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Asylum Lake

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 · rating details · 366 ratings · 134 reviews

In 1917, the state's second largest psychiatric hospital opened on six hundred wooded acres overlooking a small lake near Bedlam Falls, Michigan. Through its doors came the weak and the weary, the disabled and the discarded, the frail and the forgotten. But an open door is an invitation, and some visitors, once invited, are loath to leave. The hospital abruptly closed in 1...more

Paperback, 208 pages

Published July 1st 2010 by Chapbook Press

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Oct 16, 2011 Shelli rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, utter-rubbish

I would give this 1 and 1/2 stars if I could. I didn't like it, but it is too bad, because the idea could have been a good one. It could have been creepy and scary, but was trying to do too many things....be scary, romantic, funny, serious...it didn't work all in the same book. I was excited that it took place in Michigan, so I was familiar with many locations, but the ridiculous overuse of cliches in this book ruined even that. It was poorly written and poorly executed and the Kindle edition wa...more

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Jun 06, 2011 D. Leask rated it 5 of 5 stars

In a Nutshell:
A reporter Brady Tanner, returns to his families summer home to pick up the pieces after the tragic death of his wife and recent loss of his parents. The Up North House, as it was called by his family, begins to reveal secrets about the abandoned Insane Asylum nearby and his family. Brady must follow the history of his family and the Asylum before his own sanity is forever lost.

First Thoughts:

Just started this last night and I am expecting, from what I have heard about this book, a...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Rachel Tsoumbakos rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, mental-asylum

This novel I had picked to read while I was away on holidays - as a result I got very little sleep!

The story is engaging right from the first sentence. I found I was completely enchanted by both the characters and the eerie setting in which they had been placed. The story moves quickly and easily from the past to the present day and then back again in it's unraveling of the events at an abandoned mental asylum.

Fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz will love this book. There is a sequel coming and...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book combined elements from three different time periods all in the same location. The author weaved these together in a way that kept me guessing until almost the very end. I am not a big fan of supernatural but there was enough of a plot otherwise that kept me interested.

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Jul 07, 2012 Sally Malkowski rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Finished Asylum Lake today, but not for lack of interest but available free time to read. Engaging story about the ties that bind to a now defunct mental institution, with lasting effects. Interesting assortment of weirdo, and not so, characters, ending with the promise of a sequel. Attention needs to be paid every step of the way and, despite the many grammatical errors, the story is a worthwhile read. Hopefully R.A. Evans next book will be more professionally presented, as IMO he has talent.

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Feb 17, 2013 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, mystery

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

First, I rated this novel higher than many genre novels, which means I include genre and literary under one rating system. As far as I am concerned, some genre stories are literary and, by literary, I mean the writing goes beyond being merely plot-driven with decent characters.

"Earth-Sim" is a young adult novel that can be enjoyed by adults. The two main teen characters, Jem and Kir, are teamed with an android to manage a developing...more I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

First, I rated this novel higher than many genre novels, which means I include genre and literary under one rating system. As far as I am concerned, some genre stories are literary and, by literary, I mean the writing goes beyond being merely plot-driven with decent characters.

"Earth-Sim" is a young adult novel that can be enjoyed by adults. The two main teen characters, Jem and Kir, are teamed with an android to manage a developing planet that exists in a simulated universe where their classmates do the same with their own planets. The class is a competition to see who has the best planetary management skills.

Here's the rub: Jem and Kir have very different personalities, and must learn to get along together. We learn early on that Jem is not who she seems. At first, she tends to be rather abrasive and "up tight," and nearly loses Kir in the process. As the two learn more about one another, they find they have more in common and, once they learn to appreciate the uncommon traits in one another, they operate more efficiently.

What took this novel a little beyond mere genre fiction was that Jim and Kir learned there is more to managing a planet that winning a competition. What began as merely a game (although an important one) became realization of the importance of the individual. The universe they manipulated may have been a simulation, but it was a simulation of a real place inhabited by real, living entities, human and otherwise.

