The start of this book was really good and kept me glued. I like books that sort of deal with the mind and this is no exception. But the last 30% of the book kind of lost my interest and didn’t exactly live up to what I expected in my mind.

Okay, so I don't really know where to start with this one...
First off, I wouldn't say this was horror. It felt more like science fiction to me and maybe that's why I really didn't enjoy it.
The first part of the book seemed like it was really building up to something exciting. I mean, it was pretty slow going but it kept me reading.
Then things started getting weirder and weirder. Normally, I'd love it. My partner doesn't call me Captain Weird for nothing. I LOVE weird! But this was weirder than weird, it took on a whole new level of strange that I just really couldn't enjoy. And honestly, I've found myself feeling a little bewildered now that I've finished it.

Thanks once again to NetGalley for allowing me to review this.

We Are Monsters is a horrifying tale of what happens when good men try too hard to save someone they love. When a psychiatrist loses his funding for his clinical trial to find a cure for schizophrenia, he begins testing his cure on his patients in the asylum where he works. The more he experiments, the more things go wrong. This is definitely not a book to read before bed!

I was drawn in immediately by We Are Monsters. The first half of the book was very interesting and creepy but it does take a turn for the weird in the second half.

The story gets into the holistic vs. medicines debate, but the main point seems to be that some doctors are sicker than their patients (I've always suspected as much).

I love the setting and the description thereof. I would have liked to have known more about Angela earlier in the book.

Overall for a first novel, I think the book was very good. If you like creepy weird and gory this one's for you!

A Surreal And Psychological, Nightmarish Horror Story!

This book involves psychiatrists, patients with severe mental disorders and the institution where many, many events will take place. One older doctor who is the director of the facility believes in treating patients with behavioral therapy modification instead of debilitating drugs and electric shock treatments where the patient, especially schizophrenic disorders are barely cognitive and functional on the lowest scale possible. The other physician strongly believes in drug therapy but is working on creating a new drug that will bring schizophrenic patients back to their old selves before their mind started to shatter. The physicians do have a mutual respect for each other but there will be many unfortunate and unforseen consequences from the actions of both of these men and to so many others who happen to be in the building on this one particular day and they will have to depend on one another if they are to save any lives.

This was a very creative and at times a mind-boggling story that was well-written and interesting with many cringe worthy moments. The storyline was very good and there were horror elements although I felt the story was more of a science fiction book. I did enjoy the book although it never reached the heightened horror that I was hoping for. The story made me feel sad for so many people that land in these facilities and how many of these patients were mistreated by some of their caretakers. (Very sad and disheartening). There are many monsters intertwined whether human or nonhuman. I am probably in the minority with my opinion but I do recommend reading this book and forming your own ideas.I

I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I have given a rating of 3 Surreal 🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

This novel - We Are Monsters - was a book that I found myself easily highlighting again and again. In fact, it is the only book with highlighted passages compared to all the books that I have read this year! We Are Monsters is an eerie and deeply thought-provoking novel about just how far doctors are willing to go in order to “cure” a person who is suffering from mental illness. While reading this novel, it opened my eyes to the internal struggles and the strong willed determination that physicians have for their patients. Whether their medical actions stem from the goodness of their hearts or from the greed of creating a new pharmaceutical drug that can possibly make them rich and famous, it shows just how dangerous trying to “play” God truly is. The human brain is a pathway into the unknown and trying to map it out and understand it completely is something that to this day we have not been able to do. This book was an experience into the realm of the uncharted area of the brain and the possibilities that exist if we dare to take that first step forward into the breach. This book was expertly written and is a definite must read! Favorite Quote - “ I’ve had time to adapt to the insane. This IS normal compared to where I’ve been, what I’ve been through.“☺️📖👍🏼

I love asylum horror, and I eagerly dove into this book with high expectations. I read through it in one sitting, set it down, and simply said, "Huh."

