A gripping horror novel, The Troop by Nick Cutter tells the
story of a small group of Scouts who, with their
Scoutmaster Tim, camp on an island for their annual trip to
hone their scout craft, cook over open fires and all the
usual scouting activities. Their idyll of camping, hikes,
wildlife spotting etc. is soon interrupted by an unexpected
visitor, a boat arrives and it soon becomes clear that the
man who came with it has something very, very wrong with
him. Cadaverously thin and ravenously hungry he sets alarm
bells wringing, and soon things start turning very bad
indeed. To add to the problems Scoutmaster Tim makes some
bad errors of judgement and one of the boys displays a
frightening lack of morality.
THE TROOP is told in a series of excerpts interspersed with
newspaper
articles about the events and flashbacks from the locals
who were caught up in it, THE TROOP absorbed me from the
start; a horror story with thoughts on teenage boys and how
they behave in extremis (and indeed just in normal life)
mixed with speculations on the motives of scientists it
makes for a first rate read for anyone who is into the
horror genre. While there is gore aplenty it is also a
thoughtful book in places. I recommend THE TROOP.
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.
“Lean and crisp and over-the-top....Disquieting, disturbing,” says Scott Smith, author of The Ruins and A Simple Plan, The Troop is a visceral burn of a read that combines boldly drawn characters with a fantastically rendered narrative—a terrifying story you’ll never forget.
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