Sociopath is a deep dive into the mind of a brilliant psychologist with the uncanny ability to share the truth of her life. This book was a fascinating look into the lives of people who lack emotion and are often villainized in media and society. The empathy and understanding Patric Gagne supplies to the reader is unparalleled. This book should be mandatory reading for every psychology student to get a true look into the mind and life of a misunderstood diagnosis.

Patric knew she was different at a very young age. She didn’t feel emotions. She stole and lied to make herself feel like she wasn’t going to explode. Patric meets David who is the first person she can trust to tell everything to. She confirms she is a sociopath in college. No hope for a normal life, Patric starts researching more about sociopathy and gets her PhD.

A captivating memoir that chronicles the author's journey of coming to terms with her own sociopathy. From her childhood struggles to navigating adulthood, the author drew me in with her raw honesty and authenticity. Through her compelling storytelling, she sheds light on the misunderstood mental disorder, offering valuable insights and challenging stereotypes. Despite facing daunting challenges. The author's resilience and determination to prove to be a "good girl" instead of a "bad girl" were are truly eye opening. The descriptions of how the highs and lows and feelings were interesting and I appreciated how the author detailed those as well. "Sociopath" is a thought-provoking and empowering read that leaves a lasting impact.
The audiobook, read by the author, makes the story feel even more real and deep, pulling you right into the story.
Highly recommended for those interested in memoirs of self-discovery, acceptance, empathy for others.

A very special thanks to Simon Books and Simon Audio for the complimentary copy.

I am always fascinated to read books about mental disorders or mental health. Patric Gagne's "Sociopath" is a vulnerable memoir about her struggles and successes dealing with sociopathy.

Her memoir is incredibly well written, and flows quickly and easily. It blends information she discovered with personal stories seamlessly.

I genuinely think this will be a best seller, and I encourage people that are interested in the subject to read this one. There are many books about sociopaths, but they all make it sound like they're villains when they're not.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book! It was published on April 2nd of 2024, and I think it will do very well!

This was a fascinating first person account of someone living with a little known personality disorder. The opportunity to get direct narrative access to a highly educated person living with sociopathy is not an opportunity that I ever imagined I would have. This book held my attention from start to finish.

Big thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the #gifted ecopy of Sociopath by Patric Gagne

“The purest love is not born from bliss. It is pulled from the pyre. It is fierce and shape-shifted, slightly twisted and delicious. Accepting, forgiving, understanding, and relatably flawed, my type of love is the furthest thing from perfect. The closest thing to me.”

This passage from Patric Gagne’s memoir “Sociopath” is the perfect way to summarize her struggles to show love in her own authentic way and also receive it. I promise that whatever you think you know about sociopaths will be flipped on its head after reading this book.

Being a sociopath does not inherently mean you are evil. It just means you feel things in a different way than other people. Patric spends her life trying to mold herself into what will be more palatable for others. For most of her life she is made to feel like there is something wrong with her and she needs to work against her true nature to obtain a “normal, happy life.”

This memoir is all about the journey Patric takes from running from who she really is to unapologetically loving and embracing her true self. This book opened my eyes in so many ways and I am so grateful Patric had the courage to write it. This book came out April 2, 2024. I highly recommend picking it up!

What a fascinating, well-written memoir! I was immediately sucked into this one. Human behavior and psychology fascinate me, so I was intrigued to read a memoir of a sociopath who is a fully integrated part of society, not a criminal as they are so often assumed to be.

Gagne is captivating in her delivery and some parts had me laughing out loud. What made some parts seem so funny is her behavior being out of the realm of what we consider to be “normal” or acceptable. She does such a wonderful job describing what it feels like to be in her body and not understand certain emotions or cultural norms and morals. So many social customs seem innate to us, and we just accept them tacitly. But what if there are certain gaps in your emotions or understanding? How do you function in society that claims to want honesty, but only if the truth fits in a particular package?

Gagne is a sociopath who wants to be a good person. Despite this desire, she has often felt “stuck stress,” which is the urge to do things that are often considered “wrong,” whether the behavior is actually illegal or simply frowned upon. Often fights against who she naturally is to fit into society and maintain personal relationships. But as you can imagine, it has affected her relationships negatively.

