Kit Lewis' 'Symphony of Screams' is the quintessential mental asylum horror book, gathering every kind of nightmarish situation you can think of taking place in a place this (with the exception of sexual abuse): people get kidnapped and forced to undergo horrific 'treatments,' namely both psychological and physical torture, from dental surgeries and unnecessary lobotomies to restrained isolation and bodily degradation, while insane doctors laugh and enjoy the visceral violence.

However, the book is not extreme horror: there's some gore and, of course, several triggering situations, but the images and the feelings, vivid and descriptive, have a point, and that is certainly not to shock or disturb for its own sake. This is, presumably, a portrayal of hell, rather than a proper portrait of mental institutions in the 1960s. Every little fictional detail contributes to the formation of a traumatizing, delusional logic, a intentionally horrific narrative rather than a faithful depiction of any barbaric procedures (though there is that as well!).

The book starts calmly, slowly setting the stage for later, as Ethan, the young protagonist, keeps noticing strange things happening around the local psychiatric hospital; once he decides to investigate, bringing along his two good friends, Mike and Sarah, all hell breaks loose and the story goes into overdrive, hitting the reader with one nasty twist after another. The terrifying scenes do not let up, as the author keeps conjuring, with well-chosen phrases, deeply upsetting images: visions of unfortunate victims lacking any possible avenues of escape from the deranged, psychotic doctor responsible for the place, the infamous Dr. Blackwell. At some point, the story calms down a bit, and what follows is a (admittedly, rather bizarre) journey of the main characters assimilating what has happened to them inside the asylum. And then there's that very strange, worrisome ending, when the lines between reality and fiction, innocence and guilt, totally blur and victimhood takes on an entirely unpredictable meaning! The ending will certainly raise a few eyebrows.

Although I personally found the writing a bit old-fashioned, the fast-pacing of the story and the relentless portrayal of 'asylum horror' hit all the right spots and kept me entertained. I recommend it as a story that kept me on pins and needles, with hardly a dull moment!3 s Colleen Bursley12 2

An old turn of the century asylum, a small remote town in North Western California and a young man’s curiosity to hearing screams in the night, sightings of shadows, blood covered figures running down the road.
What horrors are taking place in the asylum and why are the town residents so reluctant and afraid to try to stop it?
After he observes patients escaping and guards retrieving them, Ethan decides that he needs to dig deeper into the atrocities being committed within the walls of the asylum. Little does he know that the asylum would capture him as its next victim.
If you want a truly spooky and mind bending story that hits on the edge of truth, this would be it. It’s scary, unsettling, spooky, and gory. It has it all! Does Ethan survive? You’ll have to read it. If you want psychological horror at its best, this one is it.
Kit Lewis has done a phenomenal job in creating his debut novel. He is going to be one to watch for. Date With A Thriller132 9

This horror debut novel centers around a mental asylum, a doctor’s tortuous experiments on unwitting subjects, and a young adult determined to put an end to it! I love my asylum settings in books for all the creepy vibes they bring and this one does not disappoint - though it’s more the doctor who is creepy rather than the asylum itself!
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