The Vile Thing We Created

By: Robert P. Ottone

Narrated by: Patrick Donohue, Alicia Love

Lola and Ian had what they thought was the perfect relationship. Vacations. Fine dining. A healthy sex life. But when their childless lifestyle begins impacting their social lives, they decide to take the natural next step.

But what happens when that next step cracks the perfect foundation Lola and Ian have built? What happens when that next step is anything but natural?

Robert P. Ottone's The Vile Thing We Created is a terrifying vision of parenthood in the tradition of Ira Levin and Thomas Tryon.

©2022 Robert P. Ottone (P)2023 Robert P. Ottone

Unsettling, Mysterious, and Genuinely Scary

Here's the thing: despite the fact that I can't remember the last time I hated a set of main characters so much (we GET IT, you're so very hip and you love to get naughty) (and you know it's bad because I will usually NEVER COMPLAIN that a book is too steamy), I was still compelled by the story and plowed through it in two days. It's unsettling, mysterious, and genuinely scary in the vein of Rosemary's Baby and We Need To Talk About Kevin (which I actually liked this one better than). The audiobook was really well-done; if you're gonna read this one, I recommend that format. The narrators are engaging and the audio features fun, spooky effects throughout.

Wow!

I loved this book so much. Without giving too much away, it reminded me of Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen. I was obsessed with the characters from the start and really rooted for them throughout. You’ve gotta give this one a read!

Fun but uneven

I'm a sucker for an apocalypse cult tale. This one is like if Rosemary's Baby continued for several years past the final scene.

My biggest complaint is how people just don't react to the supernatural elements. The adult couple at the heart of the story will experience some absolutely insane nonsense, then be back to making jokes and talking about how hot they each think the other is. It creates some weird, uneven pacing. But overall, I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to any horror fan.

Anxiety of parenthood meets cult gaslighting

The story is steeped in the deep anxieties of PPD interwoven with a Rosemary’s Baby like cult conspiracy. Ottone captures PPD masterfully for both mother and father. It rings true and tackles the problem with understanding and empathy. The only issue I had with the story was the fact the parents were never suspicious of the seven pointed star until five years in. As for the performance of the readers I was far less impressed. Both readers sounded bored to death until they read dialogue. And even then there are issues. Particularly with the two very different British accents of the grandmother. You would think the readers would want to collaborate and make sure their character voices are relatively similar. Overall, the story was engaging enough to get me past any of the issues I had with the readers. Ottone tells a hell of a spooky story building the anticipation and tension gradually.

Like Rosemary’s Baby meets The Omen

Compelling plot, likable characters and excellent narration. Definitely a book I will be revisiting come next Halloween.