Right Side Talking

by Bonnie Rozanski

“Imagine that you are a young girl with intractable epilepsy. As a last resort you submit to an operation to sever the connection between the two sides of your brain. Though the operation successfully reduces your seizures, you are left forever with two separate minds: left and right, each unaware of the other.

Imagine further that while recovering in the hospital, you witness a murder. Your dominant left brain cannot recognize unfamiliar faces, and is, therefore, unable to identify the killer. Your right brain can, but is unable to speak. Gradually, painstakingly, the right learns to spell out its thoughts in scrabble letters. At long last, on a table in a hospital lab, you describe the person who committed the crime. Too bad the killer is reading that very same message.….

Right Side Talking is a thriller that will grip the reader from its opening surgery scene to its dramatic courtroom climax. Its cast of characters: a 15-year-old epileptic; a brilliant surgeon; an unlicensed, resentful doctor from abroad who must work as an orderly; a grumpy, relentless detective, and a feisty psychologist Finally, most fascinating of all, there is the human mind itself.”

Genres: Fiction

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 27, 2010

About the author

Bonnie is an author and prize-winning playwright currently living in New Jersey. Born in Queens, New York, she has lived in Hong Kong, Canada, and all over the US. With degrees in Psychology and Artificial Intelligence, always fascinated by the human mind, Bonnie writes on matters touching on consciousness and the human condition.

BANANA KISS, Bonnie's debut novel, told from the point of view of a young schizophrenic girl, came out to excellent reviews in 2005. To the many who ask whether the author is writing from experience, Bonnie says, "Not at all. BANANA KISS is based entirely on the application of imagination to months of research on schizophrenia and quantum theory." "On the other hand," she adds after a pause, "I did hear Robin's voice."

Her second novel, BORDERLINE, was a YA finalist at the 2007 Foreword Book of the Year, as well as a silver medalist at that year's Independent Publisher Books awards. Bonnie has several other equally wonderful manuscripts in the wings, awaiting the perspicacious publisher who recognizes their brilliance.

Reviews

[MGGMMGGM · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the blurb of Right Side talking, I was intrigued right away. The story is about Anna who at age 15 is experiencing intractable epilepsy which makes her life somewhat a living hell. Her family then decides that she must undergo operation since every medication given to her seems not to be working. She undergoes surgery and the connection of the halves of her brain is taken out making her right side brain unaware of the left side. After her surgery, Anna's brain seems to be dominating each other making her actions contradictory. The left side of her brain can't see and her right side can't talk. As Anna becomes the only witness to a murder investigation, everybody seems to get confused and unaware including Anna and the killer might get away with the crime.

The books was exciting, fun and well research. Anna was a lovable character and you can feel sympathy for her condition but in spite the troubles Anna remains a strong character which everybody can admire. I can't imagine how a 15 year old girl can undergo such trauma and trouble not just with the murder but living her life after the surgery. While reading this novel, I keep on imagining an episode in House (House series, Hugh Laurie?). The supporting characters were also okay but I think needs a little development, same with Mischa. Another observation I have is the couple of errors in the eBook itself, a little editing would solve that. Asides these issues, the book is a great read.

Anybody who enjoys reading about mysteries, medical drama and mystery, family issues and health issues should read this book. It was a short but great read. It is a great book to read for passing time or when you are on travel.Right Side TalkingBonnie Rozanski

[Kim (Wistfulskimmies Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about Anna, a young girl with severe epilepsy. Her only chance to stop the seizures is to cut the link between the two halves of her brain. The left side has no recollection of unfamiliar faces but the right side does but cannot speak. What happens therefore when she witnesses a murder?

I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it. It was a very well thought out and intriguing thriller. The pace didnt let up for a second and from the beginning to the ending in the court room I was gripped. There were a fair few twists and turns and I found myself rooting solidly for Anna, hoping that she would be able to make sense of her new world and bring the killer to justice.

I would be happy to read more of this authors work as this had me from beginning to end.

[Skye · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.

Imagine that you are a young girl with intractable epilepsy. As a last resort you submit to an operation to sever the connection between the two sides of your brain. Though the operation successfully reduces your seizures, you are left forever with two separate minds: left and right, each unaware of the other.

Imagine further that while recovering in the hospital, you witness a murder. Your dominant left brain cannot recognize unfamiliar faces, and is, therefore, unable to identify the killer. Your right brain can, but is unable to speak. Gradually, painstakingly, the right learns to spell out its thoughts in scrabble letters. At long last, on a table in a hospital lab, you describe the person who committed the crime. Too bad the killer is reading that very same message…


Right Side Talking falls outside of the genre I usually read in. It felt geared more towards adults, and was a crime/mystery/medical thriller. I found it compelling, nonetheless, and may venture into more books of that theme in the future.

