Stacia in Progress

"We're all mad here."~ Lewis Carroll - Alice in Wonderland...and end review. That about sums it up.This really should have been a prequel. To go back to the "before" while in the middle of a trilogy seems strange. Very small spoilers ahead (nothing earth shattering).Am I the only one who thinks Dr. Watson reads like a creeper? By the end of the book we do actually find out the explanation of why he was acting strangely - but it only works up to a certain point. Did this explanation let him off the hook for lying next to a patient in her hospital bed in order to provide comfort? If he had been any other profession than a doctor, I might have forgiven it. Although, I guess he can get away with whatever he wants because he owns an entire village (really...he owns all of the buildings in a village).His character (not to be confused with Sherlock Holmes' assistant) had me curious back when I was reading Insanity. Now, I am no longer curious. Adelaide's eyes are so beautiful to him...only his mother and some actress chick have had that shade. It's elementary, my dear Watson : Stacia thinks you're creepy.I get it - all mad, all mad, all mad. Everyone had mommy and daddy issues. Speaking of mommy and daddy...every time Adelaide called her parents mommy and daddy I had this mentally disturbed image of a young child being sexualized. This chick loves being touched in her nether regions but she speaks like an infant. It's all too much for me to wrap my brain around.And Damien...the kid who is the inspiration for all of the horrendous wet dreams. Nope, I'm not even going to go there.For a book about crazies, at least the crazy part was handled accurately. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing the appeal in lust and pining and longing and missing IN A BOOK ABOUT CRAZIES.I complained about the needing and burning in book 1, but it all went to a completely uncomfortable level here, and not in a way that's deliciously creepy like in a horror story. Dr. Watson had no business doing half of what he did. It's really too bad because I sensed promise when I'd reached the end of the last book. Unfortunately, all of my hopes were dashed when I realized that bad behavior would be explained away by a new (and un-shocking) plot twist. Surprisingly enough though... there are two things which will probably be enough of a reason for me to read the third installment. The books are relatively short and twisted-ly entertaining, even if the character behaviors push my buttons.3 stars for entertainment value. 1 star for characters I don't like. 2 stars average.