This book has a lot to love, but it makes some interesting choices that turned me off toward the end. Let's start with the setting, since that was the biggest lure. Sugar Hill is a facility that houses patients with varying mental health concerns. They have one thing in common. These individuals are a danger to society which makes Sugar Hill is the place to send the criminally insane. The facility is run by Dr. Eli Alpert, a gentle man who takes more personal and less invasive approach to patient care. His protege, Dr. Alex Drexler, disagrees with Eli's passive care plan. Alex is hardcore pro-medication. Thus, the first theme is set up. Which is better, medicine heavy treatment or something alternative and less focused on pharmaceuticals? It's a question that runs through the entirety of the book.

There's more to this plot then a simple "medicine vs. holistic" debate, although that argument fuels the much of first and second act. Alex struggles with vanity and self-confidence. He desperately wants the acceptance of his father, and he wants validation for his ground breaking drug from his colleagues. His ethics are put to the test, and we are left wondering just how far this man will go to achieve both. It brings to light the dangers of pushing the boundaries of morality too far.

There's also Angela, another doctor who is caught between Eli and Alex. Her character remains rather flat until the last act. That's when we get her backstory. It's also one of the parts of the books that angered me, but I'll get to that soon.

If you start this story and think you know how it's going to end, I'm here to tell you that you're wrong. You'll never guess. With that said, this ending seems to be splitting readers down the middle. Some might find it a refreshing step outside the typical asylum horror troupe. Others, might be disappointed or upset. Sadly, I was in the latter. While I certainly appreciate that the ending took a surprising turn, I feel that it spun way off the tracts. At times, the morals we are supposed to learn came across preachy. Then, there was Angela's revelation. I won't spoil anything with specifics. Let me just say this. She led two lives, one as a doctor and another as a woman who drank too much and slept with men she picked up at the bar. The reason for this duality becomes graphically clear in the final chapters of the book, and I found it not only disgusting and unnecessary, but offensive. Her secret could have been anything, and I feel that the decision to go in that specific direction was forced, not an organic event that would have happened in Angela's past. I feel as if it was put in the story for shock value. That was disappointing.

On the other hand, I liked Eli's arc. He had an organic and believable plot line. I felt connected to his personal growth from the beginning, and found him to be the most relatable and sympathetic character.

Overall, I was left with a bit of a confused feeling.

"Huh, that wasn't what I was expecting."
"Huh, what did I just read?"
"Huh, that was, um, different."

I'm on the fence with this one.

I think that it’s going to be another great year for Flame Tree Press (this was originally published in2015). WE ARE MONSTERS is a fast-passed nightmare, and at certain points, after various clinical tribulations and accepting the fate of patients struggling with mental illness, we begin to wonder who has suffered more-the insane or the doctors performing the examinations.

I won’t get into the synopsis, but as some of the other reviewers have opined, I felt that the segmentation of the of the novel became weakened with certain choices and decisions that were made, affecting the overall progress. WE ARE MONSTERS could’ve been shorter, and it took a while to read, but it still has a lot going for it.

Thanks NetGalley

Dr Drexler has cultivated a drug which he believes can cure schizophrenia, but as his boss doesn’t believe in pills to treat mental health issues and his board is pushing for results he is left with no alternative but to trial on patients in secret. But what dark side affects are lurking from the mysterious treatment?

We Are Monsters sounded like a really nice fit for me as a reader; from the blurb it felt like it would be part horror, part psychological thriller that would question what it means to truly be sane. For me the book was definitely one of two halves – which divided down the middle at almost exactly 50%. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book – a mysterious drug trial secretly being carried out on patients with detailed backstory into all of our main characters and their motivations which really inspired me to keep reading.

Then at 50% we took a turn into the confusing. Rather than the drug having a real-world type effect which would make you question the cost of sanity, it seemed to influence people around it, which made no sense to me. We entered a sort of dream world/nightmare of people’s consciousness culminating in a shared hallucination. I felt this really made no sense and the characters asked so many times ‘how can this be happening?’ or ‘what’s going on?’ without any actual answer given that it frustrated me. The end answer also seemed to make no sense, as if the author just felt they had to come up with any answer to try and explain the plot.

I felt that the book could have been such an interesting read, with a nice set up and well developed characters but the plot devolved into an unrealistic mess, rather than something which could actually have thrown up important questions about the idea of sanity and the treatment of those considered insane by societies standards. Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A strong beginning that pulled me in and kept me interested...until it was less about the treatment and more about the doctor himself.

The second half got real weird! Slowly I descended into madness until I felt like it was a sure thing that I had lost my mind and was just reading the same five pages over and over trying to decipher them.

Brian Kirk has a gift. He's very skilled at messing with your head. I'm just not sure if I like it or not. I was confused about the drugs and the visions and never got the clarity I wanted.

We Are Monsters started strong, floundered a bit in the too long middle and ended bizarrely. I'll keep reading what Kirk writes, but this one wasn't for me.

Nightmares are terrifying, as well as great inspiration for horror, because a) they are a movie reel of terrifying imagery and symbolism--especially if you believe in dream analysis--and b) they unravel in a disjointed, haphazard way along with other logical aspects of the waking world, leading to c) an environment where we have little to no control. Such an environment is a breeding ground for horror, as Freddy Krueger would attest. But there's another new King of Nightmares on the horizon named Brian Kirk, who establishes his reign with his latest novel, We Are Monsters.
The story begins with psychiatrist Alex creating a chemical cure for schizophrenia. People familiar with how science works in these kinds of stories know that it's basically Murphy's Law times a million, that anything bad that can happen will and it will be catastrophic. In his rush to test this formula, he experiments first on his brother Jerry and then on a notorious killer whose mental issues are seemingly given form and substance, along with the nightmares of other hospital staff and its patients. If horror stories are thought of as roller coasters, this book is definitely a fun house where the floor moves and the walls are mirrors offering only twisted reflections. This book can be considered a metaphorical swipe at an industry and society that overly medicates, which may turn off people who like their fiction without opinions (not the best fiction), but it does so without any overt monologues.
People familiar with Brian Kirk's Will Haunt You know that Brian excels at creating an environment where the lead character, nor the reader, cannot trust anyone or anything. What they've expected about the world and its safety, in Kirk's fiction universes, should not be taken for granted. The Fun House aspect of the book mentioned before takes a bit to get there. Kirk lays the storytelling groundwork, setting up the plot and its bananas conclusion while letting the readers get to know the characters before the tentacles of this well-crafted nightmare pulls them in. Perhaps a better analogy for this book then is an elaborate domino set-up. Kirk takes his sweet time placing the dominoes, but they create quite the spectacle when they finally fall. If Brian Kirk is the new King of Nightmares, long may he reign (or at least keep writing).
http://bewarethescarylibrarian.blogspot.com/2020/01/new-arrival-we-are-monsters-by-brian.html

3.5/5.0*

WE ARE MONSTERS - Just how I like my Horror served - Dark with a whole lot of Creepy.

Things, shall we say, go a bit awry at Sugar Hill, the oldest mental health facility in Georgia - once known for its sterling record for patient recovery under the care of Dr. Eli Alpert, erupts into chaos when a troubled psychiatrist begins testing an experimental cure for schizophrenia on the asylums criminally insane.

'Some doctors are sicker than their patients.'

WE ARE MONSTERS is the first book that I’ve read by Brian Kirk, and though this novel had a stellar beginning and middle, the imagery Kirk creates throughout is perfect; the latter part of the book felt a bit clunky in places and rushed at the end - that ending, though, My Heart!

Kirk’s WILL HAUNT YOU has been on my radar and to-be-read list for some time, and I can’t wait to read it!

Thank you, NetGalley and Flame Tree Press, for loaning me an advance eBook of WE ARE MONSTERS in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I was completely blown away by this book. Brian Kirk has given me a look into mental health and the doctors involved that is both horrifying and uplifting. Mesmerizing and shocking, the clinical drug trials and unexpected side effects make for a book that is difficult to put down. Recommended.

You know when your watching a horror film or thriller, and the scary eerie background music starts playing. You know something bad is going to happen. Your heart starts beating a bit faster and you start getting anxious as to when or if something will pop up and scare you witless.

This is how it feels to read this story. You constantly feel uneasy as to what is going to occur in the next page. And, as the story unfolds the more eerie and creepy things become.

Sugar Hill Asylum is the setting for this story, and some of it's patients are very notorious and dangerous.

So, who do we have to read about? Enter Dr Alex Drexler. He is on the brink of a medical breakthrough, however, the funding for his clinical trials have fallen through. Then we have the main man of Sugar Hill, Dr Eli Alpert. But, as he is starting to get older, there are talks of who will be his predecessor. The main candidate of course is Alex. Which he is thrilled over, but to get the position he is being pressured to produce his miracle treatment. To balance out the lead characters we also have social worker Angela. She has a good rapport with the patients and is enthusiastic over her work.

With mounting pressure on Alex to bring his new treatment to the frontline, he resorts to experimenting on the patients of Sugar Hill. This can only lead to bad things.

What a fantastic story, with great lead characters. Who despite being in charge of the asylum they seem to have a lot of troubles and demons to contend with themselves. The story highlights treatments used in 'curing' mental health. This was quite hard to read about, but an eye-opener at the same time.

“I swear, the longer you work in a place like that, you start to lose perspective over who’s really sane. I’m starting to think that we’re all a little bit crazy. It’s all just shades of grey.”

Such true words from Angela. If you are a fan of eerie stories and creepy characters then go read this book.

3.5 stars
This one was a serious mind-bender, and I'm still undecided on the final rating.   We all have inner monsters, as well as exterior monsters, that shape our souls.   Brian Kirk takes that to another level in his debut novel that is being rereleased  by Flame Tree Press.  A psychiatrist uses an experimental drug on a criminally insane patient at his asylum, which releases the inner demons into the real world (or is it the real world?!?!?).

Brian Kirk's character building in the first half is great, which helps tremendously in the second half when all hell breaks loose.  I'll admit I got a bit of reading whiplash at one point, which made me stumble.   Once I recovered, though, I couldn't put the book down.

There were a few scenes that just didn't work for me (for the sake of a no spoiler review I will refrain from pointing them out), and I wasn't a huge fan of the ending.  But overall, a good read and something I would recommend to readers who like their psychological horror stories laced with a bit of PCP.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for sending me an ecopy for review.

This book was originally written in 2015 and it was a very ambitious undertaking for a first novel. I think Kirk did a good job weaving a complex tale of medical treatment, mental illness and sanity which for me worked at times and during other times, confused me.

The novel is divided into three different sections. The first two focuses on character development and a look into the medical workings of an asylum and into the complex and controversial world of mental health treatment. Dr. Adam Drexler has been working for years to develop a cure for schizophrenia. His funding and experimental sources have run dry, so he takes a chance and experiments on his own brother. Dr. Eli Alpert runs the Sugar Hill Asylum and believes that treatment should focus more on the strengths of the people suffering from the disorders he treats rather than numb them and their actions through medication. As expected, the two eventually clash. Dr. Drexler dethrones Dr. Alpert but will his experiment on the infamous Apocalypse Killer bring him success or be his downfall.

I actually found this book fairly enjoyable. I never really liked the characters, but even that worked for me where it usually doesn't. I don't know that Kirk was really trying to make any of the characters endearing. Instead, he paints a vivid portrait of sanity vs. insanity. The novel was progressing rather nicely until I reached the third part. That's when all hell broke loose and I started to question what exactly I was reading. During this part I found myself somewhat confused.

I also have to mention that there is a rather sudden animal death in the early stages of the book. Dr. Drexler runs over his wife's precious dog Popeye coming home for work one night. While I felt he was a tad inconsiderate and heartless during the situation, my opinion of him was solidified when he then brought his wife and brother Popeye's takeout a few days later. Just saying...

Plenty of people like books featuring asylums and tackling mental health issues so I can see a lot of people who love horror giving this book a whirl. Kirk's take on the setting and issues definitely showed the scary side of treatment and did manage to humanize people other's often consider "monsters" and actually showed that there are "monsters" on both sides of the treatment.

