Asylum (Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena) by Sarah Hans

Asylum (Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena) Reviews

• 
  Lata

  When Ashleigh’s boyfriend Connor attempts to rob the corner store near the apartment they’re squatting in, Ashleigh decides, much as she is fed up with their meth-addicted life, that they need to hide out somewhere unexpected.
  
  So Ashleigh, Conor, and their meth-friends Dean and Kayla bundle up their meagre possessions and head up the mountain to the abandoned asylum, which lacks running water and electricity, but has an abundance of stray cats.
  
  Ashleigh has been making bad decisions for a while now. Though the asylum seemed like a good idea, faced with the reality of the place (moldering walls and furniture, small piles of bones and excrement everywhere) and the snakes, eviscerated coyote, and screams from some unknown creature, she wonders, exhausted, aching, and craving a fix, what situation she’s gotten them in. And then things go from bad to worse, with violence erupting, and Ashleigh convinced someone else is at the asylum.
  
  The pacing worked well to build the creepy atmosphere, and the reveal about three quarters in was low-key scary. But I found that the real horror of this story was the way Ashleigh was destroying her life, including feeling that she desperately needed Connor, who was violent and abusive.
  
  The turn to a sort of Beauty and the Beast story was unexpected, and I liked the eeriness and sense of danger the author evoked. And though Ashleigh was again in a dangerous situation, I actually liked the way she felt both repelled and entranced. And, despite her stated desire at the beginning of the story, the story's wrap-up felt both sad and a little hopeless, as Ashleigh gets ready to revert to a familiar pattern.
  
  Thank you to Netgalley and to RDS Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.
• 
  Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich

  
  3.5 stars
  
  Asylum by Sarah Hans is a horror novella about four young people on the run.  I have no idea why the subtitle of "Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena" exists, unless this short novel is part of many more.
  
  First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Raw Dog Screaming Press and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
   
  
  My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
  Ashleigh and her boyfriend Connor, along with Kayla and Dean, are on the run after Connor and Dean held up the corner store. 
  
  Ashleigh decides they have to immediately pack up everything and find a new place to lay low.  She figures the best place would be the abandoned asylum, up the mountain.  While there, they can all get clean from their meth habit. 
  
  Although the asylum is run-down, and has no running water or electricity,  at least it provides shelter.  It also contains more cats and their stench than anyone could imagine.  Then there is the shadow that seems to loom over them all.
  
   
  
  My Opinions:
  I'm really not sure.  That sub-title bothers me, as did the forward.  I feel like I missed something.
  
  The book hit topics like drug addiction, verbal and physical abuse, sex, murder and the bizarre.
  
  The premise was really good, as was the creepiness and the eventual horror.  The suspense built in the first half, and the horror in the second. 
  
  It was a very easy read.  The author wrote well enough that I could visualize the scenes, and it is definitely reminiscent of a teenage horror flick.  The plot took a real twist with the shadow-cat.  I can't say more on that one.
  
  The ending left a little to be desired, as I had a few more questions.... 
  
   
  
  For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, author information and a favorite quotation from the book), please visit my blog:
  http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
• 
  Ashley

  Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for an ARC of this novella.
  
  3.5 stars rounded down to 3.
  
  Ashleigh and her group of friends are meth addicts, who are on the run looking for a new home so they can finally get clean. They decide to run to this abandoned asylum, since it's far from civilization and off the grid so they can remain hidden from police. However, once they arrive a shadowy figure appears to Ashleigh and things take a turn for the worse.
  
  This one was difficult for me to rate, because there was a lot going on in such a short amount of pages. Despite that, it was actually really well written and mostly easy to follow. Themes of addiction (substance abuse as well as addiction to toxic relationships) were well-fleshed out, but it was maybe more than halfway through the story before anything "scary" started happening. For me, this wasn't really horror at all in a traditional sense. I think the horror was more about grief, addiction, and leaving toxic relationships more than any monster. The turn to a darker version of Beauty and the Beast was also something I didn't expect, and by the end I was left with more questions than those that were answered. I think this would make more sense to me if it was a full-length novel vs. a novella.
  
  Overall, I liked the concept and the writing was well done and easy to follow for the most part. Very different concept than what I've read in the past and it was enjoyable and thought-provoking for a quick read!
• 
  Ghastly

  I would like to thank NetGalley for the e-arc of this Novella. (review contains spoilers). Asylum will be published 3/14/24.
  
  I genuinely was 100 percent feeling this novella, until I wasn’t. It had the perfect start. Junkies squatting, running from the cops, strong personalties clashing. All the best ingredients for a gritty horror experience.
  
