Thank you Netgalley and witching hole publications for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I requested this book for the cover. The cover grabbed my eye and recently I have read some horror on here and I was mostly loving it.

So I was totally happy when I got the ARC but I'm disappointed. There's something about writing that I just couldn't enjoy. I couldn't really put my finger to it as what bothered me but I just couldn't get into the book no matter how hard I tried.

I finished it quite fast as it is short but I did not find anything interesting and upto my liking. Rather I found it boring and lot many times it didn't just make any sense to me. It felt like a fever dream from which I wanted to wake myself up, not because it was scary but because it was dull. To be honest, I didn't feel it was scary.

Others might find it good but it wasn't for me.

L.C., at least that's what her friends call her, suffers from severe depression. The kind of depression that leaves you constantly tired, vulnerable, self-loathing and guilty. She spends most of her day festering in the darkness of her room. At the foot of her bed is a large mirror in which lurks the Other Body. "Blurred and distorted." This Other Body at first has no eyes and no mouth, but evolves into a more articulate and intelligent entity as L.C. sinks ever lower. She can hardly look away from it, as it transfixes any gaze that falls upon it. Even her friend Hamlet is consumed. Her mother, her little sister, and her friends Uriel and Rebel attempt to ask "are you ok?" But how can she answer honestly when she is so burdened, hunted by shadows with hardly the strength to speak?

The imagery is superb, and many times I felt unnerved by what I was reading and couldn't look away. It felt voyeuristic in a way, watching a character sink deeper and deeper into darkness. Even so, it reads like a series of vignettes. The transitions are surreal, and I couldn't be entirely sure if L.C. was dreaming or awake. Hypnagogia right? So structurally it makes sense to have been written that way. The only reason it couldn't get 4 or 5 stars is because I was left with too many questions. I understand that it has a supernatural theme, portions of it are going to be unexplainable. But I thought Hamlet was going to serve a greater purpose or perhaps Uriel and Rebel would be returning if only briefly. And what is the Church and what of L.C.'s "father's" actions? The latter has a great build up but his ending only left me more confused. Still, it's a fine introduction to a complex character, and like I said, you can't beat the mental visualizations from this one. The sequence in the hospital and the gathering of mirrors was particularly well done. I'll certainly be giving Simpson another chance.

Thank you Witching Hole Publications for approving my request on Netgalley!

I knew from the moment I saw the cover art that I wanted to read this book. It was unlike anything I’ve ever read before and is definitely worth the journey. The author’s words were gruesomely visceral and wholly unexpected. I don’t think this book will be for everyone but I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you Net Galley for this arc.

Posted on Goodreads on May 2, 2024.

Hypnagogia is like someone took my life and wrote it on paper. Depression, anxiety, the fear, body dysmorphia....is all too real to me. It did make it hard to get through this novel, my panic would rise at certain parts. However, honestly, I couldn't put it down either. Michael F. Simpson really knows how to bring out the horror of real life while living the horror of mental illness. The heartbreak you feel for the main character, LC, as she struggles to want to be around family and friends, but just locks herself away dealing with the "other body" in the mirror. The times she does make it out in the real world to just escape but ends up panicking more to the point of dashing home...I understand that. I loved this novel. Thank you Netgalley, Witching Hole Publications, and thank you Michael F. Simpson.

Michael F Simpson's "Hypnagogia" is all-consuming and hits you right to your core. I cannot think of any other book that I've read that I felt truly portrays what it's like to live with debilitating depression and anxiety. "Hypnagogia" is heart-breaking, raw, and relatable. I think for people who have had the good fortune to have not experienced depression or anxiety, this book may seem a little self-indulgent and melodramatic; but to someone who's struggled, it hits spot on. Spot. On. I would recommend this book, but with the warning that it should be read while in a good place mentally.

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of the book but personally really struggled with the writing style.

It perfectly represents the thought process of a frantic, anxious, manic mind which was most definitely intentional, but for me it caused some difficulty in following the plot line. The use of writing style was really emotive and I could get a real idea of the mental anguish of the main character. Much of the start of this book was filled with metaphors and imagery that portrayed the internal struggle of the character, but did require some real thought process to understand.

I really enjoyed the beautiful albeit charged imagery this book contained. I am writing this based one me not being able to finish it for personal reasons (I sadly read it while I was in a vulnerable place in my life). The essence of suicide and body dysmorphia (at least that’s how I saw it) was difficult for me but I really hope to revisit this title at a later date when I’m more mentally able to. Thank you for sharing this with me, I think in a way it helped me work through my own darkness by sparking it so I could focus on it.

