Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley for an advanced copy of Hypnagogia.

Hypnagogia follows a young woman, who goes by the nickname of LC, that is suffering from what seems to be severe anxiety and depression, to the point where she isn't sleeping well and she is stuck between reality and her nightmares.

This was a particularly difficult story to read for many reasons; first, this covers extremely dark subject matter pertaining to mental health. I do think there should be some trigger warnings, because there are some deep, emotional elements covered that some could find triggering. Second, this story was essentially a fever dream. It was difficult to distinguish between what was real and what LC was dreaming. At times, this read as a stream of consciousness.

All this being said, I did find that I enjoyed it more than I expected to. I could tell the author has had experience with mental health (which was also mentioned in the author's note at the end), and for that reason I found the writing style of this story extremely effective. Michael did a fantastic job depicting what it ACTUALLY feels like when you're at your lowest, dealing with mental illness. How hard it can be to pull yourself out of it, because everything in your own head is telling you that you are worthless. Each chapter seemed like a different insecurity that this young woman was dealing with. It was horrifying, feeling helpless and like you have no control over your situation. I think this was a fantastic depiction of horror and mental health. The ending too, as intense as it was, was also realistic for how people with mental illness may feel.

I'm definitely interested in seeing what other stories this author has to tell, because this was very unique and raw.

This is a little beast of a book, at times furious and stressed, and at others anxious and destructive. While this book definitely isn't for everyone, if you're the kind of person who likes abstract horror stories this is pretty incredible. There isn't really much by way of a traditional story but I found that the focus on the fractured mental space of the main character suited the fractured story structure.

I would mention there is violence and general upset throughout but I think the stunning cover indicates exactly what's inside.

Hypnagogia, is a surreal reading experience. One of those books where the reader needs to be focused throughout as there's so much going on with the characters and story. The kind of story I am drawn towards. I don’t want to add any spoilers here, it really is best going into this story blind and letting the main character slowly take you through her strange world. One of the chapters is titled Fever Dream and that’s exactly what it felt like I was reading. There are so many sentences and passages that are freakily good – especially from a writer in his early twenties. Arc supplied by the author and I’m really pleased I got an early viewing of this book.

First chapter is compelling and then the narrative quickly takes a sharp left turn with a, seemingly, random suicide and a overly pretentious and melodramatic stream of consciousness. I DNFd at 33%

DNF at 35%, BUT!

I can see there's a deeper meaning and you kinda have to read between the lines with this one. It seems very poetic.
Personally it's too vague for me and it kinda goes right over my head. But I'm sure lots of other people will appreciate this writing a lot more than I can!

This is a unique and thought provoking novella. One review said that this read should not be rushed and I completely agree. I had to stop many times just to process what I read. Its unsettling to not understand what exactly is going on around the main character, but also be completely immersed in her way of thinking. This is not a light read but I very much enjoyed it. The writing is fantastic and definitely a new author I look forward to reading more from in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this arc.

I was initially drawn to this book’s artsy cover. I loved the spooky vibes of this book and the fantastic character development. I enjoyed the ride of emotions I went through while reading and appreciated the vivid descriptions and writing style used by the author. Overall this was a compelling read that provided thought-provoking analysis.

The writer certainly knows how to write, show and not tell is definitely in practice here. Despite the story being short, it shouldn't be rushed, it requires some thought to understand all that's going on. It deals with body dysmorphia and mental illness, how it affects the mind. The MC is tormented by this and the book takes you through her troubled thoughts, how she tries to overcome all her weird life throws her way.
This is a deep read, and the author really gets inside your head taking you on a strange journey with the MC.

Thank you NetGalleyfor my copy.

Overall, I think I understand what the author is going for here. The Other Body is a personification of mental illness and is sort of haunting the main character. It’s her, but it’s not her. That’s my understanding of this book. And I appreciate that concept a lot actually, as a person who suffers from mental illness myself. But I did not enjoy the rest of this book. It is so wordy and says so much without saying much at all. Maybe this is artistic writing that goes above my head and my level of comprehension but I felt the dialogue was strange, the interactions between characters were strange, the commentary was difficult to follow. This was not the horror story I was expecting. I know it’s allegorical and I understand that, but I had higher hopes for the horror factor as well.

I appreciate Netgalley and Victory Editing giving me access to this advance copy!