Again, I found editing to be the gremlin in the mix. Although it was obvious this novel was edited better than most self-published books I have reviewed, problems remained. One glaring example is that at one point the anachronism "Christmas" was mistakenly left in for the protagonists' holiday.

I also found fault with one part of the self-contained realism of the world-building. Well-done science fiction should always be true to its own science. In other words, good science fiction does not enter the world of fantasy. This novel, particularly with its chapter introductions of earth's history, leads the reader to believe that this planet is earth, and will follow the true history of earth, even though some of the historical events may have been nudged along by something (or someone) beyond earth's knowledge.

Therefore, I was sorely disappointed by the introduction of "Superman," which stuck out like a sore thumb and took me right out of the realism of the story. Superman was a comic book invention, not a historical fact, and the inclusion of the "flying boy" adds absolutely nothing to the story. I beg the author to remove this silliness from her novel.

All-in-all, I enjoyed "Earth-Sim." Developing a new story idea is difficult these days, even in science fiction, and I have never heard of planet earth simulation before. Kudos for that one! Great character development, too. Even the rival is a nice guy, which makes Jem's choices more difficult. I would like to see more of Rio in the sequel (of course, it's obvious there is going to be one), deepening the conflict.

Here be good writing and enough mystery remaining that makes me want to read the next one. (less)

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Oct 26, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 5 of 5 stars

Asylum Lake roped me in right from the beginning, from the moment we meet Brady Tanner – a wonderfully tragic character that I couldn’t get enough of. Evans did a fantastic job portraying Brady as a broken, yet resilient character (refreshing, since all too often this translates into a giant, pathetic mess of an MC). The story switches constantly between past and present, but it was done very well and I was never confused by the lack of chronology. Actually, Evans incorporated the past events so...more

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May 04, 2011 Patrick D'Orazio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Asylum Lake is the debut novel of author R.A. Evans, and tells the tale of Brady, an ex-reporter heading home to Michigan from Chicago after suffering through a personal tragedy. His parent's old Lake House that he is returning to holds some dark memories for him, especially since both his parents have passed away since he was last there, but nothing prepares him for the strange and eerie occurrences that happen upon his arrival. There is an old abandoned mental institution on the opposite side...more Asylum Lake is the debut novel of author R.A. Evans, and tells the tale of Brady, an ex-reporter heading home to Michigan from Chicago after suffering through a personal tragedy. His parent's old Lake House that he is returning to holds some dark memories for him, especially since both his parents have passed away since he was last there, but nothing prepares him for the strange and eerie occurrences that happen upon his arrival. There is an old abandoned mental institution on the opposite side of the lake that holds even darker memories for many people in the town he lives in, including the many patients who met their tragic end there years before.
Asylum Lake not only tells Brady's tale, but another that takes place nearly forty years earlier along with yet another that dips even further into the past, all of them intertwined and revealed in bits and pieces as they tell of the hauntings and murders that have been a part of the town surrounding the lake's fabric for years. This is not only a ghost story, but also a story that contains gruesome and dark elements of possession and revenge. The characters are easy to get comfortable with, and the plot is amply twisty, revealing things piecemeal so you can't get too far ahead of yourself by presuming you know what is happening, especially as it goes backwards in time and then jumps back to the present repeatedly. It was a fun read, though my main complaint with it probably is that it felt like it should have been longer, and the 'reveals' could have been stretched out even more pages than they were. Don't get me wrong. The author set the stage, created a wonderfully creepy setting, and gave it and those who inhabited it a righteously tragic saga. I just felt like the stage could have been used even more. The asylum itself wasn't explored and the details about it not revealed enough for my tastes, though I realize the author will be coming out with a follow up book that explains more of the mysteries involved with the asylum and the people who met their tragic end there. In a way, my criticism is a compliment, because the author did a good job with what he'd created, and left me curious to find out more. So I think that means he will have a customer when the next book is released. (less)

