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Scuttle
A brand new horror novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author, for fans of Stephen King, Catriona Ward and Chuck WendigYour worst nightmare is about to come true…
When an overnight camping trip in the woods on Halloween night goes wrong, and a girl ends up dead with what looks like animal wounds, the whole neighbourhood is shocked.
How did it happen?
And more importantly what was it that killed her?
Carrie meets The Cabin in the Woods in this terrifying Halloween horror novel!
When an overnight camping trip in the woods on Halloween night goes wrong, and a girl ends up dead with what looks like animal wounds, the whole neighbourhood is shocked.
How did it happen?
And more importantly what was it that killed her?
Carrie meets The Cabin in the Woods in this terrifying Halloween horror novel!
384 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2024
78 people are currently reading
418 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
August 12, 2024
4+
Sixteen year old Hudson Toussaint-Ray wants to attend a Halloween party in Barret Forest but his father Rex is very reluctant to give his permission. Eventually, Rex changes his mind after all what harm can it do, this is real life not a movie, certainly not Blair Witch. Maybe Rex‘s concerns are to do with the fact that the forest seems alive, perhaps some kind of beast, waiting for who knows what. It certainly has a bad reputation which, of course, teens being teens big up before the party which naturally captures their imagination, increasing their levels of anticipation and maybe Rex’s concerns. Will it be the legendary night the teenagers hope for or something else entirely? Hudson and Rex tell their incredible story alternately, so scuttle over, settle back and best strap yourself in for a bumpy ride.
Barnaby Walter has created something imaginative and different here. Yes, in places there’s a degree of yuck factor and there are scenes that are OTT in a good way but it is also heartbreaking in places and deeply intriguing. There are more dimensions to this than a horror story because there’s a complex domestic situation and Hudson’s unhappiness is clear, especially as it becomes obvious how very different he is from the other teenagers. Viewing the story from two perspectives works really well and creates empathy despite the unravelling of lives.
It’s very well written, all the characters are well portrayed and the story moves at a brisk pace. It becomes scary if not terrifying on occasions and as the plot progresses dread and fear mounts so the tension becomes palpable, the suspense is taut as you’re waiting, waiting, for who knows what to unfold??? It takes a surprising direction and kudos to the author for the references that add some literary weight to the situation. I like the enigmatic end a lot.
Overall, it’s like a horror film you might watch from behind the sofa or peeping between your fingers. As an arachnophobia there’s really only one scene that freaks me out and that’s because it taps into one of my dreads. However, I can firmly say that I love the book and it’s one that will stay with me. A great cover too.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to One More Chapter for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Sixteen year old Hudson Toussaint-Ray wants to attend a Halloween party in Barret Forest but his father Rex is very reluctant to give his permission. Eventually, Rex changes his mind after all what harm can it do, this is real life not a movie, certainly not Blair Witch. Maybe Rex‘s concerns are to do with the fact that the forest seems alive, perhaps some kind of beast, waiting for who knows what. It certainly has a bad reputation which, of course, teens being teens big up before the party which naturally captures their imagination, increasing their levels of anticipation and maybe Rex’s concerns. Will it be the legendary night the teenagers hope for or something else entirely? Hudson and Rex tell their incredible story alternately, so scuttle over, settle back and best strap yourself in for a bumpy ride.
Barnaby Walter has created something imaginative and different here. Yes, in places there’s a degree of yuck factor and there are scenes that are OTT in a good way but it is also heartbreaking in places and deeply intriguing. There are more dimensions to this than a horror story because there’s a complex domestic situation and Hudson’s unhappiness is clear, especially as it becomes obvious how very different he is from the other teenagers. Viewing the story from two perspectives works really well and creates empathy despite the unravelling of lives.
It’s very well written, all the characters are well portrayed and the story moves at a brisk pace. It becomes scary if not terrifying on occasions and as the plot progresses dread and fear mounts so the tension becomes palpable, the suspense is taut as you’re waiting, waiting, for who knows what to unfold??? It takes a surprising direction and kudos to the author for the references that add some literary weight to the situation. I like the enigmatic end a lot.
Overall, it’s like a horror film you might watch from behind the sofa or peeping between your fingers. As an arachnophobia there’s really only one scene that freaks me out and that’s because it taps into one of my dreads. However, I can firmly say that I love the book and it’s one that will stay with me. A great cover too.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to One More Chapter for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
October 15, 2024
ARC for review. Published October 8, 2024.
3.5 stars for this delightfully dark creature feature, perfect for this (or any other) spooky season. The accompanying materials describe it as CARRIE meets “A Cabin in the Woods,” which doesn’t fit AT ALL, did whomever wrote this even read the book? Still good, though.
High school students Hudson and Kenny have planned a big Halloween party in Barret Forest, with Hudson participating against the wishes of his dad, Rex and stepdad, Mattias. Rex had previously taken Hudson from his mom, Adelaide, in the U.S. when she started drinking heavily and using drugs. Now Hudson is hoping for some alone time with his crush, Kirsten.
That’s not what happens at the party. Instead there’s a bit of a blackout from Hudson, but not so much of one he doesn’t have a pretty good idea of what he did. But, how? And why? His dad, who is a good father, comes to the rescue yet again and will do what it takes to protect his boy.
But for the cell phones and video chats and such this book could have taken place in 1981 (probably more feathered hair would be involved. Thanks for bringing that back and giving me nightmares, Miley!). The writing can occasionally be a bit awkward but this is pulpy done right with a satisfying ending. Fun. I’m rounding up, because it’s almost Halloween and the author’s name is Barnaby.
3.5 stars for this delightfully dark creature feature, perfect for this (or any other) spooky season. The accompanying materials describe it as CARRIE meets “A Cabin in the Woods,” which doesn’t fit AT ALL, did whomever wrote this even read the book? Still good, though.
High school students Hudson and Kenny have planned a big Halloween party in Barret Forest, with Hudson participating against the wishes of his dad, Rex and stepdad, Mattias. Rex had previously taken Hudson from his mom, Adelaide, in the U.S. when she started drinking heavily and using drugs. Now Hudson is hoping for some alone time with his crush, Kirsten.
That’s not what happens at the party. Instead there’s a bit of a blackout from Hudson, but not so much of one he doesn’t have a pretty good idea of what he did. But, how? And why? His dad, who is a good father, comes to the rescue yet again and will do what it takes to protect his boy.
But for the cell phones and video chats and such this book could have taken place in 1981 (probably more feathered hair would be involved. Thanks for bringing that back and giving me nightmares, Miley!). The writing can occasionally be a bit awkward but this is pulpy done right with a satisfying ending. Fun. I’m rounding up, because it’s almost Halloween and the author’s name is Barnaby.
September 28, 2024
This is a different take on a creature feature and it's a very good horror story filled with tension and horrific deaths.
Hudson lives in England with his father. He has friends but they aren't particularly nice to him, leaving him feel like an outsider at times. On a group camping trip, they pull a prank on him which causes him to spiral out of control. But what emerges is horrifying. He turns painfully into a giant spider and brutally kills and digests another camper.
But it doesn't end there. When his anger gets the best of him, he transforms and commits a string of bloody murders in his spider form. Think of a cross between a were-spider and the Incredible Hulk... only much more gory.
To escape any consequences, he and his father flee to the United States to reconnect with Hudson's mother. She seems to know things about his condition. And as the book progresses, we're let in on a secret which is much more horrifying than you first imagined.
This is a great combo of sci-fi, horror, and a creature feature with some really disturbing kills and a plot which unravels it's secrets little by little, making you want to keep reading. I recommend it.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Hudson lives in England with his father. He has friends but they aren't particularly nice to him, leaving him feel like an outsider at times. On a group camping trip, they pull a prank on him which causes him to spiral out of control. But what emerges is horrifying. He turns painfully into a giant spider and brutally kills and digests another camper.
