Playing the Genetic Lottery

Terri Morgan

Welcome to Incandescent Enchantment’s stop for ‘Playing the Genetic Lottery’.

Mental illness runs in Caitlin’s family. She’s paranoid she’s going to get it, and within this novel she talks about her earlier life that makes her think this way.

The official blurb:

Lots of kids think their parents are crazy at one point or another. Caitlin’s really are. Both her mother and father have schizophrenia, and Caitlin and her older brother grow up trying to navigate the chaos of living with two mentally ill parents. Now a young mother herself, Caitlin reflects back on her childhood, her efforts to create a peaceful and serene life for herself, her family, and the emotional scars and fears she still can’t shake.

My review:

I almost want to call this book a memoir, but it isn’t – this is fiction and comes with an appropriate selection of questions for if this novel was read by a book club. It’s in the genre I’ve been reading lately, and it was super enjoyable, if somewhat thought provoking and painful at times.

I read this novel in one sitting, and although I couldn’t say it was gripping in the same way as an action packed fantasy novel, I could really feel the characters and their interactions and kept reading for that reason.

This is another handy novel in the mental health interest group. This one covers schizophrenia, depression and post-natal depression. Of those, the schizophrenia is the worst, and Caitlin and Jon spend all their time in fear that they might get that horrific disorder next.

Something I found super interesting was the research that the author has done (or perhaps has personal experience with) into the way schizophrenia treatment has changed over the years. The concept of half-way houses is also an interesting one. The point that could have made it even more relevant for me would have been if it was set in Australia, but that’s a far hope.

Four stars from me. Sorry for my horrifically short review – I will try update it when I actually have some energy within the next couple of days, but no promises.

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About the Author

Terri Morgan is an avid reader, dog lover and ocean fanatic from California’s Central Coast. She started writing to support her surfing habit, and is the author of numerous sports biographies for young adults. She has also co-authored two books about photography, including one for young readers. Playing the Genetic Lottery is her first novel.