  Somewhere around the 60 percent mark there was a major change up that felt rushed, clumsy even. It all goes downhill from there. The story never recovers and the reader is assaulted with a weird dose of furry-fetish-sexcapades.
  
  I understand there will be a niche out there who will love this content, it just isn’t for this reader.
  
  #NetGalley #Asylum #bookstagram #Horror #horrorbooks #betterreadthandead #horrorbooks #deankoontz #stephenking #weirdfiction #bookreview #GhastlyBookLover
• 
  Janalyn

  Ashley her boyfriend Connor his friend Dean Dean‘s girlfriend Kaylee are all meth addicts Kaylee did have a job but due to Connor and Dean robbing a local quick stop they had to leave town and despite rumors of a wildcat call Perry roaming the hill where the asylum is Ashley talks them in to go in there to hide out. When they arrive at the asylum their goal is to get clean but first they have to finish smoking the last of their crystal meth . The first impressions of the asylum is the strong smell of cat urine and on the way up the hill they saw a fox ripped from limb to limb and they instantly know that isn’t the work of a bear or a coyote but something much bigger and much more fierce. It wasn’t until they start smoking the drugs they brought and everyone starts getting intimate with their partners that Ashley sees a shadow standing in the doorway when Connor turns he immediately thinks it is Dean despite the fact he was in another part of the asylum. Connor immediately starts beating on Dean this will not be the last strange thing to happen nor the last time Connor overreacts but when he and Ashley have a misunderstanding and she runs to the words to hide from him when she comes back she catches him with Kaylee in one thing leads to another and Connor is angry at Ashley again but he’s also torn between wanting her to just talk to him she has locked her self in one of the bathrooms but as he bangs on the door she hears what sounds like a body drop in when she is brave enough to open the door she sees him on the floor dying. This is when Ashley sees the bipedal feline staring at her once again from the doorway due to where he is standing Ashley cannot run and leave the asylum so her only choice is to jump out of the window two stories up and try her best to make it to the car they parked down the hill. Little does Ashley know her trip to the asylum is far from over and even though the book was good up until this point it gets really good after her long complicated treck to the sanctuary of the car. This is a great book it is a short story that I really feel deserves a sequel. I was not expecting the book to go where it did but OMG it was so refreshing for it not to be your typical haunted Asylum story. I really felt bad for Ashley and by the end I felt even worse. This is definitely a great horror story and another great book from this collection. I want to thank our DS publishing and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
• 
  Just Another Final Girl Review (Brittany) Levely-Connolly

  “Shadows would always undulate out of the corner of her eye.”
  
  The Asylum by Sarah Hans is the 3rd novella in RDS press’s series Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena and is a 3rd person narrative that follows Ashleigh (protagonists), Conor, Dean and Kayla as they flee from the city and seek refuge in a local abandoned asylum. They are all homeless meth addicts who have formed a sort of makeshift family, relying on one another for survival. On the run and seeking to get sober Ashleigh suggests they move to the asylum and take the opportunity to get clean. It seems like the perfect place for them to go, until they arrive and find themselves entirely cut off from the rest of the world. The asylum is not as empty or safe as it appears and the decision to move in is about to become more a nightmare as they realize they are not alone.
  
  I really didn’t like this novella as much as I loved the rest of the series. I found Ashleigh to be a very well fleshed out character and the depiction of her struggles with addiction was very interesting and seemingly realistic. I just didn’t like the plot overall . Maybe I just didn’t appreciate this creature feature and I definitely didn’t love the ending.
• 
  Kiki Marie Bookish Wh0r3

  This shortish story is a different take on the effects of drugs in all aspects. From the strain it has on your relationships with friends and family, to the strain it has on your mind, the lasting effects on your body, your emotions, and your overall view on life.
  I was so invested in to Ashleigh in such a short amount of time. It was as if I was feeling the fear, the rage, the sorrow as she experienced them.
  I did get a little pulled out of the story with the shadow man "reveal" but ....it definitely ties in to the statement of how drugs affect every part of you.
  This story was a pretty quick read and kept me wanting to find out more. I had a few audible gasps as things played out and even a few times of asking aloud "WHY?!?! " lol
  
  Thank you NetGalley, Raw Dog Screaming Press, and Sarah Hans for the opportunity to read this quaint story with a big statement packed in there. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more by Sarah Hans as well as more that may come out as a part of this series.
• 
  Suz Jay

  On the lam from the law, Ashleigh, her boyfriend Conner, and another couple, Kayla and Dean, camp out in an abandoned asylum. Tension rises between the members of the group as they detox from meth and discover the dangers of the asylum.
  
  The story has all the great vibes of a slasher story with the isolation, unexplained happenings, and rising body count as sexy times ensue.
  
