Saving Meghan: A Novel
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781250252838 |
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| Publisher: | St. Martin''s Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 02/04/2020 |
| Pages: | 400 |
| Sales rank: | 141,591 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d) |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Saving Meghan
4.4 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
65 reviews.
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I was provided an Advanced copy for an honest review. I couldn’t put the book down. It is any Parents worst nightmare to have a sick child but not know what is wrong. How far would you go to save your child.? Or could her mother be the cause? We all put out trust in our doctors but what if their wrong? If you like suspense this book won’t disappoint.
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Have to say one of the best suspense novels I have read. Twists and turns keep me reading till early hours. Just when I thought I figured it out something new to follow.
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Really enjoyed this book. The author's voice is simple without unnecessary filler. A gripping story
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I received a free print ARC of this novel from Goodreads Giveaways. Below is my honest review.
What an incredibly intriguing premise: a mother, fighting earnestly for her teenaged daughter's health despite a lack of diagnosis for her debilitating illness, Becky is accused of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. In essence, she is accused of inflicting these severe symptoms on her own daughter due to a psychological disease she harbors. Frustrated with never-ending hospital visits that lead to no hope of a diagnosis, even her husband Carl begins to believe she is culpable for her daughter's sickness.
The narrators alternate between Becky, her daughter Meghan, and Zach (a doctor). Zach's own young boy died of mitochondrial disease, so when he suspects Meghan may also have the disease, his coworkers suspect he is too emotionally invested to be impartial.
This book is a page-turner. Is Becky a desperate mother who will do anything to save her daughter, or is she a product of her upbringing? Are Meghan's symptoms real or psychosomatic? Does Zach hold the cure to Meghan's disease, or has he been blinded by his own grief?
Although I was able to predict the main element of the conclusion, the ending was still surprising. I struggled to decide whether this book was really worthy of five stars after reading the ending (as thriller writers are wont to do, the ending is overly climactic to the point of absurdity). However, as I have already been recommending this book to friends and family, and since I was impressed by the level of detail in the medical and legal discussion, I have decided to bestow a solid five-star rating.
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I can’t say enough good things about “Saving Meghan”. It’s absolutely awesome!! DO NOT MISS THIS READ!!
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What I love about Daniel's books is that they are so realistic and plausible, that the thrill is real and are told in a way that really pulls you in to the story and the lives of the characters. Saving Meghan, his most recent (and a medical thriller) was no exception From the first chapter, you find yourself thrust right into the story, trying to pick up details and learn what is happening with Meghan and you find yourself on the same roller-coaster ride as the characters. The story line is filled with twists and turns and just when I thought I knew what was going on, something new would get introduced that challenged my theory and I had to come to a new one. My schedule caused it to take me a while to really get started with the book, only having time to read a chapter here and there, but once I had a little time and could read more than a chapter, I was hooked and I had to keep reading and wound up finishing the book over a period of two days.
I won a copy of the book through a giveaway.
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Meghan is sick. She has been poked and prodded so much she has developed a terrifying fear of needles. Both her Mom and Dad are desperate to find out what is wrong with their daughter. But it is her Mom, Becky, who is relentless in finding a doctor who can give them a treatable diagnosis. When they finally do, several other healthcare professionals get involved and suddenly, Becky is fighting to save her daughter.
Is Meghan really sick or is Becky using her daughter to get attention? And what about Meghan's Dad? He is pretty wishy washy about the whole thing and often thinks his wife is the one who is sick. Plus, Meghan has a little secret she knows about her Dad. Hmmm - how does that fit in the picture?
Boy, this kept me guessing right down to the very end. As soon as I thought I knew what was going on, something happened that made me question myself. This really does show the extent a parent will go to save one of their children. This was a real page turner.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.
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Saving Meghan by D.J.Palmer
April 2019
St Martin’s Press
Fiction, psychological suspense
I received a digital copy of the ARC from NetGalley and St Martin’s Press in exchange for an unbiased review.
Becky Gerard is a 48 year old mother from CA who moved her family to MA in a desperate attempt to save her daughter Meghan’s life. Although it seems admirable there is an underlying, dysfunctional motive for her. Despite growing up in a toxic home environment, she manages to become a successful real estate broker and marry Carl, her dream husband. Similarly, her moving to MA served another purpose for Becky, that is, to move as far away from her hometown as possible. Sabrina, Becky’s sister, remains in CA caring for their manipulative angry mother who is dying of cancer. Meghan’s mysterious illness becomes her excuse for avoiding anything unpleasant including forgiving her mother.
As much as I wanted to feel empathetic towards this family and their experiences, it was difficult due to their unlikeable characters. They live in a tony neighborhood of Concord, MA and surround themselves with privileged materialistic acquaintances. It becomes obvious that life experiences has made forming genuine relationships with people impossible for Becky. Unfortunately, she hovers and controls Meghan so much that her daughter doesn’t thrive as a once healthy 15 year old varsity soccer player.
Because of Meghan’s consistent poor health with unfounded medical etiology, she misses school and is constantly being dragged around to doctor for tests and evaluations. Becky, feeling the guilt from her own childhood, transfers her anxiety and need for attention onto finding a cure for Meghan. After 2 years, she is eventually confronted with accusations of Munchausen by proxy. How could a mother actually be to blame for making her child sick? When there are no apparent medical explanations for all the vague unrelated symptoms, it raises red flags for medical professionals who have an obligation to protect the minor child.
Of course, this story has many twists and turns drawing in several characters who all have their own agenda. There are clues along the way but only mere breadcrumbs to keep you reading to find out how it ends. The story addresses mental illness and it’s lasting effects on families. Confronting the guilt and shame that people carry for unavoidable situations becomes important for healing and moving forward.
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Saving Meghan – D.J. Palmer
Meghan Gerard is your typical teenager – with some disturbing medical symptoms. Mostly neuromuscular complaints – fatigue, migraine headaches, syncopal episodes – but no one can diagnose her. Meghan is the only child of Becky and Carl, and Becky will do anything – ANYTHING to keep her daughter safe and get her the care she needs.
Becky, in her younger years, lived with a very manipulative mother, named Cora. Adding to the stress is the fact that Cora is dying of cancer, and she’s 3000 miles away, leaving Becky torn between returning home to make amends, or remaining in New England with her ailing daughter.
Throughout all this is Carl, left on the back burner, and not quite convinced that Meghan is as sick as Becky thinks – at times he wonders if she’s faking things. Meanwhile Becky feels as if her husband isn’t as concerned as he should be, which causes some strain between them. And Meghan is keeping a secret of her own, straining her relationship with her parents as well.
Then, Meghan comes under the care of Drs Zach Fisher and Amanda Nash. Dr. Fisher has some suspicions about Meghan’s symptoms, but as Meghans symptoms escalate, testing comes back negative, and concern is raised over the possibility of Munchausen by proxy. Protective services become involved and Meghan is removed from Becky’s care. But Becky will do whatever it takes to get her back.
Told from the different perspectives of the varying characters, Saving Meghan is a fast paced, head -scratching, difficult-to-put-down page turner that’ll keep you up well into the night trying to guess the ending of this book…and you’ll be wrong…. A fabulous read from D.J. Palmer that will remain in your thoughts long after the last page is turned!!
I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.
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Legally Bound
This starts out fairly slowly; I wasn't sure I was even going to be interested. But as the plot unfolded and the story enveloped me, I found myself sucked in, turning pages ever faster, while my brain tried to get ahead of the tale to figure out what was going on. The need for instant action to protect the innocent can create massive injustices to all parties. Lack of sufficiently trained personnel to investigate and verify claims makes the appalling actions permitted by law that much more flagrant. This nice, solid, medical thriller explores a number of areas not generally known--I love when a book teaches me new things!
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Title: Saving Meghan
Author: D.J.Palmer
Genre: Thriller
Pages:384
Pub date: April 9 ,2019
Netgalley
Can you love someone to death?
Some would say Becky Gerard is a devoted mother and would do anything for her only child. Others claim she's obsessed and can't stop the vicious circle of finding a cure at her daughter's expense.
Fifteen-year-old Meghan has been in and out of hospitals with a plague of unexplained illnesses. But when the ailments take a sharp turn, doctors intervene and immediately suspect Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a rare behavioral disorder where the primary caretaker, typically the mother, seeks medical help for made-up symptoms of a child. Is this what's going on? Or is there something even more sinister at hand?
My thoughts:
Rating: 4.5
Would I recommend it : yes
Will I read anything else by this author : yes
This book makes you question every thing you think you know about what is going on, questions like is Meghan really sick or is her mother making her sick and if so why , it also makes you question wither Meghan is safe with her , because the more you read , the more it becomes clear that someone what Meghan dead but is it one of her parents or is it someone else . For me it kept me guessing on what was going on, and made me want to keep reading just to find out who , what , where and why . Plus the story is told in different points of view , Becky , Meghan and one other person. While at times the story felt a little slow , it did keep me pulled in to the story , and not once did I want to put it down, i was very much in to the story from the begging to the very end , the twists and turns is what made it so . With that said I want to think Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.