But it doesn't end there. When his anger gets the best of him, he transforms and commits a string of bloody murders in his spider form. Think of a cross between a were-spider and the Incredible Hulk... only much more gory.
To escape any consequences, he and his father flee to the United States to reconnect with Hudson's mother. She seems to know things about his condition. And as the book progresses, we're let in on a secret which is much more horrifying than you first imagined.
This is a great combo of sci-fi, horror, and a creature feature with some really disturbing kills and a plot which unravels it's secrets little by little, making you want to keep reading. I recommend it.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
October 14, 2024
Scuttle by Barnaby Walters, this is a horror story in the true sense of the word when the book begins we meet nice sweet Harrison living with his dad and is new much younger husband. In London Harrison is 15 and has a Best friend name Kenny who loves to read him about being a virgin. On Halloween night the trick is played on Harrison and people wind up dead but soon after things happened that caused Harrison and his dad to have to flee to Texas to live with Harrison‘s mom Adele under assume names. When they arrive Harrison who is now going by Eathan is shocked to learn his estranged mother knows more about what’s going on with him and he insist on knowing it all. They say when you know more about a situation you’re better apt to deal with it but will Harrison knowing help him live like a normal teenager with a normal life or is he just eluding himself. I didn’t know what to put in my review as I didn’t want to ruin it for anyone but OMG from what happens to Harrison to the origin story Adelaide tails tell the ending everything about this book was wholly unexpected and something I totally enjoyed. I love monster horror and I cannot think of one thing that would’ve made this story better it was so awesome I just loved it I really must’ve been in the mood for this book because I absolutely couldn’t put it down and totally consumed it all and wanted more. Can I just say I did feel bad for the husband though he seems so nice. #NetGalley,#HarperCollinsUK,#Barnaby Walters, #Scuttle,
October 17, 2024
I have never read a book that felt as artificial as this one. None of the characters ever uses their brain. None of them seem to have any sort of personality. Every single action they perform only serves to move the plot to the next scene- and don't get me wrong. Of course, that is how books work. But usually, the characters feel like more than dull plot devices, you know?
This book wasn't scary, and it really wasn't anything else either. I finished it because it was a quick read and I sat in a doctor's waiting room for 3 hours anyway. The cover is awesome (and the reason I pre-ordered this book to begin with).
Sadly, the whole story felt flat, the writing was simple and the characters were shallow in a way I never experienced before.
I'm the last one to demand a quick horror read to follow all rules of logic, but when everyone acts like they cannot think further ahead than a toddler (and looking at the toddlers I know, this even feels unfair to them), then it really just gets frustrating.
This book wasn't scary, and it really wasn't anything else either. I finished it because it was a quick read and I sat in a doctor's waiting room for 3 hours anyway. The cover is awesome (and the reason I pre-ordered this book to begin with).
Sadly, the whole story felt flat, the writing was simple and the characters were shallow in a way I never experienced before.
I'm the last one to demand a quick horror read to follow all rules of logic, but when everyone acts like they cannot think further ahead than a toddler (and looking at the toddlers I know, this even feels unfair to them), then it really just gets frustrating.
November 28, 2025
Scuttle is an absolute nightmare masterpiece, and I mean that in the highest, most skin-crawling way possible. As someone with a full-blown spider phobia, I genuinely don’t know whether to applaud him or send him the therapy bill. The way he writes the spider—its behaviour, its movement, the dreadful intent behind it—felt so real and so intrusive I swear I could feel legs brushing my ankles while I read. It’s phenomenal, disturbing, and completely immersive.
But what really lifts this above your standard Halloween creature feature is the heart beating underneath the horror. Walter’s portrayal of an unconventional, messy, deeply human family gives the story weight. Their dynamics are layered, raw, and believable, grounding the terror in something painfully real. When things go wrong during that fateful Halloween camping trip, you care—really care—about what happens next.
But what really lifts this above your standard Halloween creature feature is the heart beating underneath the horror. Walter’s portrayal of an unconventional, messy, deeply human family gives the story weight. Their dynamics are layered, raw, and believable, grounding the terror in something painfully real. When things go wrong during that fateful Halloween camping trip, you care—really care—about what happens next.
December 16, 2025
Miałam dać tej książce wyższą ocenę ale im dalej w niej byłam tym moja ocena spadała..
*spoilerowo* (sry za moje wulgaryzmy ale nie umiałam tego ubrać bardziej kulturalnie)
Pomysł na fabułę był super i na początku największym problem byli 'znajomi' głównego bohatera a po przeniesieniu do ameryki (bo fabuła dzieję się na początku w Anglii) problemy zaczęły narastać.
Ja się zastanawiam czy to jest właśnie wina tych dwóch krajów i ich kultury czy też i nie - bo według mnie to dziwne żeby nastolatkom (16-17) nadawać tylko jedną cechę osobowości a mianowicie bycie napalonym i mienie obsesji na rozdziewiczenie (rozprawiczkowanie? jest takie słowo???) bo tak w Anglii główny 'przyjaciel' głównego bohatera ma obsesje na punkcie jego bycia prawiczkiem xd i stara się żeby w końcu 'zaliczył' nawet namawia swoją 'friends with benefits' do pomocy w tym, która bez niczego się zgadza.
Przenosimy się do ameryki a nasz główny bohater przy poznaniu kolegi gada raz!! (o swoich zainteresowaniach - seriale i książki) po czym każde inne spotkanie kręci się znowu wokół tematu seksu. Zaprasza go na domówkę gdzie dziewczyna (którą widzi pierwszy raz na oczy) od razu zabiera go do pokoju jego kolegi i chce mu zrobić loda XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD ale to nie wszystko!!! otóż główny bohater (Hudson tak btw) ustalił ze swoją matką że jego 'przemiany' dzieją się na halloween więc jego wielki mózg stwierdza że to dobry pomysł by iść w ten dzień na bal szkolny (bo co złego może się stać hmmmmmmm) i znowu ta sama dziołcha z domówki - najpierw z nim tańczy a potem co? wyciąga go z sali I PRÓBUJĘ ZNOWU ZROBIĆ MU LODA.
No myślałam że się przekręcę.....
Chciałabym wiedzieć czy to normalne (bo jak to mówią starzy ludzie 'za moich czasów tak nie było)
czy autor ma jakieś skrzywione myślenie o nastolatkach bo dla mnie to nie jest normalne że czyimś jedynym przekonaniem o młodzieży jest to że próbują się ruchać na każdym kroku.
Poza tym fabuła była spoko ale wyszła by bardziej wiarygodnie gdyby nastolatki były opisane inaczej, bo ja byłam i tak zainteresowana główną horrorową fabułą najbardziej ale te relacje ludzkie w tej książce tak mnie rozpraszały że to HIT - otwarte zakończenie mogłoby być lepsze ale nie było złe, jednak spodziewałam się że temat kosmitów czy jakiegoś najazdu na ziemie zostanie rozwinięty.
Myślałam również że po 'googlowaniu' przez głównego bohatera na temat podobnych do niego będzie grzebał głębiej i spróbuję nawiązać kontakt no ale potencjał został zmarnowany ;/ lepiej pisać o napalonych nastolatkach którym staje.
*spoilerowo* (sry za moje wulgaryzmy ale nie umiałam tego ubrać bardziej kulturalnie)
Pomysł na fabułę był super i na początku największym problem byli 'znajomi' głównego bohatera a po przeniesieniu do ameryki (bo fabuła dzieję się na początku w Anglii) problemy zaczęły narastać.
