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Northern Michigan Asylum #1
Some Can See
The dead have stories to tell. Are you listening?
On a sunny August morning, in 1935, thirteen-year-old Sophia Gray finds her friend, Rosemary wandering in the woods. Rosemary’s yellow dress is tattered and stained, she walks with a strange lurch, and her eyes are vacant and glassy. She beckons to Sophia, desperate to show her something, and Sophia follows.
In an abandoned cabin, beneath a tattered blanket, Sophia discovers Rosemary’s body.
It was not Rosemary who led her there, but Rosemary’s ghost.
Step into the Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane
Twenty years after Sophia discovers Rosemary’s body, she finds herself trapped in the sprawling, and eerily beautiful, Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane, in the hands of a malevolent doctor who preys on patients who exhibit paranormal abilities.
Sometimes the dead don’t rest
In present day 1965, Hattie, much like her mother, thirty years before, is led by a ghost. A newspaper hidden in an attic reveals a secret that has shaped the lives of Hattie and her siblings. Hattie with her sister, Jude, embark on a crusade to remedy the wrongs of the past and discover the tale of deception that stole their mother a decade before.
Hattie and Jude are in a race against time to discover a murderer and save their mother from a horrific fate.
Get lost in a uniquely chilling story that spans the life of a family and the ghosts who haunt them.
On a sunny August morning, in 1935, thirteen-year-old Sophia Gray finds her friend, Rosemary wandering in the woods. Rosemary’s yellow dress is tattered and stained, she walks with a strange lurch, and her eyes are vacant and glassy. She beckons to Sophia, desperate to show her something, and Sophia follows.
In an abandoned cabin, beneath a tattered blanket, Sophia discovers Rosemary’s body.
It was not Rosemary who led her there, but Rosemary’s ghost.
Step into the Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane
Twenty years after Sophia discovers Rosemary’s body, she finds herself trapped in the sprawling, and eerily beautiful, Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane, in the hands of a malevolent doctor who preys on patients who exhibit paranormal abilities.
Sometimes the dead don’t rest
In present day 1965, Hattie, much like her mother, thirty years before, is led by a ghost. A newspaper hidden in an attic reveals a secret that has shaped the lives of Hattie and her siblings. Hattie with her sister, Jude, embark on a crusade to remedy the wrongs of the past and discover the tale of deception that stole their mother a decade before.
Hattie and Jude are in a race against time to discover a murderer and save their mother from a horrific fate.
Get lost in a uniquely chilling story that spans the life of a family and the ghosts who haunt them.
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 27, 2018
1778 people are currently reading
3049 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Erickson
39 books884 followersJ.R. Erickson writes novels that blend murder mysteries with haunted houses. Her Northern Michigan Asylum series are novels of paranormal suspense inspired by a real former asylum in Traverse City. Her current books, the Troubled Spirits series, are all inspired by real crimes, which she covers in her true crime podcast, Bitter Endings.
Jacki is a lifelong lover of all things spooky, and started penning scary stories in childhood. She grew up in Mason, Michigan and is a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Psychology. These days, Jacki resides near Traverse City, Michigan with her husband, son, and three cats.
Jacki is a lifelong lover of all things spooky, and started penning scary stories in childhood. She grew up in Mason, Michigan and is a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Psychology. These days, Jacki resides near Traverse City, Michigan with her husband, son, and three cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
May 7, 2019
Seriously, all I can say is that this was FREAKIN' AWESOME!!
I read the prequel novelette and enjoyed it but the quality of this story is vastly improved. It literally held me captive from the first sentence until the stunning, satisfying conclusion. Essentially the story of one family and how an inherited paranormal gift brings ruin to their lives, but also forges a great deal of resilience in their characters. We are also introduced to evil incarnate in the characters of a head doctor of the Northern Michigan Asylum who experiments on some of his patients, and a family matriarch without a shred of empathy who schemes and manipulates those closest to her.
The story encompasses threads from the far past, the near past and the present and it's a real credit to the author that she has woven the plots so seamlessly.
I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next book in the series and can't wait to see what the author has in store for her readers.
I received a free review ecopy of this novel directly from the author. I have voluntarily chosen to review this book and the gifting in no way influences my review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion.
I read the prequel novelette and enjoyed it but the quality of this story is vastly improved. It literally held me captive from the first sentence until the stunning, satisfying conclusion. Essentially the story of one family and how an inherited paranormal gift brings ruin to their lives, but also forges a great deal of resilience in their characters. We are also introduced to evil incarnate in the characters of a head doctor of the Northern Michigan Asylum who experiments on some of his patients, and a family matriarch without a shred of empathy who schemes and manipulates those closest to her.
The story encompasses threads from the far past, the near past and the present and it's a real credit to the author that she has woven the plots so seamlessly.
I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next book in the series and can't wait to see what the author has in store for her readers.
