A man comes up to you and tells you that everything is “going to be okay”. That, “none of what is about to happen is your fault”. Do you run? Or do you fight?
Paul Tremblay is known for his novels like A Head Full of Ghosts, and Disappearance at Devil’s Rock. His novels feature chilling, mysterious stories, with an almost supernatural element to them. But his newest novel, The Cabin at the End of the World is so well written, it may might actually be my favourite of his novels so far.
PLOT SUMMARY
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.”(goodreads.ca)
This was a whirlwind of a read in the two days that I read this book! Totally engrossing, thrilling, edge of your seat kind of novel.The descriptions, dialogue, and thought processes from the characters leave you wanting more of this terrifying & strange encounter, but also leaving you too scared to turn the page in fear of what might happen.
I think so many important themes were intertwined within this story and it’s characters, and it really opens up a discussion for faith, survival, hope and trust. It’s got that typical, what are the lengths you’d go to save your loved ones type of feel to it… but then it takes your heart, and stomps all over it. Wen, Eric and Andrew are such raw, relatable characters in the novel, that relating with them makes you feel even more paranoid once Leonard begins conversing with them. It’s hard to review this novel in fear of spoiling something – but by the end of the book, I felt almost exhausted from the paranoia and curiosity of the plot (in a totally good way).
A novel instilled with mystery, chilling dialogue, intense emotion, and paranoia, The Cabin at the End of the World is perfect for those that love a good thrilling story!
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay will be hitting stores on TOMORROW, June 26th, 2018 at Chapters/Indigo, Kobo, Amazon, Google Books, iBooks, and Barnes & Noble.
