Informed Consent by Sandra Glahn

Informed consent is basically agreeing to something (like surgery) after hearing about the risks. It's a huge deal, because of people called lawyers. But this book isn't so much about a lawsuit (yes it appears, but it's not center stage), it's about a doctor who's trying to decide what's the right thing to do.

Jeremy is a research/doctor who's in a crisis. Well, no one says it, but it's obvious. He accidentally tripped - and a nurse got HIV. He brought his son to the lab - and his son gets a heart disease. Oh, and his wife still blames him for the death of his other son a few years ago, and he's consumed by his work, which has the potential to cure HIV.

This sounds like a very confused plot, but the different elements were introduced gradually enough that I was not confused. And well, I left out some secondary plots, so you can imagine how tangled this story is. If you're picturing a Taiwanese soap opera, you're pretty close to how it is.

Which makes the length of the book feel suprisingly short. There are so many things going on, it's easy to expect this book to be a long drawn-out epic. Yet, it's possible to finish this book in one day (or a few, if you're distracted and juggling a few books at a time).

This is a Christian book, but I think you'll be surprised to know that Jeremy isn't a Christian. His wife is, but he's struggling with his faith. And there's no resolution. Sure, he's pointed towards God, but the book gets caught up with the plot and leaves it dangling (it's a bit strange too, considering that he spent some time ranting about the unfairness of God and such). Then again, it's possible that something was said and I missed it. Anyone have anything to add?

I found this an interesting book. If you like medical-related novels, you'll probably enjoy this.