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Hobbomock

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In the late 1800s, deep in the woods of a small New England town, something was called forth for the purposes of revenge and death. Something evil, something bloodthirsty, something unstoppable. Now, what has lain dormant for over a century has been released on four unsuspecting teens trying to enjoy a quiet weekend alone. All they want to do is watch some movies and play some games. But their fun is cut short, and what starts as a series of strange and unsuspecting events soon turns into a bloodbath in which no one is safe. Hunter, Josh, Gemma and Kailyn have only hours to figure out how to survive, because the Hobbomock is getting closer, and if it feeds, the world will never be the same. "One of my new favorite writers!" - Brian Keene, author of Pressure "Thomas' writing sucks you in!" - Craig Saunders, author of Rain "Thomas leaves you sweating and vomiting, and all you want is more!" - Bryan Killian, author of Dust of the Devil's Land

181 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 10, 2016

48 people are currently reading
625 people want to read

About the author

Ryan C. Thomas

55 books405 followers
I am the author of the novels The Summer I Died, Ratings Game, Born to Bleed, Salticidae, Undead World of Oz, Hissers and more. I hope to learn a lot from the readers on this site, and get some good book recs in the process. Thanks!

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5 stars
91 (25%)
4 stars
125 (34%)
3 stars
104 (28%)
2 stars
33 (9%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
Profile Image for Peter.
4,074 reviews802 followers
February 13, 2022
A couple of youths plan a fine weekend in a house near the woods. What started as a parts soon turns into absolute horror. Who is the mysterious old hag hunting them? Is there possibility to ward off her evil? What is the Hobbomock (great unforgettable title and idea here)? Why is this evil force around at all? This was an entertaining, fluent first rate pulp horror story. Of course many elements were kind of known and there also is some reference to HP Lovecraft. It was intriguing, eerie and sometimes downright nasty. The ending was a bit drawn for my taste. Great cover, great tale with historic background lore. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Gianfranco Mancini.
2,338 reviews1,070 followers
September 28, 2021






Ricky stepped away, back toward the massive pine. The stench seemed to follow him, engulfing him. Overwhelming, like a cesspit of defecation. “Holy shit.” Ricky held his arm across his nose. “What’d you find, a dead skunk covered in shit?” Rufus answered with a sudden yelp of pain. Ricky froze. The dog was suddenly thrown high into the air, too high for rational thought. Only the dog didn’t come down.

Hunter, Josh, Gemma and Kailyn are four teenagers planning to enjoy a funny weekend trip together to Josh's family cabin in the woods, what could possibly go wrong?

Sweet, thought Gemma, doing a little mental dance. So it was a done deal. The weekend at Josh’s Dad’s house...sans his Dad, of course. She and Kailyn and Josh and Hunter. Alone. Some beers and some Nathan Fillion movies and two whole days away from her stupid brother. It was gonna be awesome.

Hobbomock by Ryan C. Thomas was a fast-paced, page-turning, well written hell of a read for me, creeping me out and making me laugh at the same time, with its spooky atmosphere, told from different POVs of characters I was digging and caring for page after page, and some of the most disgusting and hilarious scenes I've read in my life.

Gemma slapped his hand away. “You get nothing till you ask nicely. Now turn around and put something on the radio. Are we all good to go?” Josh put the car in drive, pulled away from the house, and invoked his best Buzz Lightyear impression. “To infinity and beyond.”

Just imagine something like having a binge-watching marathon of Sam Raimi's Drag me to hell, Evil Dead, its sequel and the 2013 bloody remake from director Fede Alvarez all in one, with pinches of horror comedies like Deathgasm and, of course, Cabin in the woods, in an insanely good cocktail of thrills, chills, fun and gore: lots of gore.

Carl took one last look around at the shadows oozing up like oil within the dense acres of trees. He almost thought he heard laughter coming from the darkness within them. He turned and ran back toward the house.

A surprisingly good first novel I've read from author Ryan C. Thomas, he was giving it for free on amazon last summer together with his Hissers series and the killer cover just made me click and download it.

Drew met Gemma’s eyes one last time, felt compelled to talk but didn’t know why. Mostly because she wasn’t Stephanie. “I liked you in the play. The Shakespeare thing. You were funny.” “Wasn’t trying to be funny. People just laughed because I can’t act.” “Well I liked it. Okay, we’re out. See you around. Stay out of the woods. The animals are falling from the sky.”

A funny, visceral, entertaining read, just not for everyone because of some of the most brutal, bloody, yet hilarious killings you can find in an extreme horror/splatterpunk genres tale.

“The first sign of trouble you run for the alcohol?” “First sign? Princess, that was like sign number ten. Maybe you forgot the one where my dog was killed. Or the one where our phones all stopped working. Or the one where those jocks left as a threesome and came back as a couple. And that last one nearly put me through the wall. So yeah, I wanted a beer.”

Feint of heart readers and dog lovers beware and stay aware from here, but fans of horror comedies drenched in blood and gore are going to have a real good time reading this one.

The look on her face would make a lion turn and run. Blood ran down her mouth from where she was chewing off her own bottom lip. She ambled into the room and pissed through her jeans, onto the floor, and spoke in a low guttural tone far too deep for her vocal cords. “I’m coming in. I’m coming in.”



Groovy!
Profile Image for Dion Smith.
504 reviews3 followers
January 24, 2022
WOW, this book is brutal. I loved it.

This is the first Ryan C. Thomas book I have read, but by the time I reached the 50-page mark, I had already added a stack of his books to my to read pile, it has that same creepy feel that Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell has, but with more carnage and sarcasm.
Profile Image for Marie.
1,119 reviews389 followers
October 28, 2022
Blood and Gore Action!

Small backstory:

Four teenager friends (Josh, Hunter, Gemma and Kailyn) want to spend some time together out at a cabin that Josh's dad owns. The cabin is so far out in the woods that cell phone reception is spotty, but the teens don't care as the guys are wanting to play a card game and the girls are wanting to study star gazing. What they don't realize is that some other teens show up crashing the solitude thinking there is a big party going on out at the cabin.

All of the teens are in for a evil surprise though as a witch is roaming the woods and she is out to cause harm to anyone that steps onto the land. When the teens realize that she is on the hunt for them it becomes a need for survival for all of them to stand against her!

That is about all I can give on a small backstory and if you want to know more then you will need to read the book!

Thoughts:

This was my second book by this author and I have been wanting to read it for awhile. There is lots of blood and gore action throughout most of the book and it is all described in graphic details.

The pace of the book is fast as I could hardly put it down! Not too long after the teens get to the cabin the mayhem begins with the witch and most of the book is the teens just trying to survive.

I really enjoyed this story as the witch character is about the evilest witch I have ever read and the things she is capable of doing to the teens kept me on the edge of my seat along with staying up late reading it.

I have two complaints though with the story. The first complaint I have is that the story dragged on too long as 80% of the book is about the witch attacking the teens and the teens trying to figure out how to kill her. Though the book does fall under the 200 page mark I still thought that it could have been made shorter with all what was transpiring within the story. It just seemed to meander way too long with the things that were happening with the characters. The second complaint is listed at the end of this review with a "trigger warning".

All in all though the book was great and I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. I have a few more on my kindle by him to dive into at some point. This is a great book to read around this time of year and a great book to read for Halloween. Giving this book four "Wicked Evil Witch" stars!

