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Purgatorium #1-3
The Purgatorium Box Set: Books 1-3
An experimental psychologist and a teen who wants to die...
When seventeen-year-old Daphne goes to what she thinks is a getaway retreat, she doesn't know her parents have sent her there as a last-ditch effort to save her from committing suicide. Dr. Gray uses extraordinary means to treat her patients: she terrifies them into loving life, with the theory that the survival instinct overcomes the death wish. But do the ends justify the means? You decide.
When seventeen-year-old Daphne goes to what she thinks is a getaway retreat, she doesn't know her parents have sent her there as a last-ditch effort to save her from committing suicide. Dr. Gray uses extraordinary means to treat her patients: she terrifies them into loving life, with the theory that the survival instinct overcomes the death wish. But do the ends justify the means? You decide.
646 pages, ebook
First published July 3, 2015
11 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Eva Pohler
113 books1,739 followersEva Pohler is a USA Today bestselling author of over forty novels in multiple genres, including mysteries, thrillers, and young adult paranormal romance based. Her books have been described as "addictive" and "sure to thrill"--Kirkus Reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 13, 2019
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
What is truth and what are lies? Where does reality end and the nightmares begin? Is this a getaway retreat for Daphne and her best friend, Cam or is it something more? Who really knows what is going on? Who can Daphne trust? Can she even trust her herself?
Hang on for the ride of your life as one teen, emotionally destroyed after her sister’s death is sent to a remote island facility to be unknowingly “healed” of her desires to commit suicide. But are the unusual methods used really therapy or is there something more sinister going on?
Prepare to enter a world where things are not as they seem and Daphne must learn to rely on herself to find the secrets hidden beneath the seemingly benign surface, all while fighting for her very sanity.
Eva Pohler’s THE PURGATORIUM box set is a three book tale that may ramp up slowly, but once it hits full speed, it never lets up! Intrigue, mystery and that sense of “otherness” prevail as we are plunged down the rabbit hole of suspense alongside Daphne. Ms. Pohler has done a remarkable job of providing unexpected twists, terrifying turns and gut-clenching events that never let up!
If you are like me and love to get my hands on as many books in a series as possible, this box set is like a nightmarish dream come true! Well-written, with characters that grow throughout, and a mystery that never reveals itself fully, the action and imagination are non-stop on this emotional roller coaster!
Series: The Purgatorium
Publisher: Green Press/Eva Pohler (July 3, 2015)
Publication Date: July 3, 2015
Genre: YA Fantasy | Dark
Print Length: 654 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
What is truth and what are lies? Where does reality end and the nightmares begin? Is this a getaway retreat for Daphne and her best friend, Cam or is it something more? Who really knows what is going on? Who can Daphne trust? Can she even trust her herself?
Hang on for the ride of your life as one teen, emotionally destroyed after her sister’s death is sent to a remote island facility to be unknowingly “healed” of her desires to commit suicide. But are the unusual methods used really therapy or is there something more sinister going on?
Prepare to enter a world where things are not as they seem and Daphne must learn to rely on herself to find the secrets hidden beneath the seemingly benign surface, all while fighting for her very sanity.
Eva Pohler’s THE PURGATORIUM box set is a three book tale that may ramp up slowly, but once it hits full speed, it never lets up! Intrigue, mystery and that sense of “otherness” prevail as we are plunged down the rabbit hole of suspense alongside Daphne. Ms. Pohler has done a remarkable job of providing unexpected twists, terrifying turns and gut-clenching events that never let up!
If you are like me and love to get my hands on as many books in a series as possible, this box set is like a nightmarish dream come true! Well-written, with characters that grow throughout, and a mystery that never reveals itself fully, the action and imagination are non-stop on this emotional roller coaster!
Series: The Purgatorium
Publisher: Green Press/Eva Pohler (July 3, 2015)
Publication Date: July 3, 2015
Genre: YA Fantasy | Dark
Print Length: 654 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
July 19, 2015
This story had me hooked from the first chapter. This suspenseful and exciting story had me guessing and running alongside the main character, engaged in an unimaginable journey. Pohler’s seamless writing and engaging storyline make it very easy to immerse yourself in this atypical story. She presents a well-developed history and mythology of the island that the characters find themselves on. It all combines into an in-depth story that’s intensely enjoyable while making you think.
This novel was spooky and eerily entertaining. Pohler’s phenomenal descriptions of the natural world leave you breathless while her fantastically imaginative storytelling keep you hooked. The story’s smooth forward flow pulls you in. The symbolism behind various aspects of the story adds an extra layer to the tale. Not only is this story suspenseful and grippingly entertaining, it also has a huge psychological impact on the reader. It opens your eyes to the possibilities and realities around you. I repeatedly asked myself if the end justified the means. I found myself laughing regularly. Even when events seem a bit over the top it’s still easy to see and feel the real possibility behind it. Pohler also had me crying towards the end of the story. I will warn you, however, that this novel picks right up where the last left off. As a reader you’d be missing a great deal by not reading the first novel in the series first. And it’s worth the read.
I really enjoyed the gradual character development, as opposed to a large information dump. You get to know the characters well and personally without feeling like you’ve read their biography. It all seems so natural. You also get to know the main character even more closely because you are on a journey of self-discovery with her. I really appreciate how the main character grows and an individual. Pohler really lets you get inside her head. You see her weighing the pros and cons, battling her demons, and becoming a more rounded and understanding individual (even if I may not always agree with her decisions). The supporting cast is so varied that there is someone for everyone to connect with, and for everyone to throw a bucket of water at. Everyone was uniquely yet fully developed to create a well rounded cast.
My overall thoughts? Oh. My. Gods. Could you just imagine?
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
This novel was spooky and eerily entertaining. Pohler’s phenomenal descriptions of the natural world leave you breathless while her fantastically imaginative storytelling keep you hooked. The story’s smooth forward flow pulls you in. The symbolism behind various aspects of the story adds an extra layer to the tale. Not only is this story suspenseful and grippingly entertaining, it also has a huge psychological impact on the reader. It opens your eyes to the possibilities and realities around you. I repeatedly asked myself if the end justified the means. I found myself laughing regularly. Even when events seem a bit over the top it’s still easy to see and feel the real possibility behind it. Pohler also had me crying towards the end of the story. I will warn you, however, that this novel picks right up where the last left off. As a reader you’d be missing a great deal by not reading the first novel in the series first. And it’s worth the read.
I really enjoyed the gradual character development, as opposed to a large information dump. You get to know the characters well and personally without feeling like you’ve read their biography. It all seems so natural. You also get to know the main character even more closely because you are on a journey of self-discovery with her. I really appreciate how the main character grows and an individual. Pohler really lets you get inside her head. You see her weighing the pros and cons, battling her demons, and becoming a more rounded and understanding individual (even if I may not always agree with her decisions). The supporting cast is so varied that there is someone for everyone to connect with, and for everyone to throw a bucket of water at. Everyone was uniquely yet fully developed to create a well rounded cast.
My overall thoughts? Oh. My. Gods. Could you just imagine?
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2019
This series blew me away. I am left speechless!
August 27, 2015
Relevant, Exciting, and Life Changing!!!
This series is one of the greatest things I have ever had the pleasure of encountering in my life! It is a grand adventure, and it addresses many serious issues in a profound way. I would even go as far as to call this series life changing. There was truly never a dull moment. A must read for anyone who has any interest in Psychology, suffers from/knows anyone who suffers from depression/suicidal thoughts, or anyone who just wants to go on one heck of a ride!!!
This series is one of the greatest things I have ever had the pleasure of encountering in my life! It is a grand adventure, and it addresses many serious issues in a profound way. I would even go as far as to call this series life changing. There was truly never a dull moment. A must read for anyone who has any interest in Psychology, suffers from/knows anyone who suffers from depression/suicidal thoughts, or anyone who just wants to go on one heck of a ride!!!
October 31, 2015
This series is a fantastic psychological thriller aimed at a teen audience. The official teaser reads:
An experimental psychologist and a teen who wants to die...
When seventeen-year-old Daphne Janus goes to what she thinks is a getaway retreat with her best friend and next-door neighbor, Cam, she doesn't know her parents have sent her there as a last-ditch effort to save her from committing suicide. Daphne blames herself for her sister's death and feels she has no right to be alive. Dr. Gray and her staff use extraordinary methods to treat the patients that come to their remote island off the coast of California: they terrify them into loving life, with the theory that the survival instinct overcomes the death wish. Their methods may save countless lives, but do the ends justify the means?
This last question has kept me up thinking about it. How far is too far? Let's begin our discussion of the books. I will do my best not to give spoilers if possible.
The Purgatorium
The first book begins with Daphne coming to a resort on Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California. She sees it as her last hurrah. She is haunted by her sister's death, her feelings of guilt, and the hurtful words her mother said to her after Kara died. She doesn't want to live with the feelings anymore. It is only on the boat to the island that she meets Dr. Gray, the psychologist who is going to treat her with "therapeutic exercises." So begins Daphne's journey.
Dr. Gray believes that if you take someone who is depressed, suicidal, and possibly suffering from PTSD, and put them in situations where they are forced to face their fears and pain, they can begin to heal. When she explains this to Daphne, she refers to herself as Prospero from Shakespeare's "The Tempest." She tells Daphne that she will put her through trials, and when she is done, she will want to live again.
When I finished this book, I was a bit disturbed. I wasn't sure what to think. The fact that I had such an emotional reaction made me want to praise the author, and at the same time yell at her. I was hooked on the book and wanted to read the rest to see where it was going. There is not a single character that is not flawed. That's good, because it gives the characters depth. But the hell that the various characters go through, and the knowledge that others know exactly what they are doing to them, bothered me. I hated it. I couldn't put the book down. So I started reading the second book.
Gray's Domain
Daphne has made it through her trials, and has accepted that her parents need to go through trials too. She agrees to help, so long as it doesn't go as far as it did with her. Of course, the doctor's don't see it that way. Dr Gray believes that the whole family needs to be treated in order to move past Kara's death. When an exercise nearly kills Daphne and her father, she is determined to get out and bring back the police to shut the place down. Only Dr Gray has something else in store, and Daphne is trapped between stopping Dr Gray, and saving her family.
This book was a lot more fun than the first one. Daphne is quickly becoming such a strong character. She isn't completely better, but she is getting there. It is hard to watch her struggle and fight against such overwhelming odds, but I cheered with every stride.
Daphne has a lot of hard choices to make in this book. Those choices no longer overwhelm her the way they used to in the first book. I still don't like Dr. Gray very much. It is hard for me to understand what could motivate a person to create such a vast, elaborate place. She reminds me a lot of Jigsaw from the Saw movies. There is not gore or death from the exercises. The point is to make people want to live. But the idea of using very personal fears and emotional pain to heal someone doesn't sit well with me. So I had to see what happens in book three.
The Calibans
With her family done with the exercises, and everyone healing from all the emotional trauma, they have all gone home. Daphne is still not sure if what Dr. Gray did was right, but she can't deny that psychologically she and the rest of her family are healthier and closer to each other. But the island isn't done with her. When her best friend's mother comes to her for help getting him off the island, she feels that the only thing she can do is help. But she has to do it alone. Everyone else is happy with the way things turned out.
Daphne returns to the island determined to save her best friend, Cam. Cam is one of the Calibans, the men and women who assist Dr. Gray with her terrifying exercises. The Calibans are almost to a one former patients that feel Dr. Gray has helped them and want to help her help others. Cam doesn't want to leave. And so Daphne gets drawn into the ranks of the Calibans. Behind the scenes, it turns out that nothing is what she thought it was.
This book was a wild ride to finish the story. I had a lot of mixed feelings as i read it. In understood wanting to put the past behind them. I was cheering for her to rescue Cam. Daphne has grown so much since that start of book one.
In this book, we got to see how the island came to be, and how Dr Gray created her experimental therapy. The background information really made the whole series start to make sense for me. I could finally see how the Calibans could be so devoted to the island, how they could feel they were serving a higher purpose. The ending of the book was very satisfying to me.
Happy Reading!!
An experimental psychologist and a teen who wants to die...
When seventeen-year-old Daphne Janus goes to what she thinks is a getaway retreat with her best friend and next-door neighbor, Cam, she doesn't know her parents have sent her there as a last-ditch effort to save her from committing suicide. Daphne blames herself for her sister's death and feels she has no right to be alive. Dr. Gray and her staff use extraordinary methods to treat the patients that come to their remote island off the coast of California: they terrify them into loving life, with the theory that the survival instinct overcomes the death wish. Their methods may save countless lives, but do the ends justify the means?
This last question has kept me up thinking about it. How far is too far? Let's begin our discussion of the books. I will do my best not to give spoilers if possible.
The Purgatorium
The first book begins with Daphne coming to a resort on Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California. She sees it as her last hurrah. She is haunted by her sister's death, her feelings of guilt, and the hurtful words her mother said to her after Kara died. She doesn't want to live with the feelings anymore. It is only on the boat to the island that she meets Dr. Gray, the psychologist who is going to treat her with "therapeutic exercises." So begins Daphne's journey.
Dr. Gray believes that if you take someone who is depressed, suicidal, and possibly suffering from PTSD, and put them in situations where they are forced to face their fears and pain, they can begin to heal. When she explains this to Daphne, she refers to herself as Prospero from Shakespeare's "The Tempest." She tells Daphne that she will put her through trials, and when she is done, she will want to live again.
When I finished this book, I was a bit disturbed. I wasn't sure what to think. The fact that I had such an emotional reaction made me want to praise the author, and at the same time yell at her. I was hooked on the book and wanted to read the rest to see where it was going. There is not a single character that is not flawed. That's good, because it gives the characters depth. But the hell that the various characters go through, and the knowledge that others know exactly what they are doing to them, bothered me. I hated it. I couldn't put the book down. So I started reading the second book.
Gray's Domain
Daphne has made it through her trials, and has accepted that her parents need to go through trials too. She agrees to help, so long as it doesn't go as far as it did with her. Of course, the doctor's don't see it that way. Dr Gray believes that the whole family needs to be treated in order to move past Kara's death. When an exercise nearly kills Daphne and her father, she is determined to get out and bring back the police to shut the place down. Only Dr Gray has something else in store, and Daphne is trapped between stopping Dr Gray, and saving her family.
This book was a lot more fun than the first one. Daphne is quickly becoming such a strong character. She isn't completely better, but she is getting there. It is hard to watch her struggle and fight against such overwhelming odds, but I cheered with every stride.
Daphne has a lot of hard choices to make in this book. Those choices no longer overwhelm her the way they used to in the first book. I still don't like Dr. Gray very much. It is hard for me to understand what could motivate a person to create such a vast, elaborate place. She reminds me a lot of Jigsaw from the Saw movies. There is not gore or death from the exercises. The point is to make people want to live. But the idea of using very personal fears and emotional pain to heal someone doesn't sit well with me. So I had to see what happens in book three.
The Calibans
With her family done with the exercises, and everyone healing from all the emotional trauma, they have all gone home. Daphne is still not sure if what Dr. Gray did was right, but she can't deny that psychologically she and the rest of her family are healthier and closer to each other. But the island isn't done with her. When her best friend's mother comes to her for help getting him off the island, she feels that the only thing she can do is help. But she has to do it alone. Everyone else is happy with the way things turned out.
Daphne returns to the island determined to save her best friend, Cam. Cam is one of the Calibans, the men and women who assist Dr. Gray with her terrifying exercises. The Calibans are almost to a one former patients that feel Dr. Gray has helped them and want to help her help others. Cam doesn't want to leave. And so Daphne gets drawn into the ranks of the Calibans. Behind the scenes, it turns out that nothing is what she thought it was.
This book was a wild ride to finish the story. I had a lot of mixed feelings as i read it. In understood wanting to put the past behind them. I was cheering for her to rescue Cam. Daphne has grown so much since that start of book one.
In this book, we got to see how the island came to be, and how Dr Gray created her experimental therapy. The background information really made the whole series start to make sense for me. I could finally see how the Calibans could be so devoted to the island, how they could feel they were serving a higher purpose. The ending of the book was very satisfying to me.
Happy Reading!!
August 23, 2015
This box set included all 3 books in the Purgatorium Series by Eva Pohler.
In The Purgatorium, Daphne experiences a strange technique to help her overcome her depression.
In Gray's Domain, Daphne helps Dr. Gray use her unusual therapy techniques on Daphne's family & boyfriend.
In The Calibans, Daphne tries to rescue the other calibans from Dr. Gray's unusual therapy techniques but chaos ensues when the ATF shows up during a dangerous exercise.
These books are very well written and each plot has lots of twists and turns. This series is a roller coaster ride of emotions and intense moments.
These books deal with mental health issues and alternative therapy techniques and might not be right for everyone, but I really enjoyed them.
In The Purgatorium, Daphne experiences a strange technique to help her overcome her depression.
In Gray's Domain, Daphne helps Dr. Gray use her unusual therapy techniques on Daphne's family & boyfriend.
In The Calibans, Daphne tries to rescue the other calibans from Dr. Gray's unusual therapy techniques but chaos ensues when the ATF shows up during a dangerous exercise.
These books are very well written and each plot has lots of twists and turns. This series is a roller coaster ride of emotions and intense moments.
These books deal with mental health issues and alternative therapy techniques and might not be right for everyone, but I really enjoyed them.
January 23, 2016
Eva is one of the most thoughtful writers I have come across in all of my reading and reviewing. The Purgatorium is a box set you DO NOT want to pass up! This set will give you three books and HOURS of entertainment! With a teen that is contemplating suicide and a Dr. that wants to scare people into life.... you will be on the edge of your Kindle on each and every page!
You need to be prepared to be subjected to every emotion known to man. The Purgatorium has a slow build that will allow you to get to know who and what you are reading about. I love that about Eva's writing. You learn and grow with the characters just as they learn and grow in their own stories.
~Dowie
You need to be prepared to be subjected to every emotion known to man. The Purgatorium has a slow build that will allow you to get to know who and what you are reading about. I love that about Eva's writing. You learn and grow with the characters just as they learn and grow in their own stories.
~Dowie
August 14, 2015
I loved reading this series. Its a close emotional series. The characters and their paths are woven together with such a creative twist you need to know more. I love several of the characters and for me thats important. Give them a shot its definitely worth reading and finding a deeper meaning into things.
August 23, 2015
I've read all in the series and can tell you that this series is definitely special. You fall in love with the characters and the setting. These books are easy to follow yet hard to put down!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews