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A Child Alone with Strangers

A Novel

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About this listen

When young Henry Thorne is kidnapped and held prisoner in a remote farmhouse surrounded by miles of forest, he finds himself connecting with a strange force living in the woods—using that bond to wreak havoc against his captors. Unknown to the boy, however, is that this ancient being has its own reasons for wanting the interlopers gone—there is something hidden beneath the house, tucked away in the dark, damp root cellar . . . waiting for its return.

©2022 Philip Fracassi (P)2024 Vibrance Press Adventure Horror Science Fiction Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Scary Paranormal Fiction Suspense

Critic reviews

"A Child Alone with Strangers starts out as a slow burn procedural with supernatural elements and inexorably cranks itself into a pulse-pounding symphony of eldritch horrors and all-too-human violence. Philip Fracassi is the best sort of horror writer--one who is unafraid to hunt for light in even the darkest places." —Shaun Hamill, author of A Cosmology of Monsters

"... a perfectly pitched horror novel, visceral and terrifying, delving deep into an eldritch world that sits alongside our own. It reminds me of early Stephen King—It; Firestarter; The Shining—but Fracassi also brings a depth of understanding to his monsters, human and otherwise, that makes A Child Alone with Strangers deeply moving. . . . I am now forcing it on everyone I know. Highly recommended." —Alison Flood, The Guardian

“An instant horror classic and my favorite read of the year. Every character is humanized with compelling depth. Every chapter is a study in tension and craft. Fracassi seamlessly weaves together so many horror sub-genres while organically rooting them all in a propulsive character-driven narrative that puts heart above all else. I really can't say enough good things about this one. A towering achievement.” —Brian McAuley, author of Curse of the Reaper
All stars
Most relevant
loved the descriptions throughout the story which really draws the reader /listener in and allows for an empathy with the characters

fantastic piece of writing

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Not as great as Boys in the Valley but this is a multi genre story with great characters

Great 4.5 stars

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“At this point, panic has taken off its coat, kicked off its shoes, pulled up a seat, smiled that maniacal smile, the one showing too many bright white teeth, to let you know it really likes it here, and it’s decided to stay a while.”

My second Phillip Fracassi read, A Child Alone With Strangers is far less pulpy and immediate than the brilliant Gothic, but no less thrilling for it. It can be a little tangential at times, that being said, Fracassi successfully channels Stephen King again and eventually weaves together many disparate threads and genres (with plenty of violence and gore) into something that packs such an unexpected emotional punch, that it was the heart that stopped me in my tracks rather than the horror. Excellent.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

NB: I recommend reading rather than listening, the narrators “Australian” accent might lead you to distraction!

It was the heart that stopped me in my tracks rather than the horror

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