Review of Adverse Reaction

[Annika porter]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Adverse Reaction" by Terence Mix.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Adverse Reaction is a well-crafted courtroom drama filled with blackmail, romance, and intrigue. While the story begins with a young, single mother looking for representation in a case regarding a terrible car accident, Niki quickly realizes there is a bigger battle to be won in a pharmaceutical court case regarding birth defects caused by Niki’s headache medicine. Niki implores and manipulates renowned attorney Mitch Redden until he re-enters the courtroom for the first time in years. Although a bit rusty, Mitch quickly realizes there is much more to this case than meets the eye.

This novel is a fun, fictional look into the world of pharmaceuticals and to what lengths businesses may go in order to turn a profit. I was intrigued by the plot of this book as it is not my usual genre, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. For every dead-end that Mitch ran into along his investigative journey, my interest was piqued and I found myself saying, “just one more chapter.” The mystery shrouding Niki’s court case seemed to deepen at every turn, even when I thought the corruption could not run any deeper. Once the action really took off in this book, I found it difficult to put down. The plot was well-designed and the characters were realistic with human strengths and flaws. While Redden and Niki are both flawed in their own rights, Niki in particular is given such great opportunities throughout the novel to grow and develop. Through Niki’s relationships with her ailing father, her ex-husband, and her son Randy, the reader sees Niki as extremely strong but also extremely bitter and untrusting. It is through her interactions with Mitch that the reader sees Niki work through and improve on these shortcomings for her own sake as well as her son’s. This well-crafted character growth is, in my opinion, a sign of a great author.

My biggest critique of this novel lies in its pacing. The author spends a decent number of pages focused on the car accident that occurs at the beginning of the novel, which truly only serves as an excuse for Niki and Redden to meet. There are chapters focused on a character that is completely disregarded after the first hundred pages. While I can understand the appeal of a dramatic build-up, the first hundred or so pages felt like a slog. Conversely, the climactic ending of the story felt very short, taking up less than twenty pages. The build-up for this ending scene was great, and I was so excited to reach that point! However, I wish there was more of it—more of a payoff for the tension-filled court case up until this point.

Despite pacing issues, I still enjoyed this book and rate it 4 out of 5 stars. The intrigue of blackmail and malpractice, as well as the strength of the author’s characters, makes this book deserving of this rating. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys documentaries about pharmaceuticals or cover-ups, as well as anyone who is looking for an intriguing court drama.

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Adverse Reaction
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[Maria Loukaidou]

I really like the cover of the book! You must enjoyed reading it! I will read it for sure! Your review is good!

[kimarijohn]

"Adverse Reaction" seems like an exciting dive into the world of courtroom drama and corporate corruption. I like how the author weaves personal growth into the mix, especially with Niki's character development. Even though the pacing might feel a bit uneven, the character interactions really seems to make it worthwhile.

[Annika porter]

I really like the cover of the book! You must enjoyed reading it! I will read it for sure! Your review is good!

Thank you so much! The cover is so fun and I just wanted to say that a really fun touch is that the snake image comes back on every chapter header! It's such a small detail but even though I was reading the book online, this aspect made it feel like I had a physical book in my hands.