Actual Rating: 3.5/5

Saphy receives a life saving transplant from another young women, Flora. What Saphy doesn't know, is the circumstances around Flora's death and shrouded in mystery. The more she and the donor family dig, the more lies and secrets are uncovered. When other patients that received organs from Flora start getting attacked and dying, Saphy realises she is in serious danger.

The first half of the book is quite slow, overdrawn and some parts didn't seem incredibly necessary. There is a lot of backstory to get through, including lots of friends and family on both sides making it really drag on as we are not only focusing on Flora and her secrets, but Saphy and her upbringing as well. Once we start getting to a little bit of action, the story moves smoothly and was excellent. The last 40-50% felt like a completely different book! Luckily too, as that is what ended up also saving my rating here.

I jumped between audio and ebook for this one, even using both at once during some points. I loved the audio, the narrator did an excellent job to making sure no one was confused for anyone else, she was very clear too.

The Patient is for fans of Kierstan Modglin, Freida McFadden and Stacy Willingham. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Teri Terry for an advanced copy. This one is available now.

I have enjoyed Teri Terry's novels for YA so I couldn't resist trying this novel. It is well-paced with a dual narration and quite short chapters so worked well as an audiobook once I had got used to the format as the constant switching of viewpoints can be harder to keep track of in audio than print as you can just flick back and remind yourself!

The story follows Saphy, who receives a heart transplant from a girl called Flora, who has been murdered. Following the transplant, Flora's family reach out to Saphy and a relationship develops between them. The alternating storyline is told by Fern, Flora's sister. The plot is complicated and there are a lot of characters to keep track of as the story develops, even the most minor ones have a part to play and there were lots of plot twists that I did not see coming as a result of this. I did think Flora's family background was a little too convenient for some of the medical issues that the book addresses, especially to Saphy post-transplant, but it did not spoil the read.

An interesting angle was Saphy's apparent personality changes post-transplant where she clearly begins to become more like her donor and I'm not sure I ever felt these changes are resolved, but they do add to the atmosphere and creepiness of some of the action.

Enjoyable read - and look forward to Teri Terry's next title; whether YA or adult it is sure to be a great read!

A tense mystery mixed with family drama and a dash of the supernatural. I really enjoyed the slower pace of this audiobook as we got to know the protagonists. Saphy has just had a heart transplant, and we witness he reservations pre surgery to her struggles post surgery, both in a physical sense and with her growing obsession with her donor Flora. Flora had been a socialite, troubled lately by destructive secret and was on the verge of sharing it when she was strangled and placed in a coma. The decision to end life support is difficult for her family, and the subsequent decision to donate raises lots of conversation points. In the midst of this drama, Saphy feels her interests being hijacked by the dead girl Flora. Further complications arise with the attack of two other donor recipients from Flora. Saphy then uncovers her own deep family secrets with some corking twists. The ending is menacing, tension filled, and fuelled by family drama. An engaging audio listen. #thepatient #teriterry #audiobook #netgalley

If you're comfortable with darker themes and enjoy the suspense of thrillers, "The Patient" is likely to captivate your interest, even amidst its unsettling subject matter. It hit my expectations on point!

"The Patient" tells the story of a woman who undergoes a heart transplant from a murdered girl. A strange connection forms between them, and as others who received organs from the victim face attacks, she finds herself consumed by worry.

Although the story takes a slow pace initially, the second half unravels into a whirlwind of twists and turns.

Anticipation mounts as the plot thickens, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the outcome.

This is such a dark but compelling story that I could not stop listening to the narration done by #Sarah Durham

Thank you #NetGalley #Bookouture Audio for this audiobook

4ish stars

This was a weird, kind of dark thriller. The concept was intriguing and reasonably well-executed, and although I feel like I have other ideas or inspiration for how it could have gone in a very different direction, I guess that just means it kept me guessing. It was better than I thought, and I’m looking forward to what the writer creates next.

I adored Teri's previous YA books and was looking forward to The Patient, but while the same wonderful characterisation was present the plot was slow and the characters alone couldn't keep it going for me. This is a personal feeling and I'm sure other readers will love the world and people Teri has created. Her writing was beautiful and emotive as always, and I look forward to reading her next book.

I didn’t love this story but I didn’t hate it either. The first 60% I found really slow and a bit boring. There was a lot of backstory for the characters which I just thought was a bit unnecessary and that it fell a bit flat. Even though I worked out the “twist” the last 40% felt like a completely different story, it was thrilling, exciting and fast paced and I did really enjoy that part of the story. I can see some people really enjoying this but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

3 STARS 🌟💫
———————
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

I found this story to be confusing and somewhat dull. It was an awkward mix of medical drama, thriller, and fantasy/sci-fi with a rather predictable ending. The beginning was incredibly slow with far too much character backstory considering that the characters were ultimately flat and I didn't really care about what happened to them. This book was not for me.

Overall, The Patient was a decent read. I liked the premise of the story. There were some repetitive & slow parts. Most of the action took place towards the last third of the book. I did figure out the twist early on but the ending was solid. If you like family drama, secrets, crime, & a bit of medical mixed in - then you'd enjoy this book!

I'll look for more of Teri Terry's books in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers & the author for the ARC.

Saphy has a heart condition. Most days it's managable, but when she and her father both contract COVID, her condition worsens and she needs a heart transplant. She knows the odds of receiving the transplant are low, but one day she gets the call that there is a heart for her.

After the transplant, Saphy meets the family of her donor. But she also starts noticing some strange changes in her too. She is more impulsive, wears clothes she normally wouldn't, has a taste for things that used to disgust her. Could it be that she's becoming like her donor? On top of all of these changes, she learns that her donor was attacked and was declared brain dead. Could the person who attacked her be coming for her next?

This book is a little confusing to me. It felt like I was reading three different books. I loved the idea of the story and it was so easy to listen to, but the first 70% of the book read as a drama/literary fiction with strange nuances to a thriller. It didn't really make sense to me. The last 30% of the book was defintely a thriller, but having finished the book it doesn't really feel like the storylines go together to form a cohesive story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook!

Narrator Sarah Durham
This is a brilliant psychological thriller with a good insight into organ donation and how it's harvested and donated.
The story is about Saffy the one who has received the donated heart and Fern, the deceased's sister. There are various stories going on, and it picks up pace in the final third part of the story, reaching a brilliant climax.
The book/storyline is really insightful and well written.
Sarah Durham the narrator is fantastic as always and alters her voice according to each character which makes it easy to listen too.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for allowing me to have early access to this fantastic book!

What an amazing idea - a heart transplant recipient becoming immersed in the donors life. A murdered donor at that. The recipe for some very interesting adventures. Saphy is an interesting character who has suffered from a lot of losses. This may be what makes her so keen on becoming part of Flora’s family. Fern willingly brings her into the fold, but I’m not sure if it’s out of a feeling of missing her sister, or not being able to save her. Flora’s family certainly fits in this type of book.
This was a very slow beginning, with a lot of character development up front. It would have been nice to if this could have been woven throughout the story more. Perhaps then the ending wouldn’t have been so abrupt either.

Wow! This book blew my mind.
I wanted to read it with a medical background I was interested in the transplant story, but this was far more than that.

I loved how the book switched between the two main characters and portrayed the story from their perspective.

Loved the characters and the glimpses of their lives and from the girl who died and resulted in the transplant.

There are hidden depths to this book and it keeps on giving more twists and turns of suspense.

And an ending that I never saw coming. Brilliantly written and throughly enjoyed. Such a great read. Fast paced and full of drama.

This was the first time I listened to this as an audiobook from Netgalley and had my headphones on all the time waiting to get to the end.

This was my first book by this author and I really liked it and for the narration worked really well it brought the story to life. So this wont be the last for either the author or the narrator.
The premise is really interesting and was explored really well. it kept me totally engaged.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and bookouture but the review is entirely my own.

