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lindseyycash's review against another edition
3.0
Starting this book, I really enjoyed the first chapter but quickly realized that the chapters seemed extremely long while reading on Kindle, maybe that was me not being fully engaged? The story was good, but the tensity seemed the same throughout until the end. My favorite things about the whole book were the references to the PNW, Kalispell, Yukon, etc. That's what kept me reading. Some of the subplots/twists of the story seemed out of place or lacked the tone it was supposed to have.
evermorenight's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
patricknight's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
arockinsamsara's review
4.0
This is a tight horror novel with an ever-growing sense of dread. The three main characters are all defined by different traumas, but they are distinct and relatable, or at least understandable. I enjoyed the overall story as well as the structure and pacing, and thought the flashbacks and other reveals about the characters’ histories were well done, not giving everything away in an exposition dump anywhere but filling in the pieces slowly. The folklore is an interesting twist on other isolated forest-based mythologies, and I again I appreciated that we were only revealed things bit by bit, with some questions still unanswered by the time the immediate story ended. The setting itself, the isolation of a cabin in the middle of a remote taiga during a solstice snowstorm, felt menacing and real. So, intriguing and fleshed out characters, a well-plotted and tight plot, and an overall engaging story, which succeeded in bringing dread and some horrific imagery, makes for an overall fun read, especially for anyone interested in the folk-horror subgenre exploring when modernity is in a fight with the natural world it is trying to either conquer or leave behind.
That said, it wasn’t a perfect read for me. While the flashbacks went a long way toward it, I did wish that I actually felt the connection between the characters as much as they described their love for each other. They repeatedly referenced their deep commitment and brotherhood, and while it felt genuine in the story, I would have liked to see it a little more. There was also a clear attempt at making the forest a character in the story, and the setting did feel genuine and creepy but I never really felt it to have the kind of heft it needed to really be an active participant, except for a few moments here and there. And while I don’t think every rule of the supernatural experience needs to be explained, I enjoy when stories refuse to handfeed you everything rely on the unreliability of the narrator’s experiences, I felt like there was some hand-waving at making the supernatural legacies fit the story. It just felt like anything could have happened in the plot and it would have been fine within the fuzziness of the mythology of the story, as the rules and expectations of the supernatural elements just didn’t seem to have any real heft. I just needed a little more to anchor things, so I didn’t feel like rules were arbitrarily being made up as we went along. And, lastly, some of the actual prose was a little too purple for my taste. I really appreciate poetic prose, especially in genre stories, but here it often felt forced, with every page having far more adjectives and qualifiers than necessary and sentences that felt like they were crafted just to sound important. Overall, the writing was strong and I did enjoy some of the flourishes but some of it just felt unnatural, it was just too heavy-handed.
I did really enjoy this story, and blew through it in just a few sittings. The chapters felt long enough to provide actual sustenance while still being able to end with some nice hooks that urged me to keep reading. It has strong plotting coupled with a good dose of ambience that makes for a compelling read. While there were some things I think could have been improved upon, I still heartily recommend it, especially for anyone terrified to find what might be buried in the frozen legacy of family history, hiding in plain sight in the middle of a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
I want to thank the author, the publisher Wicked House Publishing, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
That said, it wasn’t a perfect read for me. While the flashbacks went a long way toward it, I did wish that I actually felt the connection between the characters as much as they described their love for each other. They repeatedly referenced their deep commitment and brotherhood, and while it felt genuine in the story, I would have liked to see it a little more. There was also a clear attempt at making the forest a character in the story, and the setting did feel genuine and creepy but I never really felt it to have the kind of heft it needed to really be an active participant, except for a few moments here and there. And while I don’t think every rule of the supernatural experience needs to be explained, I enjoy when stories refuse to handfeed you everything rely on the unreliability of the narrator’s experiences, I felt like there was some hand-waving at making the supernatural legacies fit the story. It just felt like anything could have happened in the plot and it would have been fine within the fuzziness of the mythology of the story, as the rules and expectations of the supernatural elements just didn’t seem to have any real heft. I just needed a little more to anchor things, so I didn’t feel like rules were arbitrarily being made up as we went along. And, lastly, some of the actual prose was a little too purple for my taste. I really appreciate poetic prose, especially in genre stories, but here it often felt forced, with every page having far more adjectives and qualifiers than necessary and sentences that felt like they were crafted just to sound important. Overall, the writing was strong and I did enjoy some of the flourishes but some of it just felt unnatural, it was just too heavy-handed.
I did really enjoy this story, and blew through it in just a few sittings. The chapters felt long enough to provide actual sustenance while still being able to end with some nice hooks that urged me to keep reading. It has strong plotting coupled with a good dose of ambience that makes for a compelling read. While there were some things I think could have been improved upon, I still heartily recommend it, especially for anyone terrified to find what might be buried in the frozen legacy of family history, hiding in plain sight in the middle of a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
I want to thank the author, the publisher Wicked House Publishing, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
jennifersuzette's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley, Blaine Daigle and Wicked House Publishing for the ARC.
I didn't know what to expect going into this book but the cover drew me in. Ryne and his 2 friends are going on a hunting trip to his family's cabin. All of their initial interactions in town are strange, a storm in coming and shit is about the hit the fan. This book started out slow but I was hooked about 50% of the way through. There was a lot happening where you were not sure if it was real, or a figment of the character's imagination. It was gripping until the end.
I didn't know what to expect going into this book but the cover drew me in. Ryne and his 2 friends are going on a hunting trip to his family's cabin. All of their initial interactions in town are strange, a storm in coming and shit is about the hit the fan. This book started out slow but I was hooked about 50% of the way through. There was a lot happening where you were not sure if it was real, or a figment of the character's imagination. It was gripping until the end.
paeten_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ramblings_ofa_booknerd's review
4.0
Which is more terrifying? An isolated cabin in the woods or a snow storm Or something dark than the woods?
Ryne Burdette inherits a cabin in the woods from his late uncle and decides to take his two best friends; Noah and Shawn for a winter hunting trip as a way to start again after his life. But when bad memories start becoming more than an echo from the past and strange things start to happen in the woods, Ryne starts regretting his decision.
Because there's this sing-songy voice coming from all around them, at odd hours.There's something evil in the woods. what does this has to do with the cabin? You have to read this to get answers.
Just Wow! The author’s descriptive writing style will transport you to the Yukon woods and the cabin inside it to the point that you won't be able to put the book down until you get some answers. Because it’s that curious! The story itself it’s not a revolutionary tale with a brand new idea about the horrors of the woodlands, but it definitely is a good spin on a classic type of tale that we all love.
Ryne Burdette inherits a cabin in the woods from his late uncle and decides to take his two best friends; Noah and Shawn for a winter hunting trip as a way to start again after his life. But when bad memories start becoming more than an echo from the past and strange things start to happen in the woods, Ryne starts regretting his decision.
Because there's this sing-songy voice coming from all around them, at odd hours.There's something evil in the woods. what does this has to do with the cabin? You have to read this to get answers.
Just Wow! The author’s descriptive writing style will transport you to the Yukon woods and the cabin inside it to the point that you won't be able to put the book down until you get some answers. Because it’s that curious! The story itself it’s not a revolutionary tale with a brand new idea about the horrors of the woodlands, but it definitely is a good spin on a classic type of tale that we all love.
sphynxmum's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0