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I’m a Therapist, and My Patient is Going to be the Next School Shooter is a short book by fictional author Dr Harper. Published on January 28, 2019, the book is a first-person recounting of six patient files from Dr Harper. Dr Harper recounts the six files leading up to patient #220.
If you have a love or interest in psychology and mysteries, then I’m a Therapist, and My Patient is Going to be the Next School Shooter is a good, easy read! Even though the extremely long title might be off-putting, the book is a good read.
Following Dr Harper’s looking back on patient files, the Dr reflects on the case details and how it was handled. Dr Harper’s chaotic and sometimes very unorthodox (and unprofessional) manner results in strange events. Each case discussion allows the reader to understand the final patient file.
Patient #220.
The book keeps the files small and easy to read, with an interesting first-person point of view, giving an insight into Dr Harper’s mind.
I read this book within two to three hours cumulatively over two or three days. I can’t remember the exact numbers; there were big life events and a family holiday during the time, along with me trying to throw out Etsy listings.
EVALUATION
Genre
I will be completely honest – I’m unfamiliar with this genre. I am normally stuck in Fantasy books and rarely look at anything outside this genre. The times I do are book recommendations or academic work.
So, comparing I’m a Therapist, and My Patient is Going to be the Next School Shooter to mystery TV Shows and Films, I will say it fitted well. I know, not the same, but that’s the best I have.
The story built suspense in the alluring Patient #220. Each file seemed wildly different from the last, making the looming questions of “how can this possibly be related to the last” and “what the hell is patient #220 doing”. This matched perfectly with the suspense I experience in mystery and drama shows and films.
Characters
Every character in the book is seen through the eyes of Dr Harper, which can make the judgement of the other character a bit stained. Dr Harper seemed to try and give balanced views of the other characters. Assistant Noah was always speaking in a way that almost looked down on him. However, at points, Dr Harper would note that it could just be Noah’s nice nature.
The entire book reflects Dr Harper, and the piece feels that it has a critical narrator. Dr Harper points out moments where the judgement was severely lacking and when attitudes ran high with emotions, especially in situations where there shouldn’t have been much emotion.
It was an interesting look inside a first-person narrator’s mind. Normally, I experience first-hand thoughts and all the wild emotions that come with that. In this case, I was able to experience a critical evaluation of the first-person narrative by the narrator. It was very refreshing! And something that makes me want to read more from this character.
Dr Harper has turned into a very interesting personality from which I want to see more.
Plot & Theme
The plot was gripping from start to finish. As each “chapter” was a new patient file, I was never truly bored. If there was a file I didn’t like (which there wasn’t), I could move on to another file quickly.
Dr Harper’s blunt manner is something that kept me hooked on the story. The bluntness came across so well, and I found it rather refreshing. Dr Harper’s character wasn’t trying to win the reader over by being somewhat relatable or “the good guy”. Dr Harper was simply being genuine (as a character).
The storytelling was well done. Other reviews on Goodreads I read were less than impressed by the story. However, I enjoyed it. It was a very easy read, allowing me to float away into this doctor’s mind without having to set aside time. I could just hop in and out of the world with ease.
The mystery was kept alive with moments in each file where Patient #220 was mentioned. This allowed the mystery of what was to come to thrive in my mind. I was constantly aching to return to the book to get closer to finding out about Patient #220.
Pacing
The pacing of I’m a Therapist, and my patient is the next school shooter was good. It felt fast-paced but was well done. It never felt like slowing down too much, but it was also going a warp speed.
Throughout the book, I learned more about Dr Harper in organic ways. As it was a first-person narrative, Dr Harper would add personal details throughout the files and afterthoughts where it was deemed necessary. It helped elevate any major info-dump moments, which I appreciated.
Some files also start where the “action” or “major issues” occur, when things started to go past the point of return. Other files started from the beginning, but long, repetitive sections of sessions and meetings were left out. Instead, Dr Harper quickly explained the situation, inserting thoughts on the matter before moving on.
It helped keep the pacing right while also giving context to how long it took for each patient file to go wrong.
Prose
As I’ve said, the writing style made it easy to read. It is one of the easier books I’ve read in a while. Dr Harper made the writing so easy that it felt like I was listening to a friend or family member tell me about how their workdays went.
I never felt myself struggling or like I had to go back a bit because I didn’t understand something. I could continue moving forward with the book and understand each step. This made the book much more enjoyable.
Impact
Upon finishing the book, I was upset that I didn’t have the rest of the series. The book was enjoyable, and I wish I had the other books in the series to see what happens next and to read more patient files.
RECOMMENDATION
I’m a Therapist, and My Patient is Going to be the Next School Shooter is a good book if you are interested in mysteries and psychology and want an easy read. However, it won’t suit you if you look for something 100% factual and accurate. I’m not trained in Psychology, but from other reviews, some people wanted more realism from the book. Especially since Dr Harper is listed as the book’s author. Dr Harper is a fictitious author and not someone who is to be taken for true psychological advice.
However, suppose you can separate reality’s psychology and enjoy fictitious close-to-reality story-telling. In that case, I’m a Therapist, and My Patient is Going to be the Next School Shooter is a good book to read. It is easy to read, and the complex psychological conditions mentioned do not bring you out of the story.
Rating & Info
Rating: 6/7
Author Website: Dr Harper
Edition I Read: Kindle
Genre: Horror, Psychological,
Series/Standalone Name: Dr Harper Therapy
