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kuranes's review against another edition
2.0
Lots of low-level misogyny that was irrelevant to the plot.
richardleis's review against another edition
4.0
We Are Monsters is a character-driven story, but I brought my own plot-driven expectations to my reading before I eventually adjusted. I think a lot of the backstory and character development could have been streamlined and braided with more scenic action throughout the first 2/3rds of the book. What emerges from these details are three complex characters who must confront their past when their world is turned upside down. I found Dr. Eli Alpert, Chief Medical Director of the Sugar Hill mental asylum, and Dr. Alex Drexler, his protégé, to be unlikeable at first, which made their character arcs rough going. Angela (was her last name provided?) is a social worker at Sugar Hill and much more engaging and likable, in my opinion. Eventually, the three characters' traumatic pasts and Dr. Drexler's experimentations on patients with a cutting-edge new compound he has developed collide in a reality-ripping event that threatens not only the three of them, but everyone else in the asylum, and perhaps the world.
What other reviewers are calling a tone shift in the last third of the novel does, in retrospect, seem to be foreshadowed much earlier in the novel. It took me several pages to adjust to the direction Kirk takes later in the novel, but I was rewarded with an unexpectedly humane, emotional, and satisfying ending. Despite its challenges, We Are Monsters left me with a lot to enjoy and think about.
Much appreciation to Flame Tree Publishing for making the book available early to purchase and read, and Night Worms for the opportunity.
What other reviewers are calling a tone shift in the last third of the novel does, in retrospect, seem to be foreshadowed much earlier in the novel. It took me several pages to adjust to the direction Kirk takes later in the novel, but I was rewarded with an unexpectedly humane, emotional, and satisfying ending. Despite its challenges, We Are Monsters left me with a lot to enjoy and think about.
Much appreciation to Flame Tree Publishing for making the book available early to purchase and read, and Night Worms for the opportunity.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
2.0
The premise sounded so good with an asylum horror and twisted doctor's but the story fell flat for me. Didn't find it exciting or scary and didn't care for the characters.
seang81's review against another edition
4.0
Finished this book in around 3-sittings - fast paced, well written and enjoyable. However, found the ending a little convoluted but this did not bring down the rest of the book - good times.
kellyvandamme's review against another edition
4.0
Good grief, I don’t even know where to start! Looking back, this was an utter mindfuck of a book and I loved it! By the end, I felt like I’d had a bit of a psychotic break myself! But in a good way! This is like the literary equivalent of Christopher Nolan’s Inception and my mind kinda feels like mush. But in a good way! Hang on while I try to explain.
We start out in a mental hospital, perfectly normal and very respectable; we end up in an insane asylum that’s the stuff of nightmares. In a way, it feels like the actual book had an actual psychotic break. Starting out perfectly normal and descending into madness, dragging the reader along in a bookish folie à deux.
Sugar Hill mental asylum has two top psychiatrists working hard to cure their patients, or if not cure, then at least improve their quality of life. Eli has a very humane approach, a gentle hand, and is not one to knock his patients out with drugs. His protégé Alex is far more ambitious and is actively seeking to actually cure schizophrenia. Now, I know this is a book blog and not The Lancet but I do feel the need to talk about schizophrenia for a minute here, please bear with me, because I think that it’s a largely misunderstood mental illness. Schizophrenia has many faces and is different for all patients. Some hear voices, some see visions, some might be depressed or anxious, some turn to violence and I fear this last one is what most people think of when they hear the words psychotic or psychosis, when in fact most patients turn the violence inward (hate on themselves, mentally or even physically) but wouldn’t hurt a fly. I’m telling you this, well, because it’s important and also because it’s what the first part of We Are Monsters explores. Not in the words I’ve just used, but the reader is shown a glimpse of realistic psychotic behaviour and the effects and side effects of anti-psychotics. I used to be close to somehow who suffered from schizophrenia and little details all throughout that first part of the book brought back a lot of memories. The author says that it was extremely important to him to portray mental illness accurately and it more than shows that he did his research. I was expecting loads of over the top supernatural stuff in an insane asylum, and of course there was some of that, but I didn’t expect the realistic reflection of mental illness and I very much appreciated that part, for me it had a serious impact.
So We Are Monsters starts out a bit of a slow-burner and I have to admit it took me a minute to get into the story, mainly, I think, because like I said my expectations were a bit off. It didn’t help that I didn’t really like any of the main characters, I couldn’t stand Alex at first. As they evolved, I did warm to them, including Alex, who without question has the steepest character arc of them all. I felt a distinct difference in pacing, but I didn’t mind that at all, since it’s not all over the place, the pace is rather slow at first, and then picks up gradually, gaining speed as the story progresses. My reading somehow matched the pacing of the story: I ran through the last part while I strolled leisurely through the first ones.
