Phantom

"In this novel, Susan Kay re imagines Gaston Leroux's famous novel "The Phantom of the Opera" in greater depth and detail. "Phantom" begins with a young widow giving birth to her only child. The child's face is severely deformed, and despite the signs of genius he shows from his early days, she cannot bring herself to love him. The child, Erik's, childhood is spent longing for the love of a mother whose only gift to him was a mask. Eventually Erik runs away and joins a circus freak show. The cruel owners capitalize off his hideous face and his hauntingly beautiful singing. After leaving the…