Book Review: The Fatal Mind by N.J. Gallegos (2024)
Winding Road Stories
Dr. Aldea Absinthe’s experimental chip-implant procedure inhibits the migraine pain of her patients, releasing them from debilitating chronic pain. When she performs her new procedure on Shawn Gilbert, a former NBA superstar whose career was cut short by headaches, Gilbert becomes her biggest advocate, launching the brilliant and beautiful neurologist to national stardom. But when Gilbert’s wife Rachel sees Gilbert’s personality become darker by the day, it becomes a race against time to uncover the deadly secret behind Dr. Absinthe’s miracle cure in this Black Mirror meets Frankenstein medical horror thriller…
This is my sole foray into medical thrillers in quite some time, and my first exposure to the work of N.J. Gallegos—an actual ER doctor who puts her off-shift time into writing creepy stuff. I really didn’t know what to expect beyond some additional medical details and perhaps a few extra dangled baubles for readers in the field–all present–but I ultimately got a refreshing and fun thriller that didn’t take itself too seriously.
Right out of the gate, I loved the tone of the book. The prose is crisp, always a touch playful or glib, and much of the more mundane happenings are clearly drawn from or inspired by the author’s real world experiences. I’ve occasionally written about how the word ‘fun’ is a near-pejorative in literary reviews, but as someone who reads a ton of dark fiction, I really enjoy when something in the genre also makes me laugh. The Fatal Mind flirts with being cozy at times, but never quite crosses that line, and would probably serve as an excellent title for the horror-curious to explore the genre.
No Scrubs
The character work is one of the stronger elements of the novel, as Shawn begins as a really likeable and down-to-earth retired NBA player before slowly having his personality changed by the chip. His wife, Rachel, has a really developed identity of her own, and she’s probably the closest thing we have to a true main character in the story. Dr. Absinthe is also a surprise, as she’s remarkably different from what I expected after reading the promotional material: this is a woman really trying to do something good, using her brilliance and experiences to seek an unorthodox path to the top of her field. Much like Victor Frankenstein, she’s willing to turn a blind eye to inconvenient ethical realities in pursuit of a medical miracle.
While the main trio is strong, the novel relies a bit too much on clichés and archetypes when filling in the support characters. A psychiatrist is described through classic (and frankly, outdated) needy hallmarks, a talk show host whose career closely resembles an actress from generations and other similar characters all an appearance and feel a bit unconsidered. I was almost surprised there wasn’t a shushing spinster librarian somewhere in the mix.
…That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if N.J. Gallegos has stuffed a neurologist or two in a locker in her time, and after reading this novel, I too feel a touch of contempt for them, such is the infectiousness of her ire. I will sneer balefully at the next neurologist I see.
We Cant be Friends; You’re My Doctor!
By far, my biggest struggle with the novel was a distinct dearth of friction or conflict between the characters. Far from an evil or even willfully unethical psycho, Dr. Absinthe is an amiable professional who seems to genuinely want the best for her patients, even if there is mounting evidence that her miracle cure may have some pretty severe drawbacks. She befriends Rachel and Shawn, and seems concerned about both his health and that of her prior patients. Really, the worst I could accuse her of is a bit of willful ignorance. This created a tension vacuum where, as a reader, I wasn't really invested in much apart from Shawn’s seemingly inevitable demise, burning through scene after scene and just kind of waiting for things to get worse like a spectator with questionable ethics.
While I like the prose itself, the story structure occasionally feels amateurish. Lots of spare details that aren't necessary (do we need the terms of a rental lease?), and medical information asides that feel a touch like inside jokes I’m never going to be in on. These don't hurt the story too much, but they disrupt the rhythm of the novel, especially considering the main plotline is a little too straightforward.
Further, the story itself doesn’t throw out too many curveballs or surprises. We get an opening scene where a bus driver with the miracle chip ends up in tragedy and then we’re kind of just rewinding and moving pretty linearly toward the same thing happening with Shawn. There aren’t a lot of surprises or twists, and when these do occasionally pop up, they resolve a bit too quickly to really create intrigue.
To wrap on a positive note, I think the finale of the novel is one of its strongest chapters, rising to a solid crescendo that shapes up a lot more differently than I was expecting going in. I would have liked to see the author apply stakes like this to earlier developments in the novel, and explore branching out a bit more from the foundational idea. There’s better work to be had here, and we get a glimpse of it near the end.
All in all, it’s a solid novel with a lot of positives, and I think a lot of readers will appreciate what it brought a bit more than I did. If the premise appeals, pick it up and give this author some support.
Score: 6.7
Strengths
Good central characters
Strong finish
Interesting premise
Weaknesses
Lack of conflict
Plot is a bit too straightforward
No real surprises
The Fatal Mind will be released on October 15th, 2024.
You can pre-order The Fatal Mind through Amazon. Other retailers may be available post-release.
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