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Only Child
The #1 internationally bestselling author of The Demonologist radically reimagines the origins of gothic literature’s founding masterpieces—Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula—in a contemporary novel driven by relentless suspense and surprising emotion. This is the story of a man who may be the world’s one real-life monster, and the only woman who has a chance of finding him.As a forensic psychiatrist at New York’s leading institution of its kind, Dr. Lily Dominick has evaluated the mental states of some of the country’s most dangerous psychotics. But the strangely compelling client she interviewed today—a man with no name, accused of the most twisted crime—struck her as somehow different from the others, despite the two impossible claims he made.First, that he is more than two hundred years old and personally inspired Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Bram Stoker in creating the three novels of the nineteenth century that define the monstrous in the modern imagination. Second, that he’s Lily’s father. To discover the truth—behind her client, her mother’s death, herself—Dr. Dominick must embark on a journey that will threaten her career, her sanity, and ultimately her life.Fusing the page-turning tension of a first-rate thriller with a provocative take on where thrillers come from, The Only Child will keep you up until its last unforgettable revelation.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2017
107 people are currently reading
3030 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Pyper
39 books1,118 followersAndrew Pyper was a Canadian author. He published over ten fictional books, including The Demonologist, which won the International Thriller Writers Award, and Lost Girls, which was a New York Times bestseller and Notable Book of the Year.
Pyper also published under the name of Mason Coile.
Pyper also published under the name of Mason Coile.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 386 reviews
August 22, 2018
Lily Dominick is a forensic psychiatrist that works with criminals in New York coming face to face with some of the most deranged individuals. So when someone is admitted into the institution she works at and claims things impossible things it shouldn't throw her the way it does. Some how though the stranger's claims seem to get to Lily and she soon finds herself entangled in something that makes her question the reality she has believed in.
I'm not sure what to say here honestly. I just did not enjoy this book at all. Lily was so irritating, and I can not believe someone with contempt for others would be allowed to work with those others as a psychiatrist. I know there are actual psychologist/psychiatrists like that too so it just really ticked me off. It wasn't the reason I rated the book two stars but yeah like what the fuck. I mean Lily is supposed to be this highly educated individual but the way she behaves and thinks through out is so infuriating.
The story line itself is slow moving and like others have said any dread or suspense in the plot felt forced. It also felt clumsy the way the author tried to bring together those three classic stories as being about this one being and the backstory that tied them all together wasn't convincing and didn't make me feel taken in. I just didn't enjoy this book at all and I'm still irritated about Lily as a character even days later, I just didn't find myself getting invested in the story at all.
I'm not sure what to say here honestly. I just did not enjoy this book at all. Lily was so irritating, and I can not believe someone with contempt for others would be allowed to work with those others as a psychiatrist. I know there are actual psychologist/psychiatrists like that too so it just really ticked me off. It wasn't the reason I rated the book two stars but yeah like what the fuck. I mean Lily is supposed to be this highly educated individual but the way she behaves and thinks through out is so infuriating.
The story line itself is slow moving and like others have said any dread or suspense in the plot felt forced. It also felt clumsy the way the author tried to bring together those three classic stories as being about this one being and the backstory that tied them all together wasn't convincing and didn't make me feel taken in. I just didn't enjoy this book at all and I'm still irritated about Lily as a character even days later, I just didn't find myself getting invested in the story at all.
October 3, 2023
The Only Child was an odd choice for me. I'll admit to scratching my head and wondering just why in the heck did I think I'd want to read this book? A monster based on Jeckel and Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein. 3 books I loathe. Still, I stuck with it, and it was slow reading at times. Very slow. Argh! The monster was horrific though, and that's what kept bringing me back. Michael's back story and the way it was interwoven with the 3 writers and his maker was the best part of the story. Once the book hit about 50%, I was all in. The ending was almost inevitable, and I'll admit that I saw it coming. It took nothing away from the story at all. Yep, I'd recommend this book and author. Thanks to Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley.
August 5, 2019
The Only Child started out as improbably as to mock the tradition of true Gothic fiction. The tension and “horror” seemed contrived from the very start, placed into our minds by the forced narration of the author, not by circumstance, not by the skilled hand that every reader searches for to guide them on their path.
This novel was a dabbling adaptation of so many classic stories of the Gothic tradition—Frankenstein, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula…my foot. To sample their tradition is one thing, to recreate it, another, more awe-inspiring thing. Yet this, The Only Child, was neither. It sampled their names, their ideas, but never breathed any life into them. In fact, it read as a lifeless shell of them, if that even, that writhed with too much telling me and not enough showing me. I felt nothing while reading this, not even when Pyper tried to tell me what to feel, and was bored from the start of the first chapter.
In short, The Only Child turned out to be a “fast-paced” adventure story with no soul, a play on the classic horror traditions we all love for their originality, though this novel displayed little originality of its own. I recommend it to no one, least of all lovers of classic horror or the Gothic tradition. In fact, the only surprise I found in these pages, before skipping to the end and finally putting it down, was that the renowned Simon and Schuster, whose lists I tend to love, would publish this thing in the first place. 1 star *
*I received an advance-read copy of this book from the publisher, Simon Schuster, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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This novel was a dabbling adaptation of so many classic stories of the Gothic tradition—Frankenstein, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula…my foot. To sample their tradition is one thing, to recreate it, another, more awe-inspiring thing. Yet this, The Only Child, was neither. It sampled their names, their ideas, but never breathed any life into them. In fact, it read as a lifeless shell of them, if that even, that writhed with too much telling me and not enough showing me. I felt nothing while reading this, not even when Pyper tried to tell me what to feel, and was bored from the start of the first chapter.
In short, The Only Child turned out to be a “fast-paced” adventure story with no soul, a play on the classic horror traditions we all love for their originality, though this novel displayed little originality of its own. I recommend it to no one, least of all lovers of classic horror or the Gothic tradition. In fact, the only surprise I found in these pages, before skipping to the end and finally putting it down, was that the renowned Simon and Schuster, whose lists I tend to love, would publish this thing in the first place. 1 star *
*I received an advance-read copy of this book from the publisher, Simon Schuster, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
FOLLOW ME HERE:
Art + Deco Agency Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Art + Deco Publishing Agency
January 1, 2018
This book ultimately led to my not reading one single book for several weeks the end of 2017. I read a series of mediocre books and thought this one would pull me out of my slump. Instead, it pushed me into the abyss. I chose it because I'm an only child - already you can see that was not a good reason - but the synopsis appeared to be sound. It's a "horror" novel but really should just read as graphically gory/grotesque.
However - the real problem that I had with this book and this author is the language that was used throughout. I will give you only one example. The main character is allegedly a psychiatrist. I say allegedly because this is the "only child" that will later... well, no spoilers. However, this person is supposed to be an expert in the field of heinous crimes. At one point they are describing their "clients" - a word they hate to use - as crazy. They prefer to use the term crazy or insane. In the past the word insane was used but now, according to this writer and their character, everyone is just "bi-polar" and it's all swept into one category. Everyone today is "just bipolar." THIS could not be further from the truth. For an author, even one of fiction, to perpetuate this type of lie for the masses to read is egregious. It made me physically ill. These types of "throwaway" lines were littered throughout the book until I got to the point that I stopped reading. I would have marked it DNF except then I would not be able to refer it properly and I wanted to do just that.
This year, 2018, I will be more discerning about the books that I read. Authors are getting away with too much - bad editing, poor grammar, typos, and untruths - and they are doing so because we are allowing them to do so. We love getting books for free from various sources and we fear saying anything because we don't want to upset the gravy train. Enough is enough. It is not acceptable to read bad fiction - entertaining yes - bad, poorly written fiction - NO. And yes, this is just my opinion but that is exactly what a review is - the reviewer's opinion. This is mine. There will be more.
However - the real problem that I had with this book and this author is the language that was used throughout. I will give you only one example. The main character is allegedly a psychiatrist. I say allegedly because this is the "only child" that will later... well, no spoilers. However, this person is supposed to be an expert in the field of heinous crimes. At one point they are describing their "clients" - a word they hate to use - as crazy. They prefer to use the term crazy or insane. In the past the word insane was used but now, according to this writer and their character, everyone is just "bi-polar" and it's all swept into one category. Everyone today is "just bipolar." THIS could not be further from the truth. For an author, even one of fiction, to perpetuate this type of lie for the masses to read is egregious. It made me physically ill. These types of "throwaway" lines were littered throughout the book until I got to the point that I stopped reading. I would have marked it DNF except then I would not be able to refer it properly and I wanted to do just that.
This year, 2018, I will be more discerning about the books that I read. Authors are getting away with too much - bad editing, poor grammar, typos, and untruths - and they are doing so because we are allowing them to do so. We love getting books for free from various sources and we fear saying anything because we don't want to upset the gravy train. Enough is enough. It is not acceptable to read bad fiction - entertaining yes - bad, poorly written fiction - NO. And yes, this is just my opinion but that is exactly what a review is - the reviewer's opinion. This is mine. There will be more.
November 24, 2021
3.5 stars
The killer in this book - who calls himself Michael - claims to be the REAL creature that inspired three of the best known literary monsters in history: Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'; Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Mr. Hyde'; and Bram Stoker's 'Dracula.'
We meet Michael at New York's 'Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center', where he's being held for evaluation after ripping the ears off a pedestrian.
Dr. Lily Dominick is assigned to Michael's case, and - though she's used to dealing with the criminally insane - Lily is especially creeped out by Michael.
