This was a fascinating and enlightening read. I'm not usually a big fan of memoirs but I was thoroughly engrossed in this one.

The book's main focus is the author's personal experiences rather than a scientific examination of sociopathy, but I think that the author managed to integrate both in a seamless and compelling manner. Although I would have liked to learn more about her graduate work on sociopathy, I recognize that having this balance between her personal and professional perspectives would likely make the book more accessible to a broader audience.

This book did a great job of challenging misconceptions about sociopathy, humanizing sociopaths, and demonstrating that sociopaths are equally as deserving of understanding and compassion. If the author goes on to write more books on this topic, I will be very interested to pick those up too.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a striking memoir written by a sociopath. It was fascinating to hear about life and humanity from a sociopath's perspective. I never thought I'd root so hard for a sociopath to find happiness!

The book provided many thought-provoking insights. Here are a few:

Sociopathy is a spectrum. Some people are more sociopathic than others. Psychologists use personality tests to determine where people are on the spectrum.

Sociopathy has been classified as a mental illness, and can be treated like other mental illnesses.

The author describes how she has a capacity for empathy, but it's weak and underdeveloped compared to non-sociopaths. One area where she feels it the most strongly: she empathizes with other sociopaths. She became a professional psychologist, and wrote this memoir, in order to help them. So they don't feel so all alone, like she felt when she was a kid.

According to the author, one in twenty-five people is a sociopath.

"Sociopath" and "psychopath" mean different things. There's a lot of fuzziness about the definitions, and they've changed over time, but in general, from what I can determine, I think, from this book, "psychopaths" really like to hurt people and "sociopaths" don't care so much if they hurt people.

According to the author, sociopaths are missing something: love and empathy don't come as naturally to them. So they sometimes act out in order to try to make themselves feel something. Because they often desperately miss having the feelings that most people have. It's like having a phantom limb. They know they're missing something, and it gives them a frequent emptiness, or an emotional tension.

The author says she feels love for her husband, child, mother, daughter, and close friends. She thinks it's a somewhat different kind of love from what non-sociopaths experience.

I could go on, but I won't. All in all, a fascinating book.

I will end this review with one paragraph from the book that I especially liked: "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 reliably flawed, my type of love is the furthest thing from perfect. The closest thing to me."

Such an incredible book! Patric’s story is amazing and as a psychology graduate I loved the insight into her thoughts during these experiences. As Patric explains, sociopathy is misunderstood. With media influence and lack of research into the subject it can be difficult to fully understand what sociopathy is or how it’s different from other personality disorders. I love memoirs and this one is definitely memorable.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. This was so great! I love Patric’s honesty as well a her humor. I am fascinated by the discoveries triggered first by a curiosity of her own experiences. I never would have thought there to be a link between sociopathy and anxiety. This is a take on a personality that we need and I can’t wait for the release of this book. The author learns to accept her traits (and notice what triggers destructive behavior), no longer denying herself or subconsciously accepting the view others hold of her or those like her. The research she discusses on antisocial personality disorder, sociopathy, and psychopathy is very interesting and the release of this memoir will be profound for those who find themselves struggling to understand their identity. What a HOPEFUL take. Noticing a gap in both research and practice, Patric decides to find a treatment and search for hope herself; in doing so, she has and will continue to share this hope with others.

This was a fascinating read and one that was hard to put down. I found Patric's use of metaphors throughout the book so beautiful, and they really helped described the nuances of sociopathy for those who have only a pop culture understanding of it.

This book challenged our misconceptions about sociopathy, and interestingly, created a lot of empathy for those who have this condition. I found Patric's tone extremely compelling, and I can't wait to read more of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley for my digital copy!

I tend to share only highly positive reviews, but I feel the need to caution readers about this memoir, which goes far over the line in terms of apparent fabrication (Kirkus Reviews also noted its "fantastical" and "dubious" quality), but also the lack of author credentials, serious questions about her lack of work history, and scientific inaccuracies and general lack of depth, chapter after chapter.

(Note: the book does contain a disclaimer about composite characters, invented dialogue, and changed timelines, and/but there are other problems to consider.)

