Condition by Alec Birri.
The Curing Begins...
What have Nazis got to do with a miracle?
Discovering an infamous Nazi doctor conducted abortions in Argentina after the Second World War may not come as a surprise, but why was the twisted eugenicist not only allowed to continue his evil experiments, but encouraged to do so? And what has that got to do with a respected neurologist in 2027? Surely Professor Savage's cure for nearly all the world’s ailments can’t possibly have its roots buried in the horrors of Auschwitz?
The unacceptable is about to become disturbingly bizarre. What has the treatment’s ‘correction’ of paedophiles got to do with the President of the United States, the Pope and even the UK’s Green Party?
An ok read with some good characters. Likeable story. Readable. Just took my time. 3*.

This is an interesting story. Being a child of a parent who died from Alzheimer's, any take on the affliction is an interesting one, especially when there is a proposed "cure." This is not my typical read, but the pacing was good and kept me reading past my bedtime. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the read.

Dan Stewart wakes up from a coma but can't remember anything other than he's a pilot and there was an airline crash. Nothing makes sense and he's horrified to find he has suffered 100% burns. That's not even possible. He hallucinate his brother and after seeing other patients at the hospital with similar to identical burns as he has, he begins to suspect something isn't right with the hospital. Why is he refusing to take the red pill? It's the only one that he's allowed to refuse... but not taking it takes him into an insane path.. and what he finds at the end is nothing like he expected.

If you've followed any of my reviews, you know how much I LOVE the human mind. Told mainly through Dan's POV, we get to travel with him as he deals with the aftermath of the crash. I actually felt I was going crazy with him and what a ride it is! We also get to see a little about what is going on within the hospital and the revelation that came certainly was NOT what I was expecting and I loved every minute of it! As a trilogy I figured the ending would leave you wanting. It did, but it also ended satisfactorily for me as well. The only thing I didn't like was the "to be continued" written on the last chapter before the epilogue. I'm certainly intrigued as when I turned the final page, I almost felt like I just watched an episode of Black Mirror. Certainly am looking forward to see what happens next!

Dan wakes up in a hospital where he and others in the same unit all have horrific burns on their bodies. Despite struggling with memory problems he gets the feeling he was a pilot before the accident and everyone was injured due to his negligence.
Life at the hospital seems to hinge on taking the red pill and Dan’s suspicions make him resist taking the medication. Instead of a conspiracy he finds the truth and it will be a lot worse than you or Dan could ever imagine. He needs the pill to live and there is a price to pay for taking it.
This was a great read by an author who has drawn on 30 years experience in the British armed forces. Thinking this could and/or has happened in real life was believable and a little scary to digest. Towards the end it occurred to me that using mind control might be the easiest way for government to control the population or certain parts of it.
If you enjoy reading dystopian novels with a medical mystery twist this should tick all the boxes. It is the first in a trilogy, an interesting concept and very thought provoking. Initially I gave this three stars but on reflection felt it was closer to four so amended my rating. Hoping the next book can keep up the good work.

The first book in this trilogy is very promising.

The first part of this medical thriller is the most confusing and I found myself even second guessing whether I had read about some references Dan made previously. It was like I, the reader, was supposed to know something but didn't so yes, quite confusing. It didn't help that the Search function on my Kindle did not work in this book, for some reason.
On the other hand, it seemed Dan knew stuff he shouldn't and wasn't as dumbfounded as I was.

I thought some concepts and twists could have been introduced in a more intuitive manner and that the humour was a bit tacky at times, like when Dan asked Gary to look at his naked bottom. The way he said it could have been funny and instead it was just nonsensical.

And even though there weren't that many characters, I found it difficult to grasp who was who during that first part, I suppose because I was so confused I found it difficult to focus.

However, as the narrative advanced, I found myself more and more interested, and wanted to know what happened next.

The novel took lots of twists and turns and just when I thought it could not surprise me any further the author kicked it up a notch.

There is plenty of food for thought here and I find it quite scary that this is based on the author's real experience. After finishing the book I find it all so out there, and yet this makes it all seem so possible.

I recommend Condition #1 and am looking forward to the next two books.

WOW. I was seriously starting to question my own sanity trying to decode Part 1!!! Color me extremely impressed, and I cannot WAIT to read the next two in the series! As someone who copes with multiple mental illnesses, I must confess the idea of a pill or a pill and surgery to fix them is extremely attractive. The slippery slope presented in the book though gives me pause. Is it really worth it if doing so could lead to forcing everyone to be "normal"? What would life be like if everyone was "normal:"? And who has the right to decide normal??

CONDITION - Book One by Alec Birri is a recommended medical thriller the starts a new three part series set in a dystopian future.

"It's 1966 and RAF pilot Dan Stewart awakes from a coma following an aircraft accident into a world where nothing seems to make sense any more." He remembers the plane going down and the flames slowly spreading. He knows his hand has been severely injured and perhaps his whole body has suffered burns. When he wakes up he hears he has been in a coma for 6 months and he can't seem to remember much else. His doctor always seems to ask him the same questions and then doesn't appear to be satisfied with Dan's answers.

Soon it becomes clear that there is much more going on than Dan knows and that his thoughts might be an unreliable source. Dan can't figure out what kind of hospital he is in and why it appears that everyone has suffered burns. Dan is having hallucinations, experiencing paranoia, and apparently memory loss. Then there is the question of the red pill that his doctor is trying to get him to take again. The question is why did he choose to stop taking it before and what does the pill do?

CONDITION is well written. Admittedly the first part of this novel can be confusing until you figure out that Dan may not be the most reliable narrator and that there is more to his story than what we are learning. I figured this out rather quickly but acknowledge that all the reviewers who felt manipulated by the first part of the book are spot-on; it is written to manipulate your feelings. This same technique has been done, perhaps more successfully, in other books, but it still is used effectively here assuming the reader will keep reading. There are several twists and the reason behind Dan's confusion is cleared up later. At the end everything clicks into place for this first book in the series.

By the end of the book you will have a better idea of what is going on and what the next two books in the series will likely be tackling. This is definitely a set-up for the future books. Although it is called a dystopian novel, this first book is much more a medical thriller and hints at the dystopian direction the series will likely take.

The one glaring drawback is that the three short books must be read for the complete story to be revealed. Personally, it would be preferable to get the whole story is one large book versus three small volumes.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Matador Press.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/07/condition-book-one.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2047063126

Story plods along too slowly to sustain my interest

I did not enjoy this book and stopped reading about two-thirds of the way through. While Alec Birri writes well and creates some fascinating characters and scenes, the story moved too slowly to sustain my interest. Several times scenes went on for too long, well after the point was made. Based on what I’ve read until now, I am still not sure what the book is about.

‘The aircraft came to a halt and the fire spread.’

The first character we meet in the novel identifies himself as Squadron Leader Daniel Stewart. He’s in hospital, where he appears to be recovering from severe burns incurred in a plane crash. He has memory loss, not surprising given the extent of the trauma he’s suffered. It gradually becomes apparent (to both Dan and the reader) that what Dan remembers is just one aspect of a convoluted and detailed series of events.

I almost didn’t finish this novel: aspects of the first part of the story irritated me, as did the behaviour of some of the characters presented as medical professionals. I kept reading. It became clear that there was more to the story than I’d thought, and as different layers became apparent, I became more caught up in the story. I came to appreciate the way in which Mr Birri developed this story.

‘What’s really happened to me and everyone else in this place?’

This is the first book in a proposed trilogy. My assumption is that the detail provided in the first book will be important scene-setting for the balance of the trilogy. I am certainly interested enough to hope to read the second book soon, to see how the story develops. The novel raises several ethical issues, as well as both the advantages and disadvantages of medical advances. Where do we draw the line or, perhaps more accurately, where is the line being drawn for us? Who can we trust?

‘If the public thinks voluntary euthanasia is controversial, wait until they discover what the cure for Alzheimer’s disease really means.’

Note: My thanks to Troubadour Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

OMG ! This is all you will say as you read this amazing book ! I have never been so captured by a book and so intrigued to the point that I hope to live long enough that this may be a real possibility, granted the crazy side effects and personality that comes with the red pill, if it means saving millions from these horrible diseases then I'm for it ! Back to the book ! So many twists and turns you won't expect what is thrown at you, and the ending is so sweet it leaves you smiling.. I've already told my mom she has to read this book, and she doesn't usually like to read but seems very interested to read this book when it becomes available for purchase !! I will post my review on my blog as well, bookreviewsbynicole2.blogspot.com, thank you for giving me early access to this incredible book !

This is the first part of a dystopian trilogy by Alec Birri. I found nearly the first third of the book confusing and events difficult to track. It was evident that the main character, who introduced himself as Dan Stewart, was being manipulated. Unfortunately, that caused me to feel manipulated as well, which made it difficult for me to continue reading.

The premise here has always been and will continue to be true and is that we must be vigilant about who’s in power at every level, from individually to globally. The problem is that those in power are likely convinced that their viewpoint is the correct one and that if they can achieve their goals, everyone will be better off and the world will consequently be a better place. The flip-side of this issue is that there will always be a group not in power whose beliefs are directly oppositional. This book explores this concept in the extreme and in an appalling manner.

That I didn’t have an accurate understanding of the characters until well over half way through the book may well be a reflection of the writer’s clever approach in laying out his story. To some extent the reader is in a position similar to the book’s main character; you just can’t figure out what’s going on and what is true and what is not.

In spite of my concerns about this book, Mr. Birri did an excellent job of putting this issue in front of the public. My view is that if the situation laid out in the book can be thought of, then it can also be done. As I stated earlier, we must be vigilant.

I couldn't get past the first chapter. I really wanted to like this book, it sounded so interesting, but the first chapter told me that the whole book would be filled with all kinds of derogatory comments about women. I have better things to do with my time.

Many thanks for this book, but it just didn't suit my taste.

First line: "<i>The aircraft came to a halt and the fire spread.</i>"

What did I just read?

This is definitely a good read, albeit a confusing one.

The entire time I was reading I was catching on to the story. I felt like I was right in there with the main character, seeing what he was seeing, thinking what he was thinking...and trying to figure out what was going to happen next...and every time I thought I must be on the right track, the carpet was pulled from beneath my feet, leaving me in a strange place I had never thought of nor seen before.

This is definitely a book that really makes you think. You start coming up with answers to the many questions you have and rationales for your answers, just to give you a new piece of evidence that changes EVERYTHING.

I loved it. I finished reading and was left thinking "what did I just read?".... and what does this even mean? I will definitely consider reading the next book!

This book is fascinating, eye opening but leaves you to with an unease. Many twists and turns with woven in hallucinations makes this book a fun and suspenseful read.