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Horror in the Woods: Book 1 in the Extreme Horror Series
Finding that desecrated body was only the beginning....
For Ashley and her three friends, it was supposed to be an adventure-filled weekend. A chance to get away from the hustle-and-bustle of city life and experience the peaceful tranquillity of nature.
But when they ventured into those woods, their trip turned into a horror far beyond what they could have ever imagined.
Because these four friends have wandered into the territory of the violent, grotesque Webb family. A group of psychopaths who have a taste for human meat. And they are hungry!
Ashley and her friends must face this evil head on, and, worse, discover the shocking secret behind the family's existence....
In the vein of The Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Wrong Turn - Horror in the Woods will leave you exhausted and drained. A brutal, violent tale that hurtles along at break-neck pace - one that horror fans should not miss!
For Ashley and her three friends, it was supposed to be an adventure-filled weekend. A chance to get away from the hustle-and-bustle of city life and experience the peaceful tranquillity of nature.
But when they ventured into those woods, their trip turned into a horror far beyond what they could have ever imagined.
Because these four friends have wandered into the territory of the violent, grotesque Webb family. A group of psychopaths who have a taste for human meat. And they are hungry!
Ashley and her friends must face this evil head on, and, worse, discover the shocking secret behind the family's existence....
In the vein of The Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Wrong Turn - Horror in the Woods will leave you exhausted and drained. A brutal, violent tale that hurtles along at break-neck pace - one that horror fans should not miss!
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2017
800 people are currently reading
1591 people want to read
About the author
Lee Mountford
62 books1,070 followersI am an author with a huge love of horror.
Of course, other genres float my boat as well; Sci-Fi, Thrillers, pretty much any Dark Fiction, but Horror is what I call home.
My first novel, Horror in the Woods, was released on in May 2017, and the second, The Demonic, on the the following July hitting multiple best seller lists. Since then, I have authored a number of horror novels that have terrified fans for the past few years.
You can find out more about me on my website, but also, don't forget to claim your FREE ebooks
: http://eepurl.com/dIaS0r
- Lee
Of course, other genres float my boat as well; Sci-Fi, Thrillers, pretty much any Dark Fiction, but Horror is what I call home.
My first novel, Horror in the Woods, was released on in May 2017, and the second, The Demonic, on the the following July hitting multiple best seller lists. Since then, I have authored a number of horror novels that have terrified fans for the past few years.
You can find out more about me on my website, but also, don't forget to claim your FREE ebooks
: http://eepurl.com/dIaS0r
- Lee
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
July 17, 2024
Gore and Grisly!
A small backstory:
Two couples (Ashley and Tim along with Kim and Craig) decide to get together to go on a hike and to spend some time together. They end up going through a thickly wooded area that supposedly has an urban legend of a cannibalistic family that roams the woods. The couples embark on an adventure that turns into a grisly nightmare. Is the urban legend true or is it just a myth?
No spoilers here as if that has piqued your interest then you will need to go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was my second reread of this story and again I was tossed into a twisted nightmare with fast paced horror action that kept me careening along at a high rate of speed almost like I was riding a bullet train of blood!
Once again I had to grab my gore suit as there are quite a bit of graphic descriptions folded within this story as author, Lee Mountford takes this story deep into the backwoods where only nightmares live! Keeping this one at five "Twisted Terror" stars!
Highly Recommend for Extreme Horror Fans!
A small backstory:
Two couples (Ashley and Tim along with Kim and Craig) decide to get together to go on a hike and to spend some time together. They end up going through a thickly wooded area that supposedly has an urban legend of a cannibalistic family that roams the woods. The couples embark on an adventure that turns into a grisly nightmare. Is the urban legend true or is it just a myth?
No spoilers here as if that has piqued your interest then you will need to go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was my second reread of this story and again I was tossed into a twisted nightmare with fast paced horror action that kept me careening along at a high rate of speed almost like I was riding a bullet train of blood!
Once again I had to grab my gore suit as there are quite a bit of graphic descriptions folded within this story as author, Lee Mountford takes this story deep into the backwoods where only nightmares live! Keeping this one at five "Twisted Terror" stars!
Highly Recommend for Extreme Horror Fans!
June 1, 2023
Wasn't great; wasn't terrible.
Kinda had the main bad guy do an explanation of everything to a victim in a time when it really didn't make sense for either party to be conversing. Really took me out of the thrill of the ending sadly.
Kinda had the main bad guy do an explanation of everything to a victim in a time when it really didn't make sense for either party to be conversing. Really took me out of the thrill of the ending sadly.
October 18, 2020
Hoh boy
Lee Mountford’s Horror in the Woods rolls every nightmare I’ve ever had into one twisty, boobytrapped, blood-soaked funhouse of a story.
If you’re coming to this one expecting your run of the mill "masked slasher/backwoods family of inbreed cannables" gore-fest, you’ll either be slightly disappointed or pleasantly surprised, because while Mountford definitely stands on some frightening shoulders, he deviates from the aforementioned subgenres in substantial and surprising ways.
Still, Mountfort demonstrates the kind of literary chops that may have you sleeping in diapers and/or avoiding camping, hiking or anything outdoorsy for the foreseeable future.
Suffice it to say that you’ll want to take this one in the bathroom when you meet Henry and…gulp…grandpa. 😱
😱
😱
😱
Know going in that Mountford is not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart; if you’re not a huge fan of extreme gore, do. Not. Enter.
There are some things that you cannot unsee/hear/read.
That said, the novel isn’t without its faults; some of the usual pitfalls are present and accounted for, the worst among them being the final girl cliché that tends to communicate a didactic message to audiences, women and girls in particular.
But don’t think for a quarter of a second that men are spared; Mountford isn’t exactly subtle in his critique of chest-thumping, dangerously altruistic and self-emasculating behavior.
There’s also a twist that you may or may not see coming. I’ve seen and read enough horror that I called it almost immediately.
Missing it will definitely make for a more gut wrenching (no pun intended) reading experience, but the reveal got little more than an eyeroll from me, as Mountford, perhaps unintentionally, plants floodlights along the path thereto.
At any rate, I like that, for the most part, he dispenses with the tstl heroine who hangs on and hides behind men and ultimately manages to get herself hurt and killed in a feeble attempt to escape.
The sexism inherent in the “final girl” notwithstanding, Mountford does an excellent job of illustrating what survival can and will require of your average person.
Mountford is my first foray into British horror and, I have to say, I’m loving what I’ve found.
I am very much looking forward to exploring more of what he has to offer, because Horror in the Woods gave me everything I love in and expect from a Halloween-time read. Four stars.
Lee Mountford’s Horror in the Woods rolls every nightmare I’ve ever had into one twisty, boobytrapped, blood-soaked funhouse of a story.
If you’re coming to this one expecting your run of the mill "masked slasher/backwoods family of inbreed cannables" gore-fest, you’ll either be slightly disappointed or pleasantly surprised, because while Mountford definitely stands on some frightening shoulders, he deviates from the aforementioned subgenres in substantial and surprising ways.
Still, Mountfort demonstrates the kind of literary chops that may have you sleeping in diapers and/or avoiding camping, hiking or anything outdoorsy for the foreseeable future.
Suffice it to say that you’ll want to take this one in the bathroom when you meet Henry and…gulp…grandpa. 😱
😱
😱
😱
Know going in that Mountford is not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart; if you’re not a huge fan of extreme gore, do. Not. Enter.
There are some things that you cannot unsee/hear/read.
That said, the novel isn’t without its faults; some of the usual pitfalls are present and accounted for, the worst among them being the final girl cliché that tends to communicate a didactic message to audiences, women and girls in particular.
But don’t think for a quarter of a second that men are spared; Mountford isn’t exactly subtle in his critique of chest-thumping, dangerously altruistic and self-emasculating behavior.
There’s also a twist that you may or may not see coming. I’ve seen and read enough horror that I called it almost immediately.
Missing it will definitely make for a more gut wrenching (no pun intended) reading experience, but the reveal got little more than an eyeroll from me, as Mountford, perhaps unintentionally, plants floodlights along the path thereto.
At any rate, I like that, for the most part, he dispenses with the tstl heroine who hangs on and hides behind men and ultimately manages to get herself hurt and killed in a feeble attempt to escape.
The sexism inherent in the “final girl” notwithstanding, Mountford does an excellent job of illustrating what survival can and will require of your average person.
Mountford is my first foray into British horror and, I have to say, I’m loving what I’ve found.
I am very much looking forward to exploring more of what he has to offer, because Horror in the Woods gave me everything I love in and expect from a Halloween-time read. Four stars.
January 11, 2022
Four friends are hiking in the woods when they enter the territory of the sick and twisted Webb family. You know your typical country cannibals. They come across a body on the ground. Thinking he is dead the friends don't know what to do. They quickly learn the person isn't dead, but very hungry. As the friends fight for their lives they will learn one of them is liar and not who he/she seems to be. Will the friends make it out of woods alive or will they end up in a baking pan?
There is plenty of blood flying around. I didn't like the plot much. It was an okay read.
There is plenty of blood flying around. I didn't like the plot much. It was an okay read.
January 10, 2022
They were supposed to have fun and unwind. But the chance to get away from the city turned out to be a bad idea for Ashley and her friends. Will they survive the evil that lurks in the woods? Or will they be carved up and served for dinner?
Disgusting, outrageous and vile! I love it. I felt icky because of the vivid images of torture and exploitation. Another reason not to venture in places you’re not familiar with. You never know what’s out there.
“Grandpa” reminded me of the movie Slither. The premise is quite similar.
*VERY GRAPHIC SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Disgusting, outrageous and vile! I love it. I felt icky because of the vivid images of torture and exploitation. Another reason not to venture in places you’re not familiar with. You never know what’s out there.
“Grandpa” reminded me of the movie Slither. The premise is quite similar.
*VERY GRAPHIC SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
March 16, 2018
HORROR IN THE WOODS, by Lee Mountford is a gore-splattered romp in the woods (literally). Complete with your token backwoods family--although this one DOES have a few differences than most--your group that gets "lost in the woods", and the horror and torture that ensue.
". . . it felt like they had crossed over into something . . . a different kind of place . . . "
We begin with a group of four: Ashley, her new boyfriend, Tim, best friend, Kim, and boyfriend, Craig. What starts out as a "vacation" to get to know each other better, very quickly changes pace when they come across something . . . unexpected . . . in the woods, that changes everything. I have to say that while this novel did have some key differences from others of its kind (especially towards the end), for the main part, it starts with the usual formulaic sequences. Considering that there really isn't much to change one's view of the events that are anticipated to come, I would have liked to have seen some really stand-out characters to bring the story alive in a different manner. Unfortunately, I never connected to any of them, and found their personalities to be very predictable and cliched overall.
". . . Ashley wasn't sure what the difference was between a forest and just woods, but it seemed an inadequate description for the mass of trees that sprouted from the hilltop . . ."
There were some nice descriptions here, and a slightly different angle to the end, but honestly not enough to make more of an average impression upon me. If you're looking for a book that delivers exactly what the title states, this does that. I just didn't feel it had enough of a "lasting" effect for my personal tastes.
Still, a solid story for those looking for precisely that.
". . . it felt like they had crossed over into something . . . a different kind of place . . . "
We begin with a group of four: Ashley, her new boyfriend, Tim, best friend, Kim, and boyfriend, Craig. What starts out as a "vacation" to get to know each other better, very quickly changes pace when they come across something . . . unexpected . . . in the woods, that changes everything. I have to say that while this novel did have some key differences from others of its kind (especially towards the end), for the main part, it starts with the usual formulaic sequences. Considering that there really isn't much to change one's view of the events that are anticipated to come, I would have liked to have seen some really stand-out characters to bring the story alive in a different manner. Unfortunately, I never connected to any of them, and found their personalities to be very predictable and cliched overall.
". . . Ashley wasn't sure what the difference was between a forest and just woods, but it seemed an inadequate description for the mass of trees that sprouted from the hilltop . . ."
There were some nice descriptions here, and a slightly different angle to the end, but honestly not enough to make more of an average impression upon me. If you're looking for a book that delivers exactly what the title states, this does that. I just didn't feel it had enough of a "lasting" effect for my personal tastes.
Still, a solid story for those looking for precisely that.
October 17, 2021
One of the rare occasions where "inbred cannibal hillbilly" horror crosses paths with cosmic horror and the two sub-genres actually wind up working well together.
December 16, 2017
This book is not for everyone. It’s gory and graphic. I thought it was great. I went into thinking it was going to be about some cannibals living in the woods but it was much more than that.
Four friends are on a hike in the woods when they find a body. Worried the killer might still be around, one wants to head back. One wants to continue and get help in the next town. One wants to bring the body. The situation devolves from there. If only they knew what was coming next. If only they knew one of them was not to be trusted. Then they meet The Family...and all he’ll breaks loose.
It really is gory so don’t read this before dinner....or right after. Or before you go to sleep. Or with the lights out. Aside from that, happy reading!
Four friends are on a hike in the woods when they find a body. Worried the killer might still be around, one wants to head back. One wants to continue and get help in the next town. One wants to bring the body. The situation devolves from there. If only they knew what was coming next. If only they knew one of them was not to be trusted. Then they meet The Family...and all he’ll breaks loose.
It really is gory so don’t read this before dinner....or right after. Or before you go to sleep. Or with the lights out. Aside from that, happy reading!
October 29, 2020
Within the covers of this extreme horror is a plot. Okay, I'm guilty and love cannibals. That may be a trope or cliche. The ending dragged on for as long as 'normal' horror books. Seriously, I love cannibals. Why? Maybe cause if it came down to it, I would eat people to survive. These people take the cake and eat people while they're squirming, they say it makes it taste better. I can't attest to that, but it sounds likely. Lee Mountford did an excellent job with this one. I almost felt like I was reading a Laymon..... And in my book that's an honor.
Kids go camping. Cannibals catch them. Blah blah. The ending has some sort of paranormal/maybe extraterrestrial twist. But overall it's fun
Kids go camping. Cannibals catch them. Blah blah. The ending has some sort of paranormal/maybe extraterrestrial twist. But overall it's fun
June 7, 2018
This book pulls no punches. It is pretty clear from the beginning that this is not going to be a happy-go-lucky hiking/camping trip. I swear, I am never going into the woods again after reading so many books like this. I don't even think I could live near woods. A few weeks ago, I was at a client's house surrounded by woods after dark and could not keep myself from rushing to get out of there!
But I digress - at 4% into the book, we meet Ted, and while we don't yet know his name, we do know things will not end on a happy note. He muses that the group was "...trekking towards the woods, unaware of what awaited inside. Not just death, but torture and pain beyond their wildest, most vivid nightmares." As others have stated, the gore was abundant. There are a couple places where I thought I may vomit. Some of the stuff was pretty brutal. But if you have a strong stomach, and like weird stuff this is it. Because these aren't your typical hillbilly cannibal folk.
This is my second Lee Mountford book and both were very good. Highly recommend this one!
But I digress - at 4% into the book, we meet Ted, and while we don't yet know his name, we do know things will not end on a happy note. He muses that the group was "...trekking towards the woods, unaware of what awaited inside. Not just death, but torture and pain beyond their wildest, most vivid nightmares." As others have stated, the gore was abundant. There are a couple places where I thought I may vomit. Some of the stuff was pretty brutal. But if you have a strong stomach, and like weird stuff this is it. Because these aren't your typical hillbilly cannibal folk.
This is my second Lee Mountford book and both were very good. Highly recommend this one!
September 18, 2019
Uninspired and boring retread of many books that came before it. Sure, it's gory and fast-paced, high points for me, but it's a barebones version of things much preferred.
Just read Off Season or The Woods Are Dark again.
Just read Off Season or The Woods Are Dark again.
October 21, 2020
4.25 stars audio
3 gorgy cringy entertaining stars story.
3 gorgy cringy entertaining stars story.
January 30, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up.
A gory, fun time in the woods!
A gory, fun time in the woods!
May 22, 2024
I really enjoyed this read! I was on the edge of my set from the second they found the first horror in the woods. The horrors only grew beyond compare the futher they stayed in those God forsaken woods. Would you make it out alive? Highly recommend!
April 16, 2020
Horror in the Woods by Lee Mountford is an Extreme Horror story with elements of the occult and the supernatural. It is more than a cannibalism story, more than a monster in the woods story, more than a dark occult story. It is a combination of all of these and more.
Mountford uses a vivid and eclectic group of characters in the story, characters with relatable backgrounds and personalities. This adds an element of realism and modernism to the story, which in turn creates a scary level of believability. I love how the characters develop over the course of the story, how they learn about themselves and each other when faced with horrifying circumstances.
Nothing is quite what it seems in Horror in the Woods. The story fools you by seeming to follow the classic formula in the beginning, giving the reader a false sense of predictability, but fans of Lee know better than to trust that. In true Lee Mountford fashion, the unexpected twists mess with your head as much as the skillfully foreshadowed twists. Lee cannot be properly accused of writing with a predictable flow, more of a haunted house ride flow. A fun ride for discerning horror readers, to be sure.
The Amazon reviews give testament to this not being everyone’s cup of tea. It is an Extreme Horror story, ie: graphic gore and violence and sexual content. It combines subgenres, ie: it is not just a hillbilly cannibal story; it transcends that with elements of extreme horror, supernatural horror, and occult horror. Fans of these complexities will love this story. Those looking for something more straight forward may be taken aback by it. I thoroughly enjoy Mountford’s complex combining of subgenres and mutinous blurring of genre lines.
Horror in the Woods is book 1 in the Extreme Horror Series, and I can’t wait to devour the rest.
Mountford uses a vivid and eclectic group of characters in the story, characters with relatable backgrounds and personalities. This adds an element of realism and modernism to the story, which in turn creates a scary level of believability. I love how the characters develop over the course of the story, how they learn about themselves and each other when faced with horrifying circumstances.
Nothing is quite what it seems in Horror in the Woods. The story fools you by seeming to follow the classic formula in the beginning, giving the reader a false sense of predictability, but fans of Lee know better than to trust that. In true Lee Mountford fashion, the unexpected twists mess with your head as much as the skillfully foreshadowed twists. Lee cannot be properly accused of writing with a predictable flow, more of a haunted house ride flow. A fun ride for discerning horror readers, to be sure.
The Amazon reviews give testament to this not being everyone’s cup of tea. It is an Extreme Horror story, ie: graphic gore and violence and sexual content. It combines subgenres, ie: it is not just a hillbilly cannibal story; it transcends that with elements of extreme horror, supernatural horror, and occult horror. Fans of these complexities will love this story. Those looking for something more straight forward may be taken aback by it. I thoroughly enjoy Mountford’s complex combining of subgenres and mutinous blurring of genre lines.
Horror in the Woods is book 1 in the Extreme Horror Series, and I can’t wait to devour the rest.
August 26, 2021
3.5
This was a pretty freaky study of human behavior ! Be careful how you treat ppl!!
This was a pretty freaky study of human behavior ! Be careful how you treat ppl!!
July 29, 2020
Summary:
Ashley hopes to get her new boyfriend and two good friends better acquainted when the four of them decide to go on a weekend hiking trip together. It isn't long before they find a bound and faceless man on their way into the woods. That, however, becomes the least of their problems when they discover a whole family of cannibals haunt those very same woods they've wandered into.
Will Ashley and her friends have what it takes to survive or will they simply become just another lavish meal for the Webb family.
Personal opinion
An entertaining mash up on Wrong Turn and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with a twist.
The gory and graphic descriptions were one of my favorite parts about this book. It was very easy to picture it while reading and I always love when things get a little messy. The story line and pacing made this a very hard book to put down. There were even a few twists I didn't see coming at all.
Despite a few minor spelling mistakes, this was a good and very entertaining read that I would definitely recommend to any horror fan.
Ashley hopes to get her new boyfriend and two good friends better acquainted when the four of them decide to go on a weekend hiking trip together. It isn't long before they find a bound and faceless man on their way into the woods. That, however, becomes the least of their problems when they discover a whole family of cannibals haunt those very same woods they've wandered into.
Will Ashley and her friends have what it takes to survive or will they simply become just another lavish meal for the Webb family.
Personal opinion
An entertaining mash up on Wrong Turn and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with a twist.
The gory and graphic descriptions were one of my favorite parts about this book. It was very easy to picture it while reading and I always love when things get a little messy. The story line and pacing made this a very hard book to put down. There were even a few twists I didn't see coming at all.
Despite a few minor spelling mistakes, this was a good and very entertaining read that I would definitely recommend to any horror fan.
June 15, 2017
Spelling
Nothing will turn me off a good story like the poorly edited one. I see that a lot in ebooks. Stops me cold. Or words used improperly. That changes the whole meaning of the point you are trying to make. Now I'm not speaking about the differences between U.S. English and British english, I know the difference. I would like to read this story in the future. Please edit and re-submit.
Nothing will turn me off a good story like the poorly edited one. I see that a lot in ebooks. Stops me cold. Or words used improperly. That changes the whole meaning of the point you are trying to make. Now I'm not speaking about the differences between U.S. English and British english, I know the difference. I would like to read this story in the future. Please edit and re-submit.
October 31, 2017
Absolute rubbish
Unbelievable nonsense. Shallow underdeveloped characters. Poor writing and overuse of the word hell in the middle and start of a sentence. Drivel.
Unbelievable nonsense. Shallow underdeveloped characters. Poor writing and overuse of the word hell in the middle and start of a sentence. Drivel.
August 3, 2017
although it was pretty good, I thought it was slow. could have done away with some of the scenes from the woods that seemed to go on and on.
I will try this author again though
I will try this author again though
August 23, 2018
Way way WAY too disgusting for my tastes, but well written nonetheless. I'm not a big fan of this genre but if you want some Texas Chainsaw Massacre + Cabin In The Woods type of action, give it a whirl. Mountford knows how to write.
July 12, 2020
Very good read
An enjoyable read, reminded me slightly of the film hills have eyes. The horrific family in the wilderness and brutal dealings given out to strangers. I.would.of given five.stars the only thing was I knew what was going to happen ahead of time.most of the way through which took some of the excitement away. Though it was still a good compelling enjoyable read. I'd definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys the gory bloody read.
An enjoyable read, reminded me slightly of the film hills have eyes. The horrific family in the wilderness and brutal dealings given out to strangers. I.would.of given five.stars the only thing was I knew what was going to happen ahead of time.most of the way through which took some of the excitement away. Though it was still a good compelling enjoyable read. I'd definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys the gory bloody read.
July 27, 2019
Here we have a reasonably well written book featuring a popular horror concept and a heavy focus on disgusting gore, but sadly lacking any real character development.
As I've come to expect, Hannibal Hills gives us another impeccable performance that is a joy to listen to. His voices are excellently crafted, and while his female voices do leave the tiniest bit to be desired, I have no complaints. As always, his vocal inflections and tempo changes were spot on.
My one narrator issue with this book is that it's a little off-putting to listen to a male voice narrating a female-led book.
Now, as a fan of films like The Hills Have Eyes and Wrong Turn, I was pretty excited to read a book with what seemed a similar concept.
However, it becomes apparent quite quickly that the concept isn't that similar.
There is a shift to the concept that (in an effort to avoid spoilers) I will not discuss. Suffice it to say that for me this shift made the book far less than enjoyable.
Not because of the shift itself, but because of how the shift affected the presentment of the villains and their personalities.
I struggled to connect with the main character. Not because she wasn't likable but because we just don't know anything about her.
The story opens on a trek through the wilderness to get her friends and her new boyfriend to connect. But her entire character consists of being meek and being Tim's girlfriend. That's really it.
I don't know where she's from, what she does, if she has any other friends, if she has family apart from her parents, what her parents are like, what her hobbies are, what she enjoys, or literally anything else about her.
I find it very disappointing and a little disconcerting that the villains get more character development than the main character.
As with the other Lee Mountford book I've read (The Mark), my biggest complaints about the writing are:
1, the author still hasn't realized the difference between nauseous and nauseated.
2, for me, the omniscient POV kills almost all of the tension as we are kept separate from the characters. The horror of the situation just doesn't feel personal or important because of that distance from them.
3, the "twists" really aren't twisty at all. I saw all of them coming from the very beginning. And
4, psychology. I feel like the author just doesn't understand how human brains work. There are a few points (like dissociation) where he hits it spot on, but others (such as thinking through pain and terror) where he swings miles wide of reality.
Which brings me to a minor tertiary point. I'm left wondering if the author has ever had a cut. His descriptions of the pain associated with severe cuts are... I'm sorry to say, laughable.
My final complaint is unique to this book. The gore. Now, with the concept being what it is I knew to expect a certain level of gratuitous gore. But I feel like this book took it several steps farther than necessary with the sole intention of trying to elicit gag reflex. Which it did. There was a point that I had to stop on account of nausea.
It wasn't scary. It wasn't horrifying. It was just disgusting.
Finally, the ending.
I won't give away whether this does or does not happen, but this is one of those books where the villains ultimately winning in the end would be very appropriate.
I did like the way things came together (coming full circle in some instances) at the end, though the note it ends on feels rather unrealistic to me.
I wish I could rate this book higher, as it was so close to an awesome concept that, if executed better, could have been a ton of fun to read.
As I've come to expect, Hannibal Hills gives us another impeccable performance that is a joy to listen to. His voices are excellently crafted, and while his female voices do leave the tiniest bit to be desired, I have no complaints. As always, his vocal inflections and tempo changes were spot on.
My one narrator issue with this book is that it's a little off-putting to listen to a male voice narrating a female-led book.
Now, as a fan of films like The Hills Have Eyes and Wrong Turn, I was pretty excited to read a book with what seemed a similar concept.
However, it becomes apparent quite quickly that the concept isn't that similar.
There is a shift to the concept that (in an effort to avoid spoilers) I will not discuss. Suffice it to say that for me this shift made the book far less than enjoyable.
Not because of the shift itself, but because of how the shift affected the presentment of the villains and their personalities.
I struggled to connect with the main character. Not because she wasn't likable but because we just don't know anything about her.
The story opens on a trek through the wilderness to get her friends and her new boyfriend to connect. But her entire character consists of being meek and being Tim's girlfriend. That's really it.
I don't know where she's from, what she does, if she has any other friends, if she has family apart from her parents, what her parents are like, what her hobbies are, what she enjoys, or literally anything else about her.
I find it very disappointing and a little disconcerting that the villains get more character development than the main character.
As with the other Lee Mountford book I've read (The Mark), my biggest complaints about the writing are:
1, the author still hasn't realized the difference between nauseous and nauseated.
2, for me, the omniscient POV kills almost all of the tension as we are kept separate from the characters. The horror of the situation just doesn't feel personal or important because of that distance from them.
3, the "twists" really aren't twisty at all. I saw all of them coming from the very beginning. And
4, psychology. I feel like the author just doesn't understand how human brains work. There are a few points (like dissociation) where he hits it spot on, but others (such as thinking through pain and terror) where he swings miles wide of reality.
Which brings me to a minor tertiary point. I'm left wondering if the author has ever had a cut. His descriptions of the pain associated with severe cuts are... I'm sorry to say, laughable.
My final complaint is unique to this book. The gore. Now, with the concept being what it is I knew to expect a certain level of gratuitous gore. But I feel like this book took it several steps farther than necessary with the sole intention of trying to elicit gag reflex. Which it did. There was a point that I had to stop on account of nausea.
It wasn't scary. It wasn't horrifying. It was just disgusting.
Finally, the ending.
I won't give away whether this does or does not happen, but this is one of those books where the villains ultimately winning in the end would be very appropriate.
I did like the way things came together (coming full circle in some instances) at the end, though the note it ends on feels rather unrealistic to me.
I wish I could rate this book higher, as it was so close to an awesome concept that, if executed better, could have been a ton of fun to read.
August 25, 2017
PHENOMENAL!!!
I do NOT give five star reviews easily at all. In fact, this just may be my first. In (another) fact, I'm usually bashed for either being too tough on new authors or for never giving a positive review...so this is new for me.
Mr. Mountford brings to us in Horror in the Woods all of the elements that make a great story: Fantastic character development, not a single typo (The Demonic had quite a few, so this is a VAST improvement), and even though the story line of the deformed cannibal family living in the woods, killing innocent people so they can eat them has been used before, there is enough of a difference to distinguish this story and make it new and unique!
I read this in one day. Just couldn't put it down once I started reading it.
What disappointed me was that I REALLY wanted to tread the books the author advertised if I joined his mailing list, so I tried to join three times and never received the email to confirm my email address, so I can't get the other free books he's advertising - and they aren't available on Amazon at all, let alone on Kindle Unlimited or Prime. Apparently, according to his blog, they're available somewhere in paperback, but they're supposed to be free when you join his mailing list that I can't join 😢 and I REALLY want to read them 😤
I do NOT give five star reviews easily at all. In fact, this just may be my first. In (another) fact, I'm usually bashed for either being too tough on new authors or for never giving a positive review...so this is new for me.
Mr. Mountford brings to us in Horror in the Woods all of the elements that make a great story: Fantastic character development, not a single typo (The Demonic had quite a few, so this is a VAST improvement), and even though the story line of the deformed cannibal family living in the woods, killing innocent people so they can eat them has been used before, there is enough of a difference to distinguish this story and make it new and unique!
I read this in one day. Just couldn't put it down once I started reading it.
What disappointed me was that I REALLY wanted to tread the books the author advertised if I joined his mailing list, so I tried to join three times and never received the email to confirm my email address, so I can't get the other free books he's advertising - and they aren't available on Amazon at all, let alone on Kindle Unlimited or Prime. Apparently, according to his blog, they're available somewhere in paperback, but they're supposed to be free when you join his mailing list that I can't join 😢 and I REALLY want to read them 😤
January 9, 2018
Kinda dumb. Also riddled with grammatical errors.
Besides the story being cheesy as hell, this book was not proofread. Holy crap, how frustrating!! I'm still a fan of the genre, and I liked "The Demonic," so I'll give this author another shot.
Besides the story being cheesy as hell, this book was not proofread. Holy crap, how frustrating!! I'm still a fan of the genre, and I liked "The Demonic," so I'll give this author another shot.
June 25, 2018
Really one long cliché. The characters are cut and paste from "Friday the 13th chapter XX" and to top that, there where countless typos.
Without the typos I would probably give it 2/5 but when I pay money (albeit it was cheap) for a book then I expect it to be without so many typos.
Without the typos I would probably give it 2/5 but when I pay money (albeit it was cheap) for a book then I expect it to be without so many typos.
November 18, 2021
Very gory, a quick read with decent prose, characters with unique personalities, and a number of twists (although I predicted them right away). The finale isn't as scary as it should have been, changing the mood from horror to action/adventure.
February 12, 2020
Creepy
Great story about hikers being attacked by cannibals in the woods. Bad table manners and dysfunctional family values. Very exciting.
Great story about hikers being attacked by cannibals in the woods. Bad table manners and dysfunctional family values. Very exciting.
May 5, 2024
dude…. Wtf
December 19, 2017
My original Horror in the Woods audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
This is very much a story of two halves, the first half uses the familiar trope of teenagers lost in the woods and the nasty things they discover while they're trying to find the way out. The second half is something a little bit less familiar and has some surprising twists...
The story itself is quite slow moving, with the main characters spending quite a lot of time having feelings and shouting at each other what they should do next - once they finally decide on a course of action about halfway through the book, things start to speed up and get interesting.
By interesting, I mean deeply and graphically gory and violent. If that's your cup of tea, then this book is BRILLIANT! For me, I'm not a fan of gore for the sake of gore so I started to lose interest a bit but I know there was a time when this book would have rocked my world.
Despite all sorts of nasty things happening to characters during the course of this book: they never pass out. So you get to witness the horror that happens to them from their perspective, but there's no real reason that they can't pass out.
For me, this book is an ultra-violent YA, if such a thing exists... it feels like a teen slasher but with deeper levels of depravity than you're likely to get in any movie!
The sound quality was perfect and Han Hills, the narrator, does a good job of giving the different characters their own personalities with his voice. I found it odd that a male narrator was reading a book with a female main protagonist but he brings it together.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
This is very much a story of two halves, the first half uses the familiar trope of teenagers lost in the woods and the nasty things they discover while they're trying to find the way out. The second half is something a little bit less familiar and has some surprising twists...
The story itself is quite slow moving, with the main characters spending quite a lot of time having feelings and shouting at each other what they should do next - once they finally decide on a course of action about halfway through the book, things start to speed up and get interesting.
By interesting, I mean deeply and graphically gory and violent. If that's your cup of tea, then this book is BRILLIANT! For me, I'm not a fan of gore for the sake of gore so I started to lose interest a bit but I know there was a time when this book would have rocked my world.
Despite all sorts of nasty things happening to characters during the course of this book: they never pass out. So you get to witness the horror that happens to them from their perspective, but there's no real reason that they can't pass out.
For me, this book is an ultra-violent YA, if such a thing exists... it feels like a teen slasher but with deeper levels of depravity than you're likely to get in any movie!
The sound quality was perfect and Han Hills, the narrator, does a good job of giving the different characters their own personalities with his voice. I found it odd that a male narrator was reading a book with a female main protagonist but he brings it together.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
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