The Only Child

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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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>The Only Child</i> 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.<br /><br />This novel was a dabbling adaptation of so many classic stories of the Gothic tradition—<i>Frankenstein</i>, <i>Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i>, and <i>Dracula</i>…my foot. To sample their tradition is one thing, to recreate it, another, more awe-inspiring thing. Yet this, <i>The Only Child</i>, 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.<br /><br />In short, <i>The Only Child</i> 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 *<br /><br />*I received an advance-read copy of this book from the publisher, Simon Schuster, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br /><b>FOLLOW ME HERE:</b><br /><br /><a href="https://artanddecoagencyblog.org/" rel="nofollow noopener">Art + Deco Agency Book Blog</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/artdecoagency" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artdecoagency/" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://artanddecoagency.org" rel="nofollow noopener">Art + Deco Publishing Agency</a>

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 &amp; Schuster, and Netgalley.

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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.

<br><br><b>3.5 stars</b> <br><br>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.' <br><br>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. <br><br><img alt="" height="224" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1578500055i/28738074.jpg" width="400" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>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. <br><br><img alt="" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1578500055i/28738070.jpg" width="266" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>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. <br><br>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. <br><br><img alt="" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1578500055i/28738075._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>The psychiatrist also has nightmarish memories of her mother being torn apart by a vicious creature - which the police said was a bear. <br><br><img alt="" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1578500055i/28738078.jpg" width="245" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>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. <br><br>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. <br><br><img alt="" height="167" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1567014663i/28064602.png" width="400" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>To get 'unframed' Lily has to follow Michael on a wild journey that begins in an abandoned, gothic <br>mansion in Hungary. <br><br><img alt="" height="513" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1578500055i/28738073.jpg" width="640" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>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. <br><br><img alt="" height="342" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1578500055i/28738076.jpg" width="400" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>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. <br><br>Meanwhile, Lily is being followed by a killer in a black cloak and other members of a secret cabal. <br><br><img alt="" height="640" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1578500055i/28738077.jpg" width="409" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>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. <br><br>Eventually, things play out in a very dramatic fashion, and Lily learns the truth about her mother and her childhood. <br><br>It bothers me that Lily trots off to Europe alone, without telling a living soul, and blithely strolls into dangerous situations all by herself. <br><br><img alt="" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1578500055i/28738071.jpg" width="302" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>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)<br><br>Chillers aren't my usual genre, but I enjoyed the book, which is a well-written page turner with unexpected turns. <br><br><img alt="" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1578500055i/28738072.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>I'd recommend the book to readers who enjoy horror-mystery stories. <br><br>You can follow my reviews at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/">https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....</a>

Thank you to the author, who provided my school with an advanced signed copy, which allowed me to get my greedy hands on it.  <br />Andrew Pyper’s newest release, “The Only Child” is about fathers and daughters, demonic secrets, and characters from the folklore we know so well. <br />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? <br />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. <br />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. <br />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. <br />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. <br />(3.5 rating, rounded up to 4 for GR).

3.5 stars<br /><br />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 &amp; reader, for which I take full responsibility. So here’s the deal. I’ll tell you what I did like &amp; why I think those with a taste for tales of horror with fantastical beasts should snap this up.<br /> <br />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.<br /> <br />When Lily was 6, she &amp; 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.<br /> <br />Lily has a gift for connecting with the “monsters’ in her care &amp; 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.<br /> <br />Over the next 24 hours Lily witnesses events that cause her carefully constructed world to crash &amp; burn. She doesn’t know it yet but it’s the end of normal &amp; she soon sets off on a personal journey that takes her across Europe &amp; back again.<br /> <br />In alternate chapters, we get her father’s story from his journal. He calls himself Michael &amp; tells how he was created in 1811. He’s led a violent &amp; 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 &amp; Robert Louis Stevenson resulted in disappointing versions of himself.<br /> <br />There are other threads to the plot including a shadowy group hunting Michael, a possible love interest for Lily &amp; her gradual recovery of memories surrounding her mother’s death.<br /> <br />The first 25% of the book was a bit slow. We spend a lot of time in Lily’s head &amp; are privy to her every thought, comment, action &amp; memory. She comes across as oddly flat &amp; 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 &amp; 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 &amp; 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.<br /> <br />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.

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.<br /><br />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.<br /> <br />The main players:<br /><br />Dr. Lily Dominick, is a forensic psychiatrist at New York's leading institution. <br />Client 46874-A, a man with no name, is accused of the most twisted crime and is Lily’s study <br /><br />The plot:<br /><br /> 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.<br /><br />Conclusion:<br /><br />Great story and an excellent read if you are into this.<br /><br />Review copy received via Edelweiss <br /><br />

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.

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. <br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><i>I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!</i>