Review of The Watchmaker’s Doctor

[WintersBloom]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Watchmaker’s Doctor" by G. M. T. Schuilling.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Watchmaker’s Doctor by G.M.T. Schuilling is a science fiction novel set around a young woman struggling with her life choices and her struggles with mental illness. We follow Anaya, a doctor in her mid-thirties who feels like everyday is a struggle to get up and go. We quickly glimpse that Anaya regrets some of her decisions she made as a young adult, some that placed her in harms way, but that ultimately led her to pick a career helping others, yet not necessarily a career she finds fulfilling. Working at a retirement home, she befriends one of her clients, Greg, who is a retired watchmaker. He enlightens her with the wisdom so often accompanied with time and experience; at one point telling Anaya point blank that she wasted her youth and that she needs to see a physician. Anaya admits that “I chose medicine. But it’s no fit for me…I should be the patient seeking the help right now, not the one giving it.” (The Watchmaker’s Doctor, page 8-9). Anaya soon finds out that her client is more then meets the eye, and he gives her a second chance at reliving her life and redoing her biggest regret. With the watchmaker’s intricate and beautiful creation, time is turned back to Anaya’s teenage years, with her teenage body and teenage choices, but with the mind of her former self, the foresight of her mistakes and knowledge of her education.

I enjoyed reading this book and the way that the author eloquently describes the hurtles of adolescence and teenage situations and having the hindsight and perspective of an adult mind. We get to watch as Anaya struggles through choices and opportunities, reprimanding herself for her foolishness the first time around and that “doing as you pleased at this age, without seeking the help and advice of those qualified to give it, equaled marching into a minefield” (The Watchmaker’s Doctor, page 27). We watch as Anaya makes better choices and deals with her mental illness, realizing that asking for help is not a weakness, but knowing your value and what you can handle are a strength that can make things change for the better, “I consider it a testament that pain can be overcome if it’s shared” (The Watchmaker’s Doctor, page 73).

I have nothing negative to say about this book. The author did a marvelous job bringing the characters together via what is considered a societal negative of pain and mental illness.

I rate The Watchmaker’s Doctor a 4 out of 4 stars. The book appears to be very well written and edited, with no grammatical or spelling errors. The author uses scientific terms and analogous sparingly and generally with further clarification that non-doctors can understand.

I would recommend this book to high school aged youth, all the way to those reminiscing about the yesteryears who love a hint of science fiction and the hint of a mystery. The book ends with a world of possibilities, and I can not wait to read what happens next!

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The Watchmaker’s Doctor
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