The psychiatrist is even more disturbed when Michael makes a series of bizarre claims. He says that he's not human; he's over 200 years old; he knew Lily's mother, Alison.....and he's Lily's father. Moreover, Michael claims he knows the details of Alison's gory death, which occurred when Lily was just six-years-old.
When Lily thinks about her childhood, she recalls living in an isolated Alaskan cabin with her mother - who made bad-tasting soup from the local flora; sang made-up songs; and taught Lily to shoot guns and protect herself.
The psychiatrist also has nightmarish memories of her mother being torn apart by a vicious creature - which the police said was a bear.
In Lily's mind, however, her mother was killed by a monster, after which little Lily was carried off by a white horse before being found on the road by a trucker.
Lily thinks Michael is a deluded psychotic who Googled her, found out a few things, and wants to inveigle himself into her life. Lily's opinion is reinforced when Michael breaks out of the psychiatric facility, kills someone with Lily's kitchen knife, and threatens to frame her for the crime.
To get 'unframed' Lily has to follow Michael on a wild journey that begins in an abandoned, gothic
mansion in Hungary.
Michael sends Lily on a journey across Europe - to see specific people and places - so she'll learn the 'real truth' about him. To this end, Michael shows up periodically - and leaves Lily pages from his old journals. In these diary entries, Michael claims he was created from a re-animated corpse; sucks human blood for sustenance; and was acquainted with - and inspired - the aforementioned horror writers.
Michael also leaves a string of dead bodies in his wake, including a man Lily picked up in a hotel bar. Michael's violence and bloodsucking - aided by 'pop-on' steel teeth and steel claws - is described in graphic detail.
Meanwhile, Lily is being followed by a killer in a black cloak and other members of a secret cabal.
She's also getting phone calls from an unknown man who supposedly wants to help her. So, as Lily hurries from one country to another, a trail of stalkers follow in her wake.
Eventually, things play out in a very dramatic fashion, and Lily learns the truth about her mother and her childhood.
It bothers me that Lily trots off to Europe alone, without telling a living soul, and blithely strolls into dangerous situations all by herself.
This kind of behavior is a cliché in B horror films, and doesn't ring true in the movies....or in this book. Lily is also oddly physically/sexually attracted to Michael, which is beyond revolting - but barely acceptable in a horror story (I guess. LOL)
Chillers aren't my usual genre, but I enjoyed the book, which is a well-written page turner with unexpected turns.
I'd recommend the book to readers who enjoy horror-mystery stories.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
January 1, 2018
I knew before asking for this book that Mr. Pyper had a gothic taste and could deliver a darkly atmospheric thriller layered with visual scenes. “The Only Child”, is a mesmerizing journey and a brilliantly crafted intrigue into the heart of a monster and the only woman who had a chance of discovering the truth.
This concocted tale fueled by relentless suspense and emotion is definitely a page turner from its first pages. Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula all in one book is boldly original and a clever acknowledgment to the Gothic style. I was swept from its first pages and was captivated till the very last unforgettable end. This psychological/horror thriller is populated with a creepy supernatural being and a strong female protagonist. This story is spooky and weird surely not for everyone to enjoy.
The main players:
Dr. Lily Dominick, is a forensic psychiatrist at New York's leading institution.
Client 46874-A, a man with no name, is accused of the most twisted crime and is Lily’s study
The plot:
Lily needs to discover the truth—behind her client, her mother’s death, herself—and must embark on a journey t that will threaten her career, her sanity, and ultimately her life.
Conclusion:
Great story and an excellent read if you are into this.
Review copy received via Edelweiss
This concocted tale fueled by relentless suspense and emotion is definitely a page turner from its first pages. Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula all in one book is boldly original and a clever acknowledgment to the Gothic style. I was swept from its first pages and was captivated till the very last unforgettable end. This psychological/horror thriller is populated with a creepy supernatural being and a strong female protagonist. This story is spooky and weird surely not for everyone to enjoy.
The main players:
Dr. Lily Dominick, is a forensic psychiatrist at New York's leading institution.
Client 46874-A, a man with no name, is accused of the most twisted crime and is Lily’s study
The plot:
Lily needs to discover the truth—behind her client, her mother’s death, herself—and must embark on a journey t that will threaten her career, her sanity, and ultimately her life.
Conclusion:
Great story and an excellent read if you are into this.
Review copy received via Edelweiss
March 12, 2017
Thank you to the author, who provided my school with an advanced signed copy, which allowed me to get my greedy hands on it.
Andrew Pyper’s newest release, “The Only Child” is about fathers and daughters, demonic secrets, and characters from the folklore we know so well.
Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychologist, working with the deeply disturbed in New York City. When she is introduced to the nameless, unidentified “Client 46874-A”, who claims to be immortal and demonic in nature, she believes him to be just another “psycho” until he reveals his biggest secret- he knew her mother. Lily has a lot of questions about the way her mother was killed and why, and this client seems to have the answers. But does he really know what happened to her mother? Why has he really come to see her? Who is he, really?
The client in this novel, eventually given the name Michael, claims himself to be “part Dr. Jekyll, part Frankenstein and part Dracula”, an immortal creature with many demonic powers, who in fact was single-handedly the influence behind the famous novels. Lily follows Michael throughout Eastern Europe and even Northern Canada, looking for secrets about her mother’s life and, eventually, running for her life.
Pyper certainly tells quite the story with this one, combining facets of three of the greatest horror stories around to create his main character. Michael’s character provides more questions than answers- is he telling the truth or is he just genuinely insane? Is he really who he says he is in regards to Lily and her mother? And then of course, when we meet some of the other characters (i.e. Will- who claims to be “on the side of good” and offers to help Lily), we again have more questions- “is he actually on the side of good?” “Who does he work for?” “Why does he want to help Lily?” Eventually, all these questions are finally answered, but the constant questioning throughout the novel is distracting.
Although there are creepy moments, this novel is not as scary as his previous works. I found it more psychologically thrilling than downright creepy. I did enjoy the character of Lily, and we were so similar that it definitely allowed me to develop a bond with her and root for her. I always enjoy Pyper’s settings and backdrops, and Lily’s travels through Eastern Europe and Canada were no different. Each novel always takes the reader on a bit of a journey- which is really the best we can hope for in a good book. Pyper ties in the works of Stevenson, Shelley and Stoker, which will speak to the hard-core literary nuts (like myself), and this adds a bit of depth to the character of Michael as well.
Overall, the characters were well thought out, genuine and sort-of creepy (at least in Michael’s case). Pyper’s plot lines inundate a reader with questions; this makes the reader continue through the novel, in hopes that the questions will be answered (they are). I would’ve loved more of an original, creepy demon character as opposed to Michael (who seemed to be all the scary bits of other author’s characters) but his connection with Lily was surprising and intriguing. This novel was a good read and it definitely has a chilling vibe to it, but I think it would appeal to readers that are new to Pyper. Anyone familiar with “The Demonologist” or “The Damned” will be a little disappointed in this one.
(3.5 rating, rounded up to 4 for GR).
Andrew Pyper’s newest release, “The Only Child” is about fathers and daughters, demonic secrets, and characters from the folklore we know so well.
Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychologist, working with the deeply disturbed in New York City. When she is introduced to the nameless, unidentified “Client 46874-A”, who claims to be immortal and demonic in nature, she believes him to be just another “psycho” until he reveals his biggest secret- he knew her mother. Lily has a lot of questions about the way her mother was killed and why, and this client seems to have the answers. But does he really know what happened to her mother? Why has he really come to see her? Who is he, really?
The client in this novel, eventually given the name Michael, claims himself to be “part Dr. Jekyll, part Frankenstein and part Dracula”, an immortal creature with many demonic powers, who in fact was single-handedly the influence behind the famous novels. Lily follows Michael throughout Eastern Europe and even Northern Canada, looking for secrets about her mother’s life and, eventually, running for her life.
Pyper certainly tells quite the story with this one, combining facets of three of the greatest horror stories around to create his main character. Michael’s character provides more questions than answers- is he telling the truth or is he just genuinely insane? Is he really who he says he is in regards to Lily and her mother? And then of course, when we meet some of the other characters (i.e. Will- who claims to be “on the side of good” and offers to help Lily), we again have more questions- “is he actually on the side of good?” “Who does he work for?” “Why does he want to help Lily?” Eventually, all these questions are finally answered, but the constant questioning throughout the novel is distracting.
Although there are creepy moments, this novel is not as scary as his previous works. I found it more psychologically thrilling than downright creepy. I did enjoy the character of Lily, and we were so similar that it definitely allowed me to develop a bond with her and root for her. I always enjoy Pyper’s settings and backdrops, and Lily’s travels through Eastern Europe and Canada were no different. Each novel always takes the reader on a bit of a journey- which is really the best we can hope for in a good book. Pyper ties in the works of Stevenson, Shelley and Stoker, which will speak to the hard-core literary nuts (like myself), and this adds a bit of depth to the character of Michael as well.
Overall, the characters were well thought out, genuine and sort-of creepy (at least in Michael’s case). Pyper’s plot lines inundate a reader with questions; this makes the reader continue through the novel, in hopes that the questions will be answered (they are). I would’ve loved more of an original, creepy demon character as opposed to Michael (who seemed to be all the scary bits of other author’s characters) but his connection with Lily was surprising and intriguing. This novel was a good read and it definitely has a chilling vibe to it, but I think it would appeal to readers that are new to Pyper. Anyone familiar with “The Demonologist” or “The Damned” will be a little disappointed in this one.
(3.5 rating, rounded up to 4 for GR).
April 15, 2017
3.5 stars
Ack!! The hardest review to write? One for a book that is well written but just not a genre you particularly enjoy reading. It’s simply a case of a slight mismatch between book & reader, for which I take full responsibility. So here’s the deal. I’ll tell you what I did like & why I think those with a taste for tales of horror with fantastical beasts should snap this up.
The MC is 36 year old Dr. Lily Dominick. Lily is a psychiatrist who works with the scariest, most diseased minds incarcerated at the maximum security Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Centre in NYC. She’s a private, insular woman whose experiences as a child pretty much sealed her fate in terms of career choice.
When Lily was 6, she & her mother were living in a remote cabin outside of Fairbanks when the unthinkable happened. It began with a knock at the door. Her memories of that night are hazy at best but what she does remember is the shadow of a large creature standing over her mother’s broken body. The resulting investigation ruled it a bear attack but Lily would beg to differ. Something carried her out to the nearest road where she was found. And even the most well mannered bear doesn’t usually knock before entering.
Lily has a gift for connecting with the “monsters’ in her care & she’ll need all her skills for the latest arrival. He’s a man with no name who claims to be over 200 years old. He seems to know all about her, something he explains with another bombshell. He’s her father.
Over the next 24 hours Lily witnesses events that cause her carefully constructed world to crash & burn. She doesn’t know it yet but it’s the end of normal & she soon sets off on a personal journey that takes her across Europe & back again.
In alternate chapters, we get her father’s story from his journal. He calls himself Michael & tells how he was created in 1811. He’s led a violent & fascinating life, showing his true self to a select few along the way. In an interesting twist he describes how meeting Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker & Robert Louis Stevenson resulted in disappointing versions of himself.
There are other threads to the plot including a shadowy group hunting Michael, a possible love interest for Lily & her gradual recovery of memories surrounding her mother’s death.
The first 25% of the book was a bit slow. We spend a lot of time in Lily’s head & are privy to her every thought, comment, action & memory. She comes across as oddly flat & although the reason for this is explained later, it makes it difficult to connect with her initially. I much preferred the historical chapters detailing Michael’s life. They’re richly atmospheric & really put flesh on the bones of this original character. For me the book got better as it progressed although the love interest angle seemed unnecessary as the whole story revolves around the relationship between Michael & Lily. But either way, it probably won’t prepare you for the ending. It’s a humdinger that leaves the door open for a possible sequel.
So just to be clear…..the rating reflects my enjoyment factor, not the author’s skills as a story teller. If you’re someone who enjoys horror with a twist of fantasy, I urge you to pick up this original tale derived from 3 classics of the genre.
Ack!! The hardest review to write? One for a book that is well written but just not a genre you particularly enjoy reading. It’s simply a case of a slight mismatch between book & reader, for which I take full responsibility. So here’s the deal. I’ll tell you what I did like & why I think those with a taste for tales of horror with fantastical beasts should snap this up.
The MC is 36 year old Dr. Lily Dominick. Lily is a psychiatrist who works with the scariest, most diseased minds incarcerated at the maximum security Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Centre in NYC. She’s a private, insular woman whose experiences as a child pretty much sealed her fate in terms of career choice.
When Lily was 6, she & her mother were living in a remote cabin outside of Fairbanks when the unthinkable happened. It began with a knock at the door. Her memories of that night are hazy at best but what she does remember is the shadow of a large creature standing over her mother’s broken body. The resulting investigation ruled it a bear attack but Lily would beg to differ. Something carried her out to the nearest road where she was found. And even the most well mannered bear doesn’t usually knock before entering.
Lily has a gift for connecting with the “monsters’ in her care & she’ll need all her skills for the latest arrival. He’s a man with no name who claims to be over 200 years old. He seems to know all about her, something he explains with another bombshell. He’s her father.
Over the next 24 hours Lily witnesses events that cause her carefully constructed world to crash & burn. She doesn’t know it yet but it’s the end of normal & she soon sets off on a personal journey that takes her across Europe & back again.
In alternate chapters, we get her father’s story from his journal. He calls himself Michael & tells how he was created in 1811. He’s led a violent & fascinating life, showing his true self to a select few along the way. In an interesting twist he describes how meeting Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker & Robert Louis Stevenson resulted in disappointing versions of himself.
There are other threads to the plot including a shadowy group hunting Michael, a possible love interest for Lily & her gradual recovery of memories surrounding her mother’s death.
The first 25% of the book was a bit slow. We spend a lot of time in Lily’s head & are privy to her every thought, comment, action & memory. She comes across as oddly flat & although the reason for this is explained later, it makes it difficult to connect with her initially. I much preferred the historical chapters detailing Michael’s life. They’re richly atmospheric & really put flesh on the bones of this original character. For me the book got better as it progressed although the love interest angle seemed unnecessary as the whole story revolves around the relationship between Michael & Lily. But either way, it probably won’t prepare you for the ending. It’s a humdinger that leaves the door open for a possible sequel.
So just to be clear…..the rating reflects my enjoyment factor, not the author’s skills as a story teller. If you’re someone who enjoys horror with a twist of fantasy, I urge you to pick up this original tale derived from 3 classics of the genre.
August 24, 2017
This novel had me hooked from the start and could and in my opinion should,be come one of the great gothic novels of our generation,an amazing read highly recommended this,would of give ten stars if I could.
May 24, 2017
I loved the thought of a man who inspired Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Bram Stoker to write their famous books about Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula. That's really the very thing that made me want to read the book. It sounded so mysterious and fascinating and I love books that incorporate real authors into the story.
The Only Child is an interesting story about a woman that finds herself targeted by a man who says he is 200-years old and that he is her father. She doubts his story, but then something happens that makes her take off to Europe to find out the truth. Could this man really be who he says he is?
I found the book, at the beginning very interesting and the clues he left for Lily throughout Europe, pieces of his history, about his beginning and how he met the famous authors was interesting reading about. However, the later part of the story, with Lily finding out that that there are people out there who wants to capture the man just didn't work for me that much. I felt that storyline was not especially surprising and frankly it was a bit boring instead of thrilling to read about how they tried to catch him. I did like the ending, but at the same time was it not an especially shocking surprise that it would end the way it did. However, at least made the book end on a high note.
The Only Child is a good book, but the story was best the first half when Lily was learning more about the man who said to be her father, then when the table turned and suddenly the great organizations or whatever was after him just didn't work for me, but at least the ending was good.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
The Only Child is an interesting story about a woman that finds herself targeted by a man who says he is 200-years old and that he is her father. She doubts his story, but then something happens that makes her take off to Europe to find out the truth. Could this man really be who he says he is?
I found the book, at the beginning very interesting and the clues he left for Lily throughout Europe, pieces of his history, about his beginning and how he met the famous authors was interesting reading about. However, the later part of the story, with Lily finding out that that there are people out there who wants to capture the man just didn't work for me that much. I felt that storyline was not especially surprising and frankly it was a bit boring instead of thrilling to read about how they tried to catch him. I did like the ending, but at the same time was it not an especially shocking surprise that it would end the way it did. However, at least made the book end on a high note.
The Only Child is a good book, but the story was best the first half when Lily was learning more about the man who said to be her father, then when the table turned and suddenly the great organizations or whatever was after him just didn't work for me, but at least the ending was good.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
March 27, 2018
Dr. Lily Dominick, a forensic psychiatrist in New York, winds up interviewing a patient who claims to be her father Michael. Michael has been arrested as a dangerous psychotic but he believes that he is over 200 years old and inspired Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson and Bram Stoker in their creation of monsters. This premise sounded interesting, but I very quickly started skimming this book because I didn't like Lily. As I progressed, I found a lot of other things that I didn't like about this book.
Michael's backstory was kind of interesting but it was inadequately explained and left me with more questions than it answered. As he lured Lily from place to place in an attempt to verify his story, I kept wondering why all of that was necessary. There had to be a more direct way of conveying his story. I might have liked the book more without Lily. There are some mystery men skulking about chasing Lily and/or Michael, for reasons that change from chapter to chapter. There is also no consistency to Michael's motives.
I had a major problem with Lily's sexual attraction to Michael, but then Lily lusts after pretty much everyone. If you enjoy reading the following sentences you might like this book more than I did: "She wants to touch this man not to make her fear go away but to enflame it, focus it, invest it with an even more desperate urgency. There are things she wants to do to him. And the notion of doing them now, precisely when she shouldn't want to do them, only sharpens her yearning." Personally, this made me feel a little ill. I could go on, but the bottom line is that I didn't care for this book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Michael's backstory was kind of interesting but it was inadequately explained and left me with more questions than it answered. As he lured Lily from place to place in an attempt to verify his story, I kept wondering why all of that was necessary. There had to be a more direct way of conveying his story. I might have liked the book more without Lily. There are some mystery men skulking about chasing Lily and/or Michael, for reasons that change from chapter to chapter. There is also no consistency to Michael's motives.
I had a major problem with Lily's sexual attraction to Michael, but then Lily lusts after pretty much everyone. If you enjoy reading the following sentences you might like this book more than I did: "She wants to touch this man not to make her fear go away but to enflame it, focus it, invest it with an even more desperate urgency. There are things she wants to do to him. And the notion of doing them now, precisely when she shouldn't want to do them, only sharpens her yearning." Personally, this made me feel a little ill. I could go on, but the bottom line is that I didn't care for this book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
October 17, 2017
I read this to fill the “Genre: Horror” square on my 2017 Halloween Bingo card.
I really quite enjoyed this offering from Andrew Pyper and no one was more surprised than me when I was able to read it without my usual fearful quivering. (His book The Damned scared the crap out of me!)
There was definitely a sense of creeping dread throughout the first half of the book, as the reader is piecing together the details. Lily, our protagonist, at first seems to keep her wits about her. I understand her desire to know who her patient is and what relation he has to her life, but by the second half, I couldn’t completely understand her actions. But, as I have written before, I am a chicken who would have been in hiding (and would never have had a job like Lily’s interviewing the worst of the worst psychotic criminals).
What I did love were his sidelines into Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and Dracula. I’ve read all three of these classics and I thought Pyper used their details well in this novel.
The ending, I suppose, was inevitable. It did leave me wondering if Pyper was leaving himself some room to write a sequel somewhere down the road.
I really quite enjoyed this offering from Andrew Pyper and no one was more surprised than me when I was able to read it without my usual fearful quivering. (His book The Damned scared the crap out of me!)
There was definitely a sense of creeping dread throughout the first half of the book, as the reader is piecing together the details. Lily, our protagonist, at first seems to keep her wits about her. I understand her desire to know who her patient is and what relation he has to her life, but by the second half, I couldn’t completely understand her actions. But, as I have written before, I am a chicken who would have been in hiding (and would never have had a job like Lily’s interviewing the worst of the worst psychotic criminals).
What I did love were his sidelines into Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and Dracula. I’ve read all three of these classics and I thought Pyper used their details well in this novel.
The ending, I suppose, was inevitable. It did leave me wondering if Pyper was leaving himself some room to write a sequel somewhere down the road.
March 19, 2017
As soon as I read the blurb for this book, it moved to the top of my wish list and I was thrilled to get an ARC to read. I read it immediately, dismissing dozens of others in my TBR pile. Was it worth the rush? In a word: yes. Move it to the top of your 2017 "must read" pile right now.
I love gothic horror, so the promise of this blurb: a retelling of the origin of Dracula, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Frankenstein sounded intriguing. Add on the promise of a more literary approach and I'm there.
This book is essentially a literary horror story, similar in vibe to Let the Right One In or Interview with a Vampire--it attempts to retell old myths in a modern and realistic setting while retaining a bit of the magic and all of the dread.
The main character, Lily, is a doctor at a psychiatric hospital. She's young but buttoned-up, work-focused, and feels alienated from other people. She has a horrific event in her past that has led to both her damaged psyche and her clinical interest in psychopaths--her mother was brutally murdered when Lily was young, and Lily witnessed it but managed to escape on a "magic horse". Of course, the horse was her imagination. An allegory. A mind protecting itself from true horror (or so she believes).
One day, Lily is assigned a new case, a man who ripped off a stranger's ears in front of the police. This man, Michael, tells Lily he was arrested purposefully in order to be sent to her. He says he's her father and shortly thereafter he escapes the asylum. Of course, Lily doesn't believe him, but the man seems to know something about her mother and her past, and Lily is so hungry for these missing pieces of her history that she allows herself to be lured into a cat-and-mouse game, following Michael across Europe.
Michael claims to have inspired the three great gothic masterpieces, Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He leads Lily around Europe, visiting the places where these stories were born. For example, the banks of Lake Geneva, where Michael met Mary Shelley and told her his story, or Edinburgh, where Michael sought out journalist Robert Louis Stevenson in order to get him to write a more factual retelling (which didn't, in fact, end up as factual as Michael wanted).
Along the way, Michael also shares details of his own true past and of Lily's and her mother's. Lily waffles between telling herself she's a psychoanalyst exploring a fascinating case and believing Michael really is more superhuman than delusional.
Revisiting the original gothic tales and their writers "real lives" was like catnip to me. But besides these rather fangirl pleasures, the book maintains a strong thread of the main story line. I bought in right away to the idea that Michael was superhuman, so the tension wasn't so much "is he or isn't he", but rather, it was in watching Lily;s logical side unravel and figure out the truth. It was clear there was some secret buried in her past that was coming, and I wanted to keep reading to figure out what that was.
Also, the main father-daughter relationship was interesting. We come to believe Lily really is the daughter of this creature, his only offspring. (How, you ask? Not to give too much away, but Michael's creation was Frankenstein-esque and Lily's conception unique and never to be repeated). So I was interested to learn how Lily's non-human side would pan out and how the author would resolve the father-daughter dynamic. We have father: a monster who has killed hundreds of people and is yet compelling and attractive, and daughter: a woman who has held down her true nature and has all the constraints of polite society, law and ethics ingrained. Would they walk off into the sunset together, two happy monsters? Would she reform him? Would he corrupt her? Would they kill each other?
As with Frankenstein, I ended up feeling sorry for the monster and wishing for a happy ending for him despite all the horrible things he'd done. Well done, Mr. Pyper.
There is creepiness and gothic murder aplenty along the way. The horror in this book is quieter than your typical slasher, but it is very reminiscent of the classics that Michael claims to have inspired, an echoing I adored. There is constant danger to Lily, from both her father (who can turn from loving to murderous in a heartbeat, like Jekyll/Hyde), the people who trail them, and even from Lily herself who may not be able to handle the truth. And there are some wonderful horror set piece scenes that really sink their teeth into you. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this as a film.
The writing is simply amazing with gorgeous descriptions and sharp dialog. It's very smart and poetic without becoming self-important purple prose.
There was fear in her only a moment ago, but something more powerful has entered her, something enveloping, supple, elemental. Hidden in a London hotel room watching her parents on a recording of her first moments of life. A family divided by time, by death, now singing the same song.
Finally, the ending of the book worked for me on every level.
This is destined to become a horror classic, but don't postpone the pleasure of reading it. I believe I'll read it again myself and take it slower to savor it this time.
I love gothic horror, so the promise of this blurb: a retelling of the origin of Dracula, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Frankenstein sounded intriguing. Add on the promise of a more literary approach and I'm there.
This book is essentially a literary horror story, similar in vibe to Let the Right One In or Interview with a Vampire--it attempts to retell old myths in a modern and realistic setting while retaining a bit of the magic and all of the dread.
The main character, Lily, is a doctor at a psychiatric hospital. She's young but buttoned-up, work-focused, and feels alienated from other people. She has a horrific event in her past that has led to both her damaged psyche and her clinical interest in psychopaths--her mother was brutally murdered when Lily was young, and Lily witnessed it but managed to escape on a "magic horse". Of course, the horse was her imagination. An allegory. A mind protecting itself from true horror (or so she believes).
One day, Lily is assigned a new case, a man who ripped off a stranger's ears in front of the police. This man, Michael, tells Lily he was arrested purposefully in order to be sent to her. He says he's her father and shortly thereafter he escapes the asylum. Of course, Lily doesn't believe him, but the man seems to know something about her mother and her past, and Lily is so hungry for these missing pieces of her history that she allows herself to be lured into a cat-and-mouse game, following Michael across Europe.
Michael claims to have inspired the three great gothic masterpieces, Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He leads Lily around Europe, visiting the places where these stories were born. For example, the banks of Lake Geneva, where Michael met Mary Shelley and told her his story, or Edinburgh, where Michael sought out journalist Robert Louis Stevenson in order to get him to write a more factual retelling (which didn't, in fact, end up as factual as Michael wanted).
Along the way, Michael also shares details of his own true past and of Lily's and her mother's. Lily waffles between telling herself she's a psychoanalyst exploring a fascinating case and believing Michael really is more superhuman than delusional.
Revisiting the original gothic tales and their writers "real lives" was like catnip to me. But besides these rather fangirl pleasures, the book maintains a strong thread of the main story line. I bought in right away to the idea that Michael was superhuman, so the tension wasn't so much "is he or isn't he", but rather, it was in watching Lily;s logical side unravel and figure out the truth. It was clear there was some secret buried in her past that was coming, and I wanted to keep reading to figure out what that was.
Also, the main father-daughter relationship was interesting. We come to believe Lily really is the daughter of this creature, his only offspring. (How, you ask? Not to give too much away, but Michael's creation was Frankenstein-esque and Lily's conception unique and never to be repeated). So I was interested to learn how Lily's non-human side would pan out and how the author would resolve the father-daughter dynamic. We have father: a monster who has killed hundreds of people and is yet compelling and attractive, and daughter: a woman who has held down her true nature and has all the constraints of polite society, law and ethics ingrained. Would they walk off into the sunset together, two happy monsters? Would she reform him? Would he corrupt her? Would they kill each other?
As with Frankenstein, I ended up feeling sorry for the monster and wishing for a happy ending for him despite all the horrible things he'd done. Well done, Mr. Pyper.
There is creepiness and gothic murder aplenty along the way. The horror in this book is quieter than your typical slasher, but it is very reminiscent of the classics that Michael claims to have inspired, an echoing I adored. There is constant danger to Lily, from both her father (who can turn from loving to murderous in a heartbeat, like Jekyll/Hyde), the people who trail them, and even from Lily herself who may not be able to handle the truth. And there are some wonderful horror set piece scenes that really sink their teeth into you. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this as a film.
The writing is simply amazing with gorgeous descriptions and sharp dialog. It's very smart and poetic without becoming self-important purple prose.
There was fear in her only a moment ago, but something more powerful has entered her, something enveloping, supple, elemental. Hidden in a London hotel room watching her parents on a recording of her first moments of life. A family divided by time, by death, now singing the same song.
Finally, the ending of the book worked for me on every level.
This is destined to become a horror classic, but don't postpone the pleasure of reading it. I believe I'll read it again myself and take it slower to savor it this time.
January 12, 2024
**Re-read for a group read along and once again, I just adore this novel. Truly one of Andrew's more ambitious projects, but he nails each aspect with glee.**
“She was awakened by the monster knocking at the door.”
With that opening line burrowing in your head, The Only Child kicks off. What a ride.
If you follow me on Twitter, you have undoubtedly come across any number of my tweets stating how Andrew Pyper is my favourite author. I have shared this tale before, but I stumbled across Mr. Pyper’s work in Walmart of all places. Whenever I go to Walmart, I always check the paperback section. They have a ‘2 books for $15’ section and very frequently I will discover a random book I would have never found before. This was how I found his 2013 novel, The Demonologist. (Fun fact, the other book I snagged for the deal was The Troop by Nick Cutter, and if that isn’t the single greatest book buying purchase of two Canadian Horror giants at one time, then I’m at a loss!)
Leading up to reading The Only Child, I randomly read Vlad the Impaler and The Resurrectionist. In hindsight, I truly couldn’t recommend two books better to read beforehand than those.
The Only Child reads like a horror book, wrapped in a dark psychological drama, wrapped in an ongoing Where in the World is Carmen Santiago?- action adventure. I read this in three sittings (only because I had to travel for work so saved it for the plane) and the number of phenomenal cliff-hangers in this book is amazing. You will be flipping the pages frantically, being pulled ever further into this amazing alternative history tale.
The story follows the main character Lily, haunted by the visions she sees of her mother’s death all those years ago in their tiny cabin in Alaska. Now working as a psychiatrist at a criminal centre in New York, she is assigned a curious admission. A man who tells her he is the true-life inspiration behind Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This patient tells Lily that he is over 200 hundred years old. Then the cat and mouse game begins.
One of the numerous gifts the author has is the ability to transport you to an exact location and allow you to feel the street under your feet, the buzz of surrounding traffic and people, and the smallest details that let your fingertips to actually feel the environment. His ability to use minimal words to convey maximal emotion will make you gasp time and time again.
Until reading this book, my favourite book of all-time was easily his 2006 release The Wildfire Season. Until reading this book, it was. The Only Child transfixed me from sentence one and never let go. I found myself pausing at points and using google street view, only to find the exact description I had read was so accurate I would be smiling.
The entire book is a sprint, a trip around the world that ends with a dramatic and action-packed finale. Sometimes you can go home again, and in this case Andrew Pyper shows why you must and what secrets still lay buried.
I couldn’t recommend this book more. 5 star ratings are sometimes inadequate and in this case it falls far short of what I want to rate it.
If you haven’t read any of Andrew Pyper’s work, please, please fix that ASAP, and this would be a fantastic place to start.
“She was awakened by the monster knocking at the door.”
With that opening line burrowing in your head, The Only Child kicks off. What a ride.
If you follow me on Twitter, you have undoubtedly come across any number of my tweets stating how Andrew Pyper is my favourite author. I have shared this tale before, but I stumbled across Mr. Pyper’s work in Walmart of all places. Whenever I go to Walmart, I always check the paperback section. They have a ‘2 books for $15’ section and very frequently I will discover a random book I would have never found before. This was how I found his 2013 novel, The Demonologist. (Fun fact, the other book I snagged for the deal was The Troop by Nick Cutter, and if that isn’t the single greatest book buying purchase of two Canadian Horror giants at one time, then I’m at a loss!)
Leading up to reading The Only Child, I randomly read Vlad the Impaler and The Resurrectionist. In hindsight, I truly couldn’t recommend two books better to read beforehand than those.
The Only Child reads like a horror book, wrapped in a dark psychological drama, wrapped in an ongoing Where in the World is Carmen Santiago?- action adventure. I read this in three sittings (only because I had to travel for work so saved it for the plane) and the number of phenomenal cliff-hangers in this book is amazing. You will be flipping the pages frantically, being pulled ever further into this amazing alternative history tale.
The story follows the main character Lily, haunted by the visions she sees of her mother’s death all those years ago in their tiny cabin in Alaska. Now working as a psychiatrist at a criminal centre in New York, she is assigned a curious admission. A man who tells her he is the true-life inspiration behind Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This patient tells Lily that he is over 200 hundred years old. Then the cat and mouse game begins.
One of the numerous gifts the author has is the ability to transport you to an exact location and allow you to feel the street under your feet, the buzz of surrounding traffic and people, and the smallest details that let your fingertips to actually feel the environment. His ability to use minimal words to convey maximal emotion will make you gasp time and time again.
Until reading this book, my favourite book of all-time was easily his 2006 release The Wildfire Season. Until reading this book, it was. The Only Child transfixed me from sentence one and never let go. I found myself pausing at points and using google street view, only to find the exact description I had read was so accurate I would be smiling.
The entire book is a sprint, a trip around the world that ends with a dramatic and action-packed finale. Sometimes you can go home again, and in this case Andrew Pyper shows why you must and what secrets still lay buried.
I couldn’t recommend this book more. 5 star ratings are sometimes inadequate and in this case it falls far short of what I want to rate it.
If you haven’t read any of Andrew Pyper’s work, please, please fix that ASAP, and this would be a fantastic place to start.
June 23, 2017
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/06/23/...
Last year I had the distinct pleasure of reading The Damned, a chilling psychological horror that immediately landed Andrew Pyper on my must-read authors list. It was thus with great excitement that I approached his newest novel The Only Child, which sounded like it would be a very different experience—which just made me even more curious.
When the story opens, we get to meet protagonist Dr. Lily Dominick, a doctor at the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center whose job involves working with some of the country’s most dangerous and disturbed criminals. Lily, however, is battling a darkness of her own. Growing up, she has always been aloof, keeping others at a distance so that few people know about the traumatic experiences in her childhood and the details surrounding her mother’s violent death. But the past has come back to haunt her now, in the form of a new client at the clinic—a man whose only identity is a patient intake number and a police report detailing his horrific crimes. In spite of herself, Lily is drawn to the stranger, even before he tells her that they have actually met before, a long time ago before she was old enough to remember. He also claims he knew her mother…and the truth behind how she died.
At first, Lily is dismissive of the client’s statements. After all, he did not look old enough for any of his wild claims to be true. But then Michael, the name the man has chosen to call himself, has an explanation for this too, declaring that he is more than two hundred years old and was in fact the inspiration for many of the monsters in classic literature. At this point, Lily is almost sure the clinic’s newest patient is just another deranged psychopath suffering from delusions of grandeur, only there are few things about her he couldn’t have known—unless he is telling the truth, of course, which should be an impossibility. Unfortunately for Lily though, she doesn’t realize Michael is the real deal until it is too late. To free herself from this real-life monster, she will need to embark on a dangerous journey over oceans and across continents to unlock the secrets of her past.
Lately, I have been reading a lot of books that make references to or are inspired by the classics. I have to say, little did I expect to find this as well in The Only Child though. In a way, it was a pleasant surprise, as who doesn’t love a little Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Pyper managed to incorporate three of the greatest gothic horror novels of the 1800s into this strange tale, and he did it in an interesting and clever way.
On the flip side of this, however, there are the lengthy sections in the middle of the book detailing how Michael inspired these classic works, told mainly via flashback chapters in the form of letters to Lily. While the ideas were generally good, I was not as pleased with their execution. At best, they were a distraction from the main mystery plot, and at worst, it sometimes felt like I was reading an entirely different book. Rather than blending seamlessly with the rest of the story, the “classic monsters” angle felt like it was tacked on like an afterthought—almost gimmicky, in a way. That said, I enjoyed the added literary atmosphere immensely, which elevated this novel beyond your usual suspense-thriller. Other than that, though? The references to Shelley, Stoker, Stevenson and their works admittedly made very little impact on the story, which was kind of a shame.
Still, I don’t want to give anyone the impression that I didn’t enjoy this book, because I did. While it was not quite as mind-blowing as The Damned, the plot was addictive all the same, and I blew through the entire novel in about two sittings, a reliable sign that this was a enthralling read. At times the story seems confused as to what it wants to be (a portentously gloomy horror? Or a modern supernatural thriller?) but to its credit at no time does the pacing let up. The clues and developments come at you fast, punctuated by brief glimpses into Michael’s riveting history. While some of the plot points feel patently over the top, the possibility has crossed my mind that this is merely another one of Pyper’s nod to the classics, which would be a very clever touch if that’s the case. The characters were also genuinely compelling, if somewhat flawed, especially Michael whose presence is at once eerie and fascinating.
Overall, I thought The Only Child was a good read, if a little overambitious, resulting in a story that is not as focused as I would have liked. Still, for fans of the gothic horror tradition, it may be well worth it to take a look. I also felt this novel was an interesting direction for Pyper, one that I felt was bold and different, making me excited to read more of his future work.
Last year I had the distinct pleasure of reading The Damned, a chilling psychological horror that immediately landed Andrew Pyper on my must-read authors list. It was thus with great excitement that I approached his newest novel The Only Child, which sounded like it would be a very different experience—which just made me even more curious.
When the story opens, we get to meet protagonist Dr. Lily Dominick, a doctor at the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center whose job involves working with some of the country’s most dangerous and disturbed criminals. Lily, however, is battling a darkness of her own. Growing up, she has always been aloof, keeping others at a distance so that few people know about the traumatic experiences in her childhood and the details surrounding her mother’s violent death. But the past has come back to haunt her now, in the form of a new client at the clinic—a man whose only identity is a patient intake number and a police report detailing his horrific crimes. In spite of herself, Lily is drawn to the stranger, even before he tells her that they have actually met before, a long time ago before she was old enough to remember. He also claims he knew her mother…and the truth behind how she died.
At first, Lily is dismissive of the client’s statements. After all, he did not look old enough for any of his wild claims to be true. But then Michael, the name the man has chosen to call himself, has an explanation for this too, declaring that he is more than two hundred years old and was in fact the inspiration for many of the monsters in classic literature. At this point, Lily is almost sure the clinic’s newest patient is just another deranged psychopath suffering from delusions of grandeur, only there are few things about her he couldn’t have known—unless he is telling the truth, of course, which should be an impossibility. Unfortunately for Lily though, she doesn’t realize Michael is the real deal until it is too late. To free herself from this real-life monster, she will need to embark on a dangerous journey over oceans and across continents to unlock the secrets of her past.
Lately, I have been reading a lot of books that make references to or are inspired by the classics. I have to say, little did I expect to find this as well in The Only Child though. In a way, it was a pleasant surprise, as who doesn’t love a little Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Pyper managed to incorporate three of the greatest gothic horror novels of the 1800s into this strange tale, and he did it in an interesting and clever way.
On the flip side of this, however, there are the lengthy sections in the middle of the book detailing how Michael inspired these classic works, told mainly via flashback chapters in the form of letters to Lily. While the ideas were generally good, I was not as pleased with their execution. At best, they were a distraction from the main mystery plot, and at worst, it sometimes felt like I was reading an entirely different book. Rather than blending seamlessly with the rest of the story, the “classic monsters” angle felt like it was tacked on like an afterthought—almost gimmicky, in a way. That said, I enjoyed the added literary atmosphere immensely, which elevated this novel beyond your usual suspense-thriller. Other than that, though? The references to Shelley, Stoker, Stevenson and their works admittedly made very little impact on the story, which was kind of a shame.
Still, I don’t want to give anyone the impression that I didn’t enjoy this book, because I did. While it was not quite as mind-blowing as The Damned, the plot was addictive all the same, and I blew through the entire novel in about two sittings, a reliable sign that this was a enthralling read. At times the story seems confused as to what it wants to be (a portentously gloomy horror? Or a modern supernatural thriller?) but to its credit at no time does the pacing let up. The clues and developments come at you fast, punctuated by brief glimpses into Michael’s riveting history. While some of the plot points feel patently over the top, the possibility has crossed my mind that this is merely another one of Pyper’s nod to the classics, which would be a very clever touch if that’s the case. The characters were also genuinely compelling, if somewhat flawed, especially Michael whose presence is at once eerie and fascinating.
Overall, I thought The Only Child was a good read, if a little overambitious, resulting in a story that is not as focused as I would have liked. Still, for fans of the gothic horror tradition, it may be well worth it to take a look. I also felt this novel was an interesting direction for Pyper, one that I felt was bold and different, making me excited to read more of his future work.
July 2, 2023
One of the silliest books I’ve ever read. The Only Child starts off as enjoyable schlock about a psychiatrist whose latest ‘client’ claims to be a 200-year-old superhuman who inspired the characters of Frankenstein’s monster, Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde and Dracula. He also says he’s her father, despite the fact that they appear to be the same age. After the man kills one of Lily’s colleagues and threatens to frame her, she’s led on a chase across Europe in search of the truth about his history.
Though published in 2017, it feels very much like a mid-2000s adventure novel, what Elizabeth Knox in The Absolute Book calls an ‘arcane thriller’ – like the Da Vinci Code knock-offs that were everywhere at one point, or a less cerebral version of The Historian, which I loved in 2007. Various locations are detailed in risibly clichéd and/or improbable terms (at one point Michael bribes the doorman at a London hotel with a ‘hundred-pound note’). Lily is a predictably beautiful idiot who lusts after every man she meets – including the one who may or may not be her dad – for no reason other than to crowbar sex into the narrative. Things happen so fast that there’s little time to dwell on various revelations or how the characters handle them.
Brainless entertainment can be fun, obviously. And I was having a good enough time at first, which is why I didn’t give up on this despite how ridiculous it all is. But the story loses a lot of steam as it goes along. By the time Lily and Michael were kidnapped by a rogue ex-CIA mercenary (!), I was dying for it all to end. It was an effort to drag myself to the finish line.
Though published in 2017, it feels very much like a mid-2000s adventure novel, what Elizabeth Knox in The Absolute Book calls an ‘arcane thriller’ – like the Da Vinci Code knock-offs that were everywhere at one point, or a less cerebral version of The Historian, which I loved in 2007. Various locations are detailed in risibly clichéd and/or improbable terms (at one point Michael bribes the doorman at a London hotel with a ‘hundred-pound note’). Lily is a predictably beautiful idiot who lusts after every man she meets – including the one who may or may not be her dad – for no reason other than to crowbar sex into the narrative. Things happen so fast that there’s little time to dwell on various revelations or how the characters handle them.
Brainless entertainment can be fun, obviously. And I was having a good enough time at first, which is why I didn’t give up on this despite how ridiculous it all is. But the story loses a lot of steam as it goes along. By the time Lily and Michael were kidnapped by a rogue ex-CIA mercenary (!), I was dying for it all to end. It was an effort to drag myself to the finish line.
May 18, 2017
Scrappymags 3-word review: "Meh". Not scared.
Genre: Mystery/horror though also kinda chick-lit though written by a man.
Shortest summary ever: Psychiatrist Dr. Lily Dominick works with the most psycho of the psycho so when a savage attack brings an unnamed man into her hospital, she's not shocked. Until the man starts to tell her he's her father (all very Star Wars Empire Strikes Back, but not a spoiler) and he's come there to meet HER...
What’s good under the hood:I thought the pacing was well done and it did flow from scene to scene. Storyline had a great premise and loved having a female protagonist in what would be the "vampire hunter" role. I honestly feel this is merely an underworked book and if it had some tweeking of the narrative and some changes could have turned into a popular 4 star series.
What’s bad or made me mad: when the crazy man is first brought in, Lily is sexually attracted to him. Then he claims he's her father. So dad-crazy-slasher-dude pretty much should kill her lady boner right? Um... no. Yeah. Can I get a collective "ewwwww!!!" And it's not a one time event or restricted to dad, her horniness seems to arrive at massively inappropriate times...
Next irk is (sigh) yet another cliche weak supposed-to-be-intelligent female who does stupid things, creating the situation for me (reader) of a mildly annoying and unbelievable protagonist. Buffy rocked the vampire hunter gig wayyyyyy better than this lady. Don't want to provide a spoiler but the doc behaves in ways that make no sense for a professional, one who seems poor at her profession, not worried about others, and since it's mentioned - she pops some unknown pills and keeps breaking ethics. Incidence of fainting female? Really? Is it 1856? That coupled with random inappropriate times of randiness and I sort of cringed my way through.
Recommend to: If you're into vampire books give it a whirl. This might be your 'thang.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I feel soooo bad I wasn't a big fan. Still love ya S&S!
Genre: Mystery/horror though also kinda chick-lit though written by a man.
Shortest summary ever: Psychiatrist Dr. Lily Dominick works with the most psycho of the psycho so when a savage attack brings an unnamed man into her hospital, she's not shocked. Until the man starts to tell her he's her father (all very Star Wars Empire Strikes Back, but not a spoiler) and he's come there to meet HER...
What’s good under the hood:I thought the pacing was well done and it did flow from scene to scene. Storyline had a great premise and loved having a female protagonist in what would be the "vampire hunter" role. I honestly feel this is merely an underworked book and if it had some tweeking of the narrative and some changes could have turned into a popular 4 star series.
What’s bad or made me mad: when the crazy man is first brought in, Lily is sexually attracted to him. Then he claims he's her father. So dad-crazy-slasher-dude pretty much should kill her lady boner right? Um... no. Yeah. Can I get a collective "ewwwww!!!" And it's not a one time event or restricted to dad, her horniness seems to arrive at massively inappropriate times...
Next irk is (sigh) yet another cliche weak supposed-to-be-intelligent female who does stupid things, creating the situation for me (reader) of a mildly annoying and unbelievable protagonist. Buffy rocked the vampire hunter gig wayyyyyy better than this lady. Don't want to provide a spoiler but the doc behaves in ways that make no sense for a professional, one who seems poor at her profession, not worried about others, and since it's mentioned - she pops some unknown pills and keeps breaking ethics. Incidence of fainting female? Really? Is it 1856? That coupled with random inappropriate times of randiness and I sort of cringed my way through.
Recommend to: If you're into vampire books give it a whirl. This might be your 'thang.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I feel soooo bad I wasn't a big fan. Still love ya S&S!
June 10, 2017
I can appreciate what the author was trying to do, and sometimes it almost worked. But never quite enough, for me at least.
Not a terrible book but it never crossed the line into "horror" and left me quite disappointed.
Not a terrible book but it never crossed the line into "horror" and left me quite disappointed.
May 27, 2017
Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychiatrist and she has a new client number 46872 - A, a man with no name. Follow Lily as she goes on a journey to discover the identity of this strange man.
I was attracted to this book because it was recommended by two of my friends on Goodreads and because I liked the title as I have no brothers or sisters. I started reading this book with an open mind when suddenly I was informed of client’s 46872 - A, age - you’ve got to be kidding me I thought! But then this novel shifts back a long time and reveals the history of client 46872 - A. It was then that I discovered what a great author and storyteller Andrew Pyper truly is. This book is NOT of a genre of novel that I normally read but Andrew skillfully draws on the knowledge of the horror tales we all enjoyed in our childhood to add a legitimacy to his story. So I sat back and escaped into a make believe world of horror with a dramatic pursuit of the truth.
The quality of writing in this novel is top rate and I love the way Andrew makes the whole tale sound true. By weaving the guts of three horror stories we enjoyed from our childhood into his tale, you feel as though this story is steeped in history. The reading experience I got from this book was very high indeed. The characterization of both Lily and client 46872 - A was very deep and rewarding. The supporting characters were also sharply portrayed which simply adding to the tension running throughout the story.
I found The Only Child to be a great story and although not true to life, was very easy to engage with this make believe horror. It is a book that really entertains and would make a great film for all ages to enjoy. I agree with my friends on Goodreads that The Only Child is a 5 star read, so it gets 5 stars from me too!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.
I was attracted to this book because it was recommended by two of my friends on Goodreads and because I liked the title as I have no brothers or sisters. I started reading this book with an open mind when suddenly I was informed of client’s 46872 - A, age - you’ve got to be kidding me I thought! But then this novel shifts back a long time and reveals the history of client 46872 - A. It was then that I discovered what a great author and storyteller Andrew Pyper truly is. This book is NOT of a genre of novel that I normally read but Andrew skillfully draws on the knowledge of the horror tales we all enjoyed in our childhood to add a legitimacy to his story. So I sat back and escaped into a make believe world of horror with a dramatic pursuit of the truth.
The quality of writing in this novel is top rate and I love the way Andrew makes the whole tale sound true. By weaving the guts of three horror stories we enjoyed from our childhood into his tale, you feel as though this story is steeped in history. The reading experience I got from this book was very high indeed. The characterization of both Lily and client 46872 - A was very deep and rewarding. The supporting characters were also sharply portrayed which simply adding to the tension running throughout the story.
I found The Only Child to be a great story and although not true to life, was very easy to engage with this make believe horror. It is a book that really entertains and would make a great film for all ages to enjoy. I agree with my friends on Goodreads that The Only Child is a 5 star read, so it gets 5 stars from me too!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.
February 2, 2017
Having read Andrew Pyper's other novels I was super happy when i saw this offered on NetGalley. I was even more excited when I read the description . This novel grabbed me first page and did not let go. What if our greatest gothic novels, Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde and Frankenstein were all inspired by one being ? This is that story. Thrilling ,action packed and a truly gothic novel exceeded my expectations. I couldn't wait to finish but yet did not want it to end.
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October 16, 2017
This author read the intro to Promethean the Created and copied it flat-out, but changed the names and gave the original author no credit. Then, to avoid a lawsuit, he threw in bits of The Stress of Her Regard and the "Grey Trader" arc which started in American Vampire, Vol. 7, and even chucked in some erotica to fill in the gaps.
The finished product is a waste -- he's clearly a capable writer, but this isn't even pastiche. It's a rip-off melange, like someone took two whole fruits, tossed them in a food processor without turning it on, and declared it to be a new concoction.
The finished product is a waste -- he's clearly a capable writer, but this isn't even pastiche. It's a rip-off melange, like someone took two whole fruits, tossed them in a food processor without turning it on, and declared it to be a new concoction.
October 11, 2017
The Only Child by Andrew Pyper is to date, one of the more ambitious novels of terror I have ever read. Much in the manner that his prior novel The Demonoligist (pick it up if you haven't read it as of yet), Pyper is writing horror in the manner that seems to have been forgotten by this generation of horror writers. No glittering vampires or shirtless werewolves here. Here, there be monsters.
Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychiatrist in New York's leading mental health institution. Over the years she has seen every type of delusion, but today she is about to meet someone who exceeds all the parameters she has set in her mind. A patient who is asking specifically for her. The patient has no name or identification of any kind. His fingerprints do not come up anywhere in the system. He has never been arrested or treated before. Secondly, he claims to be over two hundred years old. When asked why he committed his crime, the patient simply says that he wished to be to the institution and that he wished to see, Dr. Lily Dominick.
Lily finds the patient interesting, but her curiosity takes a darker turn when she finds her mentor and senior adviser gruesomely murdered in his home, and her patient escaped. Given small clues by the killer, Lily must now track him across the globe as he gives her small clues to who he is.
The killer tells the tale of meeting and falling in love with Mary Shelley and how that inspired the tale of Frankenstein. Of searching out Roberto Louis Stevenson and laying the foundation that would become the tale of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and of finally meeting Bram Stoker and showing the Irishman the true face of Count Dracula. All the while, leaving brutalized and mutilated corpses in his wake.
All of this Lily would be down to blood lust and delusion except for the mysterious group that seems to be hunting the killer. A group as shadowy and dark as the killer himself. Could it be possible?Could this killer be centuries old and the inspiration for the most horrifying tales of our time?
More confusing to Lily is that the killer knows of her own secrets. Those things that she has never shared. What is the monster's connection to her, to her childhood, to her mother, and to her mother's horrible murder?
The Only Child is ambitious to a fault. Had the killer been the inspiration for one of these classic tales or even two, then perhaps, but all three and the web that Pyper has woven strains and unravels somewhat throughout the book. Perhaps if the book had been longer and those times spent with the authors fleshed out more, then perhaps there would be something in the story that held substance. But as it is, it simply loses steam. But then it switches from this Gothic horror tale with great European settings to something like a dirty James Bond movie. The killer captured by a secret army of commandos, whose leader falls for Lily and keeps the creature captured so that they can do experiments on him. From here it turns into a chase, the killer hell bent on exacting revenge on Lily for her betrayal of his trust. Something like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Again, just to ambitious in history and scope and then not exploring that history and scope enough to make the book flow.
You would think that with those last two paragraphs that I didn't like the Only Child. But that is not true. I liked it just fine, but what I was left with is what it could have been.
A good read with lots of untapped potential left on the table.
Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychiatrist in New York's leading mental health institution. Over the years she has seen every type of delusion, but today she is about to meet someone who exceeds all the parameters she has set in her mind. A patient who is asking specifically for her. The patient has no name or identification of any kind. His fingerprints do not come up anywhere in the system. He has never been arrested or treated before. Secondly, he claims to be over two hundred years old. When asked why he committed his crime, the patient simply says that he wished to be to the institution and that he wished to see, Dr. Lily Dominick.
Lily finds the patient interesting, but her curiosity takes a darker turn when she finds her mentor and senior adviser gruesomely murdered in his home, and her patient escaped. Given small clues by the killer, Lily must now track him across the globe as he gives her small clues to who he is.
The killer tells the tale of meeting and falling in love with Mary Shelley and how that inspired the tale of Frankenstein. Of searching out Roberto Louis Stevenson and laying the foundation that would become the tale of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and of finally meeting Bram Stoker and showing the Irishman the true face of Count Dracula. All the while, leaving brutalized and mutilated corpses in his wake.
All of this Lily would be down to blood lust and delusion except for the mysterious group that seems to be hunting the killer. A group as shadowy and dark as the killer himself. Could it be possible?Could this killer be centuries old and the inspiration for the most horrifying tales of our time?
More confusing to Lily is that the killer knows of her own secrets. Those things that she has never shared. What is the monster's connection to her, to her childhood, to her mother, and to her mother's horrible murder?
The Only Child is ambitious to a fault. Had the killer been the inspiration for one of these classic tales or even two, then perhaps, but all three and the web that Pyper has woven strains and unravels somewhat throughout the book. Perhaps if the book had been longer and those times spent with the authors fleshed out more, then perhaps there would be something in the story that held substance. But as it is, it simply loses steam. But then it switches from this Gothic horror tale with great European settings to something like a dirty James Bond movie. The killer captured by a secret army of commandos, whose leader falls for Lily and keeps the creature captured so that they can do experiments on him. From here it turns into a chase, the killer hell bent on exacting revenge on Lily for her betrayal of his trust. Something like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Again, just to ambitious in history and scope and then not exploring that history and scope enough to make the book flow.
You would think that with those last two paragraphs that I didn't like the Only Child. But that is not true. I liked it just fine, but what I was left with is what it could have been.
A good read with lots of untapped potential left on the table.
February 5, 2017
Note: Received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
Andrew Pyper keeps fooling me with book descriptions that sound absolutely amazing and right up my alley, and I just end up being disappointed. This one sounded super intriguing: a creepy/maybe not so creepy supernatural being, a strong female protagonist, a mystery... it was all there! But after a promising start I found myself halfway into the book just eyerolling over everything Michael said. It just felt so cheesy and Suicide Squad Joker levels of try hard. Yes, we get it, you're a devious monster. The best villains don't ever have to say that, you just feel it. I never once felt like he was threatening, just kind of a weird creeper.
Lily's introduction had a ton of promise but then she also kind of fell flat for me. We got a good look into her personality at the beginning and then all of it just disappeared. I felt like she was purely a vehicle for Michael to tell his story. It's a real shame because like I said, the premise was quite interesting but the execution was lacking.
Andrew Pyper keeps fooling me with book descriptions that sound absolutely amazing and right up my alley, and I just end up being disappointed. This one sounded super intriguing: a creepy/maybe not so creepy supernatural being, a strong female protagonist, a mystery... it was all there! But after a promising start I found myself halfway into the book just eyerolling over everything Michael said. It just felt so cheesy and Suicide Squad Joker levels of try hard. Yes, we get it, you're a devious monster. The best villains don't ever have to say that, you just feel it. I never once felt like he was threatening, just kind of a weird creeper.
Lily's introduction had a ton of promise but then she also kind of fell flat for me. We got a good look into her personality at the beginning and then all of it just disappeared. I felt like she was purely a vehicle for Michael to tell his story. It's a real shame because like I said, the premise was quite interesting but the execution was lacking.
May 28, 2017
I've enjoyed this novel a lot. Perhaps not as much as its predecessor THE DAMNED but it had set a mighty high standard for Pyper to keep up with.
I appreciate what he tried to do with THE ONLY CHILD. He wanted to confront myth and gauge if there was anything left scary to say about figures like Dracula and Frankenstein if you demythologize them and guess what? Sometimes it works. There are a handful of genuinely bone chilling scenes in THE ONLY CHILD. The relationship between the protagonist Lily and the mysterious "Michael" is too bizarrely intimate to be consistently scary and the book eventually morphs into a mainstream thriller but the swing was as glorious as the hit on this one.
Another original spin off a classic narrative by Andrew Pyper. This guy is a lot of fun to read.
I appreciate what he tried to do with THE ONLY CHILD. He wanted to confront myth and gauge if there was anything left scary to say about figures like Dracula and Frankenstein if you demythologize them and guess what? Sometimes it works. There are a handful of genuinely bone chilling scenes in THE ONLY CHILD. The relationship between the protagonist Lily and the mysterious "Michael" is too bizarrely intimate to be consistently scary and the book eventually morphs into a mainstream thriller but the swing was as glorious as the hit on this one.
Another original spin off a classic narrative by Andrew Pyper. This guy is a lot of fun to read.
March 12, 2019
Not my favourite of this author's books I've read so far but a mostly intriguing gothic horror mash up. Started off intensely creepy and I enjoyed the first part felt the middle was a little slow but picked up again at the end
I think the Lily/Michael thing was a bit under pressure to be something it wasn't. Overall a decent read but I found Homecoming, the more recent release, to be far superior in terms of pacing, misdirection and addictive quality hence a solid 3* for this one in comparison.
I think the Lily/Michael thing was a bit under pressure to be something it wasn't. Overall a decent read but I found Homecoming, the more recent release, to be far superior in terms of pacing, misdirection and addictive quality hence a solid 3* for this one in comparison.
June 4, 2017
Bof.. ce livre mérite un 2,5. Ca se lit bien, mais ce n'est pas le meilleur dans ce genre de livre. La fin est vraiment ordinaire. Et parfois on a l'impression que l'auteur avait trop d'idées en même temps. Je le recommande moyen. C'est pas complètement mauvais, mais j'ai déjà vu mieux.
June 14, 2017
A longer review is available on my blog:
http://reviewsofbooksonmynightstand.b...
This book was scary in a supernatural kind of way. It had my heart beating as I feared for Lily and was mesmerized by Michael. Michael was a very interesting character. I wish that more of the book centered around his origin story but he is a very scary character. Lily was a bit of an unknown. I wondered throughout the book if she was also insane as she often seemed to experience hallucinations. The writing was very well done. It was a bit slow for me at some parts but those slow parts helped to build suspense. I enjoyed the comparisons to Dracula, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde and the monster of Frankenstein. The monster in The Only Child was very much like these characters but also more modernized. This book was a little bit scary but it wasn't as scary as some other horror that I have read and I would say that this book is part horror and part mystery. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It would be a great book for those that enjoy supernatural horror, especially vampire novels, or mystery novels that are a bit more scary than average.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
http://reviewsofbooksonmynightstand.b...
This book was scary in a supernatural kind of way. It had my heart beating as I feared for Lily and was mesmerized by Michael. Michael was a very interesting character. I wish that more of the book centered around his origin story but he is a very scary character. Lily was a bit of an unknown. I wondered throughout the book if she was also insane as she often seemed to experience hallucinations. The writing was very well done. It was a bit slow for me at some parts but those slow parts helped to build suspense. I enjoyed the comparisons to Dracula, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde and the monster of Frankenstein. The monster in The Only Child was very much like these characters but also more modernized. This book was a little bit scary but it wasn't as scary as some other horror that I have read and I would say that this book is part horror and part mystery. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It would be a great book for those that enjoy supernatural horror, especially vampire novels, or mystery novels that are a bit more scary than average.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
June 3, 2017
Rather pedestrian thriller from Pyper, from whom I expect better, about a forensic psychiatrist who encounters a man claiming to be two hundred years old and having inspired the stories Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. Interesting premise that just doesn't develop into anything really interesting, despite having some moments here and there. The characters are one-dimensional and the writing is not as good as Pyper is capable of. Not a bad book but certainly not great, either. That's two disappointing efforts in a row from Pyper. 2.5 stars.
March 25, 2017
The Good Stuff
Dark, moody, intense with plenty of twists and turns
Unique
Makes me want to go back and reread Frankenstein and Dracula again - and read Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde (I know, I know I haven't read that one yet) The whole time reading it I couldn't stop thinking of the movie Gothic (Thanks Demkiw, - that was one truly fucked up movie - pretty sure you had to be on Laudanum to truly get it)
Pyper has a true gift for creating tales that stay with you and make you wonder - and maybe make you think that you never want to be alone in a dark alley with him
You become lost in the haunting descriptions and well any book that brings up Dracula is good with me (Ok and the epigraph is from Dracula)
The second half of the novel had me on the edge of my seats
Will's name - thinking someone is an X-Files fan
Love the cover
The Not So Good Stuff
Please remember I am honest about my thoughts and feelings while reading - and while reading this I was in intense training for a new job and brain was not all there
Kind of jumpy at times and the connection between Will and Lily seemed kind of thrown in at the last minute. Unlike most of this other novels this one has a weak start and it feels like too much was thrown in. It's a fabulour premise with lots of promise but it fell short for me
A tad disturbing in regards to the feelings Lily has for Michael -- Umm ewwww
Favourite Quotes/Passages
"It aroused something other than passion but something related nevertheless, the desire to connect, to show someone they aren't alone and in so doing, show that you aren't either."
"A hole in his hear now a hole in hers."
"The world doesn't have to know everything." he says. "Most of the time the world is better off not knowing."
3.5 Dewey's
I received this from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review
Dark, moody, intense with plenty of twists and turns
Unique
Makes me want to go back and reread Frankenstein and Dracula again - and read Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde (I know, I know I haven't read that one yet) The whole time reading it I couldn't stop thinking of the movie Gothic (Thanks Demkiw, - that was one truly fucked up movie - pretty sure you had to be on Laudanum to truly get it)
Pyper has a true gift for creating tales that stay with you and make you wonder - and maybe make you think that you never want to be alone in a dark alley with him
You become lost in the haunting descriptions and well any book that brings up Dracula is good with me (Ok and the epigraph is from Dracula)
The second half of the novel had me on the edge of my seats
Will's name - thinking someone is an X-Files fan
Love the cover
The Not So Good Stuff
Please remember I am honest about my thoughts and feelings while reading - and while reading this I was in intense training for a new job and brain was not all there
Kind of jumpy at times and the connection between Will and Lily seemed kind of thrown in at the last minute. Unlike most of this other novels this one has a weak start and it feels like too much was thrown in. It's a fabulour premise with lots of promise but it fell short for me
A tad disturbing in regards to the feelings Lily has for Michael -- Umm ewwww
Favourite Quotes/Passages
"It aroused something other than passion but something related nevertheless, the desire to connect, to show someone they aren't alone and in so doing, show that you aren't either."
"A hole in his hear now a hole in hers."
"The world doesn't have to know everything." he says. "Most of the time the world is better off not knowing."
3.5 Dewey's
I received this from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review
June 10, 2017
The cover of the latest hardcover by Andrew Pyper --- THE ONLY CHILD --- indicates 'Pyper could be the next Stephen King.'
I strongly beg to differ. Based on the success of their last decade of books --- King with a few hits and several misses and Pyper with a Best Novel of the Year by the Thriller Writer's of America with his classic THE DEMONOLOGIST --- Pyper is now BETTER than Stephen King.
If you think I exaggerate or speak out of turn then I urge you to pick up THE ONLY CHILD. Without giving away too much, this novel features Forensic Psychologist Lily Dominick. Her latest case involves an incarcerated man who is guilty of some brutal murders. What is more interesting is the fact that the man who refers to himself as 'Michael' claims to be hundreds of years old.
During a series of sessions with Lily, Michael claims to not only be a monster but also the inspiration for three classic literary monsters --- Shelly's Frankenstein, Stoker's Dracula and Stevenson's Mr. Hyde. Bold claims indeed....but Andrew Pyper takes readers to some dark and dangerous places where fantastic claims like that become eerily plausible.
When Michael claims to be Lily's father things get really crazy. Of course, there's still the mysterious circumstances in the murder of Lily's mother when she was but a child. Lily always believed it was a bear who broke into their cabin in the woods and slaughtered her mother while Lily hid in a back bedroom. But after speaking with Michael she is not sure what to believe.
Readers will not believe what they are reading either, and the ending is a real jaw-dropper!
I strongly beg to differ. Based on the success of their last decade of books --- King with a few hits and several misses and Pyper with a Best Novel of the Year by the Thriller Writer's of America with his classic THE DEMONOLOGIST --- Pyper is now BETTER than Stephen King.
If you think I exaggerate or speak out of turn then I urge you to pick up THE ONLY CHILD. Without giving away too much, this novel features Forensic Psychologist Lily Dominick. Her latest case involves an incarcerated man who is guilty of some brutal murders. What is more interesting is the fact that the man who refers to himself as 'Michael' claims to be hundreds of years old.
During a series of sessions with Lily, Michael claims to not only be a monster but also the inspiration for three classic literary monsters --- Shelly's Frankenstein, Stoker's Dracula and Stevenson's Mr. Hyde. Bold claims indeed....but Andrew Pyper takes readers to some dark and dangerous places where fantastic claims like that become eerily plausible.
When Michael claims to be Lily's father things get really crazy. Of course, there's still the mysterious circumstances in the murder of Lily's mother when she was but a child. Lily always believed it was a bear who broke into their cabin in the woods and slaughtered her mother while Lily hid in a back bedroom. But after speaking with Michael she is not sure what to believe.
Readers will not believe what they are reading either, and the ending is a real jaw-dropper!
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