A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Release Date: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

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.

Oh my gosh, you guys: A Madness So Discreet was FANTASTIC. I really enjoyed Mindy McGinnis's Not a Drop to Drink a lot, and this one was as amazing...well, actually, I'm a bigger fan of historical fiction than dystopian, so this one was even MORE amazing. I'm just super mad at myself for putting off reading this one. I mean, I had plenty of chances to do so before, but nooooo...I just had to be super lazy and not pick up this magnificent novel.

If you know me, you'll know that I love, love, love the gothic genre. This one was so thrilling! I've read a lot about contemporary rehabilitation facilities and the like, but nothing set in history, aside from a few moments in The Madman's Daughter. It's interesting to see how science and pseudoscience is explained in this time period, with the new methods that came out and the discoveries made in medicine during this time. Like I said, I love historical fiction, and looking at this particular time period through this lens was fascinating. It was also set in Boston! Well, for a bit at least, but it still got me excited because I go to university there, and it's cool to get a glimpse of the historical atmosphere.

Grace, our heroine, was a total badass. Man, that ending! Serving it out LIKE A BOSS. I felt so bad for her though–what happened to her character was terrible. I do love though how she starts this new life when she joins Thornhollow and helps him with his investigations. I LOVE him by the way. He had a Dupin-y or Shelock-y vibe to him. There's not too much emotion and he's totally bent on his work most of the time. This book actually had quite a classic detective-story-vibe to it, because there's quite a lot of deduction involved, and somewhat paralleled Holmes and Watson trying to solve a case.

Speaking of detectives, this book has a slight mystery element to it! It was pretty great, but it actually wasn't presented too much–the mystery definitely didn't take the forefront of the action in this novel. It was more about Grace's journey, but the mystery and murders definitely play a part in it. I also liked how McGinnis put in a few happy moments here and there for Grace's character, whether it was with her friends, when she receives letters, or when she meets the little girl. It totally balanced out the depressing, not-so-nice stuff, and it's always good to see your main character in a completely different situation.

I seriously cannot recommend this book enough: A Madness So Discreet was all kinds of wonderful. Mindy McGinnis's gothic thriller had me clinging onto every word, captivated by the gorgeous dark imagery and the enthralling mystery. Please, please, please–go forth and get yourself a copy NOW.

If you like this, try...

• The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd ● Goodreads
• In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters ● Goodreads

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