Phantom Wedding from A.N. Porter – Book Review
The debut novel from author A.N. Porter, Phantom Wedding is a fun horror/drama that takes you on a wild ride through myriad themes, from ghosts to social class to family drama and passionate love – all while being as much of a page turner as pringles are un-put-downable.
Patsy is a young and talented PR exec, whose life is seemingly going right on track. She has a wonderful, supportive family of means, a loving fiancé and a blossoming career, looking after a rising music star. The cherry on this enviable cake comes when Patsy lands the flat of her dreams in a picturesque oasis in North London. She’s ready to put down roots, prove herself professionally and start a family with her soon to be husband.
Alas, the flat has other ideas.
Patsy’s too-good-to-be-true sanctuary starts acting out in all the usual haunted house tropes. A strange sound here, an odd reflection there, a creepy neighbour that never shows their face. Logic can, of course, explain all these things away. Old pipes, thin walls, mirrors and… just, living in London. But as time passes, these odd occurrences become too obvious to ignore, and no amount of rationalising can convince our heroine that she’s not alone in her new flat.
Patsy lives in a seemingly contradictory world – she’s a social media expert and data cruncher, she’d never confuse fact and fiction, easily spinning both when her popstar client – or social life – needs it. On the flip side, she has been raised in a religious home and her pastor mother, while a pragmatic woman in her own right, doesn’t easily dismiss unexplained occurrences, or for that matter, a palpable malignant energy.
As these entities become more persistent in disrupting Patsy’s life, she’s forced to fall down a rabbit hole and seek out unconventional help to figure out why she’s being tormented in her new home, begging the question – who is the uninvited guest here? Patsy’s personal and professional life is turned upside down as her understanding of the supernatural world forces her to question her identity and come to terms with harsh truths and secrets she’d buried in the past. The question is, will she reconcile her internal conflicts before she’s found out, and confront these phantoms before they win?
A.N. Porter seamlessly brings together an intricate mix of cultural and spiritual perspectives in a delightfully juxtaposed setting of modern media and age old haunting. While you can expect the typical elements of a satisfying ghost story, Phantom Wedding also brings with it a flawed relationship, complicated family dynamic, inner and outer exploration of belonging, as well as the ever present dangers of celebrity. A side story throughout the novel, which was particularly jarring, follows Patsy’s client Tia, and her struggles in the music business in the supposed post-MeToo era, which like it or not, won’t be fixed any time soon. While these events are also embroiled, and mirrored, in the supernatural elements, the reality of how it would have played out sans-ghosts is hard to ignore.
Worlds collide in every sense of the word, as Patsy is forced to grapple not just with evil entities, but real-world bigotry and intolerance that, not unlike the ghosts, are as age-old as they are infuriatingly out of place in today’s London.
The argument can be made that the novel tries a little too hard to fit in every possible example of prejudice, without taking the time to really explore those themes, or how they could move the story forward. These brief sub-stories feel incidental, rather than truly integral to the progression of the plot. Having said, one glimpse at today’s news brings to stark light how ridiculously commonplace such hateful incidents are in British society. So in some ways the novel’s narrative style is an apt reflection not just of current events, but how we’ve become unhealthily accustomed to assimilating shocking, but bite-sized information.
In her fight for her home, Patsy comes together with a very unlikely group of people that come to her aid. These people come from not only different socio-economic backgrounds, but have their own takes on faith, morality and the afterlife. Phantom Wedding subtly, but beautifully brings these differing beliefs together. What might seem to be the perfect recipe for conflict, instead of bashing each others’ ideologies, these people accept one another to fight for the greater good – a lesson for us all there, I think.
Ultimately, this debut novel is a perfect modern day horror story, with poignant yet digestible storylines, a rich mix of characters and enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat til the last page. Patsy is the ideal relatable character to follow on the journey to self-actualisation …and the hereafter.
The book’s launch party did the novel justice. The author was very appropriately dressed in an elegant, yet delightfully gothic ensemble, and was surrounded by her nearest and dearest as well as sparkling young talent that would bring Patsy’s world to life. Congregating at Bantof (Soho), a place of personal history to Porter and her friends, as they used to get together there for a boogie back in the day. The success of her debut has not only garnered mention in the likes of Forbes (and Netflix rumours!), but has even inspired some of her friends to try their hand at writing – ever a sign of a satisfying read! You can pick up a copy in major bookstores and Amazon – then clear your evening and tuck in with a cuppa.
