Review by stephanieluxton - The Woods Are Dark

stephanieluxton 's review for:

The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This book felt like a cross between The hills have eyes and Outlast - an excellent combo.

This book was gory and inappropriate but I found myself really enjoying it. I only wish it was longer and that maybe some things were done a bit differently. I loved how some characters you expected to be bad weren't and some you expected to be good weren't. I'm torn between loving the fast pace because I was sucked in right away, and wishing the pace was a bit slower to build more suspense and to care more about the characters.

Some things felt pretty unebelievable.

I have a hard time believing the family of cannibals can live in the woods and eat sacrifices without anyone finding out or calling in the military. I felt like it needed more of a supernatural element for me to buy that premise. I know the big daddy cannibal was more supernatural but it wasn't quite enough. I also have a hard time believing anyone would have any sexual feelings when they're hungry, dehydrated, dirty, and in a serious survival situation. There's no way.

While the story and character development felt rushed, I felt the writing was good enough for me to enjoy the ride.

Content Warnings