This book is called (Un) Sound Mind by Richard Amico. It caught my eye because of its unique-looking title so I thought I’d give it a read. It is an adult fiction, mystery, psychological, and thriller novel. It follows Franklin who is having disturbing nightmares, not sure where and if his dreams end or begin. His dreams are very realistic and troubling. After a few sleepless nights he seeks the help of clinical psychologist, Dr. Ruth Klein. These dreams of Franklins are more like “visions”. What Franklin is seeing soon becomes his nightmare. Again, the question is . . . “a dream or premonition”? Richard Amico displays proficiency in creating a narrative with continual tension and does a superb job developing his characters. This is not a fictional plot.
Although this is his first debut book, Amico succeeds in developing vivid, dynamic characters that swiftly advance the story while working within the constraints of the genre, which calls for a certain amount of shorthand in the creation of the location and characters. It has some lighthearted moments to keep the story from getting too dark, which I absolutely love about this book. All character exchanges appear genuine and free of the numerous clichés that sometimes afflict debut books. Although the plot occasionally relies too heavily on chance, this is a minor flaw in an otherwise compelling and enjoyable psychological thriller.
Overall, I would give this book a 3.8/5. It is a really good book if you want something that isn’t too dark and has some lighthearted moments here and there.
This review was written by Anshul G.
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