Review by Ivvie Ivanova -- Final Diagnosis by J. T. Madicus

[Ivvie Ivanova]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Final Diagnosis" by J. T. Madicus.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Final Diagnosis by J. T. Madicus is the first book of the medical drama thriller series by the same name. It is narrated by the character Dr. Tseng who has alcoholism and opium issues. He is often crass, narcissistic, misogynistic, and disregards all things that have to do with his own health and wellbeing.

After we get to know the main character's viewpoints a little bit, he finds himself cuffed to a wheelchair after taking a few opioid pills. Dr. Tseng meets three other characters, two men and a woman, cuffed to wheelchairs like him. The four of them are given a task: read the information provided and diagnose the patient if they want to earn their freedom.

The book continues with them calling upon their medical knowledge, discussing and hypothesizing based on the information they had been provided with. Dr. Tseng's personality quickly starts clashing with the other three captives. He does not believe in their abilities, describes them as sycophants, arrogant, and incompetent even when their own life is in danger.

Throughout the story, details about the four characters are revealed. They all their secrets, pasts, and reasons they ended up handcuffed to a wheelchair in an unknown location fighting for their freedom and survival. Dr. Tseng proved to be the most interesting character, in my opinion. He has a very unapologetic view of life, others, and himself. He is not hesitant in expressing himself. That, however, did not make him a likable character. There aren't any likable characters in this book, in my opinion.

The book itself wasn't particularly enjoyable to me, unfortunately. It was often boring and unreadable because of the medical terminology. I don't view that as a drawback because this book is meant for people with medical knowledge. The stories behind the characters didn't grab me either. No character was truly more worthwhile than the next, so I couldn't get attached to anyone or anything about this book.

The book would be great for medical students whole like mysteries. I would not recommend it to readers who would find pages upon pages of medical terms boring and unpleasant to read.

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars because the plot wasn't anything spectacular, the characters are forgettable and the book did not make me want to reach for the second part of the series, so I will not be picking up the next book.

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Final Diagnosis
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