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mandi_lea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Gore, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence
graceev's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug abuse, Miscarriage, and Rape
sydneythekydneybean's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.5
4.5 terror-inducing stars ⭐
Samantha has always, will always be that final girl. Not only dealing with and battling physical danger at every turn but also dismantling the mental distress she has been forced to endure for over a decade. I loved piecing together her story and watching her becoming something new, not totally Samantha, not totally Mattie. I don't think that the creatures in the woods were as fleshed out as they could have been. I understand their necessity from the plot narratively, but other than as a plot point, I'm not totally sold as to why they are in the story. I always felt a true sense of fear and anxiety from William, always watching, stalking and waiting for the right time to strike, but I didn't feel that way from the creatures.
But, the creatures in the woods, are on the lowest tier of why this book worked for me. For me, the other characters in the story (besides William, but that should be obvious) were so endearing to me that even though they were only introduced halfway through the story and we didn't spend a ton of time with them, the time I did spend with them they dug their way so deep into my heart,I felt like I was more distraught by Griffin's and Jen's death than C.P.
In another life, Griffin, Jen, C.P., and Samantha all escaped William and the monsters in the forest and lived happily ever after as the best of friends, Mattie finding a family in these strangers who showed up in her forest one day and refused to leave her behind.
Samantha has always, will always be that final girl. Not only dealing with and battling physical danger at every turn but also dismantling the mental distress she has been forced to endure for over a decade. I loved piecing together her story and watching her becoming something new, not totally Samantha, not totally Mattie. I don't think that the creatures in the woods were as fleshed out as they could have been. I understand their necessity from the plot narratively, but other than as a plot point, I'm not totally sold as to why they are in the story. I always felt a true sense of fear and anxiety from William, always watching, stalking and waiting for the right time to strike, but I didn't feel that way from the creatures.
But, the creatures in the woods, are on the lowest tier of why this book worked for me. For me, the other characters in the story (besides William, but that should be obvious) were so endearing to me that even though they were only introduced halfway through the story and we didn't spend a ton of time with them, the time I did spend with them they dug their way so deep into my heart,
In another life, Griffin, Jen, C.P., and Samantha all escaped William and the monsters in the forest and lived happily ever after as the best of friends, Mattie finding a family in these strangers who showed up in her forest one day and refused to leave her behind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Body horror, Blood, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Infertility, Gore, Emotional abuse, and Death
Moderate: Confinement and Grief
Minor: Miscarriage and Sexual violence
romeisnotindc's review against another edition
4.0
Really good at building atmosphere and narrative voice. Wish we could’ve gotten more lore about the creature. the creature is kind of always just there as a threat, occasionally picking people off. We never learn what it really is or even get a distribution other than it’s got claws and it’s big. It’s behavior and the mystery around it is what makes it scary, but I would’ve liked even just a little info on what it actually was, where it came from, or even just what it looks like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death
elitheradguy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
This story was sold to me as a creature feature, and it very much is, but the creature is not the forefront of this story by any means and is more of a metaphorical device than something that is dived into in detail. The story centers a lot more on our main character and the abuse she suffers at her "husband".
We learn later that this was actually her mother's boyfriend, and he kidnapped her when she was eight years old in order to groom her.
All in all, I feel like this was a beautifully done story. I've never suffered abuse myself, but it seemed like a liberating story to me about an abuse victim who finally manages to break free of her situation and find something better. I would hope that, if an abuse victim read this story, they would have the same hope for something better that I finished the story with. Fair warning that the emotional and physical abuse in this story is explicit, and I'd imagine that this would be an incredibly hard read for somebody who's been through abuse like this before. Take care if you intend on reading this story.
All in all, I feel like this was a beautifully done story. I've never suffered abuse myself, but it seemed like a liberating story to me about an abuse victim who finally manages to break free of her situation and find something better. I would hope that, if an abuse victim read this story, they would have the same hope for something better that I finished the story with. Fair warning that the emotional and physical abuse in this story is explicit, and I'd imagine that this would be an incredibly hard read for somebody who's been through abuse like this before. Take care if you intend on reading this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Miscarriage
Minor: Animal death
sonygaystation's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I had so much fun with this omg it reminded me so much of Until Dawn and that video game is a blast!! Love me a good creature feature horror and this did not disappoint. My only wish is the ending was a little more fleshed out but it definitely does leave an air of unsettling to have it end the way it did
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Body horror, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Sexism, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Miscarriage, Confinement, Grief, Death of parent, and Vomit
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Rape, Gaslighting, Drug use, Pregnancy, Cursing, and Alcohol
batcaves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Violence
viselik's review against another edition
This book needs a fucking content warning. I adored Christina Henry's Lost Boys and was super excited to see a horror/thriller... But I did not expect whatever the fuck this is. I am uncomfortable with the huge focus on Christianity in this book and the undertones of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Animal death, Violence, Domestic abuse, Child death, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Pedophilia
Minor: Vomit and Adult/minor relationship
elskabee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was a compelling horror novel where the horrors humans can inflict outweigh the horrors of an actual monster stalking our MC through the remote wilderness.
For me this book was not a comfortable read, but most of the things that happen to the MC are left vaguely described (most, not all). William's monstrosity still is more than clear and the MC's mental journey of starting to deconstruct everything she'd been brainwashed to believe as her memories come back is beautifully done. Being in Matty's head is incredible, she's smart and compassionate and finds an inner strength that made this story feel powerful rather than depressing.
I won't say this is a perfect book. As terrifying as the actual cryptid monster is, those looking for a creature horror will likely leave feeling unsatisfied. Although Matty is smart and careful, the strangers she meets make some stupid decisions that are kind of frustrating. But imo it was fairly tolerable because at least we still had Matty and their motivations for the decisions were understandable (but still stupid). The abruptness of the ending was very jarring for me as I felt that some things were left unresolved and I also just wish I could have known more about events afterwards.
Highly recommend, but definitely consider the triggers before picking up
For me this book was not a comfortable read, but most of the things that happen to the MC are left vaguely described (most, not all). William's monstrosity still is more than clear and the MC's mental journey of starting to deconstruct everything she'd been brainwashed to believe as her memories come back is beautifully done. Being in Matty's head is incredible, she's smart and compassionate and finds an inner strength that made this story feel powerful rather than depressing.
I won't say this is a perfect book. As terrifying as the actual cryptid monster is, those looking for a creature horror will likely leave feeling unsatisfied. Although Matty is smart and careful, the strangers she meets make some stupid decisions that are kind of frustrating. But imo it was fairly tolerable because at least we still had Matty and their motivations for the decisions were understandable (but still stupid). The abruptness of the ending was very jarring for me as I felt that some things were left unresolved and I also just wish I could have known more about events afterwards.
Highly recommend, but definitely consider the triggers before picking up
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death, Animal death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pedophilia, Murder, Miscarriage, and Rape
Minor: Confinement
additionally: brainwashing, religious abuse rape is not on page/described, but it is referenced fairly frequentlynickoliver's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
5.0
t only took me three days to finish this book, which some might not call a quick read, but for a horror novel with a heavy focus on domestic violence, my reluctance to stop was definitely surprising for me, personally. Usually, hard and graphic stories like this need to be digested in intervals and not all at once.
What made it such a page-turner for me was how atmospheric it was. The sheer idea alone of being stuck on a mountain with your very abusive husband was horrifying. Add to that the terror of knowing there was a monster out there that you couldn’t identify - and your husband’s insistence that it was his mission to kill it, therefore deliberately seeking it out and forcing you to do the same -, and you’ve got yourself a nightmare setting and scenario.
What was the bigger threat and monster in Mattie’s life? This big, scary creature out in the woods who kept brutally killing animals? Or the man in her house who beat and raped her daily and kept her chronically malnourished and weak? I loved the way Henry played with that thought, because it made you question who you should fear more. In any other book, the answer would always clearly be the unknown, supernatural creature, but here, that wasn’t really the case. The snowy, cold season exacerbated Mattie's situation even more and turned the atmosphere even more nightmarish.
Admittedly, the domestic violence was a lot. It wasn’t completely graphic, thankfully; especially the rape scenes were off-page, and a lot of the beatings were also only talked about before or afterwards. But William was extremely misogynistic and abusive - a religious nut job who picked and chose what he decided was a sin and what wasn’t. (Music? A sin. Kidnapping a girl and murdering her mother? Totally okay. Putting a child in a box so that she was so traumatised she’d obey you forever? Definitely what God wanted.) It was hard to read sometimes, so if that’s triggering for someone, that should be taken into account.
I loved that the story subverted my expectations a little. Once the three strangers appeared, I assumed there would be a tentative step to romance, just based on the way Griffin was talking and Henry wrote about him. So the way the plot progressed instead was brutal and shocking to me, but also kind of a nice surprise? It’s not like a romance would’ve fit well into the book, anyways.
I liked Mattie as a protagonist. Her trauma was portrayed very well and real. While I did think the way her memories came back was a bit too convenient at times, Henry focused a lot on the reasons behind how she managed to forget about things in the first place, and it was just very authentic. I also never got properly angry at the way she acted, because it made sense that she wouldn’t fight back in the way some readers would.
I also liked the three strangers a lot. They were developed quite nicely, and even though C.P. was sometimes thick in the head and dismissed Mattie’s very real and obvious trauma, some of his actions did make sense in retrospect. And he seemed pretty versatile - my feelings about him changed a lot, he was never static or all too predictable, which made sense in the stressful situations they were all in. The only gripe I had was the fact that he reacted to a quite gory scene very nonchalantly afterwards. It was a nightmare in the moment, but he got over it way too quickly. That didn’t feel very realistic.
Like I said, I read this pretty quickly and didn’t want to stop. It was very suspenseful! Especially the unexpected plot points - like Griffin actually dying - made it hard for me to put the book down. I just wanted to know how it ended.
Speaking of ending, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that. It was a bit too abrupt, and personally, I would’ve liked to see a bit further into Mattie’s future. I would’ve liked to know if she was going to see her sister again and how the public reacted to her showing up again after eight years missing. However, I do think it made more sense this way. Going from these 363 pages of nonstop suspense and creepy moments in the wildnerness to suddenly having scenes in the public would’ve been too much of a difference.
Overall, this was an atmospheric, suspenseful horror book that asks the question what’s scarier - monster or man?
What made it such a page-turner for me was how atmospheric it was. The sheer idea alone of being stuck on a mountain with your very abusive husband was horrifying. Add to that the terror of knowing there was a monster out there that you couldn’t identify - and your husband’s insistence that it was his mission to kill it, therefore deliberately seeking it out and forcing you to do the same -, and you’ve got yourself a nightmare setting and scenario.
What was the bigger threat and monster in Mattie’s life? This big, scary creature out in the woods who kept brutally killing animals? Or the man in her house who beat and raped her daily and kept her chronically malnourished and weak? I loved the way Henry played with that thought, because it made you question who you should fear more. In any other book, the answer would always clearly be the unknown, supernatural creature, but here, that wasn’t really the case. The snowy, cold season exacerbated Mattie's situation even more and turned the atmosphere even more nightmarish.
Admittedly, the domestic violence was a lot. It wasn’t completely graphic, thankfully; especially the rape scenes were off-page, and a lot of the beatings were also only talked about before or afterwards. But William was extremely misogynistic and abusive - a religious nut job who picked and chose what he decided was a sin and what wasn’t.
I loved that the story subverted my expectations a little. Once the three strangers appeared, I assumed there would be a tentative step to romance, just based on the way Griffin was talking and Henry wrote about him. So the way the plot progressed instead was brutal and shocking to me, but also kind of a nice surprise? It’s not like a romance would’ve fit well into the book, anyways.
I liked Mattie as a protagonist. Her trauma was portrayed very well and real. While I did think the way her memories came back was a bit too convenient at times, Henry focused a lot on the reasons behind how she managed to forget about things in the first place, and it was just very authentic. I also never got properly angry at the way she acted, because it made sense that she wouldn’t fight back in the way some readers would.
I also liked the three strangers a lot. They were developed quite nicely, and even though C.P. was sometimes thick in the head and dismissed Mattie’s very real and obvious trauma, some of his actions did make sense in retrospect. And he seemed pretty versatile - my feelings about him changed a lot, he was never static or all too predictable, which made sense in the stressful situations they were all in. The only gripe I had was the fact that he reacted to a quite gory scene very nonchalantly afterwards. It was a nightmare in the moment, but he got over it way too quickly. That didn’t feel very realistic.
Like I said, I read this pretty quickly and didn’t want to stop. It was very suspenseful! Especially the unexpected plot points - like
Speaking of ending, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that. It was a bit too abrupt, and personally, I would’ve liked to see a bit further into Mattie’s future.
Overall, this was an atmospheric, suspenseful horror book that asks the question what’s scarier - monster or man?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal death and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage