Review of A Glass Half Empty

[Stephanie Runyon]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Glass Half Empty" by Beck O'Meara.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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What could cause a person who has two caring parents, excellent education, and a promising career to end up in a prison’s maximum security psychiatric unit? Tessa Harrington was a pharmacist convicted of second-degree murder and arson. She prefers to stay to herself and secretly flushes her medication. Tessa shares housing with over thirty other women who have committed heinous crimes and suffer from a variety of mental illnesses. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she attends a required group therapy session where she tries to control the anxiety and noise invading her mind. Tessa can hear everyone’s thoughts until a new person arrives in the group therapy session.

Dr. Singh is hired as a psychiatrist in prison. His appearance at a group session causes a disruption to the normal routine. Dr. Singh asks the five women to tell him their names and what their favorite color is. When it's Tessa’s turn, she says gray. Martha becomes angry and tries to bully Tessa until Dave, a nurse assistant, intervenes. Martha’s girlfriend, Frances, attacks Dave, but several more prison guards manage to subdue the two women and take them away. Throughout the altercation, Dr. Singh observes Tessa’s reaction to the events. At her individual therapy session, Dr. Singh asks Tessa to write in a journal about her life prior to incarceration. Can Dr. Singh help Tessa regain her freedom?

Beck O’Meara’s A Glass Half Empty is a six-part novel that follows the life of Tessa Harrington’s time prior to incarceration through her journal entries. The journal entries are full of intriguing details, which give Tessa’s objective perception of herself as a troubled woman. Her revelation of hearing other people’s thoughts sets off a chain of events. The character development in the novel was exceptional, as each person’s actions were consistent with their diagnosis. The most disturbing person was Frances, who was the epitome of a psychopath. She seems to enjoy causing pain to other people. Some of her crimes were so disturbing that I felt even serial killers would have been afraid of her.

A Glass Half Empty was more fascinating than I expected. In my opinion, there was nothing I didn’t like in the story. The dialogue felt natural, and the actions of the characters were realistic. The depiction of life in a psychiatric ward brought back memories of my personal experiences with a similar event. Every day was structured; standing in line for medication and occasional outbursts were just some of the observations that I could relate to.

I rate A Glass Half Empty five out of five stars. The ending was a shock, and I foresee a sequel to this gripping thriller. It was easy to connect with Tessa and understand her fear. She was able to connect with one other woman in the ward, and it brought light to a grim situation. Even the nurse assistants contributed to the turmoil in their surroundings. There isn’t a dull moment to be found in this intriguing book.

Adult fans of psychiatric thrillers containing suspense and unpredictable plots will enjoy A Glass Half Empty. The graphic events that occur, such as murder, extreme violence, and profanity may overwhelm some readers. O’Meara brings the story to life by engaging all five senses, which makes every moment easy to envision.

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A Glass Half Empty
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[Martin Shae]

Tessa Harrington had two caring parents, an excellent education, and a promising career as a pharmacist. Despite this, she ended up in a maximum-security psychiatric unit after being convicted of second-degree murder and arson. Tessa isolates herself, secretly flushes her medication, and navigates life among over thirty women with severe mental illnesses. During mandatory group therapy, she battles the overwhelming noise of hearing everyone's thoughts, which only quiets with the arrival of Dr. Singh, a new psychiatrist. Dr. Singh disrupts the group’s routine and closely observes Tessa, eventually asking her to write about her past. His intervention raises the question: Can Dr. Singh help Tessa regain her freedom?

[Sandre Lamar]

A Glass Half Empty by Beck O’Meara is a gripping, well-crafted psychiatric thriller with complex characters and an unpredictable plot. Tessa’s journey is both fascinating and haunting. A must-read for thriller enthusiasts.

[Idris Alooma]

This review of "A Glass Half Empty" highlights its intriguing plot and exceptional character development. The author praises the natural dialogue and realistic actions of the characters. The depiction of life in a psychiatric ward is relatable and engaging. The reviewer rates the book five out of five stars, emphasizing its gripping nature and the possibility of a sequel. Fans of psychiatric thrillers will enjoy this book, but sensitive readers should be aware of the graphic content. Overall, this review suggests that "A Glass Half Empty" is a captivating and well-written read. Profound insights, left me pondering deeply.