as soon as i noticed ‘by way of Stephen King.’ i knew i would enjoy it. i indeed enjoyed it. immensely. being that it’s a true story, obviously makes it much more immersive and unsettling than a fiction. it draws you in with it’s diary-like ambiance, making the characters come that much more to life. i feel like i’m walking along the asylum halls with this young doctor. the author captures you with a veil of mystery that left me feeling cold and hollow. to imagine this young doctor so determined to help this incredibly troubled man all the while he’s tapping and scratching at the claustrophobic padded walls, each of his psyche’s screws coming a little more undone with each passing hour for a shadowed reason unbeknownst to the reader. i also adored the authentic Irish accent the nurse, Nessie, was given during conversations. it gave me a light feeling of being watched or like i wasn’t in my bedroom, but in the patient’s cube.