The Focus Program

by K.T. Dady

The Focus Program is a thought-provoking thriller about mental illness.

Mark Clements went out one night to die. He had no idea that jumping off Tower Bridge would take him to a place where people would use him to change the world. He had never heard of The Focus Program, and as an anxiety sufferer he sure as hell didn't believe in their Mental illness does not exist. These people were more messed up than him, or were they?

CW - Mental health issues and suicide are very much a part of this story. If you can handle Matt Haig books, you should be okay.

275 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2021

About the author

Hello, I'm K.T. Dady. I write uplifting love stories filled with friendship, family, and community set here, there, and everywhere, as love happens anywhere and under all sorts of circumstances. But whatever challenges my characters face along the way, there is always a happily ever after.

Feel free to join my newsletter over at my website.

You can also find me mostly on Instagram or Facebook.

Instagram - @kt_dady

Facebook - @ktdady

Thank you so much to everyone who buys my books. I'm truly grateful.

Reviews

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone at some point in their lives struggles with mental health. But what happens when it all becomes to much and you are at breaking point and you go over the edge, literally.

Mark Clements used to be what some would call normal but when anxiety and depression took over his life and he felt he was nothing but pain with no way out he decides to end it all.
Or so he thought.

He had died and been saved much to his dismay. He was thrown into a world he did not understand and a place that claimed they would help with his mental health so he could be reborn again. Something they called the focus program, a system of 5 sections that would essentially rewire his brain so the anxiety no longer immobilised him and he could be free again.

All he needed was to believe and go through the motions of rediscovering himself surrounded by people who had also died and were working towards being reborn too, with a family who guided and understood his past life’s anguish and pain.

Though mark ended his first life believing he was nothing, his new life was what the program had been searching for, the gene that was being researched that would help all those suffering with mental health to feel normal and in control once more, the gene that he possessed. He would become the saviour to those discriminated against for their mental status for everyone to be reborn and live again.

Mental health has the ability to destroy you and for some it’s a choice they don’t have. Find the light and run with it, be positive and surround yourself with what makes you happy and don’t be hard on yourself if you fall, after all we’re only human.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Focus Program
Author: K.T. Dady

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 5/10
Of the 15 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
7 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
12 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
‘Good, solid thriller with an excellent premise. The first chapter is a grabber and the author knows how to balance pace with development of setting/character.’ Male reader, aged 54
‘The ‘illness’ aspect of the novel is cleverly and sensitively told. A page-turning thriller that a lot of readers will enjoy and possibly even relate to.’ Female reader, aged 38
‘Intriguing opening chapter and a twisting plot. I enjoyed this novel very much. The author’s writing style is mostly very accessible and pacey. The author works particularly well with dialogue.’ Male reader, aged 66
‘Poor cover, horrible blurb, fantastic story. I will look out for more books by this author.’ Male reader, aged 41

To Sum It Up:
‘An imaginative story, well-written and thought-provoking. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Lauren | Redwoodreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ebook was kindly gifted to me from @instabooktours and @kt_dady as part of the Focus Program insta book tour.

I enjoyed the concept of this book and I liked the world building of the various sections people travelled through in the institute. There were a couple of sections of the book that as a pharmacist sat extremely uncomfortably with me and for me this took away some of the enjoyment (if you have read it you can probably figure these out!). However that said, I loved each of the characters and what they each brought to the story. I would have loved a bit more backstory for some of the more minor characters! I really wasn’t too sure what was going to happen and that kept me on my toes.

I would say there’s quite a few possible trigger warnings given the content of the book so definitely check those out first!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked to review by Lovereading

This was interesting mental health with a very interesting fictional story.

I grew up fearing that I was not normal and did not conform - partly due to a rubbish childhood. The author explores this concept and those who the state feels "do not conform"

Readers reading this book will never know just how many people do suffer from this illness. The story line is in essence about an organisation which would like to eliminate mental illness. The story line is believable as are the characters that some readers can relate to and their suffering.

I could not put the book down a recommended read.

[Helen Aitchison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, poignant, thought provoking read. This book is filled with empathy for mental ill health, yet isn’t a self-help book. The story is clever and creative whilst focusing on a very real issue. As the story unfolds, the author adds the odd paragraph in here and there about life, emotions, recovery and hope. These paragraphs flow so well with the story and each made me smile. This is an excellent book, I’ve read nothing like it for a long time and it will stay with me. The author reminded me of a female Matt Haig in her style, honesty and grasp of fundamental human connections and issues. An excellent read, highly recommended.

[Alina Barac ( book_nerd_cafe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙗𝙮 𝙆 𝙏 𝘿𝙖𝙙𝙮 and I can say I had an incredible surprise
This books spoke to me in so many ways. Suffering from anxiety brought me close to this story and made me feel hopeful that one day, maybe, we cand find a cure and nobody will have to go through this nightmare called mental illness anymore
I cheered Mark Clements, Poppy and Soul and lived every single adventure with them. At the end of each chapter I wanted to find out more and the author delivered what I wished for: an incredible story ticking all boxes for a good read
"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲"

[Emma Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this as part of a book tour organised by @instabooktours. This one took me by surprise by how raw and honest it is about mental health. Ultimately its about a man who committed suicide and then wakes up in an institution that has the goal of making it known that mental illness does not exist/it is in fact a strength. It's a really interesting concept and with great characters and developing relationships, it made it a quick read that I finished in less than two days.

It felt to me like a mix of Matt Haig's books and the Hunger Games!

[John Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and the way the author cleverly describes the many challenges associated with mental illness with a fictional but very interesting storyline. The story is about a secret organisation that’s aim is to eventually eliminate mental illness. It is an easy read and very well written.

[Layla Penfold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good relatable story with a hidden depth about it. Even though, this is a fictional story about mental health, there are real problems in it that people deal with every day. Unfortunately some don’t always come through to the other side either. People reading this will never know how hard it is to live with panic attacks, anxiety or any other kind of mental health disorder, unless you have experienced it yourself. This story opens up your mind to understand the true impact of mental health.
The characters are believable too. I read this book so quickly because it gripped me from the beginning.
The author deserves a lot of praise for writing this in a very sophisticated way. I would definitely recommend this book and open up your mind to learn about mental health. Truly inspiring.

[Mani · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the author contacted me to read and review this book I was so excited, as I couldn’t wait to read a book that is solely based on mental illness.

This was a fab book. A very different but very real book that looks into mental illness. Although it is fictional, it covers a lot of real-life problems that people with mental illness face. It follows the character Mark, and his journey of his mental illness and treatment, which is done at a facility. He is told that he needs to progress through different levels of treatment in order to be reborn to be cured of his mental illness.

This was so well written and it kept me engrossed from beginning to end. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, as I just wanted to know what happens to Mark. I loved the quotes that I found throughout this book, and will be sharing some of them with you in one of my quotes of the week post.

The characters were done really well, they all had some form of mental illness and we find out how they all struggle to cope with it. The author did a brilliant job of expressing how mental illness affects all the characters differently.

This is such an inspiring and thought-provoking read, and I think it should be read by all. Really wish there were more books like this out there. Really can’t recommend this book enough. A definite must read!!

[Sylvie Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary and inspiring

The author makes the point that those who do not conform to "the norm" are treated as "abnormal" or even ill. The mind is powerful and complex and this concept of "the norm" is limiting. This story of one man's journey through mental "illness" and out the other side may be fictional but it questions society's whole approach to those who do not conform and suggests a course of treatment focussing on the positives rather than the negatives of his mind-set. Inspiring and thought-provoking.

[Lumpy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping read.
I’m a 1 chapter reader. If I don’t get into it by the end of chapter 1, I don’t finish the book. I could not put this book down. How can the end be the beginning. From beginning to end. This story had me. At the end of each and every chapter, I had to know what was next. The storyline and plot was created from a great imagination, but full of a lot of truth.
In my opinion, this writer deserves a lot of praise and recognition.
But you will have to read the book to understand this comment.

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in a dystopian world, the story takes off with the suicide of Mark Clements, who awakes to find himself far away from the bridge he jumped off, and locked up in a room. As his interactions increase with his fellow inhabitants and the head of the institute, Mark learns about The Focus Program - a world away from the world, where mental illness does not exist. The institution believes all it takes is the flick of a switch to restructure the human brain the way we want it to behave.

The novel is based on the writer's own experiences with mental health issues, and was written during a particularly dark phase. On its surface, The Focus Program appears like a science fiction book with its brain experiments propagating elimination of a condition by denying its existence. But on looking closer and reading between the lines, KT Dady presents a metaphorical and philosophical take that not only presents the viewpoints of those dealing with mental health illness, but also society at large in its ignorance or denial of these conditions.

As an allegorical novel, The Focus Program itself serves as a mirror to all those instances where the existence of a condition is denied because of its lack of apparent visibility. Depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety often do not receive the same acknowledgment and treatment as diabetes or coronary heart disease would, in spite of the fact that neurons from the brain connect to every other cell in the body.

A thought-provoking book that draws from experience and scientific reasoning to present several misunderstood health conditions. Fiction books on serious topics are hard to come by. While memoirs are often picked up by those who find resonance in the subject matter, stories that address these issues engage more readers by serving to educate alongside entertain.

KT Dady is mostly known for her contemporary romance and YA books, so her foray into the thriller-horror-speculative fiction realm is certainly commendable. The narrative could have used some editing to make the structure more compact and fluid to read. Interwoven prose and poetry within scene and character shifts cause the writing to appear choppy, which takes away from the story being told.

[Lucy]

For the first time ever I feel I am unable to give this a star rating, not because it was truly awful but because I’m not sure how I honestly feel about it. It left me with some very conflicting views.

The Focus Programme is half fiction and half self help based around mental health and psychological problems. Now for someone who has struggled with my mental health I wasn’t sure if I was comfortable with the concept that mental illness doesn’t really exist and it’s all fixable by “fixing a broken brain.” However, at the same time, I actually found it quite empowering and loved the idea that my diagnosis doesn’t control me, I control it.

I think I will need to think about this some more before I can give a star rating - if you are able, pick this up and see what you think. It’s definitely a great book for a bookclub read, and discussion however be careful as this could be massively triggering for some.

Thank you Insta Book Tours for a place on this booktour and K.T Didy for a gifted copy of the book, in exchange for a honest and voluntary review.

[K.T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main reason I like this story is because it saved my life, so this book gets five stars from me.

[Ella Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: Mental Health issues, suicide, imprisonment, anxiety

Review:
I found this book fascinating if I am honest. It really did take me by surprise. I wasn't really sure what I was going into when I picked the book up.

The characters were so realistic and relatable. I warmed to Mark instantly. I sympathised, empathised & really understood him. The relationships he manages to form are heart warming. Though each may have their challenges and their own demons to face individually, they are there for each other at every stage to overcome things. It really does make you think that family isn't necessarily always blood.

The approach to mental health issues was done in a sophisticated way. There are too many stigmas attached to mental health in this day and age that really do need to be forgotten.

The quotes and verses in between the chapters really enhanced the reading experience. I would insert my favourite here but there are just too many for me to choose from.

Blurb:
Mark Clements went out one night to die. He had no idea that jumping off Tower Bridge would take him to a place where people would use him to change the world. He had never heard of The Focus Program, and as an anxiety sufferer he sure as hell didn't believe in their motto: Mental illness does not exist. These people were more messed up than him, or were they?