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archaicrobin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Tyson is a famous horror writer struggling to stay relevant in the digital age. When his longtime girlfriend buys him a beautiful but mysterious desk for his birthday, he’s struck by a sudden urge to write. Creating a bestselling, gruesome, horror novel basically overnight under the dark influence of this new desk. Tyson starts to experience a relief to his writers block but at what cost? With violent urges, troubling dreams, and aggressive behavior, it quickly becomes clear the desk is more than just a furniture piece.
I really enjoyed this novel’s classic horror vibes and while I usually hate books being compared to others, this one really did remind me of King’s novels in the masculine characterizations and the dark turns the book takes. I love haunted items and this desk was truly monstrous.
A few minor things that I didn’t like was the pacing and some of the more dated tropes, the usual misogyny, sexual violence and a weird fat phobia scene that felt very unnecessary. The book starts doff strong, slowed to a crawl, sped up again, and then kinda fizzled out at the end. If this was paced a little better, it might have had a stronger impact but was still a fun ride.
Also trigger warning for violence, rape, and domestic abuse!
If all that sounds like things you can handle I would suggest trying Gothic, it’s a solid horror novel with a haunted object which we don’t see a lot these days! I would also highly suggest the audiobook, the narration really brought the characters to life .
I really enjoyed this novel’s classic horror vibes and while I usually hate books being compared to others, this one really did remind me of King’s novels in the masculine characterizations and the dark turns the book takes. I love haunted items and this desk was truly monstrous.
A few minor things that I didn’t like was the pacing and some of the more dated tropes, the usual misogyny, sexual violence and a weird fat phobia scene that felt very unnecessary. The book starts doff strong, slowed to a crawl, sped up again, and then kinda fizzled out at the end. If this was paced a little better, it might have had a stronger impact but was still a fun ride.
Also trigger warning for violence, rape, and domestic abuse!
If all that sounds like things you can handle I would suggest trying Gothic, it’s a solid horror novel with a haunted object which we don’t see a lot these days! I would also highly suggest the audiobook, the narration really brought the characters to life .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexism, and Sexual assault
rachelunabridged's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC!
~ ~ ~
Author Tyson Parks has hit a wall in his career. Unable to impress his publishers with his latest works, Tyson worries that he may be washed up after all. Until he's gifted The Desk. Then everything changes. So what if he's not been himself lately? It doesn't matter that he can't even remember what he's written so long as the publishers are eating it up. And they are. Tyson Parks has made his comeback. But at what cost?
~ ~ ~
This was my first book by this author, and I was completely wowed by the end! The first handful of chapters were a little bit of a struggle for me, but once the story got going I could not put it down. Gothic was everything I was hoping it would be and more. It had strong 70s - 80s horror vibes and reminded me a lot of early [author:Stephen King|3389], particularly [book:The Shining|11588]. The whole descent into madness was wonderfully terrifying and seriously left me breathless with how dark it went. Really brings to mind the old adage "be careful what you wish for." Absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy bleak stories that pay homage to older horror.
Make sure to check the trigger warnings for this read though!
~ ~ ~
Author Tyson Parks has hit a wall in his career. Unable to impress his publishers with his latest works, Tyson worries that he may be washed up after all. Until he's gifted The Desk. Then everything changes. So what if he's not been himself lately? It doesn't matter that he can't even remember what he's written so long as the publishers are eating it up. And they are. Tyson Parks has made his comeback. But at what cost?
~ ~ ~
This was my first book by this author, and I was completely wowed by the end! The first handful of chapters were a little bit of a struggle for me, but once the story got going I could not put it down. Gothic was everything I was hoping it would be and more. It had strong 70s - 80s horror vibes and reminded me a lot of early [author:Stephen King|3389], particularly [book:The Shining|11588]. The whole descent into madness was wonderfully terrifying and seriously left me breathless with how dark it went. Really brings to mind the old adage "be careful what you wish for." Absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy bleak stories that pay homage to older horror.
Make sure to check the trigger warnings for this read though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual content
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