This book was such a crazy journey, but in a good way and I loved it! Daryl is living in an asylum, haunted by demons and with complete amnesia he remembers nothing before waking up there. It was exciting right from the start and I was hooked trying to work out what was going on and piecing everything together. The whole way through you're stuck in a constant cycle of thinking the visions are real and the therapist just obviously doesn't believe in supernatural powers to agreeing with Susan and thinking it really is all in his head trying to come up with a coping mechanism to stop him remembering whatever memories he's repressed. I went back and forth multiple times until the last about 30% where I felt pretty sure. I really enjoyed trying to work out the timeline of things, because Daryl had lots of vague feelings, his imaginary friends mentioned things, he had dreams that seemed like memories and also walked through some memories in hypnotherapy so at times when I was assuming it was all real (or at least a mostly real memory with potentially added demons) it was fun trying to guess what order everything happened in since Daryl himself couldn't confirm and wasn't even sure if they were real or not. I don't want to give any spoilers but it truly was a fun ride, with so many different aspects involved. Angels, demons, all kinds of creatures! I loved all the characters too, particularly Hubble, he was my personal favourite haha! I believe there's more coming and I'm definitely interested to read them!

📚Book Review📚

Remembering Demons
J Cornelius

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I knew that I was going to love this book as soon as I spotted this creepy front cover image!
It screamed horror, monsters, asylum and all things I love in a good book!
I was not disappointed!!

The only thing that I disliked, was having to temper my reading to make it last the whole month, as this was a chosen readalong book for March!
I failed! And raced to the end early!
However, I'm struggling to be able to do justice to this here and am still thinking about the characters and events in the book - but how to convey this without spoilers.....

Well, this was a totally wild ride and I was sucked right in from the very first few chapters.
Being set in a totally spooky asylum sets the tone for the whole book so well and I soon became embedded in the life that the patients were leading.

We follow the experiences from Daryl's pov and, given his condition, it's not long before you're left wondering what is in his head and what is likely real.
We jump around a fair amount too which adds to the feeling of disconnect, travelling through memories, dream states and seeming actual events which had me totally immersed the whole way - although definitely feeling like I could be going crazy too!

This gave me Alice In Wonderland crossed with The Witches Of Eastwick vibes in places - both favourites of mine!

There was a huge diversity in the characters and I loved this.
I spent some time wondering (and hoping) who was real or imagined and later on, actually who was who - but I can't say much more about that....
I adored some of the travellers and I think (given I love gnomes) my favourite character was Hubble!

The writing was just brilliant, from the world building to the descriptions - I had such vivid images in my head of each encounter.
I loved the fast-pacing and the short chapters kept tempting me to read on and on.

As I said, I'm still considering the events and wondering about some of the characters, days after finishing.
I'm diving into the bonus short story offered by the author and am so, so excited to see where book 2 will take us next .....

J. Cornelius has somehow managed to turn a psychiatric ward into the setting for the year's most unexpectedly hilarious read. "Remembering Demons" follows Daryl, who wakes up in an asylum with amnesia and immediately befriends an invisible gnome while being terrorized by creatures that live in mirrors—and somehow, this premise works brilliantly.

The real star of this madcap adventure is Hubble, whose character is an absolute comedic treasure. Cornelius has crafted what might be literature's most lovable invisible companion since Harvey the rabbit, except Hubble comes with significantly more sass and an apparent PhD in sarcasm. Their banter with Daryl ranges from philosophical discussions about the nature of reality to heated debates over pudding flavors, and every interaction is comedy gold.

The mirror monsters, rather than being genuinely terrifying, become almost like dysfunctional roommates who keep interrupting Daryl's attempts at self-discovery with their dramatic appearances. Cornelius plays this supernatural horror element completely straight, which somehow makes it even funnier—imagine trying to have a serious therapy session while a demon is making faces at you from the bathroom mirror.

The asylum setting becomes a perfect stage for absurdist humor. Daryl's earnest attempts to piece together his identity while navigating group therapy sessions, medication schedules, and the general chaos of institutional life creates a kind of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" meets "Good Omens" vibe that shouldn't work but absolutely does.

What's most impressive is how Cornelius balances the comedy with genuine heart. Yes, you'll laugh out loud at Hubble's one-liners and Daryl's bewildered reactions to his bizarre circumstances, but you'll also find yourself genuinely invested in his journey toward understanding himself.

The only downside? You'll find yourself wishing your own mental health struggles came with this entertaining a support system. Warning: reading this book may cause you to start checking mirrors hopefully and talking to empty chairs—just in case.

A delightfully unhinged romp that proves sometimes the best way to deal with demons is to laugh at them.