Trigger Warning: For animal lovers - there are two dog killings in this book. One is right away in the prologue and the other one is around chapter 15. Graphic details - Be Warned. I skimmed it myself as I could not read it.
Profile Image for Becks!.
407 reviews47 followers
February 10, 2022
Loved this book!! It had a little bit of everything, that kept me on the edge of my seat!! What a great read!
Profile Image for Christine.
409 reviews60 followers
August 29, 2021
It's been a little while since I read this, so I can't remember too many details, but essentially it's about a group of friends staying at an isolated cabin, stalked by the Hobbomock, an old witch-like creature (who can run fast as hell!)
I really liked this book; it actually did scare me, which impressed and surprised me. I love horror novels to death, and as amazing and entertaining as I find them, they really don't "scare" me, if that makes sense. This one, however, definitely creeped me out.
Profile Image for Dan Corey.
249 reviews83 followers
February 17, 2022
2.5/5 stars

I really liked the concept here, and the gore was absolutely KILLER, but I have to touch upon two glaring flaws that had a massive impact on my score: characters and dialogue. These two areas fell completely flat for me, and drastically harmed my overall reading experience. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: if the characters don’t catch my attention, it’s monumentally harder for me to feel invested in the story.

I’m not sure if the problem stems from Thomas trying to write high school teenage characters, but I highly suspect it does. I’ve read a couple other stories from this author and didn’t notice any of the issues I found here. In fact, The Valace Standard is one of the best short stories I’ve read by any author. And I’m dead serious. It’s that good.

Overall, not one of the better experiences I’ve had with this author. If you are a gore hound, you’ll likely love it, though.
Profile Image for Vix (Goddess of Gore).
665 reviews19 followers
September 17, 2024
This follows a foursome of friends heading to one of their dads cabins for a quiet night of astrology, stargazing and fantasy card games. What they get is an extreme horror of gruesome deaths and being hunted by some witch entity.
This was maybe a bit extreme for my wytchbookclub but I found it a light (as in not too heart wrenching) over the top deaths, and the kids doing what they do best in these kind of books. The writing was fun, there were no lulls in the storyline and I had a great time in such short a story. I have rounded it up to 4* from a well deserved 3.5*
I read this as part of my own WYTCHBOOKCLUB on Instagram, an informal monthly readalong with 1 monthly witchy book February to November
Profile Image for Bob.
927 reviews
October 16, 2018
A teen party at a secluded house and a bloodthirsty creature from the 1800's bent on revenge. What's not to like about this tense horror thriller? Recommended.
Profile Image for Collin Henderson.
Author 13 books18 followers
April 4, 2020
A rock solid monster movie of a story about a bunch of horny teens going to a relatively isolated place and being terrorized by a decrepit old woman with telekinetic powers. Something Thomas does well here is the execution of slasher tropes- you have the nerd the hornball couple the jock and others. But they're all done in a way where they still feel like people, which makes the death scenes all the tougher to get through.

Which leads me to the Gore. The book opens with a kid and his dog being lifted into the air, contorted into pretzels, and being slammed into the ground. It's already pretty brutal. But i thought "maybe this won't be as gory as the Roger Huntington books."

Then I got to the first protagonist death and was like "oh."

I kept reading.

Got to the second protagonist death and was like "oh dear."

Then i got to the third one and was like "well Jesus tap dancing Christ."

Suffice it to say, this is just as nasty and brutal as any other extreme horror novel out there, and it makes that violence impactful through solid character development. It's yet another well paced shocker from Thomas and worth a look for anyone with a strong stomach.
386 reviews13 followers
May 19, 2021
Old school scary!

There's just something unnerving and eerie about trees swaying in the woods at night. It's dark. It's desolate. It's just scary. That's what this book felt like. The imagery, the atmosphere, the trees swaying, it's all here. A good old fashioned, very well written, scary campfire tale of a story. Ryan C. Thomas knows how to set the stage and delivers once again!
Profile Image for Eve 🐦‍⬛ 🗡️💘.
252 reviews6 followers
April 8, 2025
This was a 3.25-3.5 ⭐️ read for me. Hobbomock is a solid horror story that played out like a body horror flick in my brain. The characters were forgettable, but the creature delivered. Decent lore, great gore, and vagina dentata galore. Tame for splatterpunk but still a fun, fleshy ride. My boyfriend surprised me with it after getting a rec from our local horror bookshop owner and what a thoughtful little nightmare it turned out to be!
Profile Image for Tony Ramos.
3 reviews
July 5, 2021
This would make a great film. Feels like The Evil Dead remake with very little light moments or laughs. Gruesome and beautiful work.
Profile Image for Deacon D..
170 reviews35 followers
March 23, 2022
This was a fast-paced, pretty gruesome tale with copious splatter.

Not Thomas' best, but it held my interest throughout.
Profile Image for Bella Joyner.
Author 7 books31 followers
January 2, 2022
Where do I start with this one...was it the uniqueness of the Hobbomock that captivated me? The contrast of the YA innocence with the descriptive gore? The absolute no-f**ks-given attitude when the author killed off a dog, slobbery and seemingly rabid though it was? Whatever the case, once I began this novel, I couldn't put it down.

It was engaging and fast-paced with characters it was extremely easy to become invested in. My heart was broken, my stomach turned, and I gasped a time or two at the vivid descriptions.

Dear author, thank you for this masterpiece of eloquence, visceral ooze, and hours well-spent. It literally melted my face off...
Profile Image for Serenity.
742 reviews31 followers
August 4, 2021
Good read!

Really enjoyed this book. Suspenseful, action packed, and gory. The Author is a great story teller. I've read a couple of his books and have enjoyed them all. Definite recommend!
Profile Image for Bookworm.
599 reviews32 followers
January 23, 2023
Rating: B

Hobbomock by Ryan C. Thomas is about a group of teenagers and a random 20-year old hanging out in a cabin owned by one's parent. Unfortunately, it seems to be abandoned, falling apart and it smells dank. Dad can't be reached either. After the 20yos dog goes crazy and Josh, one of the teens, goes missing in the woods and returns in a way that seems "not right", things quickly escalate into a fight for survival against a strange entity that lurks in the woods.

This book was insanely graphic and violent. I honestly had no idea what to expect but it was literally so fucked up. Think the scene from Nightmare on Elm Street where the bed folds the guy in half - it's that but like 1,000,000x worse. These teens don't stand a chance. There's gore, violence, body horror, animal death, whatever else you want. Event Horizon on Earth! And a Magic the Gathering equivalent.

I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of native American history and myth. Would love more stories like this, more myths and legends. Worth a read but it doesn't give goosebumps.
Profile Image for Elaine.
556 reviews40 followers
March 9, 2022
Well this was a surprise! I got this kindle book for free a few days ago and was so intrigued I started it straight away.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story of an ancient evil witch taking out a bunch of teens one by one and their race against time to figure out how to stop her. Simplified synopsis but I went in blind and it was the best way imho.

With good character development, scenes that were like a movie in my head (loved them!) and a couple of scenes that actually made me want to heave, this book is a rollercoaster read, creepy as hell in parts and definitely well worth reading.
Profile Image for Spencer.
1,488 reviews40 followers
May 6, 2022
A handful of teenagers decide to spend the weekend at a cabin to enjoy a quiet break together, but something in the surrounding woods has other ideas. The initial concept of Hobbomock is very ‘Evil Dead’ and there are a few times throughout that I was reminded of the film, but what’s great about this book is that it offers so much more than just an homage. It tells its own captivating story that’s creepy, exciting, and gory in equal measures, the characters are well developed, and the pacing is perfect. The lore is gradually unveiled throughout and made the story feel as though it was part of something much bigger, I was surprised by how well the worldbuilding and characters were developed for a book of this length. I highly recommend Hobbomock, it’s one of the best horror books I’ve read in a while!
Profile Image for Elisabeth.
1,355 reviews2 followers
October 12, 2022
Wanted a bit of entertainment and read this book. Sets into the atmosphere quite early on with gory details. Several decades later and the story continues. A group of young adults in a house in the countryside which was meant to be a romantic weekend away turned bad. This creature appears, after several others try to come and join to make it a party, and soon all hell breaks loose. Mind control, apparently ancient artefacts and a creature who wants to be a woman? I don't know how much the book is based on local folklore, but it felt a bit empty as a story and there was little to no character development. Alright for easy read.
Profile Image for Erin Stubbs.
103 reviews1 follower
October 19, 2022
Rounded up from 3.5

