Book Review: Institutionalized: Stories of the Deranged and Demented

Title: Institutionalized: Stories of the Deranged and Demented

Authors: Richard Chizmar, Ronald Kelly, R.E. Sargent, Steven Pajak, Rebecca Rowland, Mike Duke, Scott Harper, Jill Girardi, Richard Clive, Jeremy Megargee, Janine Pipe, LP Hernandez, Scotty Milder, Renee M.P.T. Kray, Brandon Scott, David Rider, Asman Brian

Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09L85YJ8W/

Summary

Insanity has me by the throat. I wish it’d squeeze a little harder.

They call me crazy, but who are they to judge? I’m not crazy. They are. I’ve tried to reason with them, but they won’t listen. Yet. One day, they will hear me, and one day, they’ll be sorry.

This is no way to live, being locked up like an animal. And I’m surrounded by lunatics. The scary girl in the corner who hears voices, the burly bald guy who lashes out with violent tendencies, the quiet redhead who lights fires, or the Rob Zombie look-alike that is rumored to have murdered his entire family. Is this real or one sick and twisted nightmare I can’t wake up from?

Institutionalized is the latest anthology from the creators of The Better Off Dead series. This installment brings you stories of the mentally unbalanced, the damaged and disturbed, and the criminally insane. Some are locked up. Some are not. We recommend you sleep with one eye open.

With stories by Richard Chizmar, Ronald Kelly, R.E. Sargent, Steven Pajak, Rebecca Rowland, Mike Duke, Scott Harper, Jill Girardi, Richard Clive, Jeremy Megargee, Janine Pipe, LP Hernandez, Scotty Milder, Renee M.P.T. Kray, Brandon Scott, and David Rider.

Foreword written by Brian Asman.

My Review

5/5 Stars

Tales of madness galore!

I adore this collection by Sinister Smile Press. The variety of stories from creatures to slasher means it has a little something for everyone.

My top three favorites from the collection:

• Out of the Box by Renee M.P.T. Kray

In this story, a woman finds a piece of her childhood after her mother passes away. A box. But not just any box. A box her mother used to seal away her imaginary friend. Who may not be so imaginary after all.

• Lab Rats by Jill Girardi

A grad student uses rats to research the correlation between intelligence and diet. What happens when the testee becomes smarter than the tester?

• Memory Eater by Jeremy Megargee

An elderly woman finds herself facing a creature who lives in her mind. Not just any creature, one that destroys memories and won’t stop until she’s lost everything that makes her who she is.