Official Review: President's Day

[ElizaBeth Adams]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "President's Day" by Stephen A. Werbel, Ph.D..]

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3 out of 4 stars

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President's Day, by Stephen Werbel, is a psychological tale about Sylvia Parrish, a ninety-year-old who wakes up in the hospital to the news that she has assassinated the president of the United States. While she admittedly hated the president, she has no memory of murdering him and believes there must be some mistake, that is until she sees the footage herself. What follows is a plot centered around discovering how Sylvia Parrish could have assassinated the president without remembering it and the speedy trial that follows. Will Sylvia have to spend what little time she has left in this world behind bars? Will the rally cries of the people who believe she has done the world a favor and her state of mind at the time of her crime exonerate her from further punishment?

When I read the synopsis for this novel, I was intrigued. Werbel has a background in psychology. I liked that he used his area of expertise to give us a plausible reason for Sylvia's memory lapse. In essence, her conscious mind was overtaken by her subconscious mind. My favorite part of this book was how Sylvia's experiences warn the reader about the danger of bitterness. Sylvia has harbored feelings of pain and disappointment throughout her life. This has left her in a perpetual state of anger and has also damaged her marriage. After she assassinates the president, she is forced to pause and reflect. Eventually, she begins to seize opportunities to reconcile with her husband.

There are three main components of this novel that I did not enjoy. First, there was a high number of editorial mistakes, mostly punctuation errors. Second, for such an exciting premise, the plot fell flat. The opening pages were a high point in the plot because Sylvia was distraught about being in the hospital and did not remember shooting the president. Afterward, the reader enters a cycle of Sylvia talking to her therapist, lawyer, and family members; having her vitals checked by hospital staff; and watching the news coverage of her case. The plot slowly crept forward.

Finally, my least favorite aspect was that a heavy political bias led to some unrealistic literary outcomes. The president that Sylvia assassinates is not given a name. He is hated by many and is described as stealing the presidency, being narcissistic, and being racist. Due to these descriptions, among others, it is clear to readers that he is based on President Trump. Sylvia becomes a hero because she dared to do what so many others wanted to do. Characters approach her and thank her. Hospital workers befriend her and feel honored to get to care for her. I think I would feel this way about Sylvia's actions if the president's character had committed some clear-cut atrocity, such as declaring himself a dictator or using tear gas on innocent citizens. While he is certainly sketchy and ignoble, he didn't present such an urgent threat to the masses for the citizens' reactions to ring true to me as a reader.

I give President's Day three out of four stars. It could use another round of editing. The plot could stand to be more exciting. However, overall, Werbel displays intricate character development and explores some complex themes. His book is timely and relevant. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy psychology and who will not be offended by its political bias.

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President's Day
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[Goodness C N]

And I'm here wondering how Sylvia will turn out? How did she even kill the president without knowing? I also do not like that the so-called president was not given a name. Great review by the way.

[Praise GodWord]

Why is hating the president very common today? Was Parish Sylvia conscious of what she did? Actually, I hope she is not.

[wordsonpaper]

Hi Elizabeth, I love this review! Compelling premise, though I am unsure if this book would be right for me.

[Pluma]

This book sounds like it has a fascinating premise, and I would be interested to see where it leads. It’s a pity that the plot wasn’t executed so well. Thank you for the great review!

[Kennedy NC]

As a law student myself, at criminal law to be able to convict a suspect of a crime, recourse must be taken to her action and her state of mind "mens rea". Great review all the same.

[Drianie]

Although the premise sounds interesting, I'm not sure this is the type of novel that I will enjoy reading. Nevertheless, the psychological elements might be interesting even if the plot is not too exciting. Thanks for the informative review!

[Lhakpa sherpa 1]

Amazing story love the way

[Hhannahh]

The cover page of this book is intriguing (it was what caught my attention). It's sad, though, that the polt eventually fell flat, because the book has got quite a start. I would still check it out if I get the chance to.
I understand your reservations about this book, and I think you have rated it fairly. Nice review.

[LeighBee]

That's a shame that the plot is not as good as it could be. The premise is unique, and I love that the main character isn't a 20-something model. I don't mind grammatical errors when I know the author doesn't have access to a professional editor like mainstream publishers provide, but it sounds like I wouldn't enjoy it. Thank you for your review.