Gothic: Novel Review

Why hello dear reader!

Welcome to Fracassi week! That’s right — today I am reviewing Philip Fracassi’s novel, Gothic, which is set to release in February 2023. I managed to snag an ARC and, not only that, but I also interviewed Fracassi himself about Gothic, writing, and the industry. That interview will be live Thursday, so make sure to check back here!

Now, as this book won’t be released until next year, there will be no spoilers in this review. Onwards!

The Author

Philip Fracassi is a horror writer and screenwriter, whose work includes the collections Behold the Void (which won“Best Collection of the Year” from both This Is Horror and Strange Aeons Magazine), Beneath a Pale Sky, as well as short fiction that has appeared in various anthologies, such as Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, Dark Discoveries, and Cemetery Dance.

Fracassi’s debut novel, Boys in the Valley, was released in 2021, and his next novel, A Child Alone With Strangers, is set to release on October 18th of this year.

As a screenwriter, Fracassi’s work has been distributed by Disney Entertainment and Lifetime Television, with several projects in various stages of development.

You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter — or visit his website at https://pfracassi.com/.

The Book

Set to release on February 3rd, 2023, Gothic explores themes of greed, desperation, and the hungry need a person can have to make something of themselves — no matter the cost.

On his 59th birthday, Tyson Parks—a famous, but struggling, horror writer—receives an antique desk from his partner, Sarah, in the hopes it will rekindle his creative juices. Perhaps inspire him to write another best-selling novel and prove his best years aren’t behind him.

A continent away, a mysterious woman makes inquiries with her sources around the world, seeking the whereabouts of a certain artifact her family has been hunting for centuries. With the help of a New York City private detective, she finally finds what she’s been looking for.

It’s in the home of Tyson Parks.

Meanwhile, as Tyson begins to use his new desk, he begins acting... strange. Violent. His writing more disturbing than anything he’s done before. But publishers are paying top dollar, convinced his new work will be a hit, and Tyson will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound success. Even if it means the destruction of the ones he loves. — Gothic landing page on the Cemetery Dance website

The Review

Where to start? This novel was a whirlwind.

First off, dear reader, you know I love a good haunted object tale (see my obsession with Oculus) and Gothic has that in the form of a creepy desk. It has its own insidious influence throughout the novel and a deep, bloody history, that is slowly revealed as Tyson falls under its spell.

Gothic has a gut-twisting recipe of tension, hauntings, human greed and hubris, plus a female character I absolutely love (Diana is bae!)

The main character, Tyson, is a struggling writer whose career is plummeting. Plagued by money issues, he is desperate to write just one more bestseller. This desire is answered in the form of an old desk gifted to him by his partner. Its effects on the author are as immediate as they are sinister.

As a writer myself, it was easy to see why Tyson might be tempted by a cure for writer’s block. I was actually going through a bit of a writer’s block when I read Gothic and it hit hard, reading how Tyson struggled.

His evolution through the novel is masterfully done — it’s truly a shame I can’t get into details but, at one point an event occurs and that’s when, as a reader, I knew the line had been crossed. Intrigued? You should be.

Not only Tyson, but his partner and daughter are affected by the desk and go through their own transformations because of it.

The pacing and suspense kept me turning the pages, Gothic does not let go, and it left me absolutely shaken. It’s been a week and I am still thinking about it, about that last chapter, and how it all ended.

Not to be forgotten is the teasing tongue-in-cheek moments Fracassi laces throughout the book as well. There were moments when I couldn’t help but smile, I know fellow horror fans will feel the same.

Cutthroat, brutal, and a heckuva ton of fun — Gothic is a 2023 must-read for horror fans.

9/10

x PLM

p.s. don’t forget — my interview with Philip Fracassi goes live this Thursday!