A review by jjwalkerwrites
The Ritual by Adam L.G. Nevill

“A flock of birds heaved themselves into the sky, accelerated, swooped to the south; frantic to put distance between themselves and the sound of what now moved over the face of the earth.”

The Ritual felt like two books in one. The first, about a group of friends that gets lost in dense Scandinavian wilderness, hunted by something ancient and otherworldly.

The second, a deeper look at what that creature is and how it’s connected to pagan rituals and forgotten gods.

While I think I preferred the first part, as a package, The Ritual is bleak and unforgiving. In fact, its characters have such a hard time there were moments I hoped they’d just be put out of their misery.

But it’s also an interesting look at friendship and Nevill does a great job of creating an oppressive and memorable atmosphere with his writing. If you enjoyed The Blair Witch Project, you’ll probably like this.