Who Would Like This Book:
If you like your horror with a side of squirm-inducing body horror, psychological tension, and a dash of Lord of the Flies meets Stephen King, "The Troop" is a wild ride. The story of a Boy Scout troop stranded on an island with a stomach-churning biological threat is addictive, fast-paced, and genuinely terrifying. The shifting group dynamics among the boys adds an extra layer of dread and intrigue. Horror fans, especially those who appreciate gory survival tales or creature features, will find a lot to love here. If you grew up on 80s or 90s horror and are craving something that makes you nostalgic and nauseated at the same time - this is your book.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Not everyone will rally around the campfire for this one! The graphic descriptions of gore, animal violence, and bodily invasion are truly intense - enough to make even hard-core horror readers queasy. Some found the characters stereotypical or unlikable, and felt the story leaned too hard into gross-outs rather than suspense. If you’re sensitive to animal cruelty, can’t stomach oozing parasites, or prefer subtle chills over full-throttle horror, you might want to give this trip a pass.
About:
'The Troop' by Nick Cutter is a horror novel that follows a group of five 14-year-old Scouts and their Troop Master who are dropped off on an island for a weekend of hiking and survival skills. The story takes a terrifying turn when a starving man infected with worms arrives on the island, leading to a series of gruesome and horrifying events. The book is praised for its compelling storytelling, detailed descriptions of horror, and the use of interspersed news accounts and transcripts to enhance the narrative.
The plot of 'The Troop' is described as a mix of 'Lord of the Flies' and 'The Ruins', with a focus on the boys' struggle for survival in the face of unimaginable terror. The writing style is noted for its vivid and clinical imagery, complex metaphors, and the ability to evoke discomfort and fear in readers. The book delves into themes of plausible horror, unethical experimentation, and the dark side of human nature, creating a chilling and suspenseful atmosphere throughout the story.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for The Troop include graphic descriptions of body horror, animal cruelty, and elements of psychological trauma.
From The Publisher:
"The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn't put it down. This is old-school horror at its best." -Stephen King
This "grim microcosm of terror and desperation haunting" (Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author) follows a scout troop on a terrifying fight for survival when they come across a mysterious-and deadly-stranger in the Canadian wilderness.
Once every year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip-a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story around a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder stumbles upon their campsite-shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry-Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. A horror that spreads faster than fear. A harrowing struggle for survival with no escape from the elements, the infected…or one another.
Part Lord of the Flies, part 28 Days Later-and all-consuming-this tightly written, edge-of-your-seat thriller takes you deep into the heart of darkness, where fear feeds on sanity…and terror hungers for more.
Ratings (207)
Incredible (33) | |
Loved It (66) | |
Liked It (62) | |
It Was OK (20) | |
Did Not Like (21) | |
Hated It (5) |
Reader Stats (513):
Read It (214) | |
Currently Reading (6) | |
Want To Read (205) | |
Did Not Finish (10) | |
Not Interested (78) |
9 comment(s)
It lends well to the audiobook format, which I now prefer over doing the actual reading for myself. Narration is the key to the success of any audiobook and the narration for The Troop was exceptional, in my opinion. I love horror and over the years notice that I'm hard to scare. The fact that the scenario was unleashed on a boy scout troop gone to an isolated island to earn some badges was shocking and horrifying. The story was super engaging from front to back. It left me unsettled long after it was finished. I'm hoping there will be a sequel. I'd like to see the pandemic that surely unfolds if we could only go thru the door Mr. Cutter left open at the end of the novel.
Scary as hell, I'll give it that. But at many times needlessly cruel. I don't think this is a bad book, but this is not a book of softness.
I don't know how much horror needs cruelty to be effective. Still deciding. That said, this turned my stomach and made it hard to get through.
The stomach scene stays with me and I’m not mad about it but honestly, if you told me some CIA crap is currently doing this. I would not be surprised.
Do you all want an absolutely unhinged book review? Here you go... WHAT THE F$@K DID I READ? This book had me covering my freaking eyes. It was creepy and gross and made me never want to touch or be touched by anything ever again. While yes, the story was captivating and had you invested from the very beginning it was 100% the worst. I actually did really enjoy the story. I would say if you have any kind of germophobia - don't read this book. Keep walking. Don't even look at it. Because ICK. I wasn’t prepared for the mental images Nick Cutter left me with, but personally... I don’t regret it. I think I might even pick up The Deep. Creep factor: 8/10. This was gross but good job.
DNF. Read almost all of it until I decided to DNF it. It was just not for me.
I really enjoyed this creepy story about a "boy scout" troop that gets trapped on an island and then absolute chaos ensues. I may be nuts, but I wanted MORE fear. The story is definitely creepy and I really enjoyed it. It made me think how possible things like this are and that is what is so haunting.
GNARLY. Top five horror.
I couldn't finish this. The book was well-written, with a believable, scary plot and interesting characters. Ultimately, maybe Mr. Cutter was just too descriptive for me? It's not a problem I've encountered in my limited apocalypse/terror/horror reads, but I reached a point where I just couldn't go any further, even not knowing how it ends--something that typically drives me crazy. Trying not to spoil it, but one character is NOT okay.
Shelly is a fvcking sociopath, and the author does a *really* good job--too good maybe--describing Shelly's past torture of animals *BEFORE* Shelly moves on other things in the present. How convenient for Shelly that there's an apocalypse and he can do whatever he wants? Yikes.
I might pick it up later and finish it, but this is just not for me. Gonna go find me a HEA.
Audiobook narrator was great.
Note to self--listened to 6:37:34 of 11:02:10 (60%) with 4:24:36 left.
i just didn’t really care about the characters or what was going to happen to them
What can you read after
The Troop?
About the Author:
Nick Cutter is a pseudonym for an acclaimed author of novels and short stories. He lives in Toronto, Canada.
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