Heather’s Bookshelf: Pulse
Author: Judy G. Walters
Released: 06/02/22
Genre: Medical Drama
“He was right; we all projected what we wanted people to think our lives were like, basically, what we wished they were like. After seeing the relief on Roberts’ face once he opened up, I realized that I wanted that kind of relief too. I had to change my life, or come ten years later, I would still be in the same situation—only worse.”
“Pulse” introduces Dr. Bobby Jackson, an ER physician in Texas. He succeeds in every aspect of his professional life but fails when it comes to the relationship with his wife. When his young son is wheeled in as a drowning victim and he’s unable to save his life, Dr. Jackson almost falls apart.
He changes jobs and focuses his attention on his daughter BJ and his new co-workers. BJs a teenager, an athlete, and a girl desperate for the love of her mother. His co-workers include a couple of fiery nurses (one with a secret past and curly red hair), a couple of doctors with very different personas and pasts, and a janitor who knows more than it initially appears.
Dr. Jackson intertwines his relationships with his family and coworkers with his diagnosis and treatment of his patients. Sometimes one has more of an effect on the other, but he spends all of his waking hours managing them both- well, when he’s not playing a seemingly never-ending game of chess.
Trigger Warning: medical related death and trauma including child death and drug-related death, animal death
Overall, I enjoyed this story. My day job is as a physical therapist at a trauma hospital, so I’m generally interested in medical cases and appreciated the depictions of organized chaos throughout the tale. I also really enjoyed the depiction of Dr. Jackson in more than just his role as a physician. His relationship with BJ was endearing and written in a way that seemed natural. I found Jackson’s wife to be a challenge- not because she was a seemingly terrible human being- but because she only seemed to be that. Besides the fact that he found her to be an attractive sexpot when he was a resident, there was absolutely no other redeeming qualities to her character. I think if she would have had more depth or a change in behavior over time, this would have made for a more emotionally complex story. The tale is fast-paced overall and moves easily from hospital scenes to personal endeavors. The ending was A LOT. So much happens in the last 20 pages that it’s basically impossible to put down. Maybe a little on the nose, but still enjoyable all the same.
I ended up checking this book out on mixed platforms (e-book and audiobook). Each had their strengths. This was a great book to listen to on audiobook- easy to follow and a good stop/start kind of a patter with the medical cases. However, the physical book had the pictures of the chess board, which I thought was a nice touch.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A fast-paced medical drama featuring cases, family issues, and how they intertwine.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Judy G. Walters
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here or Audible
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