Ja się zastanawiam czy to jest właśnie wina tych dwóch krajów i ich kultury czy też i nie - bo według mnie to dziwne żeby nastolatkom (16-17) nadawać tylko jedną cechę osobowości a mianowicie bycie napalonym i mienie obsesji na rozdziewiczenie (rozprawiczkowanie? jest takie słowo???) bo tak w Anglii główny 'przyjaciel' głównego bohatera ma obsesje na punkcie jego bycia prawiczkiem xd i stara się żeby w końcu 'zaliczył' nawet namawia swoją 'friends with benefits' do pomocy w tym, która bez niczego się zgadza.
Przenosimy się do ameryki a nasz główny bohater przy poznaniu kolegi gada raz!! (o swoich zainteresowaniach - seriale i książki) po czym każde inne spotkanie kręci się znowu wokół tematu seksu. Zaprasza go na domówkę gdzie dziewczyna (którą widzi pierwszy raz na oczy) od razu zabiera go do pokoju jego kolegi i chce mu zrobić loda XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD ale to nie wszystko!!! otóż główny bohater (Hudson tak btw) ustalił ze swoją matką że jego 'przemiany' dzieją się na halloween więc jego wielki mózg stwierdza że to dobry pomysł by iść w ten dzień na bal szkolny (bo co złego może się stać hmmmmmmm) i znowu ta sama dziołcha z domówki - najpierw z nim tańczy a potem co? wyciąga go z sali I PRÓBUJĘ ZNOWU ZROBIĆ MU LODA.
No myślałam że się przekręcę.....
Chciałabym wiedzieć czy to normalne (bo jak to mówią starzy ludzie 'za moich czasów tak nie było)
czy autor ma jakieś skrzywione myślenie o nastolatkach bo dla mnie to nie jest normalne że czyimś jedynym przekonaniem o młodzieży jest to że próbują się ruchać na każdym kroku.
Poza tym fabuła była spoko ale wyszła by bardziej wiarygodnie gdyby nastolatki były opisane inaczej, bo ja byłam i tak zainteresowana główną horrorową fabułą najbardziej ale te relacje ludzkie w tej książce tak mnie rozpraszały że to HIT - otwarte zakończenie mogłoby być lepsze ale nie było złe, jednak spodziewałam się że temat kosmitów czy jakiegoś najazdu na ziemie zostanie rozwinięty.
Myślałam również że po 'googlowaniu' przez głównego bohatera na temat podobnych do niego będzie grzebał głębiej i spróbuję nawiązać kontakt no ale potencjał został zmarnowany ;/ lepiej pisać o napalonych nastolatkach którym staje.
October 5, 2024
"Scuttle" has a lot of potential, but the potential is only occasionally fulfilled. There's a solid story here, with great characters, but the middle part drags too much, and all the momentum from the first third evaporates. Here someone should have pointed out to the author how this shows indecisiveness about the direction of the plot; and indeed, the Halloween/supernatural horror type of story with which the novel begins, has been entirely forgotten by the last third: the science-fictional twist was extremely artificial, forced, and unattractive, and transformed the story into dark comedy rather than the -presumably intended- horror tale it promised to be.
To begin with, the premise sounded very interesting. Apparently the story was supposed to be a creature feature: a teenage boy, who lives with his gay father and his husband, is being pressured by his peers to lose his virginity no matter what; becuase of this, the boy gets into a very uncomfortable situation (he himself gives it the familiar word for "sexual intercourse without consent"), ending up with the boy discovering that, under these circumstances, he transforms into a huge human-eating spider shooting webs (I kid you not!). However, this is not your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and soon things escalate into gore and mayhem.
The boy's part is told in first-person. The author chooses to tell the father's story also in first-person, alternating POVs as need be. So if you open the book at random, it's not immediately clear who's talking. Nor is it clear why the author chose this format for the father: probably some insights on parenthood were supposed to be given or implied, but, as far as I can see, absolutely nothing important comes through. Plus the father, a university professor married to a much younger man, is not easy to relate with; so whatever was the author's intention of telling the father's story in first-person, it's a complete failure in the end. This pretty much concludes the novel's first third.
Once trouble has begun, and the situation becomes literally irresolvable (police is involved, and lies and excuses have dried up), the author chooses to bring new characters into the story: the boy's mum herself and the father's father. The middle third of the book needs them, in order to explain the change of setting (the dad and the son evade police and find shelter in America - some huge suspension of disbelief is necessary here).
The last third of the book is essentially a repeat of the first, with the son finding new peers pressing him to have sex all over again. Predictably, things escalate in precisely the same way and mayhem ensues. This time, though, the creature feature turns into sci-fi horror. Thankfully, all the plotlines come together, and it falls to the father to provide closure. Or not.
I obviously had some problems with the structure and the format of the story, but, overall, this is not a bad horror novel: it has several promising scenes and good action sequences. It has to be said, however, that you have to read it with your moral eyes closed. Frankly, the whole story is morally bankrupt (i.e., don't expect any lessons in morality from anyone's attitude in this book). Though, of course lack of morals in a book is not a bad thing either, it becomes troublesome when the book is about kids, sex without consent, mental illness, murder, unaliving, and crime.
To begin with, the premise sounded very interesting. Apparently the story was supposed to be a creature feature: a teenage boy, who lives with his gay father and his husband, is being pressured by his peers to lose his virginity no matter what; becuase of this, the boy gets into a very uncomfortable situation (he himself gives it the familiar word for "sexual intercourse without consent"), ending up with the boy discovering that, under these circumstances, he transforms into a huge human-eating spider shooting webs (I kid you not!). However, this is not your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and soon things escalate into gore and mayhem.
The boy's part is told in first-person. The author chooses to tell the father's story also in first-person, alternating POVs as need be. So if you open the book at random, it's not immediately clear who's talking. Nor is it clear why the author chose this format for the father: probably some insights on parenthood were supposed to be given or implied, but, as far as I can see, absolutely nothing important comes through. Plus the father, a university professor married to a much younger man, is not easy to relate with; so whatever was the author's intention of telling the father's story in first-person, it's a complete failure in the end. This pretty much concludes the novel's first third.
Once trouble has begun, and the situation becomes literally irresolvable (police is involved, and lies and excuses have dried up), the author chooses to bring new characters into the story: the boy's mum herself and the father's father. The middle third of the book needs them, in order to explain the change of setting (the dad and the son evade police and find shelter in America - some huge suspension of disbelief is necessary here).
The last third of the book is essentially a repeat of the first, with the son finding new peers pressing him to have sex all over again. Predictably, things escalate in precisely the same way and mayhem ensues. This time, though, the creature feature turns into sci-fi horror. Thankfully, all the plotlines come together, and it falls to the father to provide closure. Or not.
I obviously had some problems with the structure and the format of the story, but, overall, this is not a bad horror novel: it has several promising scenes and good action sequences. It has to be said, however, that you have to read it with your moral eyes closed. Frankly, the whole story is morally bankrupt (i.e., don't expect any lessons in morality from anyone's attitude in this book). Though, of course lack of morals in a book is not a bad thing either, it becomes troublesome when the book is about kids, sex without consent, mental illness, murder, unaliving, and crime.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2024
I'm not usually a fan of horror but this one sounded good and was it ever! Sixteen-year-old Hudson goes to his friend, Kenny's Halloween party in the forest hoping to see Kirsten, the girl he has a crush on. But things go terribly wrong and since he's been dreaming of spiders lately, he's not sure what is happening. In the morning, things are completely out of hand and no one can figure out what prompted all this chaos! It's creepy and dark but so well-paced that even as your skin is crawling, your'll be glad you read it!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
November 1, 2024
Badly written, badly edited, silly premise, aliens somehow crammed in at the end, not a horror.
