The cover and the premise of this book were enough to grab my attention. 
So I had expectations going into it. It didn’t disappoint. 
The author has created an eerie atmosphere, well thought out characters and a really well written story. I stormed through this one, I loved it! 
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

“Gothic” has been my first introduction to Philip Fracassi but he will now be an auto-buy based on this novel!! My God, to say that I was unprepared to like this as much as I did, is an understatement. This is like a Stephen King and Clive Barker mash up in all the best ways. 
 
We get several points of view throughout the novel. We are first introduced to Diana Montresor. The last link in a family stoked in tragedy. Will she be able to recover the artifact that haunts her family? Can she do so before her Grandfather passes? She has hunted relentlessly and discovered the artifact has been repurposed to a desk and has been shipped to America. 
Our main character, Tyson Parks, is desperate for a break. Once a bestselling author he has now spent his advance on a book he cannot deliver on. All of this changes on his 59th birthday when he receives an antique desk from his wife. He becomes quite literally possessed to write. He begins losing time and his mind, but he is suddenly writing better than he has before. 
The true evil nature of the desk plays out through the novel and it is definitely a battle to the last page.



 #oldschoolhorror #NetGalley #cemeterydance

I hate doing this, because I as a reader have great respect for anyone who writes and puts it out there for the public, but in all honesty, I did not finish this book. I got more than halfway through and I just had to stop. The writing was slow and overindulent in areas it didn't need to be and the back story was out of place. The whole book (to this point) felt very disjointed. I was hoping for the best, but it doesn't quite do anything for me. I apologize to the author for this review.

When I first started reading “Gothic” by Philip Fracassie I thought to myself, what an interesting way to start this book off. I will admit I did have a hard time putting this down because I liked the goosebumps I got from reading this. The altar is a desk in disguise and this was an amazing turn because I did not expect that, it was fascinating that the desk made a lot of bad things happen right before it was delivered to Tyson’s home. The writing was absolutely perfect in my opinion and I just want to say that lately, I have been on the hunt for a book that would make me just a little scared. “Gothic” delivered just that for me. I am beyond impressed by this book because I became interested immediately from the cover as well as the title but when I read the blurb, I knew this would be an interesting read. After I finished this, I can happily say that I'm excited to see what this brilliant author will write next and I will be looking into his other books.

Thank you #NetGalley for providing me with a copy for my honest review which I am more than happy to give about this spine-tingling book.

.*trigger warning* domestic violence, rape

Gothic is one hell of a first novel. Philip Fracassi preforms a sort of necromancy on 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

DNF - I didn't make it past the prologue. I have come to the unfortunate realization that these sections can truly ruin the bulk of a story & they more often than not annihilate any proper build to the series of events that are meant to follow. This, I acknowledge, is entirely personal & many might have absolutely zero issue with this. However, in this case, I could not for the life of me find it in myself to want to continue reading. Perhaps the tone of the story takes a drastic change but, the introductory writing style was not for me.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I really struggled to finish it.

The story had so much potential. I loved the cover and the premise, but I feel it failed to deliver.

I couldn't warm up to -or care about any of the characters and honestly didn't see the point of some of them. Tyson, our main character, is not very likable (always whining and wallowing in self-pity) and only gets worse after he gets the desk/altar.

The book could have been 100 pages shorter and with fewer points of view. 

I would have loved to read more about the backstory/lore of the altar instead of having things that didn’t bring much to the story.

I give this book 2,5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is an honest review, and all opinions are entirely mine.

Tyson Parks is a famous horror author with many bestsellers. But lately he feels old and frustrated and cannot come up with a good story. Money is running out and he needs inspiration. Sarah, the love of his life, gives him an antique desk for his 59th birthday to inspire him. And HO. LEE. MO. LEE. things go bad quickly. 

The desk is also being sought by a mysterious woman, as it is an alter used for centuries for her family’s dark arts.  

This book is very well written. Every word is precise and weighty and ominous. Fracassi creates Tyson and Sarah’s characters so easily, quickly engaging the reader with their congenial home life and ordinary worries. But then the desk arrives and WOW, the book darkens so quickly and so powerfully. 

Scary SCARY stuff begins to happen, as the desk begins to wield  it’s power and manipulate Tyson. 

Fracassi is a grifted horror writer and I will look for more of his work.

4.5/5
This is the first novel from Philip Fracassi I have read, but won't be the last.  I've had a tough time finding a really good horror novel lately, but this one got me out of the slump.  Unique but classic at the same time.  There are references to King's work woven into the story, which I also loved.   
The story hooked me in right from the start and I couldn't put it down.  Even the opening quote at the beginning of the novel sets the mood right from the get go.

This book was amazing. One of those books that you feel your eyes pulling you farther along the page faster than you can read. But you just HAVE to know what's going to happen. It's that good. I love how Fracassi always throws a wrench in the mix to change things from the normal predictable route. I had a blast reading this. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies, in the mouth of madness by Carpenter. Must read for any horror fan.

Ok, last year I read Philip for the first time with an ARC of boys in the valley and wow.  Here I am now starting Gothic only the second novel wondering can lightning strike twice…..  yes it can!  Mr Fracassi does a great job of building this world with struggling author Tyson Parks and his family, agent etc….  His wife find him a gift for his birthday that turns out to be a desk with supernatural powers.  So an evil desk?  That’s the story then?  It is and it works amazingly.  From about the 40% point I binged to the end his writing just puts you in a flow state where it is effortless to cruise the pages and the characters in the story all work so well together.  There is vivid imagery and some pretty intense scenes along the way.  You will not be underwhelmed by this one

Gothic was a stunning novel, with graphic descriptions that helped the reader to put themselves into the story and live the horror.

I received a copy of this novel through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Philip Fracassi has probably written one of my favorite horror novels I’ve read so far this year.  Such a great story, with great characters that ultimately you feel both hatred for as well as pity.  
I enjoyed the pace of the novel and the ebb and flow of the story as we progressed through just like the characters.  

Truly a fascinating read and one I enjoyed.

:: rubs hands together excitedly :: What a perfect little horror book. Gothic will take you on the wicked rollercoaster of inner turmoil and suffering. :: laughs maniacally ::

Since last year I’ve been slowly delving more into the Horror genre. Most of the horror I’ve read is the usual, well known stuff - Stephen King, Grady Hendrix… but while browsing on NetGalley this one called to me!
It was a tad bit more hard core than I’m used to but I absolutely burned through the pages. I loved the characters, the pace, the plot! I was only very slightly let down by the ending as it didn’t tie up enough for me, but I can definitely see why someone would love it.
I think this is the first book that gave me nightmares so mission accomplished on the horror end! 😅
I’d like to read more by this author in the future!

A dark read that gave me the chills. This book has The Exorcist and Edgar Allen Poe vibes all over it. Fame and fortune does not come without cost and this one was high.

If Pandora had a desk... And we are not talking about the music streaming service here. 

Philip Fracassi's Gothic is a dark and bloody tale of possession. Author Tyson Parks receives the birthday gift of a lifetime, or rather many lifetimes... Those lifetimes belong to others that were cut short and infused into his new desk.  With centuries worth of bloodshed and death within its veins. What could possibly go wrong?

What happens when you become possessed by an item of power? A power so raw and dripping with evil that it seems insatiable. What happens when that darkness stops feeding you and you feed it instead?

This book was a wild and deadly awakening, an evil that escapes into the world corrupting all that it can and spreading its' dark malady. Fracassi captures the imagination with this devilish and truly wicked delight of a book.

A terrifying Faustian nightmare, “Gothic” will knock your socks off! A once popular author struggles to become relevant again until his wife buys him an antique desk that’s more than meets the eye. Inspiration and words flow but they come at a high cost. How far would you go to get the things you want? Philip Fracassi delivers a horrifying descent into madness. You won’t stop turning these pages once you start!  Reminded me of 80’s or 90’s horror paperbacks. Just so damn entertaining and creepy as hell! Loved it!

There's a reason Fracassi is going to be talked about as the inheritor to King this year, and GOTHIC legitimizes that claim. Horror, at its heart, is about characters. That's why we remember The Losers Club, Jack and Danny Torrance, and why you will remember Tyson Parks. A scary, tense, celebration of why we love the horror novel.

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.*