A review by afinalgirl
The Troop by Nick Cutter

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

“how could you hide from a murderer who lives under your skin?”

the troop • nick cutter 
rating: 🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱

this book?! this book!? i read half of it with my hand over my mouth in abject horror. and obviously, this is one of my favourite books i’ve read in 2023.

it’s included in so many lists with a few warnings of how gross it was but no one mentioned WORMS?! not worms in the grounds, my mates… 

and everyone is right, this book is filth, but holy hell i LOVED it. it’s an easy read, and i don’t know why that’s a word i use for this book when it all boils down to it - but it is? it’s also gross, beautifully written, and just GOOD. the imagery from those wonderful words - this doesn’t need to be a movie because i feel like i watched the whole thing in my head.

it’s set on a little island where a scoutmaster is showing five fourteen-year-olds some survival skills. they’re staying there for a few days - but shit hits the fan so very quickly. it’s lord of the flies-esque but the ending is giving me stranger things 💀

it’s written in a mixed media sort of way, the chapters are interspersed with newspaper articles, interviews, journal entries. i love it. 

please read this book, if you can stomach it. and don’t eat while reading? i can deal with a lot but this made me queasy and i kept snacking?! 🤮

(i hate having to add these trigger warnings to a book i just gushed about, but there is vivid depictions of animal cruelty & death. as well as weird mentions of a 14 year old getting a boner. i get the point of it, but i feel there’s other ways to convey this idea ಥ‿ಥ)
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