“The Apocalypse has come to the Sugar Hill mental asylum.” He s the hospital s newest, and most notorious, patient a paranoid schizophrenic who sees humanity s dark side. Luckily he s in good hands. Dr. Eli Alpert has a talent for healing tortured souls. And his protege is working on a cure for schizophrenia, a drug that returns patients to their former selves. But unforeseen side effects are … side effects are starting to emerge. Forcing prior traumas to the surface. Setting inner demons free.
Monsters have been unleashed inside the Sugar Hill mental asylum. They don t have fangs or claws. They look just like you or me.”
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I didn’t care much for this book. I was rather disappointed with it.
We Are Monsters by Brian Kirk is much more than an entertaining horror story focused on the nature of reality; it explores an important moral concern that has plagued society for generations—the treatment of patients in psychiatric hospitals
Most of the novel takes place in the Sugar Hill Mental Hospital. The protagonist, Alex Drexler, is a staff psychiatrist at Sugar Hill. He is highly motivated and more focused on success than on the wellbeing of his patients. He lusts for financial profit and a major promotion. His foil is Dr. Eli Alpert, Sugar Hill’s Chief Medical Director, a gentle, softhearted man who respects his patients.
Drexler believes he has created a drug that will reset a patient’s mind so that it will function properly. Although the drug has not been approved, he secretly tests it on his patients with questionable results. Because a pharmaceutical company is interested is the drug, he forges ahead, his main goal huge profits that would cure his financial woes. When an infamous serial killer is admitted to Sugar Hill, Drexler cannot resist one more test of his drug, even though he doubts its efficacy. With this last test, psychotic illusion spills into reality.
“The world is an illusion: we only pretend it’s real.”
The setting, Sugar Hill, is clearly drawn and rings true. Readers will feel they are there among the patients. The two main characters are made real by extensive backstories that secure credibility and validate their behavior and motivations.
The diametrically opposed motivations of the two main characters add complexity to the plot, urging readers to choose sides and wonder who will succeed.
The elevated literary quality of the prose enhances the already compelling story. The text is clear and easy to read, making the novel a great choice for readers who love horror. In addition, the underlying societal message raises We Are Monsters above the fray, making it unique, praiseworthy, and a great choice for a wide range of readers who may very well reassess their views on reality and on the treatment of those facing mental challenges.
We Are Monsters is a recommended read.
Rougeski Reads
Big thanks to Flametree Press for not only letting me check this one out through Netgalley, but also re-releasing this book.
We Are Monsters’ is my second book from Kirk I’ve read after ‘Will Haunt You.’ ‘Will Haunt You’ was one of my favourite reads of 2019 and so I went in with high expectations for this one – especially as it had been previously named a Bram Stoker Nominee for Best First Novel.
I have to say, overall this was an ok read, but a lot of it just didn’t click or flow.
We are introduced to Sugar Hill Asylum, under the direction of Eli. His vice-director Alex Drexler is hot on his heels to succeed him. We also are introduced to Angela, one of the psychologists working at the facility.
The main narrative of this story is that Alex has developed a compound that will help patients with schizophrenia and other mental disorders return to normal. Something he then attempts to use on his brother Jerry.
We also get introduced to Crosby, a violent offender who has been transferred to Sugar Hill for evaluation and treatment.
Crosby plays a big role in the unravelling of the story, but for the most part is a very minor character, one who completely disappears around the 75% mark.
I really wanted to love this one, but a few things kept glaring out at me.
In the beginning, Alex speeds home, only to strike and kill the family dog. His wife is upset, but we don’t hear too much about it as she’s pushed aside quickly.
Then after something horrific happens to Jerry’s character, witnessed by Alex’s wife, we don’t hear about her again. She’s essentially written out, only to be alluded to in passing during an episode Alex has near the end.
I also didn’t enjoy the character of Angela. At first, I believed she was going to be portrayed as a strong presence, but then within a few chapters was turned into an unhinged lady who likes to drink and have one night stands. The first time we read about this, it appears as though she’s drugged and then as they begin to have sex, she fades out of consciousness, only to wake up sprawled out and abandoned in the alley by the bar. I just didn’t find much of a reason for this to even happen, even after we find out her back story later on.
The ending, while in the context of the book works, really didn’t hammer anything home for me. I’m not sure if this was going to be part of a bigger world or a series of books, but the ending just happens and felt a bit flat.
Kirk can write, there’s no denying that, but as for the story within this one, it just felt more like pieces cobbled together to make a full length read.
Overall, I wanted to love this book so badly, especially with how fantastic ‘Will Haunt You’ was, but for me this just missed the mark. I can see why so many folk enjoy it, but as for this reader, it was merely ok.
We Are Monsters is fantastic — a frightening and intense thriller. I was blown away. Brian Kirk is exactly what readers need — a talented new voice with original, awe-inspiring ideas that can push the genre forward.
Brian Kirk’s debut novel We Are Monsters is a sure bet. A hippy-trippy jaunt that goes deep into the baser things we keep bottled up… and what happens when they’re freed. Highly recommended!
I loved, loved, loved how the big takeaway from this book was Redemption. Good story, well written, interesting, had enough scary/twisted to keep the horror fan in me entertained, and since I’m a horror fan who’s a sucker for a happy ending, it had what I felt was the best of all possible endings. Definitely on my read-again list!
This was a lot different than I expected. I thought it was going to be a typical horror novel that would not get very deep. This book is obviously heavily researched and well thought out. The story takes place in an asylum and deals with how the doctors are trying to help the patients. One of the doctors is trying to make a magical cure for mental illness (using something similar to DMT, which is fascinating on it’s own.) The doctor thinks his cure is working and things suddenly go horribly wrong. The characters are well developed and I found it easy to understand how people are certain ways due to their history. I think the author was telling us that everyone has issues in their past and in order to move on and forgive these issues must be addressed. If you are looking for fluff horror look elsewhere. If you are looking for a thought provoking read then this book is for you. This is not for children, some gore but not an excessive amount. A lot of sadness and adult themes.
This book is very much character driven. The author takes his time developing his characters. For some, it may seem like maybe too much time. Not for me. If I’d not gotten a grasp on what makes them tick, I wouldn’t have cared for the story at all.
And it’s also a slow burner. You don’t get instant horror. There were even some parts that lagged for me. But then things really started happening. At first I was confused. Couldn’t grasp what was happening. Once I did, everything turned upside down. I wasn’t sure who was crazy. The patients or the people who ran the asylum. Or both.
If you like psychological horror that makes you think, I recommend you give this a go. I enjoyed it and would happily read more by this author.
We Are Monsters is a high-voltage thrill, like watching Sam Fuller’s Shock Corridor and Joel Schumacher’s Flatliners on split screens.
A smart, elaborate novel that weaves together the best and worst of us. Complex, terrifying, and still humane, this book moved me to both horror and compassion, and that’s a difficult thing indeed.
Read it but didn’t care for it. Hard to follow
Very strange and somewhat hard to follow. Takes an abrupt and strange twist that didn’t seem to work. Would not recommend this book.