Voices

By: Kayla Frederick

Narrated by: Monica Cannon

Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Lynn’s always heard voices, but what if she’s not the crazy one?

Hell is a real place, and it’s in Michigan.

Lynn spent her life trying to escape the tourist trap of her hometown of Hell, Michigan. After a failed semester at college, she had no choice but to return home. Usually, she made a habit of hanging out in the woods around her mother’s home and avoiding the tourists. When a voice calls to her from the woods, she follows it.

Hearing voices is nothing new to her but hearing one outside of her regulars isn’t. The voice leads her down a rabbit hole of the town’s secrets. West Gate Hospital was an urban legend she’d heard about since she was a kid. Except legends don’t leave buildings behind.

©2023 Kayla Frederick (P)2024 Kayla Frederick

Cool Effects Used

This was such a fun experience! I loved the dual POV between the 2 main characters. I really loved the effects used here when there were voices being heard. The voices were completely different to the regular narration but the main characters and it really heightened the experience! This was very creepy, atmospheric and kept me at the edge of my seat. The representation of mental illness here was beautiful. Kayla really captured that so well without any insensitivity. The juxtaposition between the old age mental illnesses and how they were handled ie the asylum vs the modern way of things ie Lynn and her schizophrenia. I really felt for her.

The asylum aspect was so great and I am a sucker for a great asylum story! I loved the new take on this age-old horror theme! I really did enjoy this fast paced novella! Definitely recommend to any horror lovers out there! The audiobook was done so well!

Hell is real, and it’s in Michigan

I was given an Audible code of Voices by Kayla Frederick in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much. First of all, it’s set in an abandoned asylum in Hell. Hell, Michigan that is. Considering Michigan is one of my favorite places to visit, I love asylum horror, and I’ve been to Hell, I had to check it out.

The book is told from two alternating perspectives - Lynn and Jayden. Lynn is a local girl who was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at a young age. She has a history of hearing voices, but now she’s hearing a new voice. Jayden is a tourist visiting the asylum in Hell on Devil’s Night.

The story is dark and creepy and pulled me in from the start. It’s a fast read / listen coming in at just under 4.5 hours on audio. The narration is incredibly unique. The internal dialogue or “voices” are read differently than the spoken storyline. There are also some sound effects and audible sighs. Some listeners may be put off by the effects, but I found it unique and enjoyable.

This would have been a better read as a book

The production of the audiobook was quite confusing. The use of reverb consistently to denote any type of internal monologue or in one scene a fall down a hole, muddled things up. The premise is good. The story is solid.

Excellent ghost story

What a trip this was! Imagine having to move back home with an overbearing mom and overprotective sister, accidentally letting them know you’re still hearing voices regularly. You feel comfortable with them, you know each one… until you don’t. And it calls to you, draws you to an abandoned building in the woods .. somewhere near the location of a tragedy or five that had already taken place. And then you bump into a familiar stranger and together literally endure the voices and visions of a hellish journey to the truth.. who’s truth? Everyone’s. And the way the author is able to so intricately convey the grief and terror through the characters is sublime. I had a lot of anxiety through this one, kept me guessing and wondering all throughout. A great listen!

Great asylum story

I love horror books about asylums, and this one didn’t disappoint. It was creepy, and the sound effects were perfect. I also really liked how the experience of having a mental illness was addressed.

Mental Health meets Horror

This was fun read! It left me with a few questions, but the writing was great and I loved the two different perspectives. The ending makes me wonder if Lynn and Jayden will meet again...

Voices

Lynn has always heard voices and is a recently diagnosed Schizophrenic. When she returns to her home in Hell, Michigan, after a failed college semester, she feels more unhinged than ever. The death of her boyfriend, Damian, in mysterious circumstances, doesn't help her mental health. An innocent walk through the woods surrounding the town leads her to an abandoned asylum.

Jayden has reluctantly gone on a road trip with his friends to visit Hell (Michigan). When they become separated, he tries to find them and also stumbles upon the asylum. But, he experiences some weird things on his way there and begins to believe that he has been drawn there by something sinister.

These two characters begin to explore the asylum as Lynn feels herself being drawn into the past life of a woman who seems to have been tortured while a patient. Although she is used to "her" voices, this one is very different. Will they become the next victims of the horrors in the asylum or will they be able to find their way out?

This book was disturbing on many levels as the reader is exposed to Lynn's declining mental health. There were some pretty creepy moments and I always enjoy books set in abandoned asylums. The narrator did a good job, but some of the sound effects were a bit over the top IMO. I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook and chose to review it.

Short, fast, and fun

Relatively light as far as horror stories go. Atmospheric and brooding— which is right up my alley. Left me wanting more (in a good way). I listened on 1.5 speed, which sped up all the performance effects the narrator applied, but personally they were a bit much for me anyway. All in all, I thought this was a nice, spooky, mystery-y thriller that has been a good quick palette cleanser between longer books.

Short fast-paced mystery

Narrator and sound tracks weren’t for me, but the story was pretty solid. Interesting take on mental illness mixed with supernatural elements. I enjoyed the character development and the alternating narratives. All in all, a decent spooky- mystery- horror. 3.5

Voices

A very good story. I loved the whole haunted hospital and the characters! My only dislike in the story was how mental illness today was represented. But overall, I really enjoyed it!