2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

We get Elise’s point of view as she’s interacting with her court appointed psychiatrist, Dr. Oakley, and know that she’s making everything up. Was she that good or should the doctor have been more perceptive?

Elise was very good, but I think Dr. Oakley would have seen enough patients to not fully believe everything that Elise told her. I don't know why Dr. Oakley fell for everything she said hook, line, and sinker.

I agree, Robin. We know Elise is good but Oakley put on blinders, refusing to even give credence to the stuff they already knew about her. She learned her lesson the hard way.

But even when she was rescued from the trunk of her car, she was saying that Elise had been "kidnapped". She still thought Elise was a teen who was manipulated by Tobias.

Dummy.

This was so infuriating. It's hard to tell how convincing Elise was since we already knew that she was lying. You would think though that someone experienced with children like this would have been able to see the truth. For a hot minute I thought that she was in on the whole thing.

I got angry, too, Melissa. No matter that we got Elise’s inner thoughts, Oakley should have better training.

Oakley being in on the plan crossed my mind too, Melissa.

The only reason I didn’t think Oakley was in on the plan was because Elise was trying to dupe her. Otherwise, I’d have thought the same thing.

I didn't think of that Jonetta.

Good point, Jonetta.

Give the girl an Academy Award, she is one really, really good actress and like Jonetta said, she's bat**** crazy for sure. Dr. Oakley bought all the bull that Elise was shoveling at her and she didn't even question a lot that a person would. Like, where has she been all this time, how come there are no records of Elise anywhere? Basic stuff to verify who she really is. The woman was truly inept. And when she comes out of that trunk saying Elise has been kidnapped all I could do was laugh at her stupidity.

I wanted to smack her. Did she know how close she came to being killed??!!

This was a part of the story that I found hard to believe, even in this world of the story and characters.

I’m hoping this kind of therapist is NOT mirroring real life.

Charlene, I'm with you. There are a lot of prison psychiatrists who look for the good, and want to redeem criminals, especially young girls. Just the same, they normally pick up on true sociopaths.

Oakley is a caricature of an extreme do gooder without a clue. I didn't buy this part of the story.