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Aunty Ida's Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)
Alternate Cover Edition.
You know that case on LawTV? The one where the judge lost it on national television?
Yes, that was Margaret.
But Ida – who insists you call her “Aunty Ida,” if you want to (no one ever seems to want to) – is there to help. That Margaret doesn’t want her help doesn’t dampen Ida’s delight in playing with her mind-altering toys and calling it therapy.
Besides, the courtroom thing was only a big deal because of the cameras. OK, so it was Margaret’s courtroom, and yes, she was hearing the biggest case of her career, and yes, the LawTV commentators were all over it, but these things always get sensationalized. The restraining order her husband got against her was only temporary.
So she’s suspended. It’s nothing she can’t fix.
Sure, Margaret has no idea who this Ida person is, but if she can get her to sign a form, she’ll be back on the bench in no time. Unfortunately for Margaret, Aunty Ida knows exactly who Margaret is. And Margaret isn’t going anywhere.
With relentless optimism, Ida dives into curing Margaret of her problems, one odd treatment at a time. But Margaret knows there’s nothing wrong with her.
She was set up, and she’s determined to prove it.
You know that case on LawTV? The one where the judge lost it on national television?
Yes, that was Margaret.
But Ida – who insists you call her “Aunty Ida,” if you want to (no one ever seems to want to) – is there to help. That Margaret doesn’t want her help doesn’t dampen Ida’s delight in playing with her mind-altering toys and calling it therapy.
Besides, the courtroom thing was only a big deal because of the cameras. OK, so it was Margaret’s courtroom, and yes, she was hearing the biggest case of her career, and yes, the LawTV commentators were all over it, but these things always get sensationalized. The restraining order her husband got against her was only temporary.
So she’s suspended. It’s nothing she can’t fix.
Sure, Margaret has no idea who this Ida person is, but if she can get her to sign a form, she’ll be back on the bench in no time. Unfortunately for Margaret, Aunty Ida knows exactly who Margaret is. And Margaret isn’t going anywhere.
With relentless optimism, Ida dives into curing Margaret of her problems, one odd treatment at a time. But Margaret knows there’s nothing wrong with her.
She was set up, and she’s determined to prove it.
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
May 2, 2013
Visit my site for the review. Click here to go right to it, check the site, and see all the neat features. However, it's been copied below for convenience.
I forget how I came into contact with Aunty Ida’s. It definitely wasn’t through an invitation (meaning I should probably be thrown out), but it was more likely through some post on reddit. I just remember being intrigued by the premise and downloading it to my Kindle, where, like many unfortunate books, it sat in my “to read” pile for a couple of months. Shortly after starting this site (and then deciding to review books), I decided that this would be the first book that I would review. So, I read through it, and I’m honestly a little upset I didn’t read it earlier.
Margaret was, at one point, a well respected lawyer on a very high-profile case in her county when it all changed. Her husband of many years didn’t ask for a divorce, he asked to start a polygamous relationship with another woman added in to the mix. Which she responds to by knocking him in the head with a frying pan. When served with a restraining order to her husband and his would-be second wife, Margaret had a (very public) meltdown in front of the court and a slew of LawTV cameras. Thanks to some negotiating between her best friend Nate (who happens to be a lawyer as well), Margaret was allowed to keep her job… if she attended a mental institution (of her choosing). She returned home to find an invitation to a mysterious mental facility complete with confetti and very confusing directions on how to get there. Thinking that it would be her best option to just get a quick signature on a paper saying she completed her therapy and spend some time away on vacation, Margaret follows the directions and finds herself at the mercy of the Willy Wonka of mental institutions.
The characters are really what make this novel fun. “Aunty” Ida (who is much younger than Margaret) constantly tries to divert Margaret’s questioning which leads to some great back-and-forths between them. Ida’s therapy practices are also questionably-hilarious (dream reading, public viewing of said dreams, etc.), making her institution seem all the crazier. Mark is a great chef who, many times, acts as a big brother to Margaret, with either a quick word of encouragement, a brownie (which the novel assures are the best you’ll never have) or the bravery to stand up for those he cares about. Mark is probably my favorite character, but since all of the characters had me grinning like an idiot at one time or another, so it’s hard to pick.
The novel has more twists and turns than… well, something that has a ton of twists and turns (I can’t think right now and I don’t have to impress you). The person the novel leads you to hate isn’t the person you should be directing all your hate at. The reason Ida is so evasive (of any questions) has to do with someone you’d least expect. The novel gets crazy near the end, which leads to probably it’s main fault: there might be too many twists and turns. At certain points throughout the novel, I found myself having to backtrack to figure out what I was supposed to be shocked at a couple times. If you pay attention, it shouldn’t be too big of a problem.
The only other problem I had with the novel was, specifically, the Kindle formatting. It starts slow, maybe half way through the book, you see a paragraph symbol (the backwards-p with an extra line through it). No big deal, could be worse, at least there’s a symbol. But near the end of the novel, that symbol started popping up every couple pages, which made it somewhat annoying and becomes quite disillusiony. A quick scan by another editor could have cleared the problem right up.
Other than that, the novel had me smiling and laughing quite a bit. It’s a novel with a great premise, delightful characters, a twisty plot that keeps you guessing and a nice ending that wraps everything up quite well. If you get the invitation, you’d be in remiss not to pick Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution.
I forget how I came into contact with Aunty Ida’s. It definitely wasn’t through an invitation (meaning I should probably be thrown out), but it was more likely through some post on reddit. I just remember being intrigued by the premise and downloading it to my Kindle, where, like many unfortunate books, it sat in my “to read” pile for a couple of months. Shortly after starting this site (and then deciding to review books), I decided that this would be the first book that I would review. So, I read through it, and I’m honestly a little upset I didn’t read it earlier.
Margaret was, at one point, a well respected lawyer on a very high-profile case in her county when it all changed. Her husband of many years didn’t ask for a divorce, he asked to start a polygamous relationship with another woman added in to the mix. Which she responds to by knocking him in the head with a frying pan. When served with a restraining order to her husband and his would-be second wife, Margaret had a (very public) meltdown in front of the court and a slew of LawTV cameras. Thanks to some negotiating between her best friend Nate (who happens to be a lawyer as well), Margaret was allowed to keep her job… if she attended a mental institution (of her choosing). She returned home to find an invitation to a mysterious mental facility complete with confetti and very confusing directions on how to get there. Thinking that it would be her best option to just get a quick signature on a paper saying she completed her therapy and spend some time away on vacation, Margaret follows the directions and finds herself at the mercy of the Willy Wonka of mental institutions.
The characters are really what make this novel fun. “Aunty” Ida (who is much younger than Margaret) constantly tries to divert Margaret’s questioning which leads to some great back-and-forths between them. Ida’s therapy practices are also questionably-hilarious (dream reading, public viewing of said dreams, etc.), making her institution seem all the crazier. Mark is a great chef who, many times, acts as a big brother to Margaret, with either a quick word of encouragement, a brownie (which the novel assures are the best you’ll never have) or the bravery to stand up for those he cares about. Mark is probably my favorite character, but since all of the characters had me grinning like an idiot at one time or another, so it’s hard to pick.
The novel has more twists and turns than… well, something that has a ton of twists and turns (I can’t think right now and I don’t have to impress you). The person the novel leads you to hate isn’t the person you should be directing all your hate at. The reason Ida is so evasive (of any questions) has to do with someone you’d least expect. The novel gets crazy near the end, which leads to probably it’s main fault: there might be too many twists and turns. At certain points throughout the novel, I found myself having to backtrack to figure out what I was supposed to be shocked at a couple times. If you pay attention, it shouldn’t be too big of a problem.
The only other problem I had with the novel was, specifically, the Kindle formatting. It starts slow, maybe half way through the book, you see a paragraph symbol (the backwards-p with an extra line through it). No big deal, could be worse, at least there’s a symbol. But near the end of the novel, that symbol started popping up every couple pages, which made it somewhat annoying and becomes quite disillusiony. A quick scan by another editor could have cleared the problem right up.
Other than that, the novel had me smiling and laughing quite a bit. It’s a novel with a great premise, delightful characters, a twisty plot that keeps you guessing and a nice ending that wraps everything up quite well. If you get the invitation, you’d be in remiss not to pick Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution.
October 20, 2012
This book is awesome! This author seems to specialize in completely unique stories. Like with The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time, this is an original concept. I have never read anything quite like this.
The main character is at a crossroads. Is she crazy, or has everyone around her turned against her? Yes! Yes! Always yes! What is real? What is illusion? This book has technological marvels, fascinating characters, and deals in a major with a hot button issue, almost on the periphery (I know how that sounds) .
I can see this book as a movie, with a clear steampunk theme, at least at times.
I've said it before... Isa-Lee Wolf is going to be huge in character driven, quirky sci-fi. Get in while she is still up-and-coming, so you can say "I read her before she became famous!"
The main character is at a crossroads. Is she crazy, or has everyone around her turned against her? Yes! Yes! Always yes! What is real? What is illusion? This book has technological marvels, fascinating characters, and deals in a major with a hot button issue, almost on the periphery (I know how that sounds) .
I can see this book as a movie, with a clear steampunk theme, at least at times.
I've said it before... Isa-Lee Wolf is going to be huge in character driven, quirky sci-fi. Get in while she is still up-and-coming, so you can say "I read her before she became famous!"
April 8, 2020
What a frolicking fun romp of a read! For me I think the author achieved a balance between the level of frustrating confusion and explaining what's going on. But I'm glad I was forewarned about it by other reviews.
I agree with another review that says it's like Harry Potter for adults but science based instead of magic even though it's very "fantastical". I liked it so much I bought book two. I'd say it's one of the best books I got for free on Kindle.
I agree with another review that says it's like Harry Potter for adults but science based instead of magic even though it's very "fantastical". I liked it so much I bought book two. I'd say it's one of the best books I got for free on Kindle.
March 19, 2015
I didn't like this book. There was just too much stuff and I
lost focus and started counting pages to the end. I love quirky and
strange and books with twists and turns and surprises but I don't
need to be beaten over the head with it. Two strange and quirky books
in a row that I didn't like. I hope Prudence, which I am reading next,
restores my love of quirky!
lost focus and started counting pages to the end. I love quirky and
strange and books with twists and turns and surprises but I don't
need to be beaten over the head with it. Two strange and quirky books
in a row that I didn't like. I hope Prudence, which I am reading next,
restores my love of quirky!
August 25, 2021
A truly fun read
I really enjoyed all the amusing and unexpected twists and turns of this book. The characters were entertaining and I look forward to seeing what the future holds at Aunty Ida’s!
I really enjoyed all the amusing and unexpected twists and turns of this book. The characters were entertaining and I look forward to seeing what the future holds at Aunty Ida’s!
May 30, 2017
A little gem, and the only book, to date to inspire me to have a go at fan-fic.
November 7, 2018
Interesting
This is a very interesting book and a little on the disturbing side. Might these type of experiments be in our not too distant future?
This is a very interesting book and a little on the disturbing side. Might these type of experiments be in our not too distant future?
November 13, 2018
A very quirky book, with a lot of laughs, some really thought provoking machines, and a main character who seems to be totally insane!
March 1, 2018
Wonderfully quirky and endearing
Rarely does a book actually make me laugh out loud, but Aunt Ida had me rolling! Quirky, endearing, and completely unpredictable-can't wait to read the next one!
Rarely does a book actually make me laugh out loud, but Aunt Ida had me rolling! Quirky, endearing, and completely unpredictable-can't wait to read the next one!
January 17, 2015
This book was very crazy and super clever. I totally enjoyed the world building and the characters who don't stop to surprise you at every turn.
Everybody thinks that Margaret is crazy and that she needs help, but when she starts getting some, you are dragged with her in a highly science fiction based twist of this world when nothing is what it really what it seems. The only one to fully understand it is the fully evasive Aunty Ida, who doesn't seem to be able to answer a single question straight, I mean she knows what is happening but why don't you? How come you are not aware of everything she can do? That is indeed very strange but she can't waste time on explaining everything to you, you'll have to figure it out by yourself.
You're likely to be wondering what is happening all the time and if Margaret is really crazy or not. I won't give you the answer to that, better ask Ida if you dare.
I would warmly recommend this book to anyone with a good sense of humor.