We Are Monsters
Author: Brian Kirk
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Page count: 336 pp
Release date: 23rd January 2020

TW:
Child abuse
Mental Illness
Bullying

Who is really the monster?
It’s a question often asked in horror. Just look at a Frankenstein, for starters.
In ‘We Are Monsters’, Kirk explores the complex realm of mental illness, psychiatry, and attitudes towards those suffering with mental health issues. It’s clear that there’s a message here about respect and humanity towards those just trying to get well.
Sugar Hill’s criminal forensics ward homes many psychiatric patients, including Crosby, the notorious ‘Apocalypse Killer’.
Dr. Eli Alpert, Medical Director at the institute insists the Apocalypse moniker is ignored and Crosby be treated like any other patient. His ethos is that they treat patients with the respect they would expect of themselves, and he’s concerned that Crosby’s primary physician Drexler, apparently doesn’t work that way. and he’s not wrong.
Alex Drexler, after losing a bid to Philax Pharmaceuticals is experimenting on his patients, those incarcerated for paranoid delusions. He has created his own treatment for mental illness and is determined to become successful and rich, at whatever cost.
Other characters include Angela, a social worker with Asian heritage, who we gradually learn more about, and Devon, a bully of a guard who likes to incite the patients.
Rajamadja is Eli’s historical spiritual leader, who helped him deal with strong emotions including grief and anger. Interweaving the narrative are snippets of Eli in his previous life with his wife, prior to her death, and scenes of trauma from his time in Vietnam, which occur through the book.
In fact, Kirk takes ample time to introduce each character, and to explore hidden issues within the treatment of mental illness; the stigma, the historical poor conditions for patients, and the strain on medical staff. We learn, for instance, of Eli’s Memories of Vietnam War and his PTSD, Alex’s secret pharmaceuticals and Jerry’s connection to Alex, as well as more about Angela’s past and that if the main psychosis patient, Crosby.
There’s so much going on here, and I was particularly impressed with Kirk’s apparent medical and psychological knowledge regarding treatments; both past and present. I’m not sure how much Kirk knew before starting this novel, but it’s clear that he’s done his research. I know enough about the area myself to say that it ‘feels real’.
Part of the horror in this novel, is the reality of the treatments used for mental illness; submersion therapy, electrocution therapy, the abuse often experienced by patients at the hands of staff and the system. It’s all in here.
Something Eli reflects on part way through the book, is the memory of meeting a student after a lecture on humane psychiatry and her observations about financial cost being more of a priority for some.
“the industry continued to push antipsychotics as the primary form of treatment.”
And that’s the crux of it. Money can be made from drugs. Which is what leads Alex towards his experiments.
It’s also apparent that everyone has their own issues, some worse than others, and mental illness can be defined in different ways.
This book reminds me a little of the old Dennis Quaid movie ‘Dreamscape’, in which psychics are used to enter people’s dreams to treat neurosis and nightmares. Plus, a particular Stephen King stormy which I won’t name, as it may lead to spoilers.
It has the wonderful quality of classic horror tropes mixed with modern sentiments towards mental health issues and is a complex book that also delivers on the fear front. Though it might seem, odd to say there’s bizzare humour here too.
The scene with ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ made me chuckle, whilst at the same time making me wonder if I was being inappropriate in finding the scene funny.
The book presents a unique debate on the treatment of mental illness - whilst I’m not sure I have faith in Eli, something he says certainly resonates with me;
“Policy is nothing more than an excuse to establish power and control. Power and control breed abuse. They trample compassion. They wilt the spirit.”
There are early hints that something supernatural might be happening, perhaps as a result of Drexler’s tests, but as part two ends, and we enter the third part and the finale, that’s when the proverbial hits the fan. The nightmares we see are visceral, surreal almost hallucinations seen through the eye of a madman.
When we see Angela’s particular fear, one I had already suspected - it all becomes very clear how we need to fight and rail against these fears.
This is terrific stuff; dark yet as mentioned, comical at times. Like when, in the midst of the finale, Bearman says “Wow, thanks for the topflight leadership, Captain Obvious.” Sarcasm 101 from that obnoxious guy.
It dies become apparent in that third part, that it’s mostly about guilt, actions and consequences; and Alex is particularly vulnerable to those feelings, more so than others.
This book is, pardon the pun, pretty mind-blowing. Between the switch in timelines and POV, to the horrific and personal ‘lucid dreaming’, you’re in for a helluva ride.
And a very satisfying, oddly heartwarming ending.
A truly unique and powerful book.


