REVIEW: ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER DAY, BY SARAH RAYNER

On By Laurel-Rain SnowIn BOOK REVIEW

22213603The Moreland Clinic in the countryside around Lewes (in England) is at the center of this novel about characters on the verge of various emotional turning points.

Karen, whose father is dying, and whose husband Simon died two years before, is struggling. Her two children need her, so she keeps putting one foot in front of the other.

Then there is Abby, whose autistic son Callum seems to be draining her of all that she has to give…and almost as an afterthought is her husband Glenn, who is no help at all. He wants to sell the house and file for divorce. Meanwhile, he is a constant reminder of how her life has taken a nosedive.

Michael is losing his business, and as the creditors converge, his world is crashing around him. They all end up at the clinic, and while none of them want to be there, they begin to connect with one another. But then Michael is discharged and sent to a National Health Clinic that leaves much to be desired.

Another Night, Another Day is an intriguing novel with interesting characters. I enjoyed watching them struggle to find themselves, and loved how they connected with one another.

Then a major crisis seems to derail them…and we see what moving on and growing from loss looks like.

I enjoyed this book and the characters. However, I was puzzled by the fact that all of these characters, while struggling with emotional issues, ended up in a locked facility, although some of them were day patients. This choice moved the plot along, allowing the characters to connect, but seemed unrealistic, in light of their issues. Nevertheless, the characters were engaging and I definitely felt that I could root for them. 4.0 stars.

6 thoughts on “REVIEW: ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER DAY, BY SARAH RAYNER”

    1. Yes, we were going along, finding out how they were all coping…and then suddenly they were all locked down in the facility. I don’t know how things are in England, but here…that wouldn’t happen. LOL.

      Thanks for stopping by, Kimba.

      Like

      Reply

  2. I had higher hopes for this title. I love the cover too! Well, it still sounds good, just not as good as you expected. Thanks for your review. Laurel, have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and enjoy the weekend.

    Like

    Reply

  3. Hi Laurel, your review came up in my twitter feed, and thank you so much for reading the novel. I’m really glad you liked it, albeit with reservations. I do hope you don’t mind my commenting, but in Moorlands Clinic (which I based on a real place), the ‘locked facility’ is only that way for the safety of all the patients. It’s because the day patients are in groups together with residential patients who are more seriously ill that the facility is locked – it’s to prevent those who are suicidal and addicts from leaving. Obviously day patients come and go as they please, but the door has to be unlocked for them by the receptionist. This door can’t be left unlocked as everyone uses it. I researched this storyline very thoroughly, but I understand your surprise. I was surprised myself to see it, but when I discovered the reasoning, it made sense to me. I’d be interested to hear if a similar mix of patients were left in an unsecured facility in the US, personally I doubt it. What I don’t doubt however is that we are NOT as open or forward-thinking about mental health issues here as you are Stateside. I love my country, but there is a lot of stigma around depression here, and I hope by writing about it I have helped raise awareness.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the clarification, Sarah; I suspected that the differences in how treatment is handled between our country and yours might explain the locked facility.

      I do know that addicts are often locked in a treatment facility here…but, unless they are court-ordered to attend the treatment, they can sign themselves out. I don’t necessarily agree with this, as sometimes patients can not make good decisions for themselves.

      I’m glad you could stop by and comment. I have enjoyed one of your previous books (Getting Even), and have One Moment, One Morning on my Kindle.

      Like

      Reply

Please leave your thoughts. Comments, not awards, feed my soul. Thanks!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.