  The drug use adds an extra layer of uncanniness as the characters try to separate reality from the effects of the meth from reality.
  
  I loved Ashleigh’s character arc as she decides to get clean and view her abusive relationship with a fresh perspective.
  
  While I found the ending satisfying and the story solidly built, I wanted more time with the cats, characters, and the wonderfully creepy and cool world Hans created.
  
  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
  
  Thanks to Raw Dog Screaming Press for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.
• 
  Denice Langley

  A short story with lots of horror vibes. Two couples, all addicts, have escaped the police but need place to hide. They choose an abandoned asylum that will provide them with a roof and that's pretty much it. No water, no lights, no heat but no police either. Their intent is to get clean, but one of the first things they do is smoke meth. As they pair off for couples time, they will discover, they are not alone in the asylum. Fear will drive them into arguments and violence until fleeing the scene becomes the only option. And then.........
  
  This is the perfect story for a "slasher" tale and the story moves in twists that you'd not see even if you were looking for them. Short stories prove an author's skills as they must tell a complete story in fewer pages than most chapters. Sarah Hans did an excellent job of making sure I don't visit any abandoned buildings for quite some time......
• 
  Michael

  In Asylum, Sarah Hans start with the everyday horror of poverty and addiction, introduces a supernatural terror, tosses in a bit of love, the pain of being trapped in a relationship, and the fear of the future. The fact that she does all of this in less than 100 pages while creating believable, engaging characters is an example of the incredible author that she is.
  
  Ashleigh and her friend group are forced into a situation where they have to leave the home in which they had been squatting. She convinces the three others that this would be a perfect time to try and get clean from their crystal meth addictions. The place chosen to do this — the abandoned asylum.
  
  At first it seems that this will be the perfect, if a bit spooky setting. However interpersonal conflicts threaten the group. The intra-group pressure is compounded when they start seeing something in the shadows, something watching them…
• 
  Lenore Sagaskie

  Ashleigh and her meth-addicted friends were squatting in an abandoned house when they were forced to relocate after two of their group committed an armed robbery at the local convenience store. Ashleigh, who is desperate to get clean, suggests they hide at the abandoned Asylum, a place that is rumored to be haunted. Her hope is that the Asylum’s reputation will be a safe place to hide and to get clean. Unfortunately, the place doesn’t provide the haven she expected.
  
  This novella is gritty and fast-paced. Everyone loves a feel-good story with dogs, right? This one is creepy with cats. Lots and lots of cats. But there is also a twist, and Hans delivers it with gusto.
  The pacing and the gripping tension made Asylum a quick, satisfying read. If you like novellas, and horror with unique supernatural elements, I highly recommend Asylum as your next read.
• 
  Sara

  This horror novella follows Ashleigh and her group of friends as they hid out in the Asylum. They are on the run from the cops and decide the Asylum will be the perfect place to disappear and also detox from meth. Unfortunately, there maybe something worse for them residing in the Asylum.
  
  This story was really fast paced and enjoyable. It touched on serious subjects such as the suffering of drug addiction and domestic violence and then brought in bizarre elements such as the shadows in the Asylum. The author did a fabulous jobs setting up the shockingly purrrfect atmosphere of the Asylum. The ending had me shouting "No!"
  
  Thanks NetGalley, RDS publishing and Sarah Hans for the copy of this book for my honest review.
• 
  Toni

  Thank you NetGalley and RDS publishing for this arc.
  
  I enjoyed this novella. There is a lot going on in a very short amount of pages, and I believe it could benefit from being a full length novel but overall I did very much enjoy it. I think I’m still trying to fully process the ending, because oh boy that is not where I thought the story was going. I am not at all mad at the ending, it’s just a very interesting ending. It’s a very well written, thought provoking read. Please check the trigger warnings before reading. I loved the representation of substance abuse, addiction and toxic relationships- they were done very well. I adored the MC, and her inner monologue. Would recommend this novella to friends who want a weird read.
• 
  Shyla

  Domestic fiction meets thriller, meets sci-fi, meets monster romance? I weirdly enjoyed this. We start with a group of young adults who are struggling with their meth addictions, and end up running from the law, just to find themselves holed up in an abandoned asylum. Violence ensues, where one is saved by a creature. After a romantic night with the creature she realizes she craves the human experience again and leaves. While in hospital we are led to believe she may be pregnant, and we are left questioning is she really and is it possible. Overall this novella was definitely intriguing and had a creepy edge, but I think a warning to readers of the sexual aspect would be good. I would’ve read it either way, just was surprised by that twist.
• 
  Lady Vamp

  I enjoyed this short horror novella. Anything with an asylum in it has to be scary, the setting of the story is definitely creepy! I really felt a connection to the LC Ashleigh and loved the building of the story, it had me sitting up wanting more. It was fast paced and a really insightful look into drug addiction, relationship abuse. Into the second part of the story it kind of threw me, I was not expecting that at all , things get very bizarre and I felt that maybe the ending was rushed? I would really have loved to see a longer more in-depth ending to match the beginning after such a brilliant built up. I loved it and enjoyed reading this story a lot.
  
