I have mixed feelings about this one. I don’t want to say much about the plot. I always read book summaries, but in this case, I think I would have been better off not having read the summary. I recommend that you go into the book blind. I think I would have been only mildly confused and pleasantly surprised by the story if I didn’t know what was going on from the summary. I think the summary information only confused me more than necessary.

This story takes place in an asylum for women. It is interspersed with various transcripts, text messages and police interviews about the events. While it takes place at an unspecified future time, it feels like it takes place in the fifties or earlier with the attitudes to women’s place in the home and husbands having the ability to commit their wives with a diagnosis of domestic psychosis.

It’s scary feeling to face the idea that women’s rights are regressing. I feel like there is an important message here and I really liked the concept of this story. Unfortunately, a majority of the novel is from the point of view of a character that felt like she drank the Kool-Aid, if you know what I mean, and it annoyed me. I really enjoyed the police interviews. The detective in charge of the case was probably my favorite character because his following of the events resonated with my feelings as a reader.

Limited recommendation to readers that enjoy psychological suspense and ambiguous tension combined with the exploration of women’s rights.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for a copy provided for an honest review.

The Redemption of Morgan Bright by Chris Panatier is an engrossing and imaginative read, blending science fiction with heartfelt themes of redemption and personal growth. The story centers around Morgan Bright, a flawed yet relatable protagonist on a journey to right past wrongs. Panatier’s world-building is intricate and immersive, drawing readers into a unique landscape where technology and morality collide.

What truly elevates the novel is its depth—beyond the sci-fi thrills, it’s a thoughtful exploration of resilience and second chances. While a few sections feel slightly drawn out, the narrative remains engaging, and the plot twists are both clever and satisfying. This is a powerful story about transformation that will appeal to sci-fi fans and anyone who enjoys character-driven storytelling.

📖 NetGalley Review

The Redemption of Morgan Bright by Chris Panatier
Angry Robot, 23rd April 2024

Morgan blames herself for the death of her sister, who was found dead on the road leading from Holyhock Asylum. A year later, Morgan assumes a false identity and infiltrates Holyhock as Charlotte, to try to discover what happened to her sister, Hadleigh.

Horror and mystery interwoven in a dark and twisted tale where Charlotte gradually loses her mind, there are some eerie and disturbing moments and some pretty grisly scenes.

The writing style is pleasant, and the use of text messages between the sisters, and a transcript of an interview with the police is a clever way to break up the standard text. I'm unsure I knew exactly what was going on half the time, but if you're into psychological thrillers sprinkled with horror, this is the book for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Chris Panatier and Angry Robot for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

This was a fantastic, eerie story! It fits right in with the gothic genre, in my opinion, and it feels very insular, as opposed to outwardly supernatural — it's more about the human condition and mental health, and the effect of mental health on our perception and where there are supernatural elements too. I loved the interspersing of text messages and interview excerpts and other mixed media, which embedded some realism into the story. All in all, a. great story!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. What a suspenseful terrifying read! The storyline is told in multiple POVs and it helped move the story along quickly. The characters were very well done. The atmosphere in the asylum became a character itself. I had total skin crawl creepy vibes throughout. Hight recommend especially during the upcoming spooky season!

I absolutely engulfed this book in one sitting without so much as a potty break. I just could not put it down. I had no idea what this was about so I went into it blind (sometimes that can be fun) and man was I on a ride! I love everything about this book and this will forever be on my reread list! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

This is an ARC from Netgalley. Thank you to the Author and Netgalley! I am so thankful where this book took me! This is my honest review and I was not paid for it.

Chris Panatier's novel The Redemption of Morgan Bright centres on Morgan Keene, who enters an asylum under a false name in order to investigate her sister's death. She encounters strange rituals and begins to lose her sense of reality within Hollyhock Asylum as Charlotte Turner, her new identity, takes control. The story of the book is intricate and terrifying, told from the viewpoints of Morgan and Charlotte as well as through text messages and police testimonies. Although there is a lot of psychological tension and a spooky atmosphere, the pacing is erratic, with some sections feeling hurried and others dragging. Though it might be confusing at times, the book is interesting and thought-provoking. All in all, it's a compelling psychological thriller with of surprising turns.

The Redemption of Morgan Bright ended up being so much more than I initially expected. At the beginning of the book I was quickly invested in the relationship between the sisters, Hadleigh and Morgan and the investigative nature of what happened to Hadleigh. As the book progresses quickly, the plot keeps pace -both throwing in new and shocking plot lines as well as maintaining the subtle build of psychological horror.
The setting of Hollyhock Asylum was expertly written-the environment so well captured that elements made my skin crawl and had me googling if horrors such as those described actually happened to psychiatric patients. The inserts of text message conversation, interview transcripts, diagrams of interventions and maps of the asylum really added to the experience.
The book is well written and has well developed characters. I was both enjoying the direction the book was going and felt irritated by it and this feeling carried through to the end. I loved and hated that the ending was the ending and while there were elements of it feeling a little rushed it did bring some loose ends together neatly while leaving questions elsewhere.

The Redemption of Morgan Bright by Chris Panatier is a gripping, whilst thought provoking, novel that captured my attention from the first chapter.

The story of Morgan Bright is one of struggle, hope and redemption. Panatier has crafted a plot that is both engaging and unpredictable, keeping me hooked as I follow Morgan on his journey. The pacing was well balanced with moments of actions whilst also having quieter, thought processing passages that allowed for fantastic character development.

Panatier has created a character who is flawed yet human, making the journey towards redemption so much more poignant. The supporting characters also offer great development and depth to the story. Panatier has a clear talent for creating vivid imagery and also conveying complex emotions, with clarity and sensitivity.

The Redemption of Morgan Bright is a powerful and engaging read that offers a unique blend of drama, emotions and insight.

This has really helped me dive into the genre of horror and the imagery is just so vivid. It's such an unsettling story about a woman who voluntary admits herself into a mental asylum to solve her sisters murder. It just makes you feel all the horrific scenes and things that you would expect at these types of facilities when seeing films and tv showing them negatively.
This was an amazing read and so well written

Chris Panatier's "The Redemption of Morgan Bright" is a visceral, often disturbing, dissection of mental health institutions and their historical intersection with women's rights. Gripping and poignant, it delves deep into the harrowing horrors of forced hospitalization and the painful fight for women's autonomy.

Blurring the lines between reality and fiction, Panatier's well-researched narrative brings to life the horrific realities experienced, particularly by women, through this past and present dark period. Using real-life treatments and devices, the author brings a nauseating authenticity to his story, providing a terrifying lens through which to view history.

This was my first Panatier and I could tell he paints in vivid, chilling brushstrokes. He keeps readers on edge and blends fantasy with grim reality, making you wonder what's real and what's imagined.

As the story progresses, perhaps due to this oneiric effect, it sometimes loses its thread, particularly towards the end. It begins to feel a bit dragged out, which slightly detracts from the overall impact.

Even so, "The Redemption of Morgan Bright" is a compelling and well-crafted story. Its detailed and horrifically fascinating examination of mental illness and women's rights, combined with its unique blend of horror and fantasy and Panatier's ability to surprise you until the very end, makes it a must-read.

A woman admitting herself into a mental hospital to find out what happend to her dead sister.
I love horror stories taking place in mental hospitals so that was all I needed to know to want to start this book.
It was hard to grasp what was going on in the beginning but that was pretty quickly resolved.
I loved the writing style and all the imagery.
It read like a movie.
I liked the different formats that the chapters were in. Going back in fourth in the timeline made it fun to follow along.
I enjoyed the ending and found myself wanting to finish the book fast to know what the hell was going on.

I have never read this author before but his prose is beautiful. Very easy to read and stay immersed.

Panatier spins the unsettling world of Hollyhock Asylum perfectly. As a reader, you feel like you're there in the asylum with the MC. He touches on serious topics such as mental health, trauma, grief and identity.

I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters and the inner turmoil of the MC.

My favorite part is the multi-layered plot with pretty much no plot holes that keeps you entertained, curious and at times flabbergasted. I will definitely read more from this author.

This is not what I expected this novel to be, and I think that threw me. But my rating comes down to the fact that I’m not sure if I totally understood what was happening 45% of the time.

There’s something important here about a woman’s bodily autonomy and having control to make her own choices, all wrapped up in a horror asylum setting. But the middle is slow, the pacing is uneven, and the supernatural elements were unexpected. I was expecting more mystery, less super weird stuff...

But whatever, it was still (mostly) entertaining. This is bizarre feminist horror that can be unsettling, and it’s definitely a prescient horror read for our current social climate, where women’s rights are under attack from every conceivable corner.

The cover is gorgeous. The title intrigues. The hook does its job.

This book is. a. trip.

Set primarily within the confines of Hollyhock Asylum, the story revolves around an unresolved murder case, but quickly devolves into a nightmarish web of suspense and WTF. Reality and unreality might as well be synonymous, and the turmoil of the characters quickly becomes your own.

I cannot fathom what I experienced reading this book, but I know I can't stop thinking about it!! I loved the nonlinear narrative and the mixed format, with police interviews and research excerpts breaking up the main story.

TL;DR: This book is absolutely insane. Disturbingly, marvelously mad. If you want to lose your mind, read The Redemption of Morgan Bright.

“A sickening mind is a master of deception.”

What a thought-provoking, grotesque, and incredibly relevant horror novel! Panatier breaks all boundaries and takes a literary leap into crazy!
The Redemption of Morgan Bright is not your typical horror story about the unconscionable medical practices at mental hospitals. Get ready to lose your mind to confusion in this twisty adventure!

Hadleigh Keene dies as she wanders away from the Hollyhock Asylum. Morgan blames herself for her sister’s death and is determined to find out what happened to her. By assuming a new persona named Charlotte and checking into the asylum as a patient, she goes undercover to solve the mystery. Morgan traces Hadleigh’s footsteps and learns that Hollyhock is not as it seems.

This haunting multi-layered story blurs the lines between reality and fiction. The reader is taken on an allegorical journey connecting the modern-day horrific laws women are being forced to follow through the depiction of grotesque body horror.

I was surprised to learn that Panatier is a man, as surely only a woman could understand these themes! The journey to the truth, while poignant and timely, is at times quite confusing. Perhaps the author is the only one who really understands how to precisely connect the dots. If the narrative had been cleaned up a bit, this book would have received five stars.

Unsettling and disturbing, The Redemption of Morgan Bright will keep you guessing until the very end.

I read both the audiobook and the Ebook simultaneously and found the best format to be the written copy. Ruth Walker’s reading is very stilted and robotic regardless of the audiobook speed.

A special thank you to reviewer Wendy for helping me make sense of what I was reading. Be sure to check out her review as well.

4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot publishing for the ARC of The Redemption of Morgan Bright in exchange for an honest review.

What a complex, well crafted and interwoven story of mental health, death and bodily autonomy. The story captured my interest from the beginning and never let go. As a fan of asylum horror this book hits all the right notes and manages to comment on the backwards slide of female rights in the US.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this incredible book.

After her sister Hadleigh Keene dies after leaving Hollyhock Asylum, main character Morgan Bright is consumed with grief and guilt. Hadleigh was sent there because she was suffering mental health issues. (Notably, domestic psychosis, which, oddly enough, only women are diagnosed with….) Hadleigh's case has never been solved by police.

At the story's open, a year later, Charlotte Turner is interviewed by Detective Abram Gastrell. Charlotte is the only survivor of Hollyhock Asylum, which no longer exists. Charlotte had been at the asylum because her husband wanted her to receive counselling for her mental distress, so that on her return they could start a family.

Then, Gastrell accidentally discovers that Charlotte is actually Morgan, who had checked herself into the asylum so she could find out what happened to her sister. Morgan relates how the inmates are all women who are there for domestic psychosis, or the like. The women are monitored constantly, and receive strange treatments, with all experiencing hallucinations. And a few seem to have disappeared.

Interestingly, while a few of the women seem to be resisting the conditioning, assumed identity Charlotte seems on board. Morgan, meanwhile, is trying her best to overcome the asylum's treatments. But Charlotte seems to be growing in strength daily, doing her best to keep Morgan frustrated and fighting but not in control of her body or mind. And during all this, Charlotte/Morgan gradually discovers what the horrifying goal behind the women's bizarre treatments at Hollyhock.

This is a difficult story to review, but not because it was bad. Rather, I really liked this, but needed to let my feelings and thoughts coalesce into something coherent, especially after that end.

Author Chris Panatier has created a deeply unsettling story of a woman barely tethered to reality, who has a past filled with addiction and jealousy for her older sister Hadleigh. But that's not what is actually unsettling. The following all make this story much darker: the number of women surrendered by their partners to the asylum because of bogus mental maladies, the beneficial, but really, quack treatments they receive, the ease with which they disappear, and the lack of interest subsequently.

Panatier's premise for the story, of women, at the behest of the men in their lives, are diagnosed by their doctors and sent to asylums for dubious treatments, echoes historical situations when men could send the troublesome women in their lives (mothers, wives, sisters, daughters) away to asylums, never to leave.

Morgan should not be a trustworthy protagonist. She already has a history of causing trouble in her family and later her sister's life, and of getting into addiction-related problems. Yet she undertakes a risky plan out of love and obligation, to determine what happened to Hadleigh, but finds herself losing herself in the process.

Over the course of the novel, through text exchanges with Hadleigh prior to her sister's death, and interviews with Gastrell, we see that Morgan is an unreliable narrator of what she experienced at Hollyhock. Her descent into deep confusion and rage, alternating with Charlotte's perkiness and unquestioning adherence to her role as a happy homemaker, is chilling. We remain uncertain of what really happened, thanks to the complex, layered and twisty storytelling of this skilled author. And then, Panatier delivers a shock at the end, which explains certain things, but leaves you with more horror.

This story was tragic, infuriating, and horrifying, and so well done.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Angry Robot for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Hadleigh Keene died on the road leading away from Hollyhock Asylum. The reasons are unknown. Her sister Morgan blames herself. A year later with the case still unsolved, Morgan creates a false identity, that of a troubled housewife named Charlotte Turner, and goes inside.

This was a really well-done gothic horror/thriller. I loved the atmosphere.

I loved the pacing of this story. It was really interesting in seeing where Morgan's false identity began and where she ended. I was constantly trying to figure out how much of herself she was losing while trying to find out what happened to her sister. The language was also beautiful with the prose and pacing. I would recommend this book.