Not Quite a Review—More Like a Heads-Up: This Series Might Be Worth Your Time (Dr. Harper Review)

BOOK COVER

This isn’t really a full review, but more of a heads-up. It’s been a while since I read I'm a Therapist, and My Patient is Going to Be the Next School Shooter by Dr. Harper, but I still think about it. It’s a quick read with a cover that screams 2013 Wattpad, but once you dive in, it gets dark, intense, and honestly a bit addicting.

The story follows Dr. Harper, a therapist who becomes convinced that one of his teenage patients is planning a school shooting. What surprised me most was his decision not to immediately report this, believing instead that he could handle the situation himself through therapy alone. In hindsight—and especially now that I work in education—I found myself questioning that approach. Do you really want to risk lives based on a gut feeling that you can manage it privately? That ethical tension became one of the book’s most compelling elements.

Alongside that plotline, the book weaves in several other cases, each with its own psychological twists. One that stood out to me involved a choir boy named Elliot, who seems to be making disturbing allegations about abuse. Without spoiling too much, it turns into a fascinating case of unreliable narration that completely reorients how you understand his story.

This book reminds me of The Silent Patient in tone but takes things a step further with more extreme cases and more moral ambiguity. It’s not romanticizing trauma, and it doesn’t offer easy answers. If anything, it leans into the discomfort of possible real-life outcomes.

I can’t remember everything in detail (which is why this isn’t a full review), but I plan to reread and continue the series so I can give more thorough recaps and thoughts next time. In the meantime—if you’re into fast, unsettling thrillers that keep you guessing, check this one out.

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UNKOWN PERSON

On the Author—Sort Of:

The book is credited to “Dr. Harper,” but that’s actually the name of the fictional therapist in the story—not the real author. The series first appeared on Reddit’s r/nosleep forum, where it was posted as if it were a real account. That presentation made it even more gripping and eerie.

To this day, the actual author has never publicly revealed their identity. No official confirmation ties it to any specific person, which keeps the mystery alive. The anonymity adds to the unsettling feeling that defines the entire series.

Ratings:

Author Writing Style: 4.5/5

Plot Development: 4.5/5

Character Authenticity/Attachment: 4/5

Theme: 4/5

World Building: 3.5/5

Overall Enjoyability: 4.5/5

Works Cited: Dr. Harper. I'm a Therapist, and My Patient is Going to Be the Next School Shooter. Independently published, 2019.

Reddit user DrHarperTherapist. “I’m a Therapist, and My Patient Is Going to Be the Next School Shooter.” Reddit, r/nosleep, 21 Dec. 2018, www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/a57yr5/im_a_therapist_and_my_patient_is_going_to_be_the/. Accessed 22 May 2025.