Reviews with content warning for Medical content - The Institution

I was instantly taken in by the setting. This is probably one of the most perfect locations I’ve read in a thriller. I only wish I had been as taken in by the story and its presentation.

Along with the synopsis, the opening pages hooked me. We meet Dr. Connie Woolwine as she’s examining the body of a deceased woman who’s had her newborn baby taken from her. Connie is determined to find the culprit, believing that there is a chance the baby is still alive. To do so, she must stay amongst the inmates at a high-security prison.

First, I should say that a lot of what I didn’t like about this book boils down to personal preference. I found this to be too gory for my liking with a lot of medical detail, blood, etc. Readers with a stronger stomach will enjoy this a lot more. I also struggled to click with any of the characters and struggled for a while to keep the supporting roles straight, especially with how dialogue-heavy the book becomes as it goes on.

The high points for me surround, again, the setting of the book and the general atmosphere. I would have liked a little more time spent on descriptions even though the cover captures the vibe quite well.

A huge thanks to Harper360 for sending me a free ARC of the book!

Content Warnings

secre's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started The Institution, but what I got was a tense thriller that had me hooked from the first page to the very last. I've head one of Helen Fields novels before, and that had a very different tone and pace to it. These Lost & Broken Things was one of my top reads of 2020, but it was slow and methodical in it's darkness. The Institution felt like I was reading on a razor's edge, only one step away from catastrophe at any given moment.

The story is dark. A pregnant woman has been murdered, her baby torn from her stomach and taken for ransom. The setting is dark; an asylum for dangerous criminals thought to be mentally insane and unable to be rehabilitated. And there is a ticking clock. The baby was forcibly delivered too soon. They are vulnerable and in need of immediate medical attention. Everyone is suspect and it's doubtful any of the patients could have managed it alone.

So Connie enters the ward by subterfuge. Her colleague is her patient. Yet the dehumanising way patients are treated is evident from the start. Connie needs to keep their cover intact, whilst also trying to find the newborn and keeping her colleague safe. It's an impossible challenge and the tension ramps up quickly. The ticking clock is forever in the background, even as Connie doubts her own sanity. If the baby isn't found, it will die. There's no doubt about that.

It's fraught. I felt my heart-rate spike at points and I couldn't put the book down, desperate to find out how it ends. It's full of tension and you never quite know what's going on. But it also shines a light on some of the darker practices in mental health. Those who have read Nettie Bly's account of being admitted will empathise. Practices aren't any cleaner and we're more than a hundred years on.

This is a fantastic crime thriller. It's got everything. And reminds me to read more of the authors works.

Content Warnings

gretamitg's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

jackierobinson's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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soobooksalot's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

You know a book is worthy when you send this message to one of your bests: "Is it 2:22 a.m. and I'm up reading The Institution? Yes, yes I am!!!"
Helen Fields is now an auto-buy author for me. The description of The Institution had me not even thinking twice about it.
The story is filled with fascinating and off-putting characters; darkness, tension, and action.
It's truly a "trust no one" situation - convicted serial killers in the highest security wing of an isolated island psychiatric hospital. What can go wrong?
This would be a fantastic story to see on screen. Recommended!
(Half a star off because I'm not sure about the ending. Other than write me a sequel posthaste!)

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