Bebe Moore Campbell weaves a tale of unrelenting love and pain in her newest novel 72 Hour Hold. 72 Hour Hold tells the tale of Keri, a successful owner of an upscale Los Angeles Boutique whose stunning, intelligent eighteen yr old daughter has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Fairly gifted and on her way to Brown University, Trina’s life has come to an abrupt halt as her disorder overtakes her and Keri tries every thing, legal and illegal, to attempt to conserve her daughter from this debilitating disorder.

Moore Campbell does an superb career of portraying the hell a family has to go through when a loved one has been diagnosed with a psychological illness. The struggles with the health care system, the erratic conduct, the toll it takes on the wholesome family members, are all told in breathtaking detail and roll off the pages in a fast paced, rollercoaster ride that retains you guessing from beginning to end.

The greatest part about 72 Hour Hold is that it manages to by no means come off as preachy or judgmental. There’s some scathing commentary on the problems with the psychological health business in this country and the novel handles that discourse in a way that allows you to understand each sides of the problem from patients rights, to the requirements of the households trying to conserve their family members and the overworked and beneath-funded system we have in location to offer with some of our most troubled citizens. Moore Campbell provides insight into a globe that few are privy to or want to admit they are a part of and in so performing problems all of us to do some thing to better the therapy and knowing of those who suffer from a psychological disorder, whether we are personally impacted by it or not.

The one criticism I have of the novel is how the primary character, Keri is extremely tough to sympathize with. She is judgmental, unforgiving, arrogant, short-sighted and all around a person that is extremely tough to like. She is extremely inconsiderate of those in her life and totally unaware of the requirements and desires of others. I invested the whole novel being astonished at her sense of entitlement and superiority. At the same time I found Keri’s character trying, I also acknowledge that generating her such an imperfect person, one who expects and has attained success it makes her daughter’s illness all the more devastating and ultimately makes the novel much more dynamic and interesting.

Bebe Moore Campbell has usually been great at creating characters and tales that are compelling and believable. Her characters leap off the web page and really feel like they could be people you know in your personal life. 72 Hour Hold is no exception. It is a great study and superb social commentary on an problem that doesn’t receive close to as much interest as it deserves.

Tamika Johnson is a freelance writer and owner of PrologueReviews.com. To study more reviews by Tamika Johnson or to receive or to have your guide, audio, or movie reviewed go to http://www.prologuereviews.com