I was excited to read this book, and it was an enjoyable read that had me laughing and groaning in equal measure – just as it was surely intended to do. But, the author had the misfortune of bad timing with me.
About the Book
Humorously told with hilarious personal anecdotes and real-life stories that shed light on the eccentric things that go on behind closed hospital doors, Deadish is a delightful blend of dark humor and absurdism that celebrates the medical world while poking fun at hospital bureaucracy.
Rife with interneccine warfare of office politics, medical misadventures, and stories told after one too many drinks, you’ll follow the lives of Ashley and Chris, two junior surgeons at Serenity Hospital, as they struggle with domineering management, awkward patient encounters, and unintentionally amusing events that make you want to laugh out loud.
As the pair fight to save their patients – and sometimes their own lives – they reveal the real human connections behind every story that give profound meaning to their hard work and sacrifice!
As a must-read for potential patients, nurses, doctors, and anybody who wants to have a laugh as they gain a deeper insight into what goes on inside hospitals, Deadish is an absurd and hilarious read that uses black comedy to uncover the authentic stories of the medical world.
My Thoughts
First off, the writing is superb, and the dark comedy within the pages is top-notch. I’ve mentioned before I have a love of dark comedy that concerns me.
However, I am – and always have been – fat. I worked a lot, some of that work with doctors, on my mental health, and am a #fatliberation activist. We’re taking the word back, but it still makes a lot of people uncomfortable. So, there are scenes in this book that make me uncomfortable and a little angry. Being fat is not as simple as medical professionals would like to make it seem, and there is a lot of science to back that up. It is also one of the few areas that society deems it acceptable to be incredibly unkind in the name of “helping” people and “humor.” The incident in this book is extreme, ridiculous, and harmful. Other scenes are equally harmful to the trans community, as well as others. Even if these aren’t the author’s beliefs, many people will think they are because of their inclusion.
In the end, I think I was supposed to think the main character was a good doctor, and I can’t entirely agree with that. But, I am neurodivergent, and sometimes I draw incorrect conclusions. Because I hope if this doctor is even remotely based on a real person – and I’ll be honest, a doctor I met recently makes me think it’s likely – I wouldn’t let them near my healthy friends, much less a loved one in need of actual medical care.
The book does a great job of highlighting the horrible administrative issues in the medical system. But some of those might be protecting us more than we realize.
Who’s It For?
If you enjoy medical dramas like The Resident, ER, Grey’s Anatomy etc., you’ll probably love this book. However, the main character is extremely abrasive, and has several very negative encounters with patients that are seriously problematic. These could be very triggering, so please check the content warning list and read the rest of my review to protect your mental health. And if you’d like resources on your own journey toward fat acceptance/liberation, DM me or comment below.
Content Warnings: Dark Comedy, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Medical Trauma, Bullying, Medical Malpractice, Unkind Doctors, Incompetent Doctors, Murder, Manslaughter, Assisted Suicide, Suicidal Ideation, Ethical Dilemmas, Abelism, Classism
About the Author
Alex Lancer is Professor of Surgery dealing with cancer surgery, emergencies including emergency abdominal surgery and trauma related conditions as well as the full range of things that happen to people. He has also worked in Central America in disaster relief after hurricane events operating in jungle environments.
He has published over a hundred scientific articles in journals including the British Journal of Surgery and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, as well as writing a weekly satirical column in a medical newspaper for a number of years. He won an Irish Times Captain Seamus Kelly memorial award for a previously published work.
Outside of this book and surgery, Alex lives on the Atlantic coast with partner, twin teenagers, a dog and two cats. Outside of surgery, the author has run a few marathons and have completed an Ironman triathlon. Apart from surgical training, Ironman is perhaps the ultimate exercise in determination or stubbornness, depending upon your perspective. He also recognises that the hardest day he puts in, isn’t comparable to what patients go through.
per https://www.writing.ie/tell-your-own-story/a-darkly-humourous-debut-novel-deadish-by-alex-lancer/
Links:
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/aWWFeWD
Audible US: https://www.audible.com/pd/Deadish-Audiobook/B0D64987HS?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/duQr0dn
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58886895-deadish
Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.