I received a free review ecopy of this novel directly from the author. I have voluntarily chosen to review this book and the gifting in no way influences my review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion.
November 30, 2019
Some Can See by J.R. Erickson and narrated by Allyson Voller is a good creepy take that goes back and forth between two time periods and two separate unusual situations. They come together at the end. Good story and good narration.
March 21, 2021
In 1935, thirteen-year-old Sophia Gray finds her friend, Rosemary wandering in the woods. Rosemary leads her to a cabin where her Sophia finds that girl’s dead body. Interesting idea for a thriller with a touch of the paranormal, but the plethora of characters spread over two time periods made it almost impossible to keep up. It was at least ten chapters before I really got to grips with how everyone was tied together and that seemed an opportune time for the author to add another truckload of new characters. Didn’t dislike it but was constantly thinking how good this might have been with a reduced cast list.
January 7, 2019
God this story was so fucked up. And the absolute saddest thing is that stuff like this really did happen back then. It was so easy to be committed and abused. I’ve read countless articles/see many pictures of the things that use to go on behind the walls of old asylums. It honestly made me sick to read what Sophia had to go through. All because a small town didn’t think to investigate any further beyond assuming a child killed her friend. After she escapes to another town it’s basically down hill from there for her because she only has a real happy life for a short period of time until the mother of her dead friend sees her one day. Gram Ruth was the worst. Drugging her and committing her like that. Killing her own son.....I don’t think I’ve read a story this insane or stupid in a long time. It filled me with rage honestly. To see how everything played out all because this old woman hated her?
Then we see her kids who right off the bat are kind of creepy? That dead cat thing was weird okay. Jude is pretty promiscuous for that time period as well. I don’t think that aspect was realistic or true to the time period because back then women couldn’t do much of anything without public scrutiny. We essentially get a ball of rage with Jude (who is often not very nice to her sister for no real reason) and a wisp called Hattie who is very child like throughout the whole book honestly. She never sounds like she’s an adult with her own home, how does she pay for her apartment anyway? We never hear about what she does for a living beyond being kind of tuned out in her own world painting and going to church. Peter doesn’t really have a voice. It’s mentioned a lot how close he and Jude were/are sort of. I feel like Jude only really mentioned him to include some ‘tid bit of commentary on the war of that time. He only comes back at the very end when they’re all together.
What I really don’t like about this book is how it glosses over a lot of stuff. Like gram Ruth never gets any sort of punishment for all the shit she does. Sophia is surprising like okay after years of torture?? I feel like she should have had a lot more issues coming out of that situation given how long she was locked away, with minimal contact to anyone but this doctor who mentally fucked her up. He doesn’t really get any consequences either besides now being a patient at the asylum. Which to me isn’t enough. I think they should have gone to the police and made sure he paid for everything he had done. Not to mention his sick group. Where is the justice for everyone they presented in that room? Let alone the many patients they killed outside of it. I wasn’t satisfied for these characters to have such a long journey wrapped up in a bland ending where everyone pretends they can be normal after all that happened. The only person who really got what was coming to him was the brother in jail for killing his sister and attempting to murder Jude. I wish we could have seen Sophia reuniting with her brother as well. And Damien was so unnecessary......like he served very little purpose beyond sleeping with both sister and reporting back to the sick bastard torturing the mother. I think he should have gone to jail too. Because he didn’t stop it. No one in that asylum even tried besides Kent who paid for it with his life....
I really liked reading this though despite all these things. It was a good story. I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the ghost aspect of it.
Then we see her kids who right off the bat are kind of creepy? That dead cat thing was weird okay. Jude is pretty promiscuous for that time period as well. I don’t think that aspect was realistic or true to the time period because back then women couldn’t do much of anything without public scrutiny. We essentially get a ball of rage with Jude (who is often not very nice to her sister for no real reason) and a wisp called Hattie who is very child like throughout the whole book honestly. She never sounds like she’s an adult with her own home, how does she pay for her apartment anyway? We never hear about what she does for a living beyond being kind of tuned out in her own world painting and going to church. Peter doesn’t really have a voice. It’s mentioned a lot how close he and Jude were/are sort of. I feel like Jude only really mentioned him to include some ‘tid bit of commentary on the war of that time. He only comes back at the very end when they’re all together.
What I really don’t like about this book is how it glosses over a lot of stuff. Like gram Ruth never gets any sort of punishment for all the shit she does. Sophia is surprising like okay after years of torture?? I feel like she should have had a lot more issues coming out of that situation given how long she was locked away, with minimal contact to anyone but this doctor who mentally fucked her up. He doesn’t really get any consequences either besides now being a patient at the asylum. Which to me isn’t enough. I think they should have gone to the police and made sure he paid for everything he had done. Not to mention his sick group. Where is the justice for everyone they presented in that room? Let alone the many patients they killed outside of it. I wasn’t satisfied for these characters to have such a long journey wrapped up in a bland ending where everyone pretends they can be normal after all that happened. The only person who really got what was coming to him was the brother in jail for killing his sister and attempting to murder Jude. I wish we could have seen Sophia reuniting with her brother as well. And Damien was so unnecessary......like he served very little purpose beyond sleeping with both sister and reporting back to the sick bastard torturing the mother. I think he should have gone to jail too. Because he didn’t stop it. No one in that asylum even tried besides Kent who paid for it with his life....