Thank you Witching Hole Publications, Micheal Simpson and Netgalley for the eArc of Hypnogogia.

I really enjoyed this novella. It felt like a mix of a nightmare and a fever dream. I would have liked to of experienced more of the book and the characters, especially our main character. The first half of the book definitely of the book got under my skin as the narrative navigates of the mental health side of Body dysmorphia and depression. This being portrayed as the monster in the mirror and how this POV affects the world around her. Its very well done

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Super strange and surreal. Like consciousness or a fever dream on paper. Absolutely beautiful. Can't wait for the authors next one!

I'll start with a few positives for this short book. The author did a superb job of creating the sinister, fever-dream atmosphere that they were going for. The writing style perfectly played into this, and when reading this book I felt uncomfortable the whole way through - which was definitely the goal and I generally like when books do this well. And this book did this well.

That being said, I wish there was more here, and I simultaneously wish there was less. I truly feel as though you could take out the whole middle chunk and have this be a short story and convey the exact same message and emotions. On the other hand, I wish the author had delved more into the character herself and that we'd gotten to know her a bit more and not just the manifestations of her mental illness.

I was never intrigued enough with the plot or characters to keep picking up the book, and it took me two weeks to get through this. Overall 2.5 stars as I cannot say I truly enjoyed this read.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book!

This book is so unrelentingly dark. It's incredibly well-written and every sentence is a beautifully poetic stab in the heart. I think it will hit really close to home with anyone who has suffered from body dysmorphia, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, night terrors... and probably several other psychological disorders. I feel it could be quite triggering if you're not in the proper mental state to read it, but it's also such an important read. The depressive emotions are raw and visceral. It is frustrating to read because, as the MC makes it clear, it is a frustrating and exhausting existence. If you've experienced any of these things, the way the MC describes their thoughts can feel a bit overwhelming and suffocating. Sometimes it was so bleak that it felt like all of the air had been sucked out of my lungs and I'd have to stop reading for a bit, but ultimately I'm really glad to have read it.

The writing style is also super unique and stands out in comparison to other recent reads within the genre. The author bends and blurs the edges of reality as the MC spirals further and further into a mental health crisis. There isn't much in the way of plot aside from getting the perspective of the severely mentally ill MC, creating a nauseating and claustrophobic environment in which you feel just as stuck with the main character as they feel with themselves. The whole story feels like a surreal fever dream that devolves into a vivid, unending night terror.

The idea of this book is great. I am always down to read an account of someone descending into madness. I just felt like the story didn't feel as strong as the idea was. Don't get me wrong it was solid read though. I personally feel like the book would benefit from being either shorter with less filler, or longer with more character build up.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!

I tried more than once to read this book the first chapter I totally didn’t understand I didn’t get it then the second one with a friend coming over it just made no sense they were talking about being high up in the air but then in the next chapter she talked about the front yard she keeps seeing the shadow I just didn’t get it maybe it’s just wasn’t my type of book I am so sorry I will not post this review anywhere as I did not finish the book I totally apologize I love horror stories but again I just couldn’t wrap my head around this one. Thank you for the free Ark and again I am sorry.

Hypnagogia written by Michael Simpson was NIGHTMARISH CRAZY GOOD!!!!!!! The cover is creepily beautiful, but when I started reading this novella, I was completely SHOCKED!!!!! I can't recommend this book enough, but it does deal with some heavy topics, so don't rush your way through this novella even though it's very short, because some topics can be triggering to those dealing with anxiety and depression, so if you are one of those people, please do not read this novella until you are in the right mind space. I can't explain the emotions I was feeling while reading this novella, my jaw was literally on the floor the entire time, it was that crazy good. The mental health aspects were portrayed so beautifully, it left an aching feeling in my chest. After reading this novella, I have come to the conclusion that Michael Simpson is a deeply talented author. I will say this story gave me nightmares, I had to sleep with a flash light next to me. It's a bit tricky to write a review for this novella without spoiling, so I will just be sharing my thoughts, you definitely need to read this novella yourself so you can actually experience this roller coaster for yourself. Hypnagogia gave me the chills, it left me completely speechless, it left my heart aching.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND WITCHING HOLE PUBLICATIONS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

"The mirror looked at me, and hated what it saw".

"I realized then that I didn't want to block out the sunlight. I wanted to block out the world".

"I screamed last night, and felt the sharp, reflective elements boring into my skull. I felt such deep, intense devotions, the kind of emotions it is only possible to experience in nightmares. But I was not dreaming, I could not sleep. I was wide awake. In pain. Debating with my own reflection which one of us should own our veins".

"This could have gone on for years. Me having my brain torn apart by sensations, thoughts and feelings of somatic torment at the hands of an Other Body in its mirror. Family and friends wanting to help — I assumed that was so, at least — but failing in the specifics. This glass between us making the seen, unseen, the seeing, unseeing. Making the outspoken voiceless and the listening deaf. Making the caring confused and the cared for distraught. Like an exile trapped in a labyrinth of glass panes splitting me off from my society and my tribe, no matter which direction I turned, no matter which impossible hallway I traveled down I was always separated from reflections of some other world where people could be happy, and safe, and understand their own inner workings well enough to voice them in the form of words."

Thank you to Netgalley and Witching Hole Publications for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book officially publishes on 4/8/24!

I will start this review by saying that I don’t think this book was for me. I was intrigued by the synopsis available, but was lost when reading this one. This is written in what I would consider a stream of consciousness format, which to me made it hard to follow the plot at times. I will note, however, that these are only my thoughts and there are several high star reviews of this book. If you decide to pick this one up please view any relevant trigger warnings, as this book does focus heavily on mental health.

This is a novel like nothing I've ever read before. The take on anxiety and depression here is equal parts horrifying and enlightening. The narrator is clearly unreliable, but at the same time it feels easy to find yourself completely understanding what they're going through while also being completely horrified by what they're describing. This was an absolutely fascinating debut novel and I can't wait to see what this author does next.

This book has some really interesting and intriguing themes. That space between sleep and awake can be a kind of scary space, and you can be left vulnerable in that state, both in body and mind.

This was very much stream of consciousness and while some of the visuals were really unique and well done, I just didn’t feel like I got enough of the story to really know what was going on at any moment.

Michael F Simpson ‘Hypnagogia,, what can I say about this book. I really don’t want to spoil things for others so I’ll just say the following. An intimate, heavy, deep story written like a stream of consciousness which deep dives into the psyche of the LC. This is a very detailed, intricate story about Hypnagogia and reads as such. (I also will add this is a very triggering book if you suffer from mental disorders like myself but such beautifully written) I felt as if I was pulled through every page and couldn’t help but find similarities.This is an exceptionally well written short story that even though intense offered a really good insight to disorders like this and what it’s like to leave with them. I offer my review without any spoilers as I really feel a reader needs a clear mind settling in with this story and even though I connected with this book not everyone will. I will be reading this when I have the physical copy and definitely will be added to my favourite reads list.

Thank you to Michael F Simpson, NetGalley and Victory Editing for an advanced copy of Hypnagogia

Hypnagogia by Michael F Simpson presents a chilling premise that delves into the depths of psychological horror. the excerpt promises a gripping narrative centered around a young woman's eerie encounter with her own reflection, blurring the lines between reality and nightmare. the writing style is undeniably captivating, with vivid imagery that evokes a sense of unease and foreboding. Simpson skillfully portrays the protagonist's struggle with her inner demons, making the reader question the boundary between sanity and madness. however, while the premise and writing are strong, the execution falls short in certain aspects. the story's heavy reliance on imagery sometimes overshadows character development and plot progression, making it a challenging read. a tighter focus on dialogue and narrative pacing would have enhanced the reader's engagement. despite its flaws, Hypnagogia remains a haunting exploration of the human psyche, offering a unique blend of horror and introspection. with some adjustments to its structure and pacing, it has the potential to become a truly unforgettable tale.

thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Michael F Simpson for allowing me to access this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. unfortunately, I DNF at 43%.

The first chapter of the novel, while very disorienting and stream of conscious, hooked me in. Chapter two and beyond lost me. The plot, when there is something resembling as such, is very obviously about mental illness and running from the past. However the rambling stream of conscious narrative, the fragmented sentences, the surreal descriptions, and the lack of distinct character voice all make for a confusing and jumbled reading. If one decides to read this short novel, I would definitely recommend taking the time to read and reread passages. Again unfortunately, I decided to DNF as I was losing the plot more and more, page by page.