Hypochondria

by Sarah R. New

Hypochondria is the story of Emma, a young woman who becomes possessed by hypochondriac thoughts after the traumatic death of her mother. Whilst trapped in a spiral of anxiety and grief, her life starts to collapse in on itself while her brain attempts to convince her that she is actually unwell.

Hypochondria is a horrific literary fiction piece that is largely based on my own experiences with grief and hypochondria as a disabled and chronically ill person. The idea for this novelette came during a long diagnosis period, and the health anxiety that has surrounded my life.

Please be advised, this work has depictions of death, abuse/self harm, swearing and panic attacks in it.

Unknown Binding

Published September 7, 2025

About the author

As an angsty teenager, Sarah R. New related to monsters, but when she tried to find herself reflected in her favourite genre, she failed. Twenty years later, she is writing her own monstrous, female-led narratives, using her personal experiences and imagination to explore the dark side of existence.
 
London-based Sarah R. New is the author of Amissis Liberis (2024), Hypochondria (2025), and CATFOOD (2026). Her short form work was nominated for Best of the Net 2025, and she currently is a team contributor for Divination Hollow Reviews. Sarah can be found on Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube and Substack under the username aldbera.

Reviews

[Jan Miklaszewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this story to be very relatable, both in the narrator’s relationships with friends and family and in the authenticity of the language. The scenes and situations described feel as though they come from lived experience, which is either a great bit of artifice or a brave bit of soul-baring. The snippets of body horror are also nicely done without being overdone. Four and a half rounded up to five. Will be looking out for more from this author.

[L.N. Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hypochondria is smart and emotional with a compelling, unreliable narrator and just the right amount of body horror. Like some of Sarah’s other work I’ve read, the dread in this is done so well. You can feel things escalating, and you are totally powerless to stop it, placing you perfectly—and extremely uncomfortably—in the protagonist’s shoes. There is one scene with Emma that I will NEVER forget, as the horror was a little too effective! Additionally, the anxiety representation in this hits hard and true, and I loved how Sarah connected Emma’s hypochondria to the unrelenting pain around the loss of her mother. The female rage and internal thought in this are also absolutely stellar. Overall, it’s a short read and well worth the time.

[TheBookLounge · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books that are fun. Books that frighten you. Books that take you on an adventure through a world of dragons and magic. Some take you on a case a detective is trying to solve. Robots taking over the world. Zombies trying to eat you. So many different kinds of story's to read and get lost in. Then there are books with meaning to them. Ones that show/teach you about certain things. Hypochondria is one of those books. In this dark nerve racking story, you will learn that people... all they need sometimes is for someone to be there for them. To hold them...to help them.

You follow Emma, who just found out her mother has been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Emma and her mother Annette are close. Best friends. After hearing about her mothers condition, Emma slowly begins to fall apart. Her mother is staying positive and looking at life in all it's beauty knowing what her outcome will eventually be. Emma doesn't want to believe her mother is dying. It shouldn't be this way. This book has a lot of flashbacks from Emma taking care of her mother to what Emma ends up dealing with in her life after her mother is gone. She soon finds out that she may carry the genes that cause breast cancer

Emma is living with a condition called Hypochondria. One who always fears that something is wrong with them and the littlest imperfection to their body will make their anxiety shoot through the roof. Emma is dealing with that on a daily basis and she doesn't know how to help herself. Doctor visit after doctor visit does nothing for her. And her boyfriend Jon her friends and aunt are not there for her in ways she needs them to be. Emma needs someone before she loses herself.

This was a rough book to get through and I don't mean that in terms of it being a bad book. The heavy boulder that surrounds this story is one that will be hard to lift. You witness Emma's downfall. The author captures the true horror that Emma is going through in ways that make you want to jump in these pages and save her. Her condition is slowly destroying her. This book is very emotional in ways I can't explain. Had me in tears in some sections. There are parts of body horror in it and it can get descriptive but it shows how severe Hypochondria can be and the thoughts that run through someone's mind with this condition.

Overall this was a great book. It's actually a beautiful story of one persons fight through losing a mother and regaining control of their life. Phenomenal Job, Sarah!!

[Uilleam Whitedale · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story revolves around very real breast cancer and the potential to develop it, but the narrative changes into something else as it progresses, as the neurosis sets in. HYPOCHCONDRIA is an interesting delve into the pathology of the namesake neurosis, in this case stemming from psychosomatic trauma, and it reads as true to life. It's almost a psychological horror, but occurring within the mind of the protagonist, manifesting within the real world as physical injury and strained relationships. The MC's uncaring boyfriend adds to the stressors, and that also reads as true to life. The story jumps back and forth in time, allowing the reader to get glimpses of what led to the MC's predicament. It's well done. I only wish it were a little longer.

[Basile Lebret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and free read since it can be found on the author's website.

I spotted a few typos and the rythm sometimes built up way too fast, but it's a nice story about losing one's mom and trying to recover from said hardship. I guess it'll soothe some aching heart. Go take a look: https://sarahrnew.wordpress.com/hypoc...