After reading several books by Freida, I have come to realise that although her books never fail to hold my attention, they are very formulaic. This book, however, is different right from the start. I have never before read any books in which her characters were in college. This made me wonder whether McFadden was in med school, or had recently graduated at the time she wrote the book. The main difference from her other books is that the plot is so much more intricate. Each character's backstory is well thought out and extremely detailed without there being an information overload, or without making the book longer than an average novel. It is clear that no character was an afterthought, and that the author was simultaneously thinking in multiple streams. All the different ends tied together neatly, instead of the story spiraling out of control. That is no easy feat, and I am impressed by how she managed to pull it off.
I am not usually a fan of using multiple first person perspectives, because that often makes things confusing to readers, while detracting from the complexity and overall quality of the writing. However, this book was one of the cases where it turned out to be necessary, and was done well. The atmosphere of the book was crafted just right; I could mentally picture dimly lit classrooms and hallways, and an overall bleak tinge to everything.
The whole approach of this book was so radically different compared to her other work that I was sure that this was one of her earlier works. Upon some Googling, I found out that this was her first thriller novel. In fact, this edition of the book is no longer available. She rewrote some subplots and republished it as 'Dead Med'. I was lucky to stumble upon a rare copy of the original version. Her reason for changing the book was that she found a certain subplot "embarrassing". Admittedly, in hindsight, the subplot in question was a bit much, but if I had not done additional research, perhaps I would not have felt this way. At the time of reading, it gave the book some shock value without being obviously over-the-top, although it was slightly unconvincing.
I have not read 'Dead Med'. I cannot deny that I am slightly curious about the specific changes she made, but I do not plan on reading it any time soon. Freida's prolificness is admirable, and over time, she has gotten better at writing more realistic work that also has layered insights into how we think, as individuals, and in society. However, in the process of churning out books in rapid succession, her work has become increasingly repetitive, with a mass-produced quality. She cannot be blamed for this; today, to sell more copies, authors are often required to have a personal brand, which often boxes them into writing the same kind of book over and over to be consistent and reliable.
'Suicide Med' was refreshing and original, an absolute contrast to the above-mentioned issue. It is obvious how much effort was put into the book, into doing the best the author possibly could. The only major criticism I have for this book, if any, is that it lacked depth, but that can be forgiven, considering that it was only her second book. This book was meant to entertain, and that it did thoroughly. I am very grateful to have stumbled across this gem and would like to read more of her earlier work.