Who Would Like This Book:
If you crave atmospheric, nail-biting horror set in the wild, The Ritual absolutely delivers. Adam Nevill excels at building tension and dread among a group of very flawed, relatable characters lost in the Scandinavian wilderness. The first half is especially gripping - think primal survival, eerie forests, and unseen supernatural menace. Fans of survival horror, folk horror, or anyone who enjoyed movies like The Blair Witch Project or Deliverance will be right at home here. If you like character-driven stories that explore flawed friendships under pressure, this book is for you.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Many readers found the book repetitive or too long, with overdone descriptions that can slow the pace. The abrupt change in tone and direction halfway through the novel is polarizing - some felt the shift didn’t fit and made it seem like two different books mashed together. Others didn’t connect with the characters, especially as their choices grew questionable or their arcs became less interesting. If you’re after polished writing, super-tight plotting, or you dislike drawn-out survival ordeals and tone shifts, you might struggle with The Ritual.
About:
'The Ritual' by Adam Nevill is a horror novel that follows the story of four friends who embark on a camping hiking trip in Sweden, near the Arctic Circle. As they take a shortcut through a forest, they encounter strange ruins and an impossibly dense forest, leading to disorientation, hostility, and physical exhaustion. The novel is split into two sections, with the first covering the failed camping trip and the breakdown of the group, while the second takes a ghastly turn as they face a final fight for survival against a predator living in the forest. The author, Adam Nevill, creates a pervading sense of dread from the beginning, building unrelenting intensity and terror throughout the story.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for The Ritual include graphic violence, themes of isolation, psychological distress, and intense horror elements.
From The Publisher:
Now a Netflix Original Movie!
When four old University friends set off into the Scandinavian wilderness of the Arctic Circle, they aim to briefly escape the problems of their lives and reconnect with one another. But when Luke, the only man still single and living a precarious existence, finds he has little left in common with his well-heeled friends, tensions rise. With limited experience between them, a shortcut meant to ease their hike turns into a nightmare scenario that could cost them their lives. Lost, hungry, and surrounded by forest untouched for millennia, Luke figures things couldn't possibly get any worse. But then they stumble across an old habitation. Ancient artefacts decorate the walls and there are bones scattered upon the dry floors. The residue of old rites and pagan sacrifice for something that still exists in the forest. Something responsible for the bestial presence that follows their every step. As the four friends stagger in the direction of salvation, they learn that death doesn't come easy among these ancient trees . . .
Ratings (67)
Incredible (9) | |
Loved It (31) | |
Liked It (12) | |
It Was OK (12) | |
Did Not Like (1) | |
Hated It (2) |
Reader Stats (160):
Read It (66) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (70) | |
Did Not Finish (5) | |
Not Interested (18) |
3 comment(s)
Incredible writing and imagery
I quite liked this story. It was atmospheric and creepy and I enjoyed Nevills writing style. The first half of the book was a solid 5 stars but I subtracted a star because the second half just wasn’t as good. The slow pace was perfect for the first half but the second half just seemed to drag on and on. Either the pace needed sped up in the second half with more action and less internal dialog or it needed cut in half. But I still really liked it enough to not skip any parts.
Solid Nevill. Not as good as Last Days but close.
What can you read after
The Ritual?
About the Author:
Adam L. G. Nevill was born in Birmingham, England, in 1969 and grew up in England and New Zealand. The Ritual is his first novel to be published in the U.S. His book Last Days won the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel of the Year.
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