April 4, 2025
You will not love this if you are Arachnaphobic! Well, that is not true; I am and I LOVED this tale of the ultimate horror.......Spiders!
When this came out this last October I had seen the cover and thought.....'uh, that sounds pretty cheesy.....i'll skip it'. But then the more I had heard of this, and it came available to me as the audiobook......I had to listen to it! Max and his husband Mattaius have got a teen age son, Hudson. Hudson was removed from his alcoholic mother at a young age from the U.S. to live in the U.k. and is raised by his two fathers. Halloween is approching and Hudson wants to attend an overnight at the local 'haunted woods' Barrett Forest. Rex immediately is against it, knowing the rumors and what is supposed to live in those woods. His Dad, Matteus decides that it will be okay as long as Hud promises to not do anything that he will regret later; such as unprotected sex (is how Hudson came into this world in the first place), alcohol or drugs. Hudson agrees. The night ends up with a female school friend is found mangled. Why does Hudson think that he had something to do with this? And what are the dreams and visions is he having of these very strange spider like creatures? Then Rex's husband comes up slaughtered too? What is going on outside of Barrett Woods!?
Now, I am a huge arachnaphobe, and I get bit by spiders ALL the time, and I did not know if i really wanted to finish this book, as the writing is so well done, that the creeps come very quick in the beginning and they never let up until the very last page.....but I did. And I am SO glad that I did. I loved this unique and very 'Creature Featuresque' coming of age British horror. I highly recommend this, but warn that if you ARE scared of spiders, go into this one with an open mind. I had a BLAST!
4.5 Spider Bites!!
When this came out this last October I had seen the cover and thought.....'uh, that sounds pretty cheesy.....i'll skip it'. But then the more I had heard of this, and it came available to me as the audiobook......I had to listen to it! Max and his husband Mattaius have got a teen age son, Hudson. Hudson was removed from his alcoholic mother at a young age from the U.S. to live in the U.k. and is raised by his two fathers. Halloween is approching and Hudson wants to attend an overnight at the local 'haunted woods' Barrett Forest. Rex immediately is against it, knowing the rumors and what is supposed to live in those woods. His Dad, Matteus decides that it will be okay as long as Hud promises to not do anything that he will regret later; such as unprotected sex (is how Hudson came into this world in the first place), alcohol or drugs. Hudson agrees. The night ends up with a female school friend is found mangled. Why does Hudson think that he had something to do with this? And what are the dreams and visions is he having of these very strange spider like creatures? Then Rex's husband comes up slaughtered too? What is going on outside of Barrett Woods!?
Now, I am a huge arachnaphobe, and I get bit by spiders ALL the time, and I did not know if i really wanted to finish this book, as the writing is so well done, that the creeps come very quick in the beginning and they never let up until the very last page.....but I did. And I am SO glad that I did. I loved this unique and very 'Creature Featuresque' coming of age British horror. I highly recommend this, but warn that if you ARE scared of spiders, go into this one with an open mind. I had a BLAST!
4.5 Spider Bites!!
April 4, 2025
3.5/5 stars.
I had no idea what to expect going into this book but I never would've anticipated what I got. I've been enjoying going into books mostly blind and that's exactly what I did with this one. I really only read the genre, title, and briefly looked at the cover. Had I investigated the cover a bit more, I suppose I could've had a bit of an idea what I was getting myself into but I didn't. I think this was definitely more enjoyable not knowing what to expect.
This reminded me of a darker version of . The characters were not likable but that didn't hinder the reading experience.
TW: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia
StoryGraph Review
Fable Review
I had no idea what to expect going into this book but I never would've anticipated what I got. I've been enjoying going into books mostly blind and that's exactly what I did with this one. I really only read the genre, title, and briefly looked at the cover. Had I investigated the cover a bit more, I suppose I could've had a bit of an idea what I was getting myself into but I didn't. I think this was definitely more enjoyable not knowing what to expect.
This reminded me of a darker version of . The characters were not likable but that didn't hinder the reading experience.
TW: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia
StoryGraph Review
Fable Review
July 31, 2025
3.75 stars. Scuttle is not a book for the faint hearted. Or for anyone with a spider phobia. It starts with a party on the woods, Hudson trying to fit in with his friends but never quite succeeding as he always feels a bit different and less confident. But after the incident in the woods, everything changes…
Ewww this was a real squirmy read. The descriptions of spiders were graphic and disturbing and petrifying. I’m not in the least bit scared of spiders but I swear if I saw one in my bedroom while reading this book then I’d have a heart attack!
Ewww this was a real squirmy read. The descriptions of spiders were graphic and disturbing and petrifying. I’m not in the least bit scared of spiders but I swear if I saw one in my bedroom while reading this book then I’d have a heart attack!
January 24, 2025
Oh look, I’ve read another B P Walter book, how original. Super fun (is that the right word?) one this one, very different! The sci-fi horror of it was really cool, and probs one I wouldn’t have read if I didn’t know the author.
July 16, 2025
Eeewwww!!!! This was a good balance of gross stuff and a bit of sci-fi.
October 15, 2024
I saw this book in Waterstones and was immediately interested by the title and cover. Read the first chapter while standing in the shop and went, yep this is gonna be an interesting little horror romp featuring spiders. But when I started actually reading it I thought I knew what to expect…I was wrong.
The story centres around sixteen year old Hudson. He lives at home in Newcastle with his father who has recently married his boyfriend. He has a crush on a girl at school and is constantly picked on by his best friend, Jimmy.
On Halloween night (original I know) they go into the woods and after Hudson is pranked (don’t know if I would call being forced into a sexual encounter with someone while not knowing if it is the person you actually intended on sleeping with until afterwards as a prank but I’m not a teenager in a horror story) Hudson runs away and feels his body changing…into a spider. HE is a god damn Were-Spider. I don’t know what I was expecting but a Were-Spider was certainly not on the list.
When he wakes up to discover that the girl he has slept with has been eaten by what appears to be a giants spider. And then panic ensues.
I know it seems like I have spoiled a fat chunk of the story there but that is basically the premise! The book isn’t that long and that is what we are dealing with for most of the page count.
It kinda goes off the rails towards the end. The way Walter explains and comes up with why Hudson can become an arachnid is a bit silly and actually made me facepalm several times. The latter half feels a bit rushed. You think it will go one way that makes logical sense then the characters do something so unbelievably stupid you want to just scream at them. The ultimate fate of Hudson and his parents is very lacklustre but then again I am not expecting fine art with a book like this.
It’s cheesy, it’s entertaining. It knows what it is and does what it sets out to do. It doesn’t feel like it is taking itself too seriously. Is it a masterpiece of horror fiction like Dracula or the Shining. No. It is in the same camp of the cheesy spider themed horror movies of the 2000s like Eight Legged Freaks and Big Ass Spider. A nice bit of Halloween cheese
The story centres around sixteen year old Hudson. He lives at home in Newcastle with his father who has recently married his boyfriend. He has a crush on a girl at school and is constantly picked on by his best friend, Jimmy.
On Halloween night (original I know) they go into the woods and after Hudson is pranked (don’t know if I would call being forced into a sexual encounter with someone while not knowing if it is the person you actually intended on sleeping with until afterwards as a prank but I’m not a teenager in a horror story) Hudson runs away and feels his body changing…into a spider. HE is a god damn Were-Spider. I don’t know what I was expecting but a Were-Spider was certainly not on the list.
When he wakes up to discover that the girl he has slept with has been eaten by what appears to be a giants spider. And then panic ensues.
I know it seems like I have spoiled a fat chunk of the story there but that is basically the premise! The book isn’t that long and that is what we are dealing with for most of the page count.