I love the concept of this book. The plot is solid, the characters are fully fleshed out, and there are some really great scenes that would lend themselves easily to a horror flick. It would, however, have seriously benefited from a talented editor.
Profile Image for Heather E..
12 reviews2 followers
March 9, 2022
Lost a star because ****SPOILER**** TWO dead dogs but other than that this story was wild and fun and I very much enjoyed reading it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Hinkelman.
2 reviews3 followers
January 11, 2023
couldn’t put it down

I really enjoyed this story. It never turned out how I thought it would! Kept me guess until the last chapter.
Profile Image for Tara Skinner-Humby.
3 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2024
Intense!

Totally enjoyed this book from the very start to the very end. It was an intense book that I did not want to put down. I would highly recommend it! It would make an awesome movie!
Profile Image for Kate Victoria RescueandReading.
1,892 reviews111 followers
July 7, 2023
Ohhh this book is pretty vile, but also awesome!!!

Some of the scenes made me viscerally ill!!!
Don’t pick this one up if you can’t handle gore. It’s definitely extreme horror in my opinion. Well worth a read if you can handle bodily fluids and evisceration.
Profile Image for Michelle.
772 reviews30 followers
August 12, 2023
Warning: this is considered splatterpunk horror so it is very graphic.

This book was… different. It felt like a book for teens. It’s written about teens. The storyline itself would appeal more to teens. And yet, it’s splatterpunk. I honestly can’t recall any other graphic book of this nature being written for teens so I’m curious if that was the intent of the author or not.

The story was full of supernatural elements. Lots of gross/graphic body horror (in my opinion). I listened to the audiobook version and it was a pretty fast listen.

The narrator didn’t change their voice much between characters speaking, so at times I got a little sidetracked trying to keep up with who was supposed to be talking.

I think if the story featured adults as the main characters and not high school students discussing high school stuff it might have been more interesting for me. Like if it had been 2-3 adult couples going there and this happened to them or something. However, I’m sure there are others reading who don’t mind the teen characters, angst and storylines.
Profile Image for Chey Ferris.
134 reviews4 followers
October 31, 2023
Quick & creepy read, especially for this time of year.
PRO: overall story was well written, the total lack of hope you feel at certain points was perfect.
CON: the characters were fairly shallow and flat. I cared much more about the situation and history than the actual characters. Instantly forgot all their names.
PRO: some low key feminism. When a woman is brutally punished & violated for "unladylike acts" (oh, the irony) she turns to some serious powers for revenge and boy does she get it. "Hell hath no fury" and all that but she does let it get out of control and span for decades.
CON: this is considered Splatterpunk Horror. Which means graphic and gross extreme body horror. I read it blind so I wasn't aware of that when I started it. While Splatterpunk is not for me I do think this was on the lighter side and tolerable, albeit not necessarily enjoyable personally.
Profile Image for SUSAN.
146 reviews4 followers
December 4, 2022
A very enjoyable and gory read!

When some teens decide to hang out at a remote cabin in the woods, their relatively sedate evening is crashed by some other teens looking to party. But the resident evil lurking in the woods is out to destroy anyone or anything that it comes across in very graphic and twisted ways.

Some descriptions are pretty intense so I would not suggest this for a younger crowd so much as seasoned horror lovers. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the scenes so, yeah I guess I'm just not right in the head.

#acacklinggoodtime #horror #neverstop #isitawitch #horribledeaths #slightlycosmic
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews

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