Managed Care

De: Joe Barrett

Narrado por: James Matthews Vannoy

"Funniest book I've ever read."–Tom McCaffrey, bestselling author of The Wise Ass

Is it too much to ask that a managed care facility refund a year's advance payment when your grandfather dies before he can move in?

Frank Johnson doesn't think so, which is why the thirty-three-year-old now lives in a nursing home, locked in a chess match feud with management that doesn't occupy nearly enough of his time.

When foster kid Elroy is thrust into his life, Frank decides to turn this forced relationship to his advantage—launching a string of absurd decisions, inappropriate behaviors and unexpected glimpses of tenderness that ultimately turn a New Jersey suburb upside down.

A laugh-out-loud celebration of bad choices for good causes, Managed Care is an offbeat story about three misfits on the social fringes of suburbia and their ridiculous campaign to introduce an unfiltered version of intimacy to their stale, impersonal community. Because, according to Frank, it's probably what Jesus would have wanted.

Grab a copy Managed Care today... Kirkus Reviews calls it, "Witty, occasionally crass, and an unqualified delight!"

©2018, 2026 Black Rose Writing (P)2026 Black Rose Writing

More heart than humor

<i>Managed Care</i> is marketed as a laugh-out-loud, zany absurdist comedy, but that description doesn’t quite land. I can count maybe three moments that genuinely made me laugh. So if you’re going in expecting something overtly hilarious, you may come away disappointed.

That said, the book isn’t without humor, it just operates on a much drier, darker wavelength. It tackles heavy and uncomfortable subject matter with a light, understated touch, which makes those themes feel more accessible rather than overwhelming.

Where this book truly shines is in its characters and its core message. At its heart, <i>Managed Care</i> is about what happens when people are forced into boxes, into roles, treatments, or identities that are supposed to “fix” them. When those one-size-fits-all solutions fail, it’s easy to feel broken. The novel pushes back on that idea in a meaningful way, showing that people grow when they feel seen, heard, and understood.

What makes the characters so compelling is their care for one another. Despite (or perhaps because of) their unconventional approaches, they anticipate each other’s needs and offer support in ways that feel deeply human and authentic. That emotional undercurrent carries the book far more than its humor does.

One quote kept echoing in my mind throughout: "Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.” It captures the book’s perspective perfectly; sharp, a little cynical, but grounded in truth.

As for the audiobook narration, it didn’t quite work for me. The narrator has a noticeable habit of lip-smacking, along with occasional background noise and stumbles. If you’re sensitive to those kinds of sounds, especially if you deal with misophonia, it can break immersion pretty quickly.

Overall, this is a solid read, as long as you adjust your expectations. It’s not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but rather a dark, character-driven story with a subtle sense of humor and a strong emotional core.

It wasn’t remotely funny.

It wasn’t remotely funny. The performer had a boring voice and spoke overly slow. Waste of a credit.