It kinda goes off the rails towards the end. The way Walter explains and comes up with why Hudson can become an arachnid is a bit silly and actually made me facepalm several times. The latter half feels a bit rushed. You think it will go one way that makes logical sense then the characters do something so unbelievably stupid you want to just scream at them. The ultimate fate of Hudson and his parents is very lacklustre but then again I am not expecting fine art with a book like this.
It’s cheesy, it’s entertaining. It knows what it is and does what it sets out to do. It doesn’t feel like it is taking itself too seriously. Is it a masterpiece of horror fiction like Dracula or the Shining. No. It is in the same camp of the cheesy spider themed horror movies of the 2000s like Eight Legged Freaks and Big Ass Spider. A nice bit of Halloween cheese
October 27, 2024
A creature feature that takes place in the woods ON HALLOWEEN?! Advertised as Carrie meets The Cabin in the Woods- This book sounded as if it was written for me. All of my favorite things in one book I went in with sky high hopes, unfortunately I was left confused and extremely disappointed.
I had a lot of issues with this book. By the synopsis I was led to believe this book was going to take place during a camping trip in the woods when in reality that's only a chapter or two of this book. As far as Carrie meets The Cabin In the Woods....yeah, no. There was no connection there aside from a brief bit in the woods and a character later seeking revenge.
So many things were thrown into this book with no actual purpose- the mother's addiction, the weird relationship and circumstances between his father and his mother, all of the male characters obsession with Hudson losing his "virginity". This led to a sexual assault scene in the tent where his best friend stood outside and cheered him on essentially? I will note that Hudson wanted to have sex with one person, but was tricked into sleeping with another. I almost stopped reading at this point (I should have) uninformed consent is not consent and that "joke" they played was unacceptable. This event does lead to something within the plot- but there could have been so many other ways to drive the plot. I also hated that we had first person point of view for two different characters. It made reading this book feel jarring and clunky.
I couldn't connect to nor did I care about ANY of the characters in this one. Hudson was annoying and everyone else was flat. The creatures origin story was absolute absurdity, and the book literally starts over half way through- right as the action started picking up it screeches to a halt and we start all over again. Right down to a character being obsessed with Hudson losing his "virginity" to the school's "easy" girl.
I just really didn't like anything at all about this book.
I had a lot of issues with this book. By the synopsis I was led to believe this book was going to take place during a camping trip in the woods when in reality that's only a chapter or two of this book. As far as Carrie meets The Cabin In the Woods....yeah, no. There was no connection there aside from a brief bit in the woods and a character later seeking revenge.
So many things were thrown into this book with no actual purpose- the mother's addiction, the weird relationship and circumstances between his father and his mother, all of the male characters obsession with Hudson losing his "virginity". This led to a sexual assault scene in the tent where his best friend stood outside and cheered him on essentially? I will note that Hudson wanted to have sex with one person, but was tricked into sleeping with another. I almost stopped reading at this point (I should have) uninformed consent is not consent and that "joke" they played was unacceptable. This event does lead to something within the plot- but there could have been so many other ways to drive the plot. I also hated that we had first person point of view for two different characters. It made reading this book feel jarring and clunky.
I couldn't connect to nor did I care about ANY of the characters in this one. Hudson was annoying and everyone else was flat. The creatures origin story was absolute absurdity, and the book literally starts over half way through- right as the action started picking up it screeches to a halt and we start all over again. Right down to a character being obsessed with Hudson losing his "virginity" to the school's "easy" girl.
I just really didn't like anything at all about this book.
October 6, 2024
4.5 stars
This story made my skin crawl in the best way possible! If you're not at least a little bit terrified of big hairy spiders, I don't know what to say to you.
Hudson is a teenager living in the UK with his father and his father's young husband. On Halloween, Hudson attends an overnight "camp out" party in the woods behind his best friend's house. When a teenage prank turns bad, Hudson loses control of himself, transforming into a monster and it's carnage, literally.
This is a creature feature, coming of age story, an allegory for puberty and that scary time when a boy is becoming a man, not sure of who he is or where all this rage is coming from. The use of the spider to tell this story was so original, I absolutely love it.
Look out werewolves, the big hairy spiders are coming to take your crown!
Thank you to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story made my skin crawl in the best way possible! If you're not at least a little bit terrified of big hairy spiders, I don't know what to say to you.
Hudson is a teenager living in the UK with his father and his father's young husband. On Halloween, Hudson attends an overnight "camp out" party in the woods behind his best friend's house. When a teenage prank turns bad, Hudson loses control of himself, transforming into a monster and it's carnage, literally.
This is a creature feature, coming of age story, an allegory for puberty and that scary time when a boy is becoming a man, not sure of who he is or where all this rage is coming from. The use of the spider to tell this story was so original, I absolutely love it.
Look out werewolves, the big hairy spiders are coming to take your crown!
Thank you to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2024
Thanks to the guys at Harper Collin and Indie Thinking for letting me read an ARC of this book.
Normally I'd like to review something without mentioning any spoilers at all, but I don't feel like it would be possible to do that with this one. I'll keep them hidden and soldier on as best I can.
What drew my interest to this one was the comparison to "Cabin in the Woods", a film I very much enjoyed. Unfortunately I didn't get that impression while reading, with no shady government interference apart from a brief sentence made by a detective. I do however agree with other readers comparisons to "Metamorphosis" or "the Fly" with certain segments of "body-horror" giving me the chills.
The story is told in three parts, through the two different viewpoints of "the boy" Hudson, and "the father" Rex, which works well as a narrative device and helps set the emotional tone throughout. Especially after the Halloween party in the English woods in part one, when you find out just what the spider creature is.
The story continues on dealing with the aftermath, and the repeated re-appearance of the spider and the further victims ties to Hudson and Rex which eventually forces them to return the US to get answers from Hudson's mother who's drug induced hallucinations might not have been so imaginary.
This is unfortunately where the pace stumbled a bit for me, as once they reach Texas, and we get some answers, everything becomes hunky-dory again and a lot of the tension that had been built up during part one just drops away, and the book almost has to rush to bring it back by the time Halloween rolls around again.
Part three deals with the return of the spider, and the real reason for its existence. This section really affected my take on the book, but I'll hide it because it's a big spoiler.
All in all, this book does have segments that genuinely disturbed me in a good way, and showed a lot of promise, but unfortunately left me a little wanting. If you're an arachnophobe then you might find this book a bit scarier than I did, but overall it was an enjoyable read on the lead up to spooky season.
Solid 3/5
Normally I'd like to review something without mentioning any spoilers at all, but I don't feel like it would be possible to do that with this one. I'll keep them hidden and soldier on as best I can.
What drew my interest to this one was the comparison to "Cabin in the Woods", a film I very much enjoyed. Unfortunately I didn't get that impression while reading, with no shady government interference apart from a brief sentence made by a detective. I do however agree with other readers comparisons to "Metamorphosis" or "the Fly" with certain segments of "body-horror" giving me the chills.
The story is told in three parts, through the two different viewpoints of "the boy" Hudson, and "the father" Rex, which works well as a narrative device and helps set the emotional tone throughout. Especially after the Halloween party in the English woods in part one, when you find out just what the spider creature is.
The story continues on dealing with the aftermath, and the repeated re-appearance of the spider and the further victims ties to Hudson and Rex which eventually forces them to return the US to get answers from Hudson's mother who's drug induced hallucinations might not have been so imaginary.
This is unfortunately where the pace stumbled a bit for me, as once they reach Texas, and we get some answers, everything becomes hunky-dory again and a lot of the tension that had been built up during part one just drops away, and the book almost has to rush to bring it back by the time Halloween rolls around again.
