The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn is a wonderful, atmospheric blend of contemporary and historical magical realism. It has a little bit of everything. What’s more, it explores societies treatment of women and mental illness. Emilie is a musician who attempts suicide and finds herself in a mental ward for evaluation, while there, she discovers mysterious letters from Emily (with a y) chronicling her own stay in an asylum in Victorian England. Centuries apart, the two girls stories seem to parallel. Reading these letters from Emily is the only thing that is keeping Emilie sane during her stay, and when the letters runs out and the story abruptly ends, things take a turn.

This story is all about the way women have been treated over the years. It’s also a hard hitting look at the way people view and treat mental illness. This book kept me reading as it delivered hard truths in a witty and sarcastic package. You should be warned though that it takes a very close look at suicide and self harm, so if you can’t handle those themes, maybe don’t read this.

At times, I felt like this story was almost glamourizing suicide, but by the end of the book, I realized that that wasn’t the case. Emilie Autumn is just showing you both sides of the story. She’s trying to show you what it’s like for those who want to end their lives, those who harm themselves purposefully. She’s giving you a glimpse into their thought process and it’s so very enlightening. In fact, this story is very much fueled by Emilie Autumns own stay in a mental hospital.

It is not seen as insane when a fighter, under an attack that will inevitable lead to his death, chooses to take his own life first. In fact, this act has been encouraged for centuries, and is accepted even now as an honorable reason to do the deed. How is it any different when you are under attack by your own mind?
― Emilie Autumn, The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls

I was given this book as gift, and I dived in having never heard of it before. I was immediately drawn to the cover and the themes. I love the Victorian Era and the story that is laid out in this book is gripping and keeps you moving from chapter to chapter. Most importantly, in the end, this book makes you think, and isn’t that the best kind of book to read? I give this book 4 stars!

Also, the ebook is apparently very immersive, if you’d like to give it a go. I haven’t read it yet, but when I read this book again, which I probably will, it’ll be in digital form. It’s actually a free read through kindle unlimited and its basically a map to a real-life treasure hunt… if you’re into that sort of thing.

It gives me strength to have somebody to fight for; I can never fight for myself, but, for others, I can kill.
― Emilie Autumn, The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls

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