Official Review: Fractured by Christine Ralston

[dhaller]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fractured" by Christine Ralston.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The scene begins below the deck of Jeff Trenton’s boat, currently docked at the Montrose Marina. Four men are playing poker: Trenton, Terry Peterson, Henry Barclay and Andrew Christopoulos. It’s just like any other night on the marina, with only one exception.

Of the four men playing poker, only three of them are human.

Christine Ralston’s Fractured is an unusual kind of horror novel. Incorporating elements of mystery, science fiction, psychology and family drama, the story is as ambitious as it is terrifying. Because of the nature of the novel, a summary without spoilers wouldn’t be much of a summary. But a few hints won’t ruin any surprises.

The fascinating thing about Fractured is that the main villain isn’t a hulking terror or shadowy fiend. In fact, it barely even has a physical presence in the novel at all. The villain in Fractured is expressed only in how it effects the other characters. It is brought to life in their delusions and embodied in their psychoses. Ralston’s writing does a fantastic job of bringing this monster out as it subtly alters its victims’ minds, moving them to murder.

The novel grows more complex as first local police are brought in, then the FBI to handle murders that seem to have happened without rhyme or reason. Multiple perspectives document the case as it evolves and the horror grows. Here also Ralston’s writing shines; several stand-out moments left me literally forced to drop the book, turn around and make sure my front doors were locked.

For all that Fractured gets right, it suffers from several deficits that contrast starkly with the excellence of the horror. First of all, the novel has too many characters for its size. Between the four main characters above, their families, the police, the FBI, and the victims, Fractured struggles under the weight of all the necessary backstory. With so many moving pieces, none of the characters feel fully fleshed out, and their arcs are cheapened by how little time we get to spend with them. Furthermore, I felt it hard to empathize with the plight Ralston’s protagonists found themselves in. The very dissociation that makes for such good horror impeded me from feeling for her characters.

It took me a long time to finish Fractured, and not because it was difficult to read. I took my time because the novel succeeded at the goal of horror fiction: it scared the crap out of me. Even now, certain scenes remain in my mind the same way scenes from all great horror stories do. Somewhere in the back of my consciousness, there’s a locked room, dusty from disuse. And somewhere in the corner of that room, past the cobwebs and the flickering fluorescent lights, you can hear the sound of thumping footsteps that The Monkey’s Paw ends with; you can hear a man in Room 1408 muttering about how his brother was eaten by wolves on the Connecticut turnpike; and you can see an alien face emerging from Henry Barclay’s form, malevolent and insane.

I rate Christine Ralston’s Fractured at 2 out of 4 stars. Its flaws keep it from appealing to a wide audience and remove it two levels from perfection, but If you are a fan of eerie, psychological horror, this novel is definitely for you.

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Fractured
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[anonanemone]

Thank you for such a descriptive review. This book sounds like intense and visceral psychological thriller. I don't know if I'm brave enough to read it!

[lalsoong]

Thanks so much for your review. It was very helpful. When I get around to revising this book, I will definitely eliminate several of the characters as you suggested and tighten up the prose. Thanks!

[Tanaya]

Great review! Your description of the villain was splendid, so I was disappointed to see your critiques later on in the review (but they were great, useful critiques!) Sounds like it has potential but needs to be worked on some more.

[katiesquilts]

It's such a shame that the character lack proper depth, that's my biggest pet peeve! Otherwise I'd be throwing myself at this book. I looove horror, especially anything potentially traumatizing! (And it sounds like you might have had a bit of trauma!)

[kimmyschemy06]

This sounds like a very interesting book but too scary for me. Great review!

[Vermont Reviews]

Great review.

Vermont Reviews