Kindle Edition. From Book 1: Dr. John Sanders is about to begin his career as a clinical psychologist. Sanders' Starfish (John Sanders Book 1) (Dec 18, ).
Table of contents
- See a Problem?
- Unauthored Letters (John Sanders Series)
- Sanders' Starfish (John Sanders Book 1)
- Sanders' Starfish: Tara C. Allred: leondumoulin.nl: Books
And there sits John, the newbie trying to dig it all out Here's where it gets complicated for me. It is hard to find a fiction book about mental illness that adequately and appropriately portrays mental illness. This book does that, somewhat but then it falls so flat with the interactions of those illnesses. John leads these in-depth group sessions with his patients where he talks with them as though they were his undergrad peers.
Deep, thoughtful, here's the steps that you need to take and how I can help you get there if you want to do the work. But then in one on one conversations with those same patients the dialogue feels stilted, flat and at times almost like he is speaking to a child and not an adult diagnosed with a mental illness. This childish, stilted and flat conversation style carries over into conversations with his superiors, administration and even friends. There is good here but it's hiding behind the not so good. Even the title is so well painted to the idea behind the book.
The story has so much merit but could really be improved with additional rewriting and some good editing. On the idea of rewriting I find some huge formatting issues that also made the book difficult to enjoy. There are obvious breaks in the story that change location or time and are well marked. Other times the story will jump location or even time from one paragraph to the next without any notation that it's happening.
See a Problem?
Sometimes it was hard to follow the train of thought. Things that would again benefit from additional editing and rewriting. Beyond that there are elements of how things play out that are slightly far-fetched but make a great story. Additional back story and plot building would make these ideas work better.
They go in to interview the administration over the things that he discovered that caused him to be fired. No one questions him showing up with a reporter who has a scheduled interview? At the base of the book there's a really good story to be told here. However, a thorough going over by a good set of beta readers not friends who will tell you what you want to here but readers who will help to build and create a better overall story and some additional editing are needed. The story is worth reading. It's worth the effort.
Unauthored Letters (John Sanders Series)
But there's a lot of hills to climb for this to be the amazing book I know it can be. Still worth the read and I'm not in any way disappointed that I did read it. Or even that I do own it. One person found this helpful 2 people found this helpful. On one level, the basic premise was fine and could have been an interesting thriller, but the delivery of the story left much to be desired.
Most of the movement was delivered through dialogue without any nuances or mediating description, which created a very choppy, distant feeling. The main character comes across as confused and obsessive, which made him hard to like, though it's clear we are supposed to be sympathetic towards him and his actions.
Sanders' Starfish (John Sanders Book 1)
Perhaps most frustrating, the basic plot of the "mystery" was clear from very early on. The exact reasoning behind the plot was the only thing that needed to be cleared up, and it was done quite abruptly, as was the ending itself. Perhaps the biggest problem was that John Sanders was difficult to accept as a psychologist, both in his musings about life and his clinical sessions. He was pushy with the patient one-on-one and I say patient in the singular because we never see him with another one, which could have fleshed out his character and attitudes a great deal , and mostly spouted textbook ideas in his group sessions, making it very difficult to envision him having much real impact.
The other patients are one-dimensional pieces of furniture populating the scenario, with no purpose other than to set the scene of a larger institution, and most of the staff are the same. I really wanted to love this book. I love the title and the starfish story that inspired it, and since I once worked in a hospital psych unit, I already had an interest in mental health issues, and for the people who work in this field.
So I should have been sitting smack dab in the middle of the target audience for this book, right? Maybe I simply expected too much from it. The story in itself had the potential to be very good, and I commend the author for tackling it. The subject matter could have For me, the characters were flat, and the dialogue, unrealistic. Add to that a few grammatical errors coming from characters who would have known better, and scene transitions that were so awkward, at one point, I thought a page was missing from the book.
However, that doesn't mean I didn't like the book. I did, and there's a good chance you would, too. I'd give it three and a half stars. And yes, I'd read another book by this author. Matter of fact, I already have another one See all reviews. Most recent customer reviews. Published 4 months ago.
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Sanders' Starfish: Tara C. Allred: leondumoulin.nl: Books
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Full of optimism, he believes he can make a difference and is eager to provide hope to a group the world has deemed hopeless. Yet in John's quest to offer those in his care a second chance, he embarks on his own journey of self-discovery. In his search, clear answers become scrambled confusion and the unimaginable truth is trapped in a complex web.
Tara patiently listened to my entire storyline and wisely pointed out that I should reconsider how I handled my character point of view. Once I implemented her advice, the story just seemed to write itself! She brings to my book passion and caring as though it were her own. She Is insightful, perceptive of the story that I wish to give and has gone the extra mile. Allred's simplistic strategies and concise instructions assisted in my submission to an anthology project that became an Amazon best seller last year.
She provides all the requisite tools for crafting your story and pairs them with innovative exercises to maximize the writing process. If you're committed to writing and telling an authentic story, Ms. Allred is the ideal coach for you. A natural teacher and someone I look up to as a mentor. Working with her has been as comfortable as talking with a trusted friend.
She has helped me to realize my potential and encouraged me to move forward with my writing, even when it seemed impossible. Allred has written an interesting, heart-warming read, replete with a nice ending. And have several more in the works. John Sanders is about to begin his career as a clinical psychologist. I work with other writers to help them achieve their literary goals. If you are interested in writing support, please contact me here.
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