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A review by kaitie_reads
The Redemption of Morgan Bright by Chris Panatier
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: Horror isn't a regular genre for me, but this book just seemed so interesting, and with the early reviews, I wanted to see what it was about. Also, a woman who checks herself into a mental asylum to investigate the death of her sister? Sign me up.
This book was... unsettling, but also genius? I'm still trying to wrap my head around what exactly happened between these pages. It was actually horrifying, but I also couldn't peel my eyes away.
The path that the author takes with this book is definitely unexpected. I did feel like the story has a great message by making us feel uncomfortable, and [I believe another reviewer mentioned] is also reminiscent of Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale."
The story never feels gruesome for the sake of being gruesome but also has some pretty gag-worthy moments and a lot of creepiness, which ties together well with the storyline. It all feels very intentional.
My only hang-up is that there is so much going on, that I feel I need to reread it just to grasp it a little bit more and make sense of all of the layers that Panatier built into the story. It's very well-constructed but also confusing at times because of the mental state of the unreliable narrator and her own confusion. Overall, it was a great read, and I think this one will sit with me for a while.
Disclaimer: Horror isn't a regular genre for me, but this book just seemed so interesting, and with the early reviews, I wanted to see what it was about. Also, a woman who checks herself into a mental asylum to investigate the death of her sister? Sign me up.
This book was... unsettling, but also genius? I'm still trying to wrap my head around what exactly happened between these pages. It was actually horrifying, but I also couldn't peel my eyes away.
The path that the author takes with this book is definitely unexpected. I did feel like the story has a great message by making us feel uncomfortable, and [I believe another reviewer mentioned] is also reminiscent of Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale."
The story never feels gruesome for the sake of being gruesome but also has some pretty gag-worthy moments and a lot of creepiness, which ties together well with the storyline. It all feels very intentional.
My only hang-up is that there is so much going on, that I feel I need to reread it just to grasp it a little bit more and make sense of all of the layers that Panatier built into the story. It's very well-constructed but also confusing at times because of the mental state of the unreliable narrator and her own confusion. Overall, it was a great read, and I think this one will sit with me for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Moderate: Drug abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Murder