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A review by adamsfall
Gothic by Philip Fracassi
5.0
*trigger warning* domestic violence, rape
Gothic is one hell of a novel. Philip Fracassi preforms a sort of necromancy on the altar of the overdone and tired “struggling writer” trope, breathing new and terrifying life into it. With plenty of nods to icons of horror, Gothic is self-aware enough of its audience and the world it exists in, while also taking the piss when appropriate and poking fun at the very genre it’s a vessel for.
While the characters in Gothic aren’t anything groundbreaking, they are surprisingly fleshed out and developed – even some of the characters who get much less time on the page. Tyson is relatable to anyone who has suffered from Imposter Syndrome or failed at any stage of pursuing their dreams. Sarah is relatable if you’ve ever been the one to help carry a relationship forward and shouldered a burden. Violet was my favorite character and I wish she had been developed more and had more instances from her POV.
As the crux of the plot deepens, Tyson is pushed and pulled in uncharacteristic ways, a hand of pure evil clasped firmly to his throat. Sometimes a Muse wants more than to inspire.
This novel shocked me. It unnerved me. I read a lot of horror and it rarely makes me look around the room and leave a light on when I leave a room. Gothic whispered to me, had me skittering on all fours looking for a safe place to read.
Philip Fracassi is now front and center on my author radar. I’ll be blindly buying whatever he’s done before Gothic and welcoming anything that comes after. Cemetery Dance has a new master of horror among its ranks.
Gothic is one hell of a novel. Philip Fracassi preforms a sort of necromancy on the altar of the overdone and tired “struggling writer” trope, breathing new and terrifying life into it. With plenty of nods to icons of horror, Gothic is self-aware enough of its audience and the world it exists in, while also taking the piss when appropriate and poking fun at the very genre it’s a vessel for.
While the characters in Gothic aren’t anything groundbreaking, they are surprisingly fleshed out and developed – even some of the characters who get much less time on the page. Tyson is relatable to anyone who has suffered from Imposter Syndrome or failed at any stage of pursuing their dreams. Sarah is relatable if you’ve ever been the one to help carry a relationship forward and shouldered a burden. Violet was my favorite character and I wish she had been developed more and had more instances from her POV.
As the crux of the plot deepens, Tyson is pushed and pulled in uncharacteristic ways, a hand of pure evil clasped firmly to his throat. Sometimes a Muse wants more than to inspire.
This novel shocked me. It unnerved me. I read a lot of horror and it rarely makes me look around the room and leave a light on when I leave a room. Gothic whispered to me, had me skittering on all fours looking for a safe place to read.
Philip Fracassi is now front and center on my author radar. I’ll be blindly buying whatever he’s done before Gothic and welcoming anything that comes after. Cemetery Dance has a new master of horror among its ranks.