The Graceview Patient
- Judith D Collins
- Oct 12
- 5 min read
By: Caitlin Starling
Narrator: Xe Sands
Dreamscape Media
ISBN: 9781250340757
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 10/14/2025
Format: Hardcover and audio
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC) (ALC)
Misery meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers in this genre-bending, claustrophobic hospital gothic from the bestselling author of The Death of Jane Lawrence.
Margaret lives with a rare autoimmune condition that has destroyed her life, leaving her isolated. It has no cure, but she’s making do as best she can—until she’s offered a fully paid-for spot in an experimental medical trial at Graceview Memorial.
The conditions are simple, if grueling: she will live at the hospital as a full-time patient, subjecting herself to the near-total destruction of her immune system and its subsequent regeneration. The trial will essentially kill most of, but not all of her. But as the treatment progresses and her body begins to fail, she stumbles upon something sinister living and spreading within the hospital.
Unsure of what's real and what is just medication-induced delusion, Margaret struggles to find a way out as her body and mind succumb further to the darkness lurking throughout Graceview's halls.
My Review
Caitlin Starling's latest genre-bending horror novel, THE GRACEVIEW PATIENT, plunges readers into a harrowing, spine-chilling journey that masterfully weaves together the eerie motifs of a classic gothic tale with the sterile, unsettling ambiance of a contemporary hospital, creating a pulse-pounding medical thriller.
This captivating narrative skillfully navigates the intricate themes of medical ethics, the disorienting loss of control, visceral body horror, and the fragile nature of reality, transforming it into a profoundly disturbing page-turner that lingers long after the final page is turned.
About...
Twenty-six-year-old Margaret Culpepper, once vibrant and full of life, now grapples with the relentless grip of an autoimmune disorder that has left her emotionally and physically defeated.
In a desperate bid to reclaim her existence, she accepts an offer for a fully funded trial experiment at Graceview Memorial Hospital. This rigorous regimen promises to destroy her immune system, only to painstakingly rebuild it anew over the course of several grueling months.
Margaret's harrowing journey through the experimental treatment at Graceview Memorial becomes a descent into uncertainty. As she surrenders her autonomy to the enigmatic staff and the ominous atmosphere enveloping the hospital, she faces a growing sense of dread.
Margaret finds herself ensnared in a world where reality blurs amidst the oppressive shadows and whispers of something vile and sinister lurking just beneath the surface.
With each traumatic treatment, she begins to experience unsettling, disorienting events that tug at the very fabric of her reality. The lines between truth and delusion become increasingly indistinct as paranoia creeps in, distorting her perceptions of what is real and what is merely an echo of her drug-induced haze.
As she digs deeper into the hospital's hidden dynamics, Margaret uncovers sinister whispers and unsettling clues hinting at a lurking malevolence—a force that the staff ardently seeks to conceal, hinting at a darkness festering within Graceview’s pristine facade.
My thoughts...
In this gripping, spine-chilling novel, the character Margaret grapples with the rare and harrowing "Fayette-Gehret syndrome," a fictional ailment that reflects the real-life seriousness of autoimmune diseases—something I understand deeply, having battled three myself with no cure. (I refuse to take infusions or go to a hospital) Due to my allergies, I have to tolerate the side effects of long-term steroids.
The plot twists and turns in a tantalizing journey as Margaret finds herself entering a clinical trial for an experimental treatment. This treatment promises to obliterate and then meticulously rebuild her immune system, thrusting her into a realm where hope and horror intertwine.
The atmosphere is thick with tension and dread, enveloping readers in a claustrophobic sensation that mirrors Margaret’s own frantic struggle. As she spirals deeper into this psychological labyrinth, time becomes her relentless adversary.
Caught in a monstrous conflict between the tangible world and the surreal illusions induced by her medication, Margaret wrestles with agonizing choices that could mean life or death. Desperate to unveil the dark truths hidden within the hospital's walls and the true intentions behind the trial, she races against an encroaching darkness that threatens to consume her very existence.
The author masterfully crafts a spine-chilling experience, plunging readers into the depths of Margaret's confusion and paranoia with each turn of the page.
The eerie hospital setting, rife with unsettling energy, serves as the perfect backdrop for her unsettling journey. With an unreliable narrator, questionable medical practices, and an atmosphere thick with foreboding, the narrative weaves an intricate, beautifully written tale that keeps you guessing about what is real and what is merely a figment of the imagination. It’s a disturbing, haunting exploration of fear, trust, and the very nature of reality itself.
The audiobook...
The audiobook experience was truly captivating and haunting. I had the immense pleasure of delving into the book while simultaneously listening to the audiobook, narrated by the incredibly talented Xe Sands—a beloved narrator I have long admired. Her remarkable performance breathed life into the story, masterfully drawing in the listener and weaving a tapestry of emotions. With her skillful inflections and dynamic pacing, she skillfully captured the palpable tension, the eerie setting, the raw fear, and the deep uncertainty that permeate this enthralling saga, making each moment feel vividly real and deeply immersive.
Recs...
For avid readers who revel in the chilling embrace of Gothic tales, spine-tingling horror, and heart-pounding medical thrillers, THE GRACEVIEW PATIENT promises an unforgettable journey. This gripping narrative is crafted to keep you on the edge of your seat, your heart racing with each twist and turn, as you find yourself reading with one eye closed, gasping at every shocking revelation.
Prepare for an intense and immersive experience that will haunt your thoughts long after you turn the final page. Also for fans of Paul Tremblay, Iain Reid, Ania Ahlborn, Jonathan Maberry, CJ Tudor, Catriona Ward, and Jennifer McMahon.
Special thanks to St. Martin's Press, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an advanced reading and listening copy in exchange for my honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 14, 2025
Praise
"[A] genre-bending tour de force... Equal parts medical drama, psychological thriller, and gothic horror, the book pulls readers in and refuses to let them go."
―Library Journal, starred review
"Starling expertly immerses the reader in Meg’s anxiety, showing how even the most routine experiences during a hospital stay become cause for concern to her unsettled mind. The novel’s horrors are all the more palpable... [and] readers are sure to be frightened."
―Publishers Weekly
"A resonant and horrifying fever dream, The Graceview Patient is a lashing depiction of disability and the trials of healthcare. Starling deploys deft prose to wrap readers into a hallucinatory pursuit of healing―and the unraveling of reality and loss of agency at the hands of those we are told to trust most. An absolute triumph―I devoured each and every page."
―Taylor Grothe, author of Hollow and Lethal Kiss
“Haunting and horrifying, with needle-sharp precision.”
―S.A. Barnes, author of Dead Silence and Ghost Station
“Caitlin Starling’s brilliant and disturbing The Graceview Patient is a devious and twisty novel of body horror and transformation that will leave you breathless! Wonderfully weird and powerful!” ―Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of the Joe Ledger thrillers and NecroTek.
About the Author
Photo Credit: Beth Olson Creative
Caitlin Starling is the nationally bestselling author of The Death of Jane Lawrence (2021), Last to Leave the Room (2023), and the Bram Stoker-nominated The Luminous Dead (2019). Her upcoming novels The Starving Saints and
The Graceview Patient epitomize her love of genre-hopping horror; her bibliography spans besieged castles, alien caves, and haunted hospitals. Her short fiction has been published by GrimDark Magazine and Neon Hemlock, and her nonfiction has appeared in Nightmare, Uncanny, and Nightfire. Caitlin also works in narrative design, and has been paid to invent body parts. She’s always on the lookout for new ways to inflict insomnia.
