Review Detail

Ricky Desmond has been through a number of mental health facilities. It always ends with him getting bored, calling his mother, and then ending up transferring somewhere else. When his mother’s significant other puts his foot down, Ricky is sent to the Brookline psychiatric hospital for losing his temper. Soon, Ricky notices that Brookline isn’t like the other places he’s been to. Here, people are terrified of Warden Crawford, and everyone is encouraged to put their heads down and live under the radar as much as possible. When the Warden picks Ricky as his special new patient, Ricky is in more danger than he has ever known, and it will take the help of a few friends (and maybe a few ghosts) to get away.

Though I haven’t read the Asylum series, this prequel, ESCAPE FROM ASYLUM, is easy to read on its own. The combination of horror writing and creepy pictures Roux is known for make this a story not to read in the dark, as we follow Ricky’s terrifying encounters with the Warden. The tone is spine-chilling throughout, leaving you both eager to turn the page to find out what happens next but also scared to do so.

While Ricky is a solid character on his own, arrogant, cheeky, and genuine, the side characters, Kay and Nurse Ash, are a welcome addition to the story. Both are tough and often as frustrated as Ricky, though the idea of escaping seems much less feasible to them than Ricky. Even so, they band together, and their touching connections bring hope, even when all seems lost. The banter and sweet romantic tension between Kay and Ricky provides a few nice swoons and breaks from the scares.

Fans of American Horror Story and things that go bump in the night will devour the latest from Madeleine Roux. Ricky’s unforgettable journey will haunt you for days.