The Ritual (Adam Nevill)

The Ritual- Adam Nevill

Alright, I think it's safe to say that we've all noticed a trend here. I. LOVE. Horror. Can we agree? Ok, great.

So this week's book is one that I had on my TBR list for, what might quite literally have been FOREVER. And, people can I tell you? I had mixed feelings.

First things first: this is the story of four English mates who decide to go camping through an old forest in Norway. (Near Norway? Is that Sweden? Sometimes I wonder how I got a bachelor's degree.) I could look it up I guess, but the point is moo. Whichever Scandinavian country it was, it was clearly a bad idea.

Here's the first rule of living your life to an appropriate age: Never. Hike. Off. The. TRAIL. Oh, your friend is hurt, you say? You think you found a shortcut? Bitch, the only way it could be more dangerous is if it had a sign in front of it sloppily painted with red paint to say "Shortcut this way!" If the Roadrunner didn't fall for it when the Coyote did it, please for the love of Christ on a Cracker, do not do it in your life either.

But nobody ever asks for my opinion.

So, these dipfucks take a "shortcut" that, spoiler alert*, is not actually shorter. And then? Then, a bad time was had by all.  *(I think it's safe to say, none of us thought this was a spoiler.)

Except me, I had an awesome time. 
In all seriousness, the premise of this book just drips with fear- isolated in a primeval forest, constant rain, and increasingly creepy supernatural events? Sign me up!

Until the second half of the book, though, then I'm peacing out. You see, the book is separated into a "Part One" and a "Part Two" and, honestly, the two are totally different. The second half was not really scary for me at all. In fact, I found myself irritated reading it. It felt like a different book. "Is this the same book? Was he high? Was it supposed to be a sequel?" These were some of the notes I wrote down while reading it. I guess, for someone out there, the second half was probably incredible, maybe even better than the first half. I was NOT that person. I was the person who wished she had just stopped reading it and let it end on a good (or in horror, horrible) note. (I also didn't like the epilogue of Harry Potter. There, I said it. It's off my chest now.)

The movie was released on Netflix not long after I read it, and I will say that the ending is very different. In fact, for me, the ending of the movie was better- call me a heathen if you will. (You won't if you read this book, though. There are too many actual heathens in it.)

So, in conclusion, read the book. At least, read the first half. The second half, maybe just... I don't know maybe just put the book down for a while and then come back and pretend that's a different book.

My final answer:

The Book
🌹🌹🌹 (would have been five if it weren't for the second half)

The Writing
🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

Readability
🕰️🕰️🕰️