The Placebo Effect by David Rotenberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The problem with writing a review on this ebook (I read the ePub version) is that I got the ebook a year ago, almost exactly to the day, and started it twice at least. I suppose that should be a sign that it wasn’t quite good enough to hold my attention. But the interruptions were for one reason or another, and I was interrupted recently because a library ebook I put on hold last March finally became available and I had to read it before it was due. I decided not to start The Placebo Effect from the beginning for this, the third time, because I was too far into it this time. But it did mean I couldn’t remember everything that had happened. Since forgetting is par for the course for me, that didn’t worry me too much, and I followed along as best I could.
I hunkered down over the weekend, determined to finish it once and for all. I found some parts of it more engrossing than others. The lead character Decker seemed kind of, well, stand-offish or aloof or disconnected or something. I just couldn’t feel any sympathy for him at all. It was like I was trying to grab a hold of a two-dimensional being who kept hovering out of my reach. On the one hand, he seemed like a total dunce; on the other, well, not quite a dunce. I would’ve thought for someone with his abilities, that he’d be more observant, and for someone with his kind of job, that he’d be more thought-ful. The cast of characters around him were interesting. I can see series potential with them in the next books. The plot was intriguing and a little disconcerting. Made me wonder if it is true in real life or only in fiction. I hope not!
The best thing about this book is that it is centred in Toronto. We need more books that feature Toronto!
