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kcfromaustcrime's review
3.0
I've never seen the movie WOLF CREEK and undoubtedly never will. The idea of extreme violence, cruelty and madness on the page is one thing, visually another completely different for this reader anyway.
Had the books not been offered as review copies, it's doubtful I would ever have read either of them. They definitely aren't my preference, so it's only fair to say that ORIGIN was a struggle. The violence and deprivation are stark and very in your face. The book is a prequel to the movie, designed to introduce readers to the young boy that became the psychotic killer. So there's animal cruelty, deprivation, violence, dysfunctional families, bullying workmates, heaps of hiding out in the bush, and basically not a lot of hope anywhere you look.
Which is possibly exactly the sort of thing that readers of this style of book like. It did however contribute to making that struggle to read, not helped by some of the more predictable plot elements. Even without seeing the movie it's obvious that Taylor is the sort of character that can't sink much lower, so his journey there from childhood doesn't break new ground. In fact there wasn't much in the character "development" that surprised all that much. Having said that it's obvious that's not what these books are about (the second in the series is called DESOLATION GAME). They are filling in the background to one of the great psycho killers of Australian movie fame. They are fleshing out his journey from boy to killer, from human being to walking treat. Fortunately there's no attempt to justify, or explain, or soften the blow of what he has become. Given that the violence and depravity is graphic and explicit, this isn't a book for people who don't have very high tolerance levels. ORIGIN is most likely one for fans of horror, violence and absolutely, for fans of the movie.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-origin-greg-mclean-and-aaron-sterns
Had the books not been offered as review copies, it's doubtful I would ever have read either of them. They definitely aren't my preference, so it's only fair to say that ORIGIN was a struggle. The violence and deprivation are stark and very in your face. The book is a prequel to the movie, designed to introduce readers to the young boy that became the psychotic killer. So there's animal cruelty, deprivation, violence, dysfunctional families, bullying workmates, heaps of hiding out in the bush, and basically not a lot of hope anywhere you look.
Which is possibly exactly the sort of thing that readers of this style of book like. It did however contribute to making that struggle to read, not helped by some of the more predictable plot elements. Even without seeing the movie it's obvious that Taylor is the sort of character that can't sink much lower, so his journey there from childhood doesn't break new ground. In fact there wasn't much in the character "development" that surprised all that much. Having said that it's obvious that's not what these books are about (the second in the series is called DESOLATION GAME). They are filling in the background to one of the great psycho killers of Australian movie fame. They are fleshing out his journey from boy to killer, from human being to walking treat. Fortunately there's no attempt to justify, or explain, or soften the blow of what he has become. Given that the violence and depravity is graphic and explicit, this isn't a book for people who don't have very high tolerance levels. ORIGIN is most likely one for fans of horror, violence and absolutely, for fans of the movie.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-origin-greg-mclean-and-aaron-sterns
david_agranoff's review
4.0
Co-author Aaron Sterns was at World Horror Con and I saw him speaking on a panel about Extreme horror. I enjoyed meeting him so I decided to bump this prequel up to the top of my To be read pile. If you have not seen the film Wolf Creek I would suggest starting there. It is a great horror film without a shred of supernatural in it. It is a slow-burn that many impatient horror fans complain is to slow. Too bad, it is too me one of the best horror films of it’s decade.
At its heart is an absolutely horrifying character named Mick. Out in the wilderness of the aussie outback Mick hunts down lost tourists from the big city. Quentin Tarantino was such a fan of Mick he wanted to cast the actor in Death Proof (he got a cameo in Django). So my attraction to the book was getting Mick’s back story.
We certainly get that in this book, it also has a similar slow burn to the film. Like the film I have seen internet chatters commenting that they were bored. I for one was interested throughout. McLean and Sterns do a fantastic job of creating a deep and affecting atmosphere. I was interested in the outback setting in the film but it works even better in the book.
There is a little bit of Mick’s childhood and father, but more about Mick learning about how the outback can be used as perfect backdrop for killing. Mick doesn’t set out to be a killer and indeed the best scene involves Mick confronting a hippie who he helps repairs a truck for.
Does this book add depth to the film? It does, but I don’t think you need to read it to get the power of the story. I knew Mclean was a good filmmaker, and Sterns is solid writer. I look forward to reading stuff he has written out of the Wolf Creek verse.
inkycrystal's review
4.0
An interesting peek behind the curtain at the beloved villain's history. But other than a few gory details, definitely more of a psychological drama than horror.
bsparx's review
5.0
This review was originally posted on Bookish Ardour. I originally read Wolf: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game in quick succession. As a result the reviews have been combined.
Spoiler Alert: Wolf Creek: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game are two separate books, but they are also the prequels to the Australian movie Wolf Creek. I am unsure on how to go about commenting on both novels without spoilers. Please be aware there may be spoilers in this review, for the books and possibly the movie.
Review
I was going to hold off on reading Wolf Creek: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game until February, but I cracked. There’s nothing more I love than a decent horror story. When it’s a horror story set in the Australian outback and based on a well-known Australian horror movie, well is it any wonder I cracked? With the options of what to read, with how many books are published a year, it can be difficult to whittle through availability and find harsh Aussie stories. I’m always very excited when I come across a story such as Wolf Creek and I tell you what I was not disappointed.
Here’s the thing; I haven’t seen the movie these stories are a prequel for. I’ve heard about it, I’ve had a rough idea about it, but for some reason I haven’t gotten around to seeing it. After devouring Origin and Desolation Game I can say without a doubt I will be watching the movie as soon as I have the time for it. I usually try to control myself when I finish one book before beginning the next one. I like to process what I’ve read then sit down and draft my thoughts into a review. I didn’t get the chance with Origin and Desolation Game. I happily packed both books for my holiday to Melbourne, as I was halfway through Origin already, and decided I couldn’t wait to read Desolation Game. You’ve got a two-in-one review now folks because I couldn’t keep my eager mitts to myself.
I’m not new to the idea of following a protagonist who is a serial killer, a psychopath, or a sociopath. It’s not a new sensation for me to be so confused by my emotions when it comes to reading a story where the protagonist is doing such horrific things. I love these stories. They mess with your head. They turn your perspectives around and force you to analyse your emotions and how you view such deadly people. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather avoid anyone who has a craving for violence, but when you come across a character like Mick Taylor it really does make you see there is no such thing as black and white.
I found myself sympathising for Mick. I found myself being appalled by his behaviour and sad when he gave into his urges. I found myself wanting Mick to get away with murder and at the same time I desperately wanted him to stop. Mick gets under your skin. He gets so far under your skin in Origin that by the time you are well into Desolation Game your thought process is very messed up.
Origin follows Mick and tells the story of his struggles against his dark urges, his inability to accept himself, and the fear he has of being dominated by what he knows is not common. Mick does have victims in Origin, but what I loved about it was Mick being a victim himself. Origin is mainly told from Mick’s perspective and I couldn’t help loving the guy by the end of the story, while being aghast. Desolation Game takes a slightly different tact with following the story from Mick’s perspective as well as a few of his victims. I loved the story being broken up by his time during the war in Vietnam. It added so much more depth to his character.
If you know the story of Wolf Creek you know Mick will need to survive the prequels and get away free in order to wreak terror on his victims in the movie, but there’s still plenty of times where I wondered how on earth he was going to get away with it. His actions are grisly, his manner is cold, but I loved him as a character, and I can’t wait to watch the movie Wolf Creek.
Spoiler Alert: Wolf Creek: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game are two separate books, but they are also the prequels to the Australian movie Wolf Creek. I am unsure on how to go about commenting on both novels without spoilers. Please be aware there may be spoilers in this review, for the books and possibly the movie.
Review
I was going to hold off on reading Wolf Creek: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game until February, but I cracked. There’s nothing more I love than a decent horror story. When it’s a horror story set in the Australian outback and based on a well-known Australian horror movie, well is it any wonder I cracked? With the options of what to read, with how many books are published a year, it can be difficult to whittle through availability and find harsh Aussie stories. I’m always very excited when I come across a story such as Wolf Creek and I tell you what I was not disappointed.
Here’s the thing; I haven’t seen the movie these stories are a prequel for. I’ve heard about it, I’ve had a rough idea about it, but for some reason I haven’t gotten around to seeing it. After devouring Origin and Desolation Game I can say without a doubt I will be watching the movie as soon as I have the time for it. I usually try to control myself when I finish one book before beginning the next one. I like to process what I’ve read then sit down and draft my thoughts into a review. I didn’t get the chance with Origin and Desolation Game. I happily packed both books for my holiday to Melbourne, as I was halfway through Origin already, and decided I couldn’t wait to read Desolation Game. You’ve got a two-in-one review now folks because I couldn’t keep my eager mitts to myself.
I’m not new to the idea of following a protagonist who is a serial killer, a psychopath, or a sociopath. It’s not a new sensation for me to be so confused by my emotions when it comes to reading a story where the protagonist is doing such horrific things. I love these stories. They mess with your head. They turn your perspectives around and force you to analyse your emotions and how you view such deadly people. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather avoid anyone who has a craving for violence, but when you come across a character like Mick Taylor it really does make you see there is no such thing as black and white.
I found myself sympathising for Mick. I found myself being appalled by his behaviour and sad when he gave into his urges. I found myself wanting Mick to get away with murder and at the same time I desperately wanted him to stop. Mick gets under your skin. He gets so far under your skin in Origin that by the time you are well into Desolation Game your thought process is very messed up.
Origin follows Mick and tells the story of his struggles against his dark urges, his inability to accept himself, and the fear he has of being dominated by what he knows is not common. Mick does have victims in Origin, but what I loved about it was Mick being a victim himself. Origin is mainly told from Mick’s perspective and I couldn’t help loving the guy by the end of the story, while being aghast. Desolation Game takes a slightly different tact with following the story from Mick’s perspective as well as a few of his victims. I loved the story being broken up by his time during the war in Vietnam. It added so much more depth to his character.
If you know the story of Wolf Creek you know Mick will need to survive the prequels and get away free in order to wreak terror on his victims in the movie, but there’s still plenty of times where I wondered how on earth he was going to get away with it. His actions are grisly, his manner is cold, but I loved him as a character, and I can’t wait to watch the movie Wolf Creek.
kaylargh's review
3.0
I went into this thinking I was going to understand Mick Taylor and find out how he became what he did in the films. Unfortunately that's not what I got. I found out about his past which was extremely interesting but I'm still left unsure of why he began killing in the first place.
It was extremely well written and it makes me an even bigger fan of Greg McLean, now not only as a director and screenwriter but now also as an author.
I'm not going to rush out to buy the second instalment but I'll definitely give it a go at some point in the future.
It was extremely well written and it makes me an even bigger fan of Greg McLean, now not only as a director and screenwriter but now also as an author.
I'm not going to rush out to buy the second instalment but I'll definitely give it a go at some point in the future.
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