Good morning! Today, we're so excited to be a part of the blog tour for Brynn Chapman's newest release, The Requiem Red. This book is so strange and unique and Ashley's thoroughly enjoyed it! We have her review for you today, as well as a giveaway. Be sure to enter to win your own copy of the book via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post!
Also don't forget to stop by the other fantastic stops on the tour! You can find the complete tour schedule by clicking the banner above.
Before we get to Ashley's review and the giveaway (seriously, you want this book!), here's a little more information about The Requiem Red and its author.
About the Book
Title: The Requiem Red
Author: Brynn Chapman
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Synopsis: Patient Twenty-nine.
A monster roams the halls of Soothing Hills Asylum. Three girls dead. 29 is endowed with the curse…or gift of perception. She hears messages in music, sees lyrics in paintings. And the corn. A lifetime asylum resident, the orchestral corn music is the only constant in her life.
Mason, a new, kind orderly, sees 29 as a woman, not a lunatic. And as his belief in her grows, so does her self- confidence. That perhaps she might escape, might see the outside world.
But the monster has other plans. The missing girls share one common thread...each was twenty-nine's cell mate.
Will she be next?
Purchase Links:
About the Author
Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.
She also writes under the pseudonym R.R. Smythe .
Ashley's Review
Monsters, orchestral corn music, haunted asylums, and a little romance and mystery thrown in? I knew this book was going to be deliciously weird and that I had to get my hands on it as soon as I could! There were just so many excellent things about The Requiem Red, and Brynn's gorgeous writing had me glued to the page from the very first sentence.
Patient 29 (Jane) is such an interesting girl. She's grown up in the mental asylum, but she's an incredibly talented musician and artist. She's also much more stable than most of the other patients, but not supposedly stable enough for the "real world." This book is told from multiple perspectives, and I think Jane's were my favorite. They're very raw and emotional, and I just really enjoyed seeing things from her point of view. She knows way more than she lets on, but she's careful to keep things secret when she knows they'll only get her in trouble.
I also really enjoyed getting to know Jules, our second narrator. Like Jane, she has a talent for music and doesn't remember much of her past. Her father happens to be Jane's doctor, and she uses that as her in to the asylum. She volunteers a few days a week, when her father allows her to (and sometimes even when he doesn't!), in an attempt to learn more about the asylum, its patients, and a particular doctor. Although Jules has lived outside the asylum her whole life, a lot of her sections take place inside it and I thought seeing it from the perspective of an outsider was a nice twist.
Both girls have a little romance in their lives, although Jane's appears sooner and is given more time to blossom from friendship into something more. I really liked Mason, although I was very suspicious of him for a little while, and I'm glad things worked out like they did for him and Jane. Jule's romantic interest is a bit one-sided for most of the book, but I was also glad when things worked out like they did for her.
The thing that really had me hooked though was the monster roaming the halls, stealing the girls who were Jane's roommates and trying to get to her. Even though Jane knows he exists, and even knows his name, no one else can seem to find any record of him. I kept trying to figure it out on my own, but wasn't able to until just before it's revealed to the reader and the characters. Looking back, I feel like there were so many hints that I should have known, but the mystery of it all kept me on the edge of my seat so I'm not too upset that I didn't figure it out!
All in all, I loved most of this book. It was the right mixture of weird and creepy and romantic. But then, at the very end, in the last few pages, things just went all out in left field. I knew the corn music was important, and "The Requiem Red," but I was NOT expecting that ending. Like, at all. I finished the book so, so confused and had to just sit there for a little bit to process. I definitely need to know what happens next, since I still am so confused and just... what even. I'd still recommend this book to anyone looking for a beautiful, gothic read! Just be prepared for all kinds of weird things. 4/5!
I also really enjoyed getting to know Jules, our second narrator. Like Jane, she has a talent for music and doesn't remember much of her past. Her father happens to be Jane's doctor, and she uses that as her in to the asylum. She volunteers a few days a week, when her father allows her to (and sometimes even when he doesn't!), in an attempt to learn more about the asylum, its patients, and a particular doctor. Although Jules has lived outside the asylum her whole life, a lot of her sections take place inside it and I thought seeing it from the perspective of an outsider was a nice twist.
Both girls have a little romance in their lives, although Jane's appears sooner and is given more time to blossom from friendship into something more. I really liked Mason, although I was very suspicious of him for a little while, and I'm glad things worked out like they did for him and Jane. Jule's romantic interest is a bit one-sided for most of the book, but I was also glad when things worked out like they did for her.
The thing that really had me hooked though was the monster roaming the halls, stealing the girls who were Jane's roommates and trying to get to her. Even though Jane knows he exists, and even knows his name, no one else can seem to find any record of him. I kept trying to figure it out on my own, but wasn't able to until just before it's revealed to the reader and the characters. Looking back, I feel like there were so many hints that I should have known, but the mystery of it all kept me on the edge of my seat so I'm not too upset that I didn't figure it out!
All in all, I loved most of this book. It was the right mixture of weird and creepy and romantic. But then, at the very end, in the last few pages, things just went all out in left field. I knew the corn music was important, and "The Requiem Red," but I was NOT expecting that ending. Like, at all. I finished the book so, so confused and had to just sit there for a little bit to process. I definitely need to know what happens next, since I still am so confused and just... what even. I'd still recommend this book to anyone looking for a beautiful, gothic read! Just be prepared for all kinds of weird things. 4/5!
The Giveaway!
Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of The Requiem Red by Brynn Chapman (INT)
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