Review: The Hobgoblins of Little Minds by Mark Matthews

 

TW: Body Horror, Mental Illness, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Forced/Coerced Abortion, Suicide, Suicidal Ideation, Medical Experimentation, Graphic Sexual Encounters, Violence

 

Before moving away from the only home she has known, Kori Driscoe sets out to find her long-missing father Paul, who suffers from bipolar depression. An incident that occurred fifteen years ago landed him in Northville Psychiatric Hospital and he has not been seen since. Kori is moving away with her mother and stepfather, and the hospital is slated for demolition, so this is her last chance to go back to where she feels closest to her father and look for clues to his disappearance.

An exploration of the hospital’s sub-basement leads Kori to a horrendous discovery hidden underneath the hospital are feral, blood-thirsty creatures that are the products of medical experimentation. In trying to rescue her father, Kori has discovered a plot hatched by hospital doctors that not only puts her life in danger but also those lives that were experimented on and the result of said experiment. Will Kori be able to reunite with her father and save them all before the hospital is demolished?

This book was a lot for me. Before reading this book, I had never thought of mental disorders as being a benefit, or a superpower if you will. I live depression and anxiety, and I know it has caused me some super high feeling days and others I do not even want to discuss. I certainly would have never thought to equate my mental health issues with lycanthropy, but now it makes sense to me. I have seen firsthand how the waxing and waning of the moon affects the neurological disorder my son has, why wouldn’t other disorders be affected as well.

I appreciate that Mr. Matthews has a background in behavioral healthcare and had beta readers check for sensitivity to make sure that those with mental health issues would not feel attacked. In anyone else’s hands, a story like this most likely could have been exploitative. Another subject that was touched on in this book was medical exploitation.

All in all, The Hobgoblins of Little Minds is a heavy read, but a great read. Don’t go into it expecting your classic werewolf story, this book is so much more than that.

5/5 Stars

Disclaimer: Thank you to author Mark Matthews for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.