Everybody thinks that Margaret is crazy and that she needs help, but when she starts getting some, you are dragged with her in a highly science fiction based twist of this world when nothing is what it really what it seems. The only one to fully understand it is the fully evasive Aunty Ida, who doesn't seem to be able to answer a single question straight, I mean she knows what is happening but why don't you? How come you are not aware of everything she can do? That is indeed very strange but she can't waste time on explaining everything to you, you'll have to figure it out by yourself.
You're likely to be wondering what is happening all the time and if Margaret is really crazy or not. I won't give you the answer to that, better ask Ida if you dare.
I would warmly recommend this book to anyone with a good sense of humor.
May 16, 2012
Great title but that is all the good things I can say about the book. The book started off fairly well but went downhill rapidly. The books seems to meander all over the place and even before I was 20% into it, I was already checking how far I was from the end yet. There were just too many things in the plot, specially with the 'wacko' place called Ida's facility and the gay angle thrown in.
All the while, I felt like 'now it is going to make sense' but the moment just never happened. Add the missing words and the bad formatting and an inherently difficult to follow book went down a notch further.
My feeling at the end of it was that while the author had a fairly decent plot chalked out, she got lost somewhere while actually getting the book together. Maybe her second book is going to be better.
All the while, I felt like 'now it is going to make sense' but the moment just never happened. Add the missing words and the bad formatting and an inherently difficult to follow book went down a notch further.
My feeling at the end of it was that while the author had a fairly decent plot chalked out, she got lost somewhere while actually getting the book together. Maybe her second book is going to be better.
November 4, 2014
This book was was certainly fun to read. You can expect to be entertained by Aunty Ida and her inter-familial staff at the full service mental institution. After a breakdown, Judge Margaret is invited to take part in Aunty Ida's special form of rehabilitation. She undergoes various forms of cutting-edge treatment at the hands of Ida and her staff, although most of the technology used is experimental, and you are never sure what might happen next.
Excellent use of fast-paced, witty dialogue that will keep you turning the pages as the plot thickens with the treatment. Sometimes, you will want Margaret to escape the institution, and at others you will want to languish in the treatment with her, or explore the culinary delights of Ida's master chef, Mark.
If you want quirk, strangeness, and charm, then this is your read.
Excellent use of fast-paced, witty dialogue that will keep you turning the pages as the plot thickens with the treatment. Sometimes, you will want Margaret to escape the institution, and at others you will want to languish in the treatment with her, or explore the culinary delights of Ida's master chef, Mark.
If you want quirk, strangeness, and charm, then this is your read.
January 3, 2015
I picked up this book as one of my rare and wonderful personal reading books. I'm very glad that I did. This book is quirky, unusual, fun, and has a lot more to offer than what's on the surface. The author brought together a band of interesting and well-developed characters to create a colourful collection that come together, with a complicated and faceted plot to form this book. The story is intriguing, the more you read the more layers are peeled back until everything comes together beautifully. That being said, there's still clearly much more to be seen and heard from this world and collection of characters.
This is a book for people who want something that refuses to sit neatly inside the boxes, something that will make them think and laugh.
This is a book for people who want something that refuses to sit neatly inside the boxes, something that will make them think and laugh.
January 10, 2015
The quirky title grabbed me right away. The story is quirky, too, as you'd expect. The hard part was figuring out just what was going on here, anyway?! Rather than give up, I kept reading because I just knew that Aunty Ida was really really really trying to *help* Margaret, only Margaret was resisting. I had to see how it would all turn out. It was well worth the effort, but I wish the author had given just a few clues, here and there, as to where and when we were. Here. Or there. Oh, and why. Why would have been good, too. But not too many clues, just a couple three or so. Wouldn't want to harm the quirky. I recommend this if you don't mind having to wait all the way to the end to figure it out, or most of it, and if you enjoy wit and humor and good writing.
February 7, 2017
Pretty meh. It's like Harry Potter but instead of a pre teenager boy, it's a middle aged female judge, and instead of Howarts it's a nice hotel disguised as a mental hospital. And instead of magic, there's "science". Meh
January 7, 2015
Legally Blonde meets The Host... Or something crazy like that.
Honestly, this book is a mess. First of all, the agenda overwhelming. Okay, there's no need to "degay" people... Someone has been watching too much Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was just a confusing jumble of mess. The author took all of her favorite ideas and tossed them in a book; relativity be damned.
Also, I hate stupid characters who mess up all the time but are constantly forgiven. Amelia, the village idiot, was a scapegoat for a weak plot. Shame on you, Isa. Shame on you.
Honestly, this book is a mess. First of all, the agenda overwhelming. Okay, there's no need to "degay" people... Someone has been watching too much Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was just a confusing jumble of mess. The author took all of her favorite ideas and tossed them in a book; relativity be damned.
Also, I hate stupid characters who mess up all the time but are constantly forgiven. Amelia, the village idiot, was a scapegoat for a weak plot. Shame on you, Isa. Shame on you.
November 27, 2016
It started off with a bang. An entirely new set of circumstances that could have been a great setting for a superb story. Then, the writer seemed to become enamored of her own wittiness. I never knew what was really happening in the story, or what was just another dream-sequence, an overused plot technique. I felt as if I needed a mental institution about a quarter of the way into the book, and realized I didn't care enough about the characters to work that hard.
April 24, 2013
It's a little bit steampunkish (I know that's not a word) in the fun and inventive way the author brings in advanced technology. It's a bit of a mystery. A bit of an "am I going crazy" novel. A bit of fun! If you're looking for a "normal" novel, you don't need to be at Aunty Ida's. I loved it! Loved the characters. Loved the switch backs. Loved the weirdness. Can't wait to read her next book.
December 8, 2014
A funny premise that suffered in execution. There was too much dialog and that dialog was sometimes hard to follow. There were also a few too many characters who really didn't add much to the story and only made the dialog more confusing.
That said, I did enjoy the premise and some of the little twists and turns.
That said, I did enjoy the premise and some of the little twists and turns.
August 9, 2017
Absolutely Brilliant!
And also indescribable, which presents a certain dilemma when one is trying to create a useful review.
Highly recommend if you enjoy very quirky characters, a good sense of humour, wacky scifi and rather strange goings on!
I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more by this author.
And also indescribable, which presents a certain dilemma when one is trying to create a useful review.
Highly recommend if you enjoy very quirky characters, a good sense of humour, wacky scifi and rather strange goings on!
I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more by this author.
January 8, 2015
Confusing
This was a very confusing book, with all the characters and double talking that was done, but it was also hard to put down until it was finished, waiting to see the outcome.
This was a very confusing book, with all the characters and double talking that was done, but it was also hard to put down until it was finished, waiting to see the outcome.
January 7, 2015
I Enjoyed Aunty Ida
This book is hard to categorize. Is it comic? Sci-fi? A mystery? Once I got past thinking Judge Margaret was really demented, categories no longer mattered. Favorite characters? Mark and Tillie. Mark can cook for me any time.
This book is hard to categorize. Is it comic? Sci-fi? A mystery? Once I got past thinking Judge Margaret was really demented, categories no longer mattered. Favorite characters? Mark and Tillie. Mark can cook for me any time.
February 9, 2015
The story line has potential so I kept reading . . . but it really never really developed. The book is goofy. I finished it because I thought the story might go somewhere interesting but it never happened.
March 1, 2015
Mostly Boring
The story has very little happening that is believable. Perhaps this story is a science fiction then...
For me, this book took much longer to read than most others. Near the end of the book, it became interesting.
The story has very little happening that is believable. Perhaps this story is a science fiction then...
For me, this book took much longer to read than most others. Near the end of the book, it became interesting.
December 21, 2024
The plot is funny and quirky but somewhere it felt like the author got overwhelmed by it and never really detailed the story or character for her readers. Also, writing-wise I've read better. On the other hand, it made me laugh so I'll go with a 2.
started-reading-but-didn-t-finish
February 9, 2012This one made me so sleepy....
February 20, 2013
A little jumbled, but it was entertaining enough.
July 1, 2013
A fun book, little mystery, fun charcters
February 14, 2015
Fair book. No depth of development but some surprises. Extremely light reading. No take away message. Pure fun purpose.
September 12, 2015
Quirky
I liked the kind of quirkiness of the book and characters but it was difficult to follow in the beginning and was just a little to "out there" for my taste.
I liked the kind of quirkiness of the book and characters but it was difficult to follow in the beginning and was just a little to "out there" for my taste.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews