Condition Book One

A Medical Miracle?

De: Alec Birri

Narrado por: Jonathan Keeble

The first in a dystopian trilogy based on the author's command of a top secret government unit.

What if all brain disorders were treatable? Few would lament the passing of dementia or autism, but what if the twisted mind of a sex offender or murderer could be cured too? Or how about a terrorist or maybe a political extremist? What if we could all be "corrected"?

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 anymore. Not being able to recall the crash might be expected, but what about the rest of his life? And what's stopping him from taking his medication? Is it brain damage that's causing paranoia about the red pill, or is Dan right to think something sinister is going on?

His horrific injuries don't make any sense either - a post-crash fire caused him to suffer almost 100% burns. How is it even possible to survive that? Are the hallucinations and strange dreams trying to tell him something? They are, and he'll soon find out what, but not before his doctor's sure the shock won't kill him.

©2016 Nick Smith (Alec Birri) (P)2018 Nick Smith (Alec Birri)

Talk About a Twist!

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Alec Birri. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Dan woke up in a hospital and although he remembered being in an airplane crash, things didn't make sense. I was as confused as Dan was because I learned things as he learned them. He could not figure out if the doctor was actually helping him or if he had an ulterior motive because it seemed that everyone was in the same state of recovery as him.

Condition Book One is good. It really kept my attention at the beginning but it got pretty slow in the middle. It seemed to take a little too long for Dan to figure things out, but it got a lot better at the end. Talk about twists! I'm looking forward to finding out what happens in Book Two.

A great mystery and an alright sci-fi premise

I received a free review copy of this book, at my request, and am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.

This book is a Rollercoaster ride. From the graphic opening, to the bizarre mystery of the first half to the equally bizarre but totally different second half, I never felt like I had a handle on the story.

The story opens with terrible accident and follows with the victim waking up in hospital. Suffering from memory loss and faced with staff and loved ones who won't tell him any details, the patient is left to rediscover his life and circumstances.

The second half of the book covers the bigger picture, rather than the specifics of the single character.

I preferred the first half of the book, personally. The mystery of the situation was really intense and there was just enough information littered through conversations to barely piece together parts of the story the main character couldn't make sense of. It is really well done and I was absolutely hooked to know what was happening to the main character.

The second half was a bit of a let down, in that the mystery is exposed and then the real world comes crashing in. It is heart felt, and interesting, and I still enjoyed it, but not to the level of the first half.

Knowing this is the setup for a larger series I get why the second half was what it is, but the first half is so well done I would have preferred a whole book on that premise, and forget the rest of the series.

Having said that, the world and the characters are amazingly detailed and complex. The mystery is engaging, enough details are provided to give a sense of accomplishment when an aspect is figured out, but not so much as to ruin the overall mystery. The moral question is interesting, as well.

The voice acting by Jonathan Keeble is very well preformed. The voice range was good enough, there could have been a little more range in some of the characters, but as it is, it is well done. His male and female characters sound distinct, and while there aren't a lot of females in the book, there are a couple frequent characters, and the narrator does a good enough job with them.

In the end, it was a good book. A great mystery and an alright premise to house it in. The voice acting is very good. And it sets up book 2. I'm not sure if I'll continue with this series, as I said the first half was better than the second. However, there maybe enough there to hook me in to book 2. Time will tell.

Question EVERYTHING!

4.5 Stars. Audio book review. The brain is an amazing thing, and how it adapts to different situations – whether medically guided or not -- is fascinating. For the first half of Condition Book One, readers will likely be confused, paralleling main character Dan Stewart’s confusion. What’s real? What’s imagined? Is Dan paranoid or is he finally having clarity of thought? For that matter, is Dan a reliable narrator at all? Stick with the story because about half way in, things start to gel and the “ah-ha” and “oh nooooo” moments come in simultaneously and grab you. There are shifts and twists and turns, and I repeatedly found myself saying, “WAIT! So X is really Y and not Z! Whoa.” By the end, the REAL intrigue hits and everything clicks into horrible place, and I was clamoring to get book two (I started it the same day!).

“I’m sure you’ve no need to worry.”

Author Alex Birri does a great job with his characterization. Admittedly, I was not immediately impressed with Dan, whose first concerns after a near fatal accident are the football scores, his nurse’s boobs, and farting to amuse his daughter. He’s that guy. (Or is he?) Every characteristic choice feels deliberate, and the author uses the technique of having Dan speak out loud and ask questions of others (who keep silent) to let readers know what Dan thinks is really happening. But is he correct or crazy? There were a few places (especially in part two) where transitions are a bit rough and more explanation is needed, and there are scenes that should have been edited down. Since I read the book with my ears, I can’t speak to grammar or SPAG issues, but it's clear Birri is a gifted writer.

Both the overt and underlying message in Condition Book One (and subsequent books in the trilogy) is to question everything. Question those in power and strive to keep their power limited. Question whether there is transparency in the versions of product and policy the government gives to the public. Question whether medical advances are truly for the good of the people or intended to be corrupted and used unethically.

The narration, performed by Jonathan Keeble, is exceptional, and when I use the word “perform,” I mean it. Keeble takes on a huge cast of characters and manages to make them all unique. He tackles British, German, and South American accents and nails them – even managing several different South American dialects -- male and female, young and old. He masterfully changes his voice to match a scene’s intensity and emotion level, adding drama and realism. I will hunt down other books just to hear this talented actor again. (Happily, he narrates all three of The Condition Trilogy books.)

Condition Book One is a disturbing story with Orwellian undertones. Prepare to be unsettled. The epilogue is quite lengthy – but critical – and while the ending left me intrigued and ready for more, it also was a satisfying closure for this book and these events. Condition Book One could stand alone, but since I’ve now read the full trilogy now, I recommend you keep reading! WOWSA.

Thank you to Audiobookworm Promotions and the author for providing me a free download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.

very interesting

medical thriller with many twists and turns.

the narrator has a pleasant voice and expressive in his narration making the book better.

I received a free copy of this audible at my request this is my honest review

You Should Really Take The Red Pill

4.5 out of 5 stars

I’m not used to a book messing with my mind as much as the first book in the Condition series did. I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen in this book even with only a few minutes left in it. Birri was able to write a poignant and real story the scared the heck out of me.

This book is really a couple stories all tied together – but all surrounding the same person. If I go into more detail than that I think it will ruin the story. Actually, a lot of the commentary I wanted to get into would probably contain spoilers (even just talking about the accuracy of the personality swings in a certain condition).

That being said, Birri wrote a book that made me feel. And he wrote a story that will stick with me for a while. A story that I want to keep reading because now I have to know what happens to these patients and anyone else involved.

A mixture of a medical thriller and dystopian – Condition is a crazy story that might actually happen one day. Full of very realistic depictions of a specific condition and really heart wrenching scenes – this one will stay with me for a while.

Jonathan Keeble narrated this story, and I thought did a wonderful job. The voice used was perfect for both the character and for setting the scene.

I received a copy of this book - it has not affected my review in any way. If you enjoyed my review, please consider voting for it. Every vote helps.