Review by _Delly_01 -- The Watchmaker’s Doctor
Posted: 09 Feb 2019, 19:46
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Watchmaker’s Doctor" by G. M. T. Schuilling.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The Watchmaker’s Doctor is the first novella of the ‘Erase and Rewind’ science-fiction series written by G. M. T. Schuilling. It centres around Anaya, a disillusioned doctor whose purple-eyed patient, Gregory, gives her the choice to turn back the clock and turn her biggest regret into one small, pivotal moment that will change the course of her entire life… Or meet the fate of the white minivan careening towards her. “Would I have done this if I had any other option but the grave?” This is her final thought before Gregory's mysterious watch thrusts her eighteen years back into her youth to navigate the pressures of high school and college, to force her to come to terms with her bipolar, and to heal her broken heart with the wisdom that only her thirty-five-year-old mind can provide during a second chance at life.
"How readily we crush our dreams, without even turning over the first stone, so willing to be the victims of circumstance!"
This is a refreshing novella that makes you think about the endless ways your life could have turned out-- whether it's a pining to change a decision, or a moment that makes you want to slap your forehead in reminiscence. And then it asks you, what can you do right now to live the most fulfilling life you can?
What I love most about this novella is the way it turns the white-washed ‘beauty queens’ cliché on its head. Anaya’s kind-hearted and popular trio, ‘role models’, is diverse and thwarts societal pressures and expectations: Anaya doesn’t let herself be stigmatised by her bipolar and thrives in it; Taylor revels in being a confident, black woman; and Kaitlin is intellectually competitive. It sets a positive example of what true beauty is.
The struggles of bipolar are written in a way that shows the true divide between what is typical teenage angst and mental illness. Other books I’ve read that deal with mental illness feel like a teenager ‘gone wild’ trope, and sometimes feel emotionally manipulative, or even romanticise mental illness. That is not the case with this book, and I greatly appreciate the tact and empathy the author shows when delving deeper into the process of spiralling out and being medicated. However, I do have an issue with a particular joke that is made in the book. There are two jokes, and the first one is funny and brings levity--
1) “Hey, kid.” Her dad strolled in from the garden, his hair sweat-soaked and his right cheek smeared with soot.
“You’re resplendent, Dad.” Although her tone rang dry, her eyes danced with amusement.
“Is this a side effect of the new dosage? Remind me to ask for sarcasm to be stricken from your next therapy session.”
The second is less funny, and seems to reduce the strict routine of taking bipolar medication to taking a vitamin C tablet to boost the immune system if you feel you need it--
2) “Seriously, though. I like Matt. Don’t make me lose a good employee.”
“No sweat, Dad. If I cause him too much excitement, I’ll just give him a pill for overstimulation. I carry them on my person at all times.”
The root of my issue with this second joke is that it was told to be a reminder that this novella deals with bipolar. It is heavy-handed and unnecessary, and maybe could have been written better, or otherwise been omitted. It bothered me a little in reading it, and I think that it is a potential sore point for some other readers, too.
In the mindset of a writer, what I find clever about this book is its choice to use third person limited point of view. The distance of third person mirrors the alienation Anaya feels in her own physical surroundings, and the narrator’s access to her stream of consciousness mimics the meshing of Anaya’s naïve and wiser thinking, and Anaya’s own italicised thoughts reflect how out of tune Anaya feels in the body of a seventeen-year-old while having the mind of a thirty-five-year-old. The author’s choice to use third person limited point of view allows the reader to empathise with Anaya while being in touch with her own objectivity. It made me connect with Anaya on level that couldn’t have been achieved through any other perspective. This is what really ties the novella in a neat, little bow for me.
The dialogue is realistic and funny, and showed the different dynamics between the characters quite well, but the characters could have been a little more developed. The writing, overall, flows easily and is brilliant. There is a comma is missing after the word ‘so’ throughout the novella, but I think it might just be the author’s own choice of style. I’ve seen writer’s use their own discretion in grammar use before, and as long as it’s consistent, I don’t mind. There are no other typographical or grammatical errors.
The descriptions are great, and would usually enhance another element of the writing, such as character: "She settled onto the lemon-yellow bench beside Greg. Although she knew it was made of the best cedar wood, naturally resistant to weather damage and decay, through her bipolar filter it looked faded and worn, another metaphor for herself."
The novella is more character driven than plot driven, but I still felt there wasn’t much conflict until the climax. Regardless, I really enjoyed going on this journey with Anaya.
I rate this novella three out of four stars, because the character development and central conflict could have been stronger... and I hate cliffhangers. But the plot twist was brilliant!