I really liked reading this though despite all these things. It was a good story. I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the ghost aspect of it.
June 10, 2020
This was not what I expected. I thought it would be full of ghastly asylum terror, but it wasn't. I struggled with the change of POV and timeline- it was hard to tell what was happening when. The beginning seemed to give information that was useless to the conclusion of the story, and the writing was average. I'm giving it 3 stars because the story was unusual and entertaining, but if the transitions were cleaner, it may have been a 4.
July 4, 2020
Very Tragic Eerie Tale
This book was awesome. It reminded me a little of Mary Higgins Clark writing where chapter after chapter had small snippets of the story that eventually came together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Intricate details interwoven with the history of several people who finally evolved into a family . A very sad family. Some of the stuff done in this book is horrific to read about, not gory, not sensationalized but events that could really happen. Underneath it all is an insidious evil. Ruth and Dr. Kaiser are the evil at the heart of this book. Yes there is a murderer too but his sin which was terrible was nowhere near the level of evil that hides in 'normal' people's souls. I could not put this book down. A little girls death in a remote cabin is the center of this novel. Another child is accused of the hideous crime. From there the tale splinters into pieces of a story that at first are confusing but when they come together are so dynamic. There is a girl who can talk to ghosts and her Mother before her too. Their gift has only brought them pain. The journey was so intense, it was captivating. I couldn't stop reading it. And the ending when it came was too soon. I wanted more. I am sitting here going over what happened and I am still reeling from some of the revelations that were almost, not quite, more horrid than the death of that poor young girl. I totally loved this book.
This book was awesome. It reminded me a little of Mary Higgins Clark writing where chapter after chapter had small snippets of the story that eventually came together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Intricate details interwoven with the history of several people who finally evolved into a family . A very sad family. Some of the stuff done in this book is horrific to read about, not gory, not sensationalized but events that could really happen. Underneath it all is an insidious evil. Ruth and Dr. Kaiser are the evil at the heart of this book. Yes there is a murderer too but his sin which was terrible was nowhere near the level of evil that hides in 'normal' people's souls. I could not put this book down. A little girls death in a remote cabin is the center of this novel. Another child is accused of the hideous crime. From there the tale splinters into pieces of a story that at first are confusing but when they come together are so dynamic. There is a girl who can talk to ghosts and her Mother before her too. Their gift has only brought them pain. The journey was so intense, it was captivating. I couldn't stop reading it. And the ending when it came was too soon. I wanted more. I am sitting here going over what happened and I am still reeling from some of the revelations that were almost, not quite, more horrid than the death of that poor young girl. I totally loved this book.
October 6, 2023
This is horror… right?🫠
I’m disappointed.
I’m disappointed.
June 23, 2025
Stars: 2 out of 5
The story had a promising start, but it kind of fizzled out by mid-point when the book started to drag and was a slog to read. It picked up in the last third, but almost too much - everything was happening too fast without any buildup or emotional payoff.
I also didn't like any of the characters. I mean a lot of them are just caricatures. Jude is this "emancipated" woman who comes across as immature, full of rage, and way too promiscuous for the time period.
Hattie reads like a 13-year-old with developmental issues instead of a 19-year-old who just moved into her first apartment. Speaking of that, how is she even able to afford this apartment? There is never a mention of her going to work. She paints, she spaces out, she goes to church and helps in the soup kitchen. So, who is paying for her apartment and supplies? Gram Ruth?
Their brother Peter is barely present in the story at all, so there is nothing I can really say about him. And Damien... what was even the point of Damien? He was useless apart from handing Hattie to Dr. Kaiser, but even that plot twist was rather pointless. In fact, it would have been more satisfying if his reconning came from Sophia, not Hattie's newfound powers under the influence of LSD.
All in all, the story is messy, and the resolution is not satisfying. Yes, Sophia is finally free, but Gram Ruth never pays for all the evil she brought to her family. Kaiser's karma is a lot less severe than he deserves. Damian disappears out of the story just as uselessly as he entered it... and I am left wondering why I stuck with this book until the ending.
The story had a promising start, but it kind of fizzled out by mid-point when the book started to drag and was a slog to read. It picked up in the last third, but almost too much - everything was happening too fast without any buildup or emotional payoff.
I also didn't like any of the characters. I mean a lot of them are just caricatures. Jude is this "emancipated" woman who comes across as immature, full of rage, and way too promiscuous for the time period.
Hattie reads like a 13-year-old with developmental issues instead of a 19-year-old who just moved into her first apartment. Speaking of that, how is she even able to afford this apartment? There is never a mention of her going to work. She paints, she spaces out, she goes to church and helps in the soup kitchen. So, who is paying for her apartment and supplies? Gram Ruth?
Their brother Peter is barely present in the story at all, so there is nothing I can really say about him. And Damien... what was even the point of Damien? He was useless apart from handing Hattie to Dr. Kaiser, but even that plot twist was rather pointless. In fact, it would have been more satisfying if his reconning came from Sophia, not Hattie's newfound powers under the influence of LSD.
All in all, the story is messy, and the resolution is not satisfying. Yes, Sophia is finally free, but Gram Ruth never pays for all the evil she brought to her family. Kaiser's karma is a lot less severe than he deserves. Damian disappears out of the story just as uselessly as he entered it... and I am left wondering why I stuck with this book until the ending.
March 14, 2023
Označení knihy jako horor je trochu úsměvné, za mě je to spíš mysteriózní thriller s prvky nadpřirozena. Líbilo se mi prolínání časových rovin (minulosti a přítomnosti) a tempo, jakým se odkrývaly souvislosti a vztahy mezi postavami. Mě tyhle rodinná dramata a temná tajemství, okořeněná špetkou duchařiny, dost baví, navíc mi styl psaní připomínal Jennifer McMahon, takže to bylo taky jedno velké plus. Závěrečné rozklíčování zápletky bylo za mě v pohodě a další díly si určitě nenechám ujít.
March 30, 2020
Sophia can see things. Dead people mostly. When she’s accused of the murder of her friend, she’s locked in an asylum. Fast forward to modern day, Sophia’s daughters are left to uncover the truth about their mother’s death. What they learn sends them down a rabbit hole of mystery and danger.
I admit, it took me a few chapters to get into the story, but once I did, I was glad I really gave it a chance. Past and present are given to us in a steady way that slowly feeds us the story and mounts the tension. There were plenty of twists, just the kind a brilliant psychological novel needs to keep you on the edge of your seat. The visuals in the story were a particular favorite of mine.
The narration was okay. Allyson had a light voice. Easy to listen to and added to the tension of the story in a way.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
I admit, it took me a few chapters to get into the story, but once I did, I was glad I really gave it a chance. Past and present are given to us in a steady way that slowly feeds us the story and mounts the tension. There were plenty of twists, just the kind a brilliant psychological novel needs to keep you on the edge of your seat. The visuals in the story were a particular favorite of mine.
The narration was okay. Allyson had a light voice. Easy to listen to and added to the tension of the story in a way.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
August 15, 2019
Audiobook Review
Some Can See weaves the past and present into a truly twisted, haunting tale that is a total mind warp. I am still trying to wrap my head around it all. To be honest it took several chapters for me to get into the story. With the author floating between multiple decades and several POV's it was a bit confusing and I was unsure where she was going with the story. However, around Chapter 10 or so it all came together and I was hooked. Erickson is a genius to have pulled this off.
The narrator, Allyson Voller, lends a unique voice to each character and took me on an emotional ride.
Some Can See weaves the past and present into a truly twisted, haunting tale that is a total mind warp. I am still trying to wrap my head around it all. To be honest it took several chapters for me to get into the story. With the author floating between multiple decades and several POV's it was a bit confusing and I was unsure where she was going with the story. However, around Chapter 10 or so it all came together and I was hooked. Erickson is a genius to have pulled this off.
The narrator, Allyson Voller, lends a unique voice to each character and took me on an emotional ride.
June 27, 2019
Disappointing
Read the sample and Started out good..Then decided to purchase the book. Then the story proceeded to go in about every direction possible. Murder mystery, ghostly aspect, then a kidnapping conspiracy, then an Evil doctor experimenting on patients. Just a bit overboard for me, I'll Not continue with next book, in this Series or by this Author.
Read the sample and Started out good..Then decided to purchase the book. Then the story proceeded to go in about every direction possible. Murder mystery, ghostly aspect, then a kidnapping conspiracy, then an Evil doctor experimenting on patients. Just a bit overboard for me, I'll Not continue with next book, in this Series or by this Author.
February 7, 2022
I loved this book! I'm from Cadillac, Michigan and know all about the Traverse City State Hospital. I liked how she used it as the main location...I could visualize being there while I was reading.
I cannot wait to read the next 7 books!
I cannot wait to read the next 7 books!
June 25, 2019
I am sorry but couldn’t even finish it, read up to 70%. Just gaved up. It should’ve been shorter, and more to the point.
