From Goodreads:"The nightmare is just beginning…
Ricky Desmond doesn’t belong in the Brookline asylum. His parents sent him here because they think he’s a deviant—and that he can be cured—but Ricky knows there’s no cure for what he has.
Soon after he arrives, Ricky learns that being locked up against his will is only the beginning of his problems. Rumor has it that the Brookline warden authorizes treatments that aren’t entirely…humane. That he’s a butcher, a monster. And if the screams Ricky hears coming from the basement are any indication, the rumors are an understatement. Now, with the help of a nurse who feels just as trapped in Brookline as he does, Ricky must escape before the asylum claims his sanity—or his life."
Goodreads - Escape From Asylum
When I purchased this book I had just finished Asylum and was getting ready to start Sanctum. I considered reading this book before I finished the series, but ultimately decided that I should read all three books and then see if this book answered any questions I still had.
This book takes place when Brookline was still an operating and functioning asylum. Our main character in this book is Ricky. Ricky is admitted to Brookline because of his anger issues and the more under the radar fact that he is gay. We also meet Kay who befriends Ricky. Kay is a male who feels that he is a female, thus making him transgender. Throughout the book we also meet Warden Crawford and we get to see his "normal" demeanor and behavior with people. We get a glimpse into what life was like at Brookline while the Warden was still in control. We also meet some people who have connections to the other books in the Asylum series such as, Dennis, Nurse Ash, Lucy, and the Warden's brother who isn't named, but the reader can only speculate it is Marcus.
This book was a good prequel even though I read it after I had finished the trilogy. I'm still not sure if I would advise someone to read this before reading the three main books or if I would advise them to read it after like I did. If you read it before reading Asylum, Sanctum, and Catacomb then there will be a lot that doesn't make sense. However, if you read it after like I did then a lot of questions will be answered as to what happened at Brookline. The book had the same photo integration that the other books had. I felt like the pictures in this book were creepier than the others, and the storyline was darker than the other storylines. That put a different spin on things because there were some pretty sinister things taking place, and some of them were described in detail with sound descriptions included.
I did not feel that the title fit the book very well. I was really expecting Ricky to literally escape from Brookline, not someone come and check him out. I wanted the suspense of him sneaking around without getting caught and then helping his fellow friends out. It would have been really exciting to see him sneak in and out a couple of times without the Warden knowing, but we all know that the Warden was strict and ran a VERY tight asylum, which hindered Ricky's ability to sneak around.
I also felt like the book ended rather abruptly and that left so many holes and questions for me. Sure we know that Kay got out and that Ricky moved to New York. I felt like they were trying to have a relationship of some sort and I thought that was so weird because they had been friends in the asylum. The book ended so quickly that we didn't really find out what the deal was between Kay and Ricky. Also Ricky stated that his mother wouldn't be coming to visit him for a long time... why? Why won't she be visiting? Also I want to know what the deal was with the warden's brother showing up at the end of the book. It says that his brother shows up with his son Daniel. The warden mentions that Daniel is named after him and the Warden reassures his brother that this is what should be done. I'm going to assume that the boy was Daniel Crawford who we meet in Asylum. This book takes place in the 60s, which means that Daniel Crawford should be in his 50s when Asylum, Sanctum, and Catacomb take place. This leads me to wonder if the Warden was able to hypnotize Daniel and finally figured out how to use mind control. Did the Warden use Daniel as a turning point in the Scarlets? Was Daniel involved in the Scarlets? Did the Warden finally figure out how to ensure that people don't age and they stay young forever? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS! Plus, how is Nurse Ash related to Daniel's mother since her maiden name was Ash? What happened with Dennis after he went on his rampage in the basement? How did Dennis, the Sculptor, become the one that the Warden operated on for the last time?
I will give Roux props for including LGBTQ characters in this book. I think that it is great that she decided to incorporate bi-sexual and transgender tendencies into her characters and the reasons why they were at Brookline. She also was able to shed some light as to what life was like in the 60s for people who were members of the LGBTQ community. It was a cruel world, and people didn't agree with that lifestyle. While it is heartbreaking to read of what would take place to people who were members of this community, it is also good to see that we have made some improvement in our society. While members of the LGBTQ community are still suffering day to day, it is good to know that we aren't administering shock treatment or lobotomies anymore.
After I wrote this I was searching for answers to the questions and holes that were left open in the book. I got to searching and found the official Tumblr of Madeleine Roux. She has it set up where people can ask questions about anything and everything. I went ahead and inquired about the Daniel that arrived at the asylum at the end of Escape From Asylum. I wanted to know if the young Daniel that arrived was the same Daniel in Asylum, Sanctum, and Catacomb. Roux replied with a very confusing answer and said no that the young Daniel that arrived was the Warden's nephew, making him the Warden's brother's son. She never replied which brother. She never explained the storyline there. It was probably one of the most frustrating encounters I've had with an author. I, as a fan, was just wanting an answer as to who, what, and why he was there. Her short and snarky remark kind of irritated me. It just left a really bad taste in my mouth.
This book left me with more questions that the other three combined. There are other books that come in between each of the main novels, and I'm very torn between reading them and just leaving my unanswered questions unanswered. But after the run in with Roux on her Tumblr I will not be reading any more of her books. When people want answers you should give some or refer them to a book that WILL answer the questions. Her inability to really answer the question leads me to believe that there are some MAJOR plot holes in this entire storyline. I was going to give this book 4 stars, but I'm bumping it down to 3.
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