Delirium Diaries

Kevin Pugh - 12 Nov, 2024

Delirium Diaries is the true story of a young family’s journey to hell and back through the first wave of COVID, it’s also a story of the power of love and hope in the face of the grimmest adversity.
The story begins with the author being placed into an induced coma after contracting the dreaded COVID-19 and takes us on a roller-coaster ride of emotions as Pete describes in vivid detail the dreams endured during deep psychosis which varied between absolutely bonkers to downright terrifying, think Hunter S Thompson meets Alice in Wonderland.
Beautifully written this is a thoroughly gripping account that had me in turns blinking through tears and/or laughing out loud!
Throughout it all the love and devotion of a close-knit group of family and friends weaves through these pages like a big ol' weavey thing in what is a riveting and fascinating book, I highly recommend it!

(SPOILER ALERT 🚨 The ending is a happy one!)

Maria Cooper - 01 Nov, 2024

This is a deeply touching, honest and inspirational diary of a young man/husband/father who is put into an induced coma in an attempt to save his life. Set in the first wave of Covid, alone in a hospital bed, he has to deal with the terrifying and lonely experience of being in a coma without family there to support him. He bravely shares his uncensored, delirious, internal journey with the reader. There is little room for self pity in this story. The power of music, love, hope and friendship prevails.
I highly recommend this book.

Gemma - 30 Oct, 2024

A beautifully written account of a young man’s harrowing experience of isolation, intense fear and delirium while being hospitalised during the COVID pandemic.

For me this book captures the madness and isolation of COVID, a period of our lives I don’t think we will ever forget. It also holds a strong message about love, resilience and the power of human connections.

I could not put this book down. I felt compelled to turn each page. I was drawn in to the vivid dreams and personal accounts. The music references punctuated throughout provided a thought-provoking soundtrack. I created my own little playlist. I cried. I laughed. I reflected. I would definitely recommend a read.

Shane Gudgeon - 18 Oct, 2024

As I am a good friend of the author Pete through our love of both music and Blackburn Rovers I may well be writing this (my first ever book review by the way) with slightly tinted glasses HOWEVER and on the flip side, with knowing Pete pretty well I think it also entails me to give a fair and balanced view on the book in unison with the person.
To say I was absolutely enthralled and captivated with Pete’s memoirs would be an understatement. Being one of the many friends on the outside during Pete’s horrendous time in hospital the book obviously touched a lot of nerves and it brought more than a few lumps to my throat not to mention tears to my eyes which by the way, for a “roughie-toughie” ex-squaddie is a very rare thing.
The book by its pure nature is very sad but at the same time I also found myself giggling away because I could hear Pete actually saying some of the lines and seeing the funny side of the most difficult situations as only he can.
Thankfully there is a happy ending and it is great to see Pete, Nikki and Hazel back to normal, well, as normal as can be where Pete Mackenzie Hodge is concerned because he is always up to something.
Well done Pete not only on your never say die spirit but also your pure enthusiasm and zest for life, you are an inspiration and a pleasure to know and I look forward to being your friend for many years to come and being together down at The Mighty Ewood.
Shane