"We will go on."
I might be a little late to the party, but I've just finished Paul Tremblay's post-apocalyptic, comsic horror novel "The Cabin at the End of the World." Again, I'll keep this quick review spoiler-free.
As a starter, here are the main triggers you'll encounter while reading: Violence, Murder, Blood, Gore, Isolation, Natural disasters, Home invasion.
The premise:
Andrew, Eric, and Wen, their adopted daughter, travel to a nice little cabin on the edge of the lake, surrounded by a forest.
Unexpectedly, four strangers arrive. They say they need to talk to the parents. They need to go into the cabin to talk because they have something important to say. Of course, Andrew and Eric decline, so the four people end up forcing their way inside.
They tie Andrew and Eric to chairs and present the facts: the world is about to end, and they need the family of three to make some rough decisions to prevent it from happening.
My thoughts:
This was my first book by Paul Tremblay, and even though I plan to read more of his work, I have mixed feelings about this one.
I thought the pacing was a bit slow. I was thrown off several times by the throwback sections about the characters' pasts and backgrounds. I didn't feel that these added much to the story, and sometimes the flashbacks were included right in the middle of the action. If the book were shorter, I think I would've enjoyed it more.
I did like several aspects, though. The whole setting and the premise were fantastic. I also found it interesting that the villains were made to look like "good" people. They were not evil, and as the story went on, I slowly started to believe them. The metaphor of the 7 grasshoppers in the jar was also a cool element.
My rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Based on the factors listed above, for me, this was a solid 3-star read. If you like cosmic horror and post-apocalyptic settings, it's worth a shot. Also, there is a movie adaptation by the title "Knock at the Cabin," directed by M. Night Shyamalan. I haven't seen it yet, but the trailer looks promising:
Comments