Review: Insanity by Lauren Hammond

Insanity by Lauren Hammond
Publisher: S.B. Addison Books (May 8th, 2012)
Reading Level: New Adult
Ebook: 190 pages
Source: Author
Series: Asylum #1
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes love...can drive you crazy.

Adelaide Carmichael and Damien Allen couldn't be more opposite.

Adelaide's mother abandoned her when she was ten years old, leaving her to be raised by her abusive and alcoholic father.

Damien on the other hand came from a wealthy family, was a local celebrity, and seemed to have a bright future ahead of him.

Despite their differences, Adelaide and Damien were young, wild, and fiercely in love.

And they had a plan.

They were going to run away.

Be together forever.

And their plan was set in motion, until tragedy struck and for some reason, Adelaide wound up in The Oakhill Institution for the insane.

Adelaide has no idea what she did to wind up at Oakhill, but she knows one thing for sure...

She wants out.

And after Damien follows her there to aid her in escaping, Adelaide slowly begins putting together the pieces of her memory that are missing.

And it doesn't take Adelaide long to figure out that sometimes...

That one true love never dies.

Review:

Sometimes I like going into a book really not knowing what to expect. When I first started this book I had no idea where it would take me but wow, it was a total adventure! 

Insanity is about Adelaide. She had a terrible home life with a father who was abusive. She seemed to live on pins and needles waiting for him to snap. She came off as being so frail and broken. It was so sad to see a young girl that broken. 

Then Adelaide meets Damien. He is far from the type of boy Adelaide thinks would even pay attention to her. He's beautiful, rich, popular...but for some reason he refuses to let Adelaide go. She isn't sure what to do but, over time, they build a connection she begins to depend on. Damien keeps her afloat and gives her something to look forward to. They sneak out together and even though she knows it's dangerous, Adelaide can't seem to stop. 

They make a plan to run away together but when the times comes something terrible happens and Adelaide wakes up in a mental hospital. I had at least 100 theories on what happened. Was Damien a bad guy? Did she kill her father? Did she just snap and run away? What the heck happened?! I ended up being soooo wrong. I would have never guessed what really happened in a million years and that's one of the reasons why I LOVED the book so much. It's rare to find a mystery that really keeps the reader guessing. 

Once Adelaide is in the asylum she realizes she truly has no idea what brought her there or if they ever plan to let her go. She can't remember the night with Damien or what could have happened to him afterwards. I won't go into more details than that because I don't want to spoil it but wow, this book really takes a lot of turns! 

I truly felt my heart break for Adelaide throughout this story. Normally I don't like when books switch from the present to the past but this was the perfect way to tell this story. We get to see what Adelaide was going through at the asylum, while getting a glimpse into her past with her father and Damien. I could feel the love and affection she had for Damien and how much hope she put on their relationship. Damien was like the light at the end of the tunnel for her and their romance felt so real and intense. 

I don't think it's possible to not be shocked by the ending in this book. Lauren Hammond created an exceptional story that leaves the reader with as many new questions as there are answers. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

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