- Title: Caresaway
- Author: DJ Cockburn
- Series: None
- Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
- Publishing Date: January 1st, 2017
- Publishing Co.: Annorlunda Books, Inc
- Length: 86 pages
- Format: Kindle, Paperback
- Acquired: Given free paperback in exchange for an honest review
- Amazon Link: Caresaway
If there was a pill that made you successful, would you take it? What if it also made you a psychopath? Edward Crofte was a dedicated scientist who wanted to cure depression. After years of work and sacrifice, the Caresaway drug he developed seemed to work wonders… but at what cost? Years later, Edward’s wonder drug has helped people with depression. But has it also helped destroy the world economy? And what has it done to him?
Final Judgment: 5 out of 5 Stars
Edward and his business and intimate partner, Tia, create the world’s most effective antidepressant pill, with almost zero side effects. The catch? The only side effect is psychopathy. Signing on with Pharmakaap is the only hope the couple have for getting their pill out into the world and helping people. They are at an all-time low financially, and are unable to keep their upstart business afloat on their own. Edward has lost confidence in himself, and with the pressure of the coming meeting, takes one of the pills–Caresaway. Immediately, the effects kick in and Edward’s life is changed forever.
With my background in psychology, I was first intrigued by the psychopathy angle. Many pieces of fiction that deal with the subject tend to demonize it and make pscyhopaths out to be serial killers and other kinds of the worst criminals. However, that is not true in the real world. With a breath of fresh perspective, Caresaway depicted psychopathy accurately and objectively. It shed big business in a whole new light, as well as our Western world’s ideology of make as much money as possible by any means necessary. Money is not everything, and now we can tangibly see that through this novella.
This definitely brought up some introspective questions that I had to ask myself. With my nature, I tend to swerve away from confrontation, and so this was very difficult for me. But if I had this chance to completely change who I am, to feel good about who I am–confident, beautiful, worthy–to stop worrying over past regrets or mistakes, would I do it? Would I take the Caresaway pill? Would you? I am still not completely sure…
This bite-size novella is absolutely beautifully written. Even within the extremely small amount of pages, the characters of both Edward and Tia come alive. I feel as if I know them intimately. I understand their motivations, reactions, desires. I sympathize with them. Even more than that, I want to protect them.
Overall, this book was exactly what I needed. It is very easy to read, very quick, and thus perfect for anyone needing a bit of an escape from life. It is also perfect for anyone currently in a reading slump, because it has the potential to reignite your love of reading with its witty dialogue, sympathetic characters, and heart-tugging plot. The ending will leave you emotionally wrecked for a time, and the read itself makes it completely worth it.
The Book Dragon 