I thought I’d have monsters leap at me from every other page. They did not. We Are Monsters is far more insidious. The monsters are lurking from the shadows, whispering cruel nothings in your ear, there but not there, mere shapes in your peripheral vision that disappear when you turn your head. I thoroughly enjoyed We Are Monsters and all its layers and levels. If you, like me, like your horror with both realism and mindfuckery, this is the one for you!
We start out in a mental hospital, perfectly normal and very respectable; we end up in an insane asylum that’s the stuff of nightmares. In a way, it feels like the actual book had an actual psychotic break. Starting out perfectly normal and descending into madness, dragging the reader along in a bookish folie à deux.
Sugar Hill mental asylum has two top psychiatrists working hard to cure their patients, or if not cure, then at least improve their quality of life. Eli has a very humane approach, a gentle hand, and is not one to knock his patients out with drugs. His protégé Alex is far more ambitious and is actively seeking to actually cure schizophrenia. Now, I know this is a book blog and not The Lancet but I do feel the need to talk about schizophrenia for a minute here, please bear with me, because I think that it’s a largely misunderstood mental illness. Schizophrenia has many faces and is different for all patients. Some hear voices, some see visions, some might be depressed or anxious, some turn to violence and I fear this last one is what most people think of when they hear the words psychotic or psychosis, when in fact most patients turn the violence inward (hate on themselves, mentally or even physically) but wouldn’t hurt a fly. I’m telling you this, well, because it’s important and also because it’s what the first part of We Are Monsters explores. Not in the words I’ve just used, but the reader is shown a glimpse of realistic psychotic behaviour and the effects and side effects of anti-psychotics. I used to be close to somehow who suffered from schizophrenia and little details all throughout that first part of the book brought back a lot of memories. The author says that it was extremely important to him to portray mental illness accurately and it more than shows that he did his research. I was expecting loads of over the top supernatural stuff in an insane asylum, and of course there was some of that, but I didn’t expect the realistic reflection of mental illness and I very much appreciated that part, for me it had a serious impact.
So We Are Monsters starts out a bit of a slow-burner and I have to admit it took me a minute to get into the story, mainly, I think, because like I said my expectations were a bit off. It didn’t help that I didn’t really like any of the main characters, I couldn’t stand Alex at first. As they evolved, I did warm to them, including Alex, who without question has the steepest character arc of them all. I felt a distinct difference in pacing, but I didn’t mind that at all, since it’s not all over the place, the pace is rather slow at first, and then picks up gradually, gaining speed as the story progresses. My reading somehow matched the pacing of the story: I ran through the last part while I strolled leisurely through the first ones.
I thought I’d have monsters leap at me from every other page. They did not. We Are Monsters is far more insidious. The monsters are lurking from the shadows, whispering cruel nothings in your ear, there but not there, mere shapes in your peripheral vision that disappear when you turn your head. I thoroughly enjoyed We Are Monsters and all its layers and levels. If you, like me, like your horror with both realism and mindfuckery, this is the one for you!
zarco_j's review against another edition
1.0
Firstly thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I think I've read this before... Actually I'm pretty sure I have tried to read this before.
I really wanted to enjoy it, but there was something off about the whole thing. The story dragged so much and I gave up with a DNF @ 75%
I think I've read this before... Actually I'm pretty sure I have tried to read this before.
I really wanted to enjoy it, but there was something off about the whole thing. The story dragged so much and I gave up with a DNF @ 75%
paperbackmo's review against another edition
1.0
First half of the book was good.. the rest was rubbish
dnemec's review against another edition
3.0
Dr. Alex Drexler is working on a miracle treatment. The psychiatrist believes that with enough time and resources, he can cure acute mental illness with the new drug he's developing, using a simple injection into the pineal gland. Very lobotomy-like. *shudders* Unfortunately, his latest test subject isn't showing the results he was looking for and his contact at the pharmaceutical company is pulling his funding. Fortunately, as a doctor at a mental health facility, he knows where he can find other guinea pigs for his experiments. However when he ups that dosage and uses it on a patient very close to him, the results are...odd.
The title is quite accurate - the characters ARE all monsters and thanks to the good doctor, they might be able to lay to rest their own demons.
I have an affinity of mental health hospitals, so this appealed to me. I feel like the story started off slowly, by once the shit hit the fan, I ran through the rest of the book. This is the second book I've read by the author, and this one was much better.
The title is quite accurate - the characters ARE all monsters and thanks to the good doctor, they might be able to lay to rest their own demons.
I have an affinity of mental health hospitals, so this appealed to me. I feel like the story started off slowly, by once the shit hit the fan, I ran through the rest of the book. This is the second book I've read by the author, and this one was much better.
jayfr's review against another edition
1.0
Firstly thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I think I've read this before... Actually I'm pretty sure I have tried to read this before.
I really wanted to enjoy it, but there was something off about the whole thing. The story dragged so much and I gave up with a DNF @ 75%
I think I've read this before... Actually I'm pretty sure I have tried to read this before.
I really wanted to enjoy it, but there was something off about the whole thing. The story dragged so much and I gave up with a DNF @ 75%