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The story unfolds in dual timelines—one following Monroe, a teenager who has just been released from a mental institution in 1998, and the other exploring the past through the perspective of Enzo, a young man from 1920s New Orleans. Enzo, raised by a voodoo priestess, once partnered with the ambitious and power-hungry Jeremiah, who twisted their spiritual knowledge into dark magic and cult doctrine. Their relationship crumbled under betrayal and violence, ultimately setting the stage for the foundation of the Church of Salvation in Australia decades later.

Monroe was sent to the mental institution because he was convinced that there was a girl named Indie living in the trailer next door, being held captive and abused by her father. When he confronted the father, Monroe hit him. Upon his release, Monroe goes back to the trailer to find it occupied by someone else. Shaina and her son Issac. Issac also has been seeing Indie.

The more Monroe uncovers, the more he realizes he’s not crazy—his past was manipulated, his memories tampered with, and Indi was real all along. As timelines converge, Monroe pieces together how Jeremiah and Enzo’s legacy continued through the cult, shaping generations of abuse, illusion, and occult practices. He also discovers how his lineage is connected to these events.

Psychosis Diagnosis was a wild, twisting ride that kept me hooked from the very beginning. One of the biggest highlights for me was the audiobook production—the full cast narration really elevated the experience. I especially appreciated the Australian narrator's voice, which effectively set the tone and made the setting feel even more immersive. Each character having their own voice actor made it easy to follow the multiple perspectives and gave the story more emotional weight.

The plot itself took some unexpected turns, and I appreciated how everything came together by the end. It was layered, unsettling in all the right ways, and kept me guessing about what was real and what wasn’t. The dual timelines and cult elements added depth without becoming confusing, and I liked how the story slowly revealed its secrets without giving too much away too soon.

Overall, a dark, immersive, and satisfying listen. If you enjoy thrillers with a supernatural twist and strong audiobook narration, this one is worth checking out.

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Twisty, intense, and a little bit wild 😵‍💫 This one took me on a ride I didn’t expect — part psychological thriller, part emotional rollercoaster, and totally binge-worthy.

The audiobook narrator brought serious edge to the story. The tension? Immaculate. Voices? On point. It had me fully locked in from chapter one. Definitely recommend if you like your thrillers with a mind-bending twist.

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I'm not sure what I expected going into this story, but what I did receive was quite interesting. At the beginning, Nikki Minty, described the appearance of the house so detailed that I imagined and felt everything! I love when that happens.

Another thing that I liked is the dual timeline, multiple POVs, and how Psychosis Diagnosis kept my brain working. Yes, I was literally attempting to figure out where the story would land, but I never expected anything close to that of the truth.

This was a very good first time for me with reading this author and I have recommended the audiobook to other readers.

I wish this system allowed half stars because I give this story a 4.5 star rating.

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Brief overview of the Premise
Monroe meets Indi, the girl next door. Unfortunately, their meeting is not cute. Indi is running from her abusive father who is marrying her off to the church’s pastor whom she does not want to marry. Monroe trying to help her gets caught up in everything attacking the man next door which causes him to get locked away because the man next door does not have a daughter.
Rating overall
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Themes
Abuse, Neglect, Paranormal, Mental illness, Addiction, Deception, Heroic Characters, Searching for the Truth, Love, Family, Friendship
Genre
1. Mystery/Thriller - 👀 👀 👀 👀 – 4 bulging eyeballs out of 5 – It really kept me guessing. The outrageousness of what was going on kept me hooked from beginning to end.
2. Horror 👻 👻 👻 – 3 Spooky Ghosts out of 5 – I did not find this very scary. The horror elements were very tame but I do not feel that too away from the story. However, as far as this being classified as a horror novel it is very low caliber horror. But I may be desensitized by now. 👀
Characters
⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ - I really enjoyed the characters. Their arcs were really enthralling. It took me a while to warm up to Monroe, but as things got going the things that bothered me about him faded.
Worldbuilding
⭐⭐⭐.5- Coraki Australia – I could picture the neighbourhood, the smells of the air, the grittiness, the decay. I felt like I was there. However, there really wasn’t much to anywhere else, which I assume was intentional because the main storyline takes place in Coraki.
Story
⭐⭐⭐ ⭐.5– The story was great! I was really into it. The twists and turns, the spookiness, was thrilling.

Final Comments: I really enjoyed this book. It was so good. The narrators did an excellent job. This is one of those times where you don’t judge a book by its cover or title. Find them very cheesy in my opinion. So don’t be bothered with those LOL! The story was really good. I can not stress that enough. I bought this on kindle and this will definitely be one that I will read again.
Who would I recommend to: There are some mild gore parts, so be wary if that is a trigger. I see myself as a big chicken and I didn’t find this scary or horrific, but there are parts that I think some can find concerning. I was not. Just read the trigger warnings and don’t just a book by its cover. 😊
I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me ARC access to this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This is a full cast audiobook ( narrators : Jodie Harris, Karen Chilton, James Fouhey, Ari Maza and Tamblyn Lord.) They did an excellent job of making this story entertaining.
The story was overall good, with suspense, secrets and drama . I would put it under horror / thriller because it wasn't really that scary but it was definitely a good audio book.
I liked how the secrets slowly came to light. At first I wasn't sure if anything was real or a psychosis diagnosis. I am a fan of dual timelines, the author did a good job of letting me be in both timelines without revealing too much too soon.

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This was an intriguing read that took a different direction than I expected — in a good way. The dual POV was a strong choice, adding depth and clarity across the shifting timelines. While the ending didn’t quite pack the punch I was hoping for, the story held my attention throughout. Solid and engaging overall.

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4⭐
Highly, HIGHLY recommend you consume this novel as an audiobook - the full cast just makes this horror/psychological thriller all the more better!
If you like:
-voodoo/dark magic
- religious/cult vibes
- drug induced psychosis
- inpatient mental health treatment
- plot-twists
- dual timeline
This is definitely for you!

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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I have a feeling that this is a novel people either really like or really hate. I really liked it. The audio version was performed by a cast, including Jodie Harris, Karen Chilton, James Fouhey, Ari Maza Long and Tamblyn Lord. Fabulous job. 1997 Australia: Monroe has had blackouts all his life. His drug addled mother won't let him live in a more stable setting because she uses him to sell drugs. She has a continually changing cast of live-in boyfriends who are abusive to both mother and son. When he turns 18 in a few weeks, Monroe will move in with his older half sister who had the good fortune to be raised by her stable, well-off father and his parents. It is when Monroe and his mother and her boyfriend move to a dilapidated rental next door to other not so well kept homes that he meets Indie, the girl next door. Her family is part of a cult and she is dreading being married soon to the leader, Jeremiah. She wants to be with another member, Enzo and for some reason she keeps calling Monroe Enzo.

Over the course of the book, we go to New Orleans, where Jeremiah got his start and Enzo was his sidekick. Their complex relationship and Enzo's upbringing by a herbalist that practices good arts leads to their experimentation and a series of choices makes things too hot in New Orleans. The novel spends a lot of time examining good and evil. Monroe's choices growing up cause people to shun him and put him on the dark side. Yet when we hear his inner voice, speak on the page, he seems to be a caring, decent person. This novel is just pure entertainment. Kind of scary but not too, although it does involve deaths and people trying to cast spells and inexplicable interactions with people. The strength in this novel is the many characters and their quirks or foibles, their villainy or heroism. Some surprise, but many are unchangeable. The story itself is great. I listened to it nonstop for a couple days and found I was really hooked on Psychosis Diagnosis.

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This was actually quite good! The audiobook is fantastic and gives the full dramatized experience, which was awesome and I didn't expect that. Nikki Minty weaves one bonkers story, but I promise if you hold on til the end, you will *not* regret it.

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I saw this book on NetGalley and was taken by the cover! Then read the description then immediately requested. I have never read anything by this author, but now I’m going to have to check out more of her work!!

Talk about a psychological roller coaster!! These are the books I live for… and all my wtf moments carried all the way until the end!! The very end! There’s a little bit of dark magic, a little bit of cult, a lot of bit of thriller and creepy to boot.

I enjoyed this one a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the free copies.

The narration is was great and I enjoyed the full cast!

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I was pleasantly surprised by just how good this book was!

I actually found the characters were the best part even with the kick ass plot!

It was decently paced, well written and I loved the full cast narration.

Highly recommend this one!

If you like thrillers that blur your perspection of reality and delulu land, this is a must!! I loved the cult aspect of the book and I will definitely be grabbing a hardcover for my shelves!

4.5 stars

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Rating: 4.5/5 – A brutal masterpiece with a side of gothic chills and no damn hand-holding.

Welcome to Psychosis Diagnosis—where trauma has trauma, and love is the softest thing wrapped in barbed wire.