Right Side Talking featured third person narration, with the story majorly following Anna, but also a whole cast of secondary characters - her surgeon, her psychologist, the man who attempted to murder her. Though because of this you don't get to know any character in depth, you get a better understanding of the story from all perspectives.

I'm not sure how accurate the medical aspects of this book are, but there were interesting. If it was accurate, then it was well researched; and if it was fictional, then it was well devised. Either way, the procedure Anna underwent was completely new to me and intriguing. Her recovery was slow and stressful, and the reader was set up to feel sympathetic.

Seeing the side of the investigation that goes on in the courtroom - rather than just arresting the perp and being done with it - gave the situation a realistic feel and tied up all the loose ends for the ending.

However, all the while knowing who committed the murders and why took away some of the suspense, and the rest was taken away by the trial that dragged out.

I give Right Side Talking a 3 (leaning towards a 3.5) out of 5. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes crime and mystery novels and is looking for a new twist on the genre.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully written and surprisingly suspenseful book. The description provided to me by the author really intrigued me:

“Imagine that you are a young girl with intractable epilepsy. As a last resort you submit to an operation to sever the connection between the two sides of your brain. Though the operation successfully reduces your seizures, you are left forever with two separate minds: left and right, each unaware of the other.

Imagine further that while recovering in the hospital, you witness a murder. Your dominant left brain cannot recognize unfamiliar faces, and is, therefore, unable to identify the killer. Your right brain can, but is unable to speak. Gradually, painstakingly, the right learns to spell out its thoughts in scrabble letters. At long last, on a table in a hospital lab, you describe the person who committed the crime. Too bad the killer is reading that very same message.….

Right Side Talking is a thriller that will grip the reader from its opening surgery scene to its dramatic courtroom climax. Its cast of characters: a 15-year-old epileptic; a brilliant surgeon; an unlicensed, resentful doctor from abroad who must work as an orderly; a grumpy, relentless detective, and a feisty psychologist Finally, most fascinating of all, there is the human mind itself.”

Can you honestly tell me that that doesn’t grab you? It was well worth the read! I love a great mystery – and even though we knew who did it all along – it was great how the author took us through this maze of Anna’s brain and how it could and couldn’t help with the trial. It was a fabulous read!

Yes you could call me biased – I love to read novels by Canadian authors and novels that are set in the Canadian environment. Right Side Talking is set in Canada and Bonnie Rozanski does a wonderful job brining a very difficult topic to light. The whole concept of coming to Canada from Kiev to live the better life is a real one and I think a tough one to deal with. It was really tough to watch Mischa take matters in his own hands while firmly believing that he was owed something. A great job!!!

So… you’ve already read what this story is about – all I can add to this is that I really did enjoy the book and yes I would recommend that you give it a shot!

I also have to say a BIG sorry for taking SO… long to read and review this book! Once I started though I couldn’t put it down!

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should probably prefix this review by saying I had brain surgery when I was a teenager due to uncontrolled epilepsy so when going into a book about a teen girl who had epilepsy having the two hemispheres severed because of said condition, I knew I was bound to critique and be realistically critical. And I was.

Basically, the plot is Anna having brain surgery with her left and right hemispheres unable to communicate to each other making her mind act like a magic eight ball. This is unfortunate, as she is the only witness to a murder but is unable to pick him out of a line. The hospital killing spree is eventually brought to an end after a dramatic court scene

The reader knows from page one who the killer is, so really the reader is learning what happened first hand, while a hospital patient tries to unfog herself while several other members of the hospital staff are targeted.

Now for my rant...
The beginning started out well with an accurate description of an epileptic convolution, but once we got to the surgery itself I became annoyed. First, the parents seemed completely ignorant of what was going on. I understand stress could prove a factor in this but Anna's parents literally had no clue what type of brain surgery she was having, for all they knew the surgeon could have been preforming a double lobotomy and would not have been the wiser. Second was her recovery time. Besides her hemispheres being separated and having difficulty communicating with each other (okay I'll give her slack there). Yes, she was having appropriate therapy lessons for the recent disturbance of her brain; but she is fifteen and walking the hallways by herself and boarding the bus alone (isn't she suppose to have memory problems? Whose to say she won't get lost along the way?) Plus, she was a minor, it just seemed inappropriate.

