The largest man Wen has ever seen approaches their cabin. They speak. He seems nice. They end up playing together, until he tells her that what's about to happen isn't her fault. Three more strangers arrive, carrying weapons.nWen realizes that the strangers are dangerous, sprinting inside their remote cabin to warn her parents, Eric and Andrew. Eric and Andrew quickly realize that the strangers are coming in, no matter what.
They're here to save the world. The small family, in their remote cabin, is the key. They have a choice to make. A sacrifice.
The Vibe
The cabin is now a haunted house, baptized by yesterday's violence, and its passive accumulation of similarly vicious and desperate acts is as inevitable as dust gathering on the windowsills.
The core horror of this book is the home invasion. The mounting dread as the invaders interact with Wen, and the realization that they're not backing down, fully convinced of their purpose. The dread mounts continually, until the book turns more violent, but it's handled with restraint and purpose. 3 candles.
It's a slow burn that at times fails to keep you engaged, especially towards the end. The prose keeps you moving, looking for the reason the strangers arrive, but the story might leave you wanting more. It's ambiguous, and it's clear that's the type of story Tremblay wanted to tell, but it doesn't quite land and feels like a cop-out. 3 stars.