Part three deals with the return of the spider, and the real reason for its existence. This section really affected my take on the book, but I'll hide it because it's a big spoiler.
All in all, this book does have segments that genuinely disturbed me in a good way, and showed a lot of promise, but unfortunately left me a little wanting. If you're an arachnophobe then you might find this book a bit scarier than I did, but overall it was an enjoyable read on the lead up to spooky season.
Solid 3/5
October 19, 2025
What a trainwreck.
I went into this book SO genuinely excited to be terrified by some spidery goodness. I hate them, so this seemed like the perfect read for October, but it was not at all what I was expecting. What I assumed was going to be something tense and creepy like the movie Arachnophobia, ended up being this weird amalgamation of other ideas mixing Carrie with the 2001 version of Earth vs. The Spider. But not in a good way. It was just so stupid.
I found a lot wrong with this book. It felt like it should have been marketed as a YA with how much of it was based around a teenager and his emotions. A lot of the writing itself felt quite juvenile, and written in a way that younger audiences might find scary. The book was also split into three parts, the second of which featured no spider action at all, which feels like wasted potential. A lot of wasted potential. There were set ups for themes about addiction that I felt were barely covered, so many things set up that never actually became relevant or resolved or touched upon in a meaningful way.
And the ending was ridiculous, genuinely ridiculous. SPOILER: but spiders are aliens? And they gave H.G Wells the idea for War of the Worlds? And they caused Covid? It feels like the author had too many ideas and just decided to throw them all in here because why not.
A highlight for me was the relationship between the father and Hudson. I found the sections from the fathers POV to be super compelling to read as he had to deal with this escalating situation, grief, terror and all manner of other complicated emotions. If I'm honest, I'd rather the whole book had been from the father's perspective, and I really wish his ending had been different. I will also say one section early on, where a spider crawled up Hud's arm and then turned to stare at him was a genuinely creepy moment and I needed more of that.
I should have DNF'd this to be honest. The further in I got the more annoyed I was at the whole plot. The human elements of this book shone a lot brighter than the spider and horror ones, and this book absolutely reeks of missed potential. I'm sure some people found this fun but it was almost a complete miss for me.
I went into this book SO genuinely excited to be terrified by some spidery goodness. I hate them, so this seemed like the perfect read for October, but it was not at all what I was expecting. What I assumed was going to be something tense and creepy like the movie Arachnophobia, ended up being this weird amalgamation of other ideas mixing Carrie with the 2001 version of Earth vs. The Spider. But not in a good way. It was just so stupid.
I found a lot wrong with this book. It felt like it should have been marketed as a YA with how much of it was based around a teenager and his emotions. A lot of the writing itself felt quite juvenile, and written in a way that younger audiences might find scary. The book was also split into three parts, the second of which featured no spider action at all, which feels like wasted potential. A lot of wasted potential. There were set ups for themes about addiction that I felt were barely covered, so many things set up that never actually became relevant or resolved or touched upon in a meaningful way.
And the ending was ridiculous, genuinely ridiculous. SPOILER: but spiders are aliens? And they gave H.G Wells the idea for War of the Worlds? And they caused Covid? It feels like the author had too many ideas and just decided to throw them all in here because why not.
A highlight for me was the relationship between the father and Hudson. I found the sections from the fathers POV to be super compelling to read as he had to deal with this escalating situation, grief, terror and all manner of other complicated emotions. If I'm honest, I'd rather the whole book had been from the father's perspective, and I really wish his ending had been different. I will also say one section early on, where a spider crawled up Hud's arm and then turned to stare at him was a genuinely creepy moment and I needed more of that.
I should have DNF'd this to be honest. The further in I got the more annoyed I was at the whole plot. The human elements of this book shone a lot brighter than the spider and horror ones, and this book absolutely reeks of missed potential. I'm sure some people found this fun but it was almost a complete miss for me.
October 28, 2025
I was gifted this book as I had asked for something spooky for my birthday. I’m usually a psychological thriller girl but wanted a horror to celebrate halloween and the guy in the shop had recommended this to my partner based on the authors background. The buyer had read the back and assumed the majority of the plot would be ‘cabin in the woods’ style, as did I when reading the blurb. Unfortunately, the woods setting only lasted a couple of chapters and the rest felt like an emotional unravelling of the two main characters. That said, I was gripped within the first few pages and finished it in two days (which is quick for me), so I did get something from it.
Negatives:
** Spoiler Alert **
I felt it was missing tension and suspense. I wanted to feel a little scared or at least on edge, but that didn’t come for me.
I feel there could have been a bit of a plot twist had Matthias not been killed off so early. His background being that with no family etc was wasted in my opinion.
I’d like to have known more about why Adelaide locked Hudson in a walk in wardrobe as a toddler. I feel like this could have been left out or, more detail could have been added (maybe he had morphed as a baby and everyone thought she was on drugs but she wasn’t type thing)
The father’s reaction to his husband being killed was strange and underwhelming.
There were a fair few spelling mistakes - this made the book feel a bit clunky in places.
The ending was nice in a weird way, but I expected more from a psychological thriller author. A twist, maybe a shock or something emotional given the vibe of the story. But it was just a bit bland.
Positives:
I liked the characters. I felt I knew them well.
The first part to the book was gripping. I wanted to know more and it had me finish half the book in one sitting.
There were some subtle messages within the book that really aligned with me.
I’m viewing spiders differently since reading this book.
Overall I did quite enjoy the book, and I will read some thrillers by this author as I quite liked the writing style (easy reading with some emotion injected) but it just lacked excitement for me. I believe 3 stars is fair for this one.
Negatives:
** Spoiler Alert **
I felt it was missing tension and suspense. I wanted to feel a little scared or at least on edge, but that didn’t come for me.
I feel there could have been a bit of a plot twist had Matthias not been killed off so early. His background being that with no family etc was wasted in my opinion.
I’d like to have known more about why Adelaide locked Hudson in a walk in wardrobe as a toddler. I feel like this could have been left out or, more detail could have been added (maybe he had morphed as a baby and everyone thought she was on drugs but she wasn’t type thing)
The father’s reaction to his husband being killed was strange and underwhelming.
There were a fair few spelling mistakes - this made the book feel a bit clunky in places.
The ending was nice in a weird way, but I expected more from a psychological thriller author. A twist, maybe a shock or something emotional given the vibe of the story. But it was just a bit bland.
Positives:
I liked the characters. I felt I knew them well.
The first part to the book was gripping. I wanted to know more and it had me finish half the book in one sitting.
There were some subtle messages within the book that really aligned with me.
I’m viewing spiders differently since reading this book.
Overall I did quite enjoy the book, and I will read some thrillers by this author as I quite liked the writing style (easy reading with some emotion injected) but it just lacked excitement for me. I believe 3 stars is fair for this one.
September 30, 2024
Creepy, gripping, and horrific! I am not a fan of spiders. You can't trust something with that many legs (and eyes)! Scuttle begins with a teenage camping trip in the woods on Halloween, a cruel trick, and a dead body! It was instantly intriguing to me. What a great book to read during the dark fall months! This one will have the hair standing up on the back of your neck and feeling as if something is crawling over your skin! In Scuttle, Hudson, a teenager finds himself transformed and has no idea why or what is happening to him...
This book played out like an eerie late night creature feature film that played on Saturday nights while I was growing up. It is dark, creepy, and horrific but also has heart. It touches on family, relationships, coming of age elements, secrets, and spiders.
There are some gory scenes so be warned. Despite the gory scenes, this book shines with the POV of Hudson and his father, Rex. Readers are privy to their feelings, thoughts, and motivations. Both have questions, both want the truth, and both want Hudson to be okay. I could feel Rex's desire to protect his son paired with his anxiety and dread.
