3 out of 4 stars
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The prospect of a second chance to relive adolescence is something that many people would kill for, but Anya, a doctor in her thirties struggling with Bipolar II, actually gets killed for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
In G.M.T Schilling’s The Watchmaker’s Doctor Anya has a strange retired watchmaker as one of her patients. She discusses her past mistakes and present troubles with him on a daily basis, until one day, after one of their usual chats, an ambulance crushes her to death. But death is postponed and time resets, and she finds herself sitting right back next to Gregory who gives her a magical watch. He offers her a chance to go back in time and fix her greatest teenage regrets, but he makes it clear that her death is unavoidable.
What is refreshing is that this author is attempting to show mental illness in a more positive light by having the main character learn to manage her symptoms through therapy and medication. Usually, mental illness is depicted as a person’s downfall or an evil antagonist in its own right. Also, she manages to create a very natural tone for an older person placed inside a younger form. This author has a knack for describing physical attributes in whimsical ways. Especially, when it comes to eye color.
Even though the depiction of mental illness is far more positive in this piece than many other darker reincarnations pumped out by various media sources, there is still the issue that her mental disorder soaks up a lot of this character’s life and time. It feels like it is the burning epicenter of all her future problems and past mistakes. Readers with mental illnesses might be offended by this and argue that they are so much more than their disorders. Also, they’re too many time travel puns that take away from the overall seriousness of the plot. When time traveling characters are regularly claiming they have all the time in the world or they ran out time, it becomes too much like cheesy metafiction.
I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars because it runs the risk of alienating the very people that she is trying to spread a positive message about through her work. It would be excellent for a young adult audience. It would show them that every decision has a consequence and to speak up if they feel they need help with their overall mental health.
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The Watchmaker’s Doctor
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