Review: Tell Me When You Feel Something by VIcki Grant

Author Vicki Grant
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Publication date: June 2021

It seemed like a cool part-time program -- being a simulated patient for med school students to practice on. But now vivacious, charismatic Viv lies in a very real coma. Cellphone footage just leads to more questions. What really happened? Other kids suspect it was not an intentional overdose -- but each has a reason why they can't tell the truth.

Through intertwining and conflicting narratives, a twisted story unfolds of trust betrayed as we sift through the seemingly innocent events leading up to the tragic night. Perhaps simulated patients aren't the only people pretending to be something they're not . . .

I had high hopes for Tell Me When You Feel Something .  It ended up being nothing like I was expecting.  So it was ultimately  disappointing.  The story involves several students who work after school as simulated patients for a local medical school.  After a party one night, seemingly good girl Viv ends up in a coma. Through flashbacks and current day narration, we slowly put together what was really going on.

The story wasn't awful.  I did think the twists were not predicable so I did like that.  As for the rest? The characters were uninteresting.  Even the girl in the coma, Viv.  She was a stereotypical spoiled teen who has a substance abuse problem that NO adults seem to pick up on.  Does the chewing garlic thing really work?  The story had a lot of potential.  It's probably me a me thing.  I thought the book would go one way, when what actually happened was disappointing.  I also think that there should be some type of trigger warning for readers because I doubt many will expect that reveal.  But then, maybe it would be a spoiler.

One thing that annoyed me was the huge emphasis on the girls taking a multivitamin every day for low iron.  I kept thinking that it would play into what was happening at the med school.  But, no.  They just take a multivitamin every day.  Why make such a huge deal if that isn't going to play ANY role in the outcome.  Also, what teens walk around with bags of vitamins?  Small things like that made the book not remotely believable.  Other people seemed to like this book.  It just wasn't for me.