"That’s what’s different about kids: they believe everything can happen, and fully expect it to."
When you were a child, what were you most afraid of? For me, it was costumed characters. Something about a giant mascot just horrified me beyond belief. In fact, I remember sitting in a grocery cart at a very young age, screaming at the top of my lungs as the Cheeto mascot tried to approach me. My poor Mom finally had to step in and politely ask him to stop following us so we could peacefully go about finishing our shopping. Thankfully, that irrational fear abated with age, but I still have a lingering nightmare involving a guy dressed in a duck costume that haunts me to this very day. As an adult, new things frighten me, things that are much more rational. Still, I find that nothing is as scary as things were when I was a kid. In his novel, The Troop author Nick Cutter, a pseudonym for Canadian author Craig Davidson, preys on our childhood fears by planting a troop of boy scouts directly into a nightmare scenario.
Tim Riggs has been a scoutmaster for years. Today brings one of his favorite traditions, the yearly camping trip. Over the next three days, the boys will get to explore the wilderness, learn to live off of the land, and share ghost stories around the warmth of a bonfire. For their part, the five boys are eager to escape the real world for a few days. Each of them is on the cusp of manhood, so this outing serves as a potentially final adventure of boyhood. This year's outing takes the troop to an isolated island. The remoteness of this place is palpable. Yes, there are certain comforts like a cabin to sleep in, but the troop can't shake the sense that they truly are on their own. A feeling that will turn from welcome to dread very quickly.
Not too far into their trip, the troop is interrupted by an intruder, a thin, rambling whither of a man. Tim was certain that the group would be alone on this island, uninterrupted by the outside world. But here this man stands, clearly not in his right mind, and voraciously hungry for any food in his vicinity. The man's hunger is ravenous, he quickly goes from consuming the food that the troop offered him to more unusual tastes. The boys and Tim are frightened by this encounter, unsure of how exactly to proceed and help this man. What they won't know until much later into the night is just how frightened they all should be. The unwanted visitor is the host to a horror more terrifying than anything they could have ever imagined.
"It is a fact that cannot be denied: the wickedness of others becomes our own wickedness because it kindles something evil in our own hearts."
I love a book that scares me. I read so many books that it can be hard to find something that truly gets under my skin, but The Troop did just that. Nick Cutter has imagined a plot that is as shocking as it is gruesome. Perhaps more dangerous than the physical threats that the troop faces is that of their own emotions. Fear can't be quantified, yet it becomes the main driver of the horror in this book. Think The Lord of the Flies but much darker. Cutter doesn't hold back on giving us all the gory details. If you are even the slightest bit squeamish this book won't be for you. I'm a die-hard horror fan, and even I was shocked by some of the scenes in this book. Like all great horror authors, Cutter knows that none of the gore will land if the reader isn't heavily invested in the characters. He shifts perspective from character to character, giving us an intimate look into their lives and psyches. The masterful character work only adds to the terror that they encounter. This is the perfect read for Halloween and a book that will continue to haunt my nightmares long after I've put it away.
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2022, 47)
I first became aware of this one a year or two ago when one of my favorite Booktubers (gabbyreads) reviewed it. She was really wowed by it, too. While horror and gore isn't my thing, it's still kind of exciting to let my imagination run wild with what you shared in your review.
ReplyDeleteIt really is the balance between the strong characters and plot that makes the horror all the more thrilling. But like I said in my review, definitely steer clear of this if you're even the slightest bit squeamish.
DeleteI was laughing because I am pretty much still afraid of the same things now as when I was a child. Lord of the Flies but darker is some dark stuff.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. My fears have definitely evolved, but I guess I shouldn't have taken my own experience as universal. And trust me, as dark as Lord of the Flies is, this one is definitely darker lol. It would be as if Stephen King had written that classic!
DeleteThere were things I really liked about this book...especially that island setting, and the kids, and the fact that they're out camping when things go bad...but I didn't love the gore factor.
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand that. Cutter really didn't hold back when it came to the gore. Even I was a bit turned off by some of it. That whole sea turtle scene in particular really got to me.
DeleteYep, this one was a freaky one with plenty of gore. I admit to freaking out a bit and I love horror books.
ReplyDeleteI'm rarely shocked by what I read, but this one definitely got to me!
DeleteOh this does sound like the perfect horror setup and a story that would give me nightmares! There aren't too many books that truly scare me. It's hard pull off in a book, although I just read one that did.
ReplyDeleteOoh which book did you read?
DeleteI love it when a book can scare me. This sounds prefect.
ReplyDeleteSame here. This one definitely had me terified!
DeleteI have had a copy of this book for years and have yet to read it. It sound really good, Ethan. It sounds like I should actually read it.
ReplyDeleteI was really impressed at the depth of characters that exists among the more brutal horror aspects. It will definitely be a title I recommend in the years to come.
DeleteIt's very difficult to scare me but this does sound very creepy.
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
It was terrifying, in the best way possible!
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