Book Review: "Better to Trust" by Heather Frimmer

In Heather Frimmer's upcoming novel, Better to Trust, a woman’s medical crisis lays bare a multitude of issues in her life and her family.

After Alison collapses while teaching one day, she discovers she has a brain bleed which requires surgery. Since her brother-in-law Grant is an acclaimed neurosurgeon, it seems only natural to ask him to take her case.

When complications arise after her surgery leaving her with significant physical and cognitive issues, at first they’re accepted as the risks associated with brain surgery. But it’s not long before Grant’s secret is discovered: he’s addicted to pain pills, and this addiction may have caused negative outcomes in Alison’s case as well as with other patients.

Amidst a difficult rehabilitation and the revelation which threatens to tear her family apart, Alison also has to think about her attraction to a female teacher, which was just starting to progress when she collapsed. What does this mean for her future, or her marriage?

Meanwhile, Grant’s teenage daughter Sadie is becoming friends with a troubled classmate who pushes her to do things she doesn’t want. What will be the ramifications of these risky choices?

I really liked this book. It so accurately captures the challenges faced by individuals recovering from brain injuries, both physical and emotional. But the added issues provided even more depth and tension to the story. The multiple narrations, by Alison, Grant, and Sadie really worked for me.

Thanks to Suzy Approved Book Tours, Heather Frimmer, and Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing for inviting me on the tour and providing me a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!!

Better to Trust publishes 9/21.