I loved this book. I listened to the audiobook thru NetGalley.
I was hooked by the first chapter. The book takes place in the UK so the narrative voice had an English accent which to me added to the story.
The story hooks you in with the story starting with the voice of the murder victim.
This story is told form the point of view from the sister of the victim and the organ recipient of the victims.
So thought provoking with the conflict of both sides. The two women meet and the recipient wanting to find the person responsible for the victims death. Also the recipient deals with the emotional impact of having someone else’s organs in your body and how much they change you.
There are some twists I saw coming and one I truly didn’t.
The narration was well read with the range of emotions that are needed for this story. I truly enjoyed listening to her read.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a mystery.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Narrated by Sarah Durham ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story by Teri Terry ⭐⭐

The narrator was fantastic! I absolutely loved her voice and could easily listen to her on future audiobooks.

But.... Unfortunately I really did not enjoy this particular story. The blurb sounded really good but the delivery was really quite dull. I found myself really not caring at all about Flora's life, so by the time this story did start to pick up I was already thinking about my next read.

This is the first time I've ever heard of this author and even though I did not enjoy this one I would definitely try another of her books.

Very enjoyable, fast-paced thriller made all the more exciting with the narration by Sarah Durham. "The Patient" by Teri Terry has twists you do not see coming and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and Netgelley for an advanced reader's copy of this audio book in exchange for my honest review.

"The Patient" is an intricately woven family drama thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat with its numerous secrets and twists.

The story follows Saphy, who develops an obsession with her organ donor after receiving a life-saving organ donation. What starts as a chance encounter with the donor's family evolves into friendships with them and their friends. While it's common knowledge that a transplant recipient might experience changes in their preferences, the novel takes this aspect further with its unique and unexpected plot twists.

The book's suspenseful narrative is genuinely impressive, with the author expertly revealing secrets and clues bit by bit, keeping the reader guessing until the end. The story's pacing is fast and intense, with the excitement increasing as we approach the finale, making it an absolute page-turner.

In conclusion, I highly recommend "The Patient" to anyone who enjoys thrillers and mysteries that keep them guessing. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me an advanced copy of this gem, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

There's a lot going on here, so it's not likely you'll guess the ending, nor will you get bored (as I did with The Cliff House). Safi gets a heart transplant at the beginning of the book and quite quickly meets her donor's family and friends. They all appear to be lovely, but there are a few odd encounters.

Then things start to go wrong and Safi could be in danger.

By now the waters are so muddy that any grudge or secret could be the cause of the sinister attacks. It's not an easy one to guess ...

Narration was excellent.

Medical thriller that flies along.

3.5 stars.

I have loved Terry's YA work, and chose this on that basis. The audio version moved along quickly but I wasn't keen on the female voice taking on the male parts, a little jarring and they didn't sound right to my ear, not every narrator pulls off both genders well.

Still, a good premise, with young adult Saphy sped through the process of a heart transplant when one becomes available after (who she suspects of being) her donor is attacked and later dies in hospital. The reader knows that this is in fact the case, with Flora attacked by, supposedly, a man who loved her.

Saphy gets little time to enjoy her renewed vigour and life. The donor's family get in touch, wanting to meet her. And to ask her to both get to know them and to help in their quest to quash the worries about the organ donation that has cropped up since their daughter/sister's death and organ removal.

Then Saphy learns of the attacks of another of Flora's organ recipients. And that the possible attacker who allowed her own new heart to be given to her may not have been Flora's killer after all...

I guessed the 'real' identify of the nefarious party very early on, and did find some elements of the book a little silly - Saphy feeling she was turning into her donor. The part I DID like - debate over organ donation, didn't go anywhere in particular, which I thought was a shame.

The narration was split between Saphy and Flora's sister, which kept the story flowing and different perspectives giving us further clues and insight along the way, and the several storylines did move well together and eventually join.

But this for me wasn't hugely memorable, though I did enjoy the listen. Fairly standard for the genre, with a fairly rushed ending and female voice unsuited to male characters.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.