Originally, I wrote a much longer review drawing attention to problems in multiple areas that cover the quality of the book as memoir, the quality of the book as popular science, and the match between proven author credentials and subject matter. I consulted Netgalley's guidelines, not wanting to overstep, so I won't. We are directed not to critique the author, only the book. This is much harder in the case of a book that is about a field of inquiry, written by a person who claims to be active in that field of inquiry (to have worked as a psychologist or conducted "studies"). This puts the reviewer in a bind. There is no way to provide a good-bad-good "sandwich" for this book. I will be looking for other trade reviews that weigh in, either diplomatically or aggressively, on what Kirkus has already noted.

For those who'd like to read a book by a researcher who realized he had possible psychopathic traits, read "The Psychopath Within" by James Fallon, a man who has an academic resume you can verify and who explains the science, including the debates and unanswered questions, beautifully. If you are neurologically inclined, and want to read about brain scans and how psychopaths' brains are studied--instead of just hearing a young woman worry why "sociopath" isn't in the dictionary (answer: it is), look up the work of psychopath expert Kent Kiehl ("The Psychopath Whisperer"). If you're a skeptic and want a quirkier funny read with fewer scientific details, read "The Psychopath Test" by Jon Ronson.

I am grateful to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in ARC form.

5⭐️ Review
Sociopath is the chilling and intense true story of Patric Gagne, PH.D. Clinically diagnosed as a sociopath, Gagne uses her life experiences to deliver a well-researched and provocative examination of a mental illness few people truly understand.
‌
Sociopath is defined as a mental health condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. The individual feels no remorse or empathy. Nor do they experience second hand emotions such as shame, embarrassment or guilt.
‌
The things Gagne did as a result of not feeling emotions were jarring. For example, because she was unable to feel sadness, she found herself attending funerals of strangers just to see the loved ones of the deceased cry uncontrollably. Also, when her pet ferret died, she didn’t cry because she was unable to feel sadness.
‌
I was fascinated by this gripping story. Gagne provides a keen observation of what sociopaths experience socially, physically and emotionally. She explores a difficult subject in an accessible way. When describing how she feels pain, she compared it to watching people on a roller coaster. She can see the people scream, she understands what’s happening, but she can’t feel the sensation the same way she would feel it if she was on the roller coaster herself.
‌
Simply put, this is a compelling story merged with an unforgettable education. I learned a lot. By the time I completed the book, I’d thrown away what I thought I knew about sociopathy.
‌
This memoir is a superbly executed depiction of the life, actions and emotions of a sociopath.
‌
I highly recommend adding it to your TBR.

This was such a an interesting read. The author was very open about her diagnosis and her experience. I enjoyed the psychology heavy parts but felt the book was a little drawn out in places. Still a great read!

This book was FASCINATING. I genuinely could not put it down - like, missed-my-bus-stop level immersion.

I studied psychology as an undergraduate, but I don't remember learning anything about sociopathy, so I went into this book with a hazy mental model based mainly on popular media. What I learned blew my mind! Not just the facts - for example, that as many as 5% of people are sociopaths - but the unexpected vulnerability and relatability of Patric's story. As someone who is acutely (arguably overly) attuned to feelings, whether my own or someone else's, I didn't think I'd have anything in common with Patric; I was stunned by how so many of our childhood memories are - for lack of a better term - "similar opposites." People who feel too much AND too little by society's standards can experience a whole lot of shaming as kids, which is a commonality I'd never considered before. And as someone who's easily overstimulated, I'm quite familiar with the challenges that brings - but I'd never thought about how frustrating and alienating persistent under-stimulation must be. On the other hand, there were times my jaw hit the floor because her choices were so unfathomable to me (the funerals!?).

My one critique: Patric makes a strong case for the inadequacy of existing resources, but I was still surprised by the lack of sources. I expected there to be a bibliography or at least recommendations for further learning. (Maybe there will be and my e-galley just didn't have it yet?) I also found myself feeling a bit skeptical about where and how she closed the story - it felt almost too pat and perfect?

That all said, I loved this book. Patric has a tendency towards voyeurism - she finds it both thrilling and comforting - and I felt oddly voyeuristic as a reader too; I'm grateful she granted this window to her world. I devoured Sociopath in an afternoon (including an unexpectedly long bus trip!) - I found it compulsively readable, eye-opening, discussion-worthy, and surprisingly touching. I'll gladly recommend it to anyone looking for a memoir that's going to hook and provoke them in equal measure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a social worker this book was an eye opener. I typically don’t read memoirs; however, this one fits right with the field I work in. Patric does it good job of allowing individuals to understand all sides of being a sociopath. This is a diagnosis she received from her therapist. If you want to find a book that accounts from firsthand experience then I recommend checking out this book. I also recommend this book if you are in the mental health field because you are able to understand a little more what goes on in the inside of the mind of an individual diagnosed as a sociopath.

