cedrics_mom's review against another edition
3.0
Best YA book I've read this year. Of course I'm comparing it to the Blue Bloods books, so it isn't saying much. I enjoyed this little read, nevertheless.
Dan, Abby, and Jordan meet at a summer pre-college prep program for super nerdy bookish types. At first things seem great: Dan doesn't feel like a dork for once, he gets a crush on cute Abby and he enjoys his studies in history. The problem is that the students are being housed in an old insane asylum that was shut years ago. Dorm space problems or some such excuse created this situation. Hence the book's title, ASYLUM.
Soon the creepy fun begins. Dan has lapses of memory. Murder. Strange notes. And the records and photos from the old asylum when it was being used to house the criminally insane. Muwahahahaha!
You can polish this baby off on a chilly, rainy Saturday or a few days at the beach. I highly recommend it. Believable characters, good atmosphere, good dialogue, and creepy fun even if you can see some of the conflicts coming a mile away. Well-paced. I give it 3+ stars and 2 thumbs up.
Dan, Abby, and Jordan meet at a summer pre-college prep program for super nerdy bookish types. At first things seem great: Dan doesn't feel like a dork for once, he gets a crush on cute Abby and he enjoys his studies in history. The problem is that the students are being housed in an old insane asylum that was shut years ago. Dorm space problems or some such excuse created this situation. Hence the book's title, ASYLUM.
Soon the creepy fun begins. Dan has lapses of memory. Murder. Strange notes. And the records and photos from the old asylum when it was being used to house the criminally insane. Muwahahahaha!
You can polish this baby off on a chilly, rainy Saturday or a few days at the beach. I highly recommend it. Believable characters, good atmosphere, good dialogue, and creepy fun even if you can see some of the conflicts coming a mile away. Well-paced. I give it 3+ stars and 2 thumbs up.
chevygirl's review against another edition
Made it to chapter 11 with not a damn thing exciting happening...
bookishsix's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t finish this book because it wasn’t as suspenseful or scary as I thought it was going to be. I thought it started well, but when I was ready for the story to pick up speed or move along it seemed to move slower. I found I was skimming and skipping paragraphs to get to the parts where anything was happening. I’d like to see what else is by this author so that I can see if this is just this book or if it’s their style.
breerashel's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like Madeleine Roux nailed the art of subtle creepiness in a horror book. I'm not going to lie here. I had to read this book with the lights on because this book was so descriptive that I felt like I was there in the asylum with Dan, Abby, and Jordan. i thought that it was cleverly done and there were times when I wasn't sure if I actually knew what was going on. I'm sure that that was the author's intention in order to put the reader in the mind of the characters who are suffering through the creepiness that is the asylum.
I think that the problem with the book for me was that there was too much focus on the teenage drama . I would have liked for the book to focus more so on the stories/pictures and old patients of the asylum. The mystery of what was happening was what pulled me into the story. I didn't care about the dating drama or one character being jealous that one of the others had friends besides them.
https://fictionedtodeath.blogspot.com/2018/11/asylum-asylum-1-by-madeleine-roux.html
I think that the problem with the book for me was that there was too much focus on the teenage drama . I would have liked for the book to focus more so on the stories/pictures and old patients of the asylum. The mystery of what was happening was what pulled me into the story. I didn't care about the dating drama or one character being jealous that one of the others had friends besides them.
https://fictionedtodeath.blogspot.com/2018/11/asylum-asylum-1-by-madeleine-roux.html
fizzyelf123's review against another edition
4.0
During the first half of the book, I felt like the teenage drama overpowered the creepiness and mystery of the story. However, the last half of the book got super creepy, super fast. The last couple chapters are terrifying!! 4 stars for an excellent ending to the book!
cyrereads's review against another edition
2.0
Asylum is about high school students going to a summer college prep that used to be an asylum. Then weird things start to happen, weird and spooky things. However, the book was not spooky enough. Before I get into why I didn't like it, let's discuss what I did enjoy. The chapters are short, which is a plus when you need stopping places. It also makes me feel good when I finish chapters. Also, the book includes black and white photos that add to the spooky and gives you a clear image of what is being described. Now, what I don't like. The entire thing really.
Madeleine Roux had already made my dnf list, but this book has promise. I think what makes me upset the most is the promise that this book had, and how greatly the author failed to deliver. I mean, an old asylum? Bring on the ghosts, the nightmares, the scary chills. The entire book was a drag. Nothing interesting happened until the last few chapters and even then, it was a letdown. I continued on reading in hopes it would get better, that it would get spookier. It didn't. With the layout, the photos, and the plot, this should have been a slam dunk and it wasn't.
I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, eager to turn the page. To read all the gruesome torture the quack warden did to his patients. This book is for ages 14 and up, yet the audience feels like it's mainly for teens. It was way too plain to be a good read for adults. What's a shame is that this is a series... It goes without saying that I will not be reading the rest.
Madeleine Roux had already made my dnf list, but this book has promise. I think what makes me upset the most is the promise that this book had, and how greatly the author failed to deliver. I mean, an old asylum? Bring on the ghosts, the nightmares, the scary chills. The entire book was a drag. Nothing interesting happened until the last few chapters and even then, it was a letdown. I continued on reading in hopes it would get better, that it would get spookier. It didn't. With the layout, the photos, and the plot, this should have been a slam dunk and it wasn't.
I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, eager to turn the page. To read all the gruesome torture the quack warden did to his patients. This book is for ages 14 and up, yet the audience feels like it's mainly for teens. It was way too plain to be a good read for adults. What's a shame is that this is a series... It goes without saying that I will not be reading the rest.
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
Great creep factor!
Dan is a former foster child with no idea of his birth parents or background. He's in a good home now, adopted by nice parents, and this summer he's heading to NHC for a high school/college prep class where he hopes he'll make friends. His roommate, Felix, is ok but not great friend material, but Abby and Jordan? Definitely going to be BFFs. The only problem is that their dorm is a former insane asylum... and we all know what that means. Nightmares. Unexplained happenings. Mysterious messages and photos.
The text is intercut with a lot of photos and copies of the journals, definitely adding to the sense that there's something Not Quite Right. As Dan delves into the history and what happened, we learn along with him. There's a lot that could have been added, but leaving out just enough helped.
ARC provided by publisher.
Dan is a former foster child with no idea of his birth parents or background. He's in a good home now, adopted by nice parents, and this summer he's heading to NHC for a high school/college prep class where he hopes he'll make friends. His roommate, Felix, is ok but not great friend material, but Abby and Jordan? Definitely going to be BFFs. The only problem is that their dorm is a former insane asylum... and we all know what that means. Nightmares. Unexplained happenings. Mysterious messages and photos.
The text is intercut with a lot of photos and copies of the journals, definitely adding to the sense that there's something Not Quite Right. As Dan delves into the history and what happened, we learn along with him. There's a lot that could have been added, but leaving out just enough helped.
ARC provided by publisher.
otteroftheworld's review against another edition
4.0
I would say it’s more of a mystery than a horror....
I was nervous to read it because I scare easily, but it wasn’t scary.... it was good though. I kept turning the page because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
It’s a YA book, and I feel like people aren’t keeping that in mind.
I was nervous to read it because I scare easily, but it wasn’t scary.... it was good though. I kept turning the page because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
It’s a YA book, and I feel like people aren’t keeping that in mind.
kdbarthlow's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75