It is very seldom that I find myself at a loss for words when I review a book. But, in this case, I am having difficulty finding the right words to describe what I feel about what the writers intent was for the reader. That she has a flair for light comedy; drama; budding romance; truth will prevail; coming of age (a little older than most)? What ever the author's intent she had my attention from the first pages until the final page. I laughed. I cried. I enjoyed her foray into romance. I delighted in the heroines coming of age and the accepting of responsibility for her actions. But the ending was brilliant and leaves me waiting for the next phase of this character's story.

I highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for a refreshing change to the usual fare offered the reading public. I have rated this book 5 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Wowee! This was an eye-opener! And a good read, if only because of all of the back story realities of medical professionals and the grind it truly seems to be. As an educator, I get the whole compassion fatigue idea, too, though my case is not nearly that of the medical heroes portrayed in this book.......some of whom have so tragically seemed to have lost their way ethically. I also appreciated the back story of Norah, as it is VERY similar to my own in so many ways. And the fact that there are parallels made the reading a little more personal and, dare I say, richer, more intimate. I was certainly routing for her and hoping she could shed some of her obviously accrued cynicism...a fate left open at the end of the book, which I like.

TL;DR: "The White Coat Diaries" was such a disappointment. The entire book felt unstructured and surface-level - the plot, the medical aspect, and the characters and the relationships that allegedly built or existed between them, and ESPECIALLY Norah, who was, without a doubt, the worst part of the book.

THE PLOT: My biggest issue was that it felt like it had NO plot. There was no arc, no true story line, and the pacing was AWFUL. It often felt like we were dropped into scenarios, then quickly thrust into new ones before the old was resolved, and it never went back to those instances. Everything felt surface level and unexplored - her residency, her familial relationships (how did her mom SUDDENLY feel better? Kai just isn't going to get vaccinated? This horrible, evil family friend

THE MEDICAL ASPECT: Never having been to medical school, I can't attest to how it would be. I did feel that the exhaustion and stress that would be felt during a residency felt authentic. But here again I felt that it was 
all surface-level. This could've been so much better if the drug with the horrible side effects had been explored more. If Madi Sinha had made us readers feel attached to literally any of the patients. I didn't even care about the Tally's because she wrote them so poorly. Frustrating.

RELATIONSHIPS: What relationships?! Everything felt shallow and false. There was not even a single flashback to show Norah with her father and how him being a doctor (and an absentee father?!) pushed Norah to become a doctor herself. Norah's relationship with her mother and brother was horribly toxic, and NONE of that was resolved on-page. Suddenly her mother is better? Paul and Norah are all good now, even though Norah repeatedly left them hanging and made promises she didn't and couldn't keep? Norah and Reena's toxic relationship just continues and it's just okay that Kai isn't going to be vaccinated - or it's not even going to be explored more to EXPLAIN LITERALLY ANYTHING? Norah and her "best friend" = not even close to any type of friendship. And don't get me started on Norah's "romances" - I get that she was supposed to be super naive, but COME ON. The "relationship" with Ethan was a joke. Whatever tension she was supposed to have with Gabe was a joke. Then in the last 5% we get a new love interest? By that point, I truly didn't care. AND he seemed like an ass anyway. OH and her relationships with the other residents?! A joke. What happened to Stu?! We're just going to give a character a major drug problem and then never discuss it?

NORAH: I hated her. She was somehow both selfish and pathetic, and naive to the point of stupidity. She was horrible to her best friend and her family. She had no backbone. She let a man walk all over her. Multiple men, really. She blackmailed someone she had admired for a man (and don't get me started on how Elle was portrayed) and jeopardized her whole career over him. She allegedly had this major character growth, but NONE of it showed up on page. Suddenly we're two years later and she's finally standing up for herself? It didn't make sense. And none of the other characters were there, so it felt even more inauthentic. AND literally no real resolution with her alleged best friend? WHAT? 

And the ending was straight-up stupid. The Tally family, whose matriarch literally died at the hands of these doctors, suddenly forgives all because they "just wanted an apology." An ANONYMOUS APOLOGY from someone at the hospital? But no real acknowledgement? WHAT? And suddenly Norah can just float off to Hawaii, make some half-assed attempts at finding a new job, and then gets drunk and decides she's actually going to start travelling. With all this money she suddenly has? With her family suddenly not toxic and ridden with problems? With literally no repercussions for the literal cover up she pulled at the hospital? Nope, sorry, not buying that AT ALL.

Everything was just shallow - shallow - shallow. I'm saying, based on this rant-y review, this book actually made me very angry and I'm mad I wasted hours of my life reading it. A major disappointment.

When somebody advertise this book as Grey’s Anatomy meets Scrubs I honestly say “get out of here” or “are you serious?” because  this book is too realistic and serious to remind us of tele novella kind of Shondaland series! And let’s not forget this is also not sarcastic and funny approach to doctors’ lives which are tremendously challenging, demanding. So let’s say, it’s at the zone of ER meets New Amsterdam: High tensioned, emotional, inspirational.

Great things about the book: well-crafted story telling, capturing chapters, likable characters and true, intense and heartfelt approach to our real heroes a.k.a doctor’ lives. Especially when we’re testing ourselves psychically and mentally to fight against the pandemic in these days, they never stop to work, saving people’s lives in expanse to put their own health into danger.
I truly loved Norah Kapadia as a character. It was so easy to resonate with her, worrying about her struggles to fit in the medical world and work harder to realize her family’s expectations, balance her romantic involvements and her friendships. It’s so important for her to be praised by her mentor Ethan Cantor. He is her role model and she wants to be capable to keep her calmness during daily emergencies and handle them with care. But sometimes their motto: “do not harm” may conflict with ethics and Norah finds herself to do the wrong thing to make things right. But her dilemma will change her view not only about her profession but her entire life. Is she at the right place and doing the right thing?
 
I enjoyed the family dynamics, self-discovery of Norah who finally understands her place in her family, in the hospital and finally in the universe. It’s realistic, fast pacing, emotional, gripping and well-written story and it’s also one of my fastest readings because the story-telling kept my attraction intact and it was real great break for me after reading so much thriller stories.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this remarkable ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

I loved this book!  From the first page you are transported to a busy Philadelphia hospital.  The author describes the patients, family members and fellow medical professionals with keen attention to detail.  A great debut novel.