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Nov 28, 2010 Joyce rated it 2 of 5 stars

I generally stay away from self-published books but I was intrigued by the title, as Kalamazoo lays claim to its own Asylum Lake, and the website, www.asylumlake.com, is suitably disturbing for a horror novel. The story itself is propulsively interesting — a reporter returns to his family’s summer home up north on the aforementioned lake to recover from the loss of his wife. His parents have died and he finds himself unraveling the mystery that consumed his father’s final years. Early in the tal...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Steve Umstead rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just wrapped up Asylum Lake last night, and I have to say I really quite enjoyed it, even thought I'm definitely not a typical horror reader by any stretch!

It was very well written, the descriptions were vivid enough to show the scene in one's imagination, yet not overly wordy. The characters, I thought, were well-developed, and the POV didn't jump around so much as to lose sight of who was speaking/thinking/feeling. It started a bit slow, but really took off a few chapters in, and the chapter w...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Courtney Conant rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had the pleasure of receiving a copy of Asylum Lake by R.A. Evans for review. I must say that I absolutely enjoyed reading it. It follows the story of not one, but two lives. Brady Tanner is a journalist that has had a very hard life, many ups and downs to account for. He travels back to his family’s old summer home to escape from a tragedy that had struck in his life, only to find more awaiting him. His life is slowly dragged into the path of Ellis Arkema, a previous patient at the asylum on...more

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May 28, 2011 Suzy Turner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Being a real scaredy cat I usually tend to avoid reading anything that might freak me out a little, but lately I've succumbed to a number of thriller/horror movies (and really enjoyed them!) so I figured I would take the plunge and try to read something within the same genre. When I first read the blurb on Asylum Lake, I decided to give it a go.
The first night I started reading, I woke up in a cold sweat after having a really scary nightmare! It didn't put me off though and I persevered. I am s...more

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Jun 08, 2012 T.W. Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to start my review by doing something that I never do...address issues raised in a few of the negative reviews. The biggest being a remark made about Mr. Evans depiction of a particular religious faith. It was one paragraph in a book and it was from a character POV. The criticism is without merit and I urge any who consider passing on this title based on such a volatile statement to ignore that review and purchase the book.

So, Asylum Lake revolves around Brady Tanner and is one of those s...more

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Jan 20, 2012 P. Christopher Colter rated it 5 of 5 stars

I run hot and cold with so-called "horror novels", but for some reason was attracted to Asylum Lake by R.A. Evans. In essence, it is the story of a young journalist who returns to his hometown after tragedy befalls him, and becomes involved in supernatural happenings related to his late father and grandfather, a mysterious bracelet, and the abandoned insane asylum across the lake from his childhood home.

While there is no shortage of the requisite blood found in most horror fiction, R.A. Evans is...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Charlie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, 1st-in-series, indie, october-halloween

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess I was originally drawn to this book for two reasons: it is set in Michigan, the place where I born and grew up and it's horror. Little did I know, I'd discover another connection, that to Seattle, where I now reside. If this wasn't enough to give me a shiver, the story of Asylum Lake certainly was! Beware, you might not want to read right before turning off the lights and going to bed. Too scary? Not for me! This is exactly the kind of mysterious...more In the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess I was originally drawn to this book for two reasons: it is set in Michigan, the place where I born and grew up and it's horror. Little did I know, I'd discover another connection, that to Seattle, where I now reside. If this wasn't enough to give me a shiver, the story of Asylum Lake certainly was! Beware, you might not want to read right before turning off the lights and going to bed. Too scary? Not for me! This is exactly the kind of mysterious paranormal horror I love to read. The characters attract tragedy and death. At first, they seem like a very unfortunate lineage, but as this mysterious thriller unfolds you will be enlightened to the purpose behind the events. For those from the 'mitt' you will like the authentic setting and subtle humor. I had to chuckle at the Up North House. Any true Michigander goes up north for vacation because south would lead to Chicago. I can not think of a better setting for this tale to take place than on a secluded lake in northern Michigan, whether it is on a hot, muggy summer night or a cool, breezy fall day, viewing an abandoned state asylum would be enough to scare even the toughest Mid-Westerner.

