Shannon Turlington

This is a series of reviews of my favorite books published between 2010 and 2019.

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay (2018)

If countless horror movies haven’t convinced you that it’s never a good idea to vacation in a remote cabin in the woods, this book surely will. Married couple Eric and Andrew are vacationing with their adopted daughter Wen in the New Hampshire backwoods when four very creepy people show up, break in, and tell them that the world is going to end imminently if they don’t make a horrendous choice. The action takes place over the next couple of days as the suspense ratchets up to unbearable levels–and Tremblay does not take the action in expected directions. Some readers may not care for the ending, but I thought it was perfect, because the novel captured so well the existential uncertainty we all live in, having to make choices without knowing what the potential consequences may be and having to continue moving forward no matter what–a theme that elevates this above a mere thriller.