Nikki Minty doesn’t write a story so much as hurl you headfirst into the shattered glass of Monroe’s life. Poverty? Check. Addiction? Check. A mother hunting for drugs in the carpet like she’s in a coke-fueled Easter egg hunt? You bet. The setting is bleak, the prose is raw, and the pain is so visceral you might need a breather (or five). And yet—it’s addictive.

Monroe isn’t your classic broken boy with a savior complex. He’s a mess. A loveable, angry, self-sabotaging mess, and thank God for it. His connection with Indi—our bruised, cult-survivor heroine with ice-blue eyes and spiritual PTSD—is tender in the most unflinching way. Their bond is less about healing and more about surviving long enough to maybe dream about healing someday.

And just when you think you’ve got your emotional baggage packed and sorted—bam!—enter Enzo. A 1920s New Orleans subplot that slaps you with dark magic, guilt, and the slow corruption of innocence. The dual timelines are like a literary seesaw: Monroe breaks your heart; Enzo haunts your soul. Together? They gut you clean.

This isn’t a feel-good book. It’s a feel-everything book. It’s grief and grime and the kind of hope that limps more than it soars—but it is hope, and that’s what makes it stick.

Trigger Warnings: Drug abuse, domestic violence, cult trauma, self-harm, gore, sexual violence (off-page), psychological trauma, and all-around soul-punching darkness.

Final Verdict:
If The Outsiders had a baby with Sharp Objects and raised it on a steady diet of angst, horror, and emotional warfare, Psychosis Diagnosis would be the result. Come for the devastation, stay for the strangely beautiful ruin.

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In the present Monroe is raised by his drug addict mother and a rotation of her abusive boyfriends. He is set to leave to stay with his sister as soon as he turns 18 until he meets Indi, a strange girl next door who comes to hide in his bedroom when her father (who insists she isn't real) has been drinking. He is determined to find the answers. In the past Jeremiah and Enzo run a cult to help with their dark magic rituals. Eventually the two stories collide.

I'm struggling to rate this one. The reading experience was mostly engaging, but I have my issues. I wish we had learned more about how magic works, for example, and I feel like the ways characters reacted were sometimes driven a bit too much by plot needs. I had some initial theories that ended up being wrong, although I did figure some out before they were officially revealed - this book definitely had an interesting plot with lots of twists. I enjoyed the way I found myself questioning which of Monroe's experiences were real and how much he imagined. I definitely can't blame any of the people who though he is just crazy. I do wish that the ending had been a bit longer though. And I would have loved to have learned more about some of the characters.

I listened to the audiobook version and I appreciated the cast of narrators. Having different voices for different characters added to the experience in a positive way. I think it helped the story flow and made it easier to keep track of who was who. It definitely made me processing samples (a rather mindless process) far more entertaining than it would otherwise have been.

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Psychosis Diagnosis is a psychological thriller that blurs thes line between reality and delusion. The story follows 17-year-old Monroe Morgan, who, after a traumatic encounter involving a cult and a mysterious girl named Indi, finds himself institutionalised and accused of imagining the event, including Indi herself, who's existence no one is able to verify. A year later, Monroe returns to uncover the truth, diving into a web of secrets and cult manipulation.
The audiobook was very successful and the full cast performance helped to follow a complex narrative well and enhanced character development. The writer explores some interesting themes around institutional power and manipulative tactics of cults. There are also undertones of identity and belonging.

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“Welcome to The Church of Salvation, where your soul checks in but never checks out.” - Nikki Minty, Psychosis Diagnosis

Many thanks to the publisher for granting my request for an ARC of Psychosis Diagnosis via NetGalley.

I was super intrigued by Psychosis Diagnosis by Nikki Minty when I read the description on NetGalley. I was looking forward to a full cast audiobook that explored mental health and featured supernatural elements. Did Psychosis Diagnosis live up to my expectations? Let’s explore.

Summary
Set (mostly) in Australia, Psychosis Diagnosis follows Monroe. Monroe was raised in poverty by his mother who struggles with substance abuse and her revolving door of boyfriends.

Unsurpriisngly, Monroe is eager to escape his household when he turns 18. Monroe’s older sister invites him to move in with her and her husband, and Monroe accepts.

Shortly before his 18th birthday, he’s approached by his neighbor, Indi. According to Indi, her parents are part of a religious cult and she’s being forced to marry its leader.

Monroe is eager to help Indi and decides to take her with him when he leaves. However, before they can leave, there’s a violent encounter between Monroe and Indi’s father. Indi’s father denies Indi’s existence, the police see Monroe as the aggressor and Monroe is arrested.

