Suzan Saxman

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGallety for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Suzan Saxman shares a powerful and compelling memoir of her life and challenges, with special psychic gifts, both positive and negative in THE RELUCTANT PSYCHIC.

Suzan lived in fear with her special powers and abilities, throughout her childhood, as afraid her parents may send her away thinking she was strange. At night time it was difficult for her to sleep with all the voices, visions, and spirits surrounding her. She was in constant state of pulse-pounding adrenaline; a fueled state of high alert.

She did not have an easy childhood – growing up in a severely dysfunctional family, with a disturbed abusive mother who recruited Susan to keep the identity of her real father (and mother's lover) secret. She was compulsive and almost blind and worried about everything. She tried to keep her abilities to herself, especially at school as she was teased and bullied at her Catholic school (your heart goes out to her). She dreamed of going back to England and going to school to study literature, history and psychology; however, her mom continued to put her down.

From childhood to adulthood, with struggles along the way to a clairvoyant. I do believe certain people have gifts, and as mentioned some artists and highly creative people see the world differently from their eyes.

On a personal note:

Being highly creative myself (not a psychic); however, very intuitive. My limited experience with a psychic years ago in New Orleans was quite interesting. A woman read my tarot cards, seeing a huge legal battle ahead of me which would last for years and she could see tons of paperwork, legal papers, etc. It would be emotionally draining. I had no legal problems at the time, and was an associate publisher with a great job in Atlanta. However, about five years later, I took a job in Florida and became involved in a high profile Whistleblowing SOX case. It was non-stop depositions, interrogatories, attorneys, legal battles, lasting about five years. (So, you could say, I do believe she had a gift).

I was intrigued by Suzan’s genuine story, her mentors, her life, and her courage to share her story. Told with compassion and humor, you will sympathize with her many obstacles having to attempt to live and survive in a world not always, so accepting of those with special unique gifts.

THE RELUCTANT PSYCHIC was engaging, and the tidbits at the end of each chapter with brief anecdotes from respective readings with clients, and the black and white photos added a nice touch. You do not have to agree with her lifestyle, the supernatural, or her choices to enjoy the book. (also listened to her videos).

I found the memoir rather fascinating, as she manages her gift and her journey to find peace, and the ability to use her gift and talents wisely. Nicely developed, and the collaboration between Finn and Saxman was magical -- with a nice of mix of personal family drama and memorable moments with her clients in the psychic role.… (plus d'informations)

The Reluctant Psychic is written as a memoir about a woman named Suzan who considers herself a reluctant psychic. Suzan was a troubled child with a hard life growing up; her mother was cruel, her father mostly absent, and she struggled socially. On top of it she believed she saw ghosts and other beings from the other side. Much of her book seemed centered around her childhood troubles and especially her mother issues. Most of her relationships in life seemed to suffer and I can’t help but wonder if it was because of the way she grew up.
Throughout the book Suzan tells stories about reading’s she had performed and many of her experiences with the other side. These were perhaps the most interesting parts of the book and I would have loved to have had more content in that area.
I was sadden to read that throughout the story it never seemed like Suzan grew up when it came to relationships, she seemed determine that everyone was wrong for her and never truly moved past the damage of her childhood. She does seem to have an amazing relationship with animals and nature in general, and you can truly see that seems to be where she belongs.… (plus d'informations)

This memoir is as much, if not more, about entwined dysfunctional families as it is about psychic abilities. Saxman's relationships with her parents, as well as her relationships with her husband and the men she has affairs with, read like material lifted from soap operas. Consequently, the psychic part of her story is often swallowed up in all the surrounding melodrama.

The writing is direct, as if Saxman is speaking to each of us privately. This style works well and makes for an easy read. At the close of each chapter, Saxman shares a brief anecdote from one of her readings with a client. These passages offer the most insight into her abilities, as we leave the drama behind to focus on the way her abilities work.

As for the content, it is indeed over the top. I commend Saxman for being so open, though I'm left wondering how I feel about it all. If I read this as fiction, I'd accuse the author of being ridiculous with the drama. Saxman makes a lot of odd choices. The men in her life are far too tolerant of her antics. Her husband allows her to carry on intense love affairs, while he apparently remains loyal to her. She spends a large portion of her life pining for and chasing after a particular man, but what she does after connecting with him felt, to me, completely selfish and hurtful. She didn't seem to care about his feelings at all once she'd gotten what she needed.

Saxman appears to experience a jumble of abilities. She sees spirits, hears them speaking, has premonitions and precognitive dreams, and can also feel connections with past lives. None of these abilities do her much good in her personal life, which is mostly a mess.

I'm left with mixed feelings. The focus is far more on her chaotic life, with her psychic abilities as perhaps an underlying factor. Some things I felt needed to be explored more, while other parts were expounded on to the point of exhaustion. If you are not a believer in anything supernatural, I doubt there is enough here to convince you otherwise. If you are a believer, Saxman's life choices might make you question her connection to a higher power. Overall, I think 'Dysfunctional Psychic' might have been a better title.… (plus d'informations)