"The Ninth Session" gripped me by a unique plot. Along with an intriguing cover image, this is one of the few books that I have stumbled across that brings a mix of American Sign Language and Coda Culture. The female protagonist Dr. Alicia Reese is a psychologist whose first interaction with Lucas Ferro begins with helping him get through a panic attack. Ferro suffers from crippling anxiety. As the sessions progress, the source of this takes a malicious and dark turn. Despite her instincts, there is something that draws Alicia to Lucas. The revelations in this book are well-timed, complemented by a vivid and gripping sequence of events. Alicia's personal notes at the end of most chapters were interesting and refreshing. Dr. Reese is a well-developed character as she is portrayed in multiple lenses - as a professional, aunt, sister and wife. The metaphoric musings, along with the ethical crossroads, stood out for me. I struggled to keep this book down and finished this book in one sitting. I was on the fence when it came to the ending, but I can't imagine another conclusion. A 4.5 star read!

I received a digital advance review copy for free via Booksirens. This honest review is left voluntarily.