March 21, 2023
Ako prvé musím pochváliť obálku tá je naozaj nádherná a určite vám na ňu padne zrak v kníhkupectve.A ak sa pre ňu rozhodnete určite nebudete ľutovať .Ti co vidí nie je ducharina pri ktorej sa vám postavia aj vlasy dupkom (takže ak začínate s týmto žánrom toto bude dobrá voľba ) ale má v sebe niečo co má zaujalo a príbeh má bavil.Počas čítania na vás vdýchne tajomno a nadprirodzeno.Oceňujem že autorka v príbehu poukázala prostredníctvom Sophie na dobu kedy sa toto naozaj dialo.Som človek ktorý verí na takéto veci a veľa ľudí ktorý majú dar ako Sophie a jej dcéra Hattie nie sú v spoločnosti prijatý ako ty normálni.
Niektoré postavy vám budú sympatické iné zase nie.Sú opísané tak aký sú ľudia aj v skutočnosti. Jedni bažia po moci a úspechu.Iný sú zavretý za bránami budov.Kniha je plná tajomstiev a duchov .Atmosfera v príbehu je opísaná realistický.Je tu plná škála emocii rôzneho druhu od hnevu až po šťastie.
Nemôžem si pomôcť ale hrozne mi to pripomenulo seriál Stratené duše.Takže ak vás serial bavil dávam do pozornosti túto knihu a ak máte chuť na príbeh s nádychom tajomná skúste.
Niektoré postavy vám budú sympatické iné zase nie.Sú opísané tak aký sú ľudia aj v skutočnosti. Jedni bažia po moci a úspechu.Iný sú zavretý za bránami budov.Kniha je plná tajomstiev a duchov .Atmosfera v príbehu je opísaná realistický.Je tu plná škála emocii rôzneho druhu od hnevu až po šťastie.
Nemôžem si pomôcť ale hrozne mi to pripomenulo seriál Stratené duše.Takže ak vás serial bavil dávam do pozornosti túto knihu a ak máte chuť na príbeh s nádychom tajomná skúste.
March 15, 2023
Označení této knihy jako horor, nevidím úplně jako ideální, jelikož díky němu, mohou vzniknout poněkud mylná očekávání, následovaná zklamáním. Přízraky z Michiganu, jsou spíše směsí rodinného dramatu a psychologického thrilleru, okořeněné trochou toho nadpřirozena. A i když některé pasáže mohou na čtenáře působit dramaticky, případně i drasticky, klasické hororové prvky, skutečně nečekejte.
Sice jsem měla z počátku trochu problém se začíst a udělat si pořádek v tom, kdo je kdo a jaké jsou mezi nimi souvislosti, to však nic nemění na tom, že kniha je velice čtivá a netrvalo dlouho, a příběh mě zcela pohltil. Děj ubíhá plynule, je propracovaný a dotažený. A tak se znenadání, na první pohled spolu nesouvisející příběhy, začnou proplétat a vzájemně doplňovat, až utvoří komplexní a překvapivý celek.
Už teď se těším, čím mě autorka překvapí příště.
Sice jsem měla z počátku trochu problém se začíst a udělat si pořádek v tom, kdo je kdo a jaké jsou mezi nimi souvislosti, to však nic nemění na tom, že kniha je velice čtivá a netrvalo dlouho, a příběh mě zcela pohltil. Děj ubíhá plynule, je propracovaný a dotažený. A tak se znenadání, na první pohled spolu nesouvisející příběhy, začnou proplétat a vzájemně doplňovat, až utvoří komplexní a překvapivý celek.
Už teď se těším, čím mě autorka překvapí příště.
March 7, 2021
I liked this book. I don't live far from Traverse City so it was fun to read a book that takes place in an area I'm familiar with. This was a good story with decent characters. I enjoyed the non-linear time line and how the stories intersected. There were a few really creepy scenes. However, I feel like the resolution was too clean and a bit predictable. It just wrapped up too easily. Overall, a very good supernatural thriller. A solid 3.75.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2024
I've had this book on my kindle for awhile, just finally got the chance to read it. Amd I'm so glad that I did because I'm hooked!
I was invested from the very first page and found it impossible to put down. The ending left me wanting more, I wasn't ready for it to end.
I was invested from the very first page and found it impossible to put down. The ending left me wanting more, I wasn't ready for it to end.
October 10, 2020
4.5 ⭐️ This book really took me by surprise! I ended up really liking it. Very suspenseful with a great story and interesting characters.
October 3, 2025
Really enjoyed this
I really liked this story. The characters were relatable and the pacing was pretty good. My literal only issue was the spelling and grammar mistakes.
I really liked this story. The characters were relatable and the pacing was pretty good. My literal only issue was the spelling and grammar mistakes.
October 26, 2021
Compelling but flawed. The writing style, with frequent shifts between time periods, took some getting used to, but was an interesting format. The story ended pretty abruptly.
The period aspect was occasionally clumsy. Like the mention of a woman whose 3 children are left with damaged shoes and ill fitting clothes as she leaves $5 in the church collection bowl every single week. That's $43.54 a week in modern dollars. This isn't generosity, it's child neglect. It leaves me wondering if the author forgot about inflation, simply didn't take the second to google the conversion, or thinks that putting your church above your children's health is a good thing. Other reviewers have pointed out linguistic anachronisms.
Then there's Damien, he was supposed to be sympathetic, even redeemed by the end. But he was never a decent person, he was an unethical slimeball from the start, spying on two women for a letter of recommendation, and fucking both of them while he was still spying on them. Since they would not have had sex with him had they known the truth, and he entered their lives under false pretenses, this is rape by deception. It's also just an asshole move to have sex with one sister, and then go have sex with the other without either of them being aware. He may not have known Kaiser was outright evil, but he did know Kaiser was scary and willing to resort to extremely unethical tactics. Damien should definitely have had to pay for what he did. Feeling bad is not redemption.
Ruth was another character who got away with her evil behavior. Her actions are excused with a "she had her reasons", but her reasons were selfish, and what she did was absolutely monstrous. She drugged an innocent woman and had her institutionalized, depriving her children of their mother, and her husband (Ruth's own son) of his wife, and dooming her to be tortured. It was all extremely premeditated. She wanted to get rid of Sophie from the first day she met her at 13 years old.
Jude and Hattie were interesting, but they ought to have been a lot more fleshed out. As it was they were kind of one-dimensional (the angelic, flighty psychic waif and the promiscuous, independent modern woman).
A lot of things happened just because characters spontaneously decided to act like absolute morons with the shoddiest of justification. Jude leaving her gun in the car, Damien blurting out not one, but two important secrets, Hattie going to the asylum on her own and then going with Kaiser despite being psychic and knowing full-well how evil he was.
Since the next books will have different characters I have some hope they'll be better.
The period aspect was occasionally clumsy. Like the mention of a woman whose 3 children are left with damaged shoes and ill fitting clothes as she leaves $5 in the church collection bowl every single week. That's $43.54 a week in modern dollars. This isn't generosity, it's child neglect. It leaves me wondering if the author forgot about inflation, simply didn't take the second to google the conversion, or thinks that putting your church above your children's health is a good thing. Other reviewers have pointed out linguistic anachronisms.
Then there's Damien, he was supposed to be sympathetic, even redeemed by the end. But he was never a decent person, he was an unethical slimeball from the start, spying on two women for a letter of recommendation, and fucking both of them while he was still spying on them. Since they would not have had sex with him had they known the truth, and he entered their lives under false pretenses, this is rape by deception. It's also just an asshole move to have sex with one sister, and then go have sex with the other without either of them being aware. He may not have known Kaiser was outright evil, but he did know Kaiser was scary and willing to resort to extremely unethical tactics. Damien should definitely have had to pay for what he did. Feeling bad is not redemption.
Ruth was another character who got away with her evil behavior. Her actions are excused with a "she had her reasons", but her reasons were selfish, and what she did was absolutely monstrous. She drugged an innocent woman and had her institutionalized, depriving her children of their mother, and her husband (Ruth's own son) of his wife, and dooming her to be tortured. It was all extremely premeditated. She wanted to get rid of Sophie from the first day she met her at 13 years old.
Jude and Hattie were interesting, but they ought to have been a lot more fleshed out. As it was they were kind of one-dimensional (the angelic, flighty psychic waif and the promiscuous, independent modern woman).
A lot of things happened just because characters spontaneously decided to act like absolute morons with the shoddiest of justification. Jude leaving her gun in the car, Damien blurting out not one, but two important secrets, Hattie going to the asylum on her own and then going with Kaiser despite being psychic and knowing full-well how evil he was.
Since the next books will have different characters I have some hope they'll be better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2021
J.R. Erickson writes a compelling story about love, loss, medium's as well as how far we will go to live our own lives, be accepted in some capacity and the madness that often ties it all together. What drew me to this book was the hint of paranormal and it has just that, a hint that is woven through all the characters perspectives and affects them in some way. It is not written as the main focus but as the thing that ties everyone together.
At the beginning we learn that this book is split into multiple perspectives through different time lines and we get a feel for each character, which helps to better understand them and help the reader get into a state of slight unease, wondering what the outcome will be. I just loved Hattie, her gentle nature such a contrast to her wild, fiery sister. Having siblings it can often be this way and it makes the characters relationship that much stronger and realistic. It is through the beautiful writing that they both approach the same mystery so differently.
The story pace was steady. At the beginning of the book I did wonder why we were switching perspectives and time lines. How could this all possibly add up? Having a big family tree that you have to follow could get quite confusing at times and it often felt like it was moving away from the story but towards the end you realize it is adding more to the story and is necessary.
The asylum part of it was creepy and sad. What horrible places some of them were! At the start of the book we are given a disclaimer by the author. The asylum where this story is set and drawn inspiration from did not have these stories attached. J.R Erickson still was able to set a gloomy, unjust and secretive atmosphere really well. I give this four stars.
At the beginning we learn that this book is split into multiple perspectives through different time lines and we get a feel for each character, which helps to better understand them and help the reader get into a state of slight unease, wondering what the outcome will be. I just loved Hattie, her gentle nature such a contrast to her wild, fiery sister. Having siblings it can often be this way and it makes the characters relationship that much stronger and realistic. It is through the beautiful writing that they both approach the same mystery so differently.
The story pace was steady. At the beginning of the book I did wonder why we were switching perspectives and time lines. How could this all possibly add up? Having a big family tree that you have to follow could get quite confusing at times and it often felt like it was moving away from the story but towards the end you realize it is adding more to the story and is necessary.
The asylum part of it was creepy and sad. What horrible places some of them were! At the start of the book we are given a disclaimer by the author. The asylum where this story is set and drawn inspiration from did not have these stories attached. J.R Erickson still was able to set a gloomy, unjust and secretive atmosphere really well. I give this four stars.
i-ll-get-back-to-it
September 17, 2022I’m shelving this for now…perhaps even forever. This is just too much for my old brain.
Hattie adored the room, loved it so fiercely she often cried just standing in its center, staring out across the expanse of decadence: the tall doll house carved of real wood and expertly decorated by a keen eye and tiny adult fingers. The front of the house opened, exposing the interior to any interested eyes, such a naughty privilege to peak so unashamedly into, not only the lives, but the furnishings of another. What child slept in that miniature cherry maple bed, its sky-blue lace coverlet tucked into the creases of wood, whittled for that very purpose? Hattie longed to climb into that house, to roam freely the rooms that flecked her dreams like sugar sprinkles on morning pancakes.
This is so descriptive that it hurts my head. 🤕😵💫I understand that she’s trying to paint a picture with words, but this is over the top. This book could have been a lot shorter than 500 pages if it had been less wordy! I’m all for a long book, but I don’t think I can do 544 pages of that.
I’d like to point out that I read the third book in this series and really liked it. I don’t remember the writing being this hard to wade through to get to the point. This was just frustrating.
Hattie adored the room, loved it so fiercely she often cried just standing in its center, staring out across the expanse of decadence: the tall doll house carved of real wood and expertly decorated by a keen eye and tiny adult fingers. The front of the house opened, exposing the interior to any interested eyes, such a naughty privilege to peak so unashamedly into, not only the lives, but the furnishings of another. What child slept in that miniature cherry maple bed, its sky-blue lace coverlet tucked into the creases of wood, whittled for that very purpose? Hattie longed to climb into that house, to roam freely the rooms that flecked her dreams like sugar sprinkles on morning pancakes.
This is so descriptive that it hurts my head. 🤕😵💫I understand that she’s trying to paint a picture with words, but this is over the top. This book could have been a lot shorter than 500 pages if it had been less wordy! I’m all for a long book, but I don’t think I can do 544 pages of that.
I’d like to point out that I read the third book in this series and really liked it. I don’t remember the writing being this hard to wade through to get to the point. This was just frustrating.
January 24, 2025
More mystery than horror
December 20, 2020
Jude and Hattie, two sisters, are trying to solve the mystery of what happened to their mom. Not having the greatest relationship the two of them have some bumps and humps to overcome – the biggest being that fact that Jude does not for a second believe in the super natural.
The story takes you on a winding road from point A to R, then to B and X. Basically jumping around quite a bit from past to history. Normally I wouldn’t mind this but being that I was listening to the book I was having some trouble keeping track of the time line as I couldn’t just turn back the pages to to reread if I needed to. But once you get into the story and the two time lines start becoming one there is absolutely nothing about this book that I didn’t enjoy.
Enough suspense and a very detailed story line made this a very thrilling and enjoyable listen.
Hattie has also been blessed (or cursed depending on how you look at it) with the same gifts her mother had, and thanks to these gifts she discovers that her mother never actually died as their grand mother would have them believe. This twist enables a lot of character growth for our very special Hettie. As someone who has kind of just floated through life without really checking in, she is forced to participate in life, to take part of things and engage with the sister that she has never really connected with.
Jude on the other hand is encouraged to become (in my opinion) a little more humble and human. The stereotypical 60’s wild child Jude has no empathy for her sister or any patience for her sisters floaty personality. The story line forces Jude’s eyes to open up to the world out there and even dishes out a bit of heart ache.
I am quite a big fan of the narrator for this one. Ms Voller’s voice weaves a world in which you get lost in. Not a lot of characterization was required but the manor in which she differentiated between the men and woman worked really well (I always tend to find it a bit awkward.)
All in all a really good experience. One I would recommend.
