Cover Image: Eight Lives

Eight Lives

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Member Reviews

Thank you to Affirm Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With this book, Susan Hurley gives us an inside look into the shady world of pharmaceutical research and big pharma, the competion to succeed in academia, and the interaction between people from very different social strata. The story is told by different narrators, who each have their very unique POV, some likeable and some not very likeable at all - but all in their own way fascinating, as they look at events past and recount what they see as their part in the tragedy that ensues when a "golden boy" in the medical research world ends up testing his own product on himself. Or at least that's what we are meant to believe...

I loved this book, even as it provoked me to think about some very uncomfortable ethical issues. The author did a fantastic job of developing the characters, and letting their very diverse stories drive the narrative. The only criticism I might have is that the build-up in the first half to the "awful event" was a bit much, as each narrator referenced it from their own POV.

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Susan Hurley’s debut novel is a medical thriller of sorts. Eight Lives is loosley based on the true story about a drug trial in the UK that went horribly wrong. Hurley transfers this story to Australia and turns it into a more of a whydunnit, as multiple narrators reflect and contradict each other in an attempt to understand what has happened. Along the way Hurley explores the intersection between drug research and big business and the dangers inherent in this relationship.
Dung Pham, known now as David Tran, had a harrowing story as a Vietnamese refugee. With support of an Australian family (and who’s son he supported through school) he became a highly successful doctor and researcher. When the book opens, in 2006, David is spruiking a new wonder drug that he has discovered and not long after this he is dead. Plenty of people, whether they know him as David, or Dung, or Davey or even Golden Boy have a theory as to why. David’s story is then told by a number of narrators – his old best friend, his step sister, his girlfriend, his lab assistant and a “fixer” who works for his wealthy business partner.
Hurley has an interesting story but through the narrative technique she has chosen constantly falls into the trap of telling not showing. The first third of the book consists of the five narrators introducing themselves and explaining their connection to David, often with a portentous, unexplained comment about somehow being responsible for his death. As a result, tt takes a while for the plot to come into focus. What starts as the story of a terrible accident spins out in multiple directions including David’s past and the circumstances in which as a child he and his mother fled from Vietnam. Even when the plot picks up a little and it becomes clearer that this is also a mystery story, the action constantly pauses for characters to tell irrelevant stories about themselves, or to give alternate versions of the same event.
Narrative issues aside, this is a really interesting story dealing with serious and very real issues. Hurley looks at how drugs get to human trial, the type of people who “volunteer” for these trials and the very real risks that they face. She examines the very dangerous interface between business investment and the pursuit of science, particularly research of so called “wonder drugs” and the mechanisms that kick in when something goes wrong. And as an eye-opening expose of the experimental drug industry it is worth sending time with.

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Pretty amazing, although as a biotech grad living in Melbourne this might just have been written for me (and maybe only me)!

The first half is ridiculously slow. We hear the back story of who all the characters are and their connection with a dead Vietnamese doctor and a drug trial

Then whoosh it takes off running and we have a Big Little Lies (In Biotech) novel. A Case of Need, a medical thriller, a "but what really happened" point of view mystery.
Delicious.

I didn't see how the end could wrap up, it reminded me of One of Us Is Lying (In a Laboratory) when it takes a swift left turn from where you think it's heading

Miles is that guy you can't stand in real life but I found myself in his corner for this one. Rosa was the most relatable but sometimes an insufferable stereotype
The novel made me nostalgic for 2006 and the biotech boom. Good times.

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The book was too slow-paced for my liking, with a lot of unnecessary content that don't contribute much to the story. Around 50% of the book is just an extended version of the book description/synopsis, which contributed to the slow pacing of the book.

That being said, the story is an intriguing one. It was interesting to see how the corporate world cashed on diseases and health, and how much capitalism affected medical trials around the world. The passive portrayal of the main protagonist through the eyes of others was a nice touch, which excuses the need to make the character multi-dimensional within the story since the character development felt flat.

Only the last 20% or so of the book turned out to be the main highlight, and I raced through quite quickly. I absolutely love the fact that every character in the book moved on with the 'incident' with a different understanding of the ending to the events.

I haven't read many books authored by Australian writers, or stories based in Australia, so this was refreshing.

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I thought the story sounded totally intriguing. A brilliant scientist is killed after he has just signed a deal to distribute a drug which will be a massive advance in medical treatments for millions.

We hear the story of this brilliant medical researcher Dung Pham through the eyes of five different characters. At first I was really caught up in the story. The refugee boy who was rescued with his mother after surviving awful circumstances. His almost adoption into a rich Australian family so that he had the best educational opportunities, it was all fascinating. And then it wasn't. I got lost in the number of characters, I found far too many of them unlikeable and I kept putting this book off to read other things.

This one wasn't for me sadly.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

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This was a mind-blowing read. It's rare enough to find a novel set in my hometown, with familiar locations and references to real events, but to have one with such a compelling story as well? Fantastic!
This was a gripping read, a real page turner to keep you wondering and an immensely satisfying end. The characters were well written and familiar, the pacing excellent and the science approachable for the layperson. (I even read the authors notes, which I never do, to find out more about the real case that inspired the novel.) Highly recommended!

Review posted to Goodreads and Instagram

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I struggled with the narrative structure. The 8 perspectives, presented as they were, fragmented my understanding and appreciation rather than what the author was intending it to do. The narrative was well written. The characters well drawn and engaging. The story-line relevant and interesting. However, a narrative structure that will appeal to many did not ‘jell’ with me and battled increasing frustration.

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I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review..

This was a difficult book to initially get into. It is told from the perspective of many characters which was very confusing at first, it wasn’t easy to get someone clear in your mind. However once I did get to know them I began to understand and enjoy the story. While all the characters were certainly not likeable, they enriched the narrative and were able to show the many sides to the central story of medical research and the pitfalls and politics involved.

Certainly worth reading as it this a world we rarely think about but which really affects us all.

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Eight Lives is definitely not a book for the faint hearted, as it open describes the cruelty of man and what happens behind closed doors to provide consumers with the next wonder drug. Obviously this is a drama/suspense, but the reality portrayed is confronting and hard to ignore; so be prepared for the troubling paragraphs that openly detail the atrocities that befall the animals that are used to trial these drugs, before human trails begin.

For those of you who love a good mystery, this is definitely going to be a winner, as the investigation is engrossing, and the unanticipated turn of events is mind-blowing! I highly recommend Eight Lives as a story that is all consuming, but more than that, it will make the reader question their own morale values and what is acceptable behaviour in the name of science. For me personally the book was devastating, but intriguing, and I will definitely be seeking out more books by this talented author.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Susan Hurley and Affirm Press for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

See GoodReads for an overview of this book!

I thought this book was fantastic. It gripped me from the very first page and I had to keep reading to find out what happened. I thought I had the book cracked at 79%, but nope - I did not see the full extent of the ending coming - even after I started googling some medical facts.

The book is told from different perspectives, and it was obvious from their distinct voices, which persons view you were reading from. Not all characters are likeable, but it doesn't take away from the book at all. It just makes the book even better in my opinion.

This book probably isn't for you if you're squeamish - I don't reaaaalllly consider myself to be, but I definitely shuddered at a few passages and made a few weird noises when I was reading a few certain passages with my kindle at arm's length instead of right in my face..

This book is an easy 5 stars for me - I thought it slowed down slightly in the middle but the beginning and the and were just totally unputdownable.

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This medical thriller was a fascinating look into the world of big pharma. The plot is fast paced and the story is told from various characters perspectives but never through the eyes of the main character. Disturbing and thought provoking.

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Interesting story. Characters are easily relatable. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read pre release

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Eight Lives is the based on a true story of a drug trial gone bad. Set in Australia, the "Golden Boy" doctor responsible for the trial dies under bizarre circumstances. He was working on an immunology drug. The story is told through multiple perspectives, and it's easy to get lost. Each voice is distinct with some likeable and others not. The characters have some relatable qualities and complex interactions and situations. The stakes are high in drug trials, and when things go bad, they go really bad. The story is engaging and suspenseful. As it unfolds, there are many twists and turns to keep you guessing. It's also informative about the process and procedures of some drug trials. It's also terrible in many ways. Honestly, I found it disturbing and fascinating because there is truth in this story. That truth is difficult to process. It's just the very nature of medicine and pharmaceutical companies and the corruption therein. It's a shady business at best with the profit based on human lives, and it disgusts me. The story is a good reminder of how pharma rules the world. It's an excellent read for everyone. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

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A fascinating tale that kept me reading about the world of drug development and patient trials to say nothing of the hierarchical nature of the medical and academic world. The main character David is brilliant but has a lot of secrets about his private and family life. The story had a lot of twists and turns and just when you thought you were getting to the bottom of things another twist appeared.
I liked his friend Miles but I found it difficult to believe that Miles’ family would take David into the family home and pay David’s family for the privilege- that just didn’t ring true to me.

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I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eight Lives is written from multiple perspectives over multiple years. I found this book to be interesting but hard to read at times. There were points where it was hard to follow.

This did however, remind me of Big Little Lies. Lovers of that book will for sure love this one.

This medical thriller will keep you on your toes and constantly wanting more. It was a quick read.

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Story line was very good. Back story to each characters were full; however, it was hard to follow each story characters' point of view the way it was written. Then to add on top of that the story went back and forth between the present and the past. From the beginning, I kind of guess that the "miracle" drug was not so much of a miracle. The story developed very slowly to the point as the reader, I wanted to give up.

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This book is a great example of why it's great to receive such great reads from NetGalley (Thank you)! A complex, well-told mystery with science and tradgedy and great twists. This book is unique in several ways -- the different perspective, the weaving of the plot, and a great conclusion. Recommended!

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Former refugee David Tran becomes the Golden Boy of Australian medical research and invents a drug that could transform immunology. Eight volunteers are recruited for the first human trial, a crucial step on the path to global fame for David and windfall gains for his investors. But when David dies in baffling circumstances, motives are put under the microscope.

With its origins in a real-life drug trial that ended in tragedy, EIGHT LIVES is told from the perspectives of David’s friends, family and business associates, who all played a role in his downfall. **from Goodreads**

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Thank you NetGalley and Affirm Press for the eARC.
The 'Golden Boy' of medical research in Melbourne, Australia who supposedly came up with a wonder drug for immune diseases, dies in mysterious circumstances.
The story leading up to his death is told by several voices. He and his mother were 'boat people's who came to Australia after surviving a perilous boat trip. The book is excellent, a mystery set in the shadowy world of Big Pharma, a world that is filled with the promise of big money and people who work hard to find drugs that not only save and ease lives, but promises fame and fortune. There are passages that were quite shocking to me; the trials conducted on animals before human trials begin are graphically horrendous, I'm having a hard time processing them. The ethical questions are difficult to answer, but the fact that people can jeer and laugh at any creature in unspeakable pain as is described in the book made my blood boil. It's certainly an eye opener.
The solving of his death was incredible, what an unexpected turn of events!
So well written and informative, this book will stay with me for quite a while and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good, intelligent mystery.

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I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

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