As I said before, this novel was very accurate on the topic of epilepsy but having gone through similar experiences I was overly critical. Although, as far as thrillers go it definitely had me riveted with a twist at the end over the disgruntled, hospital killer. Overall, it was a good read and a huge chunk of the time didn't necessarily focus on her condition but always loomed in the background. Despite my complaints I still had a hard time tearing my eyes away from my Kindle making it a reasonable good read.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read. I have always loved psychology and the function of the brain - I studied it extensively in high school and college - but I never got a first hand look into a surgery testing the sections of the brain like I did with this book. You might think, "Ooh surgery," but unlike those graphic documentary style shows that show you just a little (or a lot) too much, Ms. Rozanski leaves enough to the imagination and explores the more important aspect of it - what happens when you stimulate different areas. I found myself wishing I could be a fly on the wall of the surgery to experience Anna's response to it myself in reality.

Further into the story we are introduced to other characters and each has his or her own level and sense of desperation. In a story that could have come across as merely a scientific study of a girl with epilepsy overcoming a necessary surgery to alleviate and prevent brain damage, the characters drive the story forward through fascinating scenes of therapy for Anna and a compelling mystery as well. I struggled some with her parents and how they were characterized but their exasperation and lack of understanding probably is very realistic considering the circumstances.

For me the mystery was somewhat secondary because I enjoyed learning and observing Anna along with the idiosyncrasies of her upbeat and determined doctor, not to mention the others around Anna in the hospital and her family. Though the mystery is definitely there and it does indeed culminate in the courtroom with intensity reminiscent of one of my favorite movies, Suspect with Cher.

I think I literally cheered several times throughout this book. Both for the accomplishments of Anna and for the determination of those around her to get her back to some semblance of normalcy. Ms. Rozanski is a fine author and I think I will be picking up more of her stories in the future!

[Missy (Missy's Reads & Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing that hooked me to this story was the premise. It's not something that you come across a lot of these days. Being a psychology nut in high school, it intrigued me to no end - to the point where I had to squeeze this review in earlier than scheduled because it wouldn't leave me alone. I was not disappointed.

Told in third person narrative, you follow the main character Anna mostly through the story - though there is a slew of secondary characters attached as well. Anna's journey through the story is the part that help my interest the most, with the murder a close second. Anna was a very believable character that seemed immature at times - however, given her circumstances, I think it's completely justified and didn't take away from the story at all... nor did it deter my opinion of her. Overall, she was a strong and courageous character. I seriously couldn't imagine going through what she did. The secondary characters were developed well enough, though a little more depth would have been nice. I also found her parents a little hard to swallow at times.

The surgery itself made me wish that I was there to see it, or at least experience it via a documentary or episode of House. It wasn't all too graphic, but the procedure and process that the author described was well-researched - or made up well. I can't go into the validity of all of the medical aspects, but it was all descriptive enough to be real if it wasn't. From the surgery to the therapy, to the murder and climatic ending... this book had me up at night, reading until the end.

Although the protagonist is a teen, this book has a more adult feel to it than Young Adult. I'd recommend for a more mature YA audience. If you like medical dramas, mysteries, and psychology reads should definitely give this book a try. It's a shorter read, but makes up for length with dimension.

- Originally Posted @ Missy's Reads & Reviews

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was all a bit farfetched for my liking. I didn't like a remark a psychologist made in it-it seemed way over-the-top to me and then someone who murders two people in quick succession says to himself that he's no killer........really ? I know it's fiction but for me I have to at least partly believe what I'm reading and I didn't.
I got 26% in and packed it in and I'd only found one apostrophe error which gave this one an extra star for me, though.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique storyline and not so much murder mystery as we know whodunit but a bit of a psychological thriller .... sort of. I started it in the morning, half-heartedly, and found I could hardly put it down. A page turner for me. No typos jumped out. Kind of wooden characters, 1.5 dimensional, and a courtroom drama like the old Perry Mason days, but I give it 5 stars nonetheless.

[Paula Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a free copy of this book on my kindle thru Bookroosters to review and I have to say the very first thing about it was that the only place the title of the book shows is on the cover/title page. It pulls up as the author's name in my list of books.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel uses an interesting psychological phenomenon as they key for a murder mystery whose suspense continues into the courtroom.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I got this one free or fairly cheap for my kindle. It was a fascinating read, even though I could totally imagine it as a script for an episode of Law and Order the whole time

[Jodi Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took a very unique approach- a witness who has just had a rare brain surgery... very interesting!