******
The Watchmaker’s Doctor
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
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The Watchmaker’s Doctor is the first novella of the ‘Erase and Rewind’ science-fiction series written by G. M. T. Schuilling. It centres around Anaya, a disillusioned doctor whose purple-eyed patient, Gregory, gives her the choice to turn back the clock and turn her biggest regret into one small, pivotal moment that will change the course of her entire life… Or meet the fate of the white minivan careening towards her. “Would I have done this if I had any other option but the grave?” This is her final thought before Gregory's mysterious watch thrusts her eighteen years back into her youth to navigate the pressures of high school and college, to force her to come to terms with her bipolar, and to heal her broken heart with the wisdom that only her thirty-five-year-old mind can provide during a second chance at life.
"How readily we crush our dreams, without even turning over the first stone, so willing to be the victims of circumstance!"
This is a refreshing novella that makes you think about the endless ways your life could have turned out-- whether it's a pining to change a decision, or a moment that makes you want to slap your forehead in reminiscence. And then it asks you, what can you do right now to live the most fulfilling life you can?
What I love most about this novella is the way it turns the white-washed ‘beauty queens’ cliché on its head. Anaya’s kind-hearted and popular trio, ‘role models’, is diverse and thwarts societal pressures and expectations: Anaya doesn’t let herself be stigmatised by her bipolar and thrives in it; Taylor revels in being a confident, black woman; and Kaitlin is intellectually competitive. It sets a positive example of what true beauty is.
The struggles of bipolar are written in a way that shows the true divide between what is typical teenage angst and mental illness. Other books I’ve read that deal with mental illness feel like a teenager ‘gone wild’ trope, and sometimes feel emotionally manipulative, or even romanticise mental illness. That is not the case with this book, and I greatly appreciate the tact and empathy the author shows when delving deeper into the process of spiralling out and being medicated. However, I do have an issue with a particular joke that is made in the book. There are two jokes, and the first one is funny and brings levity--
1) “Hey, kid.” Her dad strolled in from the garden, his hair sweat-soaked and his right cheek smeared with soot.
“You’re resplendent, Dad.” Although her tone rang dry, her eyes danced with amusement.
“Is this a side effect of the new dosage? Remind me to ask for sarcasm to be stricken from your next therapy session.”
The second is less funny, and seems to reduce the strict routine of taking bipolar medication to taking a vitamin C tablet to boost the immune system if you feel you need it--
2) “Seriously, though. I like Matt. Don’t make me lose a good employee.”
“No sweat, Dad. If I cause him too much excitement, I’ll just give him a pill for overstimulation. I carry them on my person at all times.”
The root of my issue with this second joke is that it was told to be a reminder that this novella deals with bipolar. It is heavy-handed and unnecessary, and maybe could have been written better, or otherwise been omitted. It bothered me a little in reading it, and I think that it is a potential sore point for some other readers, too.
In the mindset of a writer, what I find clever about this book is its choice to use third person limited point of view. The distance of third person mirrors the alienation Anaya feels in her own physical surroundings, and the narrator’s access to her stream of consciousness mimics the meshing of Anaya’s naïve and wiser thinking, and Anaya’s own italicised thoughts reflect how out of tune Anaya feels in the body of a seventeen-year-old while having the mind of a thirty-five-year-old. The author’s choice to use third person limited point of view allows the reader to empathise with Anaya while being in touch with her own objectivity. It made me connect with Anaya on level that couldn’t have been achieved through any other perspective. This is what really ties the novella in a neat, little bow for me.
The dialogue is realistic and funny, and showed the different dynamics between the characters quite well, but the characters could have been a little more developed. The writing, overall, flows easily and is brilliant. There is a comma is missing after the word ‘so’ throughout the novella, but I think it might just be the author’s own choice of style. I’ve seen writer’s use their own discretion in grammar use before, and as long as it’s consistent, I don’t mind. There are no other typographical or grammatical errors.
The descriptions are great, and would usually enhance another element of the writing, such as character: "She settled onto the lemon-yellow bench beside Greg. Although she knew it was made of the best cedar wood, naturally resistant to weather damage and decay, through her bipolar filter it looked faded and worn, another metaphor for herself."
The novella is more character driven than plot driven, but I still felt there wasn’t much conflict until the climax. Regardless, I really enjoyed going on this journey with Anaya.
I rate this novella three out of four stars, because the character development and central conflict could have been stronger... and I hate cliffhangers. But the plot twist was brilliant!
******
The Watchmaker’s Doctor
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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