Horror in the Woods (Extreme Horror Series Book 1)
Horror in the Woods
By Lee Mountford
The Sexton’s musings (spoilers are likely):
This really does remind me very much of “Wrong Turn” only that the deformities are not due to inbreeding but perhaps something a bit less disgusting and a bit more sinister. The story starts off in what feels like 1/3 of the way through. The group is already hiking. Just about to hit the woods, and frankly this start disturbed me a smidge. It was like abrupt, without introduction. It’s like you get dropped right into the shit storm from the beginning. Not that this is a bad thing, it’s just an unusual thing, and not one that I’m accustomed to.
Craig confounds me some. I feel like he has no common sense. I’m not really sure what he is attempting to accomplish with his whole “we need to save this guy” crap but it’s dead obvious that there is a threat in the area and potential for them to be in danger. Shit even after the guy attacks them, he still does not want to leave him behind. It’s stupid and reckless. He puts himself and the others in danger. Ultimately, due to certain circumstances, it’s clear that they really were never going to get out regardless as there was a traitor in their mist, but still! And then for Ashley to agree with him…come on guys! Of course because this is a horror story and he ends up the weakest link he is the first to go. And it’s in a spectacularly gory way too.
Ashley’s personal journey in this story goes from 0 to 160 in a very short amount of time. I’ve always said that stressful situations, life and death situations, show you a person’s true nature. Out of all of the characters, she goes through the most drastic change. It starts out slow but after it gains momentum she becomes badass. At first I was not fond of our protagonist. Thought her to be weak but she proved me wrong. Really wrong! I’m glad she did too.
Kim starts out as kind of a bitch. Mostly to Craig, who is her boyfriend but is assertive in a way that is not constructive. This does change and she starts to give reasons for her choices that make sense. Unfortunately in the face of terror she crumbles and all of her bravado disappears. Disappears to a point where she is ready to leave her friend behind, the one she was so fiercely protective of just chapters ago, to save her own ass. I mean not wanting to die is completely understandable but when you do a 180 like this it’s obvious that, when things get tough, you are not really who you pretend to be. I do appreciate that she redeems herself in the end, and it’s ten-fold. Perhaps all she really needed was a chance to plan and is not good at the spontaneous. I can respect that.
You like Tim at first. Seems like a good guy with a good head on his shoulders but he is not as he seems. I had a suspicion about him. I mean he was just too perfect. Not genuine. He has less of a roll in the story than I was expecting, especially once his secret is out. He’s one of those characters that you really end up feeling neutral about. You don’t hate him and you don’t like him either.
The Webb Family as it turns out are not even truly related to one another. The only family connection is Benjamin and Adela, who were married prior to “turning”. All the rest were lured there and indoctrinated by “Grandpa”. At first my head goes directly to “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” but this is not the case. This entity was never human, only wearing one (loosely) in order to have a somewhat recognizable physical presence. It is, in a way, very vulnerable. It depends on those it turns for sustenance. Turns out that the place Simon ends up at the end of “The Mark” is the same place this entity is from. It’s described in a bit more detail in this story and it is definitely the same place. There is a good reason that they are cannibals and really it’s a brilliant set up on the entities part as it is not mobile. An interesting twist on a common theme.
Closing thoughts:
The fact that the entity in this story is from the place that Simon goes to in “The Mark” really brings all of the stories I have read thus far, together. It is my suspicion that all of the supernatural entities in the stories are from this place. Finding doorways into our reality and influencing us. We are so very easily influenced. Not sure why it took me this long to see the connection, as many of the entities described are similar to one another, not the same, but similar.
There are a few twists and turns along the way. Some that, if you read books like this you’ll figure out and some that you’re like “huh”? Well written and interesting. Gory with some potentially uncomfortable moments if you are not a fan of torture. However take into consideration that this is the “Extreme Horror Collection”. Honestly I would consider it mild but for some I can see where this would be considered extreme. Some stomachs may be twisted.
