A review by georgesreads
Pig Island by Mo Hayder

3.0

Pig Island by Mo Hayder is a cracker of a book, with a plot I can only describe as flabbergasting. This one is marketed as a thriller, but really- with the countless supernatural going-ons, nail-biting tension, and graphic imagery, horror fans will absolutely get their fix too.

The infamous Pig Island is home to the Psychogenic Healing Ministries cult, founded by the even more infamous pastor Malachi Dove. Furthermore, rumour says that something not quite human roams the island... a hoax that journalist Joe Oakes is determined to debunk. Intrigued by the alien creature who supposedly inhabits Pig Island, and still bitter following a public drama with Pastor Dove, Joe and his girlfriend/ co-narrator Lexie travel to the site- and SURPRISE SURPRISE something is wrong.

This book had five star potential. Some scenes truly had my stomach doing back flips- hence why I would argue that Pig Island borders on horror. What knocked this one down for me was the ending. Following the perfect slow-burn, just-right prose, and heart-racing twists and turns- my expectations for the ending were high, and unfortunately not quite met.

One reviewer stated "The most erratic book I've ever read," and I really can't agree more. It's insane, and has you questioning everything all the time, hence my bitter disappointment that the ending fizzled out and fell flat.

All in all, Pig Island is incredibly underrated, and for some reason has been left in the horror/ thriller gutter. It's far from perfect, but the creepy vibes are spot on, and the writing is easy to follow for my fellow stop-start readers.