I received “The Hobgoblin of Little Minds” free from the author. Thank you! I gave this book 5 stars. Let’s discuss why.
What if mental illness was not a disadvantage, but rather a sign of superiority?
This is the main question posed in Mark Matthews’ new book, “The Hobgoblin of Little Minds”. This story is a departure from Matthews’ addiction horror. Instead, he gives us a heartbreaking look at the toll mental illness (specifically Bipolar Disorder) has on families and individuals. Everyone in this book has been touched by Bipolar Disorder in one way or another. Some have walked away from the aftermath to start a new life. Some simply cannot let go and refuse to forget about the person under all of the pain. Some have become obsessed not with finding a cure, but with using the tragedy for personal gain.
Who is the bigger monster, the creature or its creator?
This is the question left burning in your heart once you have finished the book. The Bipolar Disorder portrayed in this book is supernatural in both its manic and depressive cycles. Matthews has made it very dramatic to make it more believable that science can turn these individuals into were-creatures. Yes, this book is a take on were-creatures, but also asylum horror. The unscrupulous doctors in this book prey upon those who have lost everything due to their severe mental illness. Conventional medicines and treatments cannot even begin to help them, which leads them to lose their life one piece at a time. Once they hit rock bottom, they are lured into the asylum with a promise of help. A promise of hope. A promise of regaining what they have lost. Is it far fetched to believe the severely mentally ill are vulnerable to abuse and horrific experimentation? History says it is not only believable, but likely.
“The Hobgoblin of Little Minds” is a story that explores what love can drive you to do. Even after the patients were stripped of every basic human trait, they still possessed love. It was as beautiful as it was gruesome to read about how this instinct is expressed in an animalistic mind. It was troubling to read about how the lack of even the most basic feeling of love affects a human mind. Again, I am left asking who the real monster in this story is.
Beth Griffith lives in Maryland with her husband, three children and a pathetically small herd of cats. She enjoys reading smut and gardening. You can watch saucy smut reviews, read salty book reviews and keep tabs on her questionable life choices on Instagram @mrsbeverlygibbs
