REVIEW: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay @wmmorrowbooks @paulgtremblay
The Cabin at the End of the World
by Paul Tremblay
Thank you to William Morrow and Astoria Bookshop for this beautiful copy in return for my honest opinion. This book completed WOWED me! Put this on your TBR immediately!
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: June 26, 2018
Hardcover
288 pages
Standalone
Genres: Horror, Suspense, Fiction, Thriller
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts adds an inventive twist to the home invasion horror story in a heart-palpitating novel of psychological suspense that recalls Stephen King’s Misery, Ruth Ware’s In a Dark, Dark Wood, and Jack Ketchum’s cult hit The Girl Next Door.
Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road.
One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, "None of what’s going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: "Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world."
Thus begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. The Cabin at the End of the World is a masterpiece of terror and suspense from the fantastically fertile imagination of Paul Tremblay.
My Review:
I typically write my reviews as soon as I'm done reading the book so my thoughts are fresh and I say exactly how I felt as I turned that last page. With this one, I'm glad I took the night to mull my thoughts over. Tremblay has outdone himself with this book. The blurb on the back cover sums it up perfectly: a "...gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse and survival..." You really don't need to know anything more than that before going in.
The beginning starts off innocently enough as we get introduced to the adorable 7 year old Wen catching grasshoppers... and by the end of that first chapter the ominous and creepy tone sets in and that's it. You're done. You may as well cancel any plans you have and just read until you're done. Otherwise the story will just cling inside your brain and you'll hear that buzzing sound until you complete your mission!
The characters are brought to life in such a way that you almost instantly feel a connection to them. I fell in love with Wen immediately and then her fathers secondary. As for the rest of the crew - I was torn. I love them but I hate them... but I love them... I think. Or not. I don't know! At one point I had to grab the pint of chocolate ice cream out of my freezer and eat my feelings as I kept reading. GAH! (true story)
Look, this book has a LOT going on - it's a tale of faith, loyalty, love and sacrifice. Tremblay punches you right in the gut a few times and I heard myself gasp out loud a few times. I had visions of The Strangers in my head during one of the scenes which then turned into a cult like phenomenon which then turned into what-the-hell-is-actually-going-on?! I'll admit, I was a little bit plundered by the ending.. which is what I needed to simmer on, even though I already knew it was going to be a 5-star review. In retrospect, it's brilliant... bloody brilliant when looking at the grasp of the entire story arc.
As a final note, I don't know about the rest of you but Leonard had the same voice in my mind as Leland Gaunt and Charlie Manx. Haha! I heard a rumor this was coming to the big screen and I'm EXCITED about this news!
Lovers of horror touched with home invasion apocalyptic suspense will be absolutely thrilled by this page turner of all page turners.
★★★★★
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