The Night Diver

If there is one thing I want to say about this book, it does not waste your time. Like at all. Just from the first few pages, the story did not pull any punches with the darkness it was going to delve into. While I’m not going into spoiler territory, the fact that I can list off a number of Trigger Warnings just from the first chapter alone can give you an idea. (TW: Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse, Suicide, Self-Harm). If you can stomach that list, then go on ahead.

The story mainly takes place from the eyes of Peter Barlow, a boy in an orphanage run by priests. As one would expect, the experience is nowhere near pleasant, with days consisting of hard work, corporal punishment, and the threat of being sent to a coffin-like space underground known as The Hole. Even the caretakers are either convicted criminals or Priests that are drunk on power over these vulnerable children. Things only get worse as a mysterious person is brought in a by a Sheriff, who is hoping to get help for a situation that seems increasingly supernatural. It is this event that pulls the orphanage into even deeper depths of darkness that truly chilled me to the core until the end.

Firstly, I would like to discuss the characters in this book. The main characters involved in the story are written in a way that makes you either root for them or absolutely hate them, which both serve to drive the emotional core of this story. However, the tight pacing of this book does leave a bit to be desired. This is a school full of boys with differing personalities and backgrounds, and many of them get pushed into the background once the action gets going. It is to be expected if the cast is large, but I think Philip Fracassi, did the equivalent of giving a taste of a nice dish before pulling it away. There are some characters here that had an inkling of an intriguing story over there, and it made me very eager to learn more, only for them to be swept away by the chaotic horror in the book. Even if some of the characters are kind of archetypal, they still have a very strong presence in the story.

In terms of total scare factor, this book gets all the marks. The evil presence here is a constant threat for the characters, and there are some downright horrific scenes that unfold through the book. There is a ton of violence that can strike fear in any reader, but there is also a very present psychological element there too. The Demon in this story plays on doubts, traumas, and the darkness in people to challenge their faith in God, and leads characters to do horrific things, which makes it a very formidable presence. If you are looking for a story full of carnage, this story pulls no punches, for better or worse.

Overall, I think the book is a nice one to pick up if you need a quick, thrilling horror story. It has a very interesting cast of characters, thrust in a very dark situation that would keep you at the edge of your seat until the very end. While I would have liked to spend more time in this world and with its characters, this is a heart-stopping journey that was amazed and scared me to the last letter.

My final rating for this book is: 4/5 Stars