I enjoyed the sense of dread and danger in this book. As the book unfolds and Hudson and his father travel to the states to gather more information from Hudson's mother, the book becomes even more tense as some revelations and truths are known.
Creepy, dark, horrific, and a wonderful fall read! Plus, what a cover!
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
This book played out like an eerie late night creature feature film that played on Saturday nights while I was growing up. It is dark, creepy, and horrific but also has heart. It touches on family, relationships, coming of age elements, secrets, and spiders.
There are some gory scenes so be warned. Despite the gory scenes, this book shines with the POV of Hudson and his father, Rex. Readers are privy to their feelings, thoughts, and motivations. Both have questions, both want the truth, and both want Hudson to be okay. I could feel Rex's desire to protect his son paired with his anxiety and dread.
I enjoyed the sense of dread and danger in this book. As the book unfolds and Hudson and his father travel to the states to gather more information from Hudson's mother, the book becomes even more tense as some revelations and truths are known.
Creepy, dark, horrific, and a wonderful fall read! Plus, what a cover!
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
October 23, 2025
You may not have heard of Barnaby Walter, but I'm sure you've heard of BP Walter... Well, they are one and the same! But he writes under a different name for a different genre.
I've enjoyed a couple of his thrillers so far, but I was eager to read this horror!
I enjoyed the familiar domestic feel at the start, focusing on a son and his father with a lot of drama centred in their house.
It's almost a coming-of-age story, but with one big twist! In the woods, there's a monster, and it's about to change the trajectory of his life for good.
He made me very nervous at the start. He was obviously quite shy and reserved, so I, like his father, was scared for his first night away from home. And on Halloween, of all nights!
What follows is a very nerve-wracking and gory experience. I loved it!! There's a certain "tent scene" which was very uncomfortable and I almost had to put the book down, but I was able to move past it.
And then there's a twist that I definitely wasn't expecting. It certainly had my curiosity piqued!
But with a book like this, it all comes down to the end... And to be honest, I don't think I was ever going to be fully satisfied with the outcome, whatever it was going to be. But I made a very rogue guess and managed to somehow get it spot on!
It takes you on a very different experience to the one I was expecting. It did lessen my excitement slightly, but the horror elements remained intense which I liked, and I think Barnaby developed it well enough for it to work in a wider context.
Overall, it's definitely an imaginative book, with many scenes that will get under your skin.
I've enjoyed a couple of his thrillers so far, but I was eager to read this horror!
I enjoyed the familiar domestic feel at the start, focusing on a son and his father with a lot of drama centred in their house.
It's almost a coming-of-age story, but with one big twist! In the woods, there's a monster, and it's about to change the trajectory of his life for good.
He made me very nervous at the start. He was obviously quite shy and reserved, so I, like his father, was scared for his first night away from home. And on Halloween, of all nights!
What follows is a very nerve-wracking and gory experience. I loved it!! There's a certain "tent scene" which was very uncomfortable and I almost had to put the book down, but I was able to move past it.
And then there's a twist that I definitely wasn't expecting. It certainly had my curiosity piqued!
But with a book like this, it all comes down to the end... And to be honest, I don't think I was ever going to be fully satisfied with the outcome, whatever it was going to be. But I made a very rogue guess and managed to somehow get it spot on!
It takes you on a very different experience to the one I was expecting. It did lessen my excitement slightly, but the horror elements remained intense which I liked, and I think Barnaby developed it well enough for it to work in a wider context.
Overall, it's definitely an imaginative book, with many scenes that will get under your skin.
September 6, 2024
Rating: 3.8/5
I am very much a fan of the writing of B.P. Walter and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of his deliciously dark, noir-influenced psychological thrillers. "Scuttle" represents a shift in genre to something that sits more readily in the world of horror fiction, though with some sci-fi references too. Hence the author's decision to publish under the Barnaby Walter moniker instead of his usual sign-off.
As with his previous work, there is something quite dark about the world that Barnaby Walter takes his audience to - though in "Scuttle" it is presented in a manner that is far more gory and grotesque than the more subtly sinister fashion that typically features in his psychological thrillers. However, in spite of these nightmarish elements that the genre demands, Barnaby Walter's writing is still wonderfully engaging. The plot and characterisation is, as ever, perfectly sound and isn't simply sacrificed for the sake of the shock factor. Fans of horror fiction will, no doubt, pick up on influences from other books and films. I certainly detected echoes of "The Fly", "An American Werewolf in London" and Kafka's "Die Verwandlung" ("The Metamorphosis"). Regardless of whether he publishes more books as Barnaby Walter, or concentrates on extending the B.P. Walter catalogue, I have little doubt that I will be back for more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
I am very much a fan of the writing of B.P. Walter and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of his deliciously dark, noir-influenced psychological thrillers. "Scuttle" represents a shift in genre to something that sits more readily in the world of horror fiction, though with some sci-fi references too. Hence the author's decision to publish under the Barnaby Walter moniker instead of his usual sign-off.
As with his previous work, there is something quite dark about the world that Barnaby Walter takes his audience to - though in "Scuttle" it is presented in a manner that is far more gory and grotesque than the more subtly sinister fashion that typically features in his psychological thrillers. However, in spite of these nightmarish elements that the genre demands, Barnaby Walter's writing is still wonderfully engaging. The plot and characterisation is, as ever, perfectly sound and isn't simply sacrificed for the sake of the shock factor. Fans of horror fiction will, no doubt, pick up on influences from other books and films. I certainly detected echoes of "The Fly", "An American Werewolf in London" and Kafka's "Die Verwandlung" ("The Metamorphosis"). Regardless of whether he publishes more books as Barnaby Walter, or concentrates on extending the B.P. Walter catalogue, I have little doubt that I will be back for more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
October 2, 2024
Well that went unexpected places! Even after reading the synopsis (in my post book haze) I still feel as though this book took a HARD left into some weird horror territory.
In Scuttle we have 16yo Hudson who lives with his father and stepfather in England. He has a shaky relationship with his mother who lives back in the US. After a party at his buddy’s gets out of hand his life changes dramatically.
Obviously there are spiders involved hence the cover and title, but I wouldn’t rule this one out if you’re arachnophobic as the spider aspect isn’t necessarily the creepiest part of the book. I enjoyed the pacing in the first half but the book lulls a bit in the middle. But when things get wild again they go into ANOTHER territory I did not see coming. This book reminds me of two of my favorite Stephen King books (names withheld to avoid potential spoilers) in the best way.
This book does veer into the implausibility realm a bit, but I really enjoyed the ending. The characterization is great with likable protagonists and some wild deaths. I would absolutely recommend this book. I worried it would be YA in nature but there are definitely some adult scenes and deeper themes presented. If you vibe with creature feature mixed with WTF then check this one out.
In Scuttle we have 16yo Hudson who lives with his father and stepfather in England. He has a shaky relationship with his mother who lives back in the US. After a party at his buddy’s gets out of hand his life changes dramatically.
Obviously there are spiders involved hence the cover and title, but I wouldn’t rule this one out if you’re arachnophobic as the spider aspect isn’t necessarily the creepiest part of the book. I enjoyed the pacing in the first half but the book lulls a bit in the middle. But when things get wild again they go into ANOTHER territory I did not see coming. This book reminds me of two of my favorite Stephen King books (names withheld to avoid potential spoilers) in the best way.
This book does veer into the implausibility realm a bit, but I really enjoyed the ending. The characterization is great with likable protagonists and some wild deaths. I would absolutely recommend this book. I worried it would be YA in nature but there are definitely some adult scenes and deeper themes presented. If you vibe with creature feature mixed with WTF then check this one out.
October 6, 2024
Teenager Hudson attends a Halloween party in the woods, much to the disdain of his father. The party goes wrong when a girl ends up dead with what appears to be animal wounds. What creatures could have caused such horror?
Having enjoyed this author’s thrillers, I was intrigued to read a different genre by him. I have to admit that horror isn’t usually my go to book genre, with it tending to be very hit or miss, however I think it was done pretty well here, although there were some supernatural elements that I’m not a massive fan of. The story is definitely very creepy, with the author’s trademark dark, disturbing themes.
The atmosphere was created well and having a focus on spiders really added in the horror vibe. I could feel ‘scuttling’ all around me. The story is told in the voices of Hudson and his father and learning about their family dynamics adds more serious tones to the story. I found that some character names ended up being fairly similar and sometimes it read more as young adult. Saying that, this is an interesting, unique read and will be good for those who enjoy sci fi horror novels, especially around Halloween. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
Having enjoyed this author’s thrillers, I was intrigued to read a different genre by him. I have to admit that horror isn’t usually my go to book genre, with it tending to be very hit or miss, however I think it was done pretty well here, although there were some supernatural elements that I’m not a massive fan of. The story is definitely very creepy, with the author’s trademark dark, disturbing themes.
The atmosphere was created well and having a focus on spiders really added in the horror vibe. I could feel ‘scuttling’ all around me. The story is told in the voices of Hudson and his father and learning about their family dynamics adds more serious tones to the story. I found that some character names ended up being fairly similar and sometimes it read more as young adult. Saying that, this is an interesting, unique read and will be good for those who enjoy sci fi horror novels, especially around Halloween. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
October 20, 2024
Thank you Netgalley, Barnaby Walter and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for the eArc of Scuttle.
I must admit, I was drawn in by the cover and the synopsis. I can't resist a good creature feature. In Scuttle we come across a teen who struggles to fit in socially as well as dealing with family drama. After a camp in the woods goes wrong and a girl is murdered. Who is to blame?
This is a slow burn to begin with and unfortunately, I did find the book and the writing a little clunky and didn't flow for me. However, curiosity got the better of me because it drew me in enough to want to know where it was going. I really enjoyed the premise and the sci fi aspect of this book. The eventual explanation and pay off of Scuttle made me think of a certain HG wells book. There was a nice balance between the plot and character building and the story unfolds in 2 main places which I got a good sense of. Its dark, creepy and atmospheric with some great tense scenes,
Mark Elstob, Francine Brody, Frazer Hadfield narrated Scuttle which I also listened to. I did enjoy the separate narrators who voiced the different characters and were all a pleasure to listen to.
3.5 stars for Storygraph, 3 stars for Netgalley, Amazon and Goodreads
I must admit, I was drawn in by the cover and the synopsis. I can't resist a good creature feature. In Scuttle we come across a teen who struggles to fit in socially as well as dealing with family drama. After a camp in the woods goes wrong and a girl is murdered. Who is to blame?
This is a slow burn to begin with and unfortunately, I did find the book and the writing a little clunky and didn't flow for me. However, curiosity got the better of me because it drew me in enough to want to know where it was going. I really enjoyed the premise and the sci fi aspect of this book. The eventual explanation and pay off of Scuttle made me think of a certain HG wells book. There was a nice balance between the plot and character building and the story unfolds in 2 main places which I got a good sense of. Its dark, creepy and atmospheric with some great tense scenes,
Mark Elstob, Francine Brody, Frazer Hadfield narrated Scuttle which I also listened to. I did enjoy the separate narrators who voiced the different characters and were all a pleasure to listen to.
3.5 stars for Storygraph, 3 stars for Netgalley, Amazon and Goodreads
November 27, 2024
“Scuttle” is an outstanding example of a horror story, written by Sunday Times bestselling author, Barnaby Walter also known as B.P. Walter.
Although this book comes with a evident warning about the content of spiders, it didn’t quite prepare me for the extensive and detailed horror of the author’s creative imagination. I did however, find it very addictive, the sort of addictiveness of not wanting to watch something but peering between your fingers all the same.
The story itself was very well narrated, with intermittent chapters from both ‘the boy’ and ‘the father’ telling their side of how they see things as they are developing and their deep emotions, which aren’t seen on the outside.
As with all horror stories, you need to suspend some disbelief but these days anything is possible, so I wouldn’t rule some of it out. I could see this being both the typical American B movie of old with cliched special effects but also a blockbuster movie with full on horror scenes, the likes of similar movies ‘The Fly’ and ‘Sting’.
I would aim this book mostly at young adults, due to some sensitive themes covered e.g. coming of age and dangerous teenage friendships, however these aren’t fully explored. The main crux of the story certainly doesn’t hold back though and if I wasn’t already (very) scared of spiders, then I’m even more so now! Just remember…….you have been warned….. 🕷️ 🕷️ 🕷️
#Scuttle - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Although this book comes with a evident warning about the content of spiders, it didn’t quite prepare me for the extensive and detailed horror of the author’s creative imagination. I did however, find it very addictive, the sort of addictiveness of not wanting to watch something but peering between your fingers all the same.
The story itself was very well narrated, with intermittent chapters from both ‘the boy’ and ‘the father’ telling their side of how they see things as they are developing and their deep emotions, which aren’t seen on the outside.
As with all horror stories, you need to suspend some disbelief but these days anything is possible, so I wouldn’t rule some of it out. I could see this being both the typical American B movie of old with cliched special effects but also a blockbuster movie with full on horror scenes, the likes of similar movies ‘The Fly’ and ‘Sting’.
I would aim this book mostly at young adults, due to some sensitive themes covered e.g. coming of age and dangerous teenage friendships, however these aren’t fully explored. The main crux of the story certainly doesn’t hold back though and if I wasn’t already (very) scared of spiders, then I’m even more so now! Just remember…….you have been warned….. 🕷️ 🕷️ 🕷️
#Scuttle - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 27, 2025
So this one was tough to rate. I feel like it had a lot of good pieces to it but they were an amalgam of other books I’ve read and did not really come to fruition
First there was the body horror of turning into a spider. The details were limited so I didn’t think it hit the mark like a Nick Cutter book does where you just feel the itchiness beneath your skin.
Second the general concept of grief. It was missed. The father lost everything but it was glossed over. You felt sad and the book had an overall gloom but it didn’t gut you like Pet Sematary did.
Third the spiders being alien overlords. I love this! But flesh it out!! We’ve seen it. Beneath the Dome or the ant universe at the end of Revival ( all hail Stephen King) and this was a cool way to take insect horror up a new place. BUT then nothing happened. This could have been a micro start to a macro series that had major potential.
Last the epilogue. Really? After all that you just wait around to bite one kid? Seems like by that point giant spiders should be ruling the earth.
2.5 ⭐️. I really wanted it to be higher but it just didn’t get there on all the points above.
First there was the body horror of turning into a spider. The details were limited so I didn’t think it hit the mark like a Nick Cutter book does where you just feel the itchiness beneath your skin.
Second the general concept of grief. It was missed. The father lost everything but it was glossed over. You felt sad and the book had an overall gloom but it didn’t gut you like Pet Sematary did.
Third the spiders being alien overlords. I love this! But flesh it out!! We’ve seen it. Beneath the Dome or the ant universe at the end of Revival ( all hail Stephen King) and this was a cool way to take insect horror up a new place. BUT then nothing happened. This could have been a micro start to a macro series that had major potential.
Last the epilogue. Really? After all that you just wait around to bite one kid? Seems like by that point giant spiders should be ruling the earth.
2.5 ⭐️. I really wanted it to be higher but it just didn’t get there on all the points above.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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