"A Little Bit Psycho" by J.L. Strange is a darkly humorous and intriguing story that delves into the quirks of human nature, making you question what lies beneath the surface.

this is some kind of horror plot that I look forward to, it was so unique and I love the horrifying idea that you wake up in someone else's body. This was a really good read.

A Little Bit Psycho is an interesting although strange book that spends most of the book flipping between two stories involving the same person in two different bodies. We have Kathrine who is dying from aggressive cancer and the body she has been put into which is Sam, a person they kidnapped when disguised as EMT’s. The jumping back and forth between these two timelines does work but at times, you wonder where the human condition comes to play.

JL Strange’s book raises a lot of questions but does it seldom go beyond the first person narrative of Katherine who is not very likable. Her views on the world around her are as tainted when she has cancer and more complex when her brain is imported into a new vessel. This book does hold the reader’s attention but it seems that most of the plot is led by miscommunication between her colleagues and the world around her. If she was slightly mellowed with a little bit of compassion, she may have been a bit more relatable. Even as a mother of an ill child, there is a lack of warmth and empathy which makes it a little hard for the reader to get on board with Katherine.

The characters are interesting though Adam, the mad scientist husband is a cardboard cut-out that lacks anything warm but as this is done from the first person’s narrative, this maybe down to Katherine’s view of him. The other two lab assistants seem to have more empathy and warmth and would have been nice to have rounded this off. If the story was written in the third person, we may have something a bit more three dimensional.

The plot is the key element to the book and it is interesting and involving. The ending, without giving anything away, is not very satisfying but works within the story structure of the book. I did feel that it ended in a natural way for the story path it choose to take but it seems to be brought on miscommunication and can be frustrating as you are left wondering why can’t these people just speak to each other.

Overall, this is a fascinating flawed book but kept me interested until the final page. Although it is very hard to be in tuned with any of the characters and when your sympathy aligns with one of the most pathetic sad characters aka Sam’s wife, you do wonder why I would want to spend time with these people. The science comes across as solid and earns itself as the focal point of the story. Some questions do get raised but never realised and one has to wonder if the violence is part of the transplantation process or is it because the person is naturally that way. I think that it is a book that will keep people attuned to the plot but would have liked more of a story arch for Katherine where there is a personality change from the past to the present to give it that extra punch. It is well worth the read.

A Little Bit Psycho has a unique premise that reminds me of a Twilight Zone Episode. Unlikable characters and a good read.

Review for 'A little but Psycho' by J. L Strange

Read and reviewed via NetGalley

Katherine is terminally ill.

Her husband Adam is an innovative surgeon with the technology to save her.

When Katherine wakes in an unfamiliar hospital room, she discovers her brain has been transplanted into the body of a man and Adam is nowhere to be found. This is where her nightmare begins.

She must find Adam at all costs, even if that means pretending to be someone she's not.

But something is wrong inside her. Very wrong...

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this very unique book!! I thought the characters were very strong and the writing itself was very good. It sucked me straight in from the first page until the end and was filled with suspense, deception and twists and turns. This book is perfect for fans of horror, suspense, thrillers, psychological books as well as a good read in general. I was not expecting the ending but I was also very slightly disappointed by the abruptness of it. However, not that much to allow it to lose a star from the 5/5 I've given it on Goodreads. I would definitely read more books from this author and look forward to seeing more of his work produced. I enjoyed the fact that there wasn't any lose ends that some authors tend to leave a book with even though it ended quite suddenly, everything had still been explained. I believe what adds to the horror factor is that it is also very much something that may well be able to happen in the not so distant future. I would highly recommend this page turning and unique book!!

This book was definitely an interesting premise. Katherine was gravely ill and her husband performed a successful brain transplant. Except she woke up in a man’s body and her husband is nowhere to be found. It was like a medical mystery and a psychological thriller all rolled into one. I’m not sure how I felt about the ending. I need to know more about what happened! The first half of the book was a little slow then the action and suspense made me fly through the second half.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy!

“ A Little Bit Psycho” is an interesting concept but the ending will anger readers as it just stops in the middle of a scene. I am hoping the author will correct that before publication.
Katherine was dying so when her husband, Adam wants to perform the surgery he has performed just one time before with horrifying results she is too weak to resist. They have a technique where they implant the brain of a sick or dying person and implant it in a healthy body. The only problem? They do not tell the donors what they are really volunteering for. They also find donors by using an ambulance and intercepting calls. These are not likable characters.
When Katherine wakes up she is not in the place or body she expected. She is in a man’s body and her name is now Sean.
She becomes consumed with rage and intent on hunting down Adam and seeking revenge.
The author touches on a few of the differences that would face a female waking up as a male but I think missed an opportunity to really show the horror that would be felt by anyone who woke up in that situation. Katherine/Sean also has developed a penchant for killing people who she finds annoying.
She then reaches out to Thiago, the man who worked with them at the clinic to help her get rid of the bodies and help track down Adam.
I would have liked to have more explanation as to what Thiago and Chloe’s roles were and why they kept assuring Katherine/Sean there was a plan and she would be safe. Their storyline was kind of left incomplete as was the end of the book. This was an interesting concept and a good first novel that could use a little touching up. I look forward to more by this author.
Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the free ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Yikes! This book is raw, crazy and a little bit psycho. I think the author had a great story that I haven't read before and I really enjoyed it. It is nice to read a different storyline. I thought right away when I read the synopsis "Wow, could you imagine having your brain transplanted in someone else's body?" and couldn't wait to read it. What was a surreal thought to do a brain transplant from someone with a healthy brain but a dying body into someone with an unhealthy brain and a good body. Right away I was wondering how that would go with our memories, likes, dislikes, etc.

This book was written going back and forth from past to present. Written so well that I, as a reader, didn't get lost or frustrated and just wanted to keep on reading so I could find out how it took place and what was going to happen. I don't want to give away any spoilers but I really enjoyed this medical psychological thriller. I look forward to what this author will come up with next.

I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Imagine this: You are terminally ill. Your husband is an innovative surgeon and develops a life saving surgery. You let him operate on you - and then you wake up, in a man's body and your husband is nowhere to be found.

The premise of A Little Bit Psycho would be great - if it was a 30 minute Twilight Zone episode. Instead is this a short book with unlikeable and one dimensional characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The premise had me hooked.
The execution just wasn’t there. The characters were unlikable and one dimensional.
Add in..predictable.
I hate being so harsh on a debut but I must be honest.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC.

*thank you to Netgalley, J.L. Strange and Xpresso Book Tours for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*


3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Well this was interesting. It was well out of my comfort zone and not quite what I was expecting yet it turned out to be one pretty good read. It's been classed as a horror story but what I didn't realise is that it's not a horror in the classic sense but more fitting to a psychological thriller. This did not lower my opinion of it though. It was still a great story.

Imagine one day you are dying of cancer and are at the very near stage of death. Then the next day, you wake up, it turns out you have been in a coma, and you are suddenly shocked to see that you are now living in the body of the opposite gender. Katherine is now Sean. It's Katherine's brain but it's been transplanted into the body of a male named Sean. Katherine's husband is the reason for this as it was him that did the surgery, yet he is now no where to be found and Katherine is not happy. This was not the arrangement that they had planned. Or was it?

I found the first half of this a bit of a struggle to get into. Not much but a bit. But at around the half way mark it picked up and I was completely drawn in. Katherine was a creepy person. She is the definition of a psychopath. I can't say more because of spoiles, but this book is worth reading.

First -- Thanks very much to Netgalley, the author, and BookSirens, LLC for a free Kindle copy in return for an honest review. The premise of this story is that a terminal cancer patient (or anyone else) can survive by putting her brain into a different healthy body. It certainly got my interest, but it could have been so much better. Katherine, the main character, tells her story in the first person. In the beginning I was willing to like her and I did feel sorry for her, but she is pretty much a whiner who feels very sorry for herself. I couldn't root for her. Her husband Adam, the brilliant surgeon who has figured out how to do a brain transplant, is a true villain, and I did love to hate him! I know I'm not spoiling anything because these plot facts are sprinkled through all the reviews - Katherine wakes up in a hospital as "Sean" in a male body and her husband is nowhere to be found! I absolutely like this aspect of the story; it is so original and I've never read any book where this happens. As it turns out, another member of Katherine's original surgical "family" or team, knows where the bodies are buried (so to speak). Katherine (now Sean) figures if she can find him, she can find Adam. Besides, she needs help to hide a couple of bodies herself. I did enjoy this part horror, part science fiction book. I think I understand why Katherine could not be a more likable main character, but I cannot help feeling this is a weak link. The ending is real - loose ends tied up, no cliffhanger. I always appreciate that in any book. I will look for other books by this author.

78 points, 4 stars

The thing you should know about A Little Bit Psycho is that it is mega fucked up. There isn't a single likable person in the book. The premise is what drew me to the book and it didn't disappoint. At times, I didn't know how to feel about what I was reading. However, at every point I was both massively interested in what was going on, but also slightly turned off at how fucked up it was. It did what it set out to do very well.

Seriously though, none of the people in this book are good people. They are selfish and cruel. They do bad things. Many bad things. They're abusive. For me personally, it made it a bit difficult to fully get into the story, since I typically do need to like someone in the story to like the story for itself. This time, I had to settle for being hopeful that one of the characters would change at the last moment.

All told, I liked reading A Little Bit Psycho. I was able to draw me into the story incredibly well. It read quickly and easily. My biggest interest throughout the book was probably the part that played out the least throughout the course of the book. Which was a bit unfortunate. I was interested the most in how Katherine coped with and managed being in a male body. Instead of this, the biggest focus was on Katherine seeking revenge on her husband for what he did to her . Which, coincidentally, was the least interesting part of the story.

A Little Bit Psycho is set up so that it threads the past and present, alternating chapters, to varying degrees of effectiveness. Sometimes it feels like it works, other times it doesn't. The biggest reason why it doesn't always feel like it worked is because it made the biggest twists in the story entirely predictable. Yet it was also a positive, because it showed the worsening state of Katherine, both mentally and physically.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to J.L. Strange and Netgalley for providing the opportunity to review this copy!

This book grabbed my attention from the first page, and it maintained that pull through the entire story. It’s hard to believe this is the author’s debut! If you’re a fan of medical suspense and authors such as Robin Cook, this book is one you should check out.

The story line goes between past and present, giving the reader the full unfolding of events, as well as insight into the well-developed main characters (Katherine and Adam). The plot was unlike others I’ve read, and there were a variety of twists along the way. This will be an author I keep on my watch list!

What a ride! This book is a brilliant medical suspense novel led by a fun, strong protagonist - which is one of the main things that kept me very entertained. Katherine is sarcastic, confident and someone not to be messed with! She wakes up in a hospital bed to find out she's trapped inside a man's body.

Kat doesn't know what the heck is going on, and her doctor husband - who's reponsible for what happened to her - is nowhere to be found. That's where the deliciously engaging journey begins.

The story is easy to follow due to the smooth pace and impeccable style of writing as it shifts between the past and the present. There is absolutely no trace of cliche-ness or predictability, and the author uses realistic elements that provide a great deal of suspense.

Debut author J. L. Strange is a fantastic storyteller. I was glued to the pages all the way to the end, thinking more thrillers could use powerful protagonists like Katherine, and I was satisfied with how everything was wrapped up in the final chapter.

The premise of A Little Bit Psycho is what grabbed my interest – imagine this: you have been sickly and just found out you’re terminal with cancer. Your husband, who has the emotional range of a gnat – which is acknowledged ad nauseum by you throughout the book - has the ability to transplant your brain into a healthy individual and because you, too, are a sociopath who doesn’t mind a little murder if it is personally beneficial, you say ‘Hell yeah, I’m in” and then you wake up in a dudes body. Wow! What a book that would be! Sadly, A Little Bit Psycho missed the mark by a mile.
The characters were unlikable and poorly developed, Katherine was just whiny and lacked any insight and Adam could've been a paper-doll, he was so one dimensional. Made it hard to slog through to the end. The end, by the way, is exactly what I predicted would happen when I started the book. There just wasn't anything redeeming about this book. One of the problems I had is that the author writes Katherine as a victim but her behavior is just as bad as her husband. It made the story that much more unbelievable to me.
Not one that I would recommend.
A big thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

An unique and original story that feels a bit like the 90's classic, Face/Off. Waking up in someone else's body is never NOT going to be a a disorienting and harrowing experience, but what if the body you wake up in feels a little bit...off? How about more off? How about...psycho?
This a gripping, chilling and intriguing sci-fi tale with enough twist and turns to keep you interested from start to finish.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you NetGalley!

The blurb drew me in.. Seriously.. I mean transplanted brain into another person?
The cover art is amazing too.

this book was everything i hoped for. dark, twisted, messed up... and hard to put down.

read it. seriously ...

My review goes live on Thu 26th Sept, 2019 at my blog:
thebespectacledbibliophile.home.blog

I got a free advance copy in exchange for my honest review

This was an excellent first attempt by J.L. Strange. The plot was extremely interesting and the ending was superb. The author obviously put a lot of thought into the events throughout the plot. I like it when everything ties in neatly at the end of a book, with no loose strings.

The conversation flowed naturally. The stuttering attempts of the first brain transplant patient, Emily, was written excellently enough that I felt as if I could hear her. Even the robotic speech of Katherine in her male body was perfectly done. I felt as if I could hear the monotonous speech anytime she opened her mouth.

The characters were well developed. I found myself feeling angry on Katherine’s behalf. I even pitied poor Emily, even though I found some of her actions to be quite repulsive. Theresa, Sean’s wife, was also quite pitiful, even though she was a bit irritating.

I was thinking that with this being a book by a new author meant that I would cringe at the many grammatical errors that were bound to occur. However, this book was extremely well-edited.

This book is great in the way it shows what the main character Katherine goes through after having her brain transplanted into a new body.
From the first moments of her waking up and realizing something went wrong right to the rather open ending the story is thrilling and makes the reader feel with Katherine.

The storyline also jumps between her now and the events that lead up to the transplantation, thus giving a good insight into her character as well as Adam's, her husband and a brilliant doc.

I liked how J.L. Strange explored the possibilities of brain transplantations and the after effects of experimentation in medicine. A good, suspenseful read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eBook.