Reviews

Altar by Philip Fracassi

erikbail's review

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3.0

Lots of little things going on. But I would have just hopped out

twistedstardom's review

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dark medium-paced

2.0

It's fine. Enjoyed the writing style and ease in perspective change of characters but 2/3 of the way through I just kept asking "Why?" after every page. 

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madarauchiha's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

✨🌠 my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 🌠✨

largely disappointing. well written, kept the tension and pace decently, but went no where. It felt like a excerpt from a larger piece and I'm left confused as to what was the point of that?

Ok so basically a family goes to a swimming pool
and a mysterious hole opens up at the bottom of the pool, draining the water and occupants into the hole. People die. That's about it.


minor alcoholism, ableism, 

medium stalking, alcoholism, addiction, mouth trauma, anti indigenous racism, infidelity, 

major suicide, blood, death, drowning, child death, physical abuse, bullying, 

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aksel_dadswell's review

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5.0

What begins as a family trip to the local pool on a warm day quickly turns dark on levels both personal and cosmic, and it’s the juxtaposition of these two elements that Fracassi is so damn good at. The social ecosystem of the public pool and the mundane idiosyncrasies of each characters’ headspace make a fantastic set-piece for the action and horror that unfolds with Fracassi’s elegant rhythm. He manages to fit so much into the space of such a short work, but it never feels overfed. Every scene is precisely measured and delivers the right amount of impact-versus-anticipation before switching to a different character or scenario. The tension builds to breathless, almost painful heights as the story reaches its bleak and fragile peak. This is an absolute sucker-punch of a novella that easily ranks among this year’s best pieces of fiction.

kkehoe's review

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5.0

Wow. Just...wow. A truly great story. I won't say more, so as not to spoil it. Just read it. Read it now.

adam_nowak's review

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5.0

My kind of insane and bizarre tale. All too brief but that short sharp shock is one of the elements of horror stories that make them so popular.

ctgt's review against another edition

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3.0

6/10
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