So Monroe spends time in a psychiatric facility. After his release, he returns to his hometown determined to prove Indi’s existence.

What Monroe uncovers is a web of dark secrets and a decades old conspiracy involving a religious cult.

Psychosis Diagnosis by Nikki Minty is a thriller that includes elements of horror and the supernatural.

Thoughts

The first thing I thought when I finished Psychosis Diagnosis was “I’m not sure what I think of this.” Obviously, I requested Minty’s novel on NetGalley because I expected to like it, but I found myself being unsure upon completion. I had to enlist someone from one of the Discord communities I’m part of to read Minty’s novel in order to get another opinion.

Positives

My favorite thing about Psychosis Diagnosis were the audiobook narrators. As I mentioned, the audiobook features a full cast of narrators, and all did a wonderful job. There were times when they needed to sound sinister or menacing; when circumstances called for that, I thought they did well. If you want to experience Psychosis Diagnosis, I would highly recommend the audiobook version.

Negatives

Unfortunately, there were a number of ways in which Psychosis Diagnosis fell flat for me.

As I mentioned, I was hoping for an exploration into mental health related issues. And sadly, Minty’s exploration into mental health and substance use was surface level at best. I don’t think how these topics were handled where necessarily the most offensive approach ever, but I don’t think it took a nuanced approach either.

While he was in the treatment facility, Monroe befriended a Latina woman, who was also a patient. I felt like Minty relied a lot on the “Spicy Latina” stereotype when describing this particular character. And this bugged me.

Those things said, I think the biggest issue I had with Psychosis Diagnosis was world building. I didn’t feel like the magic system really made a lot of sense. While I don’t think Minty needed to explicitly spell out every detail about how the magic system works, if the reader is left wondering things like why only three characters seem to know magic exists, I think that’s a problem. I found myself wondering things like “if x is possible in this world, why aren’t the characters doing y?”

In Conclusion
While I really liked the audiobook narrators of Psychosis Diagnosis, I was otherwise pretty disappointed by Minty’s novel.

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Rating 3⭐

ALC REVIEW

Wow this book was truly a cluster f*ck. I was hoping the story would be more creepy, spooky vibes, but I didn't get that at all.

I didn't know where the story was trying to go, so it was definitely more character driven. Especially around the lives of Lorenzo and Jeremiah....which I will get into shortly.

I liked the overall plot of the book; the mystery and thriller, solving a cold case, but the process to get there was pretty compliated. Not to mention the sure damn audacity of certain side characters.

(view spoiler)

I'm calm, I'm calm. I'm soooo calm.

The narrators did an amazing job. So that was a huge plus.

I received an ALC through Netgallery. All opinions and thoughts are all of my own.

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🎧AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🎧
Wow!

I'm usually a romance reading girlie, but I also really enjoy scary movies and true crime. When I saw this book for review, the cover caught my attention right away. Reading the description, I was intrigued.

Let me tell you, I was in for a whirlwind.

There were some twists and turns I was not expecting. At one point, I thought I had it figured out, and bam! a new twist out of left field.

I couldn't stop listening to this story. I finished it in just a few days (darn real life that made me pause!)

The full cast of narrators really brought this to life. I enjoyed how each character's POV had their own distinct tone, accent, etc. And speaking of POVs, I don't usually like so many in one book, but I actually really enjoyed it in this story. It really added depth and helped understand each person's thoughts and why they did the things they did.

Overall, an amazing read/listen, and I highly recommend it!

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I think this wonderful book was just not for me. The narration was good. But as someone with a brother who has a psychosis diagnosis I just kept overthinking. I bet other people will love this!

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I loved this book by Nikki Minty. It mixes witchcraft, occultism, violence and even a bit of romance. It takes place in Louisiana and Australia, but mostly in the latter. Which is a plus for me because I tend to be drawn toward Australian fiction. It's the story of Monroe Morgan which one might argue that he was the perfect example of being born "bad".

Quite unknowingly he is drawn into a ghost story and the people involved with a local satanic cult. He find help from a pretty, single mother and together they begin to sort out the mess he's mixed up in.

I would highly recommend this book to teens (Parents -no sex but lot's of swearing) and older readers that like just a touch of spookiness in their reading. A++ Nikki !

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An interesting story that veered away from what I thought it was going to be.
The dual pov worked really well and helped a lot with understanding the story through different timelines.
Slightly underwhelming towards the end but overall a good book that kept me interested the whole way through.

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