The story takes you on a winding road from point A to R, then to B and X. Basically jumping around quite a bit from past to history. Normally I wouldn’t mind this but being that I was listening to the book I was having some trouble keeping track of the time line as I couldn’t just turn back the pages to to reread if I needed to. But once you get into the story and the two time lines start becoming one there is absolutely nothing about this book that I didn’t enjoy.
Enough suspense and a very detailed story line made this a very thrilling and enjoyable listen.
Hattie has also been blessed (or cursed depending on how you look at it) with the same gifts her mother had, and thanks to these gifts she discovers that her mother never actually died as their grand mother would have them believe. This twist enables a lot of character growth for our very special Hettie. As someone who has kind of just floated through life without really checking in, she is forced to participate in life, to take part of things and engage with the sister that she has never really connected with.
Jude on the other hand is encouraged to become (in my opinion) a little more humble and human. The stereotypical 60’s wild child Jude has no empathy for her sister or any patience for her sisters floaty personality. The story line forces Jude’s eyes to open up to the world out there and even dishes out a bit of heart ache.
I am quite a big fan of the narrator for this one. Ms Voller’s voice weaves a world in which you get lost in. Not a lot of characterization was required but the manor in which she differentiated between the men and woman worked really well (I always tend to find it a bit awkward.)
All in all a really good experience. One I would recommend.
July 24, 2020
Some Can See is the first book in the Northern Michigan Asylum Series. This was a fantastic paranormal mystery with many twists that will keep you listening well into the night. I really enjoyed my listening experience of this audio-book. The narrators did an excellent job.
The story follows a few perspectives and timelines. Hattie and Jude are searching for the truth about what happened to their mother. It also follows Sophia as she tries to survive the Asylum and the evil doctor who has been experimenting on her. The truth about what was behind the experiments was really interesting and a cool premise. I won't spoil it for you here. This was a great mystery. I was kept guessing throughout. There is also a great paranormal aspect to the story. It was a nice balance. I highly recommend this first one in the series.
The story follows a few perspectives and timelines. Hattie and Jude are searching for the truth about what happened to their mother. It also follows Sophia as she tries to survive the Asylum and the evil doctor who has been experimenting on her. The truth about what was behind the experiments was really interesting and a cool premise. I won't spoil it for you here. This was a great mystery. I was kept guessing throughout. There is also a great paranormal aspect to the story. It was a nice balance. I highly recommend this first one in the series.
September 11, 2025
Okay so this was kind of hard to rate because storyline wise I enjoyed the book overall. However, the writing is extremely mediocre. It’s self published so a lot of typos as well. I just struggled to find myself wanting to pick it up. When I did, I was immersed in the story but never felt excited to reach for it. A kind friend loaned me the series or else I probably wouldn’t even bother reading further. It was okay but I’m not anxious to pick up book 2.
September 14, 2022
I found this book to be a pretty good read. I was particularly interested once I found out that the story takes place in Michigan, as this is where I am from. This book was very well written and had an interesting storyline. Unfortunately, this one was a bit hard to follow at times due to the flipping between point of views and periods of time. I was also a tad bit disappointed that I didn’t find this book to be creepy enough for my taste seeing how it considered to be a horror.
What I liked:
🔹Descriptive writing style
🔹Interesting storyline
🔹Enjoyable spooky vibes
What I liked:
🔹Descriptive writing style
🔹Interesting storyline
🔹Enjoyable spooky vibes
June 26, 2022
Great writing, story really pulled me in.
POV changed a lot throughout the book, and the time frame jumped back and forth often. That was a bit confusing in the beginning, but as the story advanced and story threads combined it was easier to follow.
Main Character Sophia can see ghosts; she sees a friend who she later finds out was a ghost as it showed her its body. Sophia panics, grabs the murder weapon and carries it home. She is thought to be the murderer, so she is sent away with a family friend.
Many years later after having a family; she is found and is turned over to an insane asylum.
Her kids think she died.
Inconsistencies and other clues lead them....(spoilers) you'll have to read the book to find out more.
POV changed a lot throughout the book, and the time frame jumped back and forth often. That was a bit confusing in the beginning, but as the story advanced and story threads combined it was easier to follow.
Main Character Sophia can see ghosts; she sees a friend who she later finds out was a ghost as it showed her its body. Sophia panics, grabs the murder weapon and carries it home. She is thought to be the murderer, so she is sent away with a family friend.
Many years later after having a family; she is found and is turned over to an insane asylum.
Her kids think she died.
Inconsistencies and other clues lead them....(spoilers) you'll have to read the book to find out more.
July 26, 2023
That Asylum
This is a good ghost story. It centers around a family, two of whom can see and hear ghosts.
It's a bit long but the characters are interesting and the storyline is solid.
This is a good ghost story. It centers around a family, two of whom can see and hear ghosts.
It's a bit long but the characters are interesting and the storyline is solid.
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