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A review by reading_historical_romance
The Broken Places by Mia Sheridan
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The deliberate intention of this book! My experience reading it was like watching a distant tempest build over the ocean, and the pinpricks of sunset piercing through the clouds. And while it will satisfy every reader looking for a compelling romantic suspense, this novel is also an unexpectedly provocative and insightful discussion of the mental health crisis devastating our inner cities.
I am a licensed clinical social worker with years of experience working in community mental health in Los Angeles, and so many of the characters and plotlines in this novel are absolutely accurate to what clinicians and other service providers encounter on a daily basis. It's hard to believe that the author hasn't worked on the front lines herself given the portrayal of each character and the accurate descriptions of the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges they face throughout the narrative. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the podcast interviews conducted with people who have lived on San Francisco's streets, and how they have survived.
Reading this was such a personal experience, at times it was like Mia had written a biography. The whole novel felt like a love letter to the patients, and to all of the unsung providers who work tirelessly in community mental health and addiction services. This novel brings us and our everyday challenges into the light, in such a direct but reverent way. It is respectful to patients because it never minimizes their experiences or blames them for their impossible choices. I also loved that there were no apologies made for the broken system that not only perpetuates the public stigma of mental illness, but its abject failure to bring about any measurable change in treatment outcomes.
Because I believe that books and reading are inherently political, I am now including a list of political issues in each review that I write:
πππ addiction and recovery, bodily autonomy, community activism, community mental health, feminism, homelessness, patient advocacy, policing, poverty, trauma, US health care system
Other special highlights:
πTwisty mystery
π Wooing via fruit salad
π Lennon's name
π Jamal, Myrna, and Darius, for being helpers
π Healing against all odds
π Ambrose Mars who must be protected at all costs
π The EPILOGUE
I am a licensed clinical social worker with years of experience working in community mental health in Los Angeles, and so many of the characters and plotlines in this novel are absolutely accurate to what clinicians and other service providers encounter on a daily basis. It's hard to believe that the author hasn't worked on the front lines herself given the portrayal of each character and the accurate descriptions of the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges they face throughout the narrative. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the podcast interviews conducted with people who have lived on San Francisco's streets, and how they have survived.
Reading this was such a personal experience, at times it was like Mia had written a biography. The whole novel felt like a love letter to the patients, and to all of the unsung providers who work tirelessly in community mental health and addiction services. This novel brings us and our everyday challenges into the light, in such a direct but reverent way. It is respectful to patients because it never minimizes their experiences or blames them for their impossible choices. I also loved that there were no apologies made for the broken system that not only perpetuates the public stigma of mental illness, but its abject failure to bring about any measurable change in treatment outcomes.
Because I believe that books and reading are inherently political, I am now including a list of political issues in each review that I write:
πππ addiction and recovery, bodily autonomy, community activism, community mental health, feminism, homelessness, patient advocacy, policing, poverty, trauma, US health care system
Other special highlights:
πTwisty mystery
π Wooing via fruit salad
π Lennon's name
π Jamal, Myrna, and Darius, for being helpers
π Healing against all odds
π Ambrose Mars who must be protected at all costs
π The EPILOGUE