🩸 Horror Fiction

An Ordinary Violence

✍️ Adriana Chartrand
Reader Score
4.5
(1 review)
$18.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A novel about a woman uncovering her brother's sinister supernatural plans.

Chartrand presents a story where Dawn’s return home triggers a conflict involving her released brother and his new companion. The plot centers on Dawn following sinister leads to stop their access to a dangerous supernatural network. This approach highlights the entwinement of spirit realms with the living. The narrative focuses on reclamation and loss within a fractured family dynamic. It avoids traditional horror tropes by emphasizing human-monstrous acts over ghostly ones. The setting remains fixed in the prairie city, grounding the eerie events in a specific, painful geography for the protagonist.

Key Themes
supernatural network access fractured family dynamics human monstrous acts
Literary Context

Published by Spiderline in 2023, this work sits within contemporary horror and gothic fiction. It engages with American prairie settings and modern supernatural traditions, focusing on psychological trauma rather than historical periods.

Difficulty
●● Medium
Recommended For Fans Of
M.R. James · Shirley Jackson · Carmen Maria Machado · Tess Gerritsen
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 Spiderline 📅 2023 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781487011888

📝 Description: An Ordinary Violence

Adriana Chartrand’s novel An Ordinary Violence follows Dawn as she returns to her fractured family’s prairie home after her city life collapses. Her brother Cody has just been released from prison, accompanied by a mysterious new friend. The narrative traces Dawn’s investigation into their sinister plans to access a dangerous supernatural network. This work draws on gothic and supernatural fiction traditions, blending spirit realms with the living world to explore trauma, violence, loss, and reclamation. The story examines how terrible events occur alongside ordinary life. Dawn must confront the pain of her past while navigating an unsettling environment where humans commit the truly monstrous acts. Chartrand qualifies as a writer who explores the blur between right and wrong. The book suits readers interested in psychological horror and supernatural mysteries. It may not appeal to those seeking lighthearted fare or purely historical Gothic tales without modern elements. The narrative structure moves from Dawn’s initial return to her uncovering of nefarious plans. It uses the prairie city setting to ground its supernatural elements. The text does not rely on explicit chapter names but focuses on character-driven suspense. Readers looking for a story about family dynamics intertwined with eerie, otherworldly threats will find this compelling. Those preferring straightforward crime fiction without supernatural components might find it less suitable.

💎 Our verdict on An Ordinary Violence

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Chartrand effectively avoids traditional horror tropes by focusing on the entwinement of spirit realms with the living world. The narrative successfully grounds eerie events in a specific, painful geography, enhancing the sense of unease through its fixed prairie city setting. By highlighting human-monstrous acts rather than relying solely on ghostly scares, the work offers a fresh take on gothic fiction. It suits readers interested in psychological horror and supernatural mysteries who appreciate nuanced family dynamics. While it may not appeal to those seeking purely historical Gothic tales or straightforward plots, its character-driven suspense provides a compelling, unsettling experience for the right audience.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking a departure from traditional ghost stories will find this compelling, as it emphasizes human-monstrous acts over spectral ones. Those interested in psychological horror and supernatural mysteries will appreciate the exploration of trauma, violence, loss, and reclamation within a fractured family dynamic. The book is ideal for audiences who enjoy narratives that blur the line between right and wrong, set against a grounded prairie city backdrop. It offers a unique perspective on how terrible events occur alongside ordinary life, making it suitable for those who prefer character-driven suspense over explicit chapter names or lighthearted fare.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5
Based on 1 reviews
5
0
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
H
Horror Reads editorial team

Chartrand effectively avoids traditional horror tropes by focusing on the entwinement of spirit realms with the living world. The narrative successfully grounds eerie events in a specific, painful geography, enhancing the sense of unease through its fixed prairie city setting. By highlighting human-monstrous acts rather than relying solely on ghostly scares, the work offers a fresh take on gothic fiction. It suits readers interested in psychological horror and supernatural mysteries who appreciate nuanced family dynamics. While it may not appeal to those seeking purely historical Gothic tales or straightforward plots, its character-driven suspense provides a compelling, unsettling experience for the right audience.

✍️ More books by this author Adriana Chartrand

An Ordinary Violence
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Adriana Chartrand
An Ordinary Violence
$39.99
81
Read →
An Ordinary Violence
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Adriana Chartrand
An Ordinary Violence
$45.95
81
Read →

You might also like

See more →
An Ordinary Violence
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
1
Adriana Chartrand
An Ordinary Violence
$39.99
81
Read →
The Haunting of Hill House
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House
$16.99
92
Read →
Dracula (Masterpiece Library Edition)
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Dracula (Masterpiece Library Edition)
$22.99
92
Read →
Edgar Allan Poe: Collected Works
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe: Collected Works
$24.99
92
Read →
Frankenstein
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Frankenstein
$26.95
92
Read →
The Yellow Wallpaper
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The Yellow Wallpaper
$29.95
92
Read →

Have a question about this item?

Ask about the edition, condition, delivery or anything else — we reply by email or phone, usually within a day.

Home Genres
Cart
Wishlist