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The Grotesque: A Novel
STEP ON A CRACK, SEE YOUR MOTHER LYING DEAD ON THE FLOOR.
It was their house. He had no right. No right at all. But that man took what he wanted, just to cap off that sad little boy’s already unspeakable childhood. And for the next thirteen years, that pathetic useless child would cower and hide, hallucinate and obsess. Thirteen years. Until the past started circling back.
This Halloween, one way or another, things are going to change.
Because the focus of that boy’s obsession—that desperate, failing dancer—has an agenda of her own: to escape his watchful eye and rid herself of the volatile boyfriend who takes anything he wants. To live the dream she’s worked so hard to achieve.
For Katrina, Jared, and Michael, every dream for the future is forever chained to the traumas of their childhoods. But it all ends when they become integral parts of a deadly masquerade to absolve the guilt-ridden secrets of the past.
No more living in the shadows. It’s time to spotlight the ugly truth. In a world where the innocent are broken, beaten, and betrayed, everything is a dance. Everyone is the audience.
It’s time to make it or break it all.
“The writing has a raw, abrasive energy, like it’s trying to peel back a layer of skin. I couldn’t look away.” — Literary Titan
Content note: This novel contains themes of childhood trauma, violence, and psychological manipulation.
It was their house. He had no right. No right at all. But that man took what he wanted, just to cap off that sad little boy’s already unspeakable childhood. And for the next thirteen years, that pathetic useless child would cower and hide, hallucinate and obsess. Thirteen years. Until the past started circling back.
This Halloween, one way or another, things are going to change.
Because the focus of that boy’s obsession—that desperate, failing dancer—has an agenda of her own: to escape his watchful eye and rid herself of the volatile boyfriend who takes anything he wants. To live the dream she’s worked so hard to achieve.
For Katrina, Jared, and Michael, every dream for the future is forever chained to the traumas of their childhoods. But it all ends when they become integral parts of a deadly masquerade to absolve the guilt-ridden secrets of the past.
No more living in the shadows. It’s time to spotlight the ugly truth. In a world where the innocent are broken, beaten, and betrayed, everything is a dance. Everyone is the audience.
It’s time to make it or break it all.
“The writing has a raw, abrasive energy, like it’s trying to peel back a layer of skin. I couldn’t look away.” — Literary Titan
Content note: This novel contains themes of childhood trauma, violence, and psychological manipulation.
348 pages, Paperback
Published October 21, 2025
7 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Sean Foy
1 book6 followersSean Foy is an author and award-winning filmmaker whose stories regularly delve into themes of resilience, self-determination, human connection, and the complexities of family. His debut psychological thriller, The Grotesque, was long-listed (top 2%) for the Cheshire Novel Prize and draws inspiration from writers such as Gillian Flynn and Chuck Palahniuk, and films such as Black Swan and Radio Flyer. The story examines guilt, obsession, and the fragile boundaries between love and trauma. His storytelling is as much about grappling with life's darkness as it is about embracing its profound, messy beauty.
His films, which span the sci-fi, horror, and comedy genres, feature elements of suspense, moral conflict, and often, just plain fun.
Born in Defiance, Ohio, Sean was raised in Pennsylvania and has lived in seven states, having settled in Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters.
His films, which span the sci-fi, horror, and comedy genres, feature elements of suspense, moral conflict, and often, just plain fun.
Born in Defiance, Ohio, Sean was raised in Pennsylvania and has lived in seven states, having settled in Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 19, 2025
This is a dark, intense story, exploring themes of abuse and trauma. The characters draw you in and you feel a part of the story. It brings so many emotions and I just couldn't put it down. If you're looking for something thought provoking and thrilling, please give this a read. It is my favourite book of the year so far. I can't wait for more people to read it when it's published so we can discuss it.
October 18, 2025
What did I just read? This is compelling and much more than a dark thriller. The author has captured the essence of obsession and everything from the writing style itself through to the characters and their perspectives adds up to something pretty incredible. I think the most captivating part is how believable he made everything. The eking out of the plot over 13 years to wrap up in a really satisfying conclusion makes this a terrific read.
October 14, 2025
The Grotesque is a dark, intricate novel that slowly weaves together the lives of three deeply flawed characters. It’s psychological, unsettling, and full of tension, yet beautifully written. From the very first pages, I was completely hooked by the atmosphere and the author’s ability to craft such a complex story about family, trauma, hope, and love.
It’s one of those stories where everything clicks in the final chapters, making you look back and realize how carefully every detail was placed. The character work is stunning : complex, raw, and disturbingly human. I finished it genuinely impressed by how everything tied together. A haunting, emotional read that lingers long after the last page.
Definitely recommend this read, and I’ll be following for sure Sean Foy’s work !
It’s one of those stories where everything clicks in the final chapters, making you look back and realize how carefully every detail was placed. The character work is stunning : complex, raw, and disturbingly human. I finished it genuinely impressed by how everything tied together. A haunting, emotional read that lingers long after the last page.
Definitely recommend this read, and I’ll be following for sure Sean Foy’s work !
December 6, 2025
📚The Grotesque
✍🏻Sean Foy
Blurb:
STEP ON A CRACK, SEE YOUR MOTHER LYING DEAD ON THE FLOOR.
It was their house. He had no right. No right at all. But that man took what he wanted, just to cap off that sad little boy’s already unspeakable childhood. And for the next thirteen years, that pathetic useless child would cower and hide, hallucinate and obsess. Thirteen years. Until the past started circling back.
This Halloween, one way or another, things are going to change.
Because the focus of that boy’s obsession—that desperate, failing dancer—has an agenda of her to escape his watchful eye and rid herself of the volatile boyfriend who takes anything he wants. To live the dream she’s worked so hard to achieve.
For Katrina, Jared, and Michael, every dream for the future is forever chained to the traumas of their childhoods. But it all ends when they become integral parts of a deadly masquerade to absolve the guilt-ridden secrets of the past.
No more living in the shadows. It’s time to spotlight the ugly truth. In a world where the innocent are broken, beaten, and betrayed, everything is a dance. Everyone is the audience
My Thoughts
This is a dark, intense story, exploring themes of abuse and trauma. The characters draw you in and you feel a part of the story. It brings so many emotions and I just couldn't put it down. This is compelling and much more than a dark thriller. The author has captured the essence of obsession and everything from the writing style itself through to the characters and their perspectives adds up to something pretty incredible. I was completely hooked by the atmosphere and the author’s ability to craft such a complex story about family, trauma, hope, and love.
Thanks NetGalley, Trigon Press and Author Sean Foy for the advanced copy of "The Grotesque" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#TrigonPress
#SeanFoy
#TheGrotesque
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Sexual Abuse, emotional abues, substance abuse,
If you are suffering from Abuse call National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233 (SAFE), Local shelters or 911
✍🏻Sean Foy
Blurb:
STEP ON A CRACK, SEE YOUR MOTHER LYING DEAD ON THE FLOOR.
It was their house. He had no right. No right at all. But that man took what he wanted, just to cap off that sad little boy’s already unspeakable childhood. And for the next thirteen years, that pathetic useless child would cower and hide, hallucinate and obsess. Thirteen years. Until the past started circling back.
This Halloween, one way or another, things are going to change.
Because the focus of that boy’s obsession—that desperate, failing dancer—has an agenda of her to escape his watchful eye and rid herself of the volatile boyfriend who takes anything he wants. To live the dream she’s worked so hard to achieve.
For Katrina, Jared, and Michael, every dream for the future is forever chained to the traumas of their childhoods. But it all ends when they become integral parts of a deadly masquerade to absolve the guilt-ridden secrets of the past.
No more living in the shadows. It’s time to spotlight the ugly truth. In a world where the innocent are broken, beaten, and betrayed, everything is a dance. Everyone is the audience
My Thoughts
This is a dark, intense story, exploring themes of abuse and trauma. The characters draw you in and you feel a part of the story. It brings so many emotions and I just couldn't put it down. This is compelling and much more than a dark thriller. The author has captured the essence of obsession and everything from the writing style itself through to the characters and their perspectives adds up to something pretty incredible. I was completely hooked by the atmosphere and the author’s ability to craft such a complex story about family, trauma, hope, and love.
Thanks NetGalley, Trigon Press and Author Sean Foy for the advanced copy of "The Grotesque" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#TrigonPress
#SeanFoy
#TheGrotesque
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Sexual Abuse, emotional abues, substance abuse,
If you are suffering from Abuse call National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233 (SAFE), Local shelters or 911
September 29, 2025
The Grotesque is a dark novel that dives headfirst into trauma, obsession, and the blurred edges between reality and delusion. The story shifts perspectives between characters who are each broken in their own ways. Katrina, a dancer clawing through rejection and danger. Jared, a haunted figure battling inner demons and visions that blur into nightmares. And Michael, a man desperate to control his own narrative. Their paths intersect in a cityscape soaked with menace, hallucination, and fleeting moments of hope. What begins as a tense character study unravels into something stranger, almost dreamlike, where memory and horror bleed together and nothing feels entirely safe.
The writing has a raw, abrasive energy, like it’s trying to peel back a layer of skin. I couldn’t look away. Foy writes with an eye for the grotesque, both in the literal violence that shadows the characters and in the quiet cruelties they turn inward on themselves. Some scenes made me tense up, almost angry, but that anger was directed at the world he was showing me, not at the prose. The language is sharp, cynical, often bitterly funny, and it fits the mood. It’s not elegant in a polished sense, but it’s alive, and I felt its pulse.
There were moments I loved too. Small sparks of connection, odd flashes of warmth, even in the middle of so much darkness. Those moments felt like stolen breaths, like someone opening a window in a suffocating room. They didn’t last long, but they mattered.
Reading The Grotesque felt to me like stepping into the fractured, hallucinatory world of American Psycho, only with more aching humanity flickering beneath the horror. I’d recommend The Grotesque to readers who aren’t afraid of stories that claw under the skin. If you want tidy resolutions or comforting escapes, this isn’t your book. But if you’re drawn to characters who stumble through shadow and survive in fragments, and if you’re willing to sit with unease, you’ll find something here that lingers.
The writing has a raw, abrasive energy, like it’s trying to peel back a layer of skin. I couldn’t look away. Foy writes with an eye for the grotesque, both in the literal violence that shadows the characters and in the quiet cruelties they turn inward on themselves. Some scenes made me tense up, almost angry, but that anger was directed at the world he was showing me, not at the prose. The language is sharp, cynical, often bitterly funny, and it fits the mood. It’s not elegant in a polished sense, but it’s alive, and I felt its pulse.
There were moments I loved too. Small sparks of connection, odd flashes of warmth, even in the middle of so much darkness. Those moments felt like stolen breaths, like someone opening a window in a suffocating room. They didn’t last long, but they mattered.
Reading The Grotesque felt to me like stepping into the fractured, hallucinatory world of American Psycho, only with more aching humanity flickering beneath the horror. I’d recommend The Grotesque to readers who aren’t afraid of stories that claw under the skin. If you want tidy resolutions or comforting escapes, this isn’t your book. But if you’re drawn to characters who stumble through shadow and survive in fragments, and if you’re willing to sit with unease, you’ll find something here that lingers.
November 15, 2025
DNF
I gave this novel fifty pages. It depicts an ugly world, one in which I didn't want to spend more time.
Worse, after fifty pages, I didn't know what the central conflict was. I didn't know who the protagonist or antagonist were. As near as I could tell, there was no instigating event. This is Storytelling 101. If Sean Foy were an established author, one I trust to land the plane, I might stick around to see where this was going. But he's new. That trust isn't there.
I don't relish one-starring anyone's first novel. I don't share one-star reviews on my social media accounts. But there it is. 'The Grotesque' was not for me.
I gave this novel fifty pages. It depicts an ugly world, one in which I didn't want to spend more time.
Worse, after fifty pages, I didn't know what the central conflict was. I didn't know who the protagonist or antagonist were. As near as I could tell, there was no instigating event. This is Storytelling 101. If Sean Foy were an established author, one I trust to land the plane, I might stick around to see where this was going. But he's new. That trust isn't there.
I don't relish one-starring anyone's first novel. I don't share one-star reviews on my social media accounts. But there it is. 'The Grotesque' was not for me.
October 7, 2025
Super dark novel, first book from this author and let me tell you it did not disappoint, the name fits the book fantastically. Disturbing read at times but I absolutely loved that about it. I like books that are not afraid to step out of the comfort zones through their writing. I loved the different points of views throughout the story. Fast paced interesting read and I can't wait to find more books by this author
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews