Official Review: A Prescription for Madness by Linda Fawke

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bookowlie
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Official Review: A Prescription for Madness by Linda Fawke

Post by bookowlie »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Prescription for Madness" by Linda Fawke.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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A Prescription for Madness by Linda Fawke takes a look at a childless pharmacist who becomes pregnant at fifty-one years old. Although Kate is married, the pregnancy occurs after a fling with her old boyfriend Jonathan at a college reunion. In addition to the obvious “who’s the father” question, there is the risk of genetic abnormalities due to her age. As secrets are kept and she grapples with what to do about the pregnancy, Kate’s well-ordered life goes off track.

It took me a while to get into this contemporary novel. The beginning chapters are slow paced, as the main character visits different people to seek advice about her pregnancy. However, some of these attempts seem contrived. For example, her friend Becky informs her she is pregnant from an encounter with an old lover at the same college reunion. What are the chances two fiftyish women become pregnant after sex with old boyfriends at the same reunion? Adding to the weird coincidence is Kate’s growing suspicion that her husband Neil may be more than friends with Becky. Unsurprisingly, Kate decides to withhold the news about her own pregnancy.

After the first few chapters, I became quite engrossed in the plot. The story often feels more like a myriad of romantic entanglements rather than the ramifications of pregnancy at an advanced age. Still, there is an interesting subplot about Neil’s research for a photography exhibition about families who have a Down’s Syndrome child. These passages add depth to the story and are treated with sensitivity.

Kate is not easy to like, but she is a well-developed character. Her conversations with others are sometimes rude. While pregnant, Kate drinks wine, refers to the fetus as a parasite, and initiates sex with a stranger in an Italian alley. She is very self-centered; this might explain why she doesn’t wonder whether her husband might be the father of Becky’s unborn child. I found this odd since Kate already suspected he and her friend Becky might be more than friends.

The author has a nice writing style that feels effortless. It is clear the story has been edited well as I spotted only one grammatical error (a missing comma). One minor gripe is that the formatting in the PDF file is not consistent. This creates a zig-zag feel as each page is a bit to the left or right of the previous page.

This book has earned a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. The latter sections of the story are a bit busy, although the loose ends are tied up. Still, I generally enjoyed the story after the slow start. I would recommend the book to readers who like romance novels with a sprinkling of thought-provoking themes.

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A Prescription for Madness
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Post by Book Lover 35 »

Interesting drama. I would be interested in seeing how it turns out. Thank you!
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Post by gen_g »

This sounds seriously fascinating, and Kate is such an intriguing character. I love that she has so many flaws, and I would definitely like to see how she deals with the pregnancy by the end of the book. Thanks for the review!
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Post by Ice dragon »

This isn't the type of genre that I like but your pitch of the characters makes the book sound entertaining. Glad you enjoyed it.
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Post by kandscreeley »

Another great review. I don't think it's one I'd enjoy as it seems more focused on the romantic life of the protagonist than her decision about her pregnancy. Still, for those that enjoy that sort of story, it seems nice as the author has a great style. Thanks.
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Post by bookowlie »

Thanks everyone for the feedback. :) Gen_g and Ice Dragon - All of the characters were well developed, even the ones I didn't like so much. Kandscreeley - I was a little disappointed in the direction the story took. It became a little soap opera-ish after a while.
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Post by gali »

A book revolving around a childless pharmacist who became pregnant at fifty-one years old sounds intriguing. Too bad for the slow start, the busy sections, and the inconsistent formatting. At least it was well edited. Not for me, but I am glad you enjoyed it. Great review as always!
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Post by bookowlie »

gali wrote: 13 Dec 2018, 09:19 A book revolving around a childless pharmacist who became pregnant at fifty-one years old sounds intriguing. Too bad for the slow start, the busy sections, and the inconsistent formatting. At least it was well edited. Not for me, but I am glad you enjoyed it. Great review as always!
Thanks Gali! I still enjoyed the book despite the slow start and busy ending.
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Post by T_stone »

Although the book has a slow start it gets more interesting with the development of Kate's character. I'm going to enjoy reading this. Thanks for yet another review
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Post by Cecilia_L »

The story sounds interesting, and though I know it happens, I can't imagine being pregnant at 51. I would tend to agree with Kandscreeley's thoughts on this one, but I appreciate your candid review.
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

Too much romantic drama for me. Great review though.
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Post by bookowlie »

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I wish the author would have focused more on the pregnant at 51 theme. All of the romantic entanglements gave too much of a soap opera feel to the story.
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Post by kislany »

This sounds like an interesting family/triangle drama with some pregnancy thrown in. I did get curious as to what happens, but I'm not sure I'd be very invested in the story as it's not of my main genre. Another great review, btw.
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Post by Alicia09 »

I appreciate the author's ability to make the writing style of this story sound effortless, especially considering the fact that the story was written about such heavy subject matter. I normally would not read this story, simply because I agree that the plot sounds a little too coincidental in terms of two fifty something year old women getting pregnant from a reunion. Yet I can appreciate your willingness to review this book. I was intrigued by the title, and your review has helped me decide to pick a different book to read next. Thanks!
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Post by Gloria 1Boateng »

:D Nice review and the book sounds pretty interesting. I like the way the author developed the characters especially Kate,to possess such strong and exciting youthful traits despite her old age. Thanks.
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