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A review by danwa
A Child Alone with Strangers: A Novel by Philip Fracassi
4.0
“Sometimes good people did bad things. Only nine years old, Henry Thorne hadn’t yet learned this valuable life lesson. But he would. He would learn it on a mild summer day in 1995 in the most horrible way possible…”
In A Child Alone with Strangers, Philip Fracassi has managed to evoke emotional connection with characters to root for and villains to detest while giving added layers to some of these. Another strength of the book is taking familiar tropes and plot points and making them compelling. He’s done this with a steamrolling writing style which makes for a fast read even at 575 pages. That said, there are small digressions throughout which add to the atmosphere and humanity of the story but this book could have been a bit more trim. This is one reason for the four rather than fine star rating. Another reason for my rating is that, while I liked the concepts of the story, I found myself wanting those aspects to be explored in more ways that surprised me and leaned toward a more epic feel. Overall, a fun and propulsive read with many strengths that does remind of classic King in its characterization, dialogue and plotting. For me, Gothic has been the more enjoyable Fracassi experience in comparison, but I will continue to seek out his work.
In A Child Alone with Strangers, Philip Fracassi has managed to evoke emotional connection with characters to root for and villains to detest while giving added layers to some of these. Another strength of the book is taking familiar tropes and plot points and making them compelling. He’s done this with a steamrolling writing style which makes for a fast read even at 575 pages. That said, there are small digressions throughout which add to the atmosphere and humanity of the story but this book could have been a bit more trim. This is one reason for the four rather than fine star rating. Another reason for my rating is that, while I liked the concepts of the story, I found myself wanting those aspects to be explored in more ways that surprised me and leaned toward a more epic feel. Overall, a fun and propulsive read with many strengths that does remind of classic King in its characterization, dialogue and plotting. For me, Gothic has been the more enjoyable Fracassi experience in comparison, but I will continue to seek out his work.