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Title: Saving Meghan
Author: D.J.Palmer
Genre: Thriller
Pages:384
Pub date: April 9 ,2019
Netgalley
Can you love someone to death?
Some would say Becky Gerard is a devoted mother and would do anything for her only child. Others claim she's obsessed and can't stop the vicious circle of finding a cure at her daughter's expense.
Fifteen-year-old Meghan has been in and out of hospitals with a plague of unexplained illnesses. But when the ailments take a sharp turn, doctors intervene and immediately suspect Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a rare behavioral disorder where the primary caretaker, typically the mother, seeks medical help for made-up symptoms of a child. Is this what's going on? Or is there something even more sinister at hand?
My thoughts:
Rating: 4.5
Would I recommend it : yes
Will I read anything else by this author : yes
This book makes you question every thing you think you know about what is going on, questions like is Meghan really sick or is her mother making her sick and if so why , it also makes you question wither Meghan is safe with her , because the more you read , the more it becomes clear that someone what Meghan dead but is it one of her parents or is it someone else . For me it kept me guessing on what was going on, and made me want to keep reading just to find out who , what , where and why . Plus the story is told in different points of view , Becky , Meghan and one other person. While at times the story felt a little slow , it did keep me pulled in to the story , and not once did I want to put it down, i was very much in to the story from the begging to the very end , the twists and turns is what made it so . With that said I want to think Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.
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I was fortunate enough to have received an ARC of this book. I love a book that grabs my attention from the first page. I also love a book that has an ending I don't see coming. Saving Meghan did both. Being in the medical field and a mother, I could totally identify with both sides of the fence. I really couldn't decide which side I was on while reading the book! Loved it!
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This book is a must read! Sensational! I saw this on the Lisa Jackson (one of my favorite authors). Had to check it out! If I could give this book more than a 5 I would. Keeps you guessing the whole book. I have read 2 other books by Mr. Palmer and can’t believe I didn’t know about him before! Can’t wait to read more!
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Meghan Girard is a fifteen year old girl that is the daughter of a manipulative mother that may or may not be suffering from Munchausen by Proxy.
Becky Girard learned as a young girl to manipulate doctors and to lie so her mother could collect disability payments.
Becky wanted to confront her mother on her mother’s death bed. She also wanted to let her know that she forgave her. Because Becky believes Meghan is seriously ill she cannot complete her journey to visit her mother. Becky doesn’t trust her husband. The reason being he doesn’t believe Meghan is really sick. He truly believes she’s making Meghan believe she’s really sick.
Will the conclusion answer your questions. Pick up a copy and find out.
D. J. Palmer never fails to entertain. He is one of my favorite go to authors.
A special thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC to read and review.
Put your jacket on and head to your nearest bookseller when it’s released.
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Becky Gerard is a loving and dedicated mother trying to cure her ailing daughter Meghan. Doctors cannot explain the sudden illness and feel it necessary to protect Meghan by taking her into DCF custody. They suspect what is a devastating blow to any parent, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Is Meghan’s illness all in her head? Could a mother really inflict such mental harm to her child? I was unsure what side to believe throughout the book. The ending was nothing that I would have suspected. This book will leave you questioning who to believe until the very end. Well written. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for this great ARC book.
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The pace of this plot was steady and although it did keep your reading and page turning, there just didn’t seem to be enough to get me to really like the book. Yes I was intrigued by what was going to happen next, if everything was really all in Becky’s head, if there were other things behind it, or if Meghan really was sick with some weird rare condition.
The mystery aspect of it was not too bad and getting to the bottom of it was basically what carried the novel for me. It did feel like bits here and there were dragging and by the last third of the book I pretty much wanted it over with as it was just getting too much. You really do feel for Meghan here because she’s caught between both her parents and you can feel her isolation.
I don’t feel much for the other characters mentioned in the book. They’re really not that likable - Meghan would probably be the one I like the most in this book but even then her personality is flat and not that much substance is put into anyone.
The last third of the book got me to forgive the slow dragging plot. It was like watching an avalanche go down a hill and the pace got super quick after that. It was enough to get me to forgive the book for the slow dragging plot as I pretty much wanted to know what was the final outcome and what was the ending of it all.
Slow plot, great mystery aspect with bland characters, it’s an interesting read and if you’re into the slow build up to a climactic ending, then by all means read it. It was okay for me.
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Compelling, gripping, suspenseful, thrilling....this story was all of these! Carl and Becky live a fairly affluent life. Their teenage daughter, Meghan is always sick, suffering with fatigue, aches, dizziness and often is too weak to even go to school. Becky takes her to innumerable doctors, none of whom can give a definitive diagnosis. I loved it that the characters got me involved. Some I disliked intensely, and then I would change my mind. Just when I thought I knew what was coming next....wham!... a twist! The ending took me completely by surprise.
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Very light and fluffy
No depth really
Kept waiting to come to thriller and not suspenseful to my taste
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This is the best by D. J. (Daniel) Palmer yet! Fabulous writing style; it had me from the first paragraph and kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. I would highly recommend this book (as well as his previous ones, both under Daniel Palmer and Daniel and Michael Palmer) to anyone who loves a good page-turning thriller! Kudos, Mr. Palmer!! Can't wait for the next one!
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Just finished Saving Meghan by D. J. Palmer. I couldn't put it down-- so well written and easy to read and follow. Page after page of plot twists and turns kept me reading chapter after chapter. I actually was sorry when I finished the book!
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5 out of 5 Stars
First I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Meghan went from a happy, healthy and athletic girl to weak sick ghost of her former self almost overnight. Her Mother Becky believes that there is something terribly wrong with Meghan but the doctors can't seem to figure out what it is. There are too many symptoms that are pointing in too many directions. One day Meghan's Father , Carl finally has a suggestion, maybe Meghan has something called Mitochondrial disease. A friend of his suggested it as the disease has a different symptoms for each and everyone person. It is a very hard disease to diagnose. Luckily his friend knows a doctor who specializes in it. Becky is thrilled with the idea that they may finally have an answer and she is thrilled to meet Dr. Zach Fisher.
Though Dr. Fisher believes she does have Mito when Meghan starts to exhibit new & different symptoms he sends Becky and Meghan to Dr.Nash. Next thing Becky knows she is being accused of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a rare behavioral disorder where a parent, usually the Mother makes her child sick to garner attention. Becky is shocked and a battle begins between Becky and Dr. Nash for Meghan's very life.
This book will get hooked and keep you hooked all the way through. This is a taut family drama that will hole your interest. It has a feel much like a Jodi Picoult novel.
I would highly suggest you picking this up!
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Loved the book! This book scared me in many different ways. The worst one was having your daughter taken from you and having your parental rights stripped away. Throughout this whole book, I never knew who to believe. Is Becky a crazy mother making her own daughter sick? Is Carl behind everything? Is Meghan really sick? I kept wondering if Meghan and Becky would end up like Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard. The book definitely had me guessing and there were so many twists and turns. Becky's background definitely made her suspicious. At times I didn't like her and questioned her tactics, which made her look guilty of causing her daughter's illness. Becky never worried about how her earring ended up in Dr. Levine's apartment. I would be scared and keep asking myself who could have put it there and why?!! Why didn't Becky question the amount of alcohol she found in Meghan's bedroom? Meghan went to great measures to hide it. Becky just passed it off to her being a teenager. The drinking problem is never really addressed. There were so many questions going off in my head throughout the book. The lengths that some people will go to just to get what they want is crazy and scary. I don't think I would have figured out the clue. Loved the characters, story and writing style.
Definitely recommend the book. It was a mystery until the very end, when everything was finally revealed. I never knew who was telling the truth. I look forward to reading more books by the author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer will grab you from the first page until the last page so prepare to clear out your schedule! I literally gave up an entire day because I could not rest until I knew how the story resolved. There are many twists in this story about a child, apparently seriously ill from a mysterious cause, and her mother whose hovering raises suspicions about the source of her daughter’s ailment. At times, I suspected every main character, and in the end, I was not even close!
I confess, however, that this was not my ideal thriller. Not one of the characters seemed authentic or consistent in their behavior. Neither was any character particularly likable. This is a wonderful novel if you need to escape for a day or if you love the action of a thriller. But, for me, there was just not a lot to hold on to.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I was so apprehensive the whole time I was reading this book. Can they save Meghan? What’s really wrong with her? Does she have a disease or is someone making her sick? Delve into the minds of 2 very different parents, explore their upbringing and decide which one is correct in how to solve the mystery of a sick daughter. My heart broke for these people and the ways each one handled their daughter and her illness. It’s quite obvious the anguish any parent goes through in trying to help a sick child, but can it ever be enough? Or is it possibly too much? This novel gives us quite a bit of history into medical diagnosis and treatments offered, as well as hospital bureaucrats. Riveting to the end, with a big reveal that you don’t see coming. Just read it already!
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