Title: Shadows in the Asylum: The Case Files of Dr. Charles Marsh
Author: D.A. Stern
Published by: Emmis Books
Released: 2006
Source: Library
Summary: Dr. Charles Marsh has just begun a new appointment at Kriegmoor Psychiatric Institute. He's hoping to step back into the practice of treating patients and build up his good name, after the scandal that sidelined his career.
One of his patients is Kari Hansen. She claims to see things no one else can see, things that are after her. Kari's problems started after a school archaeology trip to an island with a history of the paranormal. The more Dr. Marsh treats Kari, the more he starts to believe that what she's seeing is real. He becomes obsessed in finding proof, even if that means putting his job in jeopardy again.
Told through Dr. Marsh's notes and case files, we discover just what Kari Hansen is seeing.
My Thoughts: I Loved This! It was so fun to read. The layout was what drew me to the book, and it was done right. I was interested from page one, and had to race to the end to find out the shocking conclusion. After finishing, I looked for more books by D.A. Stern, because I wanted to read more by him.
I'm always drawn to books with unique layouts, they call to me, and just look like such fun things to read. I have been burned by books with unique layouts though. Sometimes the way the story is told can make the reading experience not fun. My biggest example of this was House of Leaves by Danielewski. That book took me ages to get through, and the format made for confusing and frustrating reading. Also, to a lesser extent, Illuminae by Kristoff and Kaufman, I didn't hate the book, but the unique layout kind of got repetitive, and I became over it very quickly. Shadows in the Asylum was this unique type of layout done right! It was just so fun to read, it felt real, like I was really reading Dr. Marsh's notes and case files. I loved the commitment to making it look real. That's actually another thing that's funny about this story, passing it off as a work of nonfiction, making the reader believe that all this stuff actually happened. It was just a lot of fun to lose myself in the book, flipping through these interviews with Kari, seeing Dr. Marsh slip deeper and deeper into his belief of what haunts her.
The things that happened in this book were kind of shocking too. Perfect Halloween read! Dr. Marsh has some interesting treatment methods, that's all I will say. The ending of this book, that was an I can't believe that happened moment.
I totally recommend this. It was tons of fun. I flew through it. I am now excited to read the other book I found that D.A. Stern wrote, it's The Blair Witch Project!! So yeah, this was great. If you see it, definitely pick it up. It's a fun reading experience.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5
I Loved This!
No comments:
Post a Comment