“I’ve been waiting for a book like you. To come into my life.”
The Ritual hit me in all of the right places. It had everything that I was looking for in a book right now. It was horror mixed with Nordic Noir. It was gruesome and gory. It felt like it was written just for me.
The base of the scenario was familiar, a group of friends get lost in the wilderness and must fight for their lives. When doing this the author must make their story unique; they have to make it stand out from the crowd. Adam Nevill mastered this, he placed his story in a unique setting, with an original villain.
For a story to hit me just right, the characters must be exceptional. They can’t just be people that I read about. Nevill’s characters became a part of my life, I felt a connection, a familiarity with them. He created realistic characters and placed them in an exceptional situation. I was lost in the woods with them and screamed for them to: Stop, turn around, RUN!
The Ritual reads in two unique, yet intricately tied together parts. Nevill slowly revealed his beast to the characters and readers. We all knew it was trouble, but completely unsure what was hunting us. I appreciate it when an author is patient, lets the story develop, that’s how I want it.
Nevill has written an incredible story, fear of the unknown is the most terrifying fear of all. The Ritual is an instant favorite.
*7 Stars
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