Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

12 reviews

eed8's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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nadiajohnsonbooks's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

S.A. Barnes is now an auto-buy author for sure.

I loved Dead Silence, and Ghost Station delivered on a lot of what I liked about her horror debut. Set in an abandoned research facility on an alien planet, Ghost Station follows Ophelia, the company-mandated therapist on a small research crew. Sent to monitor the crew for signs of a particular type of psychosis that frequently affects these long-term interplanetary missions, she finds herself equally haunted by the legacy of her own messed up family. The crew don't trust her, but when things start to go awry on their mission, they are forced to come together to stay alive.

I love (well-written) horror that forces you to question what is real and what is a product of the protagonist's own mind. S.A. Barnes delivers that in spades without relying on lazy, stigmatizing depictions of mental illness. She gets it.

The root of the horror in this book was completely novel (to me, at least), and I loved watching Ophelia piece it together. Quite literally, my only complaint with this book is that I wish there was more of it. I'm dying to know more about the planet's original inhabitants, and I wish there was more meat to the epilogue. I have questions, Ms. Barnes!!!

All in all, Ghost Station was a creepy, fascinating, and totally unique horror story that nevertheless called to mind the things I love most about Dead Silence. I can't wait to dive into some more sci-fi horror, or whatever S.A. Barnes writes next.

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scramuel058's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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barometz's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Definitely a slow start, slowed down further by the amount of time that Ophelia spends mooning over Severin*. At almost no point could I take her seriously as a medical professional. But once the horror kicked off, I was still totally sucked in. Ultimately, I wished we could have had more time with
the alien entity
before the book ended.

*I think I jokingly whined to a friend who was also reading this book that it was too heterosexual for me, but it did make me very glad to see queer people included even if just as background characters. 

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ms_rey's review

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3.75

Her first novel was creepier with a better ending. I would've loved more show & less tell re: the MC's self-psychoanalysis. This was fine and I'll read her next novel, assuming we get one, but if it's this level then she'll no longer be a must-read.

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keberwick's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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caidyn's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Creepy as hell. And such an interesting, twisty story. Definitely enjoyable!

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boogergoddess's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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dana_naylor's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.5

It is horror, but as main character is a psychologist (unsure of exactly what certification, but not a medical doctor and a therapist), there’s a LOT of psychological horror as well.
I had fun with the book overall and will be looking for her next book to read.
I liked most of the characters and enjoyed reveals.

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lahars_little_library's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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