In college, Gagne becomes fascinated by her sociopathy and finds a lack of consistent research, diagnosis, and treatment prescriptions. Though she doesn’t feel empathy in the way most do, she pursues a PhD in psychology in order to help treat other sociopaths function better in society. I found it intriguing how her own diagnosis made her a better therapist to her patients in some ways. She could better understand self-destructive behavior, the different levels of feelings some experience, and maintain an emotional distance from patients.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by the author. Patric Gagne gives such a fantastic performance. She brings so much levity to her words, especially at the snarky parts. This was such a fantastic and enlightening read!

Thank you, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley, for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book was so interesting and educational. I, like most people, hear the word sociopath and think psycho killer. The author, who is a sociopath, showed me that this is not true. This was such an astonishing look into the life of a woman with sociopathy. This book follows her story from childhood through adulthood and the challenges and triumphs she faced throughout her life. She knew from a young age she was different and in college started studying sociopathy to learn more about herself and to help others like her. She eventually got her PHD. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Sociopath was an interesting in depth look at what a sociopath looks like to themselves. An interesting and educational read.

A compelling memoir revealing the author’s struggle to come to terms with her own sociopathy and shed light on the often misunderstood mental disorder. This inspiring story tells of her journey to change her fate and how she managed to build a life full of love and hope.

Like Patric, I am fascinated by people, personalities disorders, and how people deal with their psychological shortcomings. I am not a sociopath yet I found this memoir to be so interesting, enlightening, and empowering. I learned so much and could not help but feel such awe in not only the author’s hard yet successful journey, but also of her bravery to tell and share her story. I am sure many people will be able to learn from her story, or at least be able to connect with it and feel recognized. Though it is educational and is a memoir, it flowed like fiction and is such a great read. Such a powerful book written by a powerful woman who yearned to not only find a definition of sociopath, but to understand it and get treated for it. Her yearning grew so strong she threw herself into her education and earned her PhD in clinical psychology with a dissertation that examined the relationship between sociopathy and anxiety. So impressive!

#sociopath #netgalley #SimonBooks #bookreview

Enjoyed reading this book. Sociopath has always seemed like a bad word, everyone thinks this means the person is bad. This book really brought the subject to light. It definitely makes you rethink how you’ve always thought. Very insightful.

I devoured this fascinating story of the author’s journey to diagnose and treat her personality type, sociopath. Like many readers, I’m sure, my ideas about what people who are sociopaths are like are heavily influenced by the media - movies, TV shows, books, articles, etc. The term has negative connotations, and Gagne does an excellent job of rendering it neutral. Sociopathy is neither good nor bad; it’s just how someone views and experiences the world, often in ways that differ from others. Her honesty about the unsavory, even criminal, ways of coping with her condition was refreshing and enlightening. I expect this book will provide hope for other sociopaths, that they, too, can lead a fulfilling life of their choosing. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I never knew much about sociopaths, only that they were perceived as 'bad' and often associated with committing crimes without guilt, empathy, or remorse. This simplistic and incorrect view of sociopathy is likely ingrained in most people's minds based on what we see on TV, whether it be sensationalized news or TV shows like "You". This memoir has completely altered the way I perceive sociopathy, and is a worthy memoir to add to everyone's TBR.

The memoir began with a bang as Patric (pronounced Patrick) recounted her earliest memories associated with her lack of feeling. The beginning honestly left me baffled because many of the events were horrifying. As someone who is highly empathetic, sensitive, and emotional, I initially struggled to comprehend the events and emotions (or lack thereof) that she described. I felt immense pain for her and her family, but above all, I felt her rage—the rage stemming from her inability to feel and function like everyone else, and the stress she endured from feeling like she had to change herself for decades. While some situations weren't fleshed out well enough, and I did wonder at times if she was lying about life events (since she consistently mentions throughout her novel her struggles with honesty), this did impact my overall perception. Many of the most shocking moments occurred during her childhood, as she grappled with the overwhelming desire to belong, which was intensified by her condition.

The chapters rapidly progress from her childhood memories to her adult experiences. The adult chapters were shocking as well, but I will admit many chapters felt somewhat repetitive. This memoir provided an out-of-body experience, immersing me in the mind of a sociopath who simply yearned to understand why she did or did not feel certain things. I found the writing to be beautiful, and her journey to self-acceptance, allowing love in, and finding healthy ways to exist as herself was remarkable. Also, her handling of her sociopathy and 'prescriptions' was simply unbelievable, and I'm grateful she never got into any real trouble. Despite engaging in actions that most would find reprehensible, her explanation of her thought process and needs was so convincing that I couldn't judge her for it. She made sure, as the reader, that I fully grasped her perspective. Trigger warning: there's lots of bad words and rude remarks - but I loved it lmao.

Overall, I found this memoir to be powerfully written, and I genuinely admired Patric. She was brilliant, funny, and incredibly strong. I'm grateful she didn't conclude the memoir as she initially planned and that she included the epilogue (her editor is the real MVP). I learned so much from this memoir, and I will undoubtedly view sociopathy in a different light for the rest of my life.

Thank you NetGalley & Simon and Schuster for providing early access to this title. It's available now, along with the exceptional audiobook narrated by the author.

This memoir is for anyone who devoured Tara Westover's Educated and is seeking a peek into a totally different reality. It would also make a terrific bookclub book - there's so much to discuss! I appreciate that this book confronts our confusion about sociopaths vs. psychopaths and it's important to understand the differences before you start reading.

Sociopath is not an easy read. Gagne does not come off as likable, nor should she. Within the first few pages she stabs a girl in the neck with a pencil and then casually tells other stories about her childhood. Was this girl okay? Did she need to go to the hospital? Were there any real consequences for Gagne? Gagne's victims are mere plot points. Remorse is completely lost in this memoir. Which makes sense, considering the author is a self-proclaimed sociopath. However, I think it would have been powerful for an editor to include something about those who were harmed to give a more well-rounded picture for Gagne's life.

Gagne has given several interviews about her memoir and I found this quote from the LA Times especially interesting:

“I find neurotypical people fascinating. You guys are like ice skaters. All of these colorful emotions,” said Gagne. “These little things you do. I could watch it all day. I don’t want to be an ice skater, but I really find it fascinating. In much the same way that neurotypical people find me fascinating. I’m not envious of it. But you guys have more pieces on the chess board than I do.”

I wish that this energy had come through more in her memoir. The beginning is a little repetitive, and her story doesn't quite take off in the way that I wanted. It felt like the writing held back in some ways, and I wanted Gagne to go all in.

"I wanted to share my story [so that] […] other sociopaths might see themselves reflected in a person who has more to offer than just darkness."

What a wholesome memoir. A word I did not imagine I‘d use to describe a sociopath. Patric truly achieved what she desired all along - to bring empathy and understanding to a condition that has been kept in she shadows of stigma and fear.

An estimate of 30 million people in America are believed to be sociopaths.

Patric is a well-educated and ironically emotionally illustrative writer. She is a diagnosed sociopath and has her PhD in psychology. So yes, this is one of those memoirs that are a reliable and intellectually valuable source. I certainly learned a lot. I had little to no knowledge about sociopathy aside of the general public‘s negative perception I mostly shared. And I’m so glad that has now changed. Patric has done an excellent and genuinely beautiful job at humanizing and demystifying sociopathy through raw, insightful and inspiring storytelling. “What if the bad parts of my personality weren‘t bad at all. What if they were simply different?" I can only hope that this book provides hope for sociopaths and fosters compassion in others - it is indeed not just darkness, even though that story is more entertaining to tell in mainstream media, which only disempowers people who are silently suffering within the invisibility toward their true selves. “What these people needed was someone who could empathize, a person who could listen without judgment. What they needed was help. What they needed was hope.“

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for granting me access to this book pre-publishing. It is much appreciated.

As a mental health professional, I thought this book was phenomenal. It is the precise first-hand account of sociopathy/ASPD that is currently missing from discourse. This book expands both professional and lay-people's understanding of what it is like to live with this diagnosis and the nuances and struggles that come with it. ASPD is incredibly stigmatized and there are many misconceptions, especially with the rise of pop-psychology in social media. Dr. Gagne does an incredible job of humanizing those with this diagnosis by sharing her personal experience(s), and I am so grateful for that. As a reader, I found the writing approachable, informative, and honest. I will be recommending this to many of my colleagues.

