A review by 7_minutes_of_weeping
The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

3.0

This book follows a group of friends as they spend a few days in a remote cabin as a final ‘hurrah’ before one of their friends moves out of the country. Things take a dark turn when they discover something hunting them among the snow-encrusted trees surrounding their cabin. With a snowstorm trapping them within the confines of their home and horrifying creatures stalking them outside, they must do whatever they can to survive. 

Ahlborn’s book had a lot of typical horror elements that one would expect with a winter setting creature-feature. The fear is palpable throughout this isolating book, and I genuinely found myself panicked along with our terrified characters. The atmosphere was great, and it felt like a fun, gory early 2000s horror movie. 

What I didn’t enjoy about this book were the characters. I understand that these types of ‘disposable’ characters aren’t meant to be overly lovable, but they still felt incredibly cliché and cringy. The weird love triangle between the one set of characters felt so forced and honestly, I struggled to get through the frivolous drama it created. One minute a character hated their partner, but once they went missing, it was the end of the world. I struggled to care what happened to any of the characters in the end. Except for the dog, of course. Oona deserved better than the characters she was stuck with.

Overall, this was a decent read. I wouldn’t recommend this if you are looking for something earth-shattering, but it makes for a quick and creepy atmospheric read on a cold December night.