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Squeal
Jake Huntsman created the WISH program in order to rehabilitate the broken and the misguided—to reshape young lives before they are hardened and ruined. Deep in the Hoh Rainforest, his wards are forced to reevaluate the world around them, and the values they embody. But this time, the WISH trip to redemption is interrupted by a monstrous force—a rabid, feral hog, bred to be destroyed, faces off with the skeletal team of leaders and seven deadly teens, intent on devouring them one by one.
264 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2014
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1369 people want to read
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Enoch St. John
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 8, 2014
The following is based on a free copy of the novel provided by the author in exchange for an honest review and originally appeared at Horror After Dark.
Picking up a novel by a first time published author is always a bit of a raffle. Sometimes you wind up disappointed by what you've won; other times you walk away pleasantly surprised with your bounty. And then there are those times when it's a bit of a mixed bag.
Squeal starts very promisingly. St. John wastes no time in introducing the reader to the threat of a huge feral pig in a prologue sequence that ties back into the main narrative in fairly short order. And that main narrative, though simple, works well as far as basic set-ups go. A group of ne'er-do-well teens opt to attend or are sent on a wilderness retreat to help them learn the error of their ways while they bond with their fellow group members and learn that they each have something positive to bring to society. Led by the tough founder of the program and his God-fearing second-in-command, the group have barely stepped off the beaten track before the pig makes its presence known in a fatal way. Its frenetic stuff for the first third of the short novel, and before long the characters have been whittled down to a more manageable number.
It's at this point that the pace of the book suddenly nose-dives. After such a frenzied start, I was expecting more of the same, but instead St. John's novel of survival horror turns into something of a character study. He paints some detailed and interesting characters - which, truth be told, is the best part of the novel - but doing so at the expense of maintaining the tension established early on feels like a waste. So the reader is left getting to know this eclectic group of characters all the while wondering what happened to the pig that only hours before decimated a sizable number of their peers. I can't help but wonder if Squeal wouldn't have benefited from taking its time getting to know the characters first before placing them in harm's way...
Squeal also has the misfortune of being released hot on the heels of Nick Cutter's The Troop, with which it shares a number of similarities. Such a comparison is unfair, however, as Nick Cutter's real life alter-ego has been around and writing for some time, while St. John is just learning to ply his trade. The Troop is also far more gruesome than what is on offer here, so readers with a more delicate constitution can step more confidently into the scarcely-described gore of this world.
The end of Squeal is ambitious and will likely divide readers as to its effectiveness. I'll confess I wasn't a huge fan, but I have little doubt others will enjoy what St. John here reserves for his denouement.
Overall, Squeal is an interesting foray into the world of survival horror with a number of memorable characters that is somewhat let down by a stuttering pace. I nevertheless look forward to reading more from the author in future.
3 Pieces of Smuggled Contraband for Squeal.
Picking up a novel by a first time published author is always a bit of a raffle. Sometimes you wind up disappointed by what you've won; other times you walk away pleasantly surprised with your bounty. And then there are those times when it's a bit of a mixed bag.
Squeal starts very promisingly. St. John wastes no time in introducing the reader to the threat of a huge feral pig in a prologue sequence that ties back into the main narrative in fairly short order. And that main narrative, though simple, works well as far as basic set-ups go. A group of ne'er-do-well teens opt to attend or are sent on a wilderness retreat to help them learn the error of their ways while they bond with their fellow group members and learn that they each have something positive to bring to society. Led by the tough founder of the program and his God-fearing second-in-command, the group have barely stepped off the beaten track before the pig makes its presence known in a fatal way. Its frenetic stuff for the first third of the short novel, and before long the characters have been whittled down to a more manageable number.
It's at this point that the pace of the book suddenly nose-dives. After such a frenzied start, I was expecting more of the same, but instead St. John's novel of survival horror turns into something of a character study. He paints some detailed and interesting characters - which, truth be told, is the best part of the novel - but doing so at the expense of maintaining the tension established early on feels like a waste. So the reader is left getting to know this eclectic group of characters all the while wondering what happened to the pig that only hours before decimated a sizable number of their peers. I can't help but wonder if Squeal wouldn't have benefited from taking its time getting to know the characters first before placing them in harm's way...
