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silenttwg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A birthday gift for a waning author turns into the golden goose, but at a violent cost.
I went into this blind, and I'm glad I did. What a fun, dark dive into a bloody good tale. I enjoyed the whole book and cringed at a few minutes, but really what cinched the book for me was the epilogue. That ending was the cherry on the sundae.
This held me in a tight grip and I read it in about four hours. Definitely recommend.
I went into this blind, and I'm glad I did. What a fun, dark dive into a bloody good tale. I enjoyed the whole book and cringed at a few minutes, but really what cinched the book for me was the epilogue. That ending was the cherry on the sundae.
This held me in a tight grip and I read it in about four hours. Definitely recommend.
extrememochi's review against another edition
I dont know if this book was good or not but I did learn the horror genre is not for me lmao
sobek777's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
barmyjen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Having read the blurb I thought I knew exactly what to expect from this novel- but I couldn't have been more wrong! Each time the story seemed to be going along a known trope, it would suddenly change and keep me guessing. One I couldn't put down, and I shall be reading more from this author.
blatdriver's review against another edition
4.0
This is a good old fashioned evil object story that feels like it came straight of the 1970’s it would fit right in with Rosemary’s Baby and the Exorcist, although it is set in more modern times, with mobile phones, internet etc, which makes it feel more relevant while still having that vintage cursed object feel.
I really enjoyed this one, the writing was good, with characters you could really get into. The story was familiar but different enough as so not to be predictable.
I would recommend this book if you like the the books mentioned above, or even Stephen Kings Duma Key.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.*
I really enjoyed this one, the writing was good, with characters you could really get into. The story was familiar but different enough as so not to be predictable.
I would recommend this book if you like the the books mentioned above, or even Stephen Kings Duma Key.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.*
apparatinglibrarian's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
krytygr's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was such a dark book. I didn’t even read the synopsis so I went into this completely blind. And honestly, that’s probably the best way to go! It was disturbing and weird and.. well, gothic.
fearnerd's review against another edition
3.0
What drew me to Philip Fracassi's new book Gothic is that fantastically evil cover. And the premise behind the book ain't bad either. A struggling horror novelist Tyson Parks is trying to write another bestseller, and he just can't manage to do it until his longtime partner Sarah surprises him on his birthday with a new desk. But what they don't know is that the desk once served as the altar for satanic rituals and feeds off its users.
Cool story, cool cover, but the execution just didn't live up to the promise for me. For one, our main protagonist Tyson feels underdeveloped. We get an idea of his struggles, but I never felt sympathetic to his plight. And once the desk gets its shoots in him and drives him to detestable actions, I like him even less. Side characters Sarah and Tyson's daughter Violet are underutilized and not well-voiced.
There's also another character trying to acquire the desk so that she can rid the world of its evil. She's entirely boring. I didn't enjoy the altar backstory her narrative provides. However, she fits into the book's most shocking moment. It was a welcome jolt to a lackluster journey thus far.
⭐️⭐️
Cool story, cool cover, but the execution just didn't live up to the promise for me. For one, our main protagonist Tyson feels underdeveloped. We get an idea of his struggles, but I never felt sympathetic to his plight. And once the desk gets its shoots in him and drives him to detestable actions, I like him even less. Side characters Sarah and Tyson's daughter Violet are underutilized and not well-voiced.
There's also another character trying to acquire the desk so that she can rid the world of its evil. She's entirely boring. I didn't enjoy the altar backstory her narrative provides. However, she fits into the book's most shocking moment. It was a welcome jolt to a lackluster journey thus far.
⭐️⭐️
bigpy's review against another edition
3.0
A bit of a letdown following the excellent A Child Alone With Strangers.
The initial setup and premise were intriguing but the story comes to a climax much earlier than I expected, and in a very unsatisfying manner. And then the extended code, the final fourth of the book, introduces more good ideas but ends before really exploring them.
The initial setup and premise were intriguing but the story comes to a climax much earlier than I expected, and in a very unsatisfying manner. And then the extended code, the final fourth of the book, introduces more good ideas but ends before really exploring them.