Psychology has always been something I have been intensely interested in (as a teenager I used to read the DSM for fun). When I saw this book I immediately jumped at the chance to read it as I haven’t seen many books similar to this. Told by someone who was diagnosed as a sociopath, this book dives into the experiences that led to a diagnosis as well as explains how the symptoms have this have impacted the author. I found it particularly fascinating to hear a first hand account of how this traits presented in childhood as it’s not something we often get to hear about. I found this memoir incredibly eye opening and absolutely something that anyone with an interest in psychology should check out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐4 stars. This title was eyeopening. It brought awareness of what experiencing sociopathy could be like and stories like these are critical to fight age old stigmas created by ignorance. Crazy to realize how new the care or treatment is for this misunderstood population. I applaud Patric's bravery. I've had so many conversations about this fascinating read.

I was a fan of Prime's first season of Modern Love based on the NYT column. I'd be interested in reading Patric Gagne's article from 2020.

I received an advanced eBook copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided

Growing up Patric could not understand why she was always getting into trouble, or making the "wrong" decisions. She consistently surprised her teachers and parents by her seemingly lack of remorse, and empathy. Over time, Patric started to believe she was different than everyone, and although she was able to "fake" it much of the time, she didn't understand why she was so different. Then during college the answer came to her during one of her psychology classes, when they began talking about psychopaths and sociopaths. From there Patric took the topics to heart and did her own research, finally seeing a therapist who indeed diagnosed her with sociopathy. But with no treatment, what good did a diagnosis do? So Patric continued working independently and with her broad support system to find out a way to overcome her lack of empathy, and understand what she could do to manage her pressing anxiety associated with her lack of feeling.

First of all, I am a sucker for memoirs and, especially memoirs where the person is able to overcome the numerous odds against them. I feel Patric's story fits right into that mold. Patric worked hard to educate herself and to become unequivocally self-aware to overcome her "limitations". And to take it further, when she determined there was no treatment for sociopaths, she decided to create her own treatment plan, and work with her support team to see if her tips and tricks could apply to other sociopaths, helping them be productive members of society. I really enjoyed this memoir, and would recommend to anyone that finds themselves looking for a new inspiring story.

Have you ever met a sociopath? You probably have.

To anyone has ever had any curiousity of Sociopathy (or maybe is a sociopath), I highly recommend this book. It’s something I have always thought I’d like to learn more about, and the moment I read that synopsis, I was sold.

Patric is probably the coolest person I have never met. And considering I have not met most of the people on the planet, that is saying something. It’s not because she’s a sociopath either. It’s because of the way she writes, the way she tells a story, and ok, I guess the way she handles situations and conversations, which I suppose sometimes may be because she’s a sociopath.

This book reads like fiction. There were moments where I would remember that I wasn’t reading a novel and in fact, reading about someone’s actual life. Not only was the story of her life gripping, but it was also very educational. I feel like I learned so much from this book, on a scientific level, and a personal level.

I think everyone could get something out of this book. It’s perfect for those interested in nonfiction but don’t read too much of it. I think it can be helpful, hopeful, and interesting for people, sociopath or not. It even made me cry. I pre-ordered a physical copy the second I finished the arc. Check this one out, seriously.

Patric Gagne was a little girl who knew she was different. She struggles to feel all the emotions that other children and adults feel and people around her can tell. At times she feels stuck with this anxiety that builds and builds until she does something destructive to get unstuck. She feels very misunderstood and longs to figure out why she struggles to feel sadness, empathy and remorse.

Sociopath is her memoir of figuring herself out, figuring out how to help herself and, ultimately, how to help other people like her - other sociopaths. Gagne doesn't 'minimize the severity' of this disorder. Nor does she romanticize it. She is blisteringly honest and, at times, this is an uncomfortable read but Gagne wants to normalize the symptoms of this disorder to remove the horrible stigma associated with it. Then treatments can be made to help others lead fulfilling lives. Gagne herself is married with two sons.

"People hate sociopaths for not having empathy and compassion...But who has empathy and compassion for them?...How can anyone expect to master a learned emotion they never get to experience for themselves?"

Sociopath breaks down all the assumptions and prejudice you have about sociopathy - it's fascinating and immensely readable. It comes out on April 2. Thank you to #simonandschuster and #netgalley for this ARC.

Wow. This really reads like fiction. Incredible reflection upon a mental state ? illness? and with such great psychological insight as well. If you like memoirs and psychology- this is for you

Thanks to the author; publisher and NetGalley for the arc

Wow, it's been a long time since I've read such an important book. If you had asked me if I could find empathy for a sociopath prior to reading this book, I'm not sure I could've said yes. There is such a stigma attached to sociopaths, and most of what we hear or see are the most extreme cases. Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Stalin. Patric offers such a raw and authentic view into the life of a sociopath that she was able to humanize it. At a very early age, she already knew she was different. Patric's sister called her Captain Apathy because she didn't react or feel things like other people.

Patric was finally diagnosed in her early 20s, but that was of little help. The DSM used to diagnose mental illness lumps sociopaths and psychopaths, among others, into Antisocial Personality Disorders. These seem to be a blackhole in psychiatry, often undiagnosed and considered untreatable. Anybody who has had treatment resistant or rare conditions, mental health or medical, can understand the hopelessness of this. Rather than give into the hopelessness and her darker side, Patric decides she's going to get her PhD and figure out how to treat herself. I've often thought that there's no amount of education that can replace experience in some instances. Who would be better at figuring out a treatment plan that could help others like her? She introduces the idea of a sociopathic spectrum, which I thought was very interesting. I'd venture to say most mental illnesses exist on a spectrum. Maybe all sociopaths can't be treated, but certainly some can. We can't necessarily change the way we're wired, but we can learn to modify our behavior and thoughts and, at best, learn to live with our mental illnesses.

Patric was incredibly brave to share her story. Not a lot of people would be willing to share that they're sociopaths. Patric's story opens a conversation and offers hope. Books like these can change lives.

A big thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and Patric Gagne for the opportunity to read this DRC in exchange for my honest review.

Sociopaths are stereotyped as dangerous, unstable people who can commit heinous acts with no remorse, so to have a memoir written by a diagnosed sociopath and trained psychologist provides a unique perspective. She humanizes people who are seen as subhuman and shows that sociopaths are as deserving of compassion and empathy as everyone else. It was interesting to see her evolution as she recognized that she was different than other children and worked to assimilate by imitating others around her, while at the same time exhibiting some disturbing behavior to relieve the pressure caused by trying to assimilate.

Above all else, this was a great read. It was interesting and engaging and I truly enjoyed it. I’m amazed by her introspection and ability to objectively observe her own thoughts and behaviors, describe it in a way that is understandable and relatable, and then explain the psychology behind it. This should be required reading for anyone in the mental health field as a study in viewing people with compassionate curiosity instead of fear-based judgment.

I found parts of this book interesting, especially the consistency in the author’s experiences from childhood through adulthood. At the same time, I thought the book lingered a little too long on the childhood experiences. I would have also liked less about her famous friend and more about her graduate work and whether she has generalized helpful strategies from her experience to other people with the same condition. I did not find any of the stories particularly charming, though I suspect I was supposed to. To sum it up, I don’t think I was the ideal audience for this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC.

Diagnosed as a sociopath in early adulthood, Patric had always known she was different. She didn't feel things the way other children seemed to or how her parents expected her to. She engaged in behavior she knew wasn't "normal" but it helped to ease the tension that she couldn't explain and didn't know how to cope with.

It’s hard to rate a memoir but providing feedback is what Netgalley is all about.
I will say, the writing is excellent in the way Patric weaves personal experiences and psychological information together; the reader is brought along on her journey of understanding. The book is straightforward and the author tells her story without much embellishment or over-editorializing.
I enjoyed reading about Patric’s life, her relationships, and how she has built a world for herself that plays to her strengths and fosters connections with others. One of my only problems in connecting with the book is that I had no sense of a timeline. I never knew what year it was- some additional editing would have made this a five star memoir.
I definitely recommend Sociopath if you are interested in memoirs and or mental health. Thank you to NetGalley, Patric Gagne, and Simon and Schuster. I have written this review voluntarily.