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nika_nix's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a pretty basic creature feature slasher and it was fine. I found myself dozing off often becuse it got pretty repetitive and I really did not give a shit about these characters and their stupid drama.
I did like a little addition of bonus scenes at the beginning of certain chapters where random new characters were getting killed by these creatures, it was a fun and original festure, even though it didn't really serve any purpose.
The entire book actually had no purpose, which is fine, not every book has to, but nothing really gripped me and I think I'd enjoy this much more if it were a movie.
I did like a little addition of bonus scenes at the beginning of certain chapters where random new characters were getting killed by these creatures, it was a fun and original festure, even though it didn't really serve any purpose.
The entire book actually had no purpose, which is fine, not every book has to, but nothing really gripped me and I think I'd enjoy this much more if it were a movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy
toastrats's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Ania Ahlborn has beautiful, vivid writing and knows how to turn your stomach in the gore moments. It's a fun creature feature that is very reminiscent of Until Dawn (although I realize the book predates the release of the game), so if you want something a little mindless with a high death toll and scary monsters, this is the book.
I think the characters were very unlikable and the way April's story and writing were handled was disappointing. The ending wasn't particularly satisfying and had me feeling frustrated with the decisions of the cast. The emotional weight of some of the big moments failed to land because I just didn't really care about these characters.
Also, you can tell the author really likes the phrase "set his teeth on edge".
I think the characters were very unlikable and the way April's story and writing were handled was disappointing. The ending wasn't particularly satisfying and had me feeling frustrated with the decisions of the cast. The emotional weight of some of the big moments failed to land because I just didn't really care about these characters.
Also, you can tell the author really likes the phrase "set his teeth on edge".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Animal death and Pregnancy
aedoran08's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Cursing
Moderate: Animal death and Death
judassilver's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Infidelity, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Grief
Minor: Car accident and Misogyny
siobhanward's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I find horror with unlikable characters to be a challenge and this was no exception. Ahlborn's monsters were great - jumping right into the plot in the first chapter and the terrifying descriptions of the monsters were great and pulled me in. However, our cast of characters were so whiny and so annoying that I found myself just waiting for them to be eaten so that they could stop talking. It was a great set up for the book, but things went downhill for me when I found myself rooting for the monsters...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Death
devinjai6655's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was reccomended this book through TikTok user @baker.reads as a good intro for this author's works. This was my first time reading anything from author Ania Ahlborn and it did not disappoint.
Without spoiling anything, this has so many Until Dawn vibes and I was hooked. Reading it before bed was a mistake, because I was so enraptured and horrified I read until 4 am. Not my favorite writing style, but it was a compelling story.
Without spoiling anything, this has so many Until Dawn vibes and I was hooked. Reading it before bed was a mistake, because I was so enraptured and horrified I read until 4 am. Not my favorite writing style, but it was a compelling story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
Minor: Animal death and Pregnancy
postmortem's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy
marlo22's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
saintsnacky's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Really enjoyable story— but couldn’t stop picturing the mysterious beasts as the creatures in Scooby Doo (the movie)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
chloseencounter's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Shuddering was my only flop of this months reading but truly it was still entertaining, especially the second half of the book. This novel was about some friends getting snowed in at a cabin and some hungry and pretty intelligent creatures lurking in the woods, (not stated explicitly but this is very much a wendigo story.) I have read two other Ania Ahlborn books at this point and this was my least favorite so far but even so, it still had all the makings of an Ania Ahlborn story, including an ending that makes your stomach drop like she’s known for. My complaints really, are that the beginning of the novel was just a bit too drawn out and the characters were not very likable. Actually the character I think the reader was supposed to hate was the one I felt most sympathy toward. This book wasn’t bad but was pretty mid compared to Ania’s other works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail