd bet good money it was a direct inspiration for the kooky, Peaks-loving cult game Deadly Premonition.
February 18, 2020
Sarah must unlock the box in her mind and confront the suppressed memories within
A mix between supernatural horror and crime drama
Excellent narration from julia
Despite some slow parts this is well worth the time
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
A mix between supernatural horror and crime drama
Excellent narration from julia
Despite some slow parts this is well worth the time
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
November 15, 2025
Read this way back in my youth and was enthralled from beginning to end. Am going to buy a hardcopy and read all over again very soon. Would love a movie version of this and The Black Mariah too - both excellent reads.
December 16, 2013
I can't exactly say that I found it worth reading. Ok, granted that this type of book is not my style. But still, I thought it would be better than this. The language used by the author is in cases too formal, making the reading not exactly enjoyable.
April 17, 2014
Thought this was superb - great horror story, really enjoyed the storyline, great twists and turns, didn't mind the quite explicit violence although this may upset some readers, pretty close to rating this one as 5 stars! 9.5/10
December 7, 2015
Horror lovers are going to love Jay Bonansinga.
This one is a little slow to start but then dives into the deep water.
Received from author, through audiobookreviewer.com, in exchange for an honest review.
Full review coming soon. 4.5/5
This one is a little slow to start but then dives into the deep water.
Received from author, through audiobookreviewer.com, in exchange for an honest review.
Full review coming soon. 4.5/5
March 20, 2016
Enjoyable holiday read
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews