I've been aware of Philip Fracassi through Goodreads, and his works always held a certain fascination. He recently posted that some of his work was going to possibly fall out of print, so I thought it was time to get off my ass and actually order up the stuff.

So, this is my first taste of his work. Gotta say, he impressed me.

Often, when you read a work, you can sort of sense where the story is heading. You may not know precisely how it will end, but you've got a good sense of the neighbourhood.

In this one? Not so much. I thought I had it figured out, then I changed my mind and decided it wouldn't end that way, it was gonna end this way.

Then shit got weird. And I stopped trying to guess and just went along for the ride. It was the best of rides. Constricting, breathless, and assured. The writing was solid. It's nice to read something by someone who you know is completely in control.

And for the record? Yeah, didn't see that end coming. ( )

I'm not sure how, but this book simultaneously gives the gut-punch adrenaline-shock of survival-horror, and the slow and disquieting deconstruction of what is real found only in the best cosmic-horror. The story itself gets going fast, and is straight-forward enough, Matthew Calvert becomes trapped in the rubble of a building after it collapses in a record-shattering earthquake. What comes next is a strange blend of vignettes; memories, both warm and bittersweet, jarring nightmares, and the perpetually fragmenting reality of his current situation. Is Matthew dead, or on the precipice between life and death? Has his mind become as damaged as his body in the harsh situation he finds himself in, hallucinations filling in the gaps sensory deprivation has created, or has the worst come true, and has some outer horror found him, seeping in through the cracks this trauma opened? Fracassi provides the story with a resolution while still leaving it open enough to a great deal of personal interpretation. Highly recommend to fans of weird fiction and horror, and to anyone who can appreciate very well written prose and powerfully emotional storytelling. ( )

Haunting...after an earthquake the protagonist must endure the reality of his situation. A mix of hallucinations and the true situation Fracassi tells a suspenseful ominous tale. Very well written it will haunt your head long after the page is read. ( )