On the Ravine by Vincent Lam review: A dark continuation of previous works

If you haven’t read Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, you’ll want to before jumping into On the Ravine by Vincent Lam. It sets up the initial story.

When I first started reading On the Ravine by Vincent Lam, I had to stop. I realized that some of the characters had been introduced in Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, and wanted to learn a little more about them first. I do think this helped me enjoy the new novel a little more.

That’s not to say reading the first is necessary to understand who Dr. Chen is and why he does what he does. Nor does it fully take away from the enjoyment of the story.

What is On the Ravine by Vincent Lam about?

The novel follows Dr. Chen, who has opened a practice to help those with drug addiction. This is where he meets Claire, who wants help to get over her addiction to heroin and oxy. Chen learns more about her, and that’s when he reveals that she could be the perfect patient for a clinical trial.

We then go down that dark story. It’s hard to describe the story from there without giving away spoilers. One thing that we see is Chen going deeper and deeper into saving his patients. Just how far is he willing to go?

On the Ravine book review

Is the book worth reading? I certainly think so, but there are some triggering topics covered throughout. This is a story about the dark elements of addiction, something that while fiction tries to touch on avoids some of the worst parts.

I love that Chen is a flawed man. We see that he has a big heart and he wants to help people, but that doesn’t mean he’s always going to do the “right” thing. Sometimes, he puts too much of himself into a situation. His bond with Claire can sometimes cross the line as he desperately finds a way to save her and others.

I didn’t connect too much to Claire, but I think that’s just because I haven’t lived her experiences. She has her ups and downs, and that’s expected. At least she is a fleshed-out character. Lam doesn’t shy away with adding in flaws to people, and we are all human with flaws, after all.

It is a gripping novel. There are some slow parts to it, such as getting into the third part of the story, but it’s worth getting through to see everything come together.

Stars: 4.5 out of 5.

What did you think of On the Ravine by Vincent Lam? Is this a novel for you? Share in the comments below.

On the Ravine by Vincent Lam is expected to be published on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Get it with free shipping with Amazon Prime.