  I would like to thank NetGalley and Raw Dig Screaming Press for this Arc.
• 
  lexi

  This book was a quick read it pulls you in there is a lot of emotions displayed, and how when emotions and taking drugs can take over and make situations worse and even deadly. Sarah Hans gives you an image of how it is being on drugs and acting on impulse can have your entire world crashing down. But this book also brings a paranoid scary feeling as you read. You think you might know what’s going on but then you start questioning what you are reading and at some point you kinda start feeling like the characters. I definitely recommend this book if you are in a reading slump and you are looking for something quick but it definitely gets you back in the mood for reading.
• 
  Monica Hein

  Thanks for NetGalley for this ARC.
  
  I want to dub more into horror / thriller books this year. This was short horror novella that brings out issues with drug addiction and domestic violence. Its gory at some parts with paranormal urban legend elements of cat named Perry.
  
  Overall any asylum story sound creepy ... AHS im looking at you. This was fast paced and interesting. It follows 4 people (Ashleigh & Connor and Dylan & Kylee) who hide in abandon asylum from cops. Little do they know this little hide out trip will change their lives.
  
  I feel like there should be follow up book because wtf with the end!?
  
  
• 
  TessaMcbessa

  The third installment to what has easily become one of my favorite new novella collections.
  
  Asylum is about a group of junkie friends running from the law that end up squatting in a reasonably creepy old asylum.
  
  I loved these characters. I was so into their stories from the get-go. They aren't the greatest people, but somehow, you fall for them anyway. I also absolutely loved the bleak atmosphere in the asylum, and let me tell you... you can literally smell it
  
  This one does take a strange turn towards the end that I wasn't expecting at all.  It wasn't a bad ending, but it was definitely one of the last things I ever would have thought happening...ever.
  
  I will say...if you like cats,  you'll probably like this story.
• 
  Alexis Collazo

  This is exactly the kind of horror I love. The best horror includes both fantastic imaginary aspects alongside the very real terrors of our society. In Asylum, it's hard to decipher which is more terrifying. And it forces the reader to wonder who the real monster is, an abusive drug addicted boyfriend or a dangerous strange inhuman creature. My only complaint with be the short length, it was over way too quick. I wish there a bit more suspense in the middle and it ended with tons of unanswered questions.
• 
  Candi Norwood

  Thanks to #NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for this review copy in exchange for my honest review, but, in the spirit of honesty, I have already preordered this book because I’m friends-in-law with one of the cover models (Hi, Chaos!)
  Asylum was a fun, quick read with plenty of danger and creepy moments but touched on some serious topics like partner abuse, drug addiction, recovery, and relapse. #Asylum
• 
  mgnhlmn

  Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Hans for the opportunity to review this ARC of Asylum.
  The writing is solid up until the 65-70% point, where I felt the finish was seriously rushed in the closest section that could be described as Horror/Slasher. From there, it would be better situated in the “supernatural romance” genre. It ends with an abrupt and predictable cliff hanger.
• 
  April in book world

  I’m not even sure how I feel about this. I started reading and before I knew it I was done and wandering what in the world did I just read!? I read this in 3 hours. It was like a train wreck that I could not stop. It was so unexpected! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Rebecca Spurgin

  I thoroughly enjoyed Asylum and ended up reading it in a single sitting. As someone who has struggled with addiction, albeit a different DoC, it was easy to relate to the main character and how she felt throughout her experiences with her friends, boyfriend, and her own mind.
  It did lose a sense of relatability towards the end and left me with some questions though. Overall I do recommend giving it a read!
• 
  Lauren

  Picked this up at a book festival--always so cool to meet local authors! Very spooky, and bonus points for a complex portrayal of drug use. Be prepared for some raunchy monster stuff lol.
• 
  Ed Kazyanskaya

  It starts off promisingly creepy but the twist 3/4 of the way through makes the whole thing laughable. A vital entry in the "man or bear" canon though, though with a feline slant.
• 
  ˗ˋˏ°• cee •°ˎˊ˗

  I was enjoying this in the beginning. The character dynamics were interesting to read about and the abusive relationship between Ashley and Connor was written well. It had such a promising setup; gritty characters, squatting in an abandoned place, on the run from the law. Until like 60% of the way through where it turned into furry erotica. Not what I was expecting. Not for me. It's a strange thing to tag as a horror.