Squeal also has the misfortune of being released hot on the heels of Nick Cutter's The Troop, with which it shares a number of similarities. Such a comparison is unfair, however, as Nick Cutter's real life alter-ego has been around and writing for some time, while St. John is just learning to ply his trade. The Troop is also far more gruesome than what is on offer here, so readers with a more delicate constitution can step more confidently into the scarcely-described gore of this world.
The end of Squeal is ambitious and will likely divide readers as to its effectiveness. I'll confess I wasn't a huge fan, but I have little doubt others will enjoy what St. John here reserves for his denouement.
Overall, Squeal is an interesting foray into the world of survival horror with a number of memorable characters that is somewhat let down by a stuttering pace. I nevertheless look forward to reading more from the author in future.
3 Pieces of Smuggled Contraband for Squeal.
September 7, 2014
Have to be honest, I didn't have high hopes for this book in the beginning. I was wrong. Enoch St. John certainly gave me a little twist I wasn't expecting there at the end. The story begins with a group of juvenile delinquents heading into the woods on a retreat to try and change their lives when things start to go horribly wrong right from the beginning. A mutated wild hog is on the lose, but is that the only monster in the woods? St. John does a good job building the characters. The only problem I really had with this was how abruptly the ending came. Felt like there should have been more, but it was still a very good ending. Be careful though or you will read over it without even noticing what has actually been happening.
August 17, 2014
~4.5 Stars~
Okay, so this book .
I initially bought it because I heard 'unattended young people in the wild + pig', thought Lord of the Flies, and decided that if it was anything like Lord of the Flies, it would be great. And while it is a lot different than Lord of the Flies, there is still that feel to it.
I'm going to start with the things I didn't like, because there were only a few - just enough to knock off half of a star. First, parts of it were kind of predictable - I knew who was going to make it out alive from the first descriptions. There are two characters that I just knew were going to survive, no matter what happened, and they did.
As well as that, the eventual fate of another character isn't quite clear - the last you hear of said character, said character says that they 'need to finish the game once and for all,' and then you never hear from them again.
Also, is it just me, or do all Chinese-American (or Chinese-Canadian) characters have the last name Zhang? I don't think I've read a book with a Chinese-American/Canadian character where their last name wasn't Zhang. It's popular, yes, but it's been every single one .
Now to the things I did like.
First of all, there was a seriously unexpected villain. You're introduced to a lot of characters at once, so of course a few are going to fade into the background while the first set gets introduced, but I did not see this kid coming. It was kind of brilliant.
Second, the ending. That one kid regardless, the ending was awesome. I had to re-read it a few times to see if I read it right, it was so great. Definitely awesome.
Also, the gore. Enoch St. John definitely didn't shy away from killing off characters, and it worked really well for the book.
Next, characters - considering this book is less than 300 pages and most of them die, you don't really see that much of very many of them. Either way, the ones that you did get to know were pretty great. All of them are 'bad kids' in some way - the book revolves around a wilderness camp for such people. A wilderness camp that, you know, goes horribly wrong, but they all have their issues. And you as the reader get to see a little bit of backstory even for the ones who die within the first fifty pages.
It was also a really, really fast-paced book. I finished it in a few hours, and I loved almost every minute of it.
Overall, a fast-paced, exciting book with a basic plot that works well and a cast of characters that you get to know just in time for them to die on you. I loved it.
Okay, so this book .
I initially bought it because I heard 'unattended young people in the wild + pig', thought Lord of the Flies, and decided that if it was anything like Lord of the Flies, it would be great. And while it is a lot different than Lord of the Flies, there is still that feel to it.
I'm going to start with the things I didn't like, because there were only a few - just enough to knock off half of a star. First, parts of it were kind of predictable - I knew who was going to make it out alive from the first descriptions. There are two characters that I just knew were going to survive, no matter what happened, and they did.
As well as that, the eventual fate of another character isn't quite clear - the last you hear of said character, said character says that they 'need to finish the game once and for all,' and then you never hear from them again.
Also, is it just me, or do all Chinese-American (or Chinese-Canadian) characters have the last name Zhang? I don't think I've read a book with a Chinese-American/Canadian character where their last name wasn't Zhang. It's popular, yes, but it's been every single one .
Now to the things I did like.
