Horror Book Review: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

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The Cabin at the End of the World has been the best book I’ve read this year. Why? It’s anxiety in written form and was one of the fastest paced books next to Lord of the Flies. I couldn’t put it down and when I had to I was bummed. I took breaks to feed my toddler and kind of shower. The suspense was that good. 

Here’s all the things I loved about this book:

1. Traditional home invasion horror suspense spun on its head: Tremblay takes the traditional home invasion narrative and gives it a unique twist, extremely unique. I already love all horror genres, whether they are wacky and pushing boundaries or traditional slashers and monsters. I love it all. Tremblay created a hybrid here with a traditional suspense story and added his own unique creative perspective. I really respect that.
2. Pacing: Tremblay pulled off a constant fast paced suspense that made me feel real anxiety. The pace never slowed and kept me wanting more until the very last page. Sorry to say, but even Stephen King books sometimes have me yawning and bored in certain sections. (I love King but you King fans so get my drift.)
3. Diverse characters: The main characters are a family made up of two married men and their adopted Chinese daughter Wen. Awesome, done well, genuine. Enough said.
4. Plot was easy to follow even with a total of seven characters: Tremblay interweaves backstory and characters’ past so the reader can have a better understanding of each character’s background and personality. It also enables the reader to build emotional investment with the characters. It’s not confusing and done quite well.
5. At the end of this book, there is a section of insights and interviews with Paul Tremblay about the book and origins of certain elements in the book. This was just phenomenal. This is what pushed my 4 star rating to a 5 star rating. I was not a huge fan of the ending but after reading Tremblay’s insights on why he chose the ending, it sufficed.

Here’s the one thing I was not a fan of:

I wasn’t a fan of the ending, but ultimately it doesn’t matter. The ending did not ruin the journey for me or the experience. Tremblay took me for quite a ride and I cannot complain. As a writer myself, I can’t help but think about where I would’ve taken the story. I think all writers do that. It doesn’t mean I don’t respect how Tremblay ended it. I do. I am just very dark and would’ve loved for everything to come to a tragic demise. 

That’s it. As always, I like to end my reviews with some favorite quotes. 


Here are some of my favorite quotes from The Cabin at the End of the World:

“Right. Hell yeah, we’re gonna hit’em with logs.”

“Tears ring Andrew’s eyes as fear and the numbness of this irreality momentarily give way to absurdity.”

“Time is running out on the world, on us.”

“The most important gifts are often the ones we wish with all our hearts to refuse.”

“Do you have any idea how delicious it is to give yourself over to something else so completely?”

“Trust the process.”
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Learn more about Paul Tremblay by visiting his website. 

Check out my other reviews:

The Girl on the Glider by Brian Keene

Tribesmen by Adam Cesare

Thanks for tuning in, 
Sterp
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