The Troop

 

By Nick Cutter

Horror

My Review

When the scouts of Troop 52 and their Scoutmaster head off to Falstaff Island for a few days of camping, hiking and survival lessons, they have absolutely no idea of the horror that awaits. A starving, emaciated man staggers into camp pleading for food, but he's not just hungry; he's sick. VERY sick. The uninvited visitor poses a terrifying risk that will test the troop beyond anything they've ever encountered. Who will live and who will die?. . .

Having read author Nick Cutter's amazingly creepy book The Deep a couple of years ago, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get stuck into his earlier novel, The Troop. And what a scary ride it was! I kept imagining myself stranded on the island with those things wriggling inside me, eek!

Although the pace started off slowly, once it got going I was hooked. The scouts' backstories, although interesting, felt a little contrived but not to the extent that anything was taken away from the story. It really was a damn fine frightening read and one I highly recommend.       

Book Source: Purchased copy

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Paperback: 416 pages

Publisher: Headline (5th June 2014)

ISBN-13: 978-1472206244

The Blurb

He felt something touch his hand. Which is when he looked down.

For the scouts of Troop 52, three days of camping, hiking and survival lessons on Falstaff Island is as close as they'll get to a proper holiday.

Which was when he saw it.

But when an emaciated figure stumbles into their camp asking for food, the trip takes a horrifying turn. The man is not just hungry, he's sick. Sick in a way they have never seen before.

Which was when he screamed.

Cut off from the mainland, the troop face a terror far worse than anything they could have made up around a campfire. To survive they will have to fight their fears, the elements...and eventually each other.