A review by tiffandy92
The Troop by Nick Cutter

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Once a year, Scoutmaster Tim leads his troop into the wilderness for a weekend camping trip. 

But when an unexpected intruder stumbled upon their campsite asking for food, they quickly realize something is amiss. 

A bioengineered nightmare. A harrowing struggle for survival. There is no escape from the elements, the infected, or one another.  

•••

I feel like I’m still processing this book and the gravity of the situation. I’ve had this on the shelf, and for spooky month - it made sense. 

What I liked:

• Nick Cutter is an incredible writer. He uses such vivid imagery and shows rather than tells. Amazing vocabulary, fascinating storytelling. 
• The plot was ripped straight out of old school horror. He did a great job fleshing out (pun intended) the characters. 
• The conclusion and progress of the story left such a tingle up my spine. The ending is haunting. 

What I disliked:

• I’m going to be so real: this book is gross. It is horror, yes. But less “scary” horror and more “oh NASTY, what did I just read?!” horror.
• There is a huge amount of animal violence and cruelty in this one. There were a few chapters I had to skim because it was so disturbing. You’ve been warned. 
• One of the characters I didn’t feel was necessary to the book but I understand WHY they were included. Me being picky. 

“Do you how hard it is to killing something? Nothing wants to die. Things cling to their lives against all hope, even when it’s hopeless.”