#ReadAllTheBooks’s Reviews > Gothic > Status Update

So... spoilers. The author is laying things out in a relatively easy to spot fashion. What makes this kind of creepier to me is that it places this heavy layer of inevitability to everything. We're horror readers. We know how these things play out, so we know this isn't going to end well for all those involved. So far we know the following:

Evil slab/desk is Evil.

This Evil can be resisted, otherwise the original family wouldn't have been able to contain it without succumbing themselves.

This Evil is also very seductive and can still drag people under, especially if they are unaware of its true nature.

It's more or less stated (in so many words) that the Evil prefers those it can manipulate and "seduce", even though it is implied to easily have the power to manipulate stronger minds.

Tyson is a deeply flawed, but fundamentally good person who loves his friends and friends fiercely.

Tyson is suffering from writer's block and has had issues putting out profitable works, something that causes him to be compared to his earlier promise and successes.

Tyson is experiencing financial woes, but pridefully refuses to let his wealthy girlfriend contribute to the household - something she wouldn't mind doing.

These issues, paired with some others, make him desperate for success and a very, very tempting target for the Evil.

When he and the Evil do come together, its influence is both instantaneous and slow. He doesn't immediately become violent, but the Evil's impact is shown by him essentially sexually assaulting his girlfriend Sarah. (Which by the way, is worthy of a discussion on its own.)


Basically, the author is showing us everything up front. He's telling us that the Evil is super bad news and shows how it has ruined lives. He's showing us that Tyson is going to eagerly fall under the thrall of the Evil and hurt those around him, something he would normally find unthinkable. And this is just the beginning. It's going to get worse.

On the Sarah part. This is something that made me need to turn the book off for a moment, especially as I know that it's going to get worse.

So fair warning, sexual assault will be mentioned.

Fracassi doesn't go into a lot of detail, but it's the little things that are thought/said by Sarah that are so heartrending. She doesn't call it rape because she can't conceive of Tyson being capable of this.

At some point during the encounter Tyson became rougher and rougher. Again, Fracassi doesn't go into detail (which I respect and appreciate) but the implication is that things escalated slowly. Sarah figured Tyson was just over eager and asked him to slow down and be gentle. It's clear that he did, but it's also clear that he just went back to what he was doing (and probably a bit worse). It was a scenario that for us, the reader, is clearly rape but for Sarah is such a blurred and unexpected moment that she's second guessing herself and not identifying it as what it was - even as she acknowledges the feelings of shame, pain, and betrayal.

And let me just say that I appreciate the heck out of Fracassi describing rape without being gratuitous. He got the horrifying parts of the rape across without needing to describe it in excruciating detail.

Now that said, I'm aware that this is just the first quarter of the book. It's entirely likely that rape will come up again in the story. I'd be shocked if it doesn't. I'm actually expecting that the next time will be described in more detail if this is the case. My rationale for that is that this first time Sarah was/is in denial about what happened. The next time she won't be able to do that and we as the reader will be also forced to experience it alongside her. It won't be to titillate, but to let us know that things are fundamentally wrong. (Of course I'll update if this isn't the case.)

I cheated. I got the kindle book and peeked. Yes, there's another encounter. No, it wasn't written with more detail. And yes, it's absolutely horrifying.

I again have to applaud the author here. He showed the horror of rape without having to go into a ton of detail.