Book Review: Lab Rat by Nephy Hart

---

Lab Rat
by Nephy Hart
M/M Sci-fi/Paranormal/New Adult
Wayward Ink Publishing
Buy Links: Allromance | iTunes | Wayward Ink
Lab Rat will be on sale from May 4th to 7th with 30% off list price at Wayward Ink.
5 Stars

Blurb:

At thirteen, Gabriel was subjected to experimentation designed to awaken latent psychic abilities.

He’s been locked in a downward spiral of self-destruction ever since.

Then one night he meets Laurie, who is the antithesis of everything Gabriel’s become: cheerful, optimistic, and comfortable in his own skin.

Laurie pursues Gabriel. But Gabriel no longer believes in love. With a dark past and a history of disastrous relationships, he’s promised himself ‘no more’. Laurie, however, won’t let go, no matter how many obstacles Gabriel places in his way.

When Gabriel starts hearing voices in his head, he realizes they belong to the scientists who experimented on him. Worse, they’re trying to track him down.

With the past nipping at his heels, Gabriel and Laurie flee together.

Can they outrun the enemy? Can they save Gabriel before either his life or his sanity are forfeit?

And is Gabriel as helpless as he, or Laurie, thinks he is?

***

Review 5 Stars:

Art student Gabriel is in pain, both physical and mental. He suffers from debilitating migraines, pain so bad that he can hardly move. Sometimes he blacks out with no warning. He's been to various doctors, being passed from one department to another but the doctors don't know what's wrong with him. He has fits, but he doesn't have epilepsy, he hears voices, but he isn't schizophrenic. Gabriel is convinced the doctors don't believe him and think that it's all in his head and no medication seems to work.

He's already been in a mental hospital and he doesn't want to go back, so he doesn't go back to the doctors to tell them the medications aren't working. After losing two lovers, Gabriel is convinced that he himself is toxic and that no one should come anywhere near him and he pushes everyone away, fearing he'll hurt them or worse when he has one of his episodes. He feels he doesn't deserve to be loved.

And then he meets Laurie. Laurie with bright blue eyes and the face of an angel who keeps coming back no matter how many times Gabriel pushes him away. And it's Laurie who has to make him see that he is worth something.

I made the mistake of starting this book late at night when I was in bed. A few hours later, eyes gritty, I had to put it down, but only because I was so tired.

It was gripping from the very first page. The reader knows something has happened to Gabriel in the past, but we don't find out what until later in the book and it makes you keep reading. The plot is excellent, well-paced and the writing flows well.

Gabriel is so damaged, but I really related to him in this book. I too had spent years being sent from one doctor to another to try and find out what was wrong with me, at times half-convinced I was mad too, but finally I got the right specialist, the right diagnosis and treatment. I have migraine associated vertigo and like Gabriel when I have an attack I can barely move.

Laurie, oh Laurie, I think I am a little in love with him. Laurie is the light to Gabriel's darkness, he is a knight in shining armour, which may be dented in places, but hasn't lost any of its lustre.

I'm not normally a fan of present tense for novels, but it's a testament to the author's skill that after I while I didn't even notice what tense it was, the story was so engrossing.

I love angst, and this book has angst by the bucketload, but it has hope and love too. In a word, perfect.