𝙄𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙨𝙮𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧?
Digging into this memoir I was immediately drawn to the honest revelations, most memoirs expose vulnerabilities but there is always a risk when behaviors are abnormal, something the average person cannot relate to. It is true when most people hear the word sociopath they think of serial killers, in fact, Gagne’s mention of Ted Bundy was an interesting coincidence as I had just finished an inspiring memoir written by a survivor of his terror, brutality. Lumped together with psychopath, of course the word sociopath is a red flag. Sociopathy as a spectrum is a subject I never gave much thought to until reading this book. As human beings we want to understand the how and why of ourselves, having raised a child on the Autism spectrum (now an adult) I have watched people become more educated about it, but in the past when you mentioned autism immediately people turned to stereotypes or Hollywood versions, obviously the same is true for other conditions. It is important to find your people, to know there are others out there like you who relate to the world and others as you do rather than feeling like an outcast.

The compulsions providing relief, the shame and anger at being judged, the inability to feel unless pushing boundaries, the crimes… all starting at a tender age, how do you moderate your behavior, maintain a semblance of ‘normalcy’ when your understanding, explanations are limited? It is a fascinating subject, particularly Patric’s stories of navigating her mental disorder, in a sense a pioneer in the field, facing the wall of experts who have claimed it incurable. How better the outcome would be if parents and partners had tools but more importantly if patients themselves could finally have a voice for all the things they cannot name? There is light in knowing someone gets it, someone sees you, that you do not have to hide in shame, broken. How can anyone change or control their urges, fixations without comprehending the source, the reason? Gagne’s said at one point, “I want to understand my urges instead of reacting to them,” an incredible insight. Patric also finds the good in who she is, yes, good. Like anyone else, as individual as we are, it isn’t all doom and gloom.

There are people out there who need this book. Every illness is not the same, and these experiences truly can be a lifeboat for patients and a bridge for those who love them.

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Simon & Schuster

I appreciate Patric Gagne's story and insight to the world and lens of sociopathy. I was intrigued by her childhood and figuring out the ways in which she was different. My heart broke for her as she struggled from childhood, in her college years, and even into her adult life. As someone not as well versed in psychology, I was confused by some of the explanations and terminology used to describe her diagnosis. This resulted in not fully connecting to her character or story, which makes sense as someone who is not a sociopath. Her story was intriguing but I did find myself waiting for the end of the book, and her "solution" to come sooner.

Overall, I think this a great resource for those who find themselves with the same diagnosis or someone who deals closely with sociopaths. It did leave me with the thought that how many sociopaths don't find their "happy ending", like Gagne did.

Sociopath
Patric Gagne
Pub Date 4/2/2024

4.0 - 4.5 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC of the powerful memoir Sociopath by Patrice Gagne. This is a book that deserves attention for many reasons. I am in awe that this author had the self-awareness, along with the ability to observe her actions and then translate that awareness into such an open and thoughtful memoir. I have gained so much knowledge about how this writer, who self-diagnosed herself as a Sociopath and then confirmed this diagnosis with life-long therapy, learned how to function in life with such a different worldview than most others around her. I was impressed with her strength, her bravery, and her perseverance in trying to understand herself, her antisocial behavior, her lack of guilt, her lack of emotions and then using all of this knowledge to complete her dissertation and share this memoir with others who might benefit from this knowledge. Her stories were interesting and engaging - it was like we were with her, looking right into her consciousness.
I think some areas could be edited - aspects of the book became repetitious. I also think the ending was rushed, as if she felt she shared enough and wanted the next stage in her life to only belong to her and her family. This story gave me a new perspective on mental disorders and will stay with me for a very long time.

Sociopath was an incredible read. It struck the perfect balance between personal stories and academic conversation, which hooked me as a student studying to be a therapist. I also appreciated the chronological order of events to follow directly along with Patrice’s experience! We as readers got to see the lightbulb moments as they were happening, and grow with her as the stories moved forward in time.
The confusion and overlap between diagnoses is relatable, as this is something that I’ve noticed in many, many different kinds of neurodivergence/personality disorders. The work is muddled and constantly evolving to account for new information. Patrice’s desire to be the kind of professional she always wanted is inspiring, and a wonderful reminder of the change that one person can make in the world.
I feel seen as a human being.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and the author Patric Gagne for this ARC copy! A genuinely beautiful read that I’m glad to have experienced.