4 out of 4 stars
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In his debut as a novelist, RJ Petrella gives the reader a suspenseful glimpse into the inner workings of the medical world through the story of Slater Barnes, an intern at Boston City Hospital during the 1990s. Passionate and idealistic, Slater has great enthusiasm for working at "the City," which has a proud reputation of caring for all of Boston's residents, regardless of socioeconomic status. But when the threat of a merger with an affluent private hospital threatens that mission, Slater and his fellow interns are thrust into a fight to preserve the City's integrity. Then things take a deadly turn when a resident is murdered.
The book opened with a gripping prologue that left out just enough detail to pique my curiosity. As I delved further into the story, I slowly began to piece together an explanation for the events within the prologue, but was still surprised by the book's ending (sorry, but I won't say anything specific for fear of including spoilers. Let's just say that this book is hardly predictable, as my guesses turned out to be flat-out wrong on several points.
The story is told from the first-person perspective and alternates between Slater and his deceased father, the latter of whom is narrating from Heaven. I particularly enjoyed the alternating narrative, as it provided insight that the reader would not have had from Slater's perspective alone. The author used a wonderfully conversational writing style to create distinct voices for both Slater and his father, which made me feel as if I was actually being spoken to by the characters themselves.
The characters in the novel are well-developed and believable. I found Slater to be likable overall, although some of his choices early in the book did get on my nerves. However, I am not complaining, as Slater's faults made him all the more realistic, and his strengths (such as his passion for helping patients) balanced out his less-than desirable qualities. Furthermore, Slater undergoes quite a bit of personal growth, and ends the story as a stronger and wiser person.
A unique aspect of this novel is that it provides a front-line perspective on the state of healthcare in the United States. The author is a physician himself, and I found the book's descriptions of the differences between public and private hospitals to be very interesting. Healthcare is a controversial subject in the United States, and getting to see the disparities through the eyes of a doctor was insightful.
Days of the Giants is an entertaining and thought-provoking book and I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy murder mysteries, medical dramas, or perhaps hold a more serious interest in the field of medicine.
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Days of the Giants
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