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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My top read of the year!! Best ever!!
My kindle fritzed out!! I have to figure out how to get it back!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found it weirdly comforting. This is definitely a NSFW and trigger warning required read, but I really enjoyed reading it. Quite a few scenes made me feel seen in a way I've never felt with any other books that involve MH topics.
Content Warnings
There is a detailed trigger warning list at the start of the book - too many to add here from memory but please check it on the kindle preview before reading!
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nah. I don't mind the idea of a smutty romance being set in an asylum, but Brooklyn was just an insufferable main character. You don't want to write a multi-POV book where your readers groan when they get back to the protagonist's POV and pray for it to end. It's just not good, I'm sorry.
fast-paced
Hands down, one of the most powerful and emotionally gripping books I’ve ever read.
At times, it was so intense that I found myself holding my breath. The portrayal of the psychiatric department is deeply unsettling, yet unflinchingly honest.
At times, it was so intense that I found myself holding my breath. The portrayal of the psychiatric department is deeply unsettling, yet unflinchingly honest.
Brooklyn struggles with schizophrenia, anxiety, anger, and self-harm.
Kade is clean-cut and disciplined, but hides so many other truths. Hudson, with his violent tendencies, is Brook’s first love, adding a layer of complexity to their relationship.
Eli, who is mute and has striking green eyes, deals with sensory overload and self-harm involving blood. He is the character who touched and moved me the most.
Kade is clean-cut and disciplined, but hides so many other truths. Hudson, with his violent tendencies, is Brook’s first love, adding a layer of complexity to their relationship.
Eli, who is mute and has striking green eyes, deals with sensory overload and self-harm involving blood. He is the character who touched and moved me the most.
Phoenix is manic, flirtatious, and has vibrant blue hair, embracing their identity as bisexual.
And finally, Patient Seven is introduced in Book 2, adding a mysterious depth to this found family.
And finally, Patient Seven is introduced in Book 2, adding a mysterious depth to this found family.
Tropes and TW
- pitch dark why choose romance
- mental illness rep
- lgbtqia+
- bi-awakening
- found family
- Suicide though / attempt
- pitch dark why choose romance
- mental illness rep
- lgbtqia+
- bi-awakening
- found family
- Suicide though / attempt
- Self harm
- Toxic relationship
- Drugs
- Murder / violence
- Torture
Please be careful with your mental health, this book contains a lot of difficult and disturbing subjects.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
A trilogy, finished the first one. Am gonna come back
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Blackwood Institute is a contemporary dark romance, and this collects Twisted Heathens (#1), Sacrificial Sinners (#2) and Desecrated Saints (#3) in one collection, with additional chapters and an extended epilogue. This follows Brooklyn, who is diagnosed as a schizophrenic, and is a convicted murderer. She is given the choice - attend Blackwood Institute and complete it's three year program, or stay behind bars and rot. Brooklyn agrees to the deal, but her focus is on one thing - to end her own life. When she attends Blackwood, she comes across four broken patients, determined to derail her plans. This book was fantastic! I felt there was so much realism within the world building, the characters, and the setting of Blackwood - yes, there are moments of suspension and disbelief, but having worked in mental health (and openly discussing my own), made things more grounded. Brooklyn was a really intriguing character, with more depth than the blurb allows for, and the male leads are broken and sexy. The spicy scenes are well written too, and there is enough so that it doesn't detract from the plot. This series is very dark - lots of self-harm, death, drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse, financial abuse - I feel like there is more, but I can't recall them all. I originally borrowed this from Kindle Unlimited, and then bought the paperback edition.