First of all, there was a seriously unexpected villain. You're introduced to a lot of characters at once, so of course a few are going to fade into the background while the first set gets introduced, but I did not see this kid coming. It was kind of brilliant.
Second, the ending. That one kid regardless, the ending was awesome. I had to re-read it a few times to see if I read it right, it was so great. Definitely awesome.
Also, the gore. Enoch St. John definitely didn't shy away from killing off characters, and it worked really well for the book.
Next, characters - considering this book is less than 300 pages and most of them die, you don't really see that much of very many of them. Either way, the ones that you did get to know were pretty great. All of them are 'bad kids' in some way - the book revolves around a wilderness camp for such people. A wilderness camp that, you know, goes horribly wrong, but they all have their issues. And you as the reader get to see a little bit of backstory even for the ones who die within the first fifty pages.
It was also a really, really fast-paced book. I finished it in a few hours, and I loved almost every minute of it.
Overall, a fast-paced, exciting book with a basic plot that works well and a cast of characters that you get to know just in time for them to die on you. I loved it.
July 14, 2014
This story drew me in, keeping me fascinated until the end. The character development was decent, although many of the characters could have easily used a little more depth. The suspense was okay, although not spectacular (but I also read a lot of Stephen King so I have high expectations.) And the ending wrapped up a little quickly, but it also completely surprised me, which doesn't often happen in horror stories, so that was good. Overall it was a pretty good book, with just a few little nitpicky type problems for me.
Want to read
July 12, 2016I haven't read the book yet, but it reminded me a lot of Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
September 10, 2014
A small youth reform camping trip becomes the unfortunate prey for a giant killer pig. Enoch St. John's Squeal transforms this premise from a simple creature feature to a semi-nuanced character study. Through the use of internal dialogs the author carves the troubled youths and camp organizers from common tropes to actualized individuals struggling to survive in their home life and the forest. While the book doesn't quite push itself far enough, it is a surprisingly smooth and enjoyable read where the victims find themselves less at the bloody end of a hog's tusk and more at the inevitable conclusion of a life of unfortunate consequences.
February 27, 2015
Is Squeal about a man using his unique talents to help young people get their lives on the right path?
Is Squeal about troubled teens learning important life lessons?
Is Squeal about justice?
Is Squeal about taking real life characters out of their natural habitat for a voyeuristic psychological experiment?
Is Squeal about realistic dialog between people from different cultures, socioeconomic statuses, and geographic locations from across a great melting-pot country?
Is Squeal about dramatic character arcs that force us to hate what we loved and love what we hated?
Is Squeal a social commentary on the position the human race puts itself in when selfishly twisting nature for its own sick pleasure, creating an ultimate could-be-real horror?
Is Squeal trying to shock you with uncannily vivid scenes of gruesome yet poetic savageness of the natural world?
I wish I could say Squeal is all these and more, adroitly combining each into a masterful work of art that will get your heart racing and mind pondering. But it's not. Squeal is about a pig and a turd.
This does not mean you shouldn't give Squeal, or St. John's future works, a try.
I received this book through a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
Is Squeal about troubled teens learning important life lessons?
Is Squeal about justice?
Is Squeal about taking real life characters out of their natural habitat for a voyeuristic psychological experiment?
Is Squeal about realistic dialog between people from different cultures, socioeconomic statuses, and geographic locations from across a great melting-pot country?
Is Squeal about dramatic character arcs that force us to hate what we loved and love what we hated?
Is Squeal a social commentary on the position the human race puts itself in when selfishly twisting nature for its own sick pleasure, creating an ultimate could-be-real horror?
Is Squeal trying to shock you with uncannily vivid scenes of gruesome yet poetic savageness of the natural world?
I wish I could say Squeal is all these and more, adroitly combining each into a masterful work of art that will get your heart racing and mind pondering. But it's not. Squeal is about a pig and a turd.
This does not mean you shouldn't give Squeal, or St. John's future works, a try.
I received this book through a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
Read
June 26, 2014Slightly larger edition without border on cover.
October 7, 2014
It was ok. I wasn't connected to the characters. It didn't make ANY sense, the ending. I went back to the beginning to see if I missed anything, and I didn't. The idea was very interesting but it could have been executed better.
July 1, 2014
I was pretty disappointed in this. Lots of stereotyping, not a lot of suspense or horror.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews