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Into the Woods
It was supposed to be a nice family vacation. Their first time out camping. Quality time with the family - more about communicating with each other as opposed to whatever electronic devices got them online. But from the moment they got lost and gave up looking for the camp-site, opting to stay in a pretty looking field deep in the country, things start to go from bad to worse and soon they find themselves running for their lives.
Who dares go Into the Woods? More to the point - who will survive?
From Matt Shaw - the twisted mind behind 'Sick B*stards' and 'PORN' - comes a new psychological thriller that is bound to get your adrenaline pumping. Are you ready for it?
INCLUDES BONUS SHORT STORY: THE TUBE
Who dares go Into the Woods? More to the point - who will survive?
From Matt Shaw - the twisted mind behind 'Sick B*stards' and 'PORN' - comes a new psychological thriller that is bound to get your adrenaline pumping. Are you ready for it?
INCLUDES BONUS SHORT STORY: THE TUBE
- GenresHorror
121 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2015
32 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Matt Shaw
529 books2,193 followersBiography
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 12, 2025
I didn’t love this book, but didn’t necessarily hate it, either. Matt Shaw loves to try new concepts in his stories, and most of the time they work. This just felt like an incomplete tale with a lot of filler material. The beginning started out strong with a splintered family going on an undesirable camping trip. Lots of hope for interfamily conflict and eventual resolution, which never really happened. The story transitioned into something out of Deliverance, which is a very good and quite unsettling movie, but this missed the mark trying to replicate the concept. Because of the lack of character development, you didn’t feel obligated to root for any of the Hunter family. Like you didn’t want them to be harmed, but you felt like you were being forced to feel a certain way towards them, too. The same with the antagonists. Like they did basically what you’d assume and that was it. Our soulless, token bad guys. Nothing new or any interesting spins done with this otherwise mundane story. And towards the end, there were several pages where prior victims were literally just listed with how they were killed. It felt like it was put there to make the book longer, but didn’t serve any purpose. I still remain a big fan of Matt Shaw, but I truly hate when an author doesn’t develop an idea like this fully and just forces their way through it, just to make another book. This story needed to be at least double the length and have a lot more done with the people and premise to make it worth while.
June 6, 2023
a quick and fucked up lil book. nothing original, but not bad overall.
May 16, 2018
Conny's review Dec 06, 2015
did not like it
"DISGUSTING !!! If you write these books you must be totally a lunatic, completely crazy in the head. I returned this book and asked for a refund. I never ever gonna read something from this twisted sick man."
The above review from Conny was the reason I read this novella. I agree. Thats why I will read everything Matt Shaw has written. This is the best review you can give a horror writer lol! 3.5 stars.
did not like it
"DISGUSTING !!! If you write these books you must be totally a lunatic, completely crazy in the head. I returned this book and asked for a refund. I never ever gonna read something from this twisted sick man."
The above review from Conny was the reason I read this novella. I agree. Thats why I will read everything Matt Shaw has written. This is the best review you can give a horror writer lol! 3.5 stars.
December 10, 2015
Shaw never disappoints
Absolutely loved this thrill ride, wasn't the normal horror and gore fest I've come to expect from Shaw however it was highly entertaining with loads of suspense and great characters! Also BONUS! Extra story at the end was Awesomesauce!
Absolutely loved this thrill ride, wasn't the normal horror and gore fest I've come to expect from Shaw however it was highly entertaining with loads of suspense and great characters! Also BONUS! Extra story at the end was Awesomesauce!
October 29, 2015
Well, what can I say? I'm an avid fan of Matt's work and have been for a number of months now. I'm also rather excited to be featured in this novella! If you enjoy a fast paced story with so much blood spilt that you fear you may drown, then this is for you. Matt always find new and imaginative ways to bump off his characters....and my chosen demise has led me to look at chainsaws in a whole new light.
December 7, 2015
DISGUSTING !!! If you write these books you must be totally a lunatic, completely crazy in the head. I returned this book and asked for a refund. I never ever gonna read something from this twisted sick man.
August 27, 2023
2.5
Started out strong but then took about halfway to really get anywhere. And, when the story finally arrived somewhere, it wasn’t that interesting. Interesting concept but overall felt incomplete—not much character development. Plus, towards the end there were about 10 pages describing how random people were murdered—which seemingly was added for shock factor or length.
I’ve read Shaw before and really like his writing—this one just needed some more fleshing out.
Started out strong but then took about halfway to really get anywhere. And, when the story finally arrived somewhere, it wasn’t that interesting. Interesting concept but overall felt incomplete—not much character development. Plus, towards the end there were about 10 pages describing how random people were murdered—which seemingly was added for shock factor or length.
I’ve read Shaw before and really like his writing—this one just needed some more fleshing out.
November 28, 2015
A camping trip in the woods. What could go wrong? In the hands of Matt Shaw plenty! this was a great read. No complex plot or unrealistic characters. Just bad people doing bad things.
It kept me guessing all the way to the end what would happen and i was not disappointed. Although to be honest I'm always disappointed when I get to the end of one of Matt's books. I always want to read more which is no bad thing.
It kept me guessing all the way to the end what would happen and i was not disappointed. Although to be honest I'm always disappointed when I get to the end of one of Matt's books. I always want to read more which is no bad thing.
July 13, 2023
Camping. The vacation of the common man. Removing yourself from the day-to-day luxuries that we are accustomed to, building ties with others to overcome the loss of these conveniences, all in a budget-conscious package.
Into the Woods has Matt Shaw bringing a family into the camping world. But they are clearly not the right people for camping. Annoyed that they aren't going overseas for an all-inclusive experience, the father can't even drive to their destination without fucking up. So, instead of getting directions, they just...stop somewhere and open a tent. Nature is nature, right?
But then two guys show up claiming to own the land. They also plan to camp and set up right next to the family. It's creepy, but they decide they'll spend the night and leave bright and early in the morning.
That is - if they make it to morning.
This comes across as a mix of Hostel and The Most Dangerous Game, with some helpings of Shaw's trademark extreme moments. There's a longer build-up than most of Matt Shaw's works, but it pays off reasonably well. That said, the plot is quite straightforward and I doubt many would be surprised with the path it takes, so you'll likely feel some deja vu throughout.
The bonus short story was a little too short to really impact me. I can't even remember the story beats to describe them and it's only been 2 days since reading it. Not terrible, but not memorable either (that I can recall).
Nothing here is likely to impress the average horror reader, but it's not likely to cause them to be disappointed either. 3.5, rounding up due to goodreads limitations.
Into the Woods has Matt Shaw bringing a family into the camping world. But they are clearly not the right people for camping. Annoyed that they aren't going overseas for an all-inclusive experience, the father can't even drive to their destination without fucking up. So, instead of getting directions, they just...stop somewhere and open a tent. Nature is nature, right?
But then two guys show up claiming to own the land. They also plan to camp and set up right next to the family. It's creepy, but they decide they'll spend the night and leave bright and early in the morning.
That is - if they make it to morning.
This comes across as a mix of Hostel and The Most Dangerous Game, with some helpings of Shaw's trademark extreme moments. There's a longer build-up than most of Matt Shaw's works, but it pays off reasonably well. That said, the plot is quite straightforward and I doubt many would be surprised with the path it takes, so you'll likely feel some deja vu throughout.
The bonus short story was a little too short to really impact me. I can't even remember the story beats to describe them and it's only been 2 days since reading it. Not terrible, but not memorable either (that I can recall).
Nothing here is likely to impress the average horror reader, but it's not likely to cause them to be disappointed either. 3.5, rounding up due to goodreads limitations.
February 18, 2024
Well, I'm sorry, but I can't possibly put a higher rating than that....
Second Matt Shaw, it won't be my last, cause I have another couple by him on my shelves.
But this one was a disappointment.
"The Weird" which was my first book by him was better.
First, I get that being self-published or part of a small publishing company usually means the quality is impacted ; but having grammatical errors on the back cover ?? You could have made a little effort...
And the first 30 pages were filled with such errors, misspellings and so forth.
English is not my first language but I still noticed it straight away.
As for the story... I hated every single character.
I just wanted them to die
I'm not sure this was the intended purpose, cause the introduction to the family was far too long.
If they were meant to be unlikeable, a good chunk of the beginning should have been cut out.
Just my opinion
Also, the plot itself was nothing original, with any kind of depth, or morality, it was just straigt up free violence, written for shock value.
The bonus short story though, at the end of the book, was much much better !
I'd give it a 3.5 stars, it was much more interesting and thought-out in my opinion.
Second Matt Shaw, it won't be my last, cause I have another couple by him on my shelves.
But this one was a disappointment.
"The Weird" which was my first book by him was better.
First, I get that being self-published or part of a small publishing company usually means the quality is impacted ; but having grammatical errors on the back cover ?? You could have made a little effort...
And the first 30 pages were filled with such errors, misspellings and so forth.
English is not my first language but I still noticed it straight away.
As for the story... I hated every single character.
I just wanted them to die
I'm not sure this was the intended purpose, cause the introduction to the family was far too long.
If they were meant to be unlikeable, a good chunk of the beginning should have been cut out.
Just my opinion
Also, the plot itself was nothing original, with any kind of depth, or morality, it was just straigt up free violence, written for shock value.
The bonus short story though, at the end of the book, was much much better !
I'd give it a 3.5 stars, it was much more interesting and thought-out in my opinion.
November 13, 2019
Into the woods
As usual fun read. Matt has become my favorite author of extreme horror. Don’t like twisted do not open book
As usual fun read. Matt has become my favorite author of extreme horror. Don’t like twisted do not open book
March 9, 2020
grotesque at it's finest
I really liked the initial story line. great concept. Pretty fucked up; but in the best way. really liked how it went through the book of kills
I really liked the initial story line. great concept. Pretty fucked up; but in the best way. really liked how it went through the book of kills
February 1, 2021
Never go into unknown territory blindly.
This was a twisted tale. It was like a mix of, The Most Dangerous Game and Hostel. Nice and gory and imaginative. Definitely a good read.
This was a twisted tale. It was like a mix of, The Most Dangerous Game and Hostel. Nice and gory and imaginative. Definitely a good read.
December 5, 2021
Great read!
Not as graphic as his previous books but still a great read. I especially liked the short story at the end!
Not as graphic as his previous books but still a great read. I especially liked the short story at the end!
May 25, 2022
Read it all before
I have read many books just like this one , same concept , same everything, because of that I was not impressed
I have read many books just like this one , same concept , same everything, because of that I was not impressed
April 6, 2024
I wasn't particularly intrigued, but it's nice to see a different take on the lost in the woods/camping gone wrong thing.
March 16, 2018
(Copied and pasted from my original Amazon review)
SPOILER ALERT: Sick and twisted story. I enjoy horror, especially supernatural or psychological horror. This story is more in the "slasher" genre. Killing for sport and also violent, disgusting sex and rape scenes depicted. An example being one of the main characters is buried alive,upright, hands tied,and given a plastic tube to breath thru, and then the psychopath who buried him jerks off and cums into the tube so that the buried victim now chokes to death. That was AFTER torturing to death and sexually abusing the poor guy's wife. Don't get me wrong- this author is a good writer, I just didn't care much for the content; writing just for the sake of being shocking. If that's your type of thing then by all means, this book is for you. For me ? I think I will stick with my cheesy zombie apocalypse and sci-fi stories....Not my cup of tea.
SPOILER ALERT: Sick and twisted story. I enjoy horror, especially supernatural or psychological horror. This story is more in the "slasher" genre. Killing for sport and also violent, disgusting sex and rape scenes depicted. An example being one of the main characters is buried alive,upright, hands tied,and given a plastic tube to breath thru, and then the psychopath who buried him jerks off and cums into the tube so that the buried victim now chokes to death. That was AFTER torturing to death and sexually abusing the poor guy's wife. Don't get me wrong- this author is a good writer, I just didn't care much for the content; writing just for the sake of being shocking. If that's your type of thing then by all means, this book is for you. For me ? I think I will stick with my cheesy zombie apocalypse and sci-fi stories....Not my cup of tea.
December 16, 2015
Not bad
Not bad, but not very good either. I like violent gory horror (not always, but sometimes) but why, oh why do the people in them have to be such idiots? Horror books in general seem to have dumber characters than other genres, but these type of gory horror in particular seem to have even dumber characters. And for the love of God, what is it with the word whilst? It's while!! Whilst is pretentious and annoying. And it's used so much in this book. At one point it's actually used 3 times in 4 sentences. Using the word whilst is actually a pet peeve of mine, maybe other people don't find it annoying, but it drives me nuts.
Not bad, but not very good either. I like violent gory horror (not always, but sometimes) but why, oh why do the people in them have to be such idiots? Horror books in general seem to have dumber characters than other genres, but these type of gory horror in particular seem to have even dumber characters. And for the love of God, what is it with the word whilst? It's while!! Whilst is pretentious and annoying. And it's used so much in this book. At one point it's actually used 3 times in 4 sentences. Using the word whilst is actually a pet peeve of mine, maybe other people don't find it annoying, but it drives me nuts.
March 12, 2016
If you go down to the woods today..... actually, just don't do it, don't go Into the woods, but do read this book! A cautionary tale about what happens when you decide not to stick with your planned camping trip and you end up meeting a couple of twisted maniacs.
As always Matt Shaw doesn't disappoint.
As always Matt Shaw doesn't disappoint.
December 9, 2015
Another superb Matt shaw story. An unfortunate family end up on a camping holiday which turns sour. They are warned not to enter the woods...I won't spoil it but I loved this story. Who will escape the woods??
January 23, 2016
I'm a little behind on my reading so I'm late to the party with this one, but of course I loved it. It's not what I expected but it was dark as hell, ridiculously tense and although there was no twist ending as such, it definitely didn't end how I expected it to! No happy endings here. Ever.
January 26, 2016
Loved it as I've loved so many of Matt's books. They are not for the squeamish as is always revealed on the cover, but they are are great fun after all its only fiction Good work Matt
November 2, 2016
Excellent story of a family vacation gone horribly wrong...no spoilers but would make an awesome movie!
Read
January 15, 2016Matt Shaw does it again! What a great read
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews