I haven’t blogged for a couple of weeks, as I’ve had a few lifestyle changes. Also, (it feels like) I lost a week of my life reading this sodding book….
From the blurb:
A supernatural superthriller from the author of Let the Right One In.
Molly wakes her mother to go to the toilet. The campsite is strangely blank. The toilet block has gone. Everything else has gone too. This is a place with no sun. No god. Just four families remain. Each has done something to bring them here – each denies they deserve it. Until they see what’s coming over the horizon, moving irrevocably towards them. Their worst mistake. Their darkest fear. And for just one of them, their homecoming.
As per the blurb, the plot (I’ll use the word loosely) centres around four families who are holidaying at a Swedish campsite.
Donald and Majvor are an older couple, they have grown up children and grandchildren, a seemingly comfortable marriage and have brought their dog Benny. They seem quite normal apart from Donald’ s obsession with Americana.
Stefan and Carina, and their young son Emil seem very happy. Emil seems to have some cognitive problems, but is a part of a loving family.
Olaf and Lennart are two farmers, and close friends. They have left their farm in the care of their children whilst they holiday with their cat Maud. Obviously Benny is thrilled about his feline neighbour.
The final family are a strange one. Isabelle is an ex-model who is trying to revamp her career. Her husband Peter is an ex-international football (soccer) player, their daughter Molly is a beautiful, if somewhat terrifying child. It is apparent from the start that they all hate each other.
When they wake up and realise that they seem to have moved from the campsite in the middle of the night, they’re confused. Why have they been moved? How have they been moved? What are the white crosses on their caravans? Why does their GPS show them to still be at the campsite?
What do these families have in common? Everyone of them has a dark, traumatic secret, and they’ll do anything to keep it hidden.
For the most part the characters are all horrible people. I mean truly awful. There are a couple of likeable characters, but the first half of the book mostly explores the characters and dynamics of their relationships. The strangest P.O.V. being the dog chasing the cat, and thinking about chasing the cat. That was so strange.
The first part of the book is really creepy, atmospheric and effectively builds a lot of tension. After that it goes a bit weird. Then you think it might be going somewhere, and you might get some answers… and then it goes into bizzaro world. I seriously have no idea WTH was going on.
The imagery of evil stormtroopers, vampires, and genuinely horrific things was brilliant, but this book never goes anywhere. I had to keep putting the book down, because I felt as though it was draining the life out of me. This could have been so good, but in the end I gave it 2.5 stars. This book is all talk and no trousers. If you were hoping to get some sort of answers about where/why/how the characters got to wherever they are, this is not the book for you. If you like slow, gory, character driven novels that don’t really go anywhere, go for it.
Cheerio!
Stephani Xx
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