4 out of 4 stars
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Slater Barnes is an intern at Boston City Hospital, the only public hospital in Boston. Being a doctor-in-training is hard enough, but he has to deal with other problems in his life including his step-father, his relationship, his alcoholism, and his health problem. On top of it all, there is a plan to merge Boston City Hospital with Academy Hospital, its private sister institution. But only those who treat patients at BCH know that this will just put their less fortunate patients at a disadvantage, and ultimately threaten the morals of their beloved hospital. They must fight to protect the code of their institution, but as things start to heat up, a resident from BCH turns up dead.
Days of the Giants is a fiction novel written by R.J. Petrella. Set in the early 1990s, it gives us a glimpse of the inner workings of the healing institutions in a setting that is more political rather than medical. The author shows off his expertize in the medical field through his writing, not by using a lot of medical jargons, but in the execution to deliver the plot. One does not need to know a lot about hospitals, doctors, and their vocabulary to enjoy reading this book.
The book has two narrators, one of which is Slater Barnes. The way the book was written to show his perspective was very casual. It felt like a person, whom you just met, is telling you about a crazy part of his life over a bottle of beer. I found it comfortable, engaging, and funny at times. That was probably my favorite part of the narrative, and it felt like the author was having fun writing it too. The plot, though set in hospitals, was mainly focused on the political aspects that involve the administration of both institutions. Although this was the case, it was easy to follow, and it felt different and refreshing to be taken into the story.
The book starts strong with a prologue about a murder. But as the first chapter starts, I found myself searching for the intensity that the prologue gave. It took me a while to get used to the fact that this was not a fast-paced, murder-mystery story. As the book has two narrators, the few starting chapters were a little confusing as to who was relaying the story. But as the story goes on, the reader will realize that the two narrators speak differently from each other, and will be able to get used to it. The number of characters said in the book was probably its most complicated aspect. While some of them were important, others were just passersby. The author probably realizes this, too, because once in a while, Slater would remind the reader who a certain character was, which I like and appreciate very much.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I was taken into the story, and it was hard to put the book down. The story felt real, and if not for the statement that this was a work of fiction, I would think that this was a real-life event. I would recommend this to readers who would like a political-medical drama with a little crime-mystery, and even a life lesson to gain. I wouldn’t recommend this to those who are younger than 16-years-old because of a few swear words, although the narrator politely apologizes for them.
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Days of the Giants
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when I get a little money I buy books; and if I have any left l buy food and clothes