Review to be posted on
Good reads/Amazon
www.theresaderwin.co.uk

Flame Tree Press, gearing up for an epic 2020, is rereleasing Brian Kirk's debut novel in just a few days, and I've just turned the last page of this breathtaking experience.

The novel revolves around breakthroughs in the treatment of patients at the Sugar Hill Psychiatric Hospital. If this new treatment is a success, it will change the way we look at mental health and schizophrenia in particular. Like any good story dealing with these types of topics, there is a lot of focus around the ethics involved. I appreciated the many discussions about treating the patients as human beings, and administering various treatments and therapies with these ideas in mind.

The story takes us places towards the end that, in my decidedly non-expert opinion, are in the realms of fringe science. Quick aside, I love books, movies, etc. that deal with fringe science. A very fair portion of the second half of the book is Brian Kirk messing with your mind, performed in an expert way. Take this as a mild spoiler, but most of these parts deal with various levels of hallucinations. Kirk makes it weird, but never loses the reader, even this part carries on for nearly 100 pages. Not an easy task. 

The story is top shelf, but the characters are what really make it work. Dr. Eli Alpert and Dr. Alex Drexler are our main two characters. The two have different ways of looking at their jobs, and also very different motivations. It makes for some unique dynamics throughout, and ultimately is what makes We Are Monsters such a rewarding read. Kirk also does a wonderful job with Angela, a character that it seems we're set up to dislike, but proves to be a really strong addition to the story with compelling backstory.
I
really enjoyed We Are Monsters. It's a psychological thriller that's a bit different than anything else I've read recently. It's also propelled Mr. Kirk's Will Haunt You up my must-have list.



I received an e-book from the publisher for review consideration.

I was leery going into this book because of the theme of dealing with mental illness as a source of horror. I'm a special education teacher and have had experience working with individuals with various mental illnesses. I'm always hesitant of anything that could make those with mental illnesses to seem less than human. I can tell you that my fears were unfounded. I thought that Brian Kirk handled the subject very well and treated the people that have these disorders with respect.

Sugar Hill Mental Hospital is a facility that houses and treats individuals with severe mental illness. The majority of the patients have the potential to be harmful to themselves or others. The head of Sugar Hill is Dr. Eli Alpert, and his second is Dr. Alex Drexler. These two men could not be more different, and I found myself wondering how realistic it was for them to work together for so long. Eli is a paragon of medical and professional ethics, and he believes that to treat the mental illness, you must first treat the patient as a person. Eli is my guy. Alex is all about them shiny gadgets and new medicine. Mental illness is just a puzzle to be unlocked, and it doesn't matter what makes the patients happy or comfortable; they are there to be cured, not coddled. Alex is, definitely, not my guy. Alex also has an interaction with a dog that makes him irredeemable to me. So, naturally, the main protagonist in this story is Alex. Alex is developing a miracle drug that will cure schizophrenia, and he is in the midst of clinical trials that are not going well. Alex, being the kind of guy that he is, decides just to go ahead and do some unregulated human tests. I won't go further than that with the plot to avoid spoilers.

A lot has been made of the jarring transition that takes place in the middle of this book. I didn't mind it, and I thought that the idea was interesting and handled well. My problem with the entire experience with this book is that it was just too long. There is a butt-ton of character work at the beginning of the book, perhaps too much. The action at the end of the book also felt repetitive at times. By the time I read the last page, I was happy to be finished, which is not the emotion I want when I finish a book. In the end, I liked the book for what it was. For me, at least, it was a good story but not a great story. I settled on a 3.5 rounded up to a four-star rating. Your mileage may differ but if this sounds like something you would enjoy, I recommend that you give it a go!

I literally could not get pass a few chapters. Sorry, just not for me. Not into homophobia or animals being hurt. It was just too much. I realize the object was to immediately sock but this went too far for me.