Escape From Asylum by Madeleine Roux

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.

Catacomb by Madeleine Roux

From Goodreads:

"Sometimes the past is better off buried.

Senior year is finally over. After all they’ve been through, Dan, Abby, and Jordan are excited to take one last road trip together, and they’re just not going to think about what will happen when the summer ends. But on their way to visit Jordan’s uncle in New Orleans, the three friends notice that they are apparently being followed.. And Dan starts receiving phone messages from someone he didn’t expect to hear from again—someone who died last Halloween.

As the strange occurrences escalate, Dan is forced to accept that everything that has happened to him in the past year may not be a coincidence, but fate—a fate that ties Dan to a group called the Bone Artists, who have a sinister connection with a notorious killer from the past. Now, Dan’s only hope is that he will make it out of his senior trip alive.

In this finale to the New York Times bestselling Asylum series, found photographs help tell the story of three teens who exist on the line between past and present, genius and insanity."

Goodreads - Catacomb

I fell in love with the Asylum series a little over a month ago.  I devoured Asylum and then did the same with Sanctum.  I absolutely loved Asylum, but Sanctum wasn't quite as magical in my opinion.  Of course I had some very high expectations for Catacomb considering that it was the final book in the series.  But before we start talking about my thoughts, I need to go ahead and give you a brief summary in my own words.

The book takes place the summer after Asylum and Sanctum take place, which is also after Dan, Abby, and Jordan's senior year of high school.  The three are on their way to help Jordan move to Louisiana to live with his uncle who is going to pay for college.  As usual Dan starts experiencing weird things, such as when Micah starts messaging him.  Before they all know it Dan is knee deep in researching his parents to find out who they were and how they died, and why Micah keeps messaging him.  Of course it can't be simple research because Dan gets tangled up with a group called the Bone Artists.  He starts sneaking off to keep Abby and Jordan from being too involved.  As usual we find out some important and crucial information, people get hurt, at least one person dies, and then they all live happily ever after trying to adjust and get over what has happened to them.

This book was very predictable.  As soon as Dan and the gang met Oliver, I knew that he was still involved with the Bone Artists.  He said that he had gotten out, but it couldn't be that simple to get uninvolved with them.  I don't think that it ever mentioned Sabrina being involved, but it was clear when a seance was going on that Oliver was still involved in some pretty dark stuff.  Another person that I knew was involved was Finnoway.  He was a big political figure that had the charming appeal that no one would ever suspect that he was currently the leader of the Bone Artists.  It was so predictable.  The predictability of this plot and the characters really made me sad.  I wanted something that was unusual and strange because that is how the other two books were.

While the book was predictable there were a few things that I really enjoyed.  One of them being the use of more updated photos.  There were historical photos as usual, but there were also more updated photos with people in modern clothes and masks.  I just liked the modern day spin instead of the tons of historical photos that were in the first two books.  I also liked that Dan became a victim in this book.  It seemed like he was always escaping danger while everyone else got injured or killed from the digging that Dan had done.  It was good that his digging and inability to let things go finally caught up to him.  It was one of those things that was bound to happen, but it was a matter of when, what would happen, or who would do it.

Madeleine Roux has already said that there will not be any more books in this series.  I'm secretly hoping that she is going to wait a few years and will publish another book in this series.  I would love for there to be a follow up book where Dan has graduated college.  It would be good to see Dan and Abby get married, settle down, and have a little family.  Of course there would have to be some crazy twist that pulled him back to Brookline because that's where it all started.  It would be an awesome follow-up conclusion book.

This book was a little bit of a let down because of the predictability of it.  I give the book 4 stars out of 5.  I've already started Escape From Asylum which is the prequel to Asylum.  Escape From Asylum takes place when Brookline was a functioning asylum and not serving as dorms.  I'm very excited to read this book and I'm hoping that my unanswered questions will finally be answered.

Sanctum by Madeleine Roux

From Goodreads:

"In this haunting, fast-paced sequel to the New York Times bestselling photo-illustrated novel Asylum, three teens must unlock some long-buried secrets from the past before the past comes back to get them first. Featuring found photographs, many from real vintage carnivals, Sanctum is a mind-bending reading experience that blurs the lines between past and present, genius and insanity, perfect for fans of the smash hit Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Dan, Abby, and Jordan remain traumatized by the summer they shared in the Brookline asylum. Much as they'd love to move on, someone is determined to keep the terror alive, sending the teens photos of an old-timey carnival, with no note and no name. Forsaking their plan never to go back, the teens return to New Hampshire College under the guise of a weekend for prospective students, and there they realize that the carnival from the photos is not only real, it's here on campus, apparently for the first time in many years.

Sneaking away from sample classes and college parties, Dan and his friends lead a tour of their own—one through the abandoned houses and hidden places of the surrounding town. Camford is hiding a terrible past, and the influence of the asylum runs deeper than Dan ever imagined."

Goodreads - Sanctum

I read Asylum a few weeks ago and absolutely fell in love with it.  I was worried that I wouldn't like the suspense and horror filled book, but I was enthralled in the series.  I was in the middle of a few other books when I finished Asylum, but I didn't hesitate to pick up Sanctum and start reading.

Sanctum picks up a few months after where Asylum left off.  Dan, Abby, and Jordan have all been having nightmares from what happened during their summer at Brookline.  It turns out that Abby and Jordan have received a ripped photo that starts to really creep them both out.  Dan in turn is asked to visit Felix because Felix keeps asking to see him.  Felix gives Dan the other portion of the ripped photograph and a list of coordinates.  The three come up with an elaborate story to go back to Brookline to hopefully end the nightmares and find the answers that Dan is searching for.  The three are only in Camford for a few days and they have to immediately delve into searching for clues and answers.  They eventually find that there is a cult that the Warden was involved with and that is still very active on the campus.  The story of course ends, but not before there are a few deaths and questions still in the air, which leaves room for the third book Catacomb to answer.