Another interesting aspect, and I'm certain this is the case with many small towns, is our fascination with old crime stories. I appreciate how influential cases are sited by the author (whether they are real or not) and work to draw a connection from past to present. This grounds the paranormal making it believable, which in my opinion is a key element to escalating the horror level. Getting a reader to imagine that an event truly could or did happen is essential. Old crimes and cases don't die in places like Bedlam Falls. One thing you can count on is people will certainly remember what happened but might forget the details. By making use of this human tendency, Evans creates a creepy mystery. Circumstances similar to the one surrounding the characters of Asylum Lake become legends in towns like Bedlam. Stories permanently attach to the land, they seep in and hibernate until the next thaw. Brady brings the thaw, but why and how? Well, I'm not going to give that away! I can't wait to read the next book and learn more about what happened to Lionel and Dr. Clovis! (less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Vanessa Perez rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book for the most part. Most of the horror was gripping, but as a huge fan of exploring abandoned buildings I was left disappointed. I may pick up the sequel (I'm not really into series) but only because for the life of me I can't remember how the "demon's" bracelet got into the lake in the first place. Really, if I put two and two together though its easy to figure out. Anyway, character development was decent -- not too deep but not too shallow. I appreciated the fact that Brady w...more

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Mar 18, 2011 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ghosts, paranormal, review-sent-to-author, michigan

I don't usually read horror novels. Why? Because any book that makes me sick to my stomach I don't consider entertainment. This is just a personal preference and I realize I'm in the minority here. That being said though, there are some good ones out there, maybe I just shouldn't be reviewing them. Still, I know a good book when I read one, even if I cringe through the whole thing. And this is a good book.

The plot of Asylum Lake is just fantastic. It twists and it turns and you think you know wh...more I don't usually read horror novels. Why? Because any book that makes me sick to my stomach I don't consider entertainment. This is just a personal preference and I realize I'm in the minority here. That being said though, there are some good ones out there, maybe I just shouldn't be reviewing them. Still, I know a good book when I read one, even if I cringe through the whole thing. And this is a good book.

The plot of Asylum Lake is just fantastic. It twists and it turns and you think you know where the book is going to go, but then the author throws you for a loop and something totally unexpected happens. There's so much creativity here. I wonder often how authors do this. I can't even imagine coming up with fantastic ideas like the ones found in this novel.

It's a pretty quick read. But it's one hell of a ride. You find yourself finding sympathy for characters that you know you shouldn't. My husband would totally love this book, because it's twisted and he loves that kind of stuff. It's very Chuck Palahniuklike. More like the paranormal version though.

There are some pretty gory moments found in these pages.If you can't handle that, don't read. And the human imagination can definitely make it worse. Lots of blood and guts. And aside from that, it gets really creepy at times.

What can I say though? The book is beautifully written. R.A. Evans writes like he's been doing it forever. Maybe he has. Who knows? There is a sequel to this book coming out and I haven't decided yet if I'm going to read it yet or not. But I probably will, because even though the story wrapped up nicely, there are still a LOT of unanswered questions. And I sort of want to know the answers.

If I have one criticism of the book it's that it seemed to take awhile for the story to get going. And then there was the fact that as a reader, you knew the asylum was across the lake the whole time, but it was hardly in the story until the very end. I think asylums are pretty much the creepiest places on earth and I was really hoping to find more of it here. The cover has an asylum on it, asylum is in the title, yet it was lacking in that department. It might sound stupid to you, but it makes sense to me. I can only hope that the next novel follows more of a storyline having to do with the asylum itself. A lot happened there. I am looking forward to reading the next title in the series. Well done R.A Evans.(less)

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Mar 24, 2012 James Jr. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just read a marvelous book called "Asylum Lake", written by the wonderfully demented and extremely talented R.A. Evans.

The novel opens with a young man being found guilty of murder. We leave that scene and are introduced to our main character Brady Tanner. The book was good up to this point, but it isn’t too long before we get to the chapter, entitled: "Crimes Against Humanity". From there, Evans blows the roof off, and if you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to put it back down again un...more I just read a marvelous book called "Asylum Lake", written by the wonderfully demented and extremely talented R.A. Evans.

The novel opens with a young man being found guilty of murder. We leave that scene and are introduced to our main character Brady Tanner. The book was good up to this point, but it isn’t too long before we get to the chapter, entitled: "Crimes Against Humanity". From there, Evans blows the roof off, and if you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to put it back down again until you’ve consumed the entire book whole.

It was such a brilliant moment, as if the story was written by two different authors. We went from quaint story with a bit of creepiness to full-out horror. It’s tough in that house, if you happen to have a nervous stomach. I highly advice you to cover your face and read through splayed fingers. A subsequent chapter is entitled: "House of the Dead", if that's any indication.

I found the heroes and villians in this novel to be well-conceived, imaginative and memorable. The pacing is done very well and is often told through flashbacks. I know this turns some folks off, but I found it easy enough to follow, thanks to time and date stamps before those chapters. Music plays a large part of what goes on and I loved that, being a huge music fan myself. The pieces selected were well chosen and not at all forced fed into the story (as some authors have done - as if the they simply wanted to use their favorite songs). I commend Evans here. He is also extremely witty and intelligent, and uses those attributes to pepper his story like a great chef would an otherwise fine dish, making it stand well above the rest.

Really, my only complaint had to do with formatting, and, if memory serves, those issues were being corrected.

Be warned. There are a few squeamish moments regarding children, but I highly recommend this fantastic novel. At first, I thought it might be good, but when that moment came - the moment when the afterburners were lit and everything just took off, I cursed happily under my breath, knowing at that moment that this ride was going to be something special.

(less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Lynn Thompson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Asylum Lake reads back and forth between the past and present, all linking to the asylum for the mental ill and the weird experiments that were going on there.

Brady is having a rough time with life, so he decides to drive to his "Up North" house with his dog Gruff. There he runs into an old ex-girlfriend, who has a little girl. They begin to date and Brady starts to believe he can heal from the past.

This is where the story gets complex. He finds out his house is haunted. His dead parents bedroom...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Christopher Payne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I do love a good horror story, and Asylum Lake fits the bill. It reels you in while developing the storyline and main character and then slams it home with one of the more horrific murder scenes I have read in a long time. Hello, has anyone seen the twin’s hands and feet lately. Try looking in the kitchen sink if you have the stomach for it. All that being said the book itself falls short with more grammatical errors than something I would have written, and an ending that left me as a reader fli...more I do love a good horror story, and Asylum Lake fits the bill. It reels you in while developing the storyline and main character and then slams it home with one of the more horrific murder scenes I have read in a long time. Hello, has anyone seen the twin’s hands and feet lately. Try looking in the kitchen sink if you have the stomach for it. All that being said the book itself falls short with more grammatical errors than something I would have written, and an ending that left me as a reader flipping through the back pages wondering if I had missed the climax.

Brady was an ace reporter; this is in the past tense since he seemingly has moved on due to the death of his fiancé. She died in a freak accident that defines being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Brady's only true friend is his dog Gruff, and the two of them decide to venture up to Bedlam Falls, MI where he had spent many a summer relaxing by the lake as a child. Brady's parents, both recently deceased, had a cabin which had been remodeled into a home away from home. What better way to forget about the past than dredging up old memories from your childhood.

The only problem with Brady's plan is the damn scrabble game is acting like an Ouija Board. Remember that little circle with an eye and the hole in the middle that allowed you to talk to spirits. Damn, it still creeps me out thinking about it, and now thanks to Mr. Evans I might not be able to play scrabble again. Apparently there are a few spirits meandering about the old cabin and we really are not sure if they are friendly, or plan on consuming Gruff and Brady for dinner.

So Brady begins poking around and come to find out his father, a former detective had found some clues about an old murder and was doing his best to figure out what happened. Throw in an old flame, April, and you have the mixings for a perfectly formed romantic death trap. As I said before, the storyline was really impressive and I did find myself flipping through the pages rather quickly in order to find out what was going to happen next.

As always I try not to give away too many details and I strongly believe with this book the story is the punch line, so if you want more insight you will just have to read it. I will now bring up a few shortcomings of the book and things that will hopefully change in volume II.

Brady's dialogue was just not believable. The guy is a reporter for a major newspaper and at times he talks like he didn't graduate high school. I could have done without the tampon scene; it is just too stereotypical to bother writing down. The lack of editing had me scratching my head in wonder. Granted Mr. Evans did tell me my copy was an advance edition, but it really needed a lot of re-work. I know, I know, how many people say that about my writing as well, but I have to put it in here if it is what I believe.

My biggest disappointment was the ending, or really lack thereof. The book just kind of stops after building up your tempo to the highest point possible. It would be like licking that lollipop and when you decide to take the final bight, anticipating that tootsie roll center, only to realize it was hollow. Nothing there. Empty. I think part of the reason I was so disappointed in the ending was because the rest of the story was so damn good. If the author would decide to re-write the last couple of chapters, or add in a chapter with some sort of climax this book would go from being ok to being awesome.

Anyway, even with the negatives the book is definitely one of the more entertaining reads I have picked up in a while. I would suggest perusing through it with grandeur expectations on what Mr. Evans would be writing for a sequel. He is very talented and I for one will be keeping up with his work going forward.(less)

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May 31, 2012 C_lo rated it 3 of 5 stars

ok book....jumped around a lot, hard to follow at times. Good reference to music and ghosts.

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Apr 24, 2013 Recommend Book Reviews rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: never-finished

Usually I don't like putting down a book until I finish it, but I had to with this one. I was 56% of the way done, and I had to stop reading. There were grammar mistakes, I didn't care about the characters, and the descriptions in a few parts removed me from the novel. There were problems with the pictures that were supposed to be in the novel, but I won't hold that against the author. I was honestly stunned to find out a publisher had gone over this before releasing it. If I was the author, I w...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, ghosts, kindle-reads

This is one of the best ghost stories I have read in a really long time. I love horror/ghost stories. I have been reading them since I was way too young to be reading them. I have gotten away from the genre for awhile but the blurb for this book really caught my eye so I downloaded it. All I can say is thank goodness I was on a road trip and had a lot of time to read! Once I started reading this story I literally did not want to put it down. It sucked me in and took me on a crazy ride. This is n...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love my horror with a great plot, well-placed gore, and characters I can sink my teeth into. This book had all of that and more. In fact, it comes with it's own soundtrack. For you music lovers, there are many references to songs which enhance the experience and can place you directly into the mindset of the characters. The plot twists and turns and while you think you know what is coming next - you don't. I gave it only 4 stars because I did get tripped up in some of the errors (some spelling...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Jane rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'll start with what worked: the author had some great ideas for both the plot and the subplot, and some real opportunities to tie everything together.

Unfortunately, the execution needed more thought. For me, there were two big issues. First, there were too many times that I was conscious of the fact that the author was trying to develop a character, instead of character development just happening. For example, a few times he quotes the lyrics from a song that a character likes. I would have pre...more

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May 10, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

This is a seriously creepy book. It's 3:00 in the morning, I just finished it, and don't see sleeping any time soon. I LOVE supernatural thrillers and this fit the bill. I was disapointed in that it is part of a series. I would have liked to have known that before I started, but I look forward to reading the rest of the story. This is a gory, scary, and creepy book, and I really liked it. Yes the ending came quickly, and that was a bit of a disapointment, but the story was very compelling. I wou...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story was thrilling right from that start, to the end. I loved the main character and the way this author wrote, he was able to weave in and out of the present and the past seamlessly. I am also from Grand Rapids, and this book is set in west Michigan, so it was cool to read about this area! It's a quick read and a page turner, I love books like this.

I can't wait for book two to come out so I can find out what really went on in that Asylum.....

If you have ever been creeped out by a big old...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Stephen King fans

Why worry about the tornado if you're in a basement? Sorry, it's stuff like this that drive me nuts when I read fiction. And animals getting injured to move the plot along.

With that said, this story has promise. It's too long, padded with unnecessary stuff, like the impending tornado mentioned above -- totally not needed, made the ending more like something I'd watch on the SyFy channel's movie of the week (you know, a raging wildfire during an earthquake with the eye of a category five hurrica...more Why worry about the tornado if you're in a basement? Sorry, it's stuff like this that drive me nuts when I read fiction. And animals getting injured to move the plot along.

With that said, this story has promise. It's too long, padded with unnecessary stuff, like the impending tornado mentioned above -- totally not needed, made the ending more like something I'd watch on the SyFy channel's movie of the week (you know, a raging wildfire during an earthquake with the eye of a category five hurricane fast approaching ... ) The interwoven timeline got very confusing at times -- needs some more editing for sure (and I like time interweaving -- just don't want to have to draw a diagram so I don't get lost). The music drop-ins didn't work very well for me since the songs mentioned are not the classics everybody has heard (Pearl Jam? Really?) and it felt like a total ripoff from King (not done nearly as well). But it was a pretty good read -- interesting story, dialog not bad at all. Heavy editing and a rewrite and this will almost be a really good book.

Almost? Well, the ending was confusing, lame, and not enough. I know there's a sequel in the works, but I didn't know that going into the book. I put it way too much time to be left with a "WTF?" The best sequel setups are those that give you enough information to really care about what happens next while at the same time satisfying you with the ending of the current story. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone -- just that this was a lot of work without enough payoff.

So, if the writer gets a good editor and gives it a good rewrite and adds an actual ending to the current story, or at least enough of an ending to reward the hours it took to get there, it would be a really good book.

Will I read the sequel? I don't know. I don't know enough about the villain or the victims in this story (the nuthouse inmate who's driving the story is who I mean by victim) and I'm still confused by it all. I might if I notice when it comes out and if the price is right.
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Jan 30, 2011 Jennifer Place rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first thing that intrigued me about this book - even before the synopsis - was the cover art. I don't know why, but it captured my interest immediately. I have a book "problem" and have endeavored to stop spending so much money on them and be more selective in my choices but this one I had to have.
I finished it this afternoon and it was a good, entertaining and quick read (quick despite having a three year old. If it's less than a week to finish, I consider that "quick" these days).

Great pr...more

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Jan 18, 2011 Lindsay Mawson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Asylum Lake was an interesting book. I thought the story's twists and plot were well thought out, and Gruff, the dog, was rather enjoyable.

It took me a little bit to get into the story because not all that much 'scary' seemed to happen until the middle of the book. I found the introduction of Brady and the following chapters a bit confusing and hard to follow because of the constant changes in present to past memories, but that rectified itself by about 1/4 into the book. Once I got halfway thr...more

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About R.A. Evans

R. A. Evans writes. By day he prostitutes his creativity for the advertising industry. By night, he writes for pleasure. It’s what he does. It’s who he is. If you like your humor dark, your blood-letting messy, and the creepiness factor cranked to eleven, he’s the author for you. His debut novel, Asylum Lake, has hit the shelves to rave reviews.

A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Evans s...more

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“The price of a memory is the memory of the sorrow they bring.” — 19 people liked it

“The price for blood is blood” — 3 people liked it

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