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Book Review: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

The Cabin at the End of the World  by Paul Tremblay

William Morrow. 2018

ISBN-13: 978-0062679109

Available: Hardcover, paperback, mass market paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

Paul Tremblay is at it again, screwing with the minds of readers, playing a morality game that results in a twisted read worthy of film version due to its close characters, claustrophobic setting, and themes that he refuses to shy away from.

Tremblay’s previous books, A Head Full of Ghosts and Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, both toyed with the reader’s sense of reality and the supernatural. In The Cabin at the End of the World, Tremblay drags the reader into what seems to be a simple home invasion story. Nothing is what it seems, though: this is a tight, utterly uncomfortable, well-told tale of horror that requires the reader’s intellect and intuition to untangle whether there is a supernatural factor to the story

A young girl, Wen, plays outside with her grasshoppers, while her parents, Eric and Andrew, are inside, relaxing on a peaceful family vacation in the woods of New Hampshire. Nothing is supposed to be anywhere near them: no stores, neighbors, or distractions.

Then Leonard arrives. A hulking man, he speaks calmly to her and appeals to her innocence before announcing, “None of what’s going to happen is your fault. You haven’t done anything wrong, but the three of you will have to make some tough decisions. I wish with all my broken heart you didn’t have to.” Three strangers emerge from the woods and enter the cabin. They  inform the family that the end of the world is inevitable, unless the parents make a heart-wrenching decision that will ruin them.  Are these strangers cold-blooded psychopaths who sought out this family, or is there something more at play?

The way Tremblay paints the characters of both the family and the intruders, is what drives the story. To say more would kill the suspense, but suffice it to say, the emotional heft of this tale will leave a scar behind.

Highly recommended reading for readers of great suspense.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Editor’s note: The Cabin at the End of the World  is a nominee for the 2018 Stoker Award in the category Superior Achievement in a Novel. 

Posted on March 13, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: Glimpse by Jonathan Maberry

em>Glimpse by Jonathan Maberry

St. Martin’s Press, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1250065261

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook, audio CD

 

Fans hoping to find the swashbuckling heroics of Jonathan Maberry’s  Joe Ledger novels or the zombified madness of the Rot and Ruin series will be in for a big surprise with Glimpse. Maberry has penned a decidedly different book here, a thriller in the style of  The Twilight Zone, that skates on the edges of reality and stretches the imagination, while remaining a very human story.

Rain Thomas is a damaged woman suffering from PTSD.  A decade ago, at age 16, she gave up her baby boy for adoption. The decision sent her spiraling downward and developing a drug addiction. She regularly goes to Narcotics Anonymous and is trying to turn her life around. Then, on her way to a job interview, a strange old woman sits next to her on the train and hands her a pair of glasses with a crack in the lens.  When she looks through the glasses,  Rain sees things that aren’t really there. Rain arrives at the interview and discovers she missed it–  by an entire day.

A little boy that Rain sees when she puts the glasses on spurs her into a wild adventure that turns her already off-kilter life upside down. She keeps experiencing the menacing Doctor Nine in visions that may or may not be real: he’s a character that sidesteps the usual stereotypes in favor of something deeper and much more interesting.  Rain discovers that Doctor Nine and his minions steal time and life from his victims, those who are the walking wounded. Her compatriots at Narcotics Anonymous, an odd but entertaining group of characters, become involved in Rain’s adventure, sharing her visions and dangers as she struggles to hang on to her dwindling sanity. Adding to the strange brew of characters are Stick, a taxi driver, and Monk, a private investigator, both of whom have their own demons to battle.

Glimpse burns slowly at the start, but once the plot and characters begin to spark, it blazes to the end. Definitely a different turn for Maberry, but a strong effort, and a wild, hallucinogenic ride for his readers.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms

 

Editor’s note: Glimpse is a nominee for the 2018 Bram Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in a Novel. 

 

Posted on March 4, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: The Hunger by Alma Katsu

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-0735212510

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

The release of Alma Katsu’s new historical horror novel brings with it comparisons to The Terror by Dan Simmons, even including both of them in social media ads. Do not be fooled. Yes, both authors bring impeccable research to fine stories and put you right there in the moment with ease, and both examine the human condition and how people can easily be turned to embrace their shadow selves, the monsters within the person.

However, there are a couple of major differences. First, The Hunger will not take the entire summer to read. At nearly a thousand pages, The Terror, while amazing, could be used as a weapon to literally knock someone out. Katsu’s story trims the fat, leaving a lean but thoroughly detailed and realistic story that doesn’t skimp on the details of the western mountains or pioneer life. Instead, she focuses on the relationships and the rot that crisis can reveal.

Many readers will be at least partially familiar with the story of the unfortunate Donner Party, a caravan of travelers who attempted to traverse the Sierra Nevada mountains, but were ill-prepared for the journey.

In a story where the ending is already written and most of the facts are substantiated, Katsu keeps the reader’s attention with compelling characters, and takes her time in building the burn. She introduces the many characters and allows them to maneuver through the plot, growing and festering in readers’ minds as they turn the pages. Her weaving together of the players in this horrific chunk of history creates a bloody tapestry that will intrigue the reader.

The most vividly drawn characters are Charles Stanton, a bachelor with the dark secret; Tamsen Donner, wife of George, who strongly believes in the supernatural and witchcraft;  James Reed, another party leader with a dark path; and Tamsen’s youngest daughter, who can hear the dead speak to her. Toss in some other players, and the stew simmers to a rich boil that threatens to destroy the group even before the true tragedy hits.

Katsu inserts the supernatural, or at least the vibe of it, which elevates the novel from pure historical fiction to historical horror, but she keeps the story lean. Reading it, one can almost feel the desolation of the mountains and the desperation their journey. By the time the climax unfolds, Katsu delivers on the promise hinted at in the beginning– a bit of a twist,  but just enough to create wonder Recommended reading for any thriller or history fan.

 

Reviewed by David Simms

Editor’s note: The Hunger is a nominee for the 2018 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel.

 

Posted on March 1, 2019 by , Reply
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