That lady had it right — this dude was pure trash long before he got a haunted desk. 

Of all the things this book contains, all the very many trigger warnings I want to place upon it, the one that turned my stomach the most is the fatphobia expressed in the narration. What was even the point of its long, vile description of a fat man that dripped with disgust and hate? It added nothing to the story - if you wanted us to hate the first person to encounter this minor character, that character is already a rapist so... Even the most sympathetic character in the story can't help but think about that man's body in sneering ways. 

This author came highly recommended to me and I am now questioning the judgement of those people, that is how pointless and vile I found this book to be.

Tyson is a famous horror writer struggling to stay relevant in the digital age. When his longtime girlfriend buys him a beautiful but mysterious desk for his birthday, he’s struck by a sudden urge to write. Creating a bestselling, gruesome, horror novel basically overnight under the dark influence of this new desk. Tyson starts to experience a relief to his writers block but at what cost? With violent urges, troubling dreams, and aggressive behavior, it quickly becomes clear the desk is more than just a furniture piece. 

I really enjoyed this novel’s classic horror vibes and while I usually hate books being compared to others, this one really did remind me of King’s novels in the masculine characterizations and the dark turns the book takes. I love haunted items and this desk was truly monstrous.

A few minor things that I didn’t like was the pacing and some of the more dated tropes, the usual misogyny, sexual violence and a weird fat phobia scene that felt very unnecessary.  The book starts doff strong, slowed to a crawl, sped up again, and then kinda fizzled out at the end. If this was paced a little better, it might have had a stronger impact but was still a fun ride. 

Also trigger warning for violence, rape, and domestic abuse! 

If all that sounds like things you can handle I would suggest trying Gothic, it’s a solid horror novel with a haunted object which we don’t see a lot these days! I would also highly suggest the audiobook, the narration really brought the characters to life .