A group of teenage boy scouts and their scoutmaster are on the small, uninhabited Falstaff Island when a stranger arrives at the camp; he is dangerously thin and collapses. Scoutmaster Tim, who is also a doctor tries to help him, but he has never seen anything like this. The man is being eaten from the inside out by worms and it isn't long until one of the party is also infected by this bioengineered experiment that has gone hideously wrong.
Anyone who becomes infected feels very, very hungry but no matter what or how much they eat (and they'll eat anything) the hunger doesn't dissipate and they lose weight extremely quickly before dying.
The scouts are all different types of character and from varied walks of life on the Prince Edward Island and this works well with how they deal with this terrifying event. The parts of the book interspersed throughout the story which are set on the mainland slightly in the future are a good idea and helped me to build a bigger picture as to what happened and why.
I enjoyed this horror novel but it isn't for the squeamish as it is gruesome in parts.
I received a copy of this from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Publication date: 14th January 2014
Book Blurb:
Lord of the Flies
meets The Ruins in this frightening novel written in the bestselling traditions of Stephen King and Scott Smith.
Boy Scouts live by the motto “Be Prepared.” However, nothing can prepare this group of young boys and their scoutmaster for what they encounter on a small, deserted island, as they settle down for a weekend of campfires, merit badges, and survival lessons.
Everything changes when a haggard stranger in tattered clothing appears out of nowhere and collapses on the campers’ doorstep. Before the night is through, this stranger will end up infecting one of the troop’s own with a bioengineered horror that’s straight out of their worst nightmares. Now stranded on the island with no communication to the outside world, the troop learns to battle much more than the elements, as they are pitted against something nature never intended…and eventually each other.
Boy Scouts live by the motto “Be Prepared.” However, nothing can prepare this group of young boys and their scoutmaster for what they encounter on a small, deserted island, as they settle down for a weekend of campfires, merit badges, and survival lessons.
Everything changes when a haggard stranger in tattered clothing appears out of nowhere and collapses on the campers’ doorstep. Before the night is through, this stranger will end up infecting one of the troop’s own with a bioengineered horror that’s straight out of their worst nightmares. Now stranded on the island with no communication to the outside world, the troop learns to battle much more than the elements, as they are pitted against something nature never intended…and eventually each other.
Yikes, sounds like a good one to read late at night when the lights are low... or maybe not! Seriously though this does sound like a good scary read although I usually pass on the super gruesome stuff. Might give this one a try though...
ReplyDeleteThis isn't for me, as according to your review and several others, it is creepy and gory, and too explicit for my tastes :) But thanks for a good review.
ReplyDeleteGreat review. Sounds like one to read during the day and when the hubby isn't TDY. Thanks for sharing! Happy reading!!!
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