Review: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
384 pages
Genre: YA Gothic Historical Thriller
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: The library.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

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My Review

A Madness So Discreet is creepy, but not in the way that you probably think that it would be. This book is just more proof that Mindy McGinnis has a special talent for writing unique and dark young adult novels. She deserves an award, a hug, or a big thumbs up.

Grace has been dealt a horrible hand in life. Even though she has done nothing wrong herself she is forced to stay in an insane asylum until her pregnancy is over. She does the best she can to survive, but the living conditions are beyond harsh and it is no way for a young woman, or any man or woman for that matter, to live. Luckily, she comes across a rather unique character when she is sent to the dark damp cellars after a slight altercation she had with the jerk that runs the institution, and this stranger turns out to be her savior.

While reading A Madness So Discreet I felt dirty, creeped out, disgusted, happy, pained, and thankful. This is one dark novel, one that you don't want to miss out on. The writing is brilliant. The setting and characters will snag your heart. You will want to scream and beg for Grace to get some sort of closure/freedom from her horrible past. This book is going to make you feel for every character. None are to be taken lightly.

A Madness So Discreet is like no other young adult novel I have read before. There is so much more to this story than the synopsis even begins to give away. It's not only a historical fiction novel focusing on trying to define what it means to be sane, but it has a mystery at its core. Grab a copy and brace yourself for one creepy, yet still amazing read.