We Are Monsters by Brian Kirk

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Thanks to Netgalley for this one. Please note that all opinions offered in the review are my own.

I liked the sound of this one when I read the blurb on Netgalley, so I was more than happy when they sent a copy my way. However, I’m torn, as I loved the first half of the book, but thought the second half was a bit, well, silly. It’s set in a progressive mental institution that uses alternative therapies on their patients instead of plying them with drugs. This has the institution in the public eye already, but when they take in a mass murderer who claims to have received his kill orders from God, the scrutiny is amped up. Then the weird stuff starts to happen. Here’s my thoughts on the story:

• The main cast of characters is great. There’s the doctor who runs the place, championing the alternative approach, and his protege who realises he’s in a great situation, but prefers the medicinal approach, even going so far as to create his own drug. There’s also the social worker who has a great rapport with the patients, and all three of these characters have a deep and interesting tragic backstory. The patients too are well drawn out, and the author does a fine job of avoiding stereotypes
• I think my favourite part of the book was the plot revolving around the differences between the two different therapies. Both doctors have their own sad reasons for making their choices, while it’s also interesting how the board of directors and the various staff in the hospital have their own opinions on how things should be done. Of course, the fame of the hospital means it’s a lucrative place to work, so we don’t start to see the cracks until later, but there are some hints
• The hospital is almost a character in its own right. We have the fresh newer wings that reflect the new age philosophies, while underground we have the dark dungeons of horror movies. In the latter part of the book, the lower levels take on a life of their own, and add some creepy aspects to enhance the overall feel
• The first half of the book was sy=uch a delight, that the second half of the story was a let down. What struck me was it set up a strong ending, then just flipped the switch and got weird. Not that I don’t like weird, it just went out of its way to change the whole vibe of the story. Granted it was pegged as a horror, so it had to throw some bones to the genre fans, but the backgrounds of the main characters were harsh enough. When the strange things started happening, the story was still strong, but went downhill too quickly.

Verdict

A great first half, but the end was less than satisfactory.