Most days are a struggle for Meg as she navigates her life with a rare autoimmune disease, so she can hardly believe it when she is approached with a potential cure for her Fayette-Gehret Syndrome. The method? Check herself into Graceview Memorial hospital for a months-long stay designed to completely destroy, and subsequently rebuild, her immune system. She is warned ahead of time that this will not be an easy process and that considerable pain is in her future, but the reward of a “normal” life will make the journey worth it. Can Meg withstand the treatment or will the side-effects prove more than expected?

Caitlin Starling put poor Meg through the wringer with her gothic tale of medical misfortune. THE GRACEVIEW PATIENT took me on a ride from start to finish where like Meg, I wasn’t sure what was real and what was imagined. The descriptions of the pain suffered by the mix of specialized chemicals that were designed to break Meg down often left me wincing and physically uncomfortable. Aside from the pain and internal panic inflicted on Meg, Starling did a fantastic job crafting her protagonist’s claustrophobic hospital room and the surrounding labyrinth of hallways and floors that made up Graceview Memorial. The support staff of doctors, hospital staff, patients, and those behind the Fayette-Gehret program itself were memorable and at times, haunting. I really felt the tension and unease at play.

As we drift into the ‘ber months and “spooky season”, THE GRACEVIEW PATIENT is scheduled to haunt shelves on October 14th. If you’re looking for a new horror story this October, make sure to grab Caitlin Starling’s newest novel.