This book had the same exciting format with pictures sprinkled strategically throughout.  I really wish that there had been pictures included of the Scarlets and their strange world.  I also feel like they should have had some kind of special emblem or insignia besides a skull.  I just felt that since they were taking the "we are a prestigious organization" approach that they would have had a prestigious insignia that would have looked more professional than a skull.  I thought the cult approach was an interesting turn of events.  I kind of saw it coming after Dan and Jordan saw someone looking through the window while visiting Lucy.  On that same note I was expecting Lucy to be somehow involved with the Scarlets.  Even though she had had a lobotomy, it would have been a crazy turn of events to see that she somehow had a role in the Scarlets.  As for Cal, I think we all saw his involvement from a mile away.  He was sketchy and unstable.  He was bound to be involved with the Scarlets.  I hope we get some kind of update on Cal in Catacomb.  

Micah is a little bit of a different story.  He had moments where he was very nosy as to what Dan, Abby, and Jordan were up to.  I was really expecting him to turn on them while they were out house hunting the night of the carnival.  When the Scarlets showed up the book said that Micah was very white in the face.  This is great and all, but he didn't panic like a normal person would have in those circumstances.  At that point I knew that he was on their side and that he was going to "sacrifice" himself so they could get away, when in reality he was on the same side as the Scarlets.  It was very unfortunate what happened to him, and quite unexpected, but I expect that we will hear from Micah again in Catacomb.  The fact that he was dead and waving to Dan as he left just left that unfinished business feeling.

This book was absolutely phenomenal.  I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first book, but it was still very good.  There were a few times where I went back and reread a chapter because I wanted to make sure I collected all the facts that I could while I was reading.  Some of my questions were answered, some were not, and I have come up with a few new questions that I'm hoping will be answered in Catacomb.  This was a 343 page read with pictures dispersed throughout the book.  I have no complaints about this book and I give it 5 stars for its ability to keep me engaged and interested.

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

From Goodreads:

"Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity. "

Goodreads - Asylum

I'm the type of person who will start four different books, read about 10% of each and then decide which one I want to continue reading and finish first.  It is the easiest way to get myself to really delve into a book whenever I start getting burnt out on reading.  I ended up starting Asylum, The Little Prince, The Tiger Rising, and Lucy in the Sky at the same time.  I read about 10% of each book and then continued which one really grabbed my attention.  I honestly didn't figure I would like the book Asylum by Madeleine Roux, but I loved it!  Before I tell you my thoughts I'll go ahead and give you my brief summary. 

Our main character Dan is attending a college prep school for five weeks over the summer.  He meets Abby and Jordan and they become close friends.  The big twist to this story is that the college dorms they are staying in used to be an asylum.  Dan ends up sharing a room with Felix who went and checked out a locked room that belonged to the asylums warden.  Felix tells Dan all about it and Dan convinces his new friends Abby and Jordan to go check it out.  Dan eventually becomes obsessed with the asylum and its dark history.  He soon finds that his full name, Daniel Crawford, is the same as the wardens.  Dan keeps blacking out and finds that he only remembers bits and pieces from the summer.  Things escalate as someone is murdered and another is found close to dead.  The story continues this high energy pace until we finally find out details of what was happening, or at least what we believe is happening.  The story concludes, but leaves it open for the second book, Sanctum, which I started promptly after finishing Asylum.

I absolutely loved this book.  I don't typically read books in the horror/mystery/thriller genre, but I am so glad that I did.  The book is lengthy with 313 pages, but has lots of pictures throughout the book, plus the chapters are really short.  I really enjoyed the pictures that were included in the book because they were incorporated into the storyline.  When Dan talked about the missing letters on the warden's door I was able to flip a page and see what it looked like.  Reading a book is all about visualizing what is happening.  You have to be able to see the picture in your mind to be able to understand what is happening sometimes.  What is interesting about reading and visualizing is that ten people can read the same book and have very different views on the characters and what they look like, no matter how much description is given.  That's why I loved having the pictures included in the book.  I was able to read and visualize what I thought something would look like and then I would often flip the page and see the object or note that Dan was talking about.  This book format was like the adult version of a children's picture book.  And if an adult version of a picture book doesn't excite you, then I don't know what will.  

Another big selling point of this book was that I was constantly engaged and interested in the book.  I wanted to know what the real connection was between Daniel Crawford the student and Daniel Crawford the warden.  I was also constantly wondering what was up with Dan and why he kept blacking out and forgetting things that had happened, that he had apparently been present for.  I never really got a good solid answer which irritated me, but also intrigued me enough to start the second book.  I was so interested not only in what was happening with Dan, but what the history was with the asylum.  I seriously wanted to read a full backstory on the asylum, but then again the book wouldn't have been quite as interesting if I knew everything from the beginning.  I also think that another big part that kept me intrigued was that most chapters were left hanging and the ending was a cliffhanger as well.  The book was so well written and simple to read with the right amount of suspense, horror, and mystery.  

I am so excited to read Sanctum and Catacomb because I am so pulled into the Asylum series.  I also found the book Escape From Asylum and it is a stand alone book that is also a prequel to Asylum.  I'm excited to read the rest of the series before I go back and read the stand alone, which also had the history of Brookline Asylum.  This book deserves 5 stars for its unique style.  I am so glad that I ordered this book through Scholastic, and even happier that I bought Sanctum and Catacomb at a Books-A-Million sale.  It is a young adult book that is geared towards high school kids, but I'm an adult and I enjoyed it.  If